Firozet
Long ago, there lived a young man named Firozet; he loved a girl named Julia. Firozet's mother was a fairy; she did not want him to marry Julia and instead planned to force him to wed an old, ugly, lame woman.One day, the fairy said to Julia:
— I am going to mass; meanwhile, you will use this sieve to scoop out the well.
The poor girl was deeply saddened; she began to scoop the water, but every drop of it slipped through the sieve. Suddenly, Firozet appeared beside her.
— Julia,— he asked her,— what are you doing here?
— Your mother ordered me to scoop out the well with this sieve.
Firozet touched the stone edge of the well with his wand, and it immediately dried up. When the fairy returned home, she said:
— Hey, Julia! It seems my Firozet helped you.
— Oh no, madam, I haven’t even seen him! I don’t need your Firozet, Firozetan, or whatever his name is!
She did not show any sign that she loved the young man.
Another time, the fairy said to Julia:
— Go and deliver this letter to my sister; she lives in Efinkur. You will receive something from her as a reward.
On the way, Julia met Firozet. He asked her:
— Where are you going, Julia?
— I am going to deliver a letter to your aunt; she lives in Efinkur.
— Listen carefully to what I tell you,— said Firozet.— When you enter my aunt’s house, you will see a broom standing upside down; set it right. My aunt will give you a box full of ribbons and tell you to choose the most beautiful one for a sash. Take it, but be careful not to tie it around your waist. When you reach the field, wrap it around a bush, and then you will see what happens.
When Julia arrived at Firozet’s aunt’s house, she did not forget about the broom, and then said to the hostess:
— Madam, here is the letter your sister sent you.
After reading the letter, the fairy’s sister said to Julia:
— What could I give you for your trouble?
Look, here is a box full of ribbons; take the most beautiful one and make a sash out of it—you’ll see how well it suits you.
Julia took the ribbon and set off on her way back. When she reached Gerbo, she wrapped the ribbon around the first bush she saw—it immediately burst into flames.
When she returned, the fairy said:
— Hey, Julia, it was my Firozet who advised you!
— No, madam, I haven’t seen him at all. I don’t need your Firozet, Firozetan, or whatever his name is!
She did not show any sign that she loved the young man.
One day, the fairy made Julia sleep in the same bed as the old lame woman, at her feet, and ordered her to hold candles between the toes of both feet. Late at night, the fairy, who was sleeping in the attic, shouted:
— Dear Firozet, is it time for me to cast a spell?
— No, mother, wait a little longer.
After a short while, Firozet asked the lame woman:
— Would you lie in this poor girl’s place?
The fairy shouted a second time:
— Dear Firozet, is it time for me to cast a spell?
— No, mother, wait a little longer. After a short while, he asked the lame woman again:
— Would you lie in this poor girl’s place?
The fairy shouted a third time:
— Dear Firozet, is it time for me to cast a spell?
And Firozet asked the old lame woman a third time:
— Would you lie in this poor girl’s place?
The lame woman had no choice but to give in and place the candles between the toes of both feet. Firozet immediately exclaimed:
— Yes, yes, mother, cast the spell quickly!
— I want,— said the fairy,— for the one with candles between the toes of both feet to turn into a duck, and I want to eat her for breakfast.
At that very moment, the lame woman turned into a duck, jumped off the bed, and began to hobble around the room.
Seeing that she had been deceived, the fairy burst with anger.
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