Dress for a fairy

Once upon a time, in a remote mountain village, there lived a poor young man. He had an old mother, whom he loved dearly. Every day, the young man went into the mountains to fetch firewood, while his mother sat at home, waiting for his return and busying herself with the household chores. That's how they lived.

One day, a young man chopped some firewood and sat down on a chiga to rest. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a deer ran out of the thicket, limping on one leg as it ran. It ran up to the young man, bowed, and said:

"Hide me, good man. A hunter is chasing me." The young man took pity on the deer and hid it among the bundles. And the hunter was right there.

"Hey, man!" he shouts. "Have you seen a lame deer?"

“Of course I saw him,” the young man replies. “He ran behind that mountain.”

The hunter believed him and went on. And the young man said:

"Well, deer, come out, the hunter's gone." The deer emerged from its hiding place and began to thank the young man:

"Thank you, kind man! You saved me from death. For this, I will fulfill any wish you may have."

The young man laughed – what can a deer do? – and said jokingly:

"Since you can grant any wish, find me a beautiful bride. Otherwise, I just can't get married."

The deer thought and said:

"See that green mountain? Behind that mountain is a large lake. On the thirtieth day of the fifth moon (the fifth moon is the fifth month (May)), beautiful fairies descend to the lake on a seven-colored rainbow. Look at them carefully, choose the one you like, and hide her dress when she enters the water. Without the dress, the fairy will not be able to return to heaven and will remain with you. But remember: until she bears you four sons, do not give her the dress.

The deer said this and ran away to the mountains.

The young man waited until the appointed day and set out. He found a lake behind a green mountain, hid himself well, and waited. A seven-colored rainbow hung over the water, and eight beautiful fairies descended down it to the shore. All of them were astonishingly beautiful, but one was the most beautiful of all. The young man gazed upon her, unable to stop admiring her.

The fairies took off their dresses, ran into the water, and began to play and have fun: jumping, laughing, splashing water at each other. But the young man was not of the right time.