Baba Yaga

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman. The old man had become a widower and married another wife, and from his first wife, he had a daughter. The evil stepmother did not love the girl, beat her, and thought of ways to get rid of her completely.

One day, the father went away somewhere, and the stepmother said to the girl:

"Go to your aunt, my sister, and ask her for a needle and thread—I need to sew you a shirt."

But this aunt was none other than Baba Yaga, the bony-legged witch.

Now, the girl was not foolish, so she first went to her own aunt.

"Hello, Auntie!"

"Hello, dear! What brings you here?"

"My mother sent me to her sister to ask for a needle and thread—she wants to sew me a shirt."

Her aunt then advised her:

"On your way, niece, you will encounter a birch tree that will try to whip your eyes—tie it with a ribbon. Then, the gates will creak and slam—pour some oil under their hinges. Next, dogs will try to tear you apart—throw them some bread. And finally, a cat will try to scratch your eyes—give it some ham."

The girl set off and walked until she arrived at a hut. Inside sat Baba Yaga, the bony-legged witch, weaving.

"Hello, Auntie!"

"Hello, dear!"

"My mother sent me to ask you for a needle and thread—she wants to sew me a shirt."

"Very well; sit down and weave for now."

So the girl sat down at the loom, and Baba Yaga went out and said to her servant:

"Go, heat up the bathhouse and wash my niece thoroughly. I want to have her for breakfast."

The girl sat there, neither alive nor dead, terrified, and she begged the servant:

"Dear one! Don’t light the fire too much—pour more water instead, carry the water in a sieve." And she gave the servant a handkerchief.

Baba Yaga waited a while, then approached the window and asked:

"Are you weaving, niece? Are you weaving, dear?"

"I am weaving, Auntie, I am weaving, dear!"

Baba Yaga walked away, and the girl gave the cat some ham and asked:

"Is there any way to escape from here?"

"Here’s a comb and a towel," said the cat. "Take them and run. Baba Yaga will chase you. When you hear her close behind, throw the towel first—it will turn into a wide, wide river. If Baba Yaga crosses the river and continues chasing you, throw the comb—it will turn into a dense, dense forest, and she won’t be able to get through!"

The girl took the towel and the comb and ran. The dogs tried to tear her apart—she threw them some bread, and they let her pass. The gates tried to slam shut—she poured oil under their hinges, and they let her pass. The birch tree tried to whip her eyes—she tied it with a ribbon, and it let her pass. Meanwhile, the cat sat at the loom and wove—more tangling than weaving. Baba Yaga approached the window and asked:

"Are you weaving, niece? Are you weaving, dear?"

"I am weaving, Auntie, I am weaving, dear!" the cat growled rudely.

Baba Yaga rushed into the hut, saw that the girl had escaped, and began to beat the cat, scolding it for not scratching the girl’s eyes out.

"I’ve served you for so long," said the cat, "and you never gave me a bone, but she gave me ham."

Baba Yaga then turned on the dogs, the gates, the birch tree, and the servant, scolding and beating them all. The dogs said:

"We’ve served you for so long, and you never threw us a burnt crust, but she gave us bread."

The gates said:

"We’ve served you for so long, and you never poured water under our hinges, but she poured oil."

The birch tree said:

"I’ve served you for so long, and you never tied me with a thread, but she tied me with a ribbon."

The servant said:

"I’ve served you for so long, and you never gave me a rag, but she gave me a handkerchief."

Baba Yaga, the bony-legged witch, quickly sat in her mortar, pushed herself with a pestle, swept her tracks with a broom, and set off in pursuit of the girl. The girl pressed her ear to the ground and heard Baba Yaga chasing her, already close. She threw the towel, and it turned into a wide, wide river! Baba Yaga reached the river and gnashed her teeth in rage. She returned home, brought her oxen, and drove them to the river. The oxen drank the river dry.

Baba Yaga set off in pursuit again. The girl pressed her ear to the ground and heard Baba Yaga approaching. She threw the comb, and it turned into a dense, terrifying forest! Baba Yaga tried to gnaw through it but couldn’t and had to turn back.

Meanwhile, the old man returned home and asked:

"Where is my daughter?"

"She went to her aunt," said the stepmother. Soon after, the girl came running home.

"Where have you been?" asked her father.

"Oh, Father!" she said. "My stepmother sent me to her sister to ask for a needle and thread—she wanted to sew me a shirt, but her sister, Baba Yaga, wanted to eat me."

"How did you escape, daughter?"

The girl told him everything.

When the old man learned the truth, he became furious with his wife and shot her. He and his daughter lived happily ever after, prospering and growing rich. And I was there, drinking mead and beer—it ran down my mustache but didn’t go into my mouth.

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Baba Yaga

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