Two Frosts
Two frosts, two brothers—Frost Blue-Nose and Frost Red-Nose—were wandering through the field.They strolled and wandered, praising each other. The night was bright, bright. The frosts felt free and unbound in the open air.
And it was so quiet, so quiet, as if not a single living soul remained in the world. The frosts ran from the field to the forest. They ran around, clicking their tongues, jumping from tree to tree, scaring the hares. Then they darted from the forest into the village and started shooting at the rooftops!
"Hey," said Frost Blue-Nose, "everyone's hiding, afraid to step outside."
"Let someone just step out—we'll give them a good scare," replied Frost Red-Nose.
Dawn began to break. Thick smoke poured from the chimneys. The wells creaked. The men came out of their huts. Some went to thresh grain, others prepared to go to the forest for firewood.
"Wait a minute, brother," said Frost Red-Nose. "Let's run to the road in the field."
And they ran back to the field. They stood side by side, waiting for travelers.
Sleds creaked on the road. A bell jingled somewhere under a horse's yoke.
A peasant sat in the sled, urging his horse on. Behind the sled, a fancy carriage glided, its bell ringing.
"Alright, wait," said Frost Blue-Nose. "You chase the peasant, and I'll go after the gentleman."
And they ran to freeze the travelers.
Frost Blue-Nose ran for a long time before catching up with the gentleman. Finally, he caught up, slipped under his fur coat, and started driving out the warmth. The gentleman shivered, his feet grew cold, a chill ran through his body, and his nose turned blue. Frost Blue-Nose just chuckled. He nearly froze the gentleman to death.
Meanwhile, Frost Red-Nose caught up with the peasant and began to freeze him.
"Hey, frost is no joke," said the peasant. He climbed down from the sled, stamped his feet, and clapped his hands on his shoulders. He ran like this for half a verst, and soon he felt hot. He climbed back into the sled and rode on, not bothered at all.
"Alright, brother, just wait: I'll get you when you go to chop wood."
The peasant rode into the forest. Frost Red-Nose ran ahead and waited for him there. The peasant unhitched his horse, took an axe, and started chopping—soon he felt hot. He threw off his sheepskin coat. Frost Red-Nose was delighted: he slipped into the coat and began weaving white patterns inside.
He turned the coat as white as snow.
The peasant finished chopping wood and went to put on his coat, but it was completely frozen.
"Hey, brother, so you're here?"
He grabbed his whip handle and started thrashing—Frost Red-Nose barely escaped alive and ran straight into the forest.
Frost Red-Nose was furious with the peasant, but there was nothing he could do to him.
More fairy tales
- Father's Gift
- Petrushka
- How the Priest Deceived Taras Once, and Taras Deceived Him Twice
- The Sparrow and the Mouse
- From the Horn, There's Plenty of Everything
