Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/17

 VASILISA THE BEAUTY

NCE in a certain country lived a merchant. He had been married twelve years and had only one child, a daughter Vasilisa, whom everyone called Vasilisa the Beauty. When her mother died the little girl was eight years old. On her deathbed she called her young daughter to her, took out from under the bedclothes a Doll, gave it to her, and said:

"Listen, dear little Vasilisa! Remember and fulfil my last words. I am dying and I leave you, with a mother's blessing, this Doll. Keep it always with you and show it to no one, and whenever any misfortune happens to you give it something to eat and ask its advice." Thereupon the mother kissed her little daughter and died.

The merchant, after his wife's death, mourned as long as was reasonable, and then began to think about getting married again. He was a good, sensible man and did not concern himself with the maidens, but best of all he liked a certain young