Salt is more precious than gold.

Once upon a time there was a king who had three daughters. The king loves them as much as his own eyes. When his hair and beard are as white as snow and his body is getting weaker every day, he thinks all day:

Which daughter will become queen after his death. This makes him anxious because he loves his three daughters equally. Finally, he came up with an idea: let the daughter who loves her father the most become the queen. So he called all three daughters to his side and said to them. "My daughter, I am old, I don't know how long I can live with you. I think, before I die, I will choose one of you as the queen and inherit my throne in the future. But before I make a decision, I want to know how much you love me as a father. Ok, eldest daughter, after you, how do you love your father? "

"My father, you are more precious to me than all the gold in the world combined."

The eldest daughter said, and kissed her father's hand affectionately.

"What about you? Second daughter, how do you love your father? "

"My father, I love you more than all the jewels in the world." The second daughter said, snuggling up to her father.

"What about you? Little daughter, how do you love me? " Father asked Maruska.

"I love you, Dad, just like salt." Malushka looked at her father affectionately and replied.

"You unfilial daughter, do you love your father like salt? ! "The two sisters shouted.

"Yes, like salt." Malushka repeated it sincerely. Everyone has salt, and nobody takes it seriously. The youngest daughter loves her father just like salt, the most common thing. No wonder he was very angry about it. "You roll for me! Since you disrespect me so much, I don't want to see you again! " He shouted to Maruska: "Wait until one day, when people say that salt is more precious than gold and precious stones, come back and be queen!"

Good Maruska left the palace with tears in her eyes and grief.

She didn't know where to go, so she had to go with the wind, climb mountains and mountains, and unconsciously walked into a black forest.

Suddenly, an old woman appeared in front of her unnoticed. Malushka respectfully greeted her and the old woman thanked her. Seeing the girl's face full of tears, I asked her what she was sad about. "Dear grandma, you can't help me. What's the use of telling you? "

Maruska replied.

"You just tell me about it, little girl! Maybe I can give you some advice! As the saying goes, people are old and knowledgeable! " Malushka told the old woman the whole story in detail. She added tearfully that she didn't want to be a queen, just wanted to convince her father that she really loved him. The old woman turned out to be a fairy-like old man. In fact, she knew what Malushka would say to her.

She held Malushka's hand and asked her if she would like to work in her house. Malushka was worried that she couldn't find a place to live, so she agreed immediately. Grandma fairy took her to her cabin in the forest, let her eat and drink, and then asked her, "Maruska, can you herd sheep and spin?"

"I won't," Maruska said, "but as long as you teach me how to do it, I'm sure I can learn it all."

"As long as you listen to me and do as I say, your good day will come. At that time, everything will be as you wish. " Grandma fairy said. Malushka promised to do as she said and start working at once.

When Rushka was working in her grandmother's house, her two sisters lived a dissolute life in the palace all day. They spoiled in front of their father and coaxed away one treasure after another. The eldest daughter wears gold and jade all day, dressed in a demon costume; The second daughter danced wildly, and one banquet after another. The father soon realized that the eldest daughter loved gold far more than his father, and the second daughter only cared about her own jewelry. At this time, the king missed Maruska more. She has always been considerate and concerned about her father! Now the king finally found out that he would rather see his little daughter sit on the throne of the queen. He really wants to send someone to pick her up at once, but he doesn't know where she is going. However, as long as he remembered her words "love your father like salt", his heart could not help but float with anger again.

One day, it was time for another party. The cook suddenly ran to the king in a panic and said, "your majesty, it's not good." All the salt suddenly disappeared. What can we cook with? " "Send someone to find some more salt!"

"It will take a long time to send a car back from abroad. Before that, what shall we bring to cook salty dishes? "

"Just put something else in the dish instead of salt!" Said the king.

"What can be as salty as salt?" Asked the cook.

The king couldn't answer, so he was angry with the chef and said not to cook pickles without salt. The cook thought, I will do as the king says! So I made a salt-free dish according to my request. This is really a strange and salty party! Although the food on the table is beautiful, the guests don't like it at all. The king was so angry that he had to send an army to look for salt everywhere. However, they returned empty-handed, saying that all the salt was gone and all the salt stacks were short of salt. If someone has salt, he won't sell it even if you take out gold. The king had no choice but to send a motorcade to a distant foreign country to buy salt. The king instructed the chef to cook some dishes without salt for the time being. The cook thought, I will do whatever your king wants to eat. He made all kinds of sweets. However, no matter how good his dessert is, the guests still don't like it. They all bid farewell to the king. Now, both daughters can be sad to death, but what can I do? The king can't even take out a piece of salty bread with salt! People longed for salt, and one by one they became haggard. Even the king and his two daughters fell ill. Now this kind of salt has become very precious, even if there are only a few, people are willing to take out the most expensive gold and silver treasure for it. Only now did the king realize that the salt he neglected was so precious; He didn't realize how smart Malushka was until now, but he hurt her.

During this period, Maruska had a good life. She lives and works in a small room in the forest and doesn't know how her father and sisters are doing. But the fairy grandmother knows it. One day, she said to Marushka, "My little girl, I said: once luck turns, everything will come true." Your time is up. It's time for you to go home! ""My good grandmother, my father doesn't want to see me. How can I get back? " Malushka said and began to cry. The old woman told her what happened at home, saying that salt is more precious than gold and precious stones at present, so she suggested that Maruska go home to find his father. Rushka and grandma were really inseparable when they said goodbye. She learned a lot from her, but she also missed her father very much.

"Malushka, you are very diligent in my work," grandma said to her when she broke up. "I want to reward you well. What do you want me to give you? "

"I don't want anything, I just want to bring some salt back to my father."

"I can meet all your requirements. Do you really want nothing else? " The old woman asked again.

"Nothing else, just salt." Maruska replied.

"Since you cherish salt so much, let you never lack salt. I'll give you this branch. When there is wind, you will follow the wind direction, cross three depressions and climb three hills, then stop and beat the ground with branches. The underground door will be opened for you immediately. As long as you walk in, everything you see is a dowry for you. " Malushka picked up the branch, put it away and thanked her grandmother. Grandma also gave her a bag full of salt to keep her from going into the forest. "You must always be so kind and honest, my little girl, and you will always be happy." The old woman said this when she broke up with her. Malushka just wanted to thank her, but the old woman suddenly disappeared. The girl was very surprised, but seeing her father's eagerness, she hurried home at once. No one in the palace recognized her because she was in rags and wouldn't even let her see the king.

"You just let me go and meet him. I brought a gift to your majesty, which is more precious than gold and precious stones. I also brought him medicine that can cure his illness. " When she came to the king, she begged him to give her a piece of bread. "But we have no salt." The king said sadly.

"I have salt," said Maruska. He cut off a piece of bread, put his hand into his pocket, sprinkled salt on the one-sided bag and gave it to the king together with the pocket.

"salt!" The king was very happy. "How can I repay you? This is a precious gift!

You told me that you could get anything you wanted. "

"I don't want anything, dad. I only hope that you love me as much as you love this salt. " Malushka replied, taking off the towel on his head. The king almost jumped for joy when he saw Maruska. He asked his daughter to forgive him, but she hugged and touched him and never mentioned his past mistakes.

The news that Ma Rushka, the king's youngest daughter, came home with salt immediately spread throughout the palace.

Everyone is happy except two sisters. Malushka doesn't blame them for it, but she is happy to help her father and others. No matter who comes, she takes salt out of her pocket and gives it to him.

No matter how much salt she catches, her pockets are still full and never decrease.

After the king recovered from his illness, because his little daughter brought him so much joy, he immediately called a meeting of the elders of the whole kingdom and decided that his little daughter Maruska would succeed to the throne. On the day Marushka was declared Queen, she felt a warm wind blowing on her face. She immediately remembered what her grandmother had said to her, so she took the branch and set off. She followed the wind according to grandma's instructions, crossed three depressions and three hills, then stopped and pulled the branches to the ground. As soon as the branch was pulled to the ground, the underground door opened and Maruska went in.

She first came to a huge hall, and the whole room was as clear as ice. A group of short salt people, armed with burning Song Ming, came running from the corridor and said to Marushka, "Welcome, Queen, we have been waiting here for a long time. Our hostess asked us to show you all your property here. " The little salt people around her chattered about this and that, jumping up and down the wall like little flies. In the bright light, the surrounding walls sparkled like jewels. All this surprised and dazzled Maruska. The garden is full of red ice roses and all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs. They picked one of these roses and presented it to the queen. Malushka sniffed it with his nose, but it didn't smell. "I have never seen such a wonderful scenery." "Everything here is salt." Said the dwarf. "How can salt grow?" The queen was surprised. "Yes, it can be regenerated.

You keep eating, but you can't finish it. "Malushka thanked the little salt man and then came out of the underground. The underground door behind her is still open. Malushka came home and showed this strange rose to her father. The old king saw that the dowry given by the old woman to his daughter was more precious than his kingdom.

Malushka didn't forget grandma. She got into a beautiful carriage, went to find her with her father and took her to the palace to repay her kindness. She clearly remembers the way to the cabin in the forest, but the cabin has disappeared without a trace. They traveled all over the forest and still found nothing. At this moment, Maruska suddenly realized and guessed who the old woman was.

Although the salt bag is empty, Ma Rushka knows where to produce salt. Even if she takes a lot of salt from that beautiful hall, she will never finish it. Sisters don't want Malushka to be so lucky, even if they try their best to make things worse. Father regards Ma Rushka as the apple of his eye, and all the subjects in the kingdom love her. Ma Rushka remained as modest and kind as before, and did not forget this good grandmother until her death.