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Once upon a time in a land far, far away, an evil queen sat with her magic plate in her hand. A magic apple would roll around a plate and reveal answers to any questions. She was appalled when this mirror said to her that she was no longer the most beautiful in all the land, but that a young princess was instead.
In her rage, the evil queen ordered that the princess be led deep into the forest, and then be killed. However, the old woman assigned the grim task of leading the beautiful girl astray took pity upon her intended victim, and left her in the forest without killing her. In the forest the princess found shelter with seven "bogatyrs" (warriors), and she lived there very happily. She had no idea that back in the castle the wicked queen's magic mirror had told her the secret of the girl's whereabouts, and that the queen had made plans to ensure that the princess would not once again escape her wrath.
One day, the beautiful princess was approached by a seemingly harmless old woman who offered her a delicious red apple. The naive princess never suspected that it was the evil queen in disguise, and gladly took the apple. Upon her first bite she fell into a deep, seemingly irreversible sleep.
But all hope was not to be lost. Far away, the great Prince Yelisei had heard of the fate befallen his love, and set out to break this spell which had cast her into such a deep sleep. He rode on his horse, inquiring first of the moon, then the wind, and then the sun, as to where his princess could be found. He finally found her sleeping body encased in a crystal tomb. Smashing the tomb with his sword, he broke the evil spell, and the princess awoke. They lived happily ever after.
The evil queen however, did not. She died of grief as soon as her mirror revealed to her that the princess would live happily ever after.
Composed and translated byJENNI BLACKWOOD
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