The mother had two daughters: one was her own, the other was her stepdaughter. She loved her family very much, but couldn’t stand her stepdaughter, and all because Marushka was more beautiful than Olena. But Marushka did not know about her beauty, she could not even have such a thought: as soon as her stepmother looked at her, she would frown. And she thought that, probably, she had displeased her stepmother in some way.
While Olena was either dressing up and primping herself, or walking around the upper room or chilling in the yard, or walking on the street, Marushka was cleaning the house, tidying up, cooking, washing, sewing, spinning, weaving, mowing grass for the cattle, milking the cows - doing all the work. And the stepmother scolds her and swears all day long. And the fact that she patiently endured everything did not soften her; on the contrary, this made her treat the poor girl worse and worse. And all because Marushka became more and more beautiful every day, and Olena became more and more uglier.
And the stepmother thought: “What joy is it for me to have a beautiful stepdaughter in the house? Guys will come to visit, they will fall in love with Marushka and will not want to love Olena.”
She talked with Olena, and they came up with something that would never have occurred to anyone else.
One day - it was soon after the New Year, in the biting frost - Olena wanted to smell the violets. She says:
- Go, Marushka, into the forest, pick me a bouquet of violets. I want to pin it to my belt: I really want to smell the violets.
- My God! Dear sister, what came into your head? Have you ever heard of violets growing under the snow? - answered poor Marushka.
- Oh, you disgusting filthy woman! How dare you talk when I order you? - Olena shouted at her. “Get out now!” And if you don’t bring me violets, I’ll kill you!
And the stepmother kicked Marushka out of the house, slammed the door behind her and locked it.
Bursting with tears, the girl went into the forest. There are whole snowdrifts there and not a trace of a human foot anywhere. Marushka wandered through the forest for a long time. Hunger tormented her, the frost penetrated to her bones. Suddenly he sees a light in the distance. She followed that light and came to the top of the mountain. There was a large fire burning there, and around the fire lay twelve stones, and on those stones sat twelve people: three of them with white, gray beards, three younger, three even younger, and three very young. They sit quietly, silently, motionless looking at the fire. It was twelve months. January sat on the highest stone. His hair and beard were white as snow, and he held a stick in his hand.
Marushka was frightened and completely died from fear. But then she plucked up courage, came closer and asked:
“Good people, let me warm myself, I’m shaking from the cold.”
January nodded his head and asked her:
- Why did you come, girl? What are you looking for here?
“I came for violets,” answered Marushka.
“Now is not the time to pick violets, there is snow all around...” objected January.
“I know,” said Marushka, “but my sister Olena and her stepmother ordered me to bring them violets from the forest.” And if I don’t bring it, they will kill me. I humbly ask you, uncles, tell me where I can pick violets?
Then January left his place, approached the youngest month, gave him a stick in his hand and said:
- Brother Mart, now sit upstairs in my place.
The month of March climbed up to the highest stone and waved his stick over the fire. The fire rose up in a column, the snow began to melt, the trees began to bud, the grass turned green under the young beeches, and flower buds swayed in the grass. Spring has come. Among the bushes, hidden under the leaves, violets bloomed. And Marushka saw that the whole earth was covered with a blue scarf.
- Rip quickly, Marushka, tear quickly! — young Mart began to hurry her.
Marushka was delighted, began to pick violets and soon picked a large bouquet. Then she said thank you to the months and hurried home.
Olena was surprised, and so was her stepmother when they saw her hurrying home with violets. They opened the door for her, and the whole house was filled with the smell of violets.
- Where did you pick them? - Olena asked angrily.
— They grow high on the mountain, under the bushes. “They are visible and invisible there,” Marushka answered calmly.
Olena snatched the bouquet from her hands, attached it to her belt, began to smell it herself and let her mother smell it, but did not say to her sister: “Smell it.”
The next day Olena was sitting by the stove and she wanted berries.
- Go, Marushka, bring me some berries from the forest.
- My God! Dear sister, what came into your head? Have you ever heard of berries growing under the snow?
- Oh, you disgusting filthy woman! How dare you talk when I order you? Go now, and if you don’t bring me berries, I’ll kill you! - Olena threatened.
The stepmother kicked Marushka out, slammed the door behind her and locked it.
Bursting with tears, the girl went into the forest. And there the snowdrifts stand like a wall and there is not a trace of a human anywhere. Marushka wandered through the forest for a long time. Hunger tormented her, the frost penetrated to her bones. Suddenly he sees the same light in the distance. And again, going to the light, she came to the fire. Around him again sat twelve months, and above all was January, white and bearded, with a stick in his hand.
“Good people, let me warm up, I’m completely frozen,” Marushka asked.
January nodded his head and asked her:
- Why did you come again, girl? What are you looking for here?
“I came for the berries,” the girl answered.
“But it’s winter now, berries don’t grow in the snow,” said January.
“I know,” Marushka answered sadly. “Yes, my sister Olena and her stepmother told them to pick some berries.” And if I don’t dial, they will kill me. I humbly ask you, uncles, tell me where to pick berries?
Then January left his seat, approached the month that was sitting opposite him, and said:
- Brother June, sit in my place now.
June climbed onto the highest stone and waved his stick over the fire. The fire rose three times higher, the snow melted in a few moments, the trees were covered with leaves, birds chirped all around, flowers bloomed everywhere. Summer has come. Under the bushes it became white, as if white stars had been sprinkled there, and before our eyes these white stars began to turn into berries that ripened and turned red.
- Collect quickly, Marushka, collect quickly! - affectionate June began to hurry her.
Marushka was delighted and quickly picked up an apron full of berries. Then she said thank you to the months and hurried home.
Olena was surprised, and so was her stepmother when they saw Marushka hurrying home and her apron full of berries. They opened the door for her, and the whole house was filled with the smell of berries.
- Where did you get them? - Olena asked angrily.
“They grow high on the mountain, you can see them there,” Marushka answered calmly.
Olena took the berries from her and ate her fill; The stepmother also had her fill. But they didn’t say to Marushka: “Take yourself a berry.”
Olena enjoyed it, and on the third day she really wanted to try an apple.
“Go, Marushka, into the forest, bring me ruddy apples,” she ordered.
- My God! Dear sister, what came into your head? Have you ever heard of apples ripening in winter?
- Oh, you disgusting filthy woman! How dare you talk when I order you? Go into the forest right now, and if you don’t bring me rosy apples, I’ll kill you! - Olena threatened.
The stepmother kicked Marushka out of the house, slammed the door behind her and locked it.
Bursting with tears, the girl went into the forest. There are piles of snow there like a wall and nowhere is there a trace of a human foot. Marushka wandered through the forest for a long time. Hunger tormented her, the frost penetrated to her bones. Suddenly; he sees the same light in the distance again; Marushka went towards him and came to the fire. Twelve people - twelve months - sat around as if chained, and above all was January, white and bearded, with a stick in his hand.
- Good people, let me warm up. The frost has completely gotten to me,” Marushka asked.
January nodded his head and asked:
- Why did you come again, girl?
“I came for ruddy apples,” answered the girl.
- Now it's winter. Do ruddy apples ripen in winter? - says January.
“I know,” Marushka answered sadly. “But Olena and my stepmother threatened that if I didn’t bring them ruddy apples from the forest, they would kill me.” I beg you, uncles, help me again.
January left his place, approached one of the older months, gave him a stick in his hand and said:
- Brother September, sit in my place.
September climbed onto the highest stone and swung his stick. The fire shot up, the snow melted. But the leaves on the trees did not bloom, but, turning yellow, gradually began to fall to the ground. Autumn has come. Marushka didn’t see bright flowers, and she wasn’t looking for them. She looked only at the trees now. And suddenly I saw an apple tree, and on it, rosy apples were hanging high, high at the ends of the branches.
- Shake, Marushka, shake quickly! - said September.
Marushka shook the apple tree, and an apple fell from it; I shook it again and another one fell.
- Take it, Marushka, take it quickly and run home! - September shouted.
She grabbed two apples, said thank you to the months and hurried home.
Olena was surprised, and so was her stepmother when Marushka returned. They opened it to her, and she gave them two apples.
- Where did you pick them? - Olena asked.
— They grow high on the mountain. There’s a lot more,” answered Marushka.
As soon as she said that there were many of them, Olena attacked her:
- Oh, you disgusting filthy woman! Why didn't you bring more? Is it true that you ate it yourself on the way?
“Dear sister, I haven’t eaten a single bite.” When I shook the tree for the first time, one apple fell. I shook it a second time and the second one fell. And they didn’t let me shake anymore. They shouted at me to go home,” Marushka said.
- May the hard one take you! - Olena scolded and rushed to beat her.
The stepmother did not want to be left behind and grabbed the baton. But Marushka did not fall into their hands, she ran into the kitchen and hid somewhere behind the stove. The gourmet Olena stopped scolding and pounced on the apple. I gave the other one to my mother. They had never eaten such sweet apples in their lives. We tried it for the first time.
- Mom, give me the bag, I’ll go to the forest myself. This rubbish will certainly eat everything along the way. And I’ll find that place and shake all the apples, even if the devil himself attacks me!
So Olena screamed, and her mother tried in vain to dissuade her. Olena hung her bag on her shoulder, threw a scarf over her head, wrapped herself up well and went into the forest. The mother just wrung her hands in despair at what her daughter was up to.
Olena came to the forest. There are piles of snow there like a wall and nowhere is there a trace of a human foot. Olena wandered, wandered, because the hunt for apples to eat drove her further and further - well, it’s just torment! Suddenly she saw a light in the distance, followed it and came to a fire around which twelve people were sitting - twelve months. But she did not bow to them, did not ask to be let into the fire, but simply stretched out her hands and began to warm herself, as if the fire had been lit for her.
- Why did you come? What do you want? - January got angry.
“Why are you asking me, you old fool?” It’s none of your business where I go, why I go! - Olena snapped and went up the mountain, as if the apples were just waiting for her there.
January frowned and waved his stick over his head. In an instant, the sky became covered with clouds, the fire went out, snow began to fall, and a cold wind blew. Olena couldn’t see anything one step in front of her and sank more and more into deep snowdrifts. Her hands and feet froze, her knees gave way, and finally she fell exhausted...
Olena’s mother is waiting, looking out the window, going out to look outside the door. An hour passes, then another, and still no sign of Olena. “Can’t she tear herself away from the apples, or what? I’ll go and see for myself,” the mother decided, took her bag, wrapped herself in a shawl and went to look for her daughter.
The snow is falling thicker, the wind is blowing stronger, the snowdrifts stand like walls. She walks through the snowdrifts, calling her daughter, but not a single soul responds. She got lost, she doesn’t know where she’s wandered, she scolds Olena. Her hands and feet froze, her knees gave way, she fell too... And Marushka prepared dinner at home, tidied up the hut and milked the cow. Neither Olena nor mother are still there.
- What took them so long? - Marushka worries, sitting down at the spinning wheel in the evening.
She sits at the spinning wheel until late at night, and not a word is heard about them.
- Oh my God! What happened to them? — the kind girl is worried and looks out the window with longing.
There is not a single soul there - only after the blizzard has subsided do the stars shine, the earth sparkles with snow, and the roofs crack with frost. Marushka sadly lowered the curtain. In the morning, she again began to wait for them both for breakfast and for lunch, but she did not wait for either Olena or her mother: both froze in the forest.
After them, Marushka was left with a house, a cow, a garden, a field and a meadow near the house. And spring came, the owner of all this wealth was found - a handsome guy who married the kind Marushka, and they lived gloriously in love and peace. Peace and love are more precious than anything else!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru