Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Marushka lives with her hard-hearted aunt and cousin. All day they yell at her, telling her to sweep the floors, cut the wood, and milk the cows. But Marushka manages to find pleasure in the nature around her, and her beauty grows. Meanwhile, her aunt and cousin's scolding and yelling leaves deep lines etched in their faces. Determined to be rid of Marushka, they give her three impossible tasks. She must bring them violets, strawberries, and apples in midwinter, or not return at all.
Desperate and cold, she comes across twelve men sitting around a fire. They are the twelve months of the year and, hearing her story, they help Marushka. But when her greedy relatives decide to confront the twelve months themselves, well, that's another story. Based on a Slavic "Cinderella" folktale, The Twelve Months gives the classic tale a fresh new twist.
Synopsis
Sew, Marushka Weave, Marushka. Chop the wood Milk the cows Cut the hay and stack it -- Marushka The poor girl. No matter what she does or how hard she tries, Marushka can never please her cruel aunt and cousin. Determined to be rid of her, they give Marushka three impossible tasks. She must bring them fresh violets, strawberries, and apples _ in the dead of winter _ or be cast out of their home for good Lost and freezing, Marushka is without hope. Then she meets the twelve months of the year seated around a fire on the mountaintop. With their kind help, the impossible becomes possible. Without it? Well . . . as Marushka_s greedy relatives are about to discover, that_s another story. Rafe Martin and Vladyana Langer Krykorka give this timeless Slavic tale a delightful new twist.