Once upon a time there lived a girl named Kozerozhka. More than anything, she loved flowers: she had a large pink garden that she tended carefully, and the roses returned her affection by delighting her with their fragrance.
One day Kozerozhka sat on the porch of her house and saw an enormous Whale flying across the sky. As it flew, it could see the entire land: houses and small forests, fields, and Kozerozhka's garden too.
"What a massive creature!" thought Kozerozhka. "It's bigger than anything I've ever seen in my life. It must have such a big heart! And with such a big heart, it must surely be very friendly. I'll get to know it better and ask it about its aerial travels. I think in its big heart there will be room for one small me."
But the Whale flew high and far away, and it never heard how loudly Kozerozhka called out, how hard she tried to invite it into her garden, or how earnestly she attempted to introduce it to each of her roses. The Whale simply flew on.
Then Kozerozhka became sad, but she decided that no matter what, she would get to know and befriend the Whale. In fact, the girl wanted to become the Lady of the Whale's Heart (and between you and me, she had every chance: the Whale was just tired of his loneliness and was travelling in search of a wife).
Kozerozhka set off to the edge of the forest to visit the Witch, asking her to give her wings so she could fly after the Whale.
She arrived and made her request.
And the Witch replied:
I want to give you more than you're asking for: I want to make you as big and flying as the Whale. Only you must trust me and obey me in everything.
Kozerozhka became frightened: what if the witch made her jump off a cliff or dive headfirst into a whirlpool! But when she imagined spending her whole life knowing the Whale existed yet living without him, she thought that such a life wouldn't be real anyway—it would be only half a life.
Kozerozhka agreed. And the witch only waved her hands a couple of times—and look, Kozerozhka became big and grand, even majestic. And how she soared through the sky!
All the witch could do was wave her handkerchief goodbye.
Kozerozhka soars through the sky, folding little roses from clouds for her daughter, whilst the Whale crafts a pipe from lightning for his son. They are happy together, that's what I tell you!
