There lived orphans - brother and sister, and they were like each other, like two peas in a pod.
They were tending someone else's flock. And then one day the sister says to her brother:
- You herd the deer, and I’ll go find a bride for you, you’ll soon be big!..
The sister put on men's clothes, put her favorite mouse in her bosom, said goodbye to her brother and went into the tundra.
She walked and walked, suddenly a long worm crawled towards her, curled up in a ring, jumped on the girl, wrapped itself around her and began to choke her. A mouse jumped out from his bosom and chewed the worm in half.
They move on. A polar bear meets them. He opened his red mouth, walked towards the girl, the mouse jumped straight into his mouth, slipped into his stomach, tore his intestines. The bear died, and the girl and the mouse moved on.
They walked and walked and came to a large camp, and there was some girl and some guys playing ball, looking at the newcomer and being surprised: he walks like a woman, but his clothes are men’s. They ask:
- Why did you come to us?
- To match the bride.
They invited her to play ball and she beat everyone. Then they started arguing about who would blow the stream next?
The girl blushed, ran into the tundra, fell on the moss and cried. And the mouse whispers to her:
- Nothing! Take a seal bladder, fill it with water, hide it in your clothes and go!
The girl did as the mouse said.
The guys stood in a row, the girl and the girl picked up the kukhlyanka, pressed the bubble, and her stream fell farthest. Then she overtook all the good guys in the run. Then the bride's father ordered her to drive the herd before sunset. In the morning the girl went to the hills, found a herd, and the mouse drove the deer to the camp at noon.
“Well, now find your bride!” said the father and told his daughter to hide.
And the mouse whispers in his owner’s ear:
- Raise the copper basin!
She raised the basin, and there the bride, a beautiful girl, was sitting.
- Well, take your bride, marry her! - says the father.
The girl said:
“Then I’ll come and pick up the bride.” Now I’m going home, I need to see the herd! - And she left.
She sent her brother to that camp. He arrives, and the bride looked at the groom and said:
- It's not him!
- No one but me will come! - the guy answers her.
Then all the birds screamed:
- The bride is ugly, ugly!
The old bag turned into a beautiful girl. But the sister told her brother how to find the girl, the groom took his bride and half the herd of deer.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru