Baba Dochia is a well known Romanian legend. It has many versions but we like the one which follows.

There was an old woman called Dochia. She was very mean and moody. She had a son, who was married. One day Dochia sends her daughter-in-law to pick up berries in the forest at the end of February. The girl tries to find berries searching with her hands in the snow, but of course she can’t find any berries.

In despair and with her hands frozen from the cold snow, the girl starts crying, thinking that she would never be able to please her husband’s mother. God sees her from the sky and feels sorry for her, so He gives her some berries and the girl happily returns home.

When Dochia sees the berries, she thinks that spring has come back and leaves for the mountains with her goats. She leaves for the mountains dressed in nine coats. As the weather changes fast on the mountain, it gets warmer and she starts throwing away her coats, one by one, until she is left with no coat. But as soon as she drops her last coat, the weather changes again and Baba Dochia is frozen on the mountain.

Today we can still see the stone which once was Baba Dochia, and her sheep turned into smaller stones scattered on Mount Bucegi.

Where can I find berries? It's winter and it's sooo cold. My hands are frozen, I'm tired and hungry.

Thank you, God! Now I can pick berries and go home to give them to my mother-in-law.

When Dochia sees the berries, she thinks that spring has come back and leaves for the mountains with her goats. 

She leaves for the mountains dressed in nine coats. As the weather changes fast on the mountain, it gets warmer and she starts throwing away her coats....