Morozko ("Father Frost")
The stepmother had a stepdaughter and her own daughter. Whatever her own daughter did, she was always patted on the head and praised: "Clever girl!" But no matter how hard the stepdaughter tried to please, nothing worked—everything she did was wrong, everything was bad. And yet, truth be told, the girl was a gem. In good hands, she would have lived like a queen, but with her stepmother, she washed her face with tears every day. What could she do? The wind may howl, but it eventually calms down, while an old woman, once riled up, won’t quiet down so easily—she’ll keep scheming and nagging. And so, the stepmother decided to drive the stepdaughter out of the house."Take her away, old man, wherever you want, so that my eyes don’t see her, so that my ears don’t hear about her. But don’t take her to her relatives in a warm house—take her to the open field, to the freezing cold!"
The old man grieved and wept, but he put his daughter on the sleigh. He wanted to cover her with a blanket but was too afraid. He took the homeless girl to the open field, left her on a snowdrift, crossed himself, and hurried home so as not to witness his daughter’s death.
The poor girl was left alone, shivering and quietly praying. Then Frost came, hopping and skipping, looking at the fair maiden.
"Maiden, oh maiden, I am Frost, the Red-Nosed!"
"Welcome, Frost! Surely, God has brought you for my sinful soul."
Frost wanted to strike her and freeze her, but he liked her wise words and took pity on her. He threw her a fur coat. She put it on, tucked her legs under her, and sat down.
Frost returned again, hopping and skipping, looking at the fair maiden.
"Maiden, oh maiden, I am Frost, the Red-Nosed!"
"Welcome, Frost! Surely, God has brought you for my sinful soul."
This time, Frost didn’t come to harm her. He brought the maiden a tall, heavy chest filled with all sorts of dowry. She sat on the chest in her fur coat, so cheerful, so pretty! Frost came again, hopping and skipping, looking at the fair maiden. She greeted him, and he gifted her a dress embroidered with silver and gold. She put it on and became a true beauty! She sat there, singing little songs.
Meanwhile, the stepmother was holding a funeral feast for her, baking pancakes.
"Go, husband, take your daughter to her grave." The old man went. But the dog under the table barked:
"Bow-wow! The old man’s daughter is being brought back in gold and silver, but no suitors will take the old woman’s daughter!"
"Quiet, fool! Here’s a pancake—say: suitors will take the old woman’s daughter, but only bones will be brought back of the old man’s!"
The dog ate the pancake and barked again:
"Bow-wow! The old man’s daughter is being brought back in gold and silver, but no suitors will take the old woman’s daughter!"
The old woman gave the dog more pancakes and even beat it, but the dog kept barking:
"The old man’s daughter is being brought back in gold and silver, but no suitors will take the old woman’s daughter!"
The gates creaked, the doors opened, and in came a tall, heavy chest. The stepdaughter entered, shining like a lady! The stepmother looked—and threw up her hands in despair!
"Old man, old man, harness fresh horses, take my daughter quickly! Put her in the same field, in the same spot."
The old man took her to the same field and left her in the same spot. Frost, the Red-Nosed, came again, looked at his guest, hopped and skipped, but didn’t hear any kind words. He got angry, struck her, and killed her.
"Old man, go bring my daughter back, harness the fastest horses, but don’t tip the sleigh, don’t drop the chest!" But the dog under the table barked:
"Bow-wow! Suitors will take the old man’s daughter, but the old woman’s daughter is being brought back in a sack of bones!"
"Don’t lie! Here’s a pie—say: the old woman’s daughter is being brought back in gold and silver!" The gates opened, the old woman ran out to meet her daughter, but instead, she embraced a cold corpse. She wailed and lamented, but it was too late!
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