Silver Nose

Once upon a time, there was a washerwoman. She was left a widow with three daughters.

No matter how hard the mother and daughters bent their backs, no matter how much they tried to earn more, they still lived in poverty. So the eldest daughter said:

"It’s better to serve the devil himself than to live in this house."

"Don’t say such things," the mother whispered fearfully. "You’ll bring trouble upon yourself."

A few days passed, and then a gentleman dressed all in black appeared before them. He spoke politely and pleasantly, but his nose was made of silver.

"I know you have three daughters," he addressed the mother. "Let one of them come into my service."

The mother was ready to let any of her daughters go at that very moment, but the silver nose troubled her. She called the eldest daughter aside and said:

"Decide for yourself, my dear. He’s strange: everyone has a normal nose, but his is silver. You might regret it later..."

But the girl was so tired of her home that she agreed to go with the stranger, even to the ends of the earth. Their journey was long. They passed through forests and mountains. And then, ahead, a bright glow appeared.

"What’s that down there?" the girl asked anxiously.

"Don’t be afraid," said Silver Nose. "That’s my home, and that’s where we’re heading."

The girl continued on with Silver Nose, but unease crept into her heart.

Silver Nose’s home turned out to be a huge castle. The host immediately led the girl through his chambers, where one room seemed more marvelous than the next, and he gave her a key to each. Finally, they stopped at the door of the last room.

"This is my home," said Silver Nose. "Here, you are the mistress of all, but don’t you dare open this door. If you do, you’ll regret it." And he handed her the last key.

The girl took the key and thought, "Surely, there’s something very interesting behind it. Once I’m alone in the house, I’ll definitely open it."

At night, when the girl was fast asleep in her room, Silver Nose silently entered, approached her bed, and pinned a live rose in her hair. Then he left just as quietly.

The next morning, Silver Nose left on his business. The girl, alone in the castle, grabbed the bundle of keys and went straight to the forbidden door. But as soon as she opened it slightly, flames and smoke burst out: inside, in the fire and smoke, doomed souls writhed. Now she understood everything. Silver Nose was the devil, and behind that door was hell. In horror, she screamed, slammed the door shut, and ran away from that infernal room, but the flames had already scorched the rose in her hair.

When Silver Nose returned home, he saw that the rose in the girl’s hair had withered.

"Aha! You dared to disobey me!" he shouted. Then he grabbed the girl, flung open the door to hell, and threw her into the flames.

The next day, he appeared again at the widow’s house.

"Your daughter asked me to tell you that she’s doing very well with me. But there’s a lot of work, and she needs help. Could you send your middle daughter to serve me?"

Silver Nose returned to the palace with the middle sister. He gave her all the keys and showed her all the rooms, except for the very last one, which he forbade her to open.

"Really," said the girl, "why would I open it? What do I care about your secrets!"

That evening, when she went to bed and fell asleep, Silver Nose crept into her room and pinned a live carnation in her hair.

The next morning, as soon as Silver Nose left, the girl couldn’t resist and opened the forbidden door. Smoke and flames burst out. Sinners screamed inside. In the fire, she recognized her sister.

"Sister, sister, save me from this hell!" she heard her voice.

The girl froze, slammed the door shut, and ran. She ran, not knowing where to hide. It was clear now: Silver Nose was the devil himself. There was no salvation for her!

When Silver Nose returned to the palace, he saw that the flower in the girl’s hair had withered. He grabbed the sinner and, without a word, threw her into the inferno.

The next day, Silver Nose, dressed as an important nobleman, appeared again at the washerwoman’s house.

"There’s so much work in my house that your two daughters can’t handle it. Send your youngest daughter to me!"

And so the youngest sister, Lucia, the cleverest of them all, ended up in the palace.

The devil showed her the entire castle, gave her the keys, and forbade her to open the last door. As soon as Lucia closed her eyes, he pinned a jasmine flower in her hair. In the morning, the girl went to the mirror to comb her hair and saw the flower.

"Imagine that," she smiled. "Silver Nose pinned a jasmine flower in my hair. How sweet! I’ll put it in water," and she placed the flower in a glass of water. She leisurely combed her hair and, when she was sure she was alone in the palace, thought, "Now let’s see what’s behind that mysterious door."

She opened the door slightly, and smoke and flames burst out. In the fire, she saw the suffering faces of the damned, including both of her sisters.

"Lucia! Lucia!" they cried. "Save us! Get us out of here!"

Lucia first made sure to close the door tightly, and then she began to think of a way to save her sisters.

By the time the devil returned, Lucia had pinned the jasmine flower back in her hair, and she looked as if nothing had happened. Silver Nose glanced at the jasmine and couldn’t help exclaiming:

"Oh, how fresh it is!"

"Of course, why would it wither? Who wears withered flowers in their hair?"

"Of course, of course," Silver Nose hurried to reply. "I was just... You’re a good girl," he continued, "if things keep going like this, we’ll get along. Do you like it here?"

"Very much! But there’s one thing that worries me."

"What is it?"

"I haven’t heard from my mother. When we parted, she wasn’t feeling well."

"Is that all that’s troubling you?" asked the devil. "I’ll visit her today."

"Thank you, master. But since you’re so kind to me, could you visit her tomorrow? I’ll prepare a bag of dirty laundry. If mother is feeling better, she’ll wash it all. But won’t it be too heavy for you?"

"What nonsense," laughed the devil. "Of course I’ll carry it, no matter how heavy it is."

As soon as Silver Nose left the castle, Lucia opened the door to hell, pulled out her older sister, put her in the bag, and instructed her:

"Sit quietly, Carlotta. The devil will return soon and carry you home on his back. But if you feel him about to set the bag down, say, 'I see! I see!'"

When Silver Nose returned, Lucia said:

"This bag has laundry for washing. Will you really take it to my mother?"

"Don’t you believe me?" he asked, surprised.

"Oh, of course I do. Especially since I have a special ability: I can see as far as no one else in the world. If you try to set the bag down, I’ll definitely see it."

The devil smirked—he didn’t quite believe in her ability to see so far.

"It’s quite heavy, this dirty laundry," he grunted, hoisting the bag onto his back.

"Of course," the girl replied calmly. "How many years has it been since you last had it washed?"

And Silver Nose set off down the road. Halfway there, he thought, "Shouldn’t I peek inside the bag? What if, under the guise of laundry, the beauty has planned to empty my house?" And he was about to set the bag down and look inside.

"I see! I see!" the older sister immediately cried from the bag.

"Curse it! She really can see as far as no one else in the world," muttered Silver Nose, hoisted the heavy bag back up, and headed straight for the washerwoman’s house.

"Your daughter sent you laundry and asked how you’re doing."

Left alone, the washerwoman untied the bag. You can imagine her joy and surprise—her eldest daughter stood before her.

A week later, Lucia pretended to be sad again and asked the devil to bring her news from her mother. She sent him home with a second bag of dirty laundry.

And so Silver Nose carried the middle sister home, again not daring to look inside the bag. Every time he thought about setting the bag down, he heard the voice: "I see! I see!"

Now the washerwoman knew who this Silver Nose was, and she was terribly frightened when he appeared again. What if he asked for the clean laundry? But the devil set the bag down and said:

"I’ll take the clean laundry another time. This cursed bag has really worn out my back. I want to return home light..."

Silver Nose left, and the worried washerwoman untied the bag and hugged her middle daughter. But her anxiety for Lucia didn’t leave her, as the girl remained in the hands of the unclean.

And what was Lucia doing? A little time passed, and she repeated her request for news from her mother.

The devil was getting tired of carrying bags of dirty laundry, but the girl was so obedient and diligent that he couldn’t refuse her. The evening before, Lucia pretended to be sick and went to bed early.

"I’ll leave the bag of laundry by the door. If I don’t feel well tomorrow morning and can’t get up, take it."

It should be noted here that Lucia had sewn a large doll, as tall as herself, from scraps of cloth, placed it in her bed, and covered it with a blanket. Then she cut off her braids and sewed them onto the doll’s head, while she herself hid inside the bag.

In the morning, the devil saw the girl lying in bed under the blanket and set off with the bag on his shoulders.

"She’s sick today," he thought, "so she won’t be watching me! Let’s see if there’s really dirty laundry in the bag."

Carefully, he set the bag down and was about to untie it when he heard Lucia’s voice:

"I see! I see!"

"Curse it! The voice is so close, as if she’s right here! It’s better not to mess with this girl." He hoisted the bag back onto his back and continued on. He knocked on the washerwoman’s door and said:

"I’ll take the laundry later. I’m in a hurry to get back—Lucia is sick..."

And so the family was reunited. Since Lucia hadn’t forgotten to take a good sum of money from the devil’s house, the mother and daughters lived in happiness and comfort. And to keep the devil from returning, they placed a cross by the door.

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Silver Nose

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