Crimean Legend - Spring near Ai-Petri

Between Alupka and Miskhor on the bank of the mountain river Hasta-bash in ancient times an old man and an old woman were living the rest of their days. The only thought that worried them was where to get money to make decent funerals.The old man decided to go to the forest in the mountains for several times, gather dry sticks, sell them on the market and buy everything they needed for the funerals.

Next day the old man went to the mountains. Having cut a large bundle of firewood, shoulded it he dragged down the mountain, groaning and stumbling.

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

Meanwhile the old woman having not awaited her husband decided to go to the forest and look for him. When she meet a man with a bundle, she did not recognise her husband in him and asked:

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

- Hey, - answered her husband, - have you lost the sight, don't you recognize your husband?

- Don't make fun of me, old woman, some day you'll become old yourself.

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. The old woman certainly wanted to drink this water immediately. The husband explained her how to find the spring and went home.

Being carried away with the work, he did not notice that the night has come. Then he run to the mountains to find out 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 has already despaired when he heard the cry of a child. Having lifted the child, he was very surprised when he saw the dress of his wife on the child.

It appeared so that with peculiar to women greed to the youth the old woman had drinken too much water from the miraculous spring near Ai-Petri.

Hasta-bash - a mountain river originated in the area of the mountain Ai-Petri. It is supposed that the legend was brought to the Crimea from the Caucasus which, as known, is rich in mineral sources, which cure illnesses.