Sea Grass

                                                

   Once upon a time a landlord had three daughters: two of them were beautiful but the third- youngest – was even more beautiful. Once the father, before going to the city, asked each daughter what they wish for him to bring them from the city. The eldest wanted a wreath, the middle one a scarf, but the youngest asked for the first thing he sees coming back.

   At the city the father bought the wreath for the eldest, a scarf for the middle one and then on the third day went home. All road long he didn’t see another living soul, but as soon as he wanted to turn, he saw a grass snake on the road. He took it for his youngest daughter. In the house the father gave them the presents – he gave the eldest the wreath, for the middle one the scarf and for the youngest the grass snake. As soon as she took the grass snake, it wrapped around her neck. She carried the snake for a long time, he only unwrapped when she went to the spring waters to wash every morning and evening, while the snake was sleeping nearby, but once she was done getting dry, the snake wrapped around her neck again.

  Once near the spring water a miracle happened – while the daughter washed, got dry, the snake turned into a beautiful young man. The daughter got frightened, to see in the water reflection, that behind her back was standing a beautiful young man. She turned around and asked: “Beautiful boy, where did you come from?”

“Beautiful maiden, I am your snake. I was cursed but today was my last day. It was luck that you carried me around your neck otherwise I would have never lifted the curse. Here you go, girl, a ring and a sake, take them and promise to be my wife. I will hurry to home to my father and ask to marry you. But there is one bad thing, I am scared that the evil witch will make me forget you. If that happens, then rush to the palace with the sake and ring. The sake will explode three times and the ring will shine as bright as the sun.”

Once he said that, the handsome prince left the youngest daughter and rushed to his father, the king. The youngest daughter lived for a while, then some more, waited for  her husband to come one day, the second day, but the prince is nowhere to be seen or heard. The daughter was afraid that the evil witch has taken away the princes memory. She sent her dog to the palace to listen and see how it goes in the palace. The dog came back and told her:”After three weeks the prince is getting married to a different maiden.”

Hearing that, the daughter dressed as a man and put her sake and ring in her pocket, took her dog and rushed to the palace. She went there and made a deal with the prince to become his servant. The king approved that. But on the third day, other servants went in and told the prince they had a dream that the new servant is not a man but a woman. The prince said:”I don’t believe that, but since you are saying, we’ll settle it this way- in the evening I’ll pour some peas on the front and make the young servant bring me dinner. Going over peas the servant will fall and then we’ll hear- if a man then he will spit, if a woman then – yell.” 

The dog overheard the conversation by the door. He went to the youngest daughter daughter and told her everything. In the evening, walking over the peas, the youngest daughter – the servant, spit. Other servant hearing that said right away:’’It is a man! Huh, never again believing in dreams!’’

Soon three weeks will have passed. The next day the prince is having his wedding. In the morning the prince sat in the carriage along with his second bride, he took the young servant to lead the carriage and went away to get married. On the way the sake from the servant exploded once. The prince asked:’’ Servant, did the carriage break?’’

‘’No, no, love has broken!” the servant answered.

On the road the sake exploded a second time. The prince asked:’’Servant, did the carriage break?’’

“No, no, love has broken!” the servant answered.

On the road the sake exploded a third time. The prince asked:”Servant, did the carriage break?”

“No, no, love has broken!” answered the servant.

During the wedding the servant put on his ring, the one the prince gave near the spring waters and stood right behind the princes back. As soon as the wedding starts, the ring starts to shine as bright as the sun. The prince turned around and looked at the ring then the servant and right away remembered his true bride and remembered the one he was promised to. He made her change outfits and married the real bride that he promised near the spring waters.

And both lived happily ever after.