Luck and puck

Once upon a time there lived Luck and Puck. Luck was Puck's wife. They had a daughter, who was beautiful but silly.

The time came and matchmakers came to their house. Luck saw them and said, «My daughter, the matchmakers have come to arrange a match for you! Take a jug and fetch some water. But be quick! Let the matchmakers see how quick and skilled you are!»

The daughter took a jug and went to the well. She scooped out some water, and then it occurred to her. «The matchmakers will like me and want to arrange a marriage. They will propose a husband. 1 will get married. Then I will give birth to a son. My son will grow up, and I will take him to my parents' house. And then my mother will say to him, 'My dear grandson, fetch some water please.' My son will come to this well.» Then he will slip and fall into the water. He will fall into the water and will be drowned! What will I tell his father, my husband, then? Oh, poor me, poor me!" The girl thought this and began to cry. She cried so much that tears were running in six streams from her eyes.

The mother was waiting for her daughter; the matchmakers were waiting for tea. Puck came out into the yard and called his wife, «Luck, hey, Luck!»

« What's the matter, dear Puck?»

« Where is the tea? Our guests are waiting.»

« Our daughter went to the well for water.»

« Go to the well, dear Luck, and see what's happened there.»

« Oh, yes, my dear Puck, I am going.»

Luck went to the well and saw that her daughter was sitting and crying. She was crying so hard that tears were running in six streams from her eyes.

« Daughter, daughter, what's happened? Why are you crying so bitterly?» asked Luck.

« How can I not cry, mother? How can I not shed tears?» replied the daughter. «I thought, the matchmakers will like me and want to arrange a marriage. They will ask for me in marriage and celebrate a wedding. I will get married, and then will give birth to a son. My son will grow up, and we will come to visit you. Then you will ask him, 'My dear grandson, please fetch some water. You will fetch the water and we'll make tea.' My son will go for the water to this well. Then he'll slip and fall into the water! He will fall into the water and will be drowned! What will I tell his father, my husband, then? Oh, poor me, poor me!»

« Oh, my daughter! How clever you are!» said Luck. She sat near her daughter and burst out crying as well.

Puck waited for his daughter, then he waited for his wife Luck. Finally he could not wait anymore and went to the well himself.

Puck went to the well and saw that his wife was sitting near his daughter. They were sitting and crying bitterly.

« Luck, Luck, what's happened? Why are you crying so bitterly?» asked Puck.

« Oh, Puck, Puck! How can we not cry? How can we not shed tears?» replied Luck. «Listen to what our clever daughter says!»

« What does she say?» Puck was surprised.

She says, «The matchmakers will like me and want to arrange a marriage. They will ask for me in marriage and celebrate a wedding. I will get married, and then will give birth to a son. My son will grow up, and we will come to visit you. Then my mother will ask him, 'My dear grandson, please fetch some water. You will fetch the water and we'll make tea.' My son will go for the water to this well. Then he'll slip and fall into the water! He will fall into the water, and will be drowned! What will I tell his father, my husband, then? Oh, poor me, poor me!»

« O my daughter! How clever you are!» said Puck, who sat near his daughter and wife and burst into tears too.

They sat near the well and cried bitterly. They cried so bitterly and loudly that their guests, the matchmakers, who came to arrange a match for Puck and Luck's daughter, heard their weeping. They were astonished and went to the well.

When they got to the well, they saw the parents and the daughter sitting at the well and crying.

« What's happened, Puck?» they asked. «Why are you all crying so bitterly?»

« Luck, Luck!» said Puck. «Tell our guests why we are crying.»

« How can we not cry? How can we not shed tears?» replied Luck to the matchmakers. «Listen to what our clever daughter says.»

« What does she say, Luck?» asked the matchmakers.

She says, «The rnatchmakers will like me and want to arrange a marriage. They will ask for me in marriage and celebrate a wedding. I will get married, and then will give birth to a son. My son will grow up, and we will come to visit you. Then my mother will ask him, 'My dear grandson, please fetch some water. You will fetch the water and we'll make tea.'

My son will go for the water to this well. Then he'll slip and fall into the water! He will fall into the water, and will be drowned! What will I tell his father, my husband, then? Oh, poor me, poor me!»

The matchmakers heard this and said, «Your daughter is not only beautiful, but clever as well!» They said this and asked to arrange a marriage for Puck and Luck's daughter.

They celebrated the wedding. The daughter of Puck and Luck moved to her husband's house.

Some time passed and Luck and Puck began to miss their daughter. They began to miss her and decided to visit her.

Luck wanted to fry meat pies, but they ran out of oil. Then she said to Puck, «Puck, Puck! Take a piala, go to the oil seller, and buy a liter of oil.»

Puck took the piala and went to the oil seller.

The seller started pouring oil into Puck's piala. It yiagwo small for a liter of oil.

« Your piala is not large enough for a liter of JDil,» said the seller to Puck. «Where should I pour the rest of the oil?»

« Here!» showed Puck and turned the piala with oil upside down.

The seller poured the rest of oil in the bottom of the piala.

Puck brought the oil home.

« Puck, Puck!» Luck was surprised. «You bought too little oil. It isn't enough to fry the pies!»

« No, dear Luck! I bought a liter of oil! There is some more in the piala!» said Puck and turned over the piala. Oil ran out on the ground!