Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/325

Rh tree: "Dance and prance! you have eaten Alyónka's flesh." "Did I hear anything?" said the wise woman; "it must have been the leaves rustling," Again the wise woman said, "I am dancing, I am prancing, I have eaten Iváshechko's flesh!" Iváshechko repeated: "Dance and prance! you have eaten Alyónka's flesh!"

So at last she looked up and saw Iváshechko, and began to gnaw at the oak-tree on which he was sitting, and gnawed and gnawed, broke two of her front teeth, and went to the smithy. She called the smith. "Smith, smith, make me some iron teeth, or I'll eat you up."

The smith made her two iron teeth.

So back she went and gnawed away at the tree, and as soon as she had gnawed it through Iváshechko just jumped on to the next oak-tree, whilst the one the witch had gnawed through fell down.

Then the wise woman gnawed and gnawed at this tree, and gnawed and gnawed, broke the two front teeth, and went to the smithy. She called the smith: "Smith, smith, make me two more iron teeth, or I'll eat you up."

The smith made her two more iron teeth.

So she went back and gnawed away at the tree.

So Iváshechko did not know what to do. He looked up and saw geese and swans flying; he asked them:

"The next covey may take you," said the birds.

So he waited. And another flock came, and he repeated: