Once upon a time there lived in a certain state three sisters, and they always argued about which of them was more beautiful. They could not come to an agreement and decided: let the sun judge.
“Sun, sun,” they asked, “tell me, which of us is more beautiful?”
And the sun answered:
- The youngest, daughters!
The two older ones didn't like it. It can't be! They asked another time, then a third time. The sun answered the same.
They got angry, puffed up like frogs, and decided to destroy their younger sister. They pretended that they wanted to celebrate a wake for their mother, cooked kutya, baked pies, put them in a bundle and went, as usual, to serve people with funeral dishes, so that everyone who ate would remember the deceased with a kind word and pray for her soul.
Well, they walked through the forest, wandered as if by accident into the deepest wilderness, and they said:
- Oh, sister, what about the funeral candles? We forgot them at home! We'll have to go back! Just sit here with your bundles. We are coming soon!
The girl agreed, she waits and waits, it’s already starting to get dark, but still no sisters! They knew that animals roamed the forest thicket at night, so the villains thought: let them tear their sister to pieces!
It was already late. A girl saw a white lamb wandering between the trees. I called him over - everything is not so lonely! - and gave him kutya. The lamb ate and left! The girl thought: “The animals will eat me here. I’d better go after the lamb, maybe it will lead me to people.” I took the bundles and went.
And the lamb goes straight to the house. Nine brothers lived there. The girl got to that house, entered, but there were no owners. I looked around - oh, what a mess! Well, I took a broom, swept, tidied up nicely, and then cooked dinner. And she hid in a secret corner.
Nine brothers returned home - what a miracle! Everything in the house is tidy, and dinner is cooked for them. "Answer who is in the house!" But no, the girl didn’t answer, she didn’t come out to her brothers!
In the morning the elder brother said to the younger ones:
“The one who cleaned our house and cooked dinner, maybe he’ll show up today, brothers.” You go to work, and I’ll stay on guard.
He kept watch all day, but by evening he wanted to sleep. I dozed off, and the girl was just waiting for it. It was like a mouse quietly came out, cleaned up, quickly cooked dinner and hid.
The guard woke up and saw that someone had already worked in the house. And he thought: “What am I going to tell my brothers? I overslept, what a shame!”
The next day the second brother stayed. Only he didn’t keep watch either. Then - the third, fourth, and fifth, and sixth, and seventh, and eighth remained - all in vain! Finally it was the turn of the ninth, younger brother.
“How is this possible?” he said to himself. “The older brothers were on guard, but they didn’t catch anyone... I’ll catch you!”
He waited and waited - no one came. Well, the good fellow lay down on the bench and started snoring, pretending as if he really fell asleep like the dead. And he watches - what will happen?
The girl believed it, went out, let’s clean up and cook dinner. Then he jumped up and went to the girl, took her hand and said: “You are kind to us, so be a sister to us!”
The brothers returned in the evening, saw her, and were surprised. And the girl remained in their house instead of her younger sister. All her brothers loved her beyond words, gave her gifts, and so that she wouldn’t get bored alone when everyone was leaving for work, they brought her two doves - let her play with them, they say!
How many days passed, and the older sisters found out that the youngest was alive and had become the mistress of a good house. Envy tore them apart, and they decided: we’ll harass them anyway! They baked a loaf, completely soaked in poison, and sent it to his sister with the old woman, his henchwoman.
My sister received a gift, broke off a piece, and several crumbs fell to the ground. The pigeons pecked them and died immediately. The girl guessed that the loaf was poisoned and did not eat it. That's how I was saved!
Nine brothers returned home, and the girl told them what had happened. And the brothers answered:
“If that old woman comes again, don’t let her in, do you hear?” Don't open the door, hide from trouble. You are the only one with us, remember that!
When the vile sisters found out that their plan had failed, they became even more angry than before. Every now and then they sent an old woman with various tricks. But the girl was already a scientist and did not let her come to her. Then the two scoundrel sisters became enraged, they called the old woman again and said:
- Take her ring, but first poison it with poison.
And the old woman answered:
- What are you saying? She won’t even open the door for me!
- It won’t open - and don’t! Give it to the window and say that the sisters are sad in separation and ask her to at least take the ring as a souvenir. Just let him hold out his finger! If she does, you immediately cut her finger and sprinkle her with poison. It'll die right away!
Everything was done by the evil old woman. Nine brothers returned home and saw that their sister was lying dead.
The brothers cried bitterly. They wrapped their house in black shrouds. And then they dressed my sister as a bride, and in their inconsolable sadness they decided: no, we won’t bury her in the ground, we’ll make her a glass coffin. And our sister’s grave will be a tall oak tree that quietly rustles over the river. Let my sister sleep between the branches, rocking in a glass cradle!
And soon it happened that the Tsar’s hunt was taking place in that place. The king's servants brought the horses to the river and let them drink. Don't let the horses drink water, something scares them! The king asked:
- What's the matter?
“It’s true, something happened,” said the prince. - I'll go find out!
He approached and saw: between the branches of an oak tree a glass coffin was shining under the morning sun. They removed the coffin - the prince gasped when he saw a beautiful maiden in it. He immediately ordered the servants to take the wondrous coffin to the palace and place it in a secret chamber. The prince wanted to come every day and admire the deceased.
One day he needed to go on a long journey. He came to his mother and asked that no one enter the cherished peace without him. The mother promised, but it was not for nothing that she was a woman; she could not resist: she wanted to see what her son was hiding in that room. She slowly unlocked the door, entered and, seeing the deceased, marveled at her great beauty. And then she soaked a muslin handkerchief in wine and covered the face of the deceased. And the girl came to life.
Words cannot express the queen’s joy. She dressed the beauty like a princess and took her to her chambers.
The king's son returned home - and rather to where the deceased lay. He sees that the coffin is empty. The prince became angry and shouted: who dared to violate his prohibition? Who came here? Who kidnapped the deceased? Then the mother told everything as it happened and took her to her place. Well, soon they had a cheerful wedding: the king’s son married the revived girl.
So the youngest of the three sisters became the queen in that state.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru