Once upon a time there lived a rich man. He was so rich that he himself did not know how much wealth he had. But what joy is there in life if he has no heir? And the hope that an heir will appear is also not very high, because the rich man was not young.
But his wife did not lose hope and kept waiting. And she waited. It’s time for the baby to be born, as the rich man had a dream: they will have a boy. But he needs an eye and an eye so that he doesn’t touch the ground before he’s twelve years old, otherwise he’ll immediately disappear.
OK. A boy was born, so nice, so cute! The father immediately hired nine nannies so that they would not take their eyes off the child for a minute. He strictly forbade placing the boy on the ground, and ordered everyone to ensure that the son did not touch the ground.
The nannies religiously observed the master's orders. And the boy had only a few days left before his due date. The father is already preparing a rich feast to celebrate his pet's twelfth birthday.
Suddenly a terrible noise was heard from the yard. The nanny was just holding the boy in her arms. She wanted to know what was happening there. She, the wretch, forgot all the master’s orders, laid the boy on the ground, and she herself looked out the window, like a ram at a new gate, to see who was swearing and yelling there.
The noise died down, the nanny went to the boy. But there is no boy! The nanny was so scared, it’s impossible to describe! I remembered what the owner said and I was in tears! There was an unimaginable turmoil in the house. The owner came rushing in and asked what was going on, if anything had happened to the boy. The nanny is trembling like a leaf. I can't say the words. With great difficulty she explained what had happened.
The owner completely lost his head from grief. All his hopes were dashed. He immediately sent his servants to all corners to look for his son. He ordered, begged, promised a rich reward, showered ducats like kreuzers. They searched and searched, but couldn’t find it anywhere. He disappeared, as if he had fallen through the ground, as if he had never existed.
Time passed and the grief-stricken father noticed that in one of his most beautiful rooms every midnight someone was knocking and moaning pitifully. He began to take a closer look and was overcome by a desire to find out what was happening there? What if this is his missing boy? The rich man announced that he would give three hundred ducats to anyone who spent at least one night in this room.
Three hundred ducats is not small money for a poor man. Helpful on the farm. There were many who agreed. But as soon as the clock strikes twelve times and there is noise and thunder, people get scared. And it’s a pity to give your life for three hundred ducats.
The rich man never found out who was making noise and crying there. Maybe his son, or maybe some kind of monster.
Not far from the manor's house lived a poor widow millwoman with three daughters. They were so poor, they could barely survive on bread and water. Rumors about three hundred ducats and noise and crying in the room reached their hut. Here the eldest daughter says to her unfortunate mother:
- Mother, can we really sit hungry all our lives? Well, I’ll try my luck, I’ll go and spend the night there, maybe I’ll spot something. After all, three hundred gold coins will come in handy for us!
The mother shook her head and thought. So it’s a necessity! And she allowed her daughter to go to a rich house.
The eldest daughter came to the rich man.
– Do you want to spend the night in that room? he asks. - Okay, try your luck!
“I’ll try,” the girl answers and is glad that the rich man didn’t drive her away. “I just beg you, allow me to cook myself some dinner, I haven’t eaten anything since the morning.”
The owner called the cook and ordered to give the girl provisions.
The cook brought all sorts of food, enough for three dinners. The girl took cereals, peas, butter, flour, salt and firewood for the stove. She lit a wax candle and went into the room. She lit a fire in the hearth, put the pots on, set the table and made the bed. She cooked and cooked, and didn’t notice how time flew by. It struck twelve. There was noise and crying in the little room. The miller's daughter looks around at the corners and shakes with fear. There’s no one anywhere, everything is in plain sight, just thunder and groans all around. Finally everything calmed down and a handsome boy appeared in front of her and looked at her sadly. And suddenly he asks affectionately:
– Who did you cook all this up for?
“For myself,” the girl answers.
– Who did you set the table for?
“For myself,” he says.
The handsome boy became even more saddened; even tears appeared in his gray eyes.
-Who did you make the bed for?
“For myself,” answered the miller’s daughter for the third time.
Here the boy burst into bitter tears and disappeared, wringing his hands.
In the morning the miller's daughter told the owner how it had happened. But how the boy grieved while listening to her answers, she hid.
And for the fact that she spent one night in that room, the rich man counted out three hundred gold pieces to her.
The next night the middle sister gathered there. The eldest taught her what to do and how to respond. So she did. She went to the owner, the owner allowed her to collect cereals, peas, oil, salt, and firewood.
She lit a wax candle, lit a fire, set the table, made the bed and began to wait. A boy appeared and asked: “Who are you cooking for, for whom did you set the table, for whom did you make the bed?” She answered:
- For yourself, for yourself, for yourself!
The boy, as before, cried bitterly, wrung his hands and disappeared. In the morning she told the owner everything, but kept silent about the fact that the boy began to cry.
And the owner counted out the promised three hundred gold pieces to her. On the third day the youngest sister says:
“Oh, my sisters, if you were lucky and brought three hundred gold pieces, then I’ll go and try my luck.”
And the mother, seeing that nothing bad had happened to the older daughters, allowed the youngest, her favorite, to go to the rich man, although now they no longer lived in such need.
The youngest, like her sisters, asked the owner for food, took food with her, lit a wax candle and late in the evening went to the mysterious room. She lit a fire in the hearth, put the pots on the table, unmade the bed, and waited in fear and hope for midnight to come.
It struck twelve. And then noise and crying were heard in the room. The miller's daughter was frightened, her eyes searched around the corners, but the room was as empty as the palm of her hand, only noise and crying could be heard. Suddenly the noise and crying stopped, a handsome young man appeared in front of her and asked affably:
-Who are you cooking for? The girl looked at him and answered:
– For myself, but if you want to try it, I’ll be glad. The young man's gaze cleared. He asks the following question:
– Who did you set the table for?
“I set it for myself, but if you want to sit down, it’s set for you too,” she said, and the young man’s face lit up with a smile.
– Who did you make the bed for?
- To yourself, but if you want, lie down and sleep.
Here the young man became completely cheerful, clapped his hands and said: “Oh, how good it is that you haven’t forgotten me!” But don’t leave, wait a little longer. I will go with my benefactors and say goodbye. After all, they took care of me all this time.
A warm breeze blew here and a deep abyss opened up in the middle of the room. And the boy began to slowly descend into it. The miller's daughter grabbed the hem of his robe and followed him. And suddenly an unknown world opened before their eyes. A golden river flowed to the right, golden mountains sparkled to the left, and in the middle lay beautiful green meadows covered with thousands of flowers.
The young man walked along the path, and the girl followed him, on tiptoe, so that he would not hear her.
They walked and walked, and finally reached the silver forest. As soon as they entered the forest, various little animals ran out, surrounded the young man, jumping, galloping, and one after another he affectionately stroked them.
The miller's daughter broke off a branch from the tree and wrapped it in a handkerchief. For memory.
They walked further, to another forest. Golden. We came closer, flocks of birds flew out from there, chirping, fluttering around the young man, landing on his shoulders and on his head. And he strokes them tenderly.
The miller's daughter again broke off a twig and wrapped it in a handkerchief, thinking:
“It is still unknown whether the sisters will believe my story about where I was and what I saw.”
The beautiful young man said goodbye to all the little animals and birds and set off on the way back, along the same path, and the girl slowly followed him. At the entrance, she again grabbed the hem of his robe and went up into the same little room.
“Here I am,” said the young man, “now we can have dinner.”
The girl put everything she had cooked on the table, they sat down and ate with appetite. After dinner the young man says:
- Now we need to go to bed.
They lay down in a beautiful bed, and the miller’s daughter placed silver and gold branches between him and herself. And soon a quiet sleep closed their eyelids. The next day the sun was already high in the sky, and the miller’s daughter still did not show up at the owner’s house. The owner can’t wait to find out what’s going on, but he’s waiting. And no news from the girl. “Has something happened to her?” thought the rich man and went to look. But the doors were locked.
The owner ordered the door to be broken down.
And he sees: his missing boy is sleeping in bed, and next to him is a brave girl! To celebrate, my father ordered a big celebration to be prepared and the entire neighborhood to be invited to visit. “Come, please, share my joy.
But the son saw branches next to him and, surprised, asked the girl:
-Have you been downstairs with me? If you are so faithful to me, know that you freed me. And these branches will become two castles!
He took the twigs and threw them out of the window one by one. And immediately two large castles rose, one golden, the other silver.
The miller's youngest daughter and the handsome young man began to live in them and still live, if, of course, they did not die.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru