Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman, they had a daughter Alyonushka and a son Ivanushka. The old man and the old woman died. Alyonushka and Ivanushka were left alone.
Alyonushka went to work and took her brother with her. They were walking along a long path, across a wide field, and Ivanushka felt thirsty.—?Sister Alyonushka, I’m thirsty!—?Wait, brother, let’s get to the well. They walked and walked—the sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is excruciating, sweat is coming out. A cow's hoof is full of water.—?Sister Alyonushka, I'll take some bread from the hoof!—?Don't drink, brother, you'll become a calf! Brother obeyed, let's move on.
The sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, the sweat is protruding. The horse's hoof is full of water. —? Sister Alyonushka, I'll drink from the hoof! —? Don't drink, brother, you'll become a foal! Ivanushka sighed, and we moved on again.
The sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, the sweat is protruding. The goat's hoof is full of water. Ivanushka says: -? Sister Alyonushka, there is no urine: I'll drink from the hoof! -? Don't drink, brother, you'll become a little goat! Ivanushka didn't listen and drank from the goat's hoof.
Alyonushka calls her brother, and instead of Ivanushka, a little white goat runs after her. Alyonushka bursts into tears, sits down under a haystack - cries, and the little goat jumps next to her. At that time, a merchant was driving past: -? What are you crying about, red maiden? Alyonushka told him about her misfortune.
The merchant says to her: -? Come marry me. I will dress you up in gold and silver, and the little goat will live with us. Alyonushka thought, thought and married the merchant.
They began to live and get along, and the little goat lived with them, eating and drinking from the same cup with Alyonushka. One day the merchant was not at home. Out of nowhere, a witch comes: she stood under Alyonushka’s window and so kindly began to call her to swim in the river.
The witch brought Alyonushka to the river. She rushed at her, tied a stone around Alyonushka’s neck and threw her into the water. And she herself turned into Alyonushka, dressed up in her dress and came to her mansion. No one recognized the witch. The merchant returned - and he did not recognize him.
One little goat knew everything. He hangs his head, doesn't drink, doesn't eat. In the morning and evening he walks along the bank near the water and calls:
-?Alyonushka, my sister!..Swim out, swim out to the shore...
The witch found out about this and began to ask her husband to kill and slaughter the kid... The merchant felt sorry for the little goat, he got used to it. And the witch pesters so much, begs so much - there is nothing to be done, the merchant agreed: -? Well, kill him...
The witch ordered to build high fires, heat cast-iron cauldrons, sharpen damask knives. The little goat found out that he would not live long, and said to the named father: -? Before I die, let me go to the river, drink some water, rinse my intestines. -? Well, go. The little goat ran to the river, stood on the bank and cried out plaintively:
-? Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out to the shore. The fires are burning high, Cast iron cauldrons are boiling, Damask knives are sharpening, They want to stab me to death!
Alyonushka from the river answers him:
-? Oh, my brother Ivanushka! The heavy stone pulls to the bottom, The silken grass has tangled his legs, The yellow sands lie on his chest.
And the witch is looking for a little goat, cannot find it, and sends a servant: -? Go find the little goat, bring him to me. The servant went to the river and saw a little goat running along the bank and calling out plaintively:
-? Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out to the shore. The fires are burning high, Cast iron cauldrons are boiling, Damask knives are sharpening, They want to stab me to death!
And from the river they answer him:
-? Oh, my brother Ivanushka! The heavy stone pulls to the bottom, The silken grass has tangled his legs, The yellow sands lie on his chest.
The servant ran home and told the merchant about what he had heard on the river. They gathered the people, went to the river, threw silk nets and pulled Alyonushka to the shore. They took the stone from her neck, dipped her in spring water, and dressed her in an elegant dress. Alyonushka came to life and became more beautiful than she was. And the little goat threw himself over his head three times with joy and turned into the boy Ivanushka. The witch was tied to a horse's tail and released into an open field.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru