Masha and the Bear Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman. They had a granddaughter named Masha. One day, Masha went to the forest with her friends. Her grandparents warned her:

— Don’t lag behind your friends! But Masha didn’t listen. She wandered too far and eventually got lost. She called for her friends, but no one answered. Masha wandered through the forest until dusk. Suddenly, she saw a small house.

— I wonder who lives here? — she thought and stepped inside. But this house belonged to a bear! Before Masha could react, the bear walked in. 

— Who entered my house without permission? — the bear growled.

— I got lost. May I stay here for the night and go home tomorrow? — Masha asked.

 — No! From now on, you will stay here. You will cook porridge, bake pies, and serve me food! — said the bear. Masha was sad, but what could she do? She had to stay in the bear’s house. Every day, the bear went to the forest while Masha cleaned the house and baked delicious pies. The bear was very pleased. After a few days, Masha said:

— I haven’t seen my grandparents for so long. Let me bake some pies for them, and you can bring them to them. The bear agreed. Masha baked a basket full of pies and then said: 

— Could you check if it’s raining outside? As soon as the bear stepped out, Masha climbed into the basket. When the bear returned, he saw the basket ready and lifted it onto his back, heading toward the village. The journey was long. The bear got tired and thought: — I’ll sit on this stump and eat a pie. But suddenly, a voice came from inside the basket:

— Don’t sit down, don’t eat the pies! Take them to my grandparents!

— What a clever girl! She sees everything! — the bear exclaimed and kept walking. He finally reached the village, found the house of Masha’s grandparents, and knocked on the door:

— Knock, knock! Open up! I brought a gift from Masha! But suddenly, the dogs started barking and ran toward him. The bear got scared, dropped the basket, and ran away. Hearing the noise, the grandparents came outside and saw the basket.

— What’s in here? — the grandmother wondered. The grandfather opened the lid — and there was Masha! That’s how they were reunited, full of joy and happiness.