The 7 Crows
The Forester's Family
Once upon a time, far away among the mountains, there was a green valley. A clear stream ran through the valley, and a forester built his stone house on its bank. The forester was married and had seven sons and only one daughter.
— Goodbye, my dear! Goodbye, children!
He always had to travel from home to work, and it was hard for his wife to raise the children alone.
— Oh dear! What an ugly bunch!
In fact, the girl was the only one who didn't cause her problems, because she was good, kind, and helpful. But the boys were the cause of her troubles because they were rude, disobedient, and quarrelsome.
The Disobedient Boys
They had no respect for their mother, and she was very worried about them.
— Boys! It's bedtime! — Beds are for old people, Mom! — Ah!
When her husband returned home, tired after a hard week's work, the poor wife couldn't bring herself to tell him about her sons' naughty behavior, because she didn't want to burden him further.
— Oh, poor dear, he's so tired. I mustn't bother him with such minor things.
A Silent Mistake
So the woman suffered in silence, not realizing that by her gesture, her sons would become even worse. In fact, when their father wasn't home to punish them, the boys continued to take advantage of the situation until it worsened.
— Boys, calm down!
— Brothers, please listen to Mom! — Shut up, you silly girl!
The Sister's Suffering
Their sister suffered the most, as she loved her brothers, even if they were naughty. But she especially loved her mother. Being the youngest, none of her brothers paid attention to her scoldings.
The Dangerous Grass
One fine day, the seven boys got into the biggest trouble. In the forest, a very dangerous grass grew that made animals' stomachs swell. The forester always told the boys to make sure their goats never ate it.
The naughty boys filled a bag with the grass and then mixed it with the animals' food.
— Hey, I'm curious to see how our goats swell up. And instead of bleating, they'll just inflate.
Later, the goats and cows fell ill. Their bellies swelled, they were in pain, and they couldn't stand up anymore.
— Oh, Mom, look! The animals are very sick. — Oh! What happened to the poor animals? We won't have milk anymore. We won't be able to make cheese. How will we survive then?
— Look how stupid these animals are.
The Mother's Curse
The boys laughed maliciously and didn't realize the harm they had done until the woman, in the depths of despair, cried out:
— I wish you were all crows and not my sons!
As she uttered these words, a mysterious cloud covered the sun. Suddenly it was very cold, and the boys transformed into seven large crows, who flew away cawing.
— Brothers! Oh, no! — Oh, dear me! What have I done?
The woman was so frightened and felt such great regret that she fainted.
— Oh, Mom! What should I do now?
When the father returned from work the next day, he learned the truth and was very upset. Nevertheless, he tried to console his wife.
— Never mind, dear, it's not your fault. Our boys were naughty, and it was to be expected that you would lose your temper.
A Grieving Family
But the house was filled with sadness and despair. A long time passed, and the little girl grew up. She remembered her brothers and rarely smiled anymore. One day, she asked her mother's permission to go look for them.
— No way, dear. I can't lose you too. — I will find them. I feel it. I feel I must go and that they are waiting for me. Let me go, Mom, and give me your blessing. Please. — All right, my dear.
The Search for Her Brothers
The mother couldn't resist the girl's insistence, and the little one left home with only a few provisions. She walked for two days through the forest, climbing towards the mountains.
— Brothers! Where are you?
Her provisions were running out, and soon she had no food left. Her clothes were torn, and she was cold and tired. On the third day, at dawn, she saw a strange cabin in the mist.
— I wonder who lives here?
The Mysterious Cabin
Something drew her towards the house, even though it looked gloomy and unwelcoming. When she was inside the house, she found a small table with seven bowls on it, and her heart beat very fast. Perhaps she had found what she was looking for.
— Could it be? Could they be my brothers?
She went further and saw a large pot full of wheat and oats on the fire.
— Oh, food! I'm starving!
The little girl was hungry and put some food in a bowl, which she ate with relish. Then she went upstairs and found a small bedroom with seven small beds, each with a differently colored blanket.
— Beds! In their favorite colors!
With tears in her eyes, the little girl realized that she had finally found her brothers. Exhausted from the journey and all the excitement, the little girl lay down on a bed and dozed off.
— I must wait for them here.
Later, the seven chattering crows opened the front door and sat around the kitchen table.
— Someone ate some of our soup. — But who would climb all the way up here? — We are doomed to be alone in these mountains forever. No one would come looking for us.
When they finished eating, the crows put on their sleeping caps. They went upstairs and found the little girl in one of their beds.
— But is this...?
Said one of the crows, after gently touching her hair with its beak.
— You're right! It's our sister! — Our sister! — Our sister! — Our sister!
At that moment, the little girl opened her eyes, and when she saw herself surrounded by large, ugly birds, she was frightened. But from an ugly beak, a kind voice spoke.
— Are you our sister? — Are you our sister? — Are you our sister? — Are you our sister?
The Reunion
The little girl stood up and opened her arms.
— My brothers! I found you! I found you! We are finally together!
The seven crows looked at her sadly.
— Don't you find us repulsive and scary?
The girl hugged each of them.
— I love you very much, and even if you've turned into crows, you are still my brothers.
When they heard this, the crows were moved and began to cry.
— Don't cry, please! — We miss home, family. — Why don't you come home with me? — We'd love to go home. — We'd love to go home. — We'd love to go home.
And we're sorry we were naughty.
— But how can we appear before our parents like this? — Mom will accept all of you just the same. I'm sure of it. She always cries and thinks of you. — Despite what we did? — Yes! That's how mothers are. She still hasn't forgiven herself for the curse she uttered, brothers. Come home, and she will be extremely happy to see all of you.
The little girl insisted and convinced her brothers to return with her.
— All right then, we'll all go home. — Yes, hurray! Let's go!
The Way Home
And she began to descend the mountain.
— No need to walk down the mountain, little sister. We'll carry you in flight, you'll see.
As they prepared to leave, the youngest brother said:
— Wait a minute. Let's take Mom all the shiny stones we found as a kind of gift.
He went inside and brought out bags full of beautiful stones.
— Wow! They are very beautiful! — Do you like them? — Very much! — They could be precious, you know? When we crows see something shiny, we can't help but take it, you see? This one shines more than the rest. Maybe it's a diamond. — Yes, maybe! It's beautiful, brother.
Finally, they left. The world looked very different from above. At first, the little girl was afraid.
— I'm going to fall, brothers! — Don't be afraid, little sister, we won't let you fall. — Don't be afraid, little sister, we won't let you fall.
The seven crows held her tight and flew safely. Then they spotted the valley, the stream, and the house where they had grown up. The yard was deserted, and when they landed, the little girl said:
— Wait here, and I'll go call Mom. Let's surprise her.
She quietly went into the kitchen and saw the poor woman crying over the table. She hugged her and, kissing her, said:
— Mom, I'm back, and I have a big surprise for you. — Oh, my dear, my dear girl! You're finally here! I thought I had lost you forever.
The Reunion
The poor woman was so happy and emotional that she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The girl wiped her tears and led her mother into the yard. In the yard, she found the crows.
— My dear boys! I missed you so much. I'm so sorry I invoked that curse. A mother should never say such a thing against her children. — No, Mom, we deserved it. We regret everything we did. We're sorry for our naughtiness. — Oh, my family is together again!
They all cried, thinking of the past, and suddenly another miracle occurred. The seven brothers became boys again.
— Oh, dear me! Brothers, you are yourselves again!
The father, who had heard voices, ran out of the house.
— Thank God I can see my children again! — Father, we are very sorry. — Father, we are very sorry. — Father, we are very sorry. — Father, we are very sorry.
He cried as he embraced his sons and daughter.
A New Life
Years passed, and the boys became more and more responsible. The stones the crows brought home turned out to be precious after all, and the treasure allowed the family to live a better life.
A mother's love is unconditional and can overcome any curse. And good deeds always bring rewards.
