Kostja and Katjushka, originally uploaded by Thorsten Becker.

Once upon a time there lived a brother and his sister, Kostja and Katjushka, who were orphans ever since their parents, the king and queen of the kingdom of Beralinska, had strangely disappeared seven years ago. Put into the care of their wicked aunt Babarushka the two children worked from sunrise until long after night fall every day, cleaning and cooking and sowing and repairing, without letup. Sad and tired they decided to take heart one night and ran away into the forest. Babarushka however soon discovered their absence and sent an evil curse throughout the forest: should the children drink from any of the springs or eat any of the berries and herbs they would turn into creatures of the forest.

After spending one night and one half day in the forest Kostja and Katjushka became hungry and thirsty. So they began to gather the berries and herbs around them and sat down next to a stream to drink and eat. But a raven swooped down from above and crowed “Don’t eat, don’t drink. Witched berries, witched herbs, cursed water!” At once the two children spit out the berries they’ve had just put in their mouth. “Thank you father raven for your warning,” Kostja said. “But we are hungry and thirsty, what shall we do?” Katjushka asked worriedly. “Defeat, defeat evil Babarushka. Decide, decide how you must,” the raven replied. “But how do we defeat Babarushka?” Kostja asked inquisitively. “Ask, ask the animals of the forest,” said the raven and flew away. So Kostja and Katjushka began to seek out the animals of the forest. First they approached the wolf and asked him. He replied: “Eat and become a wolf like me and together we’ll tear her apart.” Frightened by this thought the children tactfully declined. So on they went to father bear and asked him. He replied: “Eat and drink and become a bear like me and you can eat her whole.” Again the children became frightened and respectfully declined. Next they asked sister snake. “Eat and become a ssssnake like me, bite and poissssson her so that sssshe must die,” the snake replied. Again the two declined, ever more saddened in their heart at the thought of having to turn into ravenous beasts. So they sat down under a large tree, curling up in each others arms hoping to forget their hunger and thirst. “Why so sad my children?” they heard an old voice speaking from above. Looking up into the tree they saw grandfather owl sitting on a branch. He was widely revered amongst the animals of the forest as the wisest of them all. “We ran away from our aunt Babarushka who treats us unkindly every day. But now she has sent an evil curse through the forest that we may turn into wild beasts if we eat any of the berries and herbs and drink any of the water,” Katjushka said. “We want to do no harm and are afraid of turning into wolf, bear or snake.” “I see the,” the owl replied, flying down from his high post and landing next to them. “Fret not my children, together we will defeat her, not through force but through cunningness. Eat and drink while looking at me and become owls as well. And tonight we will break her curse.” So Kostja and Katjushka became hopeful in their hearts and ate and drank and fell asleep.

As they awoke the following morning they had turned into beautiful little owls. Playfully hopping around and flapping their wings they awaited the arrival of grandfather owl. Around the afternoon hour he returned with a curious mushroom between his fangs. “This my dears is a mushroom of truth,” he began to explain. “Any bad person eating it will tell the truth for one day. And more. Any truly wicked person eating from it will be forced to undo all their evil deeds over the past seven years. Tonight we will fly over to Babarushka’s house and you two will fly through the chimney. While she is asleep you’ll replace her mushroom of wickedness with the mushroom of truth and then hide in the cupboard. I will sit outside her bedroom window and when the full moon shines right through it I will call three times. The superstitious person that she is she will surely get up and start to mix a powerful potion to protect herself from any curse she thinks maybe upon her. Once she enters the kitchen you will rattle all the dishes and cups so that she will pay no attention to her ingredients. When she is done drinking the potion I will call twice from the kitchen window and you fly out and grab the rope that is hanging on the wall. When all her evil deeds are undone and you have turned into children again go and bind her.”

So the three owls went about their plan and, as expected, the wicked Babarushka hastily brewed her potion, was forced to undo all her evil deeds she committed over the past seven years and in the end was bound by Kostja and Katjushka. And then, just as Babarushka reversed one last curse, they heard familiar voices coming from the cellar. As the two children ran downstairs they were joyfully greeted by their parents who Babarushka had turned into minks seven years ago.

This story is inspired by the Russian folk tale Sister Alenushka, Brother Ivanushka and similar tales (like Grimm’s Brüderchen und Schwesterchen). I grew up watching Russian and Czech children movies which inspired and fascinating me ever since.

© Thorsten Becker