The Malachite Box them are keepers of hidden underground riches. The Mistress, described as either a beautiful green-eyed woman in malachite gown or a lizard with the crown on her head, is the keeper of gemstones. Poloz is the master of every existing piece of gold. The miners believed that if a gold-bearing lode disappeared, it meant that the Great Snake moved it to a different place. Bazhov introduced numerous daughters of Poloz, including Golden Hair from the tale of the same name. The relationship between Poloz and the Mistress is unclear. Bazhov commented that he asked some story-tellers about it, but they
The Malachite Casket (fairy tale) me the Tsarina, and you've done it so as to show me to her. [...] I don't want to see any more of ye". Adding that he is no match for her anyway, Tanyushka leans against the malachite wall and melts away. She is never seen again, but the Mistress of the Copper Mountain gets a twin—people see two maids in malachite robes. Most scholars agree that Tanyushka—literally or metaphorically—is the daughter of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain. It was suggested that the Casket symbolizes the mystery that connected Stepan and the Mistress, or the secret marriage between the