Although this folktale has been called the “Slavic Cinderella”, for me it doesn’t quite get there. We have a young girl persecuted by family and a magical element (the gods of the twelve months of the year) that helps her, but here the comparison ends. There is no ball or special event, no beautiful clothes, and no handsome prince. She falls in love with a kind man and the two spend a blissful life of drudgery taking care of her family farm. As nice as it seems, this is not what most people would call a ‘fairytale’ ending!
Because of the spread of Slavic peoples in ancient times, you will also find versions of this story in collections of Greek and Russian folktales. Our source was a book called The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folktales by Josef Baudis. The book comes with a warning: Not your common fairy tales. This is not a book for children, but one for adults who love fairy tales and enjoy making fun of them.
Original Text / PDF (2,725 words)