In one village there lived a beautiful girl. One day she went to the tundra to pick berries. It took a long time to collect, got tired and sat down on a mound to rest. A huge frog crawled out from under a hummock and said:
“Sister, go to your elder sister’s house and rest.”
The girl came in. The frog began to praise her, looked at her clothes with curiosity, then said:
“Sister, let your older sister try on your beautiful dress.”
The girl took off all her clothes, and the frog put them on herself. Then she forced the girl to take off her necklace and earrings. And she put them on, and gave the girl her old clothes made of perforated fish skin.
The frog dressed up and began to dance, saying:
- Soon men will come to us, one in clothes made of fish skin, the other in clothes made of lynx skin, here-hor-hor-hor, here-hor-hor-hor... He rides in fish clothes, rides in lynx clothes, here-hor-hor-hor.
After some time, two heroes arrived. Out of shame, the girl turned into a stick and hid between the chum tire and the poles.
The heroes entered and sat down, one sat down near the frog, the other (the elder) sat down on the opposite side of the tent.
The frog said:
- Bogatyr, don’t sit down, it’s dirty there...
Bogdtyr did not listen to her, sat down, took a stick from under the pole and began to whittle it. When I planed, blood flowed. So he put the stick back under the poles.
After staying for a while, the heroes began to prepare for the return journey. One of them decided to take a smart frog as his wife, thinking that she was a girl.
The three of us set off. After driving a little, the elder hero said:
- It turns out that I forgot the knife, I’ll go and get it.. The frog said:
- Don’t come back, don’t go into the frog’s house, it’s dirty, dirty!!!
The hero did not listen to her and returned. Entered. A beautiful girl sat in the tent and, crying, bandaged her hand. Bogatyr said:
- Don’t cry, girl, what are you crying about? Come with me.
“I’m ashamed of my clothes, that’s why I’m crying.” The frog took all my beautiful clothes!
“Don’t cry, put on my clothes and we’ll go together.” The four of us went. While driving, the frog saw a rowan tree and said to it:
- Rowan, rowan, we, two women, are getting married, tell me, which of us is better?
Rowan said:
“The girl is better, she has long braids, but the frog has bulging eyes.”
Then the frog got angry and said: “You’re disgusting.” If my son is born, then your branches will serve as arrows for him, if a daughter is born, your branches will serve as her bedding!!!
The heroes brought their wives home. There lived an old man and an old woman—their parents. Seeing their sons with their wives, they rejoiced.
The old man said:
“That’s good, now the daughters-in-law will carry us firewood, make a fire and feed us delicious food.”
After some time, the old man said, turning to the beautifully dressed frog:
- Rich daughter-in-law, when will you bring firewood? When will I warm up?
The rich daughter-in-law went to get firewood. Brought the son-
loose branches, twigs, various debris. It took me a long time to light the fire, but I still couldn’t get a hot fire going. The damp branches smoked and crackled, but there was no hot flame.
The old man got angry. Then, after a while, he again turned to his rich daughter-in-law:
- Rich daughter-in-law, bring me some berries, I want to eat some berries.
The frog brought old, dried berries to the old man. The old man ate a little, then said to his old woman:
- Old woman, I choked, throw these berries into the street.
The next day the old man said, turning to the girl:
“Poor daughter-in-law, bring some firewood, I’ll warm myself.” The girl went into the forest and brought some good dry
firewood Then she lit a big fire to keep the old man warm. The old man heated his chest and back red hot.
Then the old man said:
- When will the poor daughter-in-law bring me berries? The girl went to the taiga and brought a full
a crowd of fresh berries. The old man ate his fill.
Several days passed. One day the old man said:
- When will I see the brothers and other relatives of the rich daughter-in-law?
The rich daughter-in-law took the basket and went outside. She brought a basket full of frogs and lizards. The old man got scared and said:
“Old woman, it’s disgusting, disgusting, throw them out into the street as soon as possible!”
The frogs got out of the basket and jumped around the tent.
“Old woman, throw them out with an iron spoon,” the old man shouted.
Then the old man said, turning to his poor daughter-in-law:
- When will I see the poor daughter-in-law’s brothers? The poor daughter-in-law laid expensive silk fabric on the street and said:
“My seven brothers, fall on the shawl so that the old man can see you.”
Seven, the best of the people, fell and entered the old man’s house. The old man's house became bright with their appearance. They brought their sister a lot of gifts, a lot of clothes and various dishes. The old man's poor daughter-in-law became rich.
The frog began to envy the poor daughter-in-law.
After some time, the poor daughter-in-law began to notice that. Spoons, ladles and other utensils began to disappear from her. And the rich daughter-in-law’s belly was getting bigger and bigger every day. The frog was greedy; she swallowed the poor daughter-in-law’s dishes. The frog's husband found out about this. He took an ax and cut the frog's belly so that it split in two. Spoons, ladle and other utensils fell out with a clang.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru