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 3 Baba Yaga I Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife up and died. The man married another woman and had a daughter with her, too. That wife took a dislike to her stepdaughter ; the poor thing had no kind of life at all. The man thought and thought about it and took his daughter into the woods. As they were driving through the woods, he looked and saw a little house standing on chicken legs. Then the man said,“Little house, little house, stand with your back to the woods and your front to me.” The house turned around. The man went into the house, and there inside was Baba Yaga, head facing straight ahead, one leg in one corner, one leg in the other.“There’s a smell of something Russian!” said Yaga. The man bowed to her and said,“Baba Yaga, bony leg! I’ve brought my daughter to serve you.” “Well, all right! Serve me, serve me,” said Yaga to the girl. “I’ll reward you for it.” The father said good-bye to her and went home.And Baba Yaga ordered the girl to spin stuff from the basket, stoke the stove, and prepare some of everything to eat, while she herself went out. The girl started to work at the stove, but she was crying bitterly. Little mice ran out and said to her,“Maiden, fair maiden, what are you crying for? Give us some porridge, and we’ll tell you something good.” She gave them some porridge.“Here’s what you need to do,” they said.“You spin one thread on each spindle.” Baba Yaga came home:“So then,” she said,“have you prepared some of everything?” But the girl had everything ready. “Well then, come on—give me a wash in the bathhouse.”Yaga praised the girl and gave her all kinds of fancy clothes.  Baba Yaga I 4 Yaga went out again and assigned her even more difficult tasks. The girl began to cry again. The little mice ran out and said,“What are you crying for, lovely maiden? Give us some porridge, and we’ll give you some good advice.” She gave them some porridge, and once again they told her what to do and how. Baba Yaga came back again, praised her and gave her even more nice clothes . . . After a while, the stepmother sent the man to see whether his daughter was alive. Off the man went. He drove up to the house and saw that his daughter had become very rich. The Yaga was not at home, so he took his daughter home with him. They drove toward their village, and the little dog at home couldn’t keep quiet.“Woof, woof, woof! A lady is coming, a lady is coming!” The stepmother ran out and let the doggie have it with a rolling pin. “You’re lying,” she shouted.“Say that bones are rattling in the basket!” But the dog kept on saying what it wanted. They came to the house. The stepmother started to pester her husband to take her own daughter there, too. So the man took her off into the woods. Baba Yaga assigned her some work and went out. The girl was beside herself with disappointment and started to cry. The little mice ran out and said,“Maiden, maiden! What are you crying for?” But she didn’t even let them finish speaking. She went after one and then another with the rolling pin. She kept on chasing them, and she didn’t do the work she was supposed to.Yaga came home and got angry. The same thing happened a second time, so Yaga broke her up into pieces and put her bones in a box. The mother sent her husband to go pick up her daughter. When the father got there, he found only bones to take away. As he drove toward the village, the little dog started barking again on the porch:“Woof, woof, woof! They’re bringing bones in a box!” The stepmother ran out with the rolling pin.“You’re lying,” she shouted. “Say a lady is coming!” But the doggie kept on repeating: “Woof, woof, woof! The bones are rattling in the box!” The husband got home, and then the wife really started howling! For you there’s a tale, and for me a cup of ale. (Afanas’ev, no. 102) ...

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