The Prince finds his Wife
After wandering from one place to another, he finally found his wife in a cave. When his wife saw him she exclaimed: “How in the world did you come here, my dear husband?” And he told her all about his adventures and said: “Let us flee together, my wife!” But she replied: “How could we flee, when Bash Tchelik will surely overtake us: he would kill you, and he would take me back and punish me.” Nevertheless, the prince, knowing well that he had three additional lives, persuaded his wife to go with him.
No sooner had they left the cavern than Bash Tchelik heard of their departure and hurried after them. In a short time he reached them, took back the princess, and reproached the prince; “O prince, you have stolen your wife! This time I forgive you, because I recollect having granted you three lives. So you can go, but if you dare come again for your wife I shall kill you!” Thereupon Bash Tchelik disappeared with the princess, and her husband remained to wonder what he should do next. At length he decided to try his luck again, and when he was near the cave he chose a moment when Bash Tchelik was absent, and again took away his wife. But Bash Tchelik again learnt of their departure quickly, and in a short time reached them again. Now he drew his bow at the prince, saying: “Do you prefer to be shot by this arrow, or to be beheaded by my sabre?” The prince asked to be pardoned again, and Bash Tchelik forgave him, saying: “I pardon you this time also, but know surely that should you dare come again to take away your wife I shall kill you without mercy.”
The prince tried his luck yet a third time, and, being again caught by Bash Tchelik, once more implored to be pardoned. Because he had given him of his own free will three lives, Bash Tchelik listened to his plea, but said: “Be warned; do not risk losing the one life God gave you!”
The prince, seeing that against such a power he could do nothing, started homeward, pondering in his mind, however, how he could free his wife from Bash Tchelik. Suddenly an idea came to him: he recalled what his brothers-in-law had said when giving him a feather from their garments. So he thought: “I must go once more and try to rescue my wife; if I come to any harm I will burn the feathers and my brothers-in-law will come to my aid.”
Thereupon the prince returned to the cave of Bash Tchelik, and his wife was greatly surprised to see him and exclaimed: “So, you are tired of life, since you have come back a fourth time for me!” But the prince showed his wife the feathers and explained their uses, and prevailed upon her to try once more to escape. No sooner had they left the cavern, however, than Bash Tchelik rushed after them shouting: “Stop, prince! You cannot escape me!” The prince, seeing that they were in imminent peril, hastily burnt all three feathers, and when Bash Tchelik came up with drawn sabre ready to kill him, oh! what a mighty wonder! At the same moment came flying to the rescue the dragon-king with his host of dragons, the eagle-king with all his fierce eagles, and the falcon-king with all his falcons. One and all fell furiously upon Bash Tchelik, but despite the shedding of much blood Bash Tchelik seemed to be invincible, and at length he seized the princess and fled.
After the battle the three brothers-in-law found the prince dead, and immediately decided to recall him to life. They asked three dragons which of them could bring, in the shortest possible time, some water from the Jordan. The first said: “I could bring it in half an hour!” The second declared: “I will bring it in ten minutes!” The third asserted: “I can bring it in nine seconds!” Thereupon the king dispatched the third dragon, and, indeed, he used all his fiery might and returned in nine seconds. The king took the healing water, poured it upon the gaping wounds of their brother-in-law, and, as they did so, the wounds were healed up and the prince sprang to his feet alive.
Then the kings counselled him: “Since you have been saved from death go home in peace.” But the prince declared that he would once more try to regain his beloved wife. The kings endeavoured to dissuade him, saying: “Do not go, for you will be lost if you do! You know well that you have now only the one life which God gave you.” But the prince would not listen. Thereupon the kings said: “Since it cannot be otherwise, then go! But do not vainly think to flee with your wife! Request your wife to ask Bash Tchelik where his strength lies, and then come and tell us, in order that we may help you to conquer him.”
The Secret of Strength
This time the prince went stealthily to the cavern and, as counselled by the kings, told his wife to inquire from Bash Tchelik wherein lay his strength. When Bash Tchelik returned home that evening, the princess asked: “I pray you, tell me where lies your strength?” Bash Tchelik, hearing this laughed and said: “My strength is in my sabre!” The princess knelt before the sabre and began to pray. Thereupon Bash Tchelik burst into louder laughter, exclaiming: “O foolish woman! My strength is not in my sabre, but in my bow and my arrows!” Then the princess knelt before the bow and the arrows, and Bash Tchelik, shouting with laughter, said: “O foolish woman! My strength is neither in my bow nor in my arrows! But tell me who instructed you to ask me where my force lies? If your husband were alive I could guess it was he who demanded it!” But the princess protested that no one urged her, and he believed what she said.