Snake

The husband and the wife have lived together many years, but children at them were not. The wife constantly complained:

- Oh-oh-oh! And for whom only we work and in the house, and in the field, well for whom? For itself? But whether it is necessary to us much! And after us to whom it is all will get? To whom? To another's people. Someone the stranger will eat in our house, to sleep in it. Also will ruin everything, that we have made for the century... And here if there would be at us a son, it would help us to work, together with us would eat that we collect in the field...

The husband consoled it:

- Well, what you all complain? After all not one you, many women have no children... And we work to live. Would be healthy, and the rest is unimportant!

The wife disagreed with it and, not ceasing, complained of the share. Once at night to it has dreamt, that there is it on the bank of lake, types water in a jug, and any old woman suddenly approaches to it and speaks:

- Hi, the kind woman!

- Hi, the grandmother...

- Here you all complain, that you do not have children. You want, you will have a daughter?

- Certainly I want, very much I want!

- Well, well. Your desire will be granted. Look, only do not tell to anybody the dream.

The woman has woken up. Villages on a mat. It so has got agitated, that has lighted a tube.

The husband too has woken up and has with astonishment asked:

- What with you?

- So, anything... It would not be desirable to sleep...

- No, a lie. Earlier you never smoked at night... But the woman, carrying out council of the old woman, has not told to it about the dream. She has decided to leave the house, walk: conversation with the old woman did not leave at it a head.

But the husband has not allowed the wife to leave the house. Unless she does not understand, what it is dangerous? Unless she does not know, what at night wild animals nearby wander?

The dream - as death, it comes, even when for it do not wait. And the woman eventually has fallen asleep. And the husband has dozed off.

To the woman has again dreamt, that it on the bank of the same lake, with the same jug which fills with water. And again she hears a voice of the same old woman:

- Listen, the woman if I make so, what you will give birth, you will execute a vow?

- Certainly, I will execute!

- And so, you will have a daughter. Only remember: the girl never should see the person - neither in a mirror, nor in glass, reflected in water. Look, if will see the person, you will lose a daughter.

In the morning the woman has woken up very happy. And though the husband, having reminded the wife about strange behaviour at night, began to scold her, she to it has told nothing.

Very soon at it the stomach has started to grow. And people around were whispered:

- Look! It is pregnant! You saw its stomach?

Months pass in fairy tales quickly. When time has come, at the woman childbirth has begun. The midwife has come, and on light there was unusually beautiful girl.

People continued to be whispered:

- Well, unless we did not speak? It was really pregnant. To think only so long it did not have children! Here it is surprising!

In the first night after sorts the same dream has again dreamt the woman.

- Now you have a child, - the familiar voice has told. - but know: nobody should see it. The girl should not leave the house, remember it!

And the woman began to do everything that nobody saw her daughter. It even has ceased to work in the field. And when she needed to follow water, the father guarded the child.

The baby already crept, when the familiar dream has again dreamt the woman. Now the old woman has told:

- It is already possible to show the girl to people. Call its Samba. Do not forget only that I spoke to you earlier: she should not see the person - neither in a mirror, nor in glass, in water!

All people were surprised, увидав the girl:

- Oh! Oh! Oh! That for unprecedented beauty! Such child still light not видывал!

Mother has again started to work in иоле, leaving the girl to play with other children.

The unique, favourite daughter, Samba always was clean and elegant. Parents cared for it, caressed. When it became more senior, the father and mother took it with itself in the field. They have shown to it as grows маниока as look sweet бататы, peanuts. The samba laughed for pleasure, all to it was new and it is interesting. The father and mother have filled two huge baskets with vegetables and tubers, and all together have gone home.

And suddenly, when they went on an open field, the sky was eclipsed by a huge cloud and the rain has rushed!

Parents have rushed to run. But the small Samba did not hurry up. It in the life has come to be for the first time under a rain, and it has very much liked it.

Mother, being anxious, that with a daughter happens any misfortune, has begun to cry and began to call the girl:

Samba, Samba, run from a rain, Hurry up, my daughter, the Samba, the Samba, run from a rain!

And the girl, continuing slowly to go on road, answered:

Mum, I cannot run, Bracelets will break on legs. The father, I cannot run, Bracelets will break on handles!

At last, all wet from a rain, they have reached to the house. Fortunately, with the girl there was nothing bad. She at all has not noticed a huge snake, which as a thick log, laid at a roadside, luxuriating in warm water.

In some years according to the advice of kind neighbours the Samba have given on training to the woman - the girl should be able to clean the house and to cook food. About one parents only asked this woman: to hide all mirrors what are in the house. And windows with glasses here was not.

All went well. But once to the Samba when it cleaned a room, it wanted to open a chest. The samba has turned a key which is sticking out in the lock, has opened a cover and has glanced inside. How many there things! For another it took out one thing and rejected aside is all to it is uninteresting. And suddenly she has seen a mirror. Surprised, it has pulled out it and has screamed:

- Ah, what is it? Who it?

And at once has grown dumb. This minute the mistress of the house has entered. That she spoke, how many it shook the Samba for hands, the girl was silent, only swung a head, and large tears slid on her face. And suddenly it is direct on eyes at the mistress the girl has disappeared, as has vanished into thin air.

The woman has rushed to search for it. Where the girl could disappear? The despair has captured the woman, but here she has recollected about a mirror. How she has not guessed at once? After all the chest is opened! All things are rummaged in it!

In some days as usually, mother has come to visit the Samba. It has brought on a head in a gift to the mistress the big basket with fruits and vegetables. Having learnt about happened, mother has bitterly begun to sob.

All native all acquaintances searched for a Samba... The favourite Was gone., a long-awaited daughter!

And at this time the Samba has come to be near to one house. Both the owner of this house and all servants have regretted the unfortunate girl. Such beautiful and mute! A samba have sent to work on kitchen. It has appeared very clean, well washed ware. In general all with it were very happy.

Once, when the cook on kitchen was not, the huge snake who goodness knows where from has undertaken, has swallowed all food cooked per day. The cook has returned has seen, that all is eaten, and has solved, precisely the Samba has made it. The cook has complained to the owner, and the Samba have expelled. After all the girl was mute and could explain nothing!

The samba has come to other house, and here it have regretted and have tenderly accepted. But the snake has appeared here again. It has crept in the house when there were no owners, and has interrupted all ware. Owners have accused of it the Samba, have beaten it and have banished.

And again the poor thing should search for a new place. Here it too have regretted. But the damned snake and here did not give it rest. It appeared is invisible to all while in the house there was one Samba, and also devoured meal, beat ware. However owners have not put all fault on the Samba. They after all really loved it.

Somehow the owner was going to go to a city. Before departure it has called all family and all servants and has asked, to whom of that to bring. The Samba has not come only: the mistress of the house has not called the girl - all the same the poor thing can tell nothing, after all it mute! But the owner has demanded, that the Samba too has come.

When the owner has asked it, that she wants, that it to it has brought, to great surprise of everything, the Samba has suddenly started talking. A shy voice she has asked to bring the owner to it a knife, <that itself cut>, the grinding stone, <that itself sharpened>, and the fixture, <that itself was lighted>. Having told it, the girl has again grown dumb.

The owner has left. And when he has come back home, has brought to everyone that he asked. With an affable smile it has given to the Samba a knife, a grinding stone and the fixture.

The samba has hidden gifts at itself in a room. At late night the snake there has crept. But because of the Samba pillow the knife has instantly jumped out and has started to cut to pieces a snake, the grinding stone began to sharpen on the move a knife, and the fixture has brightly flashed to burn pieces of a snake body.

Early in the morning owners have entered into the Samba room and were dumbfounded for horror, having seen the pieces of an enormous snake cut to pieces and burnt scattered on a floor. And the Samba to which speech gift has again returned, has explained, that this snake caused all its misfortunes. Everything, that has occurred to the Samba, was business of malicious sorcery. And now to all misfortunes the end has come.

The samba has returned to the parents and began to live with them, surrounded with care and love. And then one of sons of that person who has brought to the Samba a knife, married it a grinding stone and the fixture.