Why the Weather in March is Changeable

There lived two brothers – Elder Sechko (January), Younger Sechko (February), and their sister, Baba Marta (March).

They had a vineyard. They harvested the grapes, made wine, and poured it into three barrels – one for each of them.

Elder Sechko spent his days wandering through forests and fields. The wind knocked him off his feet, the frost nipped at his face, and the snow covered his path. By evening, he returned home tired and sat down to eat. As was his custom, he poured himself a glass of wine. One glass led to another, and soon he drank all the wine from his barrel.

Younger Sechko also had plenty of work to do. He went to the river to break the ice and free the water. He went to the forest to clear the snow from the trees and help the birds build their nests. He was busy all day and would collapse from exhaustion by evening. At dinner, he would eat and drink wine. One glass, then another, and soon his barrel was empty too.

From then on, the brothers went to weddings, christenings, and visits empty-handed, burning with shame that they had no wine to offer as a gift.

Meanwhile, Baba Marta’s wine stood untouched in the cellar – completely full.
The brothers decided to open Baba Marta’s barrel and drink some of her wine. No sooner said than done. In the morning, one brother would drink a glass, and in the afternoon, the other would pour himself a cup. And so, the wine in the third barrel was also gone.

When Baba Marta arrived, she rolled up her sleeves and began preparing for the arrival of spring. She busied herself with household chores, grew tired, and sat down to rest and have dinner. After eating, she remembered her wine and decided to have a glass.

She went to her barrel – and what did she see? Not a drop remained! It had been empty for so long that it had even dried out.

Baba Marta realized that her own brothers had robbed her. She became furious, started scolding them, and couldn’t stop. She shouted, cursed, spat, and cursed some more, until she finally sat down, exhausted, and began to cry. Tears streamed down her face like a river.

She cried and cried, but eventually, she calmed down. She thought:

“Ah, who drank it? My own brothers did, not some strangers. And I was going to share it with them anyway!”

So she said and smiled. Her face lit up, and all her sorrow disappeared.

But still, deep down, she felt hurt that her brothers had deceived her and taken her wine. And every time she remembered it, she would get angry and cry again. But her anger would quickly pass, she would wave her hand, and laugh once more.

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• The Wisdom of the Elders
• The Water Spirit
• The Clever Lad
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