Once upon a time, there was a poor woodcutter. He lived in a humble hut. His wife had died when she was young, leaving behind a daughter and a son. The son's name was Vali, and the daughter's name was Zeynab.
Not long after, the woodcutter remarried. The stepmother was very cruel and ill-tempered. She didn't love the children at all.
A terrible famine struck the land. The woodcutter's situation became even worse.
Seeing this, the stepmother said to the woodcutter:
— Take these children away, lose them in the forest; at least we'll have two fewer mouths to feed.
The stepmother began to nag the man relentlessly. She kept on and on until she finally convinced him. The children heard everything.
Early in the morning, the stepmother woke them up and took them to the forest. Vali was a very clever child. During the night, he had gathered many small stones from the yard. The stepmother had no idea about this. Vali thought that he would drop the stones as they walked so they wouldn't get lost on their way back.
The stepmother led them deep into the forest, left them there, and returned. But she was mistaken; soon, Vali and Zeynab returned home thanks to the stones they had dropped along the way.
The stepmother was very angry. The next day, she took the children even further away and lost them. This time, Vali had no stones, so he began to break off small pieces of the bread he had and drop them on the path. However, because the birds ate the bread, the poor children lost their way and couldn't return.
For three days and three nights, they walked through the forest until they reached a clearing. A small house appeared before them. This house was built of sweets. Its walls were made of sweet bread, its decorations of jam, and its roof of chocolate.
The hungry children rushed to the little house and began to break off pieces of the sweets and eat them.
Suddenly, a voice was heard from the doorway:
— Who is eating my little house? Come inside, I will treat you!
The children entered the house. There, they met a hunchbacked, disheveled, grumpy witch. She grabbed the children, threw them into the cellar, and said:
— I will feed you well and fatten you up, and then I will eat you!
The old witch clapped her hands together with delight.
Within a week, Vali grew plump from eating sweets. The old woman realized it was time to bake him.
She lit the oven and said to Zeynab:
— Bend down, put some wood in the oven, and see if it's hot enough?
The girl said:
— But I don't know how, you show me, and then I will do what you say.
The witch said:
— Look closely, it's very simple!
Saying this, the witch bent down to put wood in the oven. Zeynab was waiting for just this! She quickly pushed the old woman into the oven, closed its mouth, and saved her brother.
The little house was full of precious jewels. They filled their pockets with the jewels and set off. The witch burned inside the oven, and the forest was freed from the spell. Vali and Zeynab, after searching for a while, found their way and returned home.
The stepmother had already died of hunger. Their poor father was exhausted and had been crying day and night, waiting for his children. How happy the father was when he saw them! And when he saw the precious jewels the children had brought, he was so amazed he didn't know what to do! From that day on, they became rich and began to live happily.
As for the little house made of sweets, perhaps the birds ate it. Or perhaps that little house is still standing in the forest! Who knows.
