Once upon a time there lived a girl, and every day she walked across the water to the source. And then one day she was walking there and saw a lion lying in the thickets near a spring. She got scared and started to run, but didn’t say a word at home. The next day she saw the lion again in the same place, hurriedly fetched water and rushed home. And this went on for many days - the lion still lay in the thickets. Finally, the girl realized: it was not without reason that the lion was not moving, he was probably sick. And one day she said to herself:
“The poor fellow must be dying of hunger.” At dinner, she secretly hid some food from her plate. When she got ready to go to the spring the next day, she wrapped the food in a banana leaf and hid it in her bosom. At the source she put the jug on the ground and went into the thickets where the lion lay. She did not come close, but threw food to him from afar. She did this day after day and got used to the lion and stopped being afraid of him. Whether it was long or short, they became fast friends. She called him Don Lev, and he called her Don Elena.
One day the lion told her not to bring him food into the thickets, just call him and he would go to the source. And Dona Elena called him with a song:
Come out, Don Lev, to me,
Your girlfriend has arrived
Come out, Don Lev, to me,
You do need to eat.
And the lion answered:
Dona Elena, I'm coming, I'm coming,
Thank you, Elena, for the food.
Since Elena began feeding the lion, she no longer took anyone on the water with her. Sometimes, as soon as it dawned, she would grab a jug and run to the source. And how much time she spent there! And then one day her sister, Dona Aninha, said:
- What happened to Dona Helena? Why doesn't she take anyone with her to the source? Before she always called me, but now she’s all alone! And what is she doing there for so long?
And when Dona Elena again went to the source, Dona Aninya slowly followed her. Near the source, she hid in the thickets and began to watch her sister. Dona Elena put the jug on the ground and sang her song, and the lion answered her from the forest. Soon he himself appeared, so huge. Dona Elena was delighted, smiled and took out the food she had brought in her bosom. When the lion had eaten, she smoothed his mane, pulled out dry leaves from it, and combed out the fleas. All this took a lot of time. When the lion went into the forest, Dona Zlena fetched water and hurried home.
- Oh, that's why you walk alone! - Dona Aninha said to herself. “Well, I’ll show you!”
The next day she got up just before Dona Elena, took a large sharp knife and ran to the source. There she sang Elena's song. The lion answered her and left the thicket. Then Dona Aninya rushed at him with a knife, stabbed him in the scruff of the neck, and the lion fell. The evil girl kept cutting him and cutting him until her arms were tired. Then she went home and didn't say anything to anyone. Dona Elena, poor thing, was just about to go get water and bring food to Don Leo.
And the lion, all wounded and bloody, somehow got to the place where Dona Elena saw him for the first time. She came to the source and called him with her song, but received no answer. She began to sing again, and again no one answered. And for the third time she repeated the song, and again there was no answer. And Dona Elena said:
- Oh, my God, Don Lev is dead...
And she cried hot tears. Don Lev, who heard how she called him and how she burst into tears, felt sorry for Don Elena, he gathered his strength and answered her in a weak voice. Dona Elena rushed towards him, making her way through the dense thickets. And when she found him, wounded and bloody, she sobbed so hard that her heart almost broke. Don Lev told her:
- Don't, don't cry. I'll like you. It was your sister who hurt me like that. She came to the source and began to sing, and I thought it was you. Then she rushed at me with a knife, almost killing me. But nothing. You go home and bring me a big bowl of ashes.
So she did. She came home, slowly took a large bowl, filled it with ashes and ran to Don Lev. She helped him rub himself with ash, and from then on Dona Elena went every day to look at him and feed him. When Don Lev recovered and began to walk, he told her:
- Don't come here tomorrow. Call me from the source, and I myself will come to you.
The next day it was so, he himself went out to Dona Elena, and when he had eaten, he talked for a long time with the girl, and then said to her:
“Don’t bring me food anymore, I won’t be here anymore.” Go home and get ready for the wedding. I need to get ready too. I was bewitched, but today the spell ends.
He ordered her to prepare all the wedding food with her own hands, and so that no one, not a single living soul, should touch anything. And he set the wedding day. Dona Elena flew home, couldn’t feel her feet with joy and, hiding from everyone, began to collect her dowry. On the eve of the day appointed by Don Lev, she did not leave the kitchen and prepared such a lot of food that everyone was surprised and asked why she was doing this. But Dona Elena keeps her mouth shut. And then the handsome prince knocked on the door. Dona Aninya rushed to her room, dressed up, put on perfume, and, all beaming, went into the living room. But the handsome prince said:
“I don’t even want to talk to you, senora.” Was it not you who wounded me at the source? I have come for Dona Elena, I will marry her.
Dona Aninha ran away, burning with shame and envy of her sister, who was marrying such a handsome prince. Dona Elena entered the living room disheveled, covered in soot, with her sleeves rolled up and barefoot. And then she realized who Don Lev was. The prince asked his parents for Dona Elena's hand in marriage, and since everything was ready, the wedding took place the very next day. Well, everyone had fun, ate and drank to their heart's content, and then the young people went to their beautiful palace, where they lived for many years in happiness and contentment.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru