Once upon a time there lived a poor man with his wife.
All they had was a house full of children. They always walked around in rags and hungry, and only one thing their fate did not spare them was that they were all beautiful. And the youngest daughter is such a beauty that no one could compare with her.
One day in late autumn, when it was pitch-dark in the yard - and the rain was pouring like buckets, and the wind was blowing with such force that the whole house was cracking and shaking, the whole family was sitting near the fireplace. Mother and daughters darned and sewed, and father and sons did all sorts of crafts. And suddenly someone knocked on the window three times.
The owner went to see who it could be. He opened the door and gasped. A huge polar bear stood in front of him.
- Good evening! - said the polar bear.
“Good evening,” answered the owner.
“I came to you to woo,” said the polar bear. “Give me your youngest daughter, and you will be as rich as you are now poor.”
The owner didn't know what to say. Of course, it would be nice to get rich, but I also feel sorry for my daughter.
“Tell you what, come back in a week at the same time, then I’ll give you an answer,” said the owner.
The polar bear left, and the owner returned to the house and told everything as it happened.
The youngest daughter heard that a bear was wooing her and burst into tears. But her father told her that no one would force her, and everyone again went about their business.
Only from that moment the poor girl knew no more peace.
She looks at her hungry and ragged sisters and brothers, and her heart ache so much that she seems ready to do anything for them.
And she will think about herself, about her bitter fate, and her heart will clench even more, and it seems that she doesn’t need anything, just to live at home among her own people.
A whole week has passed.
“Well, decide,” her father and mother tell her, “what to answer the bear.”
“Okay, I’ll go for him,” said the youngest daughter.
She washed and mended her clothes, tied everything in a bundle, dressed herself up as best she could and got ready for the journey.
And at the appointed hour the polar bear came for the bride.
The girl sat on his back, took her poor bundle in her hands, and the bear carried her to God knows where.
When they were already far from home, the polar bear asked:
- Aren't you scared?
“No,” answered the girl. And she was surprised that she wasn’t scared at all.
“Just hold on tight to me,” said the polar bear.
And he ran even faster.
Finally, at the foot of a high mountain, the bear stopped.
He hit the stone with his paw, and suddenly a patterned iron gate appeared in the mountain. The gates opened on their own, and the polar bear and the girl entered - not just anywhere, but into a wonderful palace.
All the rooms shone with silver and gold, and in the huge hall there was a laid table. And what was not on it! It’s hard to even believe that such wealth can exist!
The polar bear sat the girl down at the table and gave her a silver bell. If she wants something, all she has to do is ring the bell, and all her wishes will immediately come true.
With these words he left and left her alone.
The girl drank and ate as she had never had in her entire life. She tried at least ten dishes, and there were almost a hundred of them on the table.
After a hearty meal and a long journey, she felt sleepy. She rang the bell and at that very moment found herself in a room where a bed had already been prepared for her - as beautiful as one could only dream of. The feather beds on it were down, the pillows were silk, the canopy was velvet, with gold tassels. And everything in this room was made of gold and silver.
The girl had just laid down when she heard footsteps in the next room.
“Who could it be? — the girl thought. “It doesn’t sound like a bear’s stomp, but it’s as if there are no people here.”
She quietly stood up, crept to the door of the next room and looked through the crack.
And what did she see?
Prince Charming! His face was very sad, and on the floor at his feet lay a white bear skin.
Then the girl realized that the polar bear was an enchanted prince.
And who would break the spell and when and what should be done for this - the girl did not know.
And there is no one to ask.
Only at night did the prince shed his bear skin. But as soon as the day dawned, he turned into a polar bear.
The bear was very affectionate with the girl. But a bear is still a bear, not a person!
He himself understood this and tried to show himself to the girl less often.
She felt sad alone in the empty underground palace. She wanted to see her father and mother, sisters and brothers.
“It’s easy to help your grief,” the polar bear told her. “I only ask you one thing: if your mother wants to talk to you face to face, don’t agree; if she wants to find out some secret from you, don’t tell.” I’m not asking you what you know, what you guess. Yes, that’s how it should be. Be patient a little, otherwise trouble will happen - both to me and to you.
And so on Sunday, the girl again sat on the bear’s back - she now had a whole heap of gifts in her hands - and the bear carried her to her native place.
Only now the girl did not recognize her house.
Where a miserable hut had previously huddled, there now stood a real castle - with turrets and balconies, with patterned frames on the windows, and a tiled roof.
