Fairy Gifts

Once upon a time there was a widow. She had two daughters. The eldest daughter reminded many of her mother: both in mood, and manners, and in her face, so that everyone who met with her took her for a mother. In addition, she, like her mother, was unbearably harmful and arrogant. And the youngest daughter was like a portrait of her father: friendly, honest and one of the most beautiful girls in the world.

Her mother loved her eldest daughter (her princess) without a mind, and she treated the youngest as a servant: she forced her to work without rest and go to the forest twice a day. The source was very far from home and had to collect a large jug of water.

Once, when she once again went to the spring for water, a poorly dressed woman came up to the girl and asked for a drink. The girl agreed: having rinsed the jug, scooped water from a clean source, and when the woman drank, she supported the vessel with her hand so that it was easier to drink. After drinking water, the woman praised the girl for her diligence, politeness, kindness and attentiveness. As it turned out, it was a reincarnated fairy-sorceress, who thus intended to test the girl's kindness. The fairy decided to give the girl a magical gift: from now on, after every word she said, a flower or a gem will fall out of the girl’s mouth. After the fairy disappeared, and the girl, marveling, and typing in a jug of water, went home.

At home, her mother scolded her for a long stay in the forest. The girl lowered her head and as soon as she said the words of apology, two roses, two pearls and two large diamonds fell out of her mouth. Seeing such a miracle, the mother was very surprised, and for the first time in her life having called her “daughter,” she began to ask why this happened. And the poor thing, sincerely told her forest history (and diamonds and pearls, and fell at every word).

“That's how it is,” the cunning widow thought to herself, and this time decided to send her beloved older daughter to the creek so that she would give the fairy such a valuable gift. But the blonde was not going to go somewhere, she was capricious and refused. Rape, made her mother get out of the house. Then she took the best silver jug, dressed up, and finally hit the road.

When the girl approached the stream, a well-dressed lady came out to meet her. It was the same fairy, only this time she dressed like a princess. And this time the fairy asked for a drink, for which she received a severe rebuke from an uncaring girl. After listening to the answer, the fairy decided to give this girl, respectively, her virtues: “from now on, with every word, a snake crawl out of your mouth or jump out of a toad”. And after that, the fairy immediately disappeared, and the girl went home.

As soon as the mother saw her darling, she instantly rushed to her in order to ask how the meeting went. But the daughter only grumbled back. And two snakes and two toads immediately fell out of her mouth. Seeing such an opportunity, the mother was horrified and, concluding that all this was a trick of her youngest daughter, ran at full speed for the unloved child to beat her.

The poor thing barely escaped and ran into the woods to hide there. And it just so happened that the king's son was returning from the hunt with that forest, and when he saw such a beautiful woman in the forest he was very surprised and asked what she was doing here all alone, and who had offended her that she was crying so bitterly. “Ah, sir, my mother threw me out of the house,” said the girl, and again five or six pearls and as many diamonds fell out of her mouth. The amazed prince asked her to tell him his whole story. While the girl was talking about her ordeal - the prince was in love with her. Therefore, he took her to the palace of his father and offered to get married, and his father-king was very happy about this girl, and with such a dowry (pearls, diamonds).

But her sister stayed at home and became increasingly angry and hated by everyone around her, so that even her own mother threw her out of the house. And the rude woman, finding no shelter for anyone, died in the forest.

It is known that Charles Perrault wrote his fairy tales under the influence of essays and translations of that time, which were told in a secular environment throughout Europe. The most famous collection of fairy tales was then the Neapolitan Pentameron or Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattenemiento de peccerille (Fairy Tale, or Entertainment for Kids), collected in the regions of Italy and published by the court poet Giambattistatatatatatiàtila (Italy) and published by the court poet Giambattistatatatatatatatatatatiasti It was from this collection that the 67-year-old Frenchman took the plot for his tale, which is a reworking of the history of “Les Deux Gâteaux” (IV-7). Unlike the treatment of Charles Perrault, in an Italian fairy tale, the younger brother suffers at the hands of his elder sister, but as a result he is endowed with roses, pearls and diamonds for his virtues, and her sister received in reward frogs and snakes ^[1] .

A similar plot is found in many folk tales, and they all carry the moral that kindness is always rewarded, despite external circumstances, whereas vanity and capriciousness are worthy of condemnation. Many generations of children were brought up on these tales (over the course of 5-7 centuries). Therefore, arrogance and arrogance are always ridiculed and presented in literature in a derogatory form (often such heroes seemed ugly, scary and dishonest). Whereas moral principles were often associated with kindness and physical beauty (often such characters were presented as young, beautiful, positive) ^[1] .

• Frost (fairy tale)