Once upon a time there lived an old grandfather and grandmother. The grandmother stole the girl. The girl's name was Atalenka. Grandma Atalienka taught all kinds of witchcraft. The girl was agile, and the grandmother liked her: she helped her in everything. And the grandmother began to make fun of the grandfather: she, they say, has a girl, but he has no one.
The old man got angry and stole a boy named Shurienka. He began to school him, and teach him in his own way, but it’s not without reason that they say that crucian carp will not make piglets - Shuryenka was so stupid. And he can’t learn anything! How many times has the poor fellow washed himself with tears, when the old woman begins to scold him, and the grandfather either shouts at her or at Shurienka.
Day by day the old woman is getting angrier! One day she sent Shurienka out to work.
“Listen, you fool,” he shouts, “if you don’t uproot all the trees on that mountain by the evening, you won’t have your head blown off!”
Shuryenka climbed the mountain, puffing and groaning, but couldn’t pull out a single tree. He sat down and cried. And then Atalenka came and brought lunch. She saw that he was crying and asked:
- What are you doing?
- How can I not cry? - Shurienka answers. “The old woman ordered all the trees on the mountain to be uprooted by evening, but I can’t tear out a single stump.” I'm afraid to go home, because she will kill me!
“Don’t be afraid, Shurienka,” Atalienka consoles him. - Promise that you will not leave me, neither in sorrow nor in joy, and I will help you.
- Oh, my darling, I promise you everything, just help me!
- Well, if so, sit down and eat!
While Shurienka was eating, Atalienka uprooted all the trees and left. Shuryenka returned home, and the old woman attacked him:
- Well, did you uproot it?
- Everything, until the last stump! - Shurienka boasts.
The old woman didn’t like this, let’s grumble, scream, she raised the whole house to its feet: she supposedly knows that Shuryenka and Atalenka are plotting, what intrigues they are building behind her back! I raged and raged until I went to bed, and then I fell asleep.
The next day she told Shuryenka to go into the forest with a big bag and catch a bag full of flies. If he doesn’t catch it, that’s the end of him!
Shuryenka went into the forest and couldn’t catch a single fly. He sat down and cried. Then Atalienka came, brought lunch, took pity on Shurienka, and again asks if he will be faithful to her in sorrow and in joy.
“I will, my darling, I will, just don’t hand me over to the old woman to be torn to pieces!”
Atalienka told him to have dinner, and while he was eating, she caught a bag full of flies. But as soon as Shuryenka returned home with the flies, a cry arose in the house. The old woman cannot sleep from anger. Until midnight she screams loudly that Shurienka and Atalienka are plotting something against her.
On the third day, the old woman sent Shuryenka to the mill, told her to thresh the flies and bring flour in the evening.
Shuryenka went to the mill, but the miller did not let him ruin the millstone.
Shuryenka sat down and cried.
Atalenka arrived in time with lunch:
- Well, Shuryenka, do you swear for the third time that you will not leave me either in sorrow or in joy? she asks.
“I swear, I promise you everything, just save me!” - Shurienka answers.
- Well, look, don’t forget what you promised me just now! - says Atalenka and serves him lunch.
While he was eating, Atalienka turned all the flies into flour and said to Shuryenka:
“You won’t be able to escape the old woman this time.” She knows everything and has decided to fry you in the oven and eat you. But if you remain faithful to me and take me with you, I will help you get out of trouble. In the evening, grandma will send you to bed as if nothing had happened, and I will start washing the dishes. When I clink the plates the first time, you wake up, when I clink the second time, get up, and the third time, jump out the window, and I’ll follow you, we’ll run away together.
Atalyonka said and left, and Shuryenka brought flour in the evening and, trembling with fear, like an aspen leaf, gave it to the old woman. Then again, let’s swear and shout that Atalienka and Shuryenka have sung together. Then she suddenly became quiet, fed him dinner and sent him to bed. Meanwhile, the old man was ordered to light the stove. When it's drowned, wake up the old woman.
But Atalenka gave him drunken wine, the grandfather fell onto the bench by the stove and fell into a dead sleep, not even noticing how the poker burned out.
Atalienka washes the plates. It rang once, it rang twice, and then the third time it rang, Shuryenka jumped out of bed through the window and jumped out. Atalienka spat in all corners, grabbed the witch’s boots and rushed after Shurienka.
In the morning the old woman woke up and screamed:
- Atalenka, look, is the stove heated?
Here from one corner he responds: “Now, I’ll just get dressed!”
A minute later, the old woman screamed again, and someone responded from another corner: “Now!” “The witch got angry, jumped out of bed, and saw: the hut was empty, the old man was snoring on the bench, and the stove had gone out.
The old woman pounced on the grandfather, honoring him to the utmost, harassing him with a club, and sending him after the fugitives.
The old man put on the boots that were left in the corner and walked away. One step goes - a mile behind.
Atalienka noticed him, turned into a rose, and turned Shurienka into a sharp thorn. The old man could not do anything and returned home.
- Go again! - the old woman makes noise.
Like it or not, I had to go. Grandfather put on other boots - every step - two miles.
The fugitives noticed him, she turned into a chapel, he into a priest.
The old man can’t do anything with them, he returned home and told his wife to run after them herself.
- I won’t miss them! - the witch hissed, sat down on a broom and flew after them in a red cloud. It's about to catch up! But no - here Shuryenka turned into a full-flowing river, Atalenka - into a duck.
The old woman wanted to drink the river so she could grab the bird, she started drinking and burst, and then the end came for her! And Shurienka and Atalienka became themselves again. They walked and walked until they came to the country where Shurenka’s parents lived. And they were a king and queen. Shuryenka told Atalienka to wait in the yard until he told his parents everything.
Yes, I just forgot Shurienka Atalienka! And soon he decided to play a wedding with someone else. The guests leave the castle and see a beautiful maiden sitting on a tree near the well.
They called her to the castle and sat her down at the table. She sat down at the table, took out a golden casket from her pocket, and in it two doves were kissing. The girl says:
- The lovebirds are sitting and having mercy, just like Shurienka and Atalienka!
Here Shurienka recognized his Atalienka and took him as his wife, and sent the other one away.
And they began to live together, like two doves, and lived until they died.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru