A widowed old man lived alone with his beautiful daughter, who was named Marozko. One day, the old man married a woman with a daughter of her own. However, the woman was very cruel and her daughter was very ugly and hateful. They criticized Marozko constantly and made her do all the chores. One freezing winter day the woman ordered the old man to take Marozko into the woods and leave her there. The old man was very sad but his wife was the boss and he had to do what she wished. He took his beloved daughter deep into the forest and left her there in the snow, under a tree. It was so cold that Marozko could hear Father Frost crackling and crunching in the trees, coming closer and closer to her. Father Frost asked her repeatedly if she was warm and each time she replied that she was. Realizing that she was only trying to be polite and not offend him, Father Frost felt sorry for Marozko and covered her with luxurious furs to warm her.

In the meantime, the mean old stepmother decided to send her husband back into the woods to bring back the body of his daughter. When he found Marozko she not only was wearing the furs, but also had a chest filled with gold, silver, and precious gems! Overjoyed, he took Marozko and her treasures home to his jealous wife, who sent him back to the same place with her own ugly daughter, expecting the same results. Father Frost repeatedly asked the ugly daughter if she was cold and each time she complained about how cold and uncomfortable she was. Because of her ceaseless complaining, Father Frost did nothing to help her and she perished in the snow. Her greedy mother sent the old man back into the woods to retrieve the riches she hoped for, but when he returned instead with only her dead, frozen daughter she was enraged. It didn’t take long for the old man to leave her, taking Marozko and their newfound riches with him. They lived happily and comfortably ever after!