Geese-Swans

Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman. They had a daughter and a little son.
"Daughter," the mother said, "we are going to work, so take care of your little brother. Don't leave the yard, be a good girl—we'll buy you a handkerchief."

The father and mother left, but the daughter forgot what she had been told. She sat her little brother on the grass by the window and ran off to play outside. Suddenly, swan-geese swooped down, snatched the boy, and carried him away on their wings.

When the girl returned, she saw that her brother was gone! She gasped, rushed to look for him, searched everywhere—but he was nowhere to be found. She called for him, wept bitterly, and lamented that her parents would be furious—but her brother did not answer.

She ran out into the open field and saw in the distance the swan-geese disappearing beyond the dark forest. Then she realized they had taken her brother: there had long been rumors that the swan-geese carried off little children.

The girl ran after them. She ran and ran until she saw a stove.
"Stove, stove, tell me, where did the swan-geese fly?"
The stove replied:
"Eat my rye pie, and I'll tell you."
"I won't eat a rye pie! My father doesn't even eat wheat pies..."
The stove said nothing. The girl ran on and saw an apple tree.
"Apple tree, apple tree, tell me, where did the swan-geese fly?"
"Eat my wild apple, and I'll tell you."
"My father doesn't even eat garden apples..."
The apple tree said nothing. The girl ran on. Soon she came to a river of milk with banks of jelly.
"River of milk, banks of jelly, where did the swan-geese fly?"
"Eat my simple jelly with milk, and I'll tell you."
"My father doesn't even eat cream..."
She ran through fields and forests for a long time. The day was turning to evening, and there was nothing left to do but go home. Suddenly, she saw a hut on chicken legs, with one window, spinning around.

Inside the hut, an old Baba Yaga was spinning thread. On a bench sat her little brother, playing with silver apples. The girl entered the hut:
"Hello, grandmother!"
"Hello, girl! Why have you come?"
"I walked through mosses and swamps, got my dress wet, and came to warm up."
"Sit down and spin some thread for now."
Baba Yaga gave her a spindle and left. The girl was spinning when suddenly a mouse ran out from under the stove and said:
"Girl, girl, give me some porridge, and I'll tell you something good."
The girl gave the mouse some porridge, and the mouse said:
"Baba Yaga has gone to heat the bathhouse. She will wash you, steam you, put you in the oven, roast you, and eat you, then ride on your bones."
The girl sat frozen, crying, but the mouse said again:
"Don't wait, take your brother and run. I'll spin the thread for you."
The girl took her brother and ran. Baba Yaga came to the window and asked:
"Girl, are you spinning?"
The mouse replied:
"I'm spinning, grandmother..."
Baba Yaga heated the bathhouse and went after the girl. But the hut was empty.

Baba Yaga shouted:
"Swan-geese! Fly after them! The sister has taken her brother!"
The sister and brother ran until they reached the river of milk. She saw the swan-geese flying.
"River, dear mother, hide me!"
"Eat my simple jelly."
The girl ate and thanked the river. The river hid her under its jelly bank.
The swan-geese didn't see her and flew past. The girl and her brother ran on. But the swan-geese turned back and were about to spot them. What to do? Trouble! There stood the apple tree...
"Apple tree, dear mother, hide me!"
"Eat my wild apple."
The girl quickly ate it and thanked the tree. The apple tree shielded her with its branches and covered her with leaves.
The swan-geese didn't see her and flew past. The girl ran on. She ran and ran, and they were almost home. Then the swan-geese saw her, honked, and swooped down, flapping their wings, about to snatch her brother from her arms. The girl reached the stove:
"Stove, dear mother, hide me!"
"Eat my rye pie."
The girl quickly ate the pie and hid in the stove with her brother, sitting in its mouth.
The swan-geese flew around, honked, and finally flew back to Baba Yaga empty-handed.
The girl thanked the stove and ran home with her brother.
Just then, her father and mother returned.

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Geese-Swans

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