The Princess Cobra

Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen, and they had a daughter. The king rejoiced, the queen rejoiced, but their happiness did not last long. An old witch appeared at the palace and turned the little princess into a cobra, casting a spell on her: she would regain her human form only when she touched the body of a newborn child. The golden serpent slipped out of the cradle and disappeared.

In those lands, there lived a poor peasant with his daughter. Every day, the girl would go to the meadow to tend the sheep. One day, she saw a golden serpent in the grass, so lovely! The girl bent over it and petted it. And the little cobra spoke to her in a human voice:

"Take me to live with you, and I will reward you. Just don’t show me to anyone."

So the shepherdess did just that: she took the serpent home, hid it, and fed it milk morning and evening, secretly from her father and mother. Time passed, the girl grew, and the cobra grew too. One day, the serpent said to her friend: "Ask your father to go to the city and buy a chest—to store clothes." The peasant loved his daughter and was happy to please her, so the very next day he went to the city and bought a large chest. He returned home, opened it—and lo and behold, it was full of gold and precious stones. The peasant rejoiced, bought land, built a large and beautiful palace, and they began to live in prosperity. His daughter, who by then had become a lovely young woman, no longer had to tend her father’s flock. She spent her days playing with her beloved serpent, which she kept in the new chest. One evening, the cobra said:

"Prepare your most beautiful dress for tomorrow, because in the morning the royal hunt will begin in these parts, and the prince will pass by your house."

And so it happened. In the morning, the prince set out for the hunt with his entourage and was very surprised when he saw a magnificent palace before him. The prince rode closer, looked through the window, and there he saw a slender and beautiful girl. The prince fell in love with her at once. The girl’s father came out to greet him, invited him into the house, and treated him and his company with honor and hospitality. The prince stayed at the palace and then returned home, but he lost all peace, for he had fallen deeply in love with the beautiful girl. And the cobra said:

"Wait, my friend: in three days, the king will come here to ask for your hand in marriage for his son."

And again, it happened as the serpent had said. On the third day, the king arrived with his entire court—he wished to see the master’s daughter. He liked her so much that he immediately asked for her hand in marriage for his son. The girl’s father gladly agreed, and they set a wedding date. On the eve of the wedding, the cobra said to the bride:

"Tomorrow, they will take you to the city in the royal carriage. Put me in a glass casket and take me with you."

The girl did as she was told. And when the prince saw the casket with the golden serpent in the carriage, he began to play with it. The serpent twirled and danced in the casket, and the prince admired it. They were almost at the royal palace when the cobra began to grow and grow. The glass cracked, and the casket shattered into tiny pieces. Before the prince could react, the cobra slipped onto the bride’s chest and whispered to her:

"Farewell, my friend! When the time comes for your child to be born, open the window wide to the garden and do not be afraid." With these words, the cobra slipped out of the carriage and disappeared. The prince rushed to his bride, asking if the terrible cobra had bitten her.

"No, Your Highness," the girl smiled. "The serpent has lived in my home for a long time and has never harmed me."

Meanwhile, they arrived at the royal palace. That same day, a merry wedding was held, and the young couple lived very happily. The window in the prince and princess’s room overlooked the garden. Often in the evenings, they sat by the open window, waiting to see if the golden serpent would appear, but it never did. Then came the day when the princess gave birth to a baby. At that very moment, a hissing sound was heard, and a huge cobra crawled through the open window. Everyone in the room—doctors and maids alike—fled in terror. The cobra slithered to the princess, who was holding the child in her arms. The alarmed prince rushed into the room, and what did he see? His wife was smiling joyfully, and beside her stood a pretty girl holding the newborn boy. Then the king and queen arrived. The girl said:

"The evil spell has been lifted from me, and I have become human again. Now I must find my parents. The wicked witch separated me from them, turning me into a terrible cobra."

The king and queen rejoiced, embracing the prince and princess. Then a great celebration was held at the palace. And I was there, but I didn’t eat or drink.

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The Princess Cobra

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