Chapter 3
recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by James Pinnegar. Favourite Fairy Tales Retold by Julia Darrow cows. Section 3. The Twelve Months from Labelay. Once upon a time, a poor peasant woman was left a widow. She had a daughter whose name was Laboga, and a little serving maid whose name was Dobrunka. Now, Dobrunka was good and kind, and as beautiful as she was good, whilst Laboga was proud and cruel.
Dobrunka was given all the hard tasks and all the scoldings, while Zloboga did only fine stitching, and was petted and praised. One day in January there was to be a party in the neighbourhood. Zloboga could go, for though her mother was so poor, she had a fine party dress. But Dobrunka could not go, for she had nothing fit to wear.
Dobrunka was very unhappy, but neither Zloboga nor her mother cared for that. When the day of the party came, Slaboga declared that she must have a bunch of violets to wear. They would just match the colour of my dress, she said. But violets do not blossom in January, exclaimed Dobrunka. I care not, said Slaboga, with a stamp of her foot.
You are to find me a bunch of violets, and do not come back till you bring them. Poor Dobrunka was pushed out into the cold, and the door was closed and bolted behind her. She hurried to the woods, for she knew not where else to go. The wind blew and the snow drifted, but as she reached the bare woods, she saw a light farther on. She hurried toward it, and suddenly she came to a circle of twelve stones.
There was a fire in the midst of the circle, and upon each of the twelve stones sat a man clothed all about in a cloak, with a hood drawn down to his eyes. Three of the cloaks were of dazzling white, three were of tender green, three of a golden yellow and three of a rich deep purple. Dobrunker stopped in astonishment, but she was so cold that after a moment she spoke.
Kind sirs, she said, may I come to your fire? I am almost perished with the wind and the cold. An old man with a long white beard who held a staff in his hand answered her. Come and welcome, he said. We are the twelve months of the year, and I am January. "'Will you tell us who you are and why you come here alone?' "'I am Dobrunka,' she answered, stretching her hands out to the fire.
"'I am sent here by Zloboga and her mother to gather violets.' "'Violets in January?' exclaimed the old man. "'What notion is this?' "'It is very foolish, I know,' replied Dobrunka. "'But Zloboga and her mother will beat me if I go back without them.'
At that, the old man handed his staff to a figure clad in green. This is a matter for you to manage, Brother March, he said. At that the figure in green arose, took the staff, stirred the fire, and rapped gently upon the ground. Immediately the air grew warm, the grass sprang up, the leaves came forth, and all about in the woods the purple violets blossomed. With a cry of delight, Debrunka gathered all that her hands could hold of the fragrant flowers, and thanking March prettily, she hastened away.
When she reached home, Zlaboga and her mother were astonished, but Zlaboga pinned the blossoms in her dress and went away to the party. She did not say so much as thank you to Debrunka. The next day, having stayed out late at the party, Zlaboga was more than usually cross and hard to please.
Nothing tastes good, she exclaimed as she pushed away her plate. I wish I had a dish of strawberries. Debrunka, she added, where did you find the violets yesterday? In the woods, replied Dobrunka. They were thick upon the ground. Then go and get me some strawberries, commanded Zloboga. Nothing else will satisfy me.
Strawberries in January, exclaimed Dobrunka. There were no strawberries in the woods. I care not, said Zloboga with a stamp of her foot. You must get me a dish full, and come not back till you find them. Once more Dobrunka was pushed out into the cold, and the door was shut and bolted. Frightened and cold, she again made her way to the woods. It was bitterly cold, but when she reached the edge of the woods, she saw again the shining light.
She made her way to it, and holding out her hand, she said as before, Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am almost perished with cold. Again, January bade her welcome, and asked her what she sought. I am sent for a dish full of strawberries, she said, though it seems but a foolish errand. Strawberries in January, exclaimed the old man, and will you be beaten if you go back without them?
Yes indeed, cried poor Debrunca, and the door is bolted against me till I bring them. Then January took his staff and handed it to one of the figures clad in a cloak of gold. Brother June, he said, you must manage this. then june arose and taking the staff he stirred the fire till all the air grew warm then he tapped upon the ground and the grass grew green the leaves burst forth and the earth was
dotted with red red berries oh oh exclaimed a bronca clasping her hands how good you are to me then she fell upon her knees and soon she had filled her apron with the ripe fruit thanking june in her prettiest manner she hastened home and poured the berries out before Zloboga and her mother. Where did you find them? asked Zloboga coldly. And when Dobrunka told her that there were many of them in the woods, she ate them greedily. But not a thank you, did she say
to Dobrunka. The next day it was apples that Zloboga wanted, and as before, Dobrunka was sent to fetch them, and the door was bolted. Again she ran to the woods, facing the cold north wind and stumbling through the drifts of snow. But the bright light still shone, and when she reached it the circle of figures sat about the fire as on the two previous days. May I come again to your fire, kind friends? asked Debrunka.
You are welcome, said January, but what is your errand today? Today I must find apples, said Debrunka, and I shall be beaten if I bring them not back. Then January handed his staff to a figure clothed in a gown of deep purple, and as he did so he said, Brother September, this is a matter for you to manage. Then September stirred the fire with the staff, and the air grew warm, and trees put forth their leaves, and the apple trees covered
themselves with pink blossoms. Then the petals fell, and in their place hung many red-cheeked apples. Shake the tree, Dobrunka, said September, and Dobrunka shook the tree. Two ripe apples fell, and she picked them up, thanked September with a smile, and ran away home. Only two apples, exclaimed Zloboga as she entered. Why did you not bring more? Only two fell when I shook the tree, said Dobranca. Zloboga and her mother never before
had eaten apples of so delicious a flavour. The next morning, Zloboga declared, I am going to the woods today. I want more of those delicious apples. I am going to find the wonderful tree upon which they grow, and shake down all its fruit. Let Dobrunker bring them to you, said her mother. But Zlaboga was willful, and in spite of the cold and snow, she set out to find the wonderful tree and gather all its fruit. She ran away to the woods, and her mother, fearing
that some harm would come to her, followed. But Zlaboga did not see the shining light that had guided Dobrunka, and she lost her way in the snow and the cold. Dobrunka wondered and wondered when Zloboga and her mother did not come back, and after many days, for no one ever heard of them again, she became mistress of the little cottage, the cow, the garden, and the chickens. And one day a neighbour's son came to her door and asked her to marry him, and they lived in the little cottage
and were happy ever afterward. End of section three. Recording by James Pinnegar.
