Kotyhoroshko

A father sends his six sons to plow the field, and his daughter to bring them lunch. The daughter then looks for the brothers, following the furrow plowed by them, but the serpent tricks her by making his own furrow to lure her to him and imprison her. When the brothers go to free her, the serpent challenges them to a battle. The serpent defeats all six sons and imprisons them also.

Now without children, their mother eats a pea that rolled by, after which she gives birth to a son, whom she calls Kotyhoroshko (Котигорошко or "Pea"). The boy grows quickly, becomes extremely strong and digs a hole to obtain a piece of iron. After that, he asks his parents where his brothers and sister are. They dissuade him from searching, but Kotyhoroshko takes the iron to the blacksmith to make a weapon to fight against the snake. The blacksmith forges a mace, and Kotyhoroshko tosses it twice, testing its strength. The first version breaks from falling, and the second version bends. Taking the final mace, Kotyhoroshko proceeds to the snake's lair.

Hiding in the snake's dwelling, Kotyhoroshko is waiting for the snake. When the snake dies, Kotyhoroshko takes the snake's treasures and frees the prisoners, but does not reveal that he is their brother. On the way home, Kotyhoroshko falls asleep, and the brothers plan to tie Kotyhoroshko face down to an oak tree and tell their parents that they alone defeated the snake. Arriving home, the brothers learn from their parents about Kotyhoroshko. Meanwhile, Kotyhoroshko uproots the oak tree and throws it into the house. After that Kotyhoroshko leaves.

While traveling the world, Kotyhoroshko meets three men with unusual powers: Vernyhora (Вернигору), Vernydub (Вернидуба) and Krutyvus (Крутивуса). Vernihora can move mountains, Vernydub can uproot oak trees with his bare hands, and Krutyvus can make waters part. The four of them reach an empty cabin in the forest, where they stop for the night.

In the next three days, three go hunting, while a different one each day stays in the hut to guard and cook food. Repeatedly, a small but powerful old man (grandfather) comes with demands to each of the three men standing watch in their turn. When Vernyhora, Vernydub, and Krutyvus each in turn treat the grandfather disrespectfully, the grandfather hangs each one guarding on a nail, eats everything prepared and leaves. None of the three men admit this, and tell the others that they fell asleep and did not have time to prepare food. On the fourth day, Kotyhoroshko himself remains in the hut. Kotyhoroshko puts the old man outside, but the old man tries to hang Kotyhoroshko in the same way. Kotyhoroshko pinches the old man's beard in an oak tree. The old man then pulls the oak tree from the ground and runs away.

Their trail leads to a pit into which Vernyhora, Vernydub and Krutyvus are afraid to go. They decide to knit ropes on which Kotyhoroshko descends into the pit. At the bottom there is a palace and a princess, who dissuades Kotyhoroshko from fighting with the old man. Kotyhoroshko still fights the old man, kills him and takes the treasures together with the princess. Kotyhoroshko's friends pull out three bags of jewels and the princess's robe to the surface, and they decide to throw Kotyhoroshko down. Kotyhoroshko ties a stone to the rope instead of himself and when it is dropped, remains unharmed.

Inside the pit, Kotyhoroshko protects some chicks from a thunderstorm. When a bird flies in and asks who covered them from the rain, the chicks point to Kotyhoroshko. The bird promises to fulfill his wish for this, and he wishes to fly to the surface. During the flight of the bird, the bird asks for six pieces of meat and water to feed it. There is not enough meat, so Kotyhoroshko cuts off his calf and gives it to the bird. After learning what Kotyhoroshko gave her, the bird regurgitates the calf and brings living water. Sprinkled with water, the calf grows in its place.

After getting out of the pit, Kotyhoroshko looks for Vernyhora, Vernydub and Krutyvus. He punishes them and marries the princess.[2][1]

In the Ukrainian version of the tale, the grandfather not only hangs the guards on nails, but also cuts a belt from the leather on the back of each; the bird is described sometimes as the mother of chicks; Kotyhoroshko forgives his betraying friends.[8]

• 1970 — "Kotyhoroshko" ("Котигорошко", Kyivnaukfilm). Director: Boris Hranevich. Production designer: Yuriy Skirda.[13]
• 2008 — "Magic pea" ("чарівний горох"). Director: Rudenko-Shvedova Yaroslava Yuriivna . Production designer: Eduard Kirich.[14][15]
• 2013 — "Adventures of Kotyhoroshka and his friends" (Ukrainian: "Пригоди Котигорошка та його друзів", Ukranimafilm). Director: Rudenko-Shvedova Yaroslava Yuriivna . Production designer: Eduard Kirich.[16]

• 1960 - family fantasy film entitled Letayushchiy korabl.[17][18]

• The story of Kotyhoroshko has been translated into Japanese.[19][20]

• Ukrainian play of the same name by Anatoly Shiyan (b. April 5, 1906, Borysovka - d. May 6, 1989, Kyiv)[21]

• In Vsevolod Nestaik's story "In the Land of the Sunny Bunnies", one of the residents of the Palace of Magical Tales fought with snakes during the release of negative characters by Mr. Morok.[22]