Once upon a time there lived a merchant. He had enormous wealth. And he had his only daughter Naninka. In the house, of course, there was a gatekeeper, in other words, a janitor, and this janitor had an only son, Pepichek. When Pepichek grew up, he was apprenticed to this merchant. Well, trading is a good craft. And Naninka kept going to lessons with different teachers there - of course, such a rich girl should learn everything. No one had any idea that she was dating Pepichok and that they loved each other. After all, youth is joy.
For a long time the parents did not know anything. But then her teacher came to them, or whatever they called him, and said: so and so, they say, your daughter hasn’t come to me for a long time. Well, of course, he doesn’t go, since he happens to be somewhere else. After all, as soon as Pepichka managed to escape from the house, they came together.
So the parents found out about everything. In the evening the mother says:
- I don't like it. How is it that they love each other? I won't tolerate this, that's all! Let this boor get out of our house immediately. There is nothing to wait for, such a thing will not lead to good.
So in the morning Pepichek comes, the merchant immediately says to him:
- Get out immediately! And let your father clean the apartment right now.
We got rid of them and took care of our daughter. Her mother called her to her:
-What kind of nonsense is this? You are rich, the richest bride in the whole area, what do you need this beggar, you will find another, better one.
And her daughter answered her:
“Well, if you want this, I will fulfill your request, but you also fulfill mine: order to build a chapel on that hill in three days.”
- Okay, okay, daughter, I’ll line you up.
Now they started building the chapel so that it would be ready in three days. But the mother was still worried: “What is the girl up to? Why does she need this chapel? She says:
- This will be my consolation - I will go there to pray.
- Pray? Please pray this is a good thing. But still, the mother did not like this idea, and she ordered to keep an eye on Naninka.
But Naninka outwitted everyone. She told Pepichka to come to the chapel in the evening, when everyone was asleep. Here the chapel is ready. Mother and father went to bed. Nana took two candles, a crucifix, threw on a cloak and quietly made her way through the garden, not even breathing. I ran to the chapel, Pepichek was already there. They slipped there, she lit the candles, placed a crucifix in the middle and said:
- You are leaving, Pepichek, but I will not forget you. Promise that you won’t forget me either! Kneel next to me and swear that you will never stop loving me. And I will be faithful to you until death. I give you my ring as collateral, and in a year and a day we will meet.
They made a promise to each other, and Pepichek left. Everyone was asleep at home and didn’t hear anything. And from that day Naninka became cheerful again and became as before. Her parents simply couldn’t be surprised at how cheerful she was. But they didn’t guess anything. So suitors began to come to their house, each richer than the other, everyone was wooing, but Naninka refused them, saying, “I’m not in a hurry.” Her parents don't rush her. “Nothing, they say, if she likes the groom, he will agree.” So a year passed. One day a carriage rattled under the windows. Naninka looked out - oh, what a wonderful fellow he has arrived, she had never seen anything like this before. Mother immediately to her:
“Is this one really not good for you either?”
- Since you want me to marry him, it’s your choice. She liked this groom, and she forgot Pepichka. This happens quite often. Then there was a fuss and they began to prepare for the wedding.
And Pepichek at that time worked in a large store. When there were only three days left before the wedding, he was sitting in the evening, reading the newspaper, and suddenly his candle went out.
- These are miracles! Why would this be?
The next day the same thing. And on the third day he asks:
- What do you want from me? And the candle answers:
- Pepichek, don’t hesitate! Your dear one is going down the aisle tomorrow. Take a bottle of water (I don’t know what kind of water the candle indicated to him), throw on a raincoat and hurry there. Sit in the church on the best bench; she will see you and drop dead. And you ask the church watchman to let you stay there with her - after all, you can pay him. And anoint her temples with this water.
Pepichek came out and there was a horse in front of him. He got on his horse and rode straight to that city to the church. He gets down, looks around, and the horse disappeared before his eyes. Pepichek entered the crowd and let’s push as hard as we can to the front benches. There were plenty of gentlemen, guests were named both near and far, the wedding was magnificent. The bride is elegant, beautiful, everyone admires her, they can’t take their eyes off her. So Pepichek made his way forward, sat down on the very first bench and raised his right hand so that she could see the gift ring. The bride knelt down; I casually looked around and saw Pepichka right in front of me. She immediately fell and died. Fathers of light! Everyone was scared, they began to bring her to her senses, the doctors quickly, but it was all in vain - the bride was dead. They brought a coffin and instead of a wedding they announced a funeral. They laid her in a coffin, decorated her and placed her in the middle of the church.
When everyone had left, Pepichek began to ask the church watchman:
- Let me stay with her for the night, I will kneel near the coffin. I'll pay you properly.
- Okay, stay.
Pepik took the bottle out of his pocket and let’s rub some water on Naninka’s temples. On the second night, Naninka sighed, sat up in the coffin and saw that she was in the church. She was scared, but Pepik said to her: “Hush! Quiet!" With difficulty he calmed her down and asked:
- Just tell me one thing: will you come with me from here? She nods her head. Pepik threw his cloak over her and brought her to his home. The parents were scared. And Pepichek asks:
- Hush, hush! Don't be afraid of her.
In the morning they got ready to take it to the cemetery, they came to the church and looked - the coffin was empty! Everyone is frozen, standing there pale, even if you cut them, you won’t be able to draw blood. Then they came to their senses and decided that it was the angels who took her and carried her to heaven. So they buried the empty coffin. And all those gentlemen who came from near and far for her wedding were invited to the wake after the funeral. There were a lot of treats, and everyone had fun as if they were really at a wedding.
And that day the news reached the merchant’s wife that Pepichek had returned and was in the city. She says to her husband:
- Listen, husband! Apparently, God punished us for the fact that we tied up this young couple! Well, what happened cannot be reversed, but still we should invite Pepichka to the wake.
They immediately sent a messenger for him.
- Why not go? - says Pepichek. I got dressed up, came there and sat in a corner, behind everyone. When the feast began, the hosts asked him:
- Why are you sitting behind everyone? And he answers simply:
“And the dogs in the back are still barking.”
Here the guests are feasting, instead of a funeral, there is joy, everyone is having fun, singing song after song, only Pepichek sits silently. Guests are surprised:
“Well,” they say, “and you don’t sing?”
The groom himself turns to him and also asks:
- Why are you so sad?
- Ah, respectable gentlemen and ladies! I know one wonderful miracle, I can’t get it out of my head.
- Hm, hm, what do you know?
“Yes, sir, don’t be arrogant, but rather take a pen and write down what I’m going to tell you, and we’ll ask guests to be witnesses!”
- We agree, we agree, it’s interesting!
So the groom took the paper and wrote it down, and Pepichek said that he once walked through a beautiful garden and saw a beautiful precious rose there; and this rose withered; and then suddenly her freshness returned, and now she is as beautiful and scarlet as she was.
Everyone laughed:
“Hee-hee, ha-ha, that’s what he said: the withered rose has become fresh again!”
- Yes, it's true! I can show it to you.
- Show me, show me, just take a look!
Pepichek ran to his parents, took Naninka by the arm and brought her.
- This beautiful withered rose!
What just rose! The guests clap their hands and shout... Naninka, they say, should belong to him! Now they have played a new wedding. Wine flowed like a river there, and cannons were fired - the earth trembled.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru