In a village, a good girl named Maruška lived with her bad stepmother and stepsister Holena. Maruška worked a lot, the stepmother and Holena were bad and lazy.
In winter, the stepmother wanted violets and said: “Bring me the blue flowers – violets!” Maruška was afraid and went to look for violets in the snow. She walked through the forest, there was white snow everywhere and she saw a fire.
There were twelve men sitting around the fire – they were the Months.
The eldest, January, asked. “What do you want, Maruška?” “Please, I need violets for my stepmother,” said Maruška.
January gave his brother March a stick. The snow disappeared, the sun began to shine, violets grew. Maruška picked them, thanked them and went home.
The stepmother and Holena were surprised.
The next day Holena wanted red strawberries. Maruška went to the fire again and asked the Months. The month June made it warm and strawberries grew in the grass. Maruška picked the strawberries and returned home.
On the third day, the stepmother wanted apples. Maruška had to go to the fire again and the month of September made the apples red apples on the tree. Maruška got two apples and brought them home.
The stepmother and Holena wanted a full basket of apples. But they were bad and the Months created wind to blow the stepmother and stepsister away. They never returned home.
And so the fairy tale ends and Maruška lives happily.
A good and hardworking girl named Maruška lived in a village. She lived with her stepmother and her stepsister Holena. The stepmother was very bad and Holena was lazy. Maruška had to work and Holena just lay in bed.
One winter, Holena said: “I want violets!” The stepmother said to Maruška: “Go to the forest and bring violets!” Maruška was sad, but she went into the snow to look for violets.
She walked through the forest, the wind was blowing, it was freezing, and Maruška was tired. Suddenly she saw a light in the distance. It was a fire and twelve men were sitting around it. The oldest of them, January, had a long white coat and was holding a stick in his hand.
“Why did you come, Maruška?” January asked. “The stepmother sent me to get violets,” Maruška answered.
January said to his brother: “March, we will help Maruška.” March waved his stick and the snow disappeared, the sun began to shine and the violets appeared. Maruška picked them quickly, thanked them and ran home.
The stepmother and Holena could not believe their eyes. “She is a witch,” they said.
The next day Holena wanted strawberries. “Maruška, go to the forest and bring me strawberries,” said the stepmother.
Maruška had to go into the snow again. When she reached the fire, she asked the Months for help. Now the month June took the stick. He waved his stick, the grass grew, it was warm, red strawberries grew. Maruška picked them into a bowl, thanked them and returned home.
The third day Holena wanted apples. Maruška had to go to the forest again and ask for help again. And the marigolds helped Maruška again. The month of September gave red apples on the trees.
Maruška picked two apples, thanked her and returned home. The stepmother and Holena were angry and said: “Why did you bring only two apples, we want more.” And they went to the forest.
When they came to the Months, they said. “Give us strawberries and apples!”
January said. “You don’t know how to behave properly, we will give you winter and frost!” He raised his magic wand, a strong wind began to blow and blew both women away. They never returned home.
Maruška lived happily ever after.
And so the fairy tale ended and whoever was good lived well.
A long time ago, in a small village in Bohemia, a girl named Maruška lived. She was kind, patient and hardworking, but she had a hard life. After her mother died, her father remarried and brought home her stepmother and her daughter Holena. The stepmother did not like Maruška because Maruška was deaf and could not understand her.
Maruška understood the world differently – she watched the movements of lips, felt the vibrations in the wooden floor and could recognize people’s emotions from their faces.
One winter, when it was frosty and windy outside, Holena said: “I want fresh, fragrant violets in my room!”
The stepmother looked at Maruška and said: “Did you hear Holena? Go get the violets right away and don’t come back without them!”
Maruška did not hear her words, but she recognized the order in the movements of her lips and in the evil expression on her face. She knew that violets don’t grow in January! But she put on a warm woolen scarf and went into the forest.
The wind was blowing, Maruška was walking through deep snow. Suddenly she saw a light in the distance between the trees. She quickly followed the light.
She saw a fire among the trees and were sitting around twelve old men. The oldest man with a long silver beard was holding a stick in his hand.
The man was moving his lips, Maruška couldn’t hear his words, but she saw his face and the gestures of his hands – she knew that the man was asking why she had come. Maruška pointed to her mouth and shook her head to show that she couldn’t hear. Then she drew a picture of a violet flower in the snow.
The oldest of them, January, understood. He said: “Brother March, take the magic stick for a moment.”
March got up, waved his stick. The snow disappeared, the sun began to shine and violet flowers grew. Maruška picked them, thanked them with a gesture.
When she returned home, her stepmother and Holena were very surprised!
The next morning Holena said: “I want fresh strawberries!”
Maruška had to go to the forest again. The month June took a magic wand and sweet, red strawberries grew. Maruška quickly picked them and returned home.
The third day, her stepmother wanted apples. Maruška had to go to the forest again for the month. And she brought two red apples. But Holena wanted more apples. So the stepmother and Holena went to get the apples themselves.
When they came to the fire, they looked at the old men-months and the stepmother said: “Give us more apples!”
January frowned, did not speak and just waved her stick. A freezing wind began to blow. The wind carried both women away.
Maruška then lived happily. The months taught her to understand nature, and she herself taught them her sign language. Everyone loved Maruška.
