In ancient times, there lived a young man named Firozet; he loved a girl whose name was Julia. Firozeta's mother was a fairy; she did not want him to marry Julia, but planned to force an old, ugly lame woman onto him as a wife.
One day the fairy said to Julia:
- I'm going to mass; In the meantime, you will draw out the well with this sieve.
The poor girl was greatly saddened; she began to draw water, but every drop of water left the sieve. Suddenly Firozet appeared next to the girl.
“Yulia,” he asked her, “what are you doing here?”
“Your mother ordered me to draw out the well with this sieve.”
Firozet touched the stone edge of the well with his stick, and it immediately dried up. Returning home, the fairy said:
- Hey, Julia! Apparently, my Firozet helped you out.
- Oh no, madam, I haven’t even seen him! I really need your Firozet, Firozetan, or whatever its name is!
She gave no sign that she loved the young man.
Another time the fairy said to Julia:
- Go and take this letter to my sister, she lives in Efincourt. You will receive something from her as a reward.
On the way, Julia met Firozet. He asked her:
-Where are you going, Julia?
“I’m going to deliver a letter to your aunt, she lives in Efincourt.”
“Listen carefully to what I tell you,” said Firozet. “When you enter my aunt’s house, you will see a broom standing with its rods up; put it the way it should be. My aunt will give you a box full of ribbons and tell you to choose the most beautiful one for your sash. Take it, but be careful not to wrap yourself around yourself with this ribbon. When you go out into the field, wrap it around a bush, and then you will see what happens.
Arriving at Aunt Firozeta’s, the girl did not forget about the broom, and then said to the hostess:
- Madam, here is the letter that your sister sent you.
After reading the letter, the fairy’s sister said to Julia:
- What could I give you for your work?
Look, here's a box full of tapes; take the most beautiful one and make yourself a sash from it - you will see how it will suit you.
Julia took the ribbon and set off on the way back. Having reached Gerbeau, she wrapped a ribbon around the first bush she came across - it immediately burst into flames.
When she returned, the fairy said:
- Hey, Julia, it was my Firozet who gave you this idea!
- No, madam, I haven’t seen him. I really need your Firozet, Firozetan, or whatever its name is!
She gave no sign that she loved the young man.
One day the fairy put her to sleep in the same bed with an old lame woman, at her feet, and ordered her to hold candles between the toes of both feet. Late at night, a fairy sleeping in the attic screamed:
“Dear Firozet, isn’t it time for me to do some magic?”
- No, mother, wait a little.
After a short time, Firozet asked the lame man:
“Won’t you lie down in this poor girl’s place?”
The fairy screamed a second time:
“Dear Firozet, isn’t it time for me to do some magic?”
- No, mother, wait a little. After a short time, he again asked the lame man:
“Won’t you lie down in this poor girl’s place?”
The fairy screamed for the third time:
“Dear Firozet, isn’t it time for me to do some magic?”
And Firozet asked the old lame woman for the third time:
“Won’t you lie down in the poor girl’s place?”
Willy-nilly, the lame woman had to give in and insert candles between the toes of both feet. And Firozet immediately exclaimed:
- Yes, yes, mother, cast your spell quickly!
“I want,” said the fairy, “for the one with candles between her toes to turn into a duck, and I want to eat her for breakfast.”
At that same moment, the lame leg turned into a duck, jumped off the bed and began to hobble around the room.
Seeing that she had been deceived, the fairy immediately burst with anger.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru