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Bazhov is known for his fairy tales, and "The Stone Flower" is one of the most famous stories that served as inspiration for Sergei Prokofiev's ballet and film adaptation.
When he is commissioned to make a stone cup in the shape of a flower, Danilo tries his best, but is never satisfied – the cup seems dead to him, without true beauty. From an old woman he hears the legend of the Stone Flower that grows in the underground kingdom of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain. Whoever sees it understands the secret of the stone, but can never be happy in ordinary life again. Obsessed with the desire to see perfect beauty, Danilo goes to the mountain. The Mistress shows him the Stone Flower. He returns to the village, destroys his cup and disappears. Everyone thinks he has died or gone mad. (The story continues in The Mountain Master, in which his fiancée Katja remains faithful and ultimately helps him return.)
Two copies are available
Copy number 1
- Library stamp
- Traces of patina
Copy number 2
- Traces of patina
