Once upon a time there lived a poor widow, and she had a daughter - beautiful as a clear day, but lazy as your pig - you will forgive me for such a comparison. In the whole city there was no other hard worker like the poor mother. And how skillfully she spun! And her cherished dream was that her daughter would grow up to be just as skilled.
But my daughter got up late, sat down to breakfast without even praying, and then spent the entire day loitering around with nothing to do. Whatever she took on, it seemed to burn her fingers. And she dragged out the words, as if it was more difficult for her to speak, or perhaps her tongue was as lazy as she herself. Poor mother suffered a lot of grief with her. But it’s like water off a duck’s back for her - you know she’s getting prettier.
And then one fine morning, when things were going from bad to worse, the poor widow had just started shouting about taxes on flour, when the prince himself galloped past her house. “Ay-ay-ay, my dear!” - the prince was surprised. “You must have a very naughty child if he makes his mother scold so angrily.” After all, this pretty girl couldn’t make you so angry! - Oh, what are you doing, your highness. Of course not! - answered the old pretender. “I just scolded her for working too hard.” Would you believe it, Your Highness, she can spin three pounds of flax in one day, weave linen out of it the next day, and sew shirts out of it on the third. - Oh heaven! - the prince was surprised. - Here is a girl who would please my mother. After all, my mother is the best spinner in the kingdom! Be so kind, madam, please put a bonnet and cloak on your daughter and put her on the horse behind me! Oh, my mother will be so delighted with her that, perhaps, in a week she will make her her daughter-in-law. Right word! Of course, if the girl herself has nothing against it.
That's it. The woman did not know what to do from joy and embarrassment, and from fear that everything would be revealed. Before she had time to decide on anything, young Anthy had already been seated behind the prince, and he rode away with his retinue, and the mother was left with a heavy wallet in her hands. For a long time after this, she could not come to her senses, she was still afraid that something bad would happen to her daughter.
It was still difficult for the prince to judge Anthy’s upbringing and intelligence from the few answers that he barely snatched from her. And the queen was stunned when she saw a peasant girl on a horse behind her son. But when she saw her pretty face and heard what Anthy could do, the queen decided that the girl was simply worthless! And the prince took a moment and whispered to Anthy that if she did not mind marrying him, she should at all costs please the queen mother.
That's it. The evening was drawing to a close. The Prince and Anthy fell in love with each other the further they went. Only the persistent thought of yarn kept making her heart clench. When bedtime came, the Queen Mother took Anthy into her elegant bedroom and, bidding her good night, pointed to a large armful of excellent flax and said: “You can start tomorrow morning at what time you like, and I hope that by the next morning we will see the glorious yarn from these three pounds of flax!” That night the poor girl hardly slept a wink. She cried and complained to herself that she did not listen to her mother’s advice.
The next morning, as soon as she was left alone, Anthy set to work with a heavy heart. And although she was given a spinning wheel made of real mahogany and flax, which one can only dream of, her thread broke every minute. Sometimes it turned out thin, like a spider's web, sometimes rough, like string for a whip. Finally she pushed back her chair, dropped her hands on her knees and began to cry bitterly.
And at that very moment, a little old woman with surprisingly large feet appeared in front of her and asked: “What are you talking about, beauty?” “Well, I have to turn all this flax into yarn by tomorrow morning.” But I can’t even make five yards of thin thread out of it.” “Aren’t you ashamed to invite the beggar Big-Footed Old Woman to your wedding with the young prince?” Promise to invite me, and while you sleep tonight, all three pounds of flax will turn into the finest yarn. - Of course, I will invite you, and with pleasure, and I will take care of you all my life! - That’s great! For now, you stay in your room until evening tea, and you can tell the queen to come for the yarn tomorrow morning, even at dawn, if she wants. And everything happened as the old lady promised. The yarn turned out thin and even, like the thinnest fishing line.
- Well done girl! - said the queen. “I will have my own mahogany loom brought here.” Just today you don't have to work anymore. Work and rest, work and rest - that’s my motto! You will have time to weave yarn tomorrow too. And then, who knows...
This time the girl was tormented by fear even more than the last: now she was very afraid of losing the prince. But still, she didn’t even know how to prepare the base of the fabric and didn’t know how to use the shuttle. And she was sitting in great grief, when suddenly a small and completely square old woman appeared in front of her: her shoulders and sides were so broad. The guest said that her name was the Square Old Woman, and she immediately made the same deal with Anthy as the Big-Footed Old Woman.
Well, the queen was delighted when, early in the morning, she found the finished canvas - so white and so thin, like the best paper you have ever seen. - Oh, what a darling! - said the queen. “Now have some fun with the ladies and gentlemen.” And if tomorrow you make nice shirts from this linen, you can give one of them to my son. And at least marry him right away!
Well, how could one not sympathize with poor Anthy the next day; The prince is about to be hers, or maybe she will lose him forever! But she was patient and waited with scissors and thread in her hands until noon. Another minute passed, and then she was happy to see the third old woman appear. The old woman had a huge red nose, and she immediately told Anthy that that was why she was called the Red-Nosed Old Woman. She turned out to be no worse than the others, and when the next day the queen came for her early visit to Anthy, a dozen nice shirts were already lying on the table.
Well, now all that was left was the wedding. And rest assured, the wedding was held on a grand scale. Poor mother was also among the other guests. At dinner the old queen could talk of nothing but fine shirts. She dreamed of that happy time when, after the honeymoon, she and her daughter-in-law would do nothing but spin, weave and sew shirts.
The groom did not like such conversations, and the bride even more so. The prince was about to get his word in when a footman came up to the table and said, turning to the bride: “Your grace’s aunt, the Big-Legged Old Woman, asks to know if she can come in?” The bride flushed and was ready to fall through the ground, but, fortunately, the prince intervened: “Tell Mrs. Big-Feet that all the relatives of my bride are always warmly welcome.” The old woman with big feet came in and sat down next to the prince. The Queen didn’t really like this, and after a few words she asked rather angrily: “Oh, madam, why do you have such big feet?” “Uh, mother!” Would you believe it, Your Majesty, I have stood at the spinning wheel almost my entire life. Because of this! “I swear on my honor, my beloved,” the prince said to the bride, “I will not allow you to stand at the spinning wheel for a single hour!”
The same footman again announced: “Your Grace's aunt, the Square Old Woman, wants to come in, if you and the other noble gentlemen have no objection.” Princess Anthy was very unhappy, but the prince invited the guest to enter. She sat down and drank to the health of everyone present. “Tell me, madam,” the old queen turned to her, “why are you so wide here, between your head and your legs?” “Because, Your Majesty, I have sat at the loom all my life.” “I swear by the power!” - said the prince. — My wife will not sit at the machine for a single hour.
The footman entered again. “Your Grace's aunt, the Red-Nosed Old Woman, asks permission to be present at the feast.” The bride blushed even deeper, and the groom said affably: “Tell Mrs. Red-Nosed that she does us the honor!” The old lady entered, was shown every respect and was seated next to the place of honor at the table. And all the guests sitting lower than her brought glasses, some glasses, to their noses to hide their smiles. “Madam,” the queen turned to her, “would you be so kind as to tell us why your nose is so big and red?” “You see, Your Majesty, all my life I’ve been bowing my head over sewing, and that’s why all the blood rushed to my nose.” “Darling,” said Prince Anthy, “ If I ever see a needle in your hands, I will run a thousand miles away from you!
But the truth is, boys and girls, although this story is funny, the moral in it is completely wrong. And if any of you mischievous people imitate Anthy in her laziness, you will see for yourself that you will not be as lucky as she is. Firstly, she was very, very pretty, you all are far from her, and secondly, she was helped by three powerful fairies. Now there are no fairies, and no princes or lords who pass by and take you with them, whether you are hardworking or lazy. And thirdly, it is not yet known whether the prince and she herself were so happy when all the worries and worries of life fell upon them.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru