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Main > Poland folktales > Fairy tale "The Spellbook in the Forbidden Room"

The Spellbook in the Forbidden Room

"How dare you?" he roared. He pointed his bejeweled finger at her. At once, the youngest sister called out: "Bejackle wex!" Instantly all the caged birds were restored to full-length young maidens, including her two older sisters. Seeing the door open, they dashed out, pushing the surprised enchanter while rushing past. After the last maiden fled, he cursed in a rage, then turned to chase after them with fury.

Alarmed, the youngest daughter saw him catching up. Before he could enchant them again she pointed and called out: "Reductus mousamillus!" - the last spell she had seen - and at once the enchanter shrunk into a tiny mouse.

The maidens cheered but the youngest daughter knew that even as a mouse, he was still dangerous. A birdcase trailed behind one of the maiden's skirts (her spell didn't work perfectly after all), so quickly the youngest daughter took the birdcage, trapped the mouse into a corner, forced it into the cage, then shut and locked the cage door.

The youngest daughter and her two sisters returned home, where they joyfully embraced their father. The youngest daughter set down the locked cage, and it wasn't long before their house cat found a way to unlatch the cage and have a morsel of mouse treat.

And so the evil enchanter was vanquished. The sisters enjoyed a heartfelt family reunion, and all of them lived happily ever after.

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