Once upon a time there lived a washerwoman. She was left a widow with three daughters.
No matter how the mother and daughters bent their backs, no matter how hard they tried to earn more money, everyone lived from hand to mouth. So the eldest daughter says:
“It’s better to serve the devil himself than live in this house.”
“Don’t say that,” the mother whispered in fear. “You’re bringing trouble on your own head.”
Several days passed, and then a signor appeared to them, dressed all in black. He spoke politely and pleasantly, only his nose was silver.
“I know that you have three daughters,” he turned to his mother. “Let one go into my service.”
The mother was ready to let either of her daughters go at that very moment, but she was embarrassed by the silver nose. She called her eldest daughter aside and said:
- Decide for yourself, daughter. He's kind of strange: all people have noses like noses, but he has a silver one. You wouldn't have to repent later...
But the girl was so fed up with her home that she agreed to go with the stranger to the ends of the earth. Their journey was long. They have already passed forests and mountains. And then a bright glow appeared ahead.
-What is that down there? – the girl became worried.
“Don’t be scared,” said Silver Nose. “This is my home, that’s where we’re going.”
The girl moved on with Silver Nose, but anxiety crept into her heart.
The house of the Silver Nose turned out to be a huge castle. The owner immediately took the girl through his mansions, where one room seemed more wonderful than the other, and gave the key to each. Finally they stopped at the door of the last room.
“This is my house,” said Silver Nose. “Here you are the sovereign mistress, but don’t even think about unlocking this door.” If you unlock it, then you have yourself to blame.” And he handed her the last key.
The girl took the key and thought: “That’s right, there’s something very interesting there. If I’m left alone in the house, I’ll definitely unlock it.”
At night, when the girl was fast asleep in her room, Silver Nose silently entered, approached her bed and pinned a living rose to her hair. After which he left just as silently.
The next morning, Silver Nose went about his business. The girl was left alone in the castle, grabbed the entire bunch of keys - and headed straight to the forbidden door. But as soon as she opened it, tongues of flame and puffs of smoke burst out: there, in the fire and smoke, doomed souls writhed. Now she understood everything. Silver Nose is the devil, and behind this door is hell. In horror, she screamed, slammed the door and ran away from this hellish room, but the flames had already scorched the rose in her hair.
Silver Nose returned home, looked, and the rose in the girl’s hair had faded.
- Ahh! You dare to disobey me! - he shouted. Then he grabbed the girl, opened the door of hell and threw her into the flames.
The next day he appeared again at the widow's house.
“Your daughter asked me to tell you that she feels very good with me.” But there is a lot of work, and she needs help. Could you give me your middle daughter into my service?..
Silver Nose returned to the palace with his middle sister. And he gave her all the keys and showed her all the rooms, with the exception of the very last one, which he forbade to open.
“Here,” said the girl, “I’ll open it, what do I care about your secrets!”
And in the evening, when she went to bed and fell asleep, Silver Nose crept into her room and pinned a live carnation to her hair.
The next morning, as soon as Silver Nose left, the girl could not stand it and opened the forbidden door. Smoke and flames came out from there. Sinners were screaming there. She recognized her sister in the fire.
“Sister, sister, save me from this hell!” – she heard her voice.
The girl froze, slammed the door and started running. She ran and didn't know where to hide. Everything is clear, Silver Nose is the devil himself. There is no salvation for her!
Silver Nose returned to the palace. He sees that the flower in the girl’s hair has withered. He grabbed the sinner and, without saying a word, also threw her into the inferno.
The next day, Silver Nose, in the dress of an important nobleman, appeared again in the washerwoman's house.
“There is so much work in my house that your two daughters cannot cope with it.” Let your youngest daughter come to me too!
So the younger sister, Lucia, the most cunning of all, ended up in the palace.
The devil showed her the whole castle, gave her the keys and forbade her to open the last door. As soon as Lucia closed her eyelids, he pinned a jasmine flower to her hair. In the morning the girl went to the mirror to comb her braids and saw a flower.
“Just think,” she smiled, “Silver Nose pinned a jasmine flower to my hair. How cute! Let me put it in the water,” and put the flower in a glass of water. She slowly combed her hair and, when she was convinced that she was alone in the palace, she thought: “Now let’s see what’s behind the mysterious door.”
She opened the door slightly, and smoke and flames came out from behind it. In the fire she saw the suffering faces of the martyrs and among them both her sisters.
- Lucia! Lucia! - they shouted. - Save us! Get us out of here!
Lucia first of all closed the door well, and then began to think about how to save her sisters.
When the devil returned, Lucia had pinned a jasmine flower to her hair again, and she looked as if nothing had happened. Silver Nose looked at the jasmine and involuntarily exclaimed:
- Oh, how fresh it is!
- Of course, why should it fade! Who wears withered flowers in their hair?
“Of course, of course,” Silver Nose hastened to answer. “That’s just me... And you’re a nice girl,” he continued, “if this continues, you and I will get along.” Do you like me?
- Very! Yes, one concern does not give me peace.
- Which one?
- There is no news from my mother. When we said goodbye, she didn't feel well.
“And that’s all that worries you?” – asked the devil. “Today I’ll look at her.”
- Thank you, master. But if you're so kind to me, come see her tomorrow, I'd pack a bag of dirty laundry. If the mother feels better, she will wash everything. But won't it be hard for you?
“What nonsense,” the devil laughed, “of course, I’ll tell you, no matter how much the bag weighs.”
As soon as Silver Nose left the castle, Lucia opened the door of hell, pulled out her older sister, put her in a bag and punished her:
“Sit still, Carlotta, now the devil will return and carry you home on his hump.” But if you feel that he is about to lower the bag to the ground, say: “I see it! “And I see” When the Silver Nose arrived, Lucia said:
– This bag contains laundry. So will you actually take it to my mother?
-You don’t believe it? – the devil was surprised.
- Oh, of course I believe you. Moreover, I have a special ability: I see as far as anyone in the world. If you suddenly drop the bag on the ground, I will certainly see it.
The devil grinned - he didn’t really believe in her ability to see so far.
“Dirty laundry is a bit heavy,” he grunted, throwing the bag onto his back.
“Of course,” the girl answered calmly. “How many years have you not put it in the wash?”
And Silver Nose walked along the road. Having walked halfway, he thought: “Should I look into the bag? Why, under the guise of doing laundry, did the beauty plan to empty my house?” And he already wanted to throw the bag on the ground and take a look.
- And I see! And I see! – the elder sister immediately shouted from the bag.
- Damn it! “She really sees as far as anyone in the world,” muttered Silver Nose, again hefted the heavy bag and headed straight to the washerwoman’s house.
“Your daughter sent you some laundry and told you to ask how you are doing.”
Left alone, the washerwoman untied the bag. You can imagine her joy and surprise - her eldest daughter stood in front of her.
A week later, Lucia pretended to be sad again and asked the devil to bring her news from her mother. She sent him home with a second bag of dirty laundry.
So Silver Nose dragged his middle sister home and again did not dare to look into the bag. Every time he was about to lower the bag to the ground, a voice was heard: “And I see! But I see!” Now the washerwoman knew who this Silver Nose was, and she was terribly frightened when he burst into her again. What if he asks about clean underwear? But the devil put the bag on the floor and said:
“I’ll get the clean linen another time.” This damn bag really hurt my back, I want to return home light...
Silver Nose left, and the alarmed washerwoman untied the bag and let's hug the middle daughter. But anxiety for Lucia haunted her, because the girl remained in the hands of the evil one.
What is Lucia doing? A little time passed, and the girl’s request to bring her news from her mother was repeated again.
The devil was already quite tired of carrying bags of dirty laundry, but the girl was so obedient and dutiful that it was impossible to refuse her. The night before, Lucia pretended to be sick and went to bed early.
– I’ll leave the bag of laundry near the door. If I feel bad tomorrow morning and don’t get up, take it away.
Here it must be said that Lucia sewed a large doll, as tall as herself, out of scraps, put it in her bed and covered it with a blanket. Then she cut off her braids and sewed them to the doll’s head, and hid herself in a bag.
In the morning, the devil sees the girl lying in bed under a blanket, and sets off on the road with a bag on her shoulders.
“She’s sick today,” he decided, “and won’t watch me!” Come on, I’ll check if there’s really dirty laundry in the bag.”
He carefully took off the bag and was about to untie it when Lucia's voice was heard:
- And I see! And I see!
- Damn it! The voice is so close, it’s as if she herself is here! It’s better not to joke with this girl.” He put the bag on his back again and walked on. He knocked on the washerwoman’s door and said:
“I’ll pick up the linen later.” I'm in a hurry to get home, Lucia is sick...
So the whole family gathered together again, and since Lucia did not forget to take a good amount of money from the devil’s house, the mother and sisters lived in happiness and contentment. And so that the devil would not appear, a cross was placed in front of the door.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru