East of the Sun and West of the Moon
Once upon a time, there was a poor farmer who lived in a ramshackle hut in a remote village with his wife and children. The youngest child was a girl named Ra.
Ra was as beautiful as she was wise. She took the farmer's only mule to graze at dawn and sang all day to the birds and flowers.
She only returned at sunset.
One evening, just as she had returned and was helping her mother cook, there was a knock at the door.
— I'll get it.
The farmer opened the door and saw a bear standing before him.
— Please, do not be afraid, sir. I mean you no harm. — Who is it, dear? — No one. — What do you want from me? — I live in a castle beyond the mountains. I am alone there. I heard your daughter singing in the forest. She truly has the voice of an angel. If she would sing to me every day, just for one year, I would pay her so well that you would never know poverty again, and she would have anything she desires. — How can I send my daughter with a bear? — As you can see, I am no ordinary bear. I will ensure she is well cared for and happy. — I must ask her first. Wait here a moment.
The farmer returned inside and spoke with his family.
— Our daughter will not go with a bear! — But Mother, he said he would pay us a handsome sum. We need the money. We need more mules, the roof needs repairing, new shoes and clothes for everyone.
— But you will be far from us, Ra! — It's only for a year, Mother! — Besides, don't you remember the prophecy? — It can't be that. — You never know. — Father, Mother, what prophecy? — Something a fortune-teller said would happen when you turned 18. And you turned 18 last week. — Well, what is it? — When you turn 18, you will embark on a journey that will make you a queen. — How? — No, no matter what, I cannot let my daughter go with a bear! — Look, if the bear were dangerous, he would have attacked us already. — Father is right. I think I must go.
So Ra decided to go with the bear. The bear asked her to sit on his back and hold onto his fur, and he hurried over the three mountains towards his majestic palace.
— Here, this will be your home for the next year, my lady. And whatever you may need, just ring the silver bell and your wish will be granted. But please, do not enter the garden after sunset. — Thank you, Mr. Bear! — You must be hungry. Would you like a warm stew? — I would love one, yes indeed.
The Bear's Palace
Ra ate to her heart's content, then wished to rest, for she was very tired. Ra rang the silver bell, and immediately the softest bed imaginable appeared, with white and gold silk pillows.
Every day, Ra sang to the bear in the morning, and they sat and talked all day, but the bear disappeared just before sunset and never told her where he went.
One evening, Ra could not sleep. So she went for a walk through the palace when she heard the most beautiful music in the whole world. Somewhere outside in the garden, near the fragrant fountain, someone was playing the violin.
She could not see who it was. She wanted to enter the garden, but she remembered that the bear had asked her not to enter the garden after sunset. So she stayed where she was, mesmerized by the melody.
Things continued like this for months. Ra sang to the bear during the day, and at night she listened to the music coming from the garden.
As happy as she was with the bear, Ra terribly missed her family. She became sad.
One morning,
— Your songs have been wonderful, but they were so sad today. What is the matter? Is something bothering you? — I miss my family so much. It has been months since I last saw them. — I can take you to them if you wish? — Would you do that? — Of course. But you must promise me you will not tell them what you have seen here. — I promise!
Thus the bear took Ra back to her father's house, which was no longer a dilapidated hut, but rather a grand villa. And there was no trace of poverty in that rich house.
Great was the joy of her parents when they saw Ra.
— Mother, Father! — Ra, my child! I see you again after so long! — How are you, my child? And how are you, Mr. Bear? — I am very well, thank you. I will return tomorrow to pick up Ra. — We missed you so much! — And how is it there, Ra? — Let her eat in peace. Ra, come into the kitchen with me, please. Help me bring the dessert. — Didn't you want to let her eat in peace? — Finish your food. Come with me, Ra.
— Ra, tell me, is everything well there? Is there nothing unusual happening? — Mother, everything is fine. — I'm sure. You look very well. But is there anything unusual at the bear's palace?
Ra wanted to tell her mother everything about the mysterious music someone played every night. She wanted to so badly that, on the spur of the moment, she forgot that the bear had forbidden her to speak and told her mother everything.
— Well, now when you return to the bear's palace, when you hear the music at night, hide behind the fountain and stay there until dawn. When he comes to wash his face at the fountain, you will see his image in the water and you will see who he is. — But Mother, the bear forbade me to enter the garden. — Well, he hired you to sing to him, not to follow his orders. Do as I tell you.
The Journey
So the next night, when Ra arrived back at the bear's palace, although she was tired, she stayed awake, waiting for the music to begin. Then, she crept into the garden behind the fountain.
At dawn, she looked into the water as the figure approached to wash his face, and there in the water she saw the most beautiful man's face she had ever seen in her life.
— Oh my! You are so handsome! — You have defied everything I told you! — I'm sorry, but I was so curious! — If you had only waited one more month, you could have freed me. But now the curse can no longer be broken. — Look, I'm sorry. Surely I can help you somehow. — I became this way because of a curse from the witch Elora. She wants me to marry her daughter. She believes her daughter must marry the most handsome man in the world. When I refused, she cast this curse upon me and gave me one year to find my love. I found you, Ra, but you ruined everything. And now I must go to her palace. — I liked you, even when you were a bear. Is there no way for me to free you from the curse? — There is a way, but it is very difficult. — Tell me, and I will do it! — Elora lives in a castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon. You must reach there in seven days and seven nights. It is the only way. — Wait! Where is this place?
Ra was not going to give up. So she walked for five days and five nights through the densest forests, asking every animal and bird she met if they knew where Elora's castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon was.
But no one seemed to know. On the sixth day, she met an old woman.
— Are you looking for the rich Elora's castle, Ra? — Yes! Do you know where it is? They say it's East of the Sun and West of the Moon. — I don't know where it is, but someone might. I think you should go to the house of the North Wind. If anyone knows, it is he. If anyone can take you there, it is he. — Thank you! How do I get to the house of the North Wind? — My horse will take you there. When you arrive, just whisper in his ear and he will bring you back to me. Take this with you. It might be useful. — Thank you very much!
The old woman whistled and a horse appeared. Ra rode the horse far, far away, until she reached the house of the North Wind.
Of the seven days and seven nights she had to reach Elora's castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon, this was the sixth night. She told the North Wind everything.
— The castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I have only been there once, and it was so far. — Please, Mr. North Wind, I must get there by tomorrow night! — It takes all my energy and more to get there. I will have to spend all this night preparing for the journey. We will leave tomorrow at the break of dawn. Until then, rest here.
Ra rested in the house of the North Wind, and the next morning, at the first light of day, they both set off for the castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon. They flew all day and almost all night, until they finally reached Elora's castle.
— Hey! This is it. I cannot fly another flutter further. You must go alone from here. — Thank you, Mr. North Wind! Thank you very much! — Now go. You only have a few hours left before the dawn of the eighth day.
The Curse
Ra ran to the palace. Elora saw her coming and locked the prince in seven prisons to keep Ra away from him.
— I see you have arrived here. But you have only reached the castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Not the prince. — Where is he? — In seven prisons. If you can reach him before dawn, we will talk more about the curse. — Show me where the prisons are and let no one else be there! — Very well.
Elora's guards led her to the seven prisons and left her there. In the seventh prison sat the prince. When she was completely alone, Ra took out the key the old woman had given her and opened each of the seven doors and reached the prince.
— You are here! — Yes, I have reached you. Now the curse will be broken. — No, not yet. Elora surely has something else hidden up her sleeve. — Well, well, you managed to reach him. Well, well, great effort. — Now you will free him from the curse, won't you? — You are in my castle, in my prison, and you demand that I free him? He must marry my daughter. — But the condition of the curse... — According to the curse, if my love reaches me in seven days and seven nights, I can choose whom I marry. — Well, the curse says that if your love reaches you in seven days and seven nights, you can choose a condition for your future bride to fulfill. And there is no condition my daughter cannot fulfill. — I do not love your daughter. She will never be happy with me, Elora. — Love, what nonsense. Tell me what your condition is. — Well, let love be the condition. When two people love each other, their hearts vibrate in tandem as one. And what more beautiful way to evaluate it than through music? — My daughter sings wonderfully. Condition fulfilled!
And then the prince received his violin. Elora's daughter tried to sing with the violin, but she could not.
— La la la la la la la. You and I forever. — Stop! Stop that terrible sound!
Now it was Ra's turn.
— La la la la la la la la. We are meant to be together.
The prince played the violin, Ra accompanied him, and together they created a melody so beautiful that even Elora was mesmerized.
— I don't understand! My daughter also sings beautifully. But why couldn't she sing with the prince? — Because we two do not love each other, and so our hearts do not vibrate in tandem. But Ra's and the prince's do! Let them marry, Mother! Free him from the curse!
So Elora freed the prince from the curse, and she and her daughter disappeared forever, who knows where. Ra and the prince left the palace and lived happily ever after.
True love can overcome any obstacle.
