Crimean Legend - Spring near Ai-Petri

Between Alupka and Miskhor on the bank of the mountain river Khasta-Bash in ancient times, an old man and an old woman were living out their days. The only thought that worried them was where to get money for a decent funeral. The old man decided to go to the mountains several times, gather dry brushwood in the forest, sell it at the market and buy everything they needed for the funeral.

Next day the old man went to the mountains. Having cut a large bundle of firewood and hoisted it onto his shoulders, he trudged down the mountain, groaning and stumbling.

When he reached one of the springs, which give rise to the river Khasta-Bash, he decided to have a little rest. The old man threw the firewood down on the ground and began to drink greedily. Afterwards he fell asleep, having leaned his back against a pine-tree.

Meanwhile the old woman, tired of waiting for her husband, decided to go into the forest to look for him. When she saw a person with a bundle, she did not recognise her husband in that person and asked:

- Young man, haven't you met an old man, my husband, in the forest?

- Come now, - answered her husband, - have you gone blind, not to recognize your own husband?

- Don't mock an old woman; you yourself will grow old someday.

Then the old man understood that he had slaked his thirst with the water from a spring of youth about which he had been told by his grandfather. Naturally, the old woman wanted to drink this water immediately. The husband explained to her how to find the spring and went home.

Carried away with the work, he did not notice that night had come. Then he ran to the mountains to find his old woman. But there was no old woman by the spring.

For a long time the old man was looking for his wife. He had already despaired when he heard a baby crying. Having picked up the baby, he was very surprised to see his wife's dress on the baby.

It turned out that, with the greed for youth peculiar to women, the old woman had drunk too much water from the miraculous spring near Ai-Petri.

Khasta-Bash is a mountain river that originates in the area of Mount Ai-Petri. It is supposed that the legend was brought to Crimea from the Caucasus, which, as is known, is rich in mineral springs that cure illnesses.

Crimea is temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. For now it is not a place for tourism.