A boy was living in a small village on the bottom of the mountain which top was always white of snow. His name was Ikam. He was living there with his small sister Ansev and with his mummy. His father had diminished in the mountain forest a long time ago during a heavy snow storm. The mother was old and sick and therefore the boy and his little sister had to go into the forest to gather wild strawberries, blueberries, mushrooms and other fruits in order to survive. A fox was following them during their wanderings thorough the forest. His father had brought him home when he was a baby and had tamed him.
One day the two children went with the fox into the forest to pick up fruits. When they came deep in the forest they saw a small creek that was joyfully running from stone to stone. They watched the water and suddenly they saw something moving under the stone. Ikam bent over the stone and moved it with a long stick. He saw a large crab, caught it and put it into a small sack. He told his sister: “This will be a nice supper for our mum.” They kept going along the creek and found some more crabs and a small fish. At last, they arrived at a steep rock. Under the rock they saw a well.
Ansev said: “Oh, it is so hot. I want to wash my face and refresh.” At the same moment the fox started barking, bent his tail and tried to hinder Ansev to approach the well. Ansev pushed him away and bent over the water. She took a handful of water but then a hairy hand appeared out of the water, caught her and dragged away.
Ikam was so frightened that he didn’t know what to do. At last, he took a large stone and threw it into the water.
“Woe is me! Woe!” - the voice could be heard out of the water and a short time after appeared a huge man with a hairy body and curled beard. Water and blood were running down his beard and from the wound on his head.
“Why do you throw stones into the water, you naughty boy. You hurt my head.”
“Why did you catch my little sister? Bring her back immediately or I will throw more stones into the water. “- answered Ikam.
The man said: “Just try it and I will drag you into the water, too.”
Who knows how this argument would have finished had not the wise fox interfered. He spoke in a human voice: “Stop it! You are quarreling without reason.”
“How could you say it is without reason. He has caught my little sister.” - said the boy.
“But you have caught my children, the crabs and the small fish”-said the water man.
The wise fox said: “Let’s settle the quarrel and make friends again. You, boy, give him back the crabs and the fish. You water-sprite, return us Ansev and then shake hands.”
“You are so wise, fox”-said the boy and the water sprite.
The boy shook his sack and out came the crabs and the fish. The water-sprite dived into the water and brought Ansev back.
They sat together on the grass beside the well. The boy told the water-sprite about their hard life, about the difficulties he and his family had. He told him also that they were gathering fruits in the mountain to have food, that were more hungry than sated.
The water-man said: “I didn’t know it is so bad.” He clapped his hands and out of the water came a big red crab. He was carrying a big basket full various foods.
“Here you are, take this basket and carry it home. You may come every week and shout: “Come out of the water” and you will get the basket with food.”
The boy came every week to take the food. He became a good friend to the water-man. Years passed and Ikam and Ansev grew up to a handsome man and a beautiful girl. One day they came to the well and called the water-man. They were surprised when they saw a handsome young man standing beside the water-man.
The water-man said: “Come, I want to introduce you to mey nephew Doda. He dwells in the wooden cottage on the mountain top. He watched you secretly every time you came to take the basket and he fell in love with Ansev.”
“Yes, it is truth”- said Doda and invited Ansev to come and visit him in his cottage.
When they left, said Ikam.” Tell me, my friend, do you have a nice girl for me, too?”
The water-man said:” Oh, no, you have to search for a girl by yourself.”
Ikam went home to his village. He passed near the village houses and on a door he noticed a pair of dark eyes watching him full of love. He looked more carefully and the eye winked him.
Ikam walked around the house and passed the door again trying to talk to the owner of the eye, but he heard only an unclear sound like: ”Hm, hm.” He didn’t know what to think.
He was walking the whole day around the house and the door and finally decided what to do. He opened the door bravely and opened his mouth of astonishment?. The owner of the beautiful dark eyes was a white-black heifer. The next day he took the rope that was winded up around her neck and brought her to the well and the water-man.
When he noticed them, the waterman started laughing and at last he fell on the grass, still laughing. “You have got the bet, Elena.”
While Ikam was watching the scene full of surprise, the heifer transformed into a beautiful girl with red lips which were smiling and showing a row of teeth as white as pearls. Still laughing they explained that she was a relative of the water-man and that she fell in love with him a long time ago. They bet that she will bring him in the situation to fall in love with her watching only her eye.
At last, everything came to a happy end and they made a great celebration. I was there too, I drank water out of the well, I was dancing till dawn and therefore I am terrible sleepy.