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“Vasilisa the Beautiful”
- University Press of Mississippi
- Chapter
- Additional Information
170 Vasilisa the Beautiful Once upon a time, in a certain kingdom, there lived a merchant. He lived with his wife for twelve years and had only one daughter, Vasilisa the Beautiful. The girl was eight years old when her mother died. As she was dying, the merchant’s wife called her daughter to her, pulled a doll out from under the blanket, gave it to her, and said,“Listen, my dear Vasilisa! Remember and carry out my final words. I’m dying, and along with my parental blessing I leave you this doll here. Always keep her with you and don’t show her to anyone; if ever some grief happens to you, give her something to eat and ask her advice. She will eat and tell you what to do to help in your misfortune.” Then the mother kissed her daughter and died. After his wife’s death the merchant grieved for a while, as is proper, and then he started to think about getting married again. He was a good man, and there were plenty of potential brides, but the one who pleased him most was a widow. She was already a certain age and had two daughters of her own, almost the same age as Vasilisa. He thought she must be an experienced housewife and mother. The merchant married the widow, but he was disappointed in her and didn’t gain a mother for his Vasilisa. Vasilisa was the prettiest girl in the village. Her stepmother and stepsisters envied her beauty and tormented her with all kinds of work, hoping she would get thin from the work and her skin would darken from the wind and sun. She had no kind of life at all! Vasilisa bore it all without complaining. Every day she grew more plump and beautiful, while her stepmother and her daughters got skinnier and uglier from spite, even though they sat with their hands folded, like aristocratic young ladies. And how could this be? Well,Vasilisa’s little doll helped her. How could the girl have handled all the work without that!? But often Vasilisa herself would have nothing to eat; she would save the tastiest morsel for her doll. Vasilisa the Beautiful 171 In the evening, once everyone had gone to bed, she would shut herself in the store-room where she lived and give the doll something to eat, saying,“Here, dolly, have a bite to eat, listen to my grief! I live in my father’s house, but I see no joy. My evil stepmother is trying to drive me off the surface of the earth. Tell me, how should I act and live and what should I do?” The dolly would have a bite and then give her advice and comfort in her grief, and in the morning she would do all kinds of work for Vasilisa. Vasilisa would just relax in the shade and pick flowers, while her rows of vegetables were already weeded, and the cabbage watered, and the water Vasilisa and her Mother, detail by Forest Rogers. http://www.forestrogers .com/. [3.227.239.9] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 09:23 GMT) Vasilisa the Beautiful 172 carried, and the stove heated. The little doll also showed Vasilisa what herbs to use against sunburn. She had a good life with her doll. Several years passed. Vasilisa grew up and was old enough to marry. All the young bachelors in the city had an eye on Vasilisa, but no one even looked at her stepmother’s daughters. The stepmother grew even more spiteful and said to all the suitors,“I won’t let the younger one marry before the older ones do!” After she saw the suitors out the door, she took out her angry feelings by beating Vasilisa. One day the merchant had to leave on a long trip for business. The stepmother moved to another house, and that house stood next to a deep, dark forest. In a glade in the forest stood a little house, and a Baba Yaga lived in that little house. She didn’t let anyone come near, and she ate people as if they were chickens. After they moved to the new place, the merchant’s wife kept sending Vasilisa, who was so hateful to her, into the woods on some errand or other, but Vasilisa always came home safely. The little doll showed her the way and didn’t let her get close to the Baba Yaga’s...