The story of the magic mirror. Fairy of Mirrors

№210 Recorded in the Novogrudok district of the Grodno province. teacher M.A. Dmitriev. The language is Belarusian. AT 709 (Magic Mirror). The plot is widespread throughout Europe, its variants are also taken into account in AT in the Middle Eastern (Turkish), African and American (recordings made in Spanish from Americans of European descent and from blacks) folklore material. There are 27 Russian variants, 23 Ukrainian ones, 4 Belarusian ones. Similar tales are also found in the folklore of non-Slavic peoples of the USSR, for example, in Bashkir (Bashk. tvorch., I, no. 101), Ossetian (Oset. sk., no. 37), Karelian (Karelsk.sk., No. 40). The formation of this plot can be traced back to antiquity. Some of its motifs are known from The Arabian Nights and Shakespeare's Cymbeline (1610). The first tale about the magic mirror and the dead princess was published in Basile's collection “Pentameron” (II, no. 8). The fairy tale by br. Grimm "Snow White". As M.K. Azadovsky proves (Literature and folklore. Leningrad, 1938, pp. 75-84), it served as a source for Pushkin’s “Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights,” along with the first Russian publication of a tale of this type in the popular print collection Pogudka .., II, No. 2, p. 87-96 and with a recording of a folk tale made by A. S. Pushkin (Pushkin. App., I, No. 7). R. M. Volkov in the book “Folk origins of the creativity of A. S. Pushkin. Ballads and fairy tales" (Chernivtsi, 1960, pp. 155-189) focuses on the connection between Pushkin's fairy tales and the Russian folklore tradition. A special monograph is devoted to a comparative study of European versions of fairy tales about the magic mirror: Böklen E. Schneewittchens Studien. Leipzig, 1914. From other studies we note: Propp. East. sk. , With. 110-113; Meletinsky, p. 167; Galaida E. Pushkin's fairy tales (On the problem of realism in fairy tales). - Acta facultatis philosopicae Universitatis Šafarikanae. Bratislava, 1975, p. 59-61. The Belarusian fairy tale, recorded by M. A. Dmitriev, has a structure characteristic of Russian fairy tales of type 709. In the Belarusian fairy tale, the brothers-princes correspond to robbers in most folk tales, to heroes in Pushkin’s summary and in Pushkin’s poetic presentation. Unexpected ending: the stepdaughter seeks the forgiveness of the evil stepmother.

Be the king of the king and raise one hell of a noble dacha. After the punishment, the wife died, and she was married to another, worse The best., as it was the first; Ale dacha hell of the first wife for yayo haroshchaya. Once upon a time the wife of the Karala was a bastard and a chandelier To the mirror. and tortures: “Lustro, chandelier! Why am I good?” - “You’re good, but your gentlewoman Stepdaughter. yashche kharoshchaya! - said Answered. chandelier Taya Kruleva showed the footman the weight of the paserbits on the patsyr Walk., there I will forget and place my heart on the plates. The footman immediately brought the king to the patsyr, telling her everything that the king said, and the name Instead of. kill the dog, take out the hearts, put the chops on a plate, serve and roll; and I will tell you that I went wherever I wanted.

Kruleva's lord was glad that she had taken care of her dear father; and the princess, parting from the footman, went to where her eyes were wandering. Idze yana dak idze - there’s a palace right next to the forest Castle., even there, all sorts of things have been taken and there is nothing wrong. Yana hadzila and then the palaces, hadzila, there are already twelve men dancing; and these men were twelve brothers of the Karalevich, who lived in the summer palaces. Hadzili yanya in all sorts of ways, even in one of them we even knew the lady. Look at me, every time I look at her; ale yak ne magli pagadzitsa Agree., then they recognized me as a sister and respected the nobles.

Taya Kruleva was crazy Sure., that the paserbians are not great; ale adnago times, prez tsyakavost Out of curiosity., the chandelier came up and tried: “Lustro, chandelier! Why am I good?” - “You are good, and your paserbitsa is even worse - among the twelve brothers of Karelevich.” Kruleva showed her gratitude to her grandmother-enchantress and, having given her a lot of pennies, said: “Look to me that my little lady hasn’t been here for three days!” - "Of good!" - said the enchantress, moved to the edge Dressed up as a merchant. and went away. I went to the palace where the kingdom lived, and even there I didn’t find anyone else there - only the hell of the kingdom, sitting face down. Kraleina, the fucking woman, said that I was already a success and began to inquire: is Yana atkul? “I am going on a pilgrimage in the future, in case I earn money; I craft and sell needles, hairpins, peppers and other goods.” - “Well, packages!” - said the queen. This woman conceived peppers, and the king's daughter fell The princess liked one., I cried in pain - as long as the woman was here, and she ruled. She fingered the edge of that pepper for a long time, and then put it on her finger. As soon as I was happy, I became unlivable.

Papriyazdzhali brothers from palyavannya From the hunt. and immediately disappeared To greet. with sister. Entrance at the same time - as much as Yana's liazhyts not chewing. The brothers cried and cried, and then they began to figure out how to settle another adzena Wear a different dress.; As soon as they started to figure it out, they already knew the first scene; As soon as I knew the difference, the queen awed and, ustavshi, said: “I slept so deliciously!” - “You were asleep, but you were not alive; “You don’t have to be acharava,” said the brothers. "Geta, musibyts" It should probably be., woman, the one I bought a persyonak enchanted me.” The brothers, leaving the next day, shouted that the palace should never be allowed to pass.

Kruleva went to the chandelier and tortured her, and it said that “you are good, and your lady friend is even worse.” The ruler immediately sent a message to this enchantress and told her to finally leave the world as a guardian. That woman moved behind the barn A beggar woman. And she went to the palace where the kingdom lived. The bastard fell akno kraleeny and became the army of the army The Lord's Prayer, and prayer in general.. Kraleina, pachushy, said that she had taken out three pennies and sent the woman to justice. The footman who carried out the pennies to the woman would be damned to death Agreed. And I fall to stick in the hairpin that the woman gave me. That lackey of the same day, crushed, never knew the hairpin, panes ya and kraleeny and adda. Kraleina thought, what is this hairpin, I took it - I smoothed it out. As soon as she got comfortable, she became unlivable. Brothers, who arrived, walked and packed it, and there they found it dead; They started to sort things out, and the king didn’t move. The Yans have slain for my srebna trune Silver coffin. Some forests are stuck and there are hangings on the other side.

Kruleva, cleaning up, asked from the chandelier: what is good? And the chandelier said that “you are the most beautiful in the whole world.” Kruleva was glad that there was no one who would be good for me. One day in the forest where the throne of the kingdom hung, some kings were scorching from afar. The king's dogs, as if they were chasing hares, even as far as the throne where the king hung. Kralevich palatseў horse On horseback. for the dogs. The dogs kicked the hare and began to eat Bark. on Dzeravo Yugor Up., where the trumpet hung. Kralevich, arrogant Embittered. at the dogs for throwing the hare, their fingers beat; Ale yak pad'ehaў, dak blask at the eyes of the pit ўdaryў. I will look at the eel and the fucking sreb trune; He is immediately packing people and showing this trouble to be understood, to settle the matter On the cart. And I will knit at home, and there will be some pasta for everyone - so that no one is missing. The people of the king immediately took the throne, together with the king's house and the pastavili of his pack.

The next day, the king himself arrived home, immediately after his packing, hell Opened it. trun and there the great lord and good lady, and so she got stuck Fell in love., because it doesn’t go anywhere. Radzitsy Parents. the prince himself did not know that he was a slave, that such a son was boring Boring, sad. And they don’t let anyone go with their pack. One day he will sit down with his friends, and after that he will learn the top of the line and start choosing heels from the head and sticking with his surdut Frock coat, caftan (?).; And as soon as I took out one hairpin, the panna came out. She started to take her away and started to find out what happened to her? Yana told the prince about everything and also fell in love with him. We sat down all day, and the next day we went and wished that they were blessed. Those who went there, they told everyone, and the nobles were glad that their son was happy, and they were praised. U nyadzelyu Sunday. it was sunny Wedding., and daddy and daddy drove to the villages. When my father arrived, the daughter told everyone: how my mother wanted to live in the world, how she was a twelve-royal prince, and after that, how I knew a royal princess and how I repented. Father wanted to put his little wife on the stingy harrows, but the dacha wouldn’t allow it. The next day there would be a ball, at which the royal twelve were also present; And I would have been there, there was honey, it was bubbling at Baradze’s, but Rotse’s was not there.

№211 The location of the recording is unknown. AT 883 A (Slandered Girl) + 709 (see note to previous text). Contamination of plots, quite often found in East Slavic folklore material. The first plot is taken into account by Thompson mainly in European collections and recordings made in America in European languages, as well as in Arabic, Berber, Turkish and Indian collections. There are 21 Russian variants, 6 Ukrainian ones, 1 Belarusian ones. Fairy tales of type 883 A are also found in Latvian folklore material not included in the AT (Arais-Medne, p. 138). They were also included in the collection of Bashkir fairy tales (Bashk. tvorch., IV, No. 88-90). The history of European short story tales of type 883 A goes back to Basile's "Pentameron" (II, no. 4). In Russia, a fairy tale of this type was published for the first time in the popular book Pogudka... (III, No. 11, pp. 34-48). A variation of the plot about a slandered girl, which has the flavor of merchant life, is characteristic of East Slavic folklore. In the part that corresponds to plot type 709, the tale in Afanasyev’s collection bears the imprint of the influence of Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights.” A number of options for individual parts of the tale are given by Afanasyev in footnotes. After the words “two mighty heroes” (p. 103), an option is indicated: “A red maiden enters the palace, there is not a soul in the palace, and in one chamber a table is set, on the table there are twelve cutlery, twelve loaves of bread and the same number of bottles of wine. And she has been tormented by hunger and thirst for a long time. “Let me take it,” he thinks, “I’ll break off a piece from each bread and take a sip from each bottle; I’ll be well-fed myself and I won’t offend the owners!” She did this, got drunk and ate, and sat down at the stove. Suddenly twelve heroes arrived and sat down at the table; says the eldest: “The bread has been eaten, the wine has been drunk - it’s clear that a guest has come to us!” They began to call the guest: “Answer me! We are good people; If you’re a good fellow, you’ll be our brother; if you’re a beautiful maiden, you’ll be our sister.” After the words: “my brother sent me as a souvenir” (p. 103), a link is given to the option: “In another list: a merchant marries a sorceress. She learns from the black books that she has a rival in beauty; turns into a magpie and flies into the dense forest; here he takes on the appearance of a poor old woman and gives his stepdaughter a ring!” For the episode of the appearance of the old woman with the ribbon (p. 104), an option is given: “The sorceress flies in like a magpie and gives her daughter-in-law an embroidered shirt; she put on the shirt and died immediately.” After the words “and ended their lives” (p. 104), an option is indicated: “Twelve heroes made a golden coffin, put the red maiden, their named sister, in it, and hung the coffin in the forest between twelve pillars on twelve golden chains. A lot of time passed: the heroes managed to grow old, began to die one after another, they all died, and the palace was left empty.” After the words “...and sees a crystal coffin” (p. 106), an option is indicated: “The prince sits at home, doesn’t go out anywhere, keeps looking at the dead beauty, and begins to feel sad, yearn, and dry up; in a short time it became so withered and decayed that it is impossible to recognize it. The king and queen began to treat him; I can’t count how many doctors have been here, and not a single one has done a penny’s worth. Once the queen came to the prince and accidentally saw the coffin...” After the words “The sailor set off swimming and reached the shore by morning” (p. 106), the option is indicated: “(The uncle is pursuing the merchant’s daughter, his niece; she pours boiling water on him). While the uncle managed to recover from the pain, the merchant’s daughter prayed to God and ran away into the dense forest; found an oak hollow; climbed there and remained in the hollow for a long, long time; I didn’t drink or eat anything, but I was alive by the spirit of God. Once the prince was hunting in that forest, his dogs ran into an oak hollow, surrounded him and started barking loudly. “What kind of animal is hiding there? How can I get him out?" - asks the prince. The hunters answer: “Let’s, Your Highness, make a fire under the tree; Willy-nilly he will jump out!” They were just about to start a fire when a human voice came from the hollow: “Orthodox Christians! There is not a beast here, but a red maiden.” - “Well, show yourself!” The merchant's daughter crawled out of the hollow; her clothes had long since fallen apart, and her naked body was visible from behind the rags. The prince asked her: what kingdom is she from and whose parents? He brought her to his palace and dressed her in a precious dress: she was beautiful, but now she is twice as beautiful! How much time passed, the king and queen began to notice that their heir had completely changed: before he was always cheerful, talkative and such a poor hunter, but now he became sad, silent, and did not remind him of hunting. “What, son, aren’t you happy?” - asks his mother. - What do you lack in our kingdom? Has Ali decided to get married? Tell us; We can get you a daughter from any king - a beautiful princess!” - “Dear mother! I don’t need any princess; I have a bride-to-be; If you don’t allow me to marry her, then I will remain single forever.” - “Who is she, and where did you see her?” - “And I, mother, went hunting and found her in an oak hollow; my betrothed bride is a merchant’s daughter from one kingdom and now lives in my palace.” - “Oh, son, what did you come up with? After all, if we marry you to this girl, all the kings and princes, kings and princes will laugh at us; They’ll say: they couldn’t find a better bride, they married their beloved son to some tramp! “Perhaps they will laugh,” the prince replies, “but they will envy twice as much.” He brought the merchant's daughter to her father and mother: when they saw her indescribable beauty, they themselves were delighted and blessed the prince to marry her. They lived in love and advice for a year, and another, and a third; The young princess gathered to visit her own father. The prince released her and gave her a general and a company of soldiers to accompany her. On the way, the princess wanted to take a rest; stopped in an open field, ordered a tent to be pitched and lay down to rest; A sentry was posted near the princess's tent. At night, the sentry wakes up the princess: “Your Highness, get up quickly; I know for certain that the general was jealous of your beauty and is now going to either put you to an evil death or commit a sin with you. Put on my overcoat, take the gun in your hands and stand guard; and I’ll lie down on the bed instead of you.” No sooner said than done. The princess is on guard; suddenly the general comes. "Who goes?" - the princess calls out. "General." - “Please don’t go to the tent; The princess went to bed." - “No, brother, I really need it; Now a courier has arrived with a secret document.” He entered the tent and began to pester the soldier: he thought he was the princess. "Get out, you slacker!" - the soldier shouted and slapped him in the face; the general drew his saber and cut off his head; after that he dug a hole, buried the dead man and went to bed. Then the princess threw down her gun and ran by roundabout roads to the city where her father lived; I ran there, dressed up as a cook and went looking for work. And the general spread a rumor that the princess got in touch with the sentry and ran away with him at night to God knows where...” To the words “whoever interrupts me will receive a plague in the forehead” (p. 107) - an option: “whoever tells me: it’s not true - he will be a hundred lash in the back."

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a widower merchant; he had a son, a daughter, and a brother... At one time, this merchant is going to go to foreign lands, buy various goods, takes his son with him, and leaves his daughter at home; He calls his brother and says to him: “I entrust to you, dear brother, my entire house and household, and I earnestly ask: look after my daughter more closely, teach her to read and write, and do not allow her to be spoiled!” After that, the merchant said goodbye to his brother and daughter and set off on his journey. And the merchant’s daughter was already old and of such indescribable beauty that even if you walked around the world, you wouldn’t find another like her! An unclean thought came into his uncle’s head, it gave him no rest day or night, and he began to pester the red maiden. “Either,” he says, “commit a sin to me, or you won’t live in the world; and I myself will disappear and kill you!..”

Once a girl went to the bathhouse, her uncle followed her - just through the door, she grabbed a basin full of boiling water and doused him from head to toe. He lay there for three weeks and barely recovered; terrible hatred gnawed at his heart, and he began to think: how to laugh off this ridicule? I thought and thought, and finally wrote a letter to my brother: your daughter is doing bad things, wandering around other people’s yards, doesn’t spend the night at home and doesn’t listen to me. The merchant received this letter, read it and became very angry; says to his son: “Your sister has disgraced the whole house! I don’t want to have mercy on her: go this very minute, chop the scoundrel into small pieces and bring her heart with this knife. Let good people not laugh at our kind-tribe!”

The son took a sharp knife and went home; I arrived in my hometown on the sly, without telling anyone, and began to scout around: how does such and such a merchant’s daughter live? Everyone praises her with one voice - they cannot boast enough: she is quiet, and modest, and knows God, and listens to good people. Having found out everything, he went to his sister; she was delighted, rushed to meet him, hugs him, kisses him: “Dear brother! How did the Lord bring you? What about our dear father? - “Oh, dear sister, don’t rush to rejoice. My arrival is not good: my father sent me and ordered your white body to be chopped into small pieces, your heart to be taken out and delivered to him on this knife.”

My sister started crying. “My God,” he says, “why such disfavor?” - “But for what!” - the brother answered and told her about his uncle’s letter. “Oh, brother, I’m not guilty of anything!” The merchant’s son listened to how and what happened and said: “Don’t cry, sister! I myself know that you are not guilty, and even though the priest did not order you to accept any excuses, I still don’t want to execute you. You’d better get ready and leave your father’s house wherever you look; God will not leave you!” The merchant's daughter did not think long, got ready for the journey, said goodbye to her brother and went where - she herself does not know. And her brother killed a yard dog, took out the heart, put it on a sharp knife and took it to his father. He gives him the dog’s heart: “So and so,” he says, “on your parental orders, I executed my sister.” - “Come on! Death for a dog!” - answered the father.

How long or how short did the red maiden wander around the white world, and finally entered a dense, dense forest: from behind the tall trees the sky was barely visible. She began to walk through this forest and accidentally came out into a wide clearing; in this clearing there is a white stone palace, around the palace there is an iron lattice. “Let me go,” the girl thinks, “I’ll go into this palace, not everyone is evil, maybe the worst will happen!” She enters the chambers - there is not a human soul in the chambers; I was about to turn back - suddenly two powerful heroes galloped into the courtyard, entered the palace, saw the girl and said: “Hello, beauty!” - “Hello, honest knights!” “Here, brother,” said one hero to another, “you and I were grieving that there was no one to manage our house; and God sent us a sister.” The heroes left the merchant's daughter to live with them, called her their own sister, gave her the keys and made her the mistress of the whole house; then they took out sharp sabers, pointed them at each other’s chests and made the following agreement: “If any of us dares to encroach on our sister, then we will chop him up without mercy with this very saber.”

Here is a red maiden living with two heroes; and her father bought overseas goods, returned home and a little later married another wife. This merchant's wife was of indescribable beauty and had a magic mirror; look in the mirror - you will immediately find out where everything is being done. Once the heroes gathered for a hunt and told their sister: “Be careful, don’t let anyone in until we arrive!” They said goodbye to her and left. At this very time, the merchant’s wife looked into the mirror, admired her beauty and said: “There is no one more beautiful than me in the world!” And the mirror answered: “You are good - no doubt about it! And you have a stepdaughter, she lives with two heroes in a dense forest - she’s even more beautiful!”

The stepmother did not like these speeches and immediately called the evil old woman to her. “Here,” he says, “here’s a ring for you; go into the dense forest, in that forest there is a white-stone palace, my stepdaughter lives in the palace; bow to her and give her this ring - say: brother sent it as a souvenir!” The old woman took the ring and went where she was told; comes to the white-stone palace, the red maiden saw her, ran out to meet her - she wanted, therefore, to try for news from her native side. “Hello, grandma! How did God bring you? Is everyone alive and well? - “They live, chew bread! My brother asked me to check on your health and sent me a ring as a gift; come on, show off!” The girl is so happy, so glad that it’s impossible to tell; She brought the old woman into the room, treated her to all sorts of snacks and drinks, and ordered her brother to bow deeply. After an hour, the old woman trudged back, and the girl began to admire the ring and decided to put it on her finger; put it on - and at that very moment she fell dead.

Two heroes arrive, enter the chambers, but the sister does not greet them: what is it? We looked into her bedroom; and she lies dead, doesn’t say a word. The heroes were inflamed: what was most beautiful was that death suddenly took hold! “We must,” they say, “put her in new clothes and put her in a coffin.” They began to clean up, and one noticed a ring on the red girl’s hand: “Is it really possible to bury her with this ring? Let me take it off, I’ll leave it as a souvenir.” As soon as he took off the ring, the red maiden immediately opened her eyes, sighed and came to life. “What happened to you, sister? Didn’t anyone come to see you?” - the heroes ask. “An old lady I know came from home and brought me a ring.” - “Oh, how naughty you are! After all, it was not for nothing that we punished you so that you wouldn’t let anyone into the house without us. Make sure you don’t do this next time!”

After some time, the merchant's wife looked into her mirror and found out that her stepdaughter was still alive and beautiful; she called the old woman, gave her a ribbon and said: “Go to the white-stone palace where my stepdaughter lives, and give her this gift; say: brother sent! Again the old woman came to the red maiden, told her about three boxes of different things and gave her the ribbon. The girl was delighted, tied a ribbon around her neck - and at that very moment fell onto the bed, dead. The heroes came from the hunt, looked - my sister was lying dead, they began to put her in new outfits and as soon as they took off the ribbon, she immediately opened her eyes, sighed and came to life. “What's wrong with you, sister? Was there an old woman again? “Yes,” he says, “an old woman came from home and brought me a ribbon.” - “Oh, what you are! After all, we asked you: don’t accept anyone without us!” - “Sorry, dear brothers! I couldn’t stand it, I wanted to hear news from home.”

A few more days passed - the merchant's wife looked in the mirror: her stepdaughter was alive again. She called the old woman. “Only,” he says, “a hair’s breadth!” Go to your stepdaughter, be sure to kill her!” The old woman took advantage of the time when the heroes went hunting, and came to the white stone palace; The red maiden saw her through the window, could not stand it, ran out to meet her: “Hello, grandma! How does God have mercy on you? - “As long as you’re alive, my dear!” I was wandering around the world and came here to visit you.” The red maiden brought her into the room, treated her to all sorts of snacks and drinks, asked about her relatives and ordered her to bow to her brother. “Okay,” says the old woman, “I will bow.” But you, my dear, have no one to look for tea in your head? Let me look.” - “Look, grandma!” She began to look in the head of the red maiden and wove a magic hair into her braid; As soon as she wove this hair, the girl at that very moment became dead. The old woman grinned evilly and left quickly so that no one would catch her or see her.

The heroes arrive, enter the rooms - the sister lies dead; For a long time they peered and looked closely to see if there was anything superfluous on it? No, you can't see anything! So they made a crystal coffin - so wonderful that you couldn’t even think of it, couldn’t imagine it, only say it in a fairy tale; they dressed the merchant's daughter in a shiny dress, like a bride to the crown, and placed her in a crystal coffin; That coffin was placed in the middle of the large chamber, and above it they placed a canopy of red velvet with diamond tassels with gold fringes, and twelve lamps were hung on twelve crystal pillars. After that, the heroes burst into burning tears; They were overcome with great melancholy. “What,” they say, “are we supposed to live on in this world? Let’s go and decide for ourselves!” They hugged, said goodbye to each other, went out onto the high balcony, held hands and rushed down; hit sharp stones and ended their lives.

Many, many years have passed. It happened that one prince was out hunting; He drove into a dense forest, sent his dogs loose in different directions, separated from the hunters and rode alone along a dead path. He drove and drove, and there was a clearing in front of him, in the clearing there was a white stone palace. The prince dismounted from his horse, climbed the stairs, and began to inspect the chambers; Everywhere the decorations are rich, luxurious, but the owner’s hand is not visible on anything: everything was abandoned a long time ago, everything was neglected! In one chamber there is a crystal coffin, and in the coffin lies a dead girl of indescribable beauty: there is a blush on her cheeks, a smile on her lips, as if she were alive, she is sleeping.

The prince approached, looked at the girl, and remained in place, as if an invisible force was holding him. He stands there from morning until late evening, unable to take his eyes off, anxiety in his heart: he was riveted by a girl’s beauty - wonderful, unprecedented, which cannot be found anywhere else in the whole world! And hunters have been looking for him for a long time; They were already scouring the forest, blowing trumpets, and raising voices - the prince was standing at the crystal coffin, hearing nothing. The sun set, the darkness deepened, and only then did he come to his senses - he kissed the dead girl and drove back. “Ah, your highness, where have you been?” - the hunters ask. “I was chasing an animal, but I got a little lost.” The next day, just before it’s light, the prince is getting ready to go hunting; galloped into the forest, separated from the hunters and along the same path arrived at the white-stone palace. Again I stood at the crystal coffin all day, not taking my eyes off the dead beauty; I only returned home late at night. On the third day, on the fourth everything was the same, and so a whole week passed. “What happened to our prince? - say the hunters. “Let us, brothers, keep an eye on him, make sure that no harm happens.”

So the prince went hunting, let his dogs loose in the forest, separated from his retinue and headed his way to the white-stone palace; The hunters immediately follow him, come to the clearing, enter the palace - there is a crystal coffin in the chamber, a dead girl lies in the coffin, the prince stands in front of the girl. “Well, Your Highness, it’s not for nothing that you’ve been lost in the forest for a whole week! Now we won’t be able to leave here until the evening.” They surrounded the crystal coffin, looked at the girl, admired her beauty, and stood in one place from morning until late evening. When it got completely dark, the prince turned to the hunters: “Do me, brothers, a great service: take the coffin with the dead girl, bring it and place it in my bedroom; Yes, quietly, secretly, so that no one finds out about it, does not find out. I will reward you in every possible way, I will reward you with a golden treasury, like no one has rewarded you.” - “Your will is to favor; and we, Tsarevich, are happy to serve you anyway!” - said the hunters, picked up the crystal coffin, took it out into the courtyard, set it up on horseback and took it to the royal palace; They brought it and placed it in the prince’s bedroom.

From that very day the prince stopped even thinking about hunting; he sits at home, doesn’t leave his room anywhere - he keeps admiring the girl. “What happened to our son? - the queen thinks. “It’s been a long time, but he’s still sitting at home, doesn’t leave his room and doesn’t let anyone in.” Did sadness or melancholy set in, or did you feign some kind of illness? Let me go look at him.” The queen enters his bedroom and sees a crystal coffin. How and what? She asked and found out and immediately gave the order to bury that girl, as was customary, in the damp earth.

The prince began to cry, went into the garden, picked wonderful flowers, brought them back and began to comb the dead beauty’s brown hair and cover her head with flowers. Suddenly a magic hair fell out of her braid - the beauty opened her eyes, sighed, rose from the crystal coffin and said: “Oh, how long I slept!” The prince was incredibly happy, took her hand, led her to her father, to her mother. “God gave it to me,” he says! I can't live without her for a single minute. Allow me, dear father, and you, dear mother, allow me to get married.” - “Get married, son! We won’t go against God, and we can’t look for such beauty in the whole world!” Tsars never stop for anything: an honest feast on the same day and even for a wedding.

The prince married a merchant's daughter and lives with her - he couldn't be happier. Some time passed - she decided to go in her direction, to visit her father and brother; The prince, not averse to it, began to ask his father. “Okay,” says the king, “go, my dear children! You, prince, go on a detour by land, inspect all our lands and find out the order, and let your wife sail on the ship in a direct way.” So they prepared the ship for the voyage, dressed the sailors, appointed the initial general; The princess boarded the ship and went out to the open sea, and the prince went by land.

The leading general, seeing the beautiful princess, envied her beauty and began to flatter her; Why be afraid, he thinks, - after all, she is now in my hands, I do whatever I want! “Love me,” he says to the princess, “if you don’t love me, I’ll throw you into the sea!” The princess turned away, did not give him an answer, only burst into tears. One sailor overheard the general’s speeches, came to the princess in the evening and began to say: “Don’t cry, princess! Dress yourself in my dress, and I will put on yours; You go on deck, and I’ll stay in the cabin. Let the general throw me into the sea - I’m not afraid of that; Maybe I can handle it, I’ll swim to the pier: fortunately the land is close now!” They exchanged dresses; the princess went on deck, and the sailor lay down on her bed. At night, the leading general appeared in the cabin, grabbed the sailor and threw him into the sea. The sailor set off swimming and reached the shore by morning. The ship arrived at the pier, the sailors began to go ashore; The princess also went down, rushed to the market, bought herself a cook's clothes, dressed up as a cook and hired herself to serve in the kitchen for her own father.

A little later, the prince comes to the merchant. “Hello,” he says, “father! Accept your son-in-law, because I am married to your daughter. Where is she? Al hasn’t been there yet?” And then the initial general appears with a report: “So and so, Your Highness! A misfortune happened: the princess was standing on the deck, a storm arose, rocking began, her head began to spin - and before she could blink, the princess fell into the sea and drowned!” The prince strained and cried, but you can’t turn him back from the bottom of the sea; Apparently, this is her destiny! The prince stayed with his father-in-law for some time and ordered his retinue to prepare for departure; the merchant gave a big feast at parting; Merchants, boyars, and all his relatives gathered to see him: his brother, the evil old woman, and the chief general were there.

They drank, ate, cooled off; one of the guests says: “Listen, honest gentlemen! If you keep drinking and drinking, it won’t do any good; Let’s tell better stories.” - "OK OK! - they shouted from all sides. - Who will start? One doesn’t know how, the other is not good at it, and the third has lost his memory of wine. What should I do? The merchant clerk responded: “We have a new cook in the kitchen, he has traveled a lot in foreign lands, he has seen many different wonders, and he is such a master at telling fairy tales—what the hell!” The merchant called that cook. “Sweat,” he says, “my guests!” The cook-princess answers him: “What should I tell you: a fairy tale or an incident?” - “Tell something that happened!” - “Perhaps, it’s possible to have a blast, only with this agreement: whoever interrupts me will get a plague in the forehead.”

Everyone agreed to this. And the princess began to tell everything that happened to her. “So and so,” he says, “the merchant had a daughter; the merchant went overseas and instructed his brother to look after the girl; Uncle coveted her beauty and doesn’t give her a moment of peace...” And Uncle hears that they are talking about him and says: “This, gentlemen, is not true!” - “Oh, don’t you think it’s true? Here's a plague to your forehead! " After that, it came to the stepmother, how she interrogated the magic mirror, and to the evil old woman, how she came to the heroes in the white stone palace - and the old woman and stepmother shouted in one voice: “What nonsense! This cannot be." The princess hit them on the forehead with a chumichka and began to tell how she lay in a crystal coffin, how the prince found her, revived her and married her, and how she went to visit her father.

The general realized that things were not going well, and asked the prince: “Let me go home; I have a headache!” - “Nothing, sit for a while!” The princess began to talk about the general; Well, he couldn’t bear it either. “All this,” he says, “is not true!” With a blow to his forehead, the princess threw off her chef’s dress and revealed herself to the prince: “I’m not a cook, I’m your lawful wife!” The prince was delighted, and so was the merchant; they rushed to hug and kiss her; and then they began to judge the court; the evil old woman and her uncle were shot at the gate, the stepmother-sorceress was tied to the stallion by the tail, the stallion flew into an open field and scattered her bones through the bushes, along the yarugs Yarugi - ravines, hollows, gullies (Ed.).; The prince sent the general to hard labor, and in his place he gave a sailor, who saved the princess from trouble. From that time on, the prince, his wife and the merchant lived together - happily ever after.

Magic mirror

Russian folktale

I entrust you, dear brother, with my entire house and household and earnestly ask: look after my daughter more closely, teach her to read and write, and do not allow her to be spoiled!

After that, the merchant said goodbye to his brother and daughter and set off on his journey. And the merchant’s daughter was already old and of such indescribable beauty that even if you walked around the world, you wouldn’t find another like her! An unclean thought came into his uncle’s head, it gave him no rest day or night, and he began to pester the red maiden.

“Or,” he says, “commit a sin to me, or you won’t live in the world; and I myself will disappear and kill you!..

Your sister has disgraced the whole house! I don’t want to have mercy on her: go this very minute, chop the scoundrel into small pieces and bring her heart with this knife. Let good people not laugh at our kind-tribe!

Dear brother! How did the Lord bring you? What is our dear father?

Oh, dear sister, don’t rush to rejoice. My arrival is not good: my father sent me and ordered your white body to be chopped into small pieces, your heart to be taken out and delivered to him on this knife.

My sister started crying.

“My God,” he says, “why such disfavor?

But for what! - the brother answered and told her about his uncle’s letter.

Ah, brother, I am not guilty of anything!

The merchant's son listened to how and what happened and said:

Don't cry, sister! I myself know that you are not guilty, and even though the priest did not order you to accept any excuses, I still don’t want to execute you. You’d better get ready and leave your father’s house wherever you look; God will not leave you!

The merchant's daughter did not think long, got ready for the journey, said goodbye to her brother and went, where she herself does not know. And her brother killed a yard dog, took out the heart, put it on a sharp knife and took it to his father. Gives him a dog's heart:

“So and so,” he says, “on your parental orders, I executed my sister.”

Come on! Dog's death! - answered the father.

Let me, the girl thinks, I’ll go into this palace, not everyone is evil, maybe the worst will happen!

She enters the chambers - there is not a human soul in the chambers; I was about to turn back - suddenly two powerful heroes galloped into the courtyard, entered the palace, saw the girl and said:

Hello beauty!

Hello, honest knights!

“Here, brother,” said one hero to another, “you and I were grieving that there was no one to manage our house; and God sent us a sister.

The heroes left the merchant's daughter to live with them, called her their own sister, gave her the keys and made her the mistress of the whole house; then they took out sharp sabers, pressed them against each other’s chests and made the following agreement:

If one of us dares to encroach on his sister, then we will cut him down without mercy with this very saber.

Look, don’t let anyone in until we arrive!

They said goodbye to her and left. At this very time, the merchant’s wife looked into the mirror, admired her beauty and said:

There is no more beautiful me in the world!

And the mirror in response:

You are good - no doubt about it! And you have a stepdaughter, she lives with two heroes in a dense forest - she’s even more beautiful!

The stepmother did not like these speeches and immediately called the evil old woman to her.

Here,” he says, “here’s a ring for you; go into the dense forest, in that forest there is a white-stone palace, my stepdaughter lives in the palace; bow to her and give her this ring - say: brother sent it as a souvenir!

The old woman took the ring and went where she was told; comes to the white-stone palace, the red maiden saw her, ran out to meet her - she wanted, therefore, to try for news from her native side.

Hello, grandma! How did God bring you? Is everyone alive and well?

They live and chew bread! My brother asked me to check on your health and sent me a ring as a gift; come on, show off!

The girl is so happy, so glad that it’s impossible to tell; She brought the old woman into the room, treated her to all sorts of snacks and drinks, and ordered her brother to bow deeply. After an hour, the old woman trudged back, and the girl began to admire the ring and decided to put it on her finger; put it on - and at that very moment she fell dead.

It is necessary, they say, to put her in new clothes and put her in a coffin.

They began to clean up, and noticed one ring on the red girl’s hand:

Is it really possible to bury her with this ring? Let me take a picture and leave it as a souvenir.

As soon as he took off the ring, the red maiden immediately opened her eyes, sighed and came to life.

What happened to you, sister? Didn't anyone come to see you? - the heroes ask.

An old lady I knew from home came in and brought me a ring.

Oh, how naughty you are! After all, it was not for nothing that we punished you so that you wouldn’t let anyone into the house without us. Make sure you don't do this next time!

After some time, the merchant's wife looked into her mirror and found out that her stepdaughter was still alive and beautiful; she called the old woman, gave her a ribbon and said:

Go to the white stone palace where my stepdaughter lives and give her this gift; say: brother sent!

Again the old woman came to the red maiden, told her about three boxes of different things and gave her the ribbon. The girl was delighted, tied a ribbon around her neck - and at that very moment fell onto the bed, dead. The heroes came from the hunt, looked - my sister was lying dead, they began to put her in new outfits and as soon as they took off the ribbon, she immediately opened her eyes, sighed and came to life.

What's wrong with you, sister? Was there an old woman again?

“Yes,” he says, “an old woman from my native land came and brought me a ribbon.”

Oh, what are you! After all, we asked you: don’t accept anyone without us!

Sorry, dear brothers! I couldn’t stand it, I wanted to hear news from home.

A few more days passed - the merchant's wife looked in the mirror: her stepdaughter was alive again. She called the old woman.

Just a hair's breadth, he says! Go to your stepdaughter, be sure to kill her!

The old woman took advantage of the time when the heroes went hunting, and came to the white stone palace; The red maiden saw her through the window, could not stand it, ran out to meet her:

Hello, grandma! How does God have mercy on you?

As long as you're alive, my dear! I was wandering around the world and came here to visit you.

The red maiden brought her into the room, treated her to all sorts of snacks and drinks, asked about her relatives and ordered her to bow to her brother.

“Okay,” says the old woman, “I will bow.” But you, my dear, have no one to look for tea in your head? Let me look.

Look, grandma!

She began to look in the head of the red maiden and wove a magic hair into her braid; As soon as she wove this hair, the girl at that very moment became dead. The old woman grinned evilly and left quickly so that no one would catch her or see her.

What, they say, do we need to live on in this world? Let's go decide for ourselves!

They hugged, said goodbye to each other, went out onto the high balcony, held hands and rushed down; hit sharp stones and ended their lives.

Oh, your highness, where have you been? - the hunters ask.

I was chasing the beast, but got a little lost.

The next day, just before it’s light, the prince is getting ready to go hunting; galloped into the forest, separated from the hunters and along the same path arrived at the white-stone palace. Again I stood at the crystal coffin all day, not taking my eyes off the dead beauty; I only returned home late at night. On the third day, on the fourth everything was the same, and so a whole week passed.

What happened to our prince? - say the hunters. “Let us, brothers, keep an eye on him, make sure that nothing bad happens.”

So the prince went hunting, released his dogs through the forest, separated from his retinue and headed his way to the white-stone palace; The hunters immediately follow him, come to the clearing, enter the palace - there is a crystal coffin in the chamber, a dead girl lies in the coffin, the prince stands in front of the girl.

Well, your Highness, it’s not for nothing that you spent a whole week lost in the forest! Now we won’t be able to leave here until the evening.

They surrounded the crystal coffin, looked at the girl, admired her beauty, and stood in one place from morning until late evening. When it got completely dark, the prince turned to the hunters:

Do me, brothers, a great service: take the coffin with the dead girl, bring it and place it in my bedroom; Yes, quietly, secretly, so that no one finds out about it, does not find out. I will reward you in every possible way, I will reward you with a golden treasury, like no one has rewarded you.

Your will is to favor; and we, prince, are happy to serve you anyway! - said the hunters, picked up the crystal coffin, took it out into the courtyard, set it up on horseback and took it to the royal palace; They brought it and placed it in the prince’s bedroom.

From that very day the prince stopped even thinking about hunting; he sits at home, doesn’t leave his room anywhere - he keeps admiring the girl.

What happened to our son? - the queen thinks. “It’s been a long time, but he’s still sitting at home, doesn’t leave his room and doesn’t let anyone in.” Did sadness or melancholy set in, or did you feign some kind of illness? Let me go look at him.

The queen enters his bedroom and sees a crystal coffin. How and what? She asked and found out and immediately gave the order to bury that girl, as was customary, in the damp earth.

Oh, how I slept for a long time!

The prince was incredibly happy, took her hand, led her to her father, to her mother.

“God gave it to me,” he says! I can't live without her for a single minute. Allow me, dear father, and you, dear mother, allow me to get married.

Get married, son! Let’s not go against God, and we can’t look for such beauty in the whole world!

Tsars never stop for anything: an honest feast on the same day and even for a wedding.

The prince married a merchant's daughter and lives with her - he couldn't be happier. Some time passed - she decided to go in her own direction, to visit her father and brother; The prince, not averse to it, began to ask his father.

“Okay,” says the king, “go, my dear children!” You, prince, go on a detour by land, inspect all our lands and find out the order, and let your wife sail on the ship in a direct way.

So they prepared the ship for the voyage, dressed the sailors, appointed the initial general; The princess boarded the ship and went out to the open sea, and the prince went by land.

The leading general, seeing the beautiful princess, envied her beauty and began to flatter her; Why be afraid, he thinks, - after all, she is now in my hands, I do whatever I want!

Love me,” he says to the princess, “if you don’t love me, I’ll throw you into the sea!”

The princess turned away, did not give him an answer, only burst into tears. One sailor overheard the general’s speeches, came to the princess in the evening and began to say:

Don't cry, princess! Dress yourself in my dress, and I will put on yours; You go on deck, and I’ll stay in the cabin. Let the general throw me into the sea - I’m not afraid of that; Maybe I can handle it and swim to the pier: fortunately the land is close now!

They exchanged dresses; the princess went on deck, and the sailor lay down on her bed. At night, the leading general appeared in the cabin, grabbed the sailor and threw him into the sea. The sailor set off swimming and reached the shore by morning. The ship arrived at the pier, the sailors began to go ashore; The princess also went down, rushed to the market, bought herself a cook's clothes, dressed up as a cook and hired herself to serve in the kitchen for her own father.

A little later, the prince comes to the merchant.

“Hello,” he says, “father!” Accept your son-in-law, because I am married to your daughter. Where is she? Have you been to Al yet?

And here the initial general with a report appears:

So and so, your highness! A misfortune happened: the princess was standing on the deck, a storm arose, rocking began, her head began to spin - and before she could blink, the princess fell into the sea and drowned!

The prince strained and cried, but you can’t turn him back from the bottom of the sea; Apparently, this is her destiny! The prince stayed with his father-in-law for some time and ordered his retinue to prepare for departure; the merchant gave a big feast at parting; Merchants, boyars, and all his relatives gathered to see him: his brother, the evil old woman, and the chief general were there.

They drank, ate, cooled off; one of the guests says:

Listen, honest gentlemen! If you keep drinking and drinking, it won’t do any good; Let's better tell fairy tales.

OK OK! - they shouted from all sides. - Who will start?

One doesn’t know how, the other is not good at it, and the third has lost his memory of wine. What should I do? The merchant clerk responded:

We have a new cook in our kitchen, he has traveled a lot in foreign lands, seen many all sorts of marvels and is such a master at telling fairy tales - guess what!

The merchant called that cook.

Amuse my guests, he says!

The cook-princess answers him:

What should I tell you: a fairy tale or a true story?

Say something that happened!

Perhaps, it’s possible to have a blast, only with this agreement: whoever interrupts me will get a plague in the forehead.

Everyone agreed to this. And the princess began to tell everything that happened to her.

So and so,” he says, “the merchant had a daughter; the merchant went overseas and instructed his brother to look after the girl; Uncle covets her beauty and does not give her a moment of peace...

And my uncle hears that they are talking about him and says:

This, gentlemen, is not true!

Oh, don't you think it's true? Here's a plague to your forehead!

After that, it came to the stepmother, how she interrogated the magic mirror, and to the evil old woman, how she came to the heroes in the white stone palace - and the old woman and stepmother shouted in one voice:

What nonsense! This can't be true.

The princess hit them on the forehead with a chumichka and began to tell how she lay in a crystal coffin, how the prince found her, revived her and married her, and how she went to visit her father.

The general realized that things were not going well, and asked the prince:

Let me go home; I have a headache!

No problem, sit down for a while!

The princess began to talk about the general; Well, he couldn’t bear it either.

All this, he says, is not true!

With a blow to his forehead, the princess threw off her chef's dress and revealed herself to the prince:

I'm not a cook, I'm your legal wife!

The prince was delighted, and so was the merchant; they rushed to hug and kiss her; and then they began to judge the court; the evil old woman and her uncle were shot at the gate, the stepmother-sorceress was tied to a stallion by the tail, the stallion flew into an open field and scattered her bones through the bushes, along the yarugs; The prince sent the general to hard labor, and in his place he gave a sailor, who saved the princess from trouble. From that time on, the prince, his wife and the merchant lived together - happily ever after.

The Tale of Masha and the Magic Mirror

INTRODUCTION

I know, dear guys, that many of you would like to find yourself in a magical world. But in this world there are also dark, gloomy places where you find yourself - God forbid! This is the Bukhteevo Filthy Kingdom - unsightly, stinking, inhabited by evil spirits. This kingdom is ruled by Bukhtei, a swamp monster. And he takes the disobedient children, and only then turns them into his subjects. The monster cannot take obedient children; he does not have such power. And as soon as the child becomes rude and capricious, then Bukhtei notices him, with dark magic kindles the harmfulness in him, and as soon as a lot of malice accumulates in the child, he quickly pulls him towards himself.

So the girl Mashenka once became capricious and ended up in the Filthy Kingdom, and there, whether you like it or not, you have to do evil. Bukhtey assigned his favorite Malyavka to Masha, so that she could teach the girl harmful things. It was hard for Mashenka: from morning until night, she had to raise the little thorns, not seeing the white light. But it’s even harder to do real evil: to lure other children into the kingdom of Bukhteevo, to make evil out of good ones, and bad out of good ones. It’s one thing to be capricious, and another thing to become more evil than the real one. Mashenka didn’t want to, she began to think both day and night how to escape from the Filthy Kingdom and return home. The little mouse, who was snooping around everywhere, told the girl the way to salvation - she knew a lot. That path was to a white-trunked birch tree, enchanted, that there was one there, in the Filthy Kingdom there were swamps all around, and instead of trees there were dry snags. And that birch tree was not an easy one, the beautiful Forest Fairy turned into it to save the foolish children who foolishly ended up with Bukhtei.

Mashenka outwitted the terrible Bukhtey, outwitted the nasty Little One, got to the Forest Fairy, who saved the girl. Mashenka returned home as if there had never been a terrible incident in her life, and it turned out that while she had been tormented and suffered in the dark magical kingdom for many days and nights, only a minute had passed at home. So the mother didn’t notice anything, she was only surprised that her daughter suddenly stopped being mischievous and became obedient and compliant.

And Mashenka, of course, decided never to be capricious again in her life. Yes, it was so while she remembered about Bukhteev’s kingdom. And then the girl forgot about everything that happened to her. Fairy did her best. The good sorceress decided not to leave dark, terrible memories in the child’s soul. Maybe she made the right decision, or maybe not, but Mashenka, having forgotten everything, began to be capricious again.

Guys, I described this adventure in detail in a book called “The Tale of Masha and the Harm of Malyavka.” And what happened to Masha next, I’ll tell you now.

Mashenka’s birthday passed and she turned six years old! The birthday has passed, but the gifts remain, a whole mountain. Here is the long-awaited tablet! My beloved parents gave it as a gift, but they said “expensive, expensive.” They couldn't stand it! And Uncle Kolya, godfather, brought in such a huge bear! And even though she’s quite big, six years old, the bear is so soft! Let it be.

Mashenka is sitting on the crib, sorting through the gifts. I really want to sleep, my eyes are drooping, but I still can’t tear myself away from everything new. Suddenly she sees: among the other boxes there is a small box, made of birch bark, something strange, special. She looked more closely and gasped: that’s what’s special about the box - it shines. And the girl won’t remember whose gift it was?

She extended her hand to the strange thing and carefully touched it. To the touch - ordinary birch bark. She opened the box and saw that this mirror was shining. It’s small, it looks like a birch leaf. Masha looked at him, and immediately made a face, just like that, out of a good mood. But the face was not reflected in the mirror, but a girl of unprecedented beauty with braids appeared there, and the braids were green. This beauty looks at Masha and says:

- It’s not nice to make faces! And stupid!

She said and disappeared. And Masha appeared in the mirror, her mouth open in surprise. The girl immediately closed her mouth and let’s turn the mirror this way and that - look for the buttons. I couldn’t find any buttons and I thought: “I imagined this because I was tired, I watched too many cartoons today, I need to go to bed quickly.”

A girl is sleeping and has a strange dream. It’s as if the old beauty from the mirror is telling her:

- I, Masha, know you well, I know that you are a kind girl, but why haven’t you been listening to your grandmother lately, why are you offending?

- Why does she grumble all the time? - Masha is indignant. - And that’s not true for her, and that’s not true! She herself called me her happiness. Is it possible to scold happiness?

- Don’t invent nonsense! - the green-haired girl says sternly. - You need to listen to your grandmother, she is wise, but you are still small and don’t understand much. So you're arguing with me. And I, by the way, am also wise, I am a Fairy. And I didn’t come to you to argue. Know, girl: I already saved you from terrible trouble, even though you don’t remember it, and now I want to save you. And to prevent trouble from happening, listen to the mirror that I gave you for your birthday! - she said so and disappeared.

Masha woke up and was surprised by the strange dream. But then I remembered that I needed to go to kindergarten, immediately forgot about the dream and ran to persuade my grandmother not to go to kindergarten.

“Come on, I won’t go to kindergarten today,” he says. - It’s my birthday!

“It was my birthday yesterday,” the grandmother is surprised. - And today is a weekday.

- I don’t want a weekday, I want a holiday! I don’t want to go to kindergarten, I want to sit at home and play with new toys!

“Don’t be harmful, granddaughter,” the grandmother persuades. - I need to go to work.

- And you ask for time off! Yesterday I asked for time off - why can’t you do it today?

- Don’t talk nonsense yourself!!! You don't love me at all! You say “I love you”, but you lie! I’m not going to get ready for kindergarten! - the girl screams.

She ran to her room, puffing with anger. Suddenly he hears a thin, thin ringing somewhere nearby. Masha looks, and this mirror shines so much that it already rings. She took the mirror, and there, of course, was the Fairy from the dream. Shakes his head and says:

- Go, Masha, apologize to your grandmother, otherwise it will be bad for you.

“Real fairies don’t intimidate children,” Masha was indignant. - On the contrary, they do good miracles!

- I can do good miracles too. Just not before that now, I want to save you from big trouble. If you continue to be mischievous, you will end up in a terrible place.

“I’m not three years old for you to scare me with nonsense,” Masha gets angry. - And I’m not harmful at all!

“Look here,” says the Fairy in a malicious voice.

And Mashenka didn’t want to look, but she couldn’t resist looking in the mirror. And there seems to be a “video” about her. How she screams at her grandmother: she’s all red, her cheeks are shaking with anger, her mouth is twisted. Horror, and that's all!

Mashenka got angry, the mirror hit the floor - it sucked! Yes, he stamps his foot on it! The mirror rang and hummed, and Masha suddenly felt dizzy. The girl closed her eyes and squeezed her eyes shut. And when she opened it, she couldn’t understand anything. Where is her room with gifts? Where is dear grandma? She sits on a hummock in the swamp, and all around the place is swampy and smelly. The frightened girl was just about to cry and scream, but she didn’t have time. Nearby, a toad emerged from the green mud - a huge, enormous one, with fangs sticking out of the bulldog's mouth. The toad rolls its eyes, looking for the girl. And she lost her voice from horror, she can’t cry or scream, she just stares in fear at an unprecedented beast. And although Masha is not a coward, anyone in her place would be scared. And the bulldog toad looked for the girl, jumped onto a hummock, grabbed poor Masha and dragged her to God knows where.

She brought the poor thing to the swamp monster and threw it at his feet. He sits on a hummock, looking unkindly. The monster’s eyes are small, its snout is huge, its mouth is terrible, and it’s like a haystack. Suddenly he opens his mouth and mutters: “Bay-bay! Bay-bay! The smell from him is terrible! This spirit made the poor girl's eyes water and her head become foggy. And as the fog passed, then Masha remembered in an instant that she found herself again in the kingdom of Bukhteev. “How could I forget about the Filthy Kingdom, why didn’t I listen to the Wise Fairy, and what will happen to me now?” - she thinks with horror. Meanwhile, Bukhtey stood up to his full height , and his hand is a huge, yellow bone. He hit the ground with the bone: then the earth began to tremble, his subjects reached out to Bukhteev from all sides, and soon Mashenka found herself in the crowd of terrible inhabitants of Bukhteev’s kingdom. A lot of monsters came running: big, and small, and shaggy and hairless, and ugly, and not so much. And among the monsters, the harms crowded together, who used to be children, but became wild under Bukhtey’s subordination. The harm is thin, dirty, standing grinning - they are having fun.

Mirror.

Storyteller. A man walks around the fair and is surprised. His mouth opens in surprise. All sorts of goods, my eyes run wild. And the man is lost (doesn’t know) what to buy his wife as a gift. Music is playing.

A man walks past the stalls, touches the goods, but does not buy anything. He sighs and gets ready to leave.

Salesman. Hey man, take your time, stay a minute!

Look here quickly, this little thing is where it’s at! (shows mirror)

Man(admires). I'll take it! (pays and leaves)

(The scenery of the city changes to a hut)

Storyteller. And the man bought his wife a pocket mirror as a gift. He brought him to his village, but he hides it from people and doesn’t show it to her. A man secretly looks at a mirror from the chest and hides it.

(The wife sits on the bench and embroiders and sneaks a peek at her husband)

Wife. Oh, I'm all exhausted! What is it that your husband looks at early in the morning and late in the evening? But I don’t dare ask... Master!

(the man leaves, the wife looks towards her husband)

^ Wife. I left, I'll look in the chest.

Storyteller. Jaune put it in the chest and fished out a mirror.

Wife. What's taco? Some kind of empty thing sparkles! Oh! Woman's face! Oh! I'm sick of it! It was he who made a girlfriend in the city, copied her face into a portrait and brought it home, he was not ashamed. (the wife stands and yells at the whole house)

^ Wife. Oh, help me, good people! What to do?

Wife. Look, my dears! I made a girlfriend in the city. I copied her face into a portrait and brought it home, I wasn’t ashamed. (the neighbors sigh and feel sorry for the wife)

Storyteller. The neighbors had never seen or heard of mirrors. (they started looking at each other in the mirror)

1st. Come on, come on, what kind of girlfriend does your neighbor have in town? (the old woman stared at the mirror) Oh! Trouble! After all, I fell in love with a monkey. She is wrinkled, her mouth is pitted and there are no teeth!

2nd. How come there are no teeth!? Her teeth are like those of a horse, and her lips... her lips are like jelly. What a face!

(a grandfather appears in the hut, he runs around the neighbors and tries to see what they are looking at)

^ 3rd. Her personality is plump and cannot be covered with a sieve. Her eyes are swollen, her toe is like a button, and her mouth is like a piggy bank.

Grandfather. Come on, women, let me see what kind of girlfriend my neighbor has in town! ABOUT! Lord have mercy! She has a red beard too!

^ All. Oh!

(a man enters the hut)

Man. What did you think of that! This mirror is a city curiosity! I bought your wife as a birthday gift at the fair.

^ All in chorus. Mirror!?

Man. YES! Whoever looks into this mirror sees his entire appearance. Everything is as it is. This is such an amazing thing. Shows the whole truth about a person. (everyone stands in surprise and looks at each other)

^ Grandfather. Oh! Hold me! (points to the old woman - toothless, turns to another - mouth like a piggy bank)

1st.( he snatches the mirror from the man’s hands and looks at himself) Just think, the mirror, maybe it’s ruined!

^2i. And my teeth are straight and strong! This is because I am not offended by my health.

3rd. And my personality is very sweet and kind. And what about the narrow eyes, they squint with spiritual joy and pleasantness.

1st. Take your mirror! We still need to check what truth it shows! (leaves)

2nd. And my husband is waiting for me at home. (Leaves)

3rd. Oh! And I put the dough on the pies! It's all sour now! (runs away)

Grandfather(smirks). Go, go magpies! (leaves)

(a husband and wife stand in the middle of the hall. The wife looks in the mirror, smiles and presses the mirror to herself. She approaches her husband and puts her head on his shoulder)

Storyteller. That’s the end of the fairy tale, and well done to those who listened!

Reading time: 4 minutes.

Once upon a time there lived a girl named Olya. She was no different from her friends. She, just like them, loved to eat ice cream, go to the cinema and collect photographs of beautiful actresses.

Olya studied well at school, she acquired knowledge easily, without stress.

Her parents loved her very much and did not refuse her anything. Everything was fine, but Olechka was unhappy.

She thought so. Olya dreamed that the girls from the neighboring house would be friends with her.

These girls did not attend school, but a gymnasium, wore beautiful uniforms to classes and spoke in a special way.

They had a funny lisp and slightly dragged out their vowels. So Olya decided to become like that.

It seemed to her that it was precisely these girls who enjoyed special honor and attention from most people. First of all, she told her parents that she was not interested in going to her old school, so her parents had to transfer her to a gymnasium.

Then Olya quarreled with all her old friends, changed her hairstyle, and began to talk differently. Now she too had a slight lisp and drawled her words.

It seemed that her dream had come true, but she noticed that such a change did not make her any happier.

On the contrary, now, instead of having fun playing ball with her friends or going to see a new play at the local theater, she sat for hours with new friends and looked at stupid magazines or listened to her new friends say nasty things about those girls who were not with her. near them.

Among other things, it was necessary to give up your favorite ice cream, because it contains a lot of calories and can put you on weight. If earlier she could easily communicate with boys, now she had to curl her lips, roll her eyes and, raising her head, walk away.

This continued until Olya somehow, completely by accident, took out her old mirror and decided to look into it.
Strange as it may sound, she did not see her image in it.

A tear-stained girl with sad eyes looked at her.
- Who are you? – Olya asked her.

- I am the mirror fairy. You completely forgot about me. That's why I cry and feel sad.

- Here again, all this is fiction!
- No, just look at who you have turned into.

You are constantly rude to your parents, you quarreled with your best friends, and what did you get in return?
“I have a great life and I don’t complain.”

“That’s how it is, but can eternal pretense be called life?” You lost the love of your friends, but gained a soap bubble.

Think about it.
For several days Olya didn’t walk around like herself. She answered the teachers at school inappropriately, and was silent when her new friends asked her about something.

It was as if a curtain had fallen from her eyes, blocking the whole real world from her.

“We need to do something,” Olya decided.
First of all, she apologized to her parents for behaving badly lately and being rude to them.

Then she asked her mother to help her bake a delicious pie, and then she called all her old friends and invited them to visit.

When everyone arrived, she, just like before her parents, asked them for forgiveness and promised to behave prudently in the future. Her friends were kind and easy-going girls, they quickly forgave Olya for her ridiculous behavior and soon everyone was having fun and sharing news, like in the good old days.

And then Olya invited everyone to the cafe for ice cream, and the girls happily agreed.
From that day on, Olya’s life returned to its old course.

However, she did not leave the gymnasium, because in principle, it doesn’t matter at all where you study, the main thing is to gain knowledge and develop your mind.

Several weeks flew by, and Olya again picked up the magic mirror.

She really wanted to know how the mirror fairy was doing. She saw a cheerful girl sitting in a clearing surrounded by animals.

- How are you doing, fairy?
“Everything is fine with me now, because you are now cheerful and have made peace with your parents and friends.”

You know, I advise you to be on good terms with everyone.

This way you will be calmer, and even if someone offends you, do not be angry with him, but forgive him the way your friends have forgiven you.
- Yes, I understand, and I will gladly take your advice.

Olya waved goodbye to the fairy and a moment later saw her reflection in the mirror.

- Goodbye, good fairy, with your advice you helped me become truly happy.