“Here you are at home,” said the polar bear. “Go to your people, and remember what I told you.” Otherwise we cannot escape trouble.
“No, no, you’re worrying in vain,” said the girl. “I won’t forget anything.”
The bear turned back - home, and the girl entered the house.
When her father and mother saw her, their joy and tears knew no end. And her sisters and brothers almost strangled her with kisses. Life was so good for all of them now, so good that words couldn’t describe it. And for everything they have to thank their little sister. Well, how is it going for her, poor thing? Doesn't the bear offend her? Isn't it scary in his den?
But the girl calmed them down. She also lives well. And although the polar bear’s house is in the depths of the mountain, it doesn’t look like a den at all, but looks like a fairy-tale palace. And she told about the silver bell, and about this, and about that, and who knows what else. And not a word about the polar bear itself. All this seemed strange to the mother, but no matter how much she asked her daughter, she learned nothing more.
After dinner, the mother called her daughter into her room.
But my daughter doesn’t go, she remembers her promise. And yet she still has excuses: she wants to chat with her sisters, or see the house, or run around the garden with her brothers. Only the mother still insisted on her opinion. And when they were left face to face, the daughter could not resist and told her mother everything she knew about the polar bear.
“Ah, my heart sensed that our wealth was from the unclean!” - exclaimed the mother. - This polar bear is probably a troll. He can turn into anyone. But I will teach you what to do. Take this tallow candle, and when night comes, light it, sneak into the room where your bear sleeps, and take a good look at him. Don't drop any lard on him, otherwise he'll wake up and then you'll be in trouble.
And she intimidated her daughter so much that she agreed to everything.
In the evening, at the appointed hour, a polar bear came for the girl. She said goodbye to her family and set off on her way back.
A bear ran halfway and asked:
-You didn’t break your word?
The girl couldn’t lie to him and confessed everything.
“Oh, please,” said the polar bear, “don’t do what your mother told you.” Be patient a little and you will find out everything. And if you feel so bad with me, I won’t force you, go back to your place.
But the girl did not want to leave him. She had already become attached to the polar bear and deep down in her heart she didn’t really believe her mother that he was an evil troll.
And when she returned to the underground palace and went to bed, all her fears returned to her again.
She stood up, lit a candle and quietly crept into the polar bear's chambers. She carefully approached his bed and raised the candle higher. No, it wasn't a troll. This was the same beautiful young man she had seen. And his face, even in his sleep, was just as sad.
The girl bent over him to get a better look at him, the candle in her hand tilted and three hot drops fell on the young man’s chest.
He woke up, jumped up and when he saw the girl, he immediately understood everything.
- What have you done! What have you done? - he exclaimed and covered his face with his hands. - Now we are both lost. If you had listened to me and waited a year, you would have saved me, and you and I would have become the happiest people in the world. My father is an overseas king, and I am his heir, a prince. But the evil witch, my stepmother, killed my father, and bewitched me and turned me into a polar bear. And all because I didn’t want to marry her daughter. During the day I have to hide from everyone, and only at night, when no one sees me, do I become human again. If you lived in my palace for just one year, I would be freed from evil spells! And now goodbye forever... Tomorrow I will be far away, in the castle where my stepmother lives with her daughter. Her daughter is a witch just like her mother, and her nose is three arshins long, but still, now I cannot avoid marrying her!
How the girl cried, how she repented that she had not listened to the polar bear! But nothing could be corrected: what was done was done.
“At least show me the way to this castle so that I can find you,” said the girl.
“If you had found me, you and I would have found our happiness,” said the prince. “But the trouble is, there is no road to this castle.” It stands east of the sun, west of the moon, and no one on earth knows the way to it...
In the morning, when the girl woke up, there was no prince, no underground palace - nothing. And the silver bell, which fulfilled all her wishes, also disappeared. She was alone in a dark, dense forest, and next to her lay the poor bundle that she had taken with her from home.
The girl cried bitterly, then picked up her bundle and set off.
She walked through the forest for many days and many nights and finally saw a high mountain, its top resting on the clouds.
A small hut was hiding at the foot of the mountain, and next to it, at the threshold, sat an old woman with a golden apple in her hands.
- Tell me, grandmother, do you know how to get me to the castle that stands east of the sun, west of the moon?
- Why are you going there? - asked the old woman.
- I'm looking for the prince. An evil witch bewitched him and now wants to force him to marry her daughter, who has a nose three arshins long.
“Oh, so it was you who didn’t keep your word and killed your prince?”
“Yes, it’s me,” the girl admitted and lowered her head.
“It’s hard to help you,” said the old woman. “I only know one thing: you need to hurry.” Most likely, you won’t get to the castle, but if you get there, it will be too late. Get on my horse and go to my sister, maybe she will show you the way to the castle that stands east of the sun, west of the moon. Yes, when you come to your sister, hit the horse under the left ear and order it to return home. Moreover, take the golden apple, you will need it.
The girl got on her horse and set off.
She drove for a long, long time and finally saw a mountain so high that it covered half the sky.
At the foot of the mountain there was a hut, and on the threshold sat an old woman holding a golden reel in her hands.
The girl jumped off the horse, hit her under the left ear so that she would go home, and then approached the old woman.
- Grandma, tell me, how can I find a castle that stands east of the sun, west of the moon?
“I know that to the east of the sun, to the west of the moon there is a castle. I heard about him. I don’t know what road leads there. Take my horse and go to my older sister, maybe she can teach you. Don't waste time. If you don’t find the castle, it will be bad, but if you find it too late, it will also be bad. Here, take the reel, you will need it. And when you come to your sister, hit the horse under the left ear and order it to return home. Look, don't forget.
The girl thanked the old woman, mounted her horse and went on her way.
She drove and drove, almost reached the end of the world and saw a high, high mountain, higher than the sky itself, and under the mountain - a hut. An old, old old woman was sitting on the threshold and holding a golden spinning wheel in her hands.
The girl jumped off the horse, hit her under the left ear and drove her home.
And then she approached the old woman and asked:
- Tell me, grandmother, do you know the way to the castle that stands east of the sun, west of the moon?
“I heard about this castle, there is one like it in the world, but I don’t know the way there.” Take my horse and ride to the east wind. He walks around the world a lot, maybe he’s seen a castle... Yes, order your horse to return home when you arrive at the east wind. Hit her under the left ear and she will go back. Take this spinning wheel for yourself, it will come in handy.
And again the girl hit the road.
She rode for many days and many nights and finally saw the home of the east wind. The wind just whistles in the house - but that’s why it’s the boss here.
The girl drove closer, and the east wind just flew out of the house - to walk around the world. Then the girl called out to him.
- Wait, east wind, tell me, have you seen the castle that stands east of the sun, west of the moon?
“I heard - I heard, but I saw - I didn’t see, and I don’t know the way there,” said the east wind, running from place to place.
“If you want, I can take you to my brother, the west wind.” He is older than me, maybe he flew east of the sun, west of the moon, maybe he saw this castle. Well, hold on well, and I’ll quickly rush you to your brother!
But the west wind also did not know the way to the castle.
“If you want, I’ll take you to our brother - the south wind,” he said to the girl, and he himself rushes away. “The south wind is stronger than we are with the east.” Wherever he happens! So, do you agree to fly with me?
Yes, yes, she certainly agrees.
- Well, hold on! - the west wind whistled.
And they flew.
The south wind greeted them very warmly. But he also could not help the girl.
- Do you want me to take you to the north wind? - he said. “He is the eldest of us and the strongest.” If he doesn’t know where this castle is, then it means no one knows. Well, hold on! Let's fly!
The north wind hit them with cold from afar. He was very angry that he was disturbed.
- What do you need? - he howled in such a terrible voice that the poor girl’s heart went cold.
“Oh, please don’t be angry,” said the south wind. “This girl is looking for a way to the east of the sun, to the west of the moon, to where the castle of the evil witch stands.” Perhaps you have ever visited this castle?
“Well, of course, I know where this castle is,” said the north wind. “It’s very far away.” Only once in all the time that I was running around the world did I bring an aspen leaf there, and even then I was so tired that I couldn’t move for several days. If this girl is not afraid, I will fly with her. Just don’t let him scream and moan that she’s cold, or that she’s tired, or anything like that.
No, no, she is not afraid of anything, she agrees to anything, just to get to the castle and see the handsome prince.
“Then get ready to go,” said the north wind coldly.
He picked up the girl and rushed forward.
It was not wind, but a real hurricane. When they flew over cities, stone walls collapsed, when they flew over forests, hundred-year-old trees fell, when they flew over the sea, hundreds of ships were shipwrecked. And they flew further and further' - into the open sea. It’s hard to even believe how far they flew. The north wind, apparently, was tired, it became weaker and lower and lower.
Finally he sank so low that the crests of the waves touched the girl.
But then the ground appeared. This was exactly the place where, east of the sun, west of the moon, stood the castle of the evil witch.
The north wind threw the girl onto the shore near the castle walls and settled down on its own. He was so exhausted that he lay motionless all day before he was able to set off on the return journey.
And the next morning the girl sat down under the windows of the castle and began to play with a golden apple. Then the long-nosed ugly woman whom the prince was supposed to marry saw her.
“Sell me this apple,” she said, sticking her long nose out of the window.
“This apple is not for sale for money,” answered the girl.
“If it doesn’t sell for money, what do you want for it?” “Speak, I agree to everything,” said the long-nosed princess.
“Let me look at your fiancé,” said the girl, “then you will receive this apple.”
“If you please,” said the long-nosed bride.
She took the golden apple and told the girl to come in the evening.
But when the girl arrived, the prince was fast asleep, because at dinner they had added sleeping powder to his drink. The girl called him, and bothered him, and cried, but could not wake him up.
And then the long-nosed one came and drove her away.
The next day the girl sat down under the windows of the castle and began to unwind yarn on a golden reel. Again a long nose stuck out of the window, and the witch’s daughter asked what the girl wanted for this reel? And the girl again replied that it was not for sale for money, but if she were allowed to look at the prince, she would give the reel for nothing.
And this time when she arrived, the prince was fast asleep. Again she called him, shook him, cried over him, but could not wake him up.
And again the long-nosed ugly woman came and drove her away.
On the third day, the girl still sat down under the windows of the castle and began to spin on a golden spinning wheel. Long Nose, of course, wanted to buy this spinning wheel. But this time the girl said that the spinning wheel was not for sale. But if she is allowed into the castle to look at the prince, she will give away her spinning wheel for free.
Well, Long Nose agrees. Let this fool come in the evening.
All day the witch's daughter was so busy with her new spinning wheel that she forgot to give the prince a sleeping drink at dinner.
And when he was left alone in his chambers and the long-nosed bride thought that he was fast asleep, the girl entered the castle again. She no longer hoped for anything and only wanted to look at her prince again - for the last time.
Oh, how happy they were when they saw each other!
“You came just in time,” said the prince. “My wedding is scheduled for tomorrow.” But now I will never marry a long-nosed witch. You found me, and you alone can save me. Listen to what I came up with. Tomorrow morning I will say that I want to test my bride to see if she is a good housewife, and I will let her wash my shirt with three tallow candle stains. She, of course, will take it, but will not be able to remove the stains, because in the hands of evil spirits nothing becomes clean. Then I will say that I will only marry the one who washes my shirt. Who else will do this besides you? Nobody. There are only witches in the castle.
The next morning, the prince told his witch stepmother that he wanted to see if she had taught her daughter homework.
— I have a thin shirt. I saved it just for the wedding. But the trouble is - there were three stains from a tallow candle on it. Tell your daughter to wash them. If she can’t, I don’t want to marry her.
- Well, this is a trivial matter. “My daughter will deal with him in a minute,” said the old witch and called her long-nosed daughter.
But no matter how she rubbed the spots, no matter how hard she tried, the spots did not get smaller.
“It looks like you really don’t know how to do laundry,” said the old witch and snatched the shirt from her daughter’s hands. “Give it to me!”
But before she had time to touch the shirt, the stains on it became even dirtier and larger. The old witch rubbed them with such fury that she almost tore her shirt, and the stains only became darker. She spent ten buckets of water and a pound of soap, but nothing helped.
Then she called the maids for help. But since they were also witches, the more they washed, the more the dirt spread, and in the end the shirt became so black, as if it had been pulled out of a chimney.
“I see that none of you know how to do laundry,” said the prince. “There is some beggar woman sitting under the windows.” She'll probably do the laundry better than you. Come in, girl! - he shouted.
The girl came in.
-Can you wash this shirt clean? - asked the prince.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she answered. “I’ll try.”
She dipped her shirt into the water and before she could touch it, the shirt became whiter than snow.
“So I’ll marry you,” said the prince.
The old witch got so angry that she burst from anger right there on the spot, and her daughter with a long nose burst, and all the witches who lived in the castle probably also burst, because they were never seen or heard from again.
The prince and his bride held hands and left the castle, which stands east of the sun, west of the moon. And since then no one has found a way to this castle.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru