A long time ago, there lived an old couple in a mountain village. The husband and wife were poor but they worked hard and lived a happy life. Unfortunately, they had no children. They felt lonely from time to time but it wasn’t a big problem since they loved each other deeply.

One day, the wife was waiting for her husband who had left the house early in the morning to cut firewood in the mountains. It was getting dark but the old man still hadn’t returned. She began to worry about her husband when a young man suddenly entered her house. Strangely enough, he put down the A-frame carrier that her husband had carried on his back. Overcome by an ominous feeling, the wife asked the young man if he knew anything about the owner of the carrier. The young man said, smiling, “Honey, it’s me. You don’t recognize me, do you?” The wife stared at the young man for a minute in wide-eyed amazement. Much to her surprise, the man was unquestionably her husband. The only difference was that he looked a lot younger.

The husband began to explain what had happened. When he went to the mountains to collect firewood, he found a blue bird caught in the net. The poor bird was beating its wings frantically, only to trap itself tighter. Feeling sorry for the creature, the old man cut the net and freed it. The bird then soared high into the air and flew away. After a moment, the blue bird came back and began to circle over his head, as if telling him to follow. So the old man followed the bird, which led him to a small fountain. He was thirsty just at the moment, and he took a drink of water from the fountain. Upon drinking the water, he quenched his thirst and felt strong as well. He happened to look down at the water. To his amazement, he saw a reflection of a young, healthy-looking man. He couldn’t believe his eyes but there was no doubt that he turned into a young man. Suddenly, he thought of the blue bird. He was looking for the bird, but it had already disappeared.

After telling the whole story, the husband suggested to his wife that they go to the fountain together. The wife had no reason to refuse, so she went to the “fountain of youth” with her husband and took a sip of water from it. Miraculously, her gray hair turned black and the wrinkles that lined her face were flattened. In a moment, the old woman became a young, beautiful lady. Now, the life of the young couple was even happier.

Now, there lived another old couple in the neighborhood. Unlike the first couple, this man and his wife were greedy and selfish. When they noticed the young couple, the avaricious couple nagged their neighbors to tell them what had happened. Upon hearing the incredible story, they rushed to the fountain and began to drink water there. The greedy folks gulped down the water until they felt bloated.

Meanwhile, the first couple who became young waited for their old neighbors to return, hoping to see the dramatic change again. But even late into the night, the old couple did not come back. The next morning, the young couple went to the fountain. But they didn’t find the old couple. Instead, two new-born babies were crying along the fountain. Alas, the old couple drank so much water from the fountain of youth that they became infants. The young couple was stunned to see the babies, but the tender-hearted people believed that the children were a gift from heaven. So, they brought the babies home and raised them as their own children. Therefore, the once old, childless couple became young parents with two kids, creating a happy family.