The Mistress of the Copper Mountain (fairy tale) facts for kids

"The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" (also known as "The Queen of the Copper Mountain") is a famous folk tale from the Ural region of Russia. It's a special kind of folk tale called a skaz. This story was collected and rewritten by Pavel Bazhov.

It first appeared in a magazine called Krasnaya Nov in 1936. Later that year, it was part of a book called Prerevolutionary Folklore of the Urals. The story was also included in Bazhov's well-known collection, The Malachite Box, in 1939. People in other countries can read it too! It has been translated into English by different people over the years.

How the Story Came to Be

Pavel Bazhov's stories are based on old tales told by miners and gold prospectors. These stories were passed down through families. Bazhov himself grew up near a mining plant in a village called Sysert.

He heard many legends from older workers. These workers had spent their lives in the mines. They knew lots of stories about the plants and the miners' lives. Bazhov started writing down these local folk tales when he was very young.

Many of these folk tales came from the Sysert Mining District. This area had five mining plants. The most famous copper mine there was the Gumeshevskiy mine. It was often called "The Copper Mountain." Most of the stories are connected to this special place.

When the Story Was Published

"The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" was first published in 1936. It appeared in the magazine Krasnaya Nov along with two other stories. These stories were very close to the original tales told by the Ural miners.

Bazhov was given credit as the author of these texts. The stories were also part of a book released later that year. In that book, Bazhov was listed as the person who collected the tales.

Bazhov often joked about being the author. He said such questions should be left to scholars. Today, people see Bazhov's tales as his own literary works. They are based on the old Ural folklore. He shaped the stories, even if he didn't change the main plots.

What the Story Is About

This skaz tells the story of a young factory worker named Stepan. One day, he meets a mysterious woman in unusual clothes. Stepan soon realizes she is the legendary Mistress of the Copper Mountain.

She gives Stepan an important message. He must tell his boss, the "stinking goat," to leave the Krasnogorsk mine. Stepan bravely does what she asks. But he gets into trouble for it. He is punished and sent to work in a dangerous part of the mine.

The Mistress then saves him. She takes Stepan to her amazing underground home. There, she shows him all her incredible riches. She even asks him to marry her! Stepan honestly tells her that he has already promised to marry another girl, Nastyona.

The Mistress is very happy with his honest answer. She tells him that her proposal was a test to see if he was a good and honest person. She gives Stepan a beautiful malachite casket filled with jewelry for Nastyona. Then, she lets him go. She asks him to try and forget about her.

Stepan marries Nastyona and they live together for many years. But Stepan can't forget the Mistress. He is often unhappy. One day, he leaves and never comes back. His body is later found near a rock. The story ends with a warning: meeting the Mistress can bring trouble for bad people, and even for good people, it brings little joy.

Other Versions of the Story

The story of "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" has been told in many different ways.

• In 1941, Alexander Fridlender created a ballet called The Mountain Fairy Tale, based on the story.
• An animated film called The Mistress of the Copper Mountain was made in 1975. It was a stop-motion animated film. This film was part of a series based on Bazhov's tales.
• Stepan's Remembrance, a Soviet film from 1976, uses parts of this story.
• The 1946 Soviet film The Stone Flower also includes elements from this tale.
• The Book of Masters, a Russian fantasy film from 2009, is loosely based on Bazhov's stories, including this one.
• In 2012, Dmitry Batin created an opera called The Malachite Casket. It was based on "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" and another story.