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| Baba
Yaga
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A certain peasant and his wife had a daughter. The wife died; the husband married another woman, and had a daughter with her also. His wife conceived a dislike for her stepdaughter and the orphan had a hard time. Our peasant thought and thought, and finally took his daughter to the woods. As he drove in the woods, he beheld a little hut standing on chicken legs. The peasant girl said, "Little hut, little hut, stand with your back to the woods, and your front to me!" The hut turned around. The peasant entered it and found Baba Yaga: her head was in front, her right leg was in one corner and her left leg was in the other corner. "I smell a Russian smell!" said Yaga. The peasant bowed to her and said "Baba Yaga the Bonny-legged One, I have brought you my daughter to be your servant." "Very well, serve me, serve me!" said Yaga to the little girl. "I will reward you for it". The father said farewell and returned home. Baba Yaga gave the little girl a basketful of yarn to spin, told her to make a fire in the stove, and to prepare everything for dinner. Then she went out. The girl busied herself at the stove and wept bitterly. The mice went out and said to her: "Maiden, maiden, why are you weeping? Give us some gruel: we shall return your kindness." She gave them some gruel. "And now," they said, "stretch one thread on each spindle." Baba Yaga came back. "Well", she said, "have you prepared everything?" The girl had everything ready. "And now wash me in the bath!" said her mistress. She praised the maiden and gave her several beautiful dresses. Again Yaga went out, having set even more difficult tasks for her servant. Again the girl wept. The mice ran out. "Lovely maiden," they said, "why are you weeping? Give us some gruel: we shall return your kindness." She gave them some gruel, and again they told her what to do and how. Baba Yaga upon her return again praised the maiden and gave her even more beautiful dresses. One day the stepmother sent her husband to see whether his daughter was still alive. The peasant drove into the woods; when he came to the house on chicken legs, he saw that his daughter had become very prosperous. Yaga was not at home, so he took the maiden with him. As they approached their village, the peasant's dog began to bark: Bow! wow! wow! A young lady is coming, a young lady is coming!" The stepmother came out and struck the dog with a rolling pin. "You're lying!" she said. "You should bark, 'Bones are rattling in the basket!' ". But the dog kept barking the same as before. The peasant and his daughter arrived. The stepmother began to press her husband to take her daughter to Baba Yaga. He took her. Baba Yaga set a task for her and went out. The girl was beside herself with spite, and wept. The mice ran out: "Maiden, maiden" they said, "why are you weeping?" But she did not even let them speak; she struck them with a rolling pin and scolded them roundly and did not do her work. Yaga came back and became angry. Another time the same thing happened. Then Yaga broke her in two pieces and put her bones in a basket. Now the stepmother sent her husband for his daughter. The father went and brought back only her bones. As he approached his village, his dog barked on the porch, "Bow! wow! wow! Bones are rattling in the basket!" The step mother came running out with a rolling pin: "You're lying!" she said. "You should bark, 'A young lady is coming!" The husband arrived; and then the wife moaned and groaned. There's a tale for you and a crock of butter for me. |
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