In ancient times, they say, there lived witches on earth, and they said they devoured children.
My great-great-great-grandmother told me. One day, when she was still young, the girls from her village went into the forest to pick wild garlic and pick berries. And to make it more fun, they took with them a neighbor’s boy named Tsintsir. Qingqir was not many years old, but he was a smart and smart little guy.
The girls tore wild garlic all day, sang songs, joked, and did not notice how night had come. We lost our way, got lost in a dark forest.
They walked for a long time, where they themselves did not know. Late at night we saw a light in the forest thicket. They ran into the light and looked: there was an old shack, and on the threshold there was a fanged old woman.
“Come in,” she invited the girls in a sweet voice. – I’m always glad to have guests.
I fed them dinner and made their bed. She laid the girls against the wall, Tsintsira on the edge.
And that old woman was a witch and was already licking her lips to herself, thinking how she would eat them all.
How much or how little time has passed, the witch asks quietly:
- Who's sleeping? Who's not sleeping?
“I’m not sleeping,” Tsintsir responded.
- Why aren’t you sleeping? – the witch was surprised.
– My mother always feeds me milk pilaf at night.
What's a witch to do?! I cooked milk pilaf. Tsintsir himself ate and treated the girls. He already sensed something bad and whispered to the girls: “Don’t sleep!” Everyone settled down. They lie quietly, waiting: what will happen next?
You never know, how much time has passed, the witch asks for the second time:
- Who's sleeping? Who's not sleeping?
- I'm not sleeping! – answers Tsintsir.
- Why? – the old woman grumbled angrily.
– At night, my mother always gives me kurkemey and khinkal.
What's a witch to do?! She quickly cooked the khinkal and brought the kurkemey from the pantry.
[Kurkemey - dried lamb sausage]
Tsintsir himself ate and fed the girls. Everyone settled down again. They lie quietly.
And soon it will be dawn. The witch has no patience! He asks quietly for the third time:
- Who's sleeping? Who's not sleeping?
- I'm not sleeping! - says Tsintsir. The witch became furious:
– What else would you like me to treat you with?
- I swear on my life, I don’t want to eat! You treated us well... At this time, my mother always gives me some water. She collects it from the river with a sieve and brings it in a wicker basket.
The witch tore the sieve off the nail, grabbed the basket, and ran to the river.
As soon as the door slammed behind the witch, Tsintsir jumped up:
- Girls, girls! Get up quickly! Let's run! If you hesitate, the fierce witch will eat us.
They ran, not knowing where their eyes were looking. We reached the river. A log is thrown across the river...
The girls and Tsintsir crossed to the other side and took the log with them. We're glad we got away from the witch alive. Lo and behold, the witch is already standing on the other side.
“Drag me, teach me how to get across to you,” the witch asks.
And near the river there was a collapsed mill and millstones lay on the grass. Tsintsir shouted to the witch:
– Do you see the big round stones? We put them around our necks and forded the river.
The witch was happy. She put the millstone around her neck and jumped into the water. The millstone pulled her to the bottom, and the witch immediately drowned.
– Now you can go home! - says Tsintsir.
- Oh, no! – the girls made noise. - Let's not go home empty-handed. The witch has our wild garlic and our berries there.
Tsintsir had to agree. Yes, they took not only wild garlic and berries, but gold, and gems, and rich clothes. The witch has plenty of everything in her chests.
With that we were welcomed home. We gave gifts to all my friends. My great-great-grandmother received an embroidered scarf. She wanted to wipe her nose with a handkerchief, but the handkerchief slipped through her nose and into her throat - they barely pulled it out.
That witch was a sorceress, and all her goods were enchanted.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru