|| A Russian folktale ||
Many years ago, in a distant Russian village, there lived a peasant, by name Akem, with his wife Masha; they lived in a small wooden hut, where they spent their days in love and harmony. The only thing they wanted more was a child of their own. This used to sit by the window of their little hut looking at their neighbours’ children playing and kept wishing for children of their own.
One cold winter’s day, when the snow lay thick upon the uneven country roads, and the little village boys were running about throwing snowballs and making snowmen, old Akem and Masha sat by their window looking at them in silence.
Suddenly Akem looked up at his wife, and said, laughing, “Masha, what do you say to coming out into the road and making ourselves a snowman or woman, like those little boys?”
Masha laughed, too, it seemed such a queer thing to do at their age! She replied; “Let us go, it may cheer us up a bit; but let us rather make a child out of snow, as God does not seem to wish us to have a real one!”
Off went the couple, laughing at themselves all the while, and sure enough they commenced making a snow child! They made the legs, arms, hands, feet, and a snowball for the head.
When they had got the legs, arms, hands, feet, and head fixed up together, Akem began making the nose, two holes for the eyes, and was just drawing a small line for the mouth, when he suddenly, much to his surprise, felt warm breath come out of it.
He took his hand away quickly, and on looking up at the two holes made for the eyes, beheld two real, beautiful blue eyes; the lips became full and rosy, and as for the nose, it was the dearest little nose ever seen.
He screamed. “Good heavens! what does this mean? Is it a temptation of the Evil?” while the snow child threw her arms round his neck, and kissed him as though she were alive.
“O Akem! Akem!” cried Masha, trembling with joy, “God has at last taken pity on us, and sent us this child to us.” She was about to throw her arms around the snow child and embrace it, when the snow fell off, and left in Masha’s arms a beautiful little girl.
“Oh, my little Snow Maiden! my little darling!” cried the happy Masha, as she took the lovely child into their hut. Meanwhile, Akem could not get over his wonder. He rubbed his head, and felt sorely puzzled.
Meanwhile the little girl grew very rapidly, not only daily but hourly, into a tall, beautiful, and graceful girl.
Everyone was delighted with her. Akem’s hut was now always in constant company and life. The village girls and boys were frequent visitors to it; they played, read, and sang with the Snow Maiden.
She talked, laughed, and was altogether so cheerful and good natured, that everybody loved her dearly, and tried to please her in every possible way.
She had the most lovely white skin, just like snow; her eyes were like forget-me-nots, her lips and cheeks like roses; in fact, she was the very picture of health and beauty; with her lovely golden hair hanging down her back, she looked just like a girl of seventeen, though she was only a few days old.
Winter passed, the heavens rejoiced, the spring sun came out, the swallows began to fly about, and the grass and trees became green once more. The lovely Russian peasant girls gathered together, danced and sang their pretty Russian songs. But the Snow Maiden became dull.
“What is the matter with you, my darling?” asked Masha; “are you ill?” The Snow maiden only told her not to worry. The last snow had now vanished, the gardens began to bloom, the rivers and lakes rippled, the birds sang merrily; in fact all the wide world seemed happy; yet our little Snow Maiden drooped and looked sad.
She sat with her hands folded in the coolest part of the hut, sometimes writing on the floor with chalk.
She did not mind the winter sun, but the summer sun was her enemy; and quite natural, too, poor thing, when she was born in the winter in the snow!
At last the great summer feast arrived, the village youths and maidens came to the Snow Maiden and asked her to join them in a romp through the woods, and begged Masha to let her go with them. She consented, for she thought it might cheer Snow Maiden up.
They went with her into the forest, where the girls wove themselves gowns, while the young men gathered sticks, which they piled up in a row; and at sunset they set fire to them. Then they arranged themselves all in a row one after another, boys and girls, and prepared to jump over the burning heap.
This was a spring tradition, jumping over the row of small spring fire. Our Snow Maiden was the last in the row. She refused to jump.
They took her hand and bellowed, “One! two! three !” and away they went, jumping over the gentle flames in great delight. Suddenly they heard a piercing scream, and on looking round discovered that Snow Maiden was missing. Ah,” they cried, laughing, “she is up to one of her tricks again. Come, let us go and search for her.” They searched and searched but could not find her. It’s as if she had disappeared into thin air.
Poor Masha and Akem were heartbroken. They often go sit in the same corner where the Snow maiden sat, hoping she comes back anyday, where she had written with chalk, “Until the next snow”
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