TWELVE MONTHS

Aired:Mar. 15 1980

Orphan Anya loves birds, rabbits and squirrels and she has a kind heart. She lives with an old woman who has a mean daughter. The two often give Anya a hard time, saying mean things.On the New Year’s Eve, the old woman and the daughter go out to town shopping dressed up in fine clothes, after ordering Anya to go get firewood. Shivering in cold, Anya picks up firewood in the forest when she meets a bearded soldier. He offers to help Anya, feeling sorry for her. The soldier is in the forest to get a fir tree to decorate the place hall, after receiving an order from the Queen. Anya takes him to the best fir tree in the forest in gratitude.The fir tree pleases the Queen very much. But the selfish Queen insists that she must have galanthus flowers on the table for the New Year’s party.Galanthus only blooms in April. The Queen wouldn’t listen to her ministers or anyone. She gives out a notice that she will give a basketful of gold coins to the one who finds enough galanthus. The old woman hears of the notice and orders Anya to go find galanthus in the forest. A snowstorm is blowing out-side and it is getting dark. But the old woman and the daughter wouldn’t listen to Anya’s plea. They send her out-side and close the shutters.Anya is about to freeze to death, wandering in the forest in the snowstorm. Just then Anya finds a small light in the depth of the forest. Anya finds twelve figures around a fire. They are the Spirits of the Twelve months. Knowing that orphan Anya is trying her best to make the most of her little life, the twelve spirits decide to help her out. They turn the year around to April just for an hour, so that galanthus will bloom.After gathering a basketful of galanthus, Anya turns to go when the Spirit of April presents her with a ring. He explains that if she throws out the ring and says secret words the twelve spirits would answer the call. Anya promises that she will be very careful with the ring and not tell anybody where the glanthus can be found. When Anya reaches the house, the bells toll for the New Year.The old woman rejoices to find the galanthus beside the tired sleeping Anya. She starts for the palace with the flowers. The greedy daughter even takes the ring form Anya’s finger while she is sleeping.The Queen is very glad to have the galanthus and she orders the old woman to take her to the place where the galanthus can be found. Her order must be carried out under the pain of death. The old woman pleads with Anya to tell her the place.Anya would tell only if she could get back the ring. The old woman and the daughter consent to this and she goes into the forest. The daughter follows Anya, leaving signs on the way. Receiving a message from the old woman, the Queen runs after Anya.The Queen catches up with Anya by the side of a lake in the forest. The Queen promises to give anything in turn for the galanthus and Anya asks for her ring back. The Queen takes the ring away from the daughter. Anya won’t tell the Queen where the flowers are, because of her promise with the Spritis.The upset Queen throws away the ring. The instant Anya sees the ring, she says the secret words. And all of a sudden, the seasons turn from spring, to summer, to autumn, and then, cold winter again.In the cold, the old woman and the daughter fight for a manteau when they are turned into gods by the Spirits. The Spirits present Anya with a fine manteau and a sleigh for keeping her promise. Anya goes home with the Queen on the sleigh. The spirits tell Anya that they will turn the old woman and the daughter back into humans if they are good for three years. The selfish Queen learns a lesson in Anya’s kind heart and she promises to be a good friend to her.