Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/26

10 a bit of soup, a crust of bread, and a morsel of roast pig.

Then the Baba Yaga lay down to sleep, saying: "When morning comes I am going out. Keep your eyes open, clean the court, sweep the hut, get the dinner, prepare the bedclothes; then go into the cornbin, take forty bushels of wheat and clean it of fennel. Have all this completely done, or I will eat you up."

After giving this command the Baba Yaga began to snore. Vasilisa put the old dame's leavings before the Doll, burst into tears, and said:

"Now eat, little Doll, and listen to my tale of woe! The Baba Yaga has given me such a heavy task to perform, and she threatens to eat me up if it is not all accomplished. Help me!"

The Doll replied: "Fear not, Vasilisa. Eat your supper, say your prayers, and go to sleep. Morning is wiser than Evening."

Vasilisa did so. She awoke rather early, but the Baba Yaga was up before her and was looking out of the window; the eyes in the skulls were growing dim, and now the white horseman galloped by and it became quite bright. The Baba Yaga went outdoors, whistled, and before her appeared her mortar and pestle and