Красавица-дочь

a Beautiful Daughter

illustration by children of Tymovsk Children's Art school

There was an old man who lived with his wife. They were poor and had nothing to eat. They did not even know the smell of good food. Even when they found a dead fish on the shore they took it and ate it.

The old man and his wiаe had a daughter, Gradually she became a beautiful young girl. So there lived the three of them. They ate what the land gave them and what the water gave them.

One day in spring they had nothing to eat. There was no food in the house. The old man went to the sea and was wandering along the shore for a long time:

- If only I could find a dead fish on the sand.

He was wandering for a long time and did not find anything.

There was a big stone on the shore. The old man sat on the stone and took his head into his hands:

- I cannot possibly go home. I have nothing to eat for my wife and my daughter.

Hе sat for a long time, in grief. Then he glanced at the sea. The sea became rough. The water boiled like water in the big copper.

Suddenly a big whale was cast ashore. Six masters of the sea - big seals jumped out of the sea. They cut the whale with their sabres and disappeared in the sea again.

The old man was hiding behind the stone and was not breathing. Then he approached the whale on his hands and knees and saw that the whale had died and the sabre was left near by.

- Oh, - said that old man happily. - at last I have good luck.

He took the sabre, cut a piece of whale meat, took it home and gave to his wife. The old woman put the sabre in the big box. light a fire, cooked the meat and fed her husband and daughter.

They had a good dinner, the old man and woman fell asleep, and their daughter left the house.

At dawn the old man and his wife woke up and saw that their daughter's bed was empty. They looked at each other and began to cry:

- Where has our baby gone?

When the sun rose they left the house and were looking for their daughter till night.

When they came back they saw their daughter sitting at the threshold and looking at them sad.

- Oh, baby, baby. where have your been?

The Daughter was silent, she did not say anything.

The three of them went in. Nobody slept and nobody talked. It was as it some thing was worrying them.

Suddenly the daughter got up. went to the door. crossed the threshold. and disappeared. She did not come back home any more.

Spring came again. One day the old man was fishing on the shore and saw the stone he was sitting on before. He was watching the sea and thinking about his daughter: "If only you could come back. even from the bottom of the sea". The sea became rough again. And the water seemed to be boiling.

Suddenly the waves cast up six sea masters. One of them had the old man's daughter. The old man trembled and cried:

- Oh, baby, you came to me from the bottom of the sea. Are you going to be silent again?

His daughter answered:

- No, I am going to talk. Father, you provoked the sea masters' wrath. you took their sabre. This is the reason why I am sufferlng. Go home and tell mother everything. In one year come to this stone again.

The old man went home and told his wtfe:

- The sea masters took our daughter hostage. I do not know whether we will see her ever again. She told me to come in one year.

Another spring came. The old man went to the sea again, found the stone and was looking at the sea.

- Oh, baby, come to me from the bottom of the sea as you promised.

A huge wave covered the shore. his daughter who was on the back of the sea master appeared near the shore. The old man was looking at her and did not recognize her. Her hair became longer, her face became more beautiful and she had a baby in her hands, who was smiling. The girl pressed the child to her breast and said:

- Father, do not come here any more. If you come, you will not see me. I am the wlfe of a sea master and this is his son. Tell mother I am fine, tell her not to be sad. you will not need anything any more. If you need meat -come to the shore and I will provide you with seals for food. Do not worry, take seals and eat them.

Then they swam off and disappeared in the sea.

The old man cried and went home. At home he said to his wlfe:

- The sea master married our daughter. She gave birth to his son. She will never come back. She told you not to miss her. She also said we would not want for anything any more.

Everything happened as their daughter said. The old man and his wife lived for a long time. The sea provided them with food. Wherever the old man went to the sea. he always found seals on the shore. They ate the seals' meat and fat. At last they got to know the smell of good food. They never saw their daughter again.