Mehrnaz

Extracted from Rasekhoon
Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl named as Mehrnaz whose mother had died and since she could not take care of herself and do well the hose keeping affairs her father had married another wife. After about one year from his marriage, stepmother of Mehrnaz gave birth to a daughter and gave her the name of Farannaz. When Farahnaz grew a little, all noticed that she was not as beautiful as Mehrnaz at all. Because of just this matter, the stepmother began to be jealous and be bad behaving to Mehrnaz. She annoyed her every day under any excuse.
One day in a very cold day of winter said to Mehrnaz: "Stand up and go to the desert and pick up a bunch of red flower and bring. I want to make jam using it." Mehrnaz answered: "From where can I find red flower in this cold weather in which even stone cracks."
The stepmother browbeat to Mehrnaz and said: "Don't tell your idea. Immediately go to the desert and pick up a bunch of red flower and bring back."
Mehrnaz set off and exited from the home while it was windy and raining. Back to home, she went toward the desert and went and went until she reached a hillside. She saw there four old men who had ignited fire and were sitting around it. One of them who had put on completely white clothing, saw and called her: "O dear girl! Why have you come out of your home in this snow and rain?"
Mehrnaz answered: "My stepmother has wanted red flower. She had said I should not return back to home without red flower."
The old man faced the next old man who had put on completely green clothing and said: "O brother, Spring! Please help this girl and let her to return back to her home hopefully." Spring said: "OK." Then he stood up and turned around himself. Suddenly snowing and raining stopped and the clouds went aside and the sun shined. The remaining snows melted and the shrubs sprouted. Then the sprouts budded and the buds flourished. Mehrnaz picked up a bunch of red flower and returned back to home.
By seeing the red flowers, the stepmother got surprised. Instead being happy, she began to beat Mehrnaz on this excuse that why she had not picked up more flowers. So she began again to annoy her.
The winter had just gone and th spring had come. The stepmother of Mehrnaz gave her a basket and said: "Stand up and go and pick up a basket of fresh red apple and bring to me to eat." Mehrnaz said: "The trees just have bloomed. They have no fruit yet. Where should I pick fresh red apple?"
The stepmother said: "Don't say your idea. Obey what I asked you, otherwise you will have no place here and I'll expel you."
Mehrnaz set off. As she stepped out of the home, it began raining. She went in rain toward the desert and saw that the same four old men had ignited fire and were sitting around it. Spring saw and called her: "O dear girl! Why have you come to desert in this rain?"
Mehrnaz answered: "What else can I do? My stepmother has wanted me to bring for her fresh red apple. Otherwise, she would not let me to return back to home."
Spring faced another old man who had put on completely red clothing and said: "O brother, Summer! Now it is your turn to help this girl and not to let her to return back to home disappointed." Summer said: "OK."
Then he stood up and turned around himself. Suddenly raining stopped. The clouds went aside and the sun shined. It became warm. The blossoms were fallen on the ground and the apple trees became full of red apples. Mehrnaz made her basket full of red apples and returned back to home.
The stepmother became very surprised when she saw the red apples, but instead of being happy, she beat Mehrnaz and said: "Why didn't you bring more?" Mehrnaz answered: "The basket had no more space." The stepmother said: "Be silent." Again the stepmother began to annoy Mehrnaz.
The spring passed and the summer came. Suddenly the stepmother liked to eat snow mixed to juice. So she asked Mehrnaz: "Stand up and bring snow for me." Mehrnaz said: "Now it is hot summer. There exists no snow."
The stepmother said: "Don't say your opinion. You should not say anything after I want you to do something. Stand up and immediately go and find snow and bring it to me, otherwise you are not allowed to be in this home."
Again Mehrnaz went to desert and under the heat of the summer sunshine walked so much until when she sweated so much and became excessively tired. At that time she accidentally saw just the same four persons who were sitting in the shadow of a tree and were fanning themselves. Mehrnaz got glad. She went ahead and said hello. Summer who had worn completely red clothing said: "Why have you come to desert in such hot day of summer?"
Mehrnaz replied: "My step mother again sent me forcefully to desert and had said to me to bring snow for her, and without snow she would not let me to stay at home."
Summer faced Winter and said: "O brother, Winter! Again help this girl and don't let she return back hopelessly."
Winter stood up and turned around himself. Suddenly the sunshine became weak. Wind came with loud noise and brout with itself clouds and made the sky cloudy. It became cold and began snowing. Mehrnaz picked up some snow and set off toward home.
On her way the king's son saw her and fell deeply in her love and then sent his mother for matchmaking. They took Mehrnaz with happiness and glee to the king's home.
When Mehrnaz went to the king's home told the king's son every disaster that the stepmother had created for her. The king's son sent his officers to bring the wicked stepmother and punished her severely.