«Don’t look at my small body. Small kindness is always stronger than any big evil. Hang a tiny silver bell on my neck and let me out of the cage. I’ll invent something to get you out of this mess.»
The orphan listened to the dove. She tied a small silver bell to the dove’s neck and let her out of the window.
В«Ding Ding-a-ling,В» the silver bell rings.
The white dove flew to the witch’s bedroom and sat on the window.
В«Good morning, my fair lady, good morning beauty! How very beautiful and pretty you are! There is no other woman inВ this world more beautiful than you.В»
The witch was pleased with such words. She loved herself very much, and she thought herself toВ be the prettiest and the loveliest woman inВ the world. She looked inВ the mirror: turned her right side, twisted her left side, jerked her shoulders, and bowed her head. Then fell toВ the pillows filled with down and sighed heavily:
«You tell the truth, stupid bird. But what is the good of the fact I’m so beautiful? Men don’t even know what a beauty is wasted for nothing! I have nobody to admire my prettiness. Nobody to pray over my magnitude. Nobody to worship my feet.»
«I can find you a young prince, handsome and brave. I have one in view actually. He wants to marry for a very long time, but he couldn’t find a decent wife. He wants somebody as graceful and regal as you. But first you have to coax him and to lure him to your palace. And then you know what to do, how to seduce, hitch up and bewitch a man. I’m not qualified to teach you this art.»
В«You lie, you feathery gossipmonger!В» The witch did not believe the dove, but her eyes lit up, she got up all excited. В«Are there still any wooers worthy ofВ my beauty?В»
The white dove described the young prince inВ all details, told her about his exploits and braveness. And when she told her ofВ his fortune, the greedy witch had no doubts that wooer was really worthy ofВ her incredible beauty. She was even surprised such aВ man was not her husbandВ yet.
В«Tell your housemaid toВ bake tasty pies and sweet cookies,В» the dove continued. В«Then send her with these gifts toВ the prince. Let her leave it all at the doors toВ his palace inВ secret so that nobody can see her. IВ will do the rest.В»
The orphan was young but aВ very good cook. She was so good at it, and her cooking was so tasty, even the witch had toВ admit she had never seen such aВ good cook.
The sun hadn’t risen yet when the old lady woke up the girl and ordered her to bake a lot of tasty gifts. Then she gave her a horse and sent her to the place indicated by the white dove. At that she ordered strictly to leave all the gifts in secret at the doors of the prince’s palace and get back as soon as possible.
The housemaid was shy and obedient. She did everything she was told and was back byВ the evening.
And the white dove, when the girl left the gifts at the doors of the prince’s palace, flew down, sat on the hanaper’s handle, and started to ring the little silver bell.
В«Ding-a-ling Ding-a-ling,В» the silver bell rings.
В«Come, my fair prince, come toВ the porch. Look at all the wonderful gifts, at the glorious treats.В»
The owner of the palace has heard the bell and the dove’s voice. He opened the door and saw lots of hanapers all full of cookies and pies. On one of the hanapers there was a white dove with a silver bell on her neck who told him in a soft voice:
В«Over the blue river near the Silver Wood there lives aВ beautiful lady. She sends you these wonderful gifts. She would like toВ treat you with her own cooking. Please, prince, be so kind and taste what she had cooked for you. If you like it, please, come and visit her. She will be happy toВ see you inВ her palace. She will receive you as aВ noble and decent man. You will never regret it, and you will always rememberВ it.В»
Thus, the bird said then flew up and disappeared.
The prince took the hanapers and go back to his palace. As he tasted the pies and the cookies, he loved them so much he ate everything to the last crumb. The orphan was a very skillful cook. He wanted to vault into the saddle instantly and go to the Silver Wood but could not. He ate so much he just couldn’t get off the table. So, he decided to visit the lady the next time and to thank her for all the wonderful treats as he should as a prince.
In the evening the white dove flew to the windowsill of the old lady’s bedroom again, and started to persuade her:
«The prince loved all your gifts. But you have to surprise him even more. Tell your housemaid to crochet some lace. Then tell her to bring them in secret to the prince’s porch and leave them there.»
The witch called the girl and ordered her to crochet the lace night and day. The girl went to the needles and crochets and spindles and went on following her wicked mistress’ will. And the witch only runs around her, black as a crow, only scares her with the closet full of rats.
When the witch left the cell, the white dove flew toВ the girl. The poor orphan was all inВ tears, her fingers all cut with needles and crochets. Tired and exhausted she was only moaning.
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