Princess Nesmeyana

Princess Nesmeyana lived in a bright palace. She had books, toys and a large garden, but she rarely smiled. Her father, the tsar, did not demand that she be…

Princess Nesmeyana lived in a bright palace. She had books, toys and a large garden, but she rarely smiled. Her father, the tsar, did not demand that she be cheerful. He sat beside her, listened to her and brought her a small bouquet from the garden. One day he opened the palace gates and invited anyone who wished to walk in the garden, asking them not to disturb the princess with noisy performances.

At the other end of the kingdom worked a modest young man. He tended a garden, and at the end of the year his kind employer gave him one gold coin. The young man thanked him and went to the well for a drink. As he leaned over, the coin slipped from his palm and fell into the water. He did not blame the well. He went back to work and asked to be given a more secure purse next time.

The same thing happened twice more: each year the worker did his job honestly, received one coin and accidentally lost it at the well. On the third morning he came there with a small bucket and saw all three of his coins on the stone rim. They lay apart, shining in the sun. Delighted, he thanked whoever had put them where they could be seen and decided to go out and see the world.

At a quiet pond he met three little travellers: a field mouse, a beetle on a leaf and a friendly catfish peeping out of the water. The young man put the three recovered coins in a tied purse, took bread from his travelling bag and shared crumbs with each traveller. Instead of a reward, he asked only to be shown the way to the royal garden. The mouse ran along the bank, the beetle flew above the path and the catfish swam alongside.

In the palace garden the worker bent over a little fountain to wash after his journey. Just then the beetle landed on the brim of his hat. The young man gave a start and accidentally splashed his own hat. It was so unexpected and harmless that Princess Nesmeyana laughed warmly for the first time. The worker laughed too, wrung out his hat and gave the princess a wildflower. The tsar thanked his guest and invited him to help in the palace garden.