Once upon a time there was a very poor man. His wife died and he had to marry another one. He had a girl from his first wife and the second wife brought her own girl. The man’s daughter was pretty but the woman’s daughter was quite ugly.
The two girls went for water to the fountain. But accidentally the prince was hunting there. He saw the beautiful girl and fell in love with him. He went home but all the time he was thinking about the girl. He got sick about her.
On the morning he took the gun and went hunting. He passed near by the fountain to water his horse but what to see there! – a poor girl, a black one. Meanwhile, as the stepmother understood that the prince fell in love with her stepdaughter, not with her own one, spread charcoals on her face. The prince did not recognize her and passed her by.
This happened on the first day, on the second day… On the third day the stepmother dressed her daughter in a pretty dress and sent her to the fountain. The prince went hunting again and passed by the fountain. As he saw the pretty dressed daughter he liked her. He went to the palace and told his parents he wanted her.
On the next day the king and the queen when to talk to the parents of the girl. But what were they to see when they went to the girl’s house? The stepmother has already washed her stepdaughter and she was pretty again.
‘Woman, the king said, our son probably does not know that his girl has a prettier sister. Let’s invite them together tonight to a ball. Let him look at them and choose one.’
Then he said to the stepmother:
‘Our son liked your daughter but he did not tell us which one. Bring them both tonight to a ball in the palace!’
The stepmother however decided to break the king’s order. She dressed only her own daughter and they both went to the ball. The beautiful girl started to cry. She was crying, crying and suddenly her godmother came. She was a good magician.
‘Why do you cry?’ – she asked her.
‘Because I also want to go to the ball but my stepmother did not let me! And I do not have a dress.’
Then the godmother made magic and dressed the girl in the most beautiful clothes. She put her on the prettiest carriage and sent her to the palace.
When the prince saw the girl he immediately recognized the girl and started to dance only with her. They were dancing, dancing and when it became late the beautiful girl ran away. She was afraid that her stepmother would be angry with her. She went home, hid the beautiful clothes, and started to pretend she was sleeping. On the morning she took the pitcher for water and went to the fountain. But the prince was already waiting for her there.
‘Why are you hiding from me? Why did you run yesterday?’
‘I am afraid of my stepmother. She does not allow me to see you!’ – the girl answered.
‘Why did your father marry to such a bad woman?’
‘Because he is poor.’
‘And you, do you want to marry me?’
‘Yes, I want!’ – the girl was happy.
‘Then come with me! You will become my wife! You and your father will live in the palace and poverty will be far away from now on!’
So they got married and started to live happily.