Plot
King Yeremey, eager to count everything in his kingdom, embarks on a year-long journey. On his way home, he stops for water at a forest well, only to be seized by the underwater king, Chudo-Yudo, who demands that Yeremey give him "what he doesn't know he has." Assuming he has nothing to lose, Yeremey agrees, only to return home and discover that his son, Andrei, was born during his absence. Unwilling to part with his son, Yeremey and his devious advisor devise a plan to switch Andrei with a fisherman’s child, but the advisor’s wife has a change of heart and returns the children to their original places. Years pass, and Andrei, raised as a prince, grows spoiled and lazy, while Andrei the fisherman's son becomes kind and hardworking, beloved by the king, who mistakenly believes him to be his true son. Underwater, Chudo-Yudo plans a wedding for his daughter, the sorceress Varvara, who desires a loving husband from the human world. When she hears of her father’s deal with the land king, Chudo-Yudo begins to pressure Yeremey for his due. Mistakenly identifying the fisherman’s son as his own, Yeremey sends Andrei the prince into Chudo-Yudo’s realm, where he fails Varvara's tests due to his selfishness. Meanwhile, Andrei the fisherman's son arrives, bravely passing Varvara's tests with kindness, and they fall in love. Furious, Chudo-Yudo tries to keep Varvara and the fisherman’s son, but with the help of magical allies, they escape. The spoiled prince betrays them, but Varvara turns him into a dog. On land, the advisor’s wife reveals the truth of the failed child swap, reconciling all. Andrei the fisherman marries Varvara, while the humbled king reclaims his foolish son. == Cast==