One poor woman had three sons and a joy daughter. The boys had already grown up, but the girl was still very small and could not walk yet, and had not learned to speak.
The boys, as expected, were poor and persistent. This would have gone well if not for their shameless gluttony. Oh, and poor mother toiled with them!
If someone commits mischief or misbehavior somewhere, it’s her boys; If something happens somewhere, she knows that her sons are to blame. And at home! He will leave something from lunch for dinner, but his soul is not in the right place - after all, they will sniff out and get smart! They will even pull the meat out of the pot. They sneak up, take out the undercooked food - and it’s gone! The mother has no idea what to do with them next. And he persuades, and asks, and punishes... It's all in vain! Finally, her patience ran out.
One day she was getting ready to go to church. She put dinner on the hearth and threatened her sons:
– Don’t you dare carry meat! Look, if you touch him, I will do something to you that no mother has ever done to her children.
And the boys laugh in her face and mock her. The angry mother left for the church, but only she crossed the threshold, and the children walked to the hearth! They took the meat out of the cast iron and ate it right away.
The mother returned from church in the hope that her sons were afraid of her jokes. I went up to the hearth and looked into the cast iron pot - and it was empty! She flared up with unheard-of anger and exclaimed.
- May you turn into ravens, may you become ravens, may you tear meat from one another!
Before she had time to shout out the last word, her children turned into three black crows, took off with a ferocious cawing, flapped their wings and flew away to God knows where!
The mother, beside herself with rage, shouted after them:
- Fly, fly, insatiable villains! Until then, you will suffer until one of your blood relatives rescues you from trouble!
But mother’s anger, like snow in spring, quickly melted away. The poor woman came to her senses, her heart bled, she began to sob, wring her hands, mourn the bitter fate of the unfortunate children, and reproach herself. Since then, her eyes have not dried out.
Years passed without a word from my sons. Meanwhile, the little daughter turned into a beautiful girl. She was like a white swan, her cheeks were like a rose, no one around could compare with her beauty. And she is cheerful and sweet, hard-working, keeps up with everything, helps her mother both in the house and in the field.
The mother hid her grief from her and did not say a single word that her daughter once had brothers.
But the girl herself kept thinking and wondering why she didn’t have a brother or sister, while others did, and in plenty. She asked her mother more than once, and her mother, sighing heavily, answered that no, and there had never been anyone.
The girl began to ask strangers, and they tell her that she had three brothers, but suddenly they disappeared somewhere, and no one knows anything about them.
The girl began to ask her mother again:
- Mother, my dear, people told me that I had three brothers. Tell me, don’t hide it, where did they go?
“Daughter, daughter, your brothers have flown to distant lands,” her mother answered and burst into tears.
- For what? Yes when? Where? And they won't come back again? Tell me, don’t hide it, how it happened?
- Oh, my daughter, that’s how it was!
And her mother told her everything without concealment, how she cursed them in anger, how they turned into ravens, and then she said that they would fly around the world until someone from their close relatives delivered them from the curse!
- Don’t worry, mother, don’t be sad! They have no relatives closer than me, so I have to get down to business! - the girl answered. - I will go, mother, find and save them! Whatever it costs me!
“Oh, my daughter, don’t go, you won’t save them and you’ll disappear yourself,” the mother cried, “you won’t find them.” They're flying somewhere now! And how can you leave me alone in my old age without any support?
- Don’t be sad, mother, I won’t leave you. Only it was written in my family to free my brothers and I will free them, even if they find themselves far away.
My sister has made up her mind and won’t listen to any persuasion. Finally, her mother agreed, although with difficulty, and a few days later she got her ready for the trip.
The sister walked through mountains and valleys, through empty fields, for a long, long time, and on her way she did not meet a single living soul. She finally comes to the house of the Clear Moon. His mother is standing on the threshold.
- God bless you, mistress! – the wanderer bowed to her.
“And the same to you, girl,” the hostess answers. -Where did you come from? After all, not even a small bird can reach us, let alone a human.
– Need forced me, so I got there! I came to find out if you have heard anything about the three ravens, my enchanted brothers?
“I, a girl, haven’t heard anything about the three ravens, your brothers. Better wait until my son returns home, I’ll find out from him and tell you.” And you hide under this trough, and look, sit quietly, don’t move, lest he eat you!
The girl hid under a trough, sat, waiting for what would happen next. Soon the Moon returned. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he shouted:
- Mother! It smells like the human spirit here, give me a man here, I’ll eat him!
“What are you saying, son, where does a person come from here,” the mother answers. “You know, no one can get to us.” Sit down, have dinner, and go to bed, you're tired!
Month sat down to dinner. He ate enough, calmed down and dozed off, while his mother combed his hair. As soon as the Moon closed his eyes, she tugged at his forelock!
“What are you doing, mother,” the Month jumped up, “are you pulling my hair?” And his mother answered him:
- Forgive me, son, I accidentally dozed off and I had a dream that someone was asking me, have you met three brothers sworn to ravens?
- No, mom, I haven’t. The Sun's eyes are quick, maybe it noticed someone?
“Okay,” the mother began to calm her son down, “sleep, son, sleep!” The Moon got enough sleep, set off on the road again, and the hostess said to the beautiful wanderer:
- Did you hear, baby? You won’t learn anything from us, better go through this valley, there you will find the Sun, maybe his mother will advise him.
The girl went. She wandered for a long time through the mountains, through the valleys, through bare fields, until she finally came to the Mother of the Sun.
- Happiness to you, mother! – the traveler bowed.
- And happiness to you, girl. Where did you come from here? After all, even a small bird can’t get here to us, let alone a human!
- Oh, dear hostess, I came to ask your son about the three ravens, my enchanted brothers!
“Maybe he knows about your enchanted brothers, I can ask.” But how should I deal with you? My son will come home and eat you!
“Oh, dear mother, have mercy, hide me somewhere,” the girl began to beg.
The owner hid it under a trough.
I had just made it, and then the Sun appeared and screamed: | Mom, something here smells like a human – come here, I’ll eat it!
What are you, my son, where does a person come from? It seemed to you, you probably shine brightly, and you walk all over the sky, the human spirit seems to you. Sit down, have dinner, and go to bed, are you tired?
Sunny the son has eaten and dozed off, and is looking for his mother in his hair. The son was completely asleep, and she tugged at his cowlick.
“Why are you, mom,” he jumped up, “pulling my hair?”
“Yes, son, it was by accident,” she answers, “I dozed off myself, and I dreamed that someone was asking, have you seen the three raven brothers?”
-Where can I see them? After all, I don’t light a candle everywhere. Here is the Wind - it will blow through every crack, it is easier for him to recognize.
The Sun-son fell asleep and slept until the morning.
In the morning he got up and left the house, and the mother woke up the girl and said to her:
- No, my son doesn’t know about them. I told you to ask the Wind. Go to him! He lives behind that mountain.
She showed the girl the way and escorted her to the threshold. Our traveler wandered through mountains, valleys, and bare fields. She walked for a long time until she saw Mother Vetra.
- God bless you, mother! – she bowed to the hostess.
- God bless you too, girl! – Mother Vetra thanked her. - How did you get here? Even a small bird doesn’t show its nose to us, let alone a human!
“I want to ask your son if he has heard about my three enchanted brothers, the three ravens.”
– About the three ravens, your enchanted brothers? Okay, I'll find out when he gets home. What should I do with you? I'm afraid he will eat you.
“Oh, good woman, save me,” the traveler began to ask. - Hide it somewhere!
The owner hid her under a trough and strictly ordered her to sit still. The wind came home cloudy and puffy.
“Mama,” he sniffled in the doorway, “something smells like a human, give it here, I’ll eat it!”
His mother rushed to him, let’s calm him down:
- Yes, there is no one, son, you see a person everywhere, I suppose he was blowing very hard! Think for yourself - where does a person come from here?
While the Wind was blowing around the world, Mother managed to roast a whole bull and brew a tub of beer. She quickly served him dinner.
“Eat,” he says, “son, and then sleep until the morning.” The Wind ate, got drunk, and his mother said to him:
“You’re tired, son, go to bed, and I’ll look in your head, you’ll sleep sweeter.”
As soon as the Wind closed his eyes, his mother pulled his hair. The wind jumped up and howled in a bad voice.
“Calm down, calm down,” his mother persuades him. “I took a nap myself, but I dreamed that someone was asking, have you heard about the three brothers who were turned into ravens?” Have you seen it somewhere?
- I saw it. “They live in the Glass Castle, they fly around the castle every day,” the Wind grumbled, turned on his other side and began to snore.
I got some sleep and hit the road again. And the kind woman woke up the beautiful wanderer and said:
“You have a tough test ahead of you, girl.” Your brothers live in the Glass Castle, and the Glass Castle is beyond those mountains; I don’t know how you’ll get there. Well, okay, just wait, I’ll fry a bird for you on the way, you can eat it, but don’t throw away the bones. When you get to the castle, make a ladder out of these bones and climb up it to your brothers.
Our beauty thanked Mother Vetra for her good advice, took the bundle and moved on.
She walked through fields, wooded mountains, and walked for a long, long time. On the way, I ate the bird and collected the bones. But here, finally, is the Glass Castle. Smooth as an apple. No way to approach. No path, no steps. The girl made a ladder from bird bones and, having reached the window, jumped into the beautiful mansion.
He sees a table in the middle set with three cutlery.
“This dinner has been prepared for the brothers,” she said to herself, “that means they will be back soon.”
She walked up to one plate, took a sip of the soup and quickly hid under the bed. Immediately the sound of wings was heard and three crows appeared in the window, landed on the windowsill and immediately turned into stately guys. They jumped off the windowsill and began to wash the wounds they had inflicted on each other with their beaks and claws with cold water. Then we sat down at the table, and suddenly all the plates started spinning at once.
- Hop! - said the elder, - there is one of ours here! Someone ate my soup!
- What are you making up? “Where does he come from here?” the others answered and began to eat.
However, the elder still stood his ground and promised to find the unexpected guest after dinner. But after eating, I forgot about my words and by the morning I didn’t remember anything. In the morning, after eating, the brothers climbed onto the window and immediately turned into crows. They flapped their black wings, began to tear each other and, croaking, flew to an unknown destination.
In the evening the brothers returned home, washed their wounds and sat down at the table. As soon as we sat down, everyone’s plates started spinning again.
“Hey,” said the middle one, “so, brother, what you said yesterday was true, there is one of our relatives here.” Look, look, he ate my soup, drank my wine! Let's eat, let's see where he is, and who he is.
The youngest began to dissuade him, saying, there is no one, where can anyone come from here! But the middle one stands his ground: “I’ll find him, I’ll find him, where he is, and who he is.” After dinner, the middle brother lay down to rest, remembered what he was going to do, but was too lazy to get up.
“Okay,” he decided, “I’ll find you in the morning!” “And in the morning I forgot, didn’t bother looking, and flew away with the others.”
On the third evening, my sister ate from a third plate, drank from a glass, and even lazed in bed.
The brothers returned home, washed their wounds with cold water and sat down to dinner. They began to sit down, and everyone’s plates were dancing in circles.
“Hey,” said the youngest, “something is wrong here!” Every day the plates are turning, and now I don’t have enough soup and wine!
He turned around and gasped - “What is this! But my bed is rumpled! I’ll find him!”
He jumped out from behind the table, grabbed the sword and started rushing around the mansions. I looked under the bed, and there a beautiful girl was hiding.
- There you are! - he exclaimed, - get out, let's see you with good or evil!
“Good luck, good luck,” answered the sister, crawling out from under the bed. “I am your sister and I have come to free you from the spell.”
The brothers recognized her and were very happy. For a long time they told her about their spell, and her sister told her about her mother and how she got to them. At the end the sister says to her brothers:
“I came to you, I wasn’t afraid of anything.” Now tell me, how can I save you from the curse?
- Oh, sister, sister! - the brothers answered her, - we’ll tell you, but you won’t do it! To free us, it will take seven years, seven months, seven weeks and seven hours without uttering a single word. If you say anything, everything will go to waste, and we will remain black crows forever and ever.
“It’s difficult, oh, how difficult,” the sister agreed, “but it’s impossible to do otherwise!” I will not go back on my word and will not return home until I free you!
The brothers realized that their sister could not be dissuaded. They cut a hollow in a mighty tree, planted her there, only leaving the window to serve food.
Two years have passed, or maybe all three. Once a young king rode in a carriage of fours near the Glass Castle. The path lay past a mighty tree. As soon as he reached the tree, the horses stood up and did not move. The coachman whips them with a whip, and they rush from side to side, rear up, and go no further! The young king never managed to go on business and had to turn back.
Soon the young king gathered in that direction again. He ordered the other horses to be harnessed. Just like that time, the horses flew as if on wings, but as soon as they got to the tree, they laid siege and for the life of them, they didn’t go further, and that’s all.
A little time passed, and the king got ready to set off for the third time. He ordered the new horses to be harnessed. The horses raced like devils! They carried him to the same tree and stood rooted to the spot, they didn’t go any further! They rear up, snore, dig the ground with their hooves, but don’t take a step forward. Then the young king jumped out of the carriage and headed towards the tree.
“We need to see,” he says, “what kind of tree this is, why my horses get scared near it.”
He looked and looked - he saw a window in the trunk, looked inside, and there was a sweet girl’s face. He grabbed the sword from its sheath and began to chop down the tree together with the coachman; they continued to chop until the girl was rescued. And although she was poorly dressed and ragged, she was so beautiful that the young king immediately fell in love and, without thinking twice, decided to take her as his wife.
He began to ask who she was, where she was from, and what she was doing in the hollow, but she didn’t say a word in response. He asks again, and she either nods her head or shakes her head. He asks if she wants to go to his castle as a mistress, and the beauty lowered her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. The young king was delighted, put her in a carriage and took her to his beautiful castle. I decided that she would become bolder and eventually speak.
We just arrived, and the young king is already sending her a beautiful dress. They dressed her up and she became even cuter. The king looks overjoyed, he loves her so much. He asks to at least say a word, but she just smiles affably, but does not answer questions: she either nods her head or shakes her head.
In the end, the king decided to marry her. As he decided, he did so, but she didn’t say a word at the wedding, she just nodded her head: yes, they say, she will be faithful to the king until her death.
Since then they became husband and wife and lived amicably and happily. But their happiness did not last long. The king had enemies, he had to go to war, and leave his beautiful wife alone. With great sadness, the king said goodbye to her, leaving her under the care of the old woman who had taken root in the castle. And that old woman was a witch.
By that time, the old witch’s daughter had grown up, and she was so ugly! The witch dreamed that the king would take her as his wife, but the king did not even think about it. So the evil witch harbored a fierce grudge against the king, and the dumb queen was ready to be killed from the world. And soon the opportunity presented itself.
While the king was at war, the queen had a son, handsome, golden hair, a golden star burning in his forehead.
The witch stole the baby and put a puppy in its place. I got to the window to throw the boy out, and at that time a raven flew under the window. The witch saw him, threw the child and shouted:
- Grab him, raven, grab him!
The raven grabbed the boy and took him away to an unknown location.
And the witch spread the rumor throughout the city that the queen had given birth to a puppy. Moreover, she hastened to inform the king himself about this. The king was sad. But he loved his wife, and he didn’t want to believe the witch and sent an answer: “It’s okay, it’ll work out somehow, let them take better care of the puppy until he returns.
The king returned home, and there, indeed, the puppy was lying in the cradle, and the queen was sad and sad, but could not clear herself of the slander. The king did not stop loving his wife and they began to live as they had lived before.
The time came for the king to go to war again, and again he left the queen under the care of the old woman. So what? The queen gave birth to a second son, with golden hair and a golden star on his forehead. The witch stole this baby too, threw a crow that was flying under the window, and gave the queen a kitten. She spread the rumor around the city and wrote it to the king.
The king returned home, everything was going as before with his wife, only his soul ached, like looking at a puppy or kitten. The king became completely deranged, but did not stop loving his wife.
Some time passed, the war began again, the king left, and the queen’s daughter was born with golden hair and a golden star in her forehead. And the witch stole the girl, threw a crow through the window, slipped a rotten log to the queen, and wrote to the king for the war that the queen brought a rotten log instead of a baby.
- This is too much! - exclaimed the king. - And he won’t speak, and instead of children he will give birth to some monsters for me! Turned me into a laughing stock in front of the whole world. I won't tolerate it anymore!
And the king decided to execute his wife.
He returned from the war, didn’t even carry out a trial, personally sentenced her to death, but she, poor thing, is silent - she doesn’t say a word to free her brothers. Then the king orders her to be taken out into the field and her head cut off from her shoulders.
Now the executioner has raised his sword! Suddenly, out of nowhere, a raven flies, carries in its beak a boy with golden hair and a golden star in his forehead and shouts:
- Hey, executioner, stop! Here's a boy, play with him - and puts the child on the ground.
The executioner stopped and looked at the baby.
And the king forgot about the execution and amused himself with the beautiful child.
Finally, the king came to his senses and shouted:
- Get to work, executioner!
The executioner raised his sword, just swung it, then a second raven flies, carrying a charming boy with golden hair and a golden star in his forehead, and he himself shouts:
- Hey, executioner, stop! Here's a child, play with him!
The executioner put down his sword and began to play with the baby, then the king came up to him and admired the child. Time passes, the king realized it and shouted:
- Get to work, executioner!
The executioner raised his sword, was about to lower it, suddenly a third raven flies, carrying in its beak a girl with golden hair and a golden star in her forehead and shouts:
- Hey, executioner, stop! And you, sister, speak up!
At this moment, seven years, seven months, seven weeks and seven hours had just passed since my sister took her vow! The three ravens turned into good fellows, and the queen spoke.
“I freed my brothers.” And now, my dear husband, I can tell you why I was silent, and how the evil witch deceived you, how she gave me a puppy, a kitten and a rotten log instead of our children.
And she told everything how it happened. And the brothers added that they took the children away and left in their Glass Castle.
The king heard his beautiful wife speak, saw his children, and tears of joy flowed from his eyes. He began to ask his wife for forgiveness for treating her so cruelly. And then he solemnly led him back to the castle. And to celebrate, he ordered to prepare a feast for the whole world.
When the guests had gathered, he asked them a riddle: he was at war, and such and such happened to him! What do dear guests think about this matter? What punishment did the one who condemned four innocent people to death deserve? The witch, not knowing that all her machinations have been revealed, is the first to take it and shout:
- What punishment? And put him in a barrel with sharp nails and lower him from a high mountain.
“Now, old witch, you came up with your own punishment,” the king interrupted her, “you wanted to take my innocent wife and my children’s lives, now get what you deserve!”
They prepared a barrel of nails, put a witch in it and lowered her from a high mountain.
Since then, the king and queen have lived in love and harmony. The brothers stayed with them and took the old mother with them. They lived without grieving until they died.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru