A king with four sons decides to send his youngest, Raduz, into the world to seek his fortune. Raduz encounters a witch, Yezibaba, and her kind daughter, Ludmila, while seeking work. Yezibaba assigns Raduz impossible tasks, but with Ludmila's help, he miraculously completes them using her mother's magic wand. As they grow closer, Yezibaba plots to boil Raduz alive, but Ludmila warns him, and they escape together. Yezibaba pursues them using magical transformations, but Raduz and Ludmila cleverly evade her each time. Eventually, they reach Raduz's kingdom, where he learns of his family's demise and is proclaimed king. However, after being kissed by his mother, he forgets Ludmila due to Yezibaba's curse. Heartbroken, Ludmila transforms into a poplar tree near the castle, which Raduz orders cut down, unaware of its significance. After seven years, Ludmila reappears as a golden duck, capturing Raduz's attention. He eventually catches her, and upon her transformation back into Ludmila, he remembers his love for her. They reunite, and Raduz declares her as his bride, culminating in a grand wedding.
By Parker Fillmore · First published 1923 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Adventure