Now I will tell you about 12 months.Once upon a time there was a woman who had two daughters, one her own and the other her stepdaughter. She loved her daughter without memory, but she could not even look at her stepdaughter, and all because marushka was better than her Shaved one. Dobra marushka did not even know about her beauty, so she could not understand why her mother was shaking with anger every time she looked at her. Everything in the house she had to do herself: clean the rooms, cook, wash, sew, spin, go near korivchini, carry her grass. And the shaved one did nothing but preen herself and warm herself in the sun. Marushka, busy with the housework, meekly, like a lamb, endured sisterly and abusive curses and curses.

But no matter how hard she tried, it was all in vain: her mother and sister hated her more and more, for marushka was becoming more beautiful, and Shaven — potvornisha. "Why should I keep such a beautiful stepdaughter in my house? When guys come to us to Woo, they love their Marushka, but they won't even look at the shaved One», my stepmother once thought, and since then she has firmly resolved to get rid of the unfortunate Marushka. They starved her and beat her, but She endured and forgave them everything.

Once,— and it was in the middle of January, - Shaven suddenly wanted to smell violets.

— Go, Marushko, to the forest and bring me a bunch of violets, I want to pin them on my chest and enjoy their fragrance, " she told her sister.

"Oh, my God, sister, what are you doing?" Who ever heard of sweet violets growing under the snow? — no, " said the poor girl.

"Oh, you lazily bad! You still dare to contradict me? Go to the forest at once, and if you don't bring the violets, I'll kill you! Shaven threatened her.

And the stepmother grabbed Marushka by the hand, pushed her out of the house and locked the door behind her.

The poor girl wept bitterly and went into the forest. There was a lot of snow that winter, and there wasn't even a trace of it anywhere. The girl lost her way and wandered for a long time. Hungry, frozen with cold, she asked the God for death.

Suddenly the girl saw a light in the distance, went to it, and soon found herself on the top of the mountain. There was a large fire burning, and near it lay twelve stones on which sat twelve men. Three of them were gray-bearded, three younger, three even younger, and three very young and most beautiful. They sat in silence and stared at the fire. These twelve men were twelve months old. January was sitting on the highest rock, his hair and beard as white as snow, and in his hand he held a large stick.

I scared marushka. For a moment she stood frozen with astonishment, and then she grew bolder, and came nearer and asked:

Good people, let me warm myself by your fire, I am quite tired.

January in assent, nodded his head and asked:

— Why did you come here baby? What are you looking for here?

"I came for the violet," maruschka replied.

— Now is not the time to gather violets, for there is still deep snow all around!" January said.

"Oh, I know that well enough, but my sister Shaved and my stepmother told me to bring violets from the forest. If I come back empty-handed, they will kill me. I beg you, good uncles, tell me where to find them.

January got up from the stone, went to a very young month, and, giving him a stick in his hands, said:

- Brother monkey, move up!

The month of March sat on the highest stone and waved a stick over the hearth. At the same moment the fire pushed high up, the snow began to melt, the buds on the trees swelled, under young beeches green grass, in the grass zacheroni stocretec buds — spring has begun. Under the bushes from under last year's leaves, violets broke out and bloomed, and before marushka even knew it, there were already so many of them, as if someone had sent out a blue blanket.

"Hurry up, Marushko! — ordered her in March.

Marushka was happy and began to pick flowers. Soon she picked a large bouquet, thanked the moons redly, and ran merrily home.

How surprised Shaven and stepmother were when they saw that marushka was returning with violets, both rushed to open the door for her, and in a minute the whole hut was filled with the fragrance of violets.

— Where did you get them?" BRITA asked, annoyed.

"They grow high in the mountains in the forest under the bushes, there are a lot of them," marushka replied.

The shaved one took the violets, pinned them on her chest, sniffed them herself, gave them to her mother to smell, but did not tell her sister: "Smell it, too!»

On the second day, when shaven was warming up at the stove, she suddenly wanted strawberries. She called to her sister and ordered her:

— Go, Marushko, to the forest and bring me strawberries!

"Oh, my God, sister, where am I going to get them for you?" Or has anyone ever heard of strawberries growing under the snow? maruschka replied.

"You lazy man, you still dare to contradict me! Go to the forest now, because if you don't bring strawberries, I'll kill you! "don't worry," the furious shaven one threatened.

The stepmother grabbed Maruschka by the hand, pushed her out of the house and locked the door behind her.

Crying bitterly, the girl went into the forest. There was a lot of snow that winter, and there wasn't even a trace of it anywhere. Hungry and cold, she suddenly saw the light. Marushka was happy and went to him. I came back to the big mountain where I had been sitting by the fire for twelve months. January sat on the highest seat.

Good people, let me warm myself by your fire, I'm zakatable, marushka asked.

January in assent, nodded his head and asked:

— What you've come here looking for?

— I came here for strawberries! maruschka replied.

"But it's winter, and strawberries don't grow in the snow," January said.

"I know that," marushka answered sadly, " but my sister Shaved and my stepmother told me to bring strawberries, and if I don't bring them, they will kill me." Please tell me where I can find strawberries.

January got up from His seat, went to the month, who was sitting opposite, gave him a stick and said:

- Brother June, move up!

The month of June sat on the highest rock and waved a stick over the fire. The fire rose high up, the snow melted around it in an instant, the ground turned green, the trees were covered with leaves, birds began to chirp, various flowers bloomed in the forest — and summer came. Under the young beeches, as if someone had sown white stars. They instantly turned into ripe, fragrant strawberries.

- Hurry up and collect it, Marushko, don't worry! the month of June ordered her.

Marushka was happy, rushed to collect strawberries and soon collected their full apron. Then she thanked him redly and ran home, happy.

The Shaved one was surprised, and the stepmother was surprised when they saw that marushka was really bringing home strawberries, and even a full apron. They both rushed to open the door for her, and the whole hut was immediately filled with the smell of strawberries.

— Where did you get them?" BRITA asked, annoyed.

"High up in the forest, where they grow a lot under the young beeches," marushka answered.

The shaven one took strawberries, ate her fill, and the stepmother also ate, but they did not say to Marushka, " take one for Yourself!"

The Shaved one ate strawberries, and on the third day she wanted red apples.

— Go, Marushko, to the forest and bring me red apples! "stop it!" she ordered her sister.

"Oh, dear, sister, do apples grow in winter?" poor marushka protested.

"Oh, you lazily bad! You still dare to push me when I tell you to! Anu go to the forest now, and if you don't bring red apples, I'll kill you! beda shaven threatened her.

And the stepmother grabbed Marushka by the hand, pushed her out of the house and locked the door behind her.

The girl, weeping bitterly, ran straight to the top of the mountain, where a large fire burned, near which sat twelve months. January sat on the highest seat.

Good people, let me warm myself by your fire, I'm all zakatable,"what is it?" she asked.

January in assent, nodded his head and asked:

What is it that you came here looking for?

I came upon red apples,— said maruska.

"But it's winter, and red apples don't grow in winter," said January.

"I know that," maruschka replied sadly, " but my sister Shaved and my stepmother told me to bring them red apples from the forest."

If I didn't, they threatened to kill me. I beg you, uncles, tell me where the apples grow.

Then January got Up from his seat, went to one of the brothers-months, put a stick in his hands, and said:

"Brother September, move up!"

The month of September sat on the highest stone and waved a stick over the hearth. The fire flared red, and the snow around them began to melt, but the trees were not clothed in leaves; one by one the leaves began to fall, and a cold breeze carried them across the yellowed meadow. Maruschka had never seen such a variety of flowers: brother-and-sister bloomed on the slopes, red carnations, in the valleys of the evergreen, under the young beeches, tall ferns rioted. But she was only looking for apples, and suddenly she really saw an Apple tree, and high up on it, between the branches,- red-side apples.

"Hurry up, Marushko, hurry up, you cowards!" "I told her to wait a month."

Marushka was happy and trotted the Apple tree — one Apple fell.

She trotted again — and the second one fell.

- Hurry, Marushko, go home! month shouted to her.

Marushka grabbed both apples, thanked the months in red, and ran merrily home.

The Shaved woman was surprised, and the stepmother was surprised when they saw that marushka had returned alive and well. They both rushed to open the door for her, and marushka gave them the apples.

— Where did you pick them?" Shaven asked.

There, high in the mountains, they grow in the forest, and there are still many of them, " marushka replied.

— Why didn't you bring more?" Or maybe she ate them on the way? the Shaven one snapped at her.

"Oh, sister, I didn't even eat a bite. When I shook the Apple tree the first time, one Apple fell, and when I shook it the second time, another one fell, but they didn't let me shake it any more and told me to run home! maruschka replied.

- And to be beaten by thunder! Shaven swore and tried to hit her sister.

Crying bitterly, marushka ran out to the kitchen. And Lasha Britta, meanwhile, had calmed down and started to eat the Apple. It seemed to her extremely delicious, and she assured that such delicious apples did not eat, the chips live. My stepmother liked the Apple, too. They ate the apples, and they wanted more.