In ancient times, in the place where Lake Teletskoye now splashes with waves, there was a valley, deep and narrow, surrounded by high steep mountains. And on the slopes of the mountains, on both sides of the valley, lived two mighty heroes, and each of them believed that only he was worthy of the right to own this valley. More than once they tried to defend this right from each other in fierce fights, but neither of them could defeat the other.
And there was no peace for anyone here because of these quarrels. The spirits of the waters and mountains were angry with the heroes, called them to themselves and commanded: “Stop quarrels and fights. To resolve your dispute, we assign you this test - whoever is the first of you to utter the word “woman” will lose the right to the valley forever and ever.”
The heroes dispersed to their villages and, so as not to accidentally utter the forbidden word, stopped talking altogether. So they sat on different sides of the valley opposite each other and were silent.
So days, weeks, months, years passed... But one morning, when the rays of the sun colored the tops of the mountains, the heroes saw that below, in the valley along the stream, a woman of indescribable beauty was walking. And the heroes, shocked by her beauty, could not restrain themselves; they both simultaneously exclaimed: “Oh, how beautiful this woman is.”
Black clouds covered the sky, lightning flashed like snakes, and thunder rumbled with deafening peals. And a thick milky fog descended on the valley and hid the beautiful woman from the eyes of the heroes. The elements raged for a long time, but finally everything calmed down, the sun came out, the fog cleared... and the heroes gasped - in place of the valley, a deep lake was rolling waves! The heroes stood for a long time along the shores of the lake, peering into the clear waters in the hope of seeing the one that had so struck their hearts, but the beauty never appeared before their eyes.
But sometimes this beauty appears in front of young hunters and fishermen if they go out on their hunt alone. And, woe to them, if they succumb to her charms, she will drag them with her into the deep abyss. But, if they withstand her temptations, then she will send the fisherman a rich catch, and the hunter - large prey, and will henceforth protect them from sudden gusts of wind and storm waves.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru