In ancient times, a poor old woman lived alone on the seashore. She huddled in a rickety hut - so dilapidated that it seemed a miracle that it had not yet collapsed. The old woman had no one in the world - neither children, nor loved ones. In order not to die of hunger, she collected small fish washed up by the waves and ate them. But when the storm raged, the old woman did not dare to show her nose from her hut, let alone go for fish. She sat hungry for whole days and came out only when the sea calmed down. Then she collected a lot of fish and boards thrown ashore by the waves.
One night a terrible storm arose. The rain poured down, the sea roared, lightning flashed in the sky, thunderclaps shook the earth, as if the end of the world had come. The old woman hid in the corner of her cold and damp hut and waited for the bad weather to subside. Suddenly there was such a strong gust of wind that it almost demolished the hut, and then someone knocked on the door. The old woman was scared to death, but still went to open it - maybe someone needed help and shelter.
She opened the door and saw a large black mussel lying on the threshold. A bright, dazzling light pours from the narrow gap between the doors. The old woman picked up the mussel, put it on the table and returned to close the door. But then a distant voice was heard:
“Don’t close the door, and I will reward you richly!”
The old lady obeyed. At that same moment, the lightning stopped streaking the sky, the storm subsided, and the sea calmed down. And the hut was filled with such light as the old woman had never seen. This light came from a large black mussel, which slowly opened like a huge black flower.
When the shell doors opened completely, the old woman could barely stay on her feet in surprise. In the sink lay a girl with golden hair and the kind of sparkling eyes you never see in people. But instead of legs, the girl had a fish tail, all strewn with diamonds and pink pearls.
The old woman was very happy about the child. She took a basket, covered it with red geranium petals and laid her little guest on them. She placed the basket under the window so that in the morning the first rays of the sun would illuminate it, and in the afternoon the girl could see the sea. After this, the old woman went to bed, glad that her loneliness had come to an end.
When she fell asleep, the door swung open and a beautiful mermaid wearing a crown of pearls appeared in the hut. She bent over the child, gently picked him up, fed him and put him back down. At dawn, the mermaid looked sadly at her daughter, quietly approached the old woman’s bed, left a handful of white pearls and said in a barely audible voice:
“Thank you, grandmother, for hiding my daughter from the evil wizard who conquered my kingdom and captivated me.” Leave her with you for thirty days and thirty nights, and I will richly reward you for this.
Having said this, the sea queen immediately disappeared. Waking up, the old woman saw the pearls left by the night guest. However, she didn't need them. The old woman was much happier when she picked up plenty of fish on the shore, which should have lasted her for many days.
She spent the whole day fiddling with the baby. And when night fell, the door of the hut opened again and the beautiful mermaid entered. She fed and caressed the child, again left the old woman a handful of white pearls as a gift, and in the morning she disappeared, like a foggy haze over the sea.
The old woman watched the golden-haired girl for thirty days and thirty nights. And then the last night came. The old woman did not go to bed - she was waiting for the mermaid. Exactly at midnight, the door creaked and a beautiful sea princess wearing a pearl crown entered the hut.
“I came for my daughter,” she said. – Your kindness defeated the evil wizard. If you hadn't taken the black mussel in and left the door open, we never would have gotten rid of him. For this I will richly reward you, grandmother!
The queen handed the old woman her pearl crown.
She thanked me from the bottom of her heart for the royal gift and added:
- Take your pearls, beauty. I don't need them. If you want to bring me joy, let me see your golden-haired girl from time to time.
The sea queen smiled, nodded to the old woman and disappeared with her daughter before sunrise.
From that day on, every morning the old woman found food in abundance on the shore. And when the sea became smooth as glass, she peered into the clear waters and saw a golden-haired girl with wonderful eyes and a tail strewn with diamonds and pearls. Then the old woman said:
- What a beautiful day today!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru