Midge and Bu-bell Fairy tales of Miloliza

After that incident Miloyar had long been afraid to go far from home. But as time went by, little by little everything was forgotten. And no one had seen Saina recently. It was as if she had vanished from the woods. Once Miloyar and his she-goat Midge were walking through the village and found themselves on the bank of Crybaby River. The goat went down to the river to drink. Suddenly it bleated at Miloyar as if it called him to come nearer. The boy came up to the goat and saw something glittering in the shallow water. It appeared to be a tiny bell. It was the size of a pigeon egg, and it seemed to be made of gold. «Be careful with it! » - Miloyar heard a female voice and turned around. It was Angelina. «This bell was dropped by a witch Saina. It hangs at the door of her house and rings when someone opens the door. Its chime enforces her sorcery powers. When she leaves the house, she takes the bell with her. I saw her in the village today». Nevertheless the boy put the bell into his pocket and headed with Midge to the village. At home he showed his find to Meelo-Liza and told her about the meeting with Angelona. A girl wrapped the bell into a handkerchief and ran to the edge of the village to the granny Martha. The old woman carefully inspected it and shook her head. This is what Martha said:
«Angelina is right, the bell belongs to Saina and really gives strength to her sorcery. Now we have an opportunity not only to deprive her from witchcraft, but also to turn her into an ordinary kind woman. And Midge will help us in it! Listen carefully, my dear. Tomorrow morning tie the bell around Midge’s neck and lead her to the same place at the Crybaby River. Let her graze there. Saina will definitely return there in search of her bell. When she brings it home again, and it ring sat the door, she will lose her sorcery powers and turn into aunty Saina, a good and reasonable woman. But all this will happen only if you put a stone, which I shall give you, inside the bell. And do as I told you. Day comes from the darkness, horsefly - from the grass! Granny Martha caressed the girl by the head and gave her a little sparkling turquoise stone. Miloliza ran home. «Stick the stone with the bee-glue! » - cried Martha to her. The girl returned home and long discussed it in whispers with a brother before going to bed.

In the morning after breakfast they went to the river and took the goat with them. Midge always liked when the kids took her with them. But that day she was especially happy because Meelo-Liza had bound a small beautiful bell around her neck. The girl did not forget to stick inside it a stone which granny Martha had given. They took the bee-glue from the old Piyun, who kept several hives near the house. Children left Midge beside the river, and left to gather berries on the nearby meadow. When they returned, there was no bell on the neck of the goat. Certainly Saina had come to the river and took it from Midge. Angelina was watching her from the forest and went after the witch. Once Saina bound the bell above the door and went in, Angelina knocked and opened the door. She heard a wonderful and gentle tinkle, reminding her of a captivating melody that she heard at nights in the Druid Village when she was a little girl. With this tinkle the pots and phials containing different potions bursted, and the enormous fence surrounding the house collapsed. This tune flowered dry trees in the witch’s courtyard, and the dark curtains on the windows turned into ashes. Saina showed herself in the chamber, but it was quite a different woman. Her appearance remained the same, but her eyes were full of kindness and endearment. «Hello, aunty Saina!» - hardly whispered Angelina being so much surprised…
And to this day Saina is still living in her forest house. She collects herbs, healing roots and berries. People come to her for help from all surrounding villages. Of course, it is very boring to live alone. Therefore, when Midge gave birth to several playful kids, Dad and Mom allowed the children to present aunty Saina one of them. She was very glad with such a lovely gift, and immediately bound around its neck the same bell! And she gave it a named straight away: she called it «Bluebell»! But Miloyar up to this day calls it in his own way: «Bu-bell». And I was there, drank water from a Crybaby River and stroked little Bu-bell.

That's a fairy tale’s end; all who read it - is my good friend!

© Copyright: Konstantin Dmitriev, 2008

Translated into English: Maria Lyukish, 2012