THE LEGEND

(by Uliana Stepanova)

Now there is a monument to Peter the Great on that place. And do you know what was there many years ago?
         There lived a young girl. Nobody knew when her birthday was. She liked to walk alone, thinking about something. She was good-looking, with black eyes and she was always sad.
         One windy morning she was walking alone, as always. She was walking on the place where there are houses and shops now, but when she was walking there, there was only a field. In the middle of it the young girl stopped and looked around. The wind was playing with her hair and she looked beautifully. She saw a very tall man running to her. She got afraid of him. She started to think what to do and ran, too. But the man was faster. He caught her by her collar and shouted angrily: “What did you do? Are you normal? How could you step on me? Remember, I’m Peter the First and don’t step on that place any more! Do you understand me?” The young girl was afraid of him and promised never to walk on that field. Peter the Great smiled and went under the ground. After that accident the young girl became cheerful and never walked alone.
         Many-many years passed. A monument to Peter the Great was built on the place where the young girl was standing looking around. On that monument Peter the First is rigorous, dour and grim. And the girl was forgotten.
         And now can you answer the question: where is this monument to Peter the Great situated?