Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/58

36 The beautiful girl cried: "Little hut, little hut, stand with your back to the forest and with your front toward me! I want to go in and get something to eat."

The hut obeyed her; it turned its back to the forest and its front to the girl.

She entered, and there in the hut on the stove on the thrice-ninth brick lay Baba Yaga the Bony-leg, with her lips in a ridge and her nose through the ceiling.

"Fu! fu! fu!" she cried. "Hitherto no eye ever saw or ear ever heard of Russian spirit, but to-day Russian spirit is marching through the free world and strikes you in the eye and throws itself into your face! Where are you going, my pretty maid? Do you arrive from a doughty deed, or do you strive for a doughty deed?"

The maiden replied: "Grannie, the Bright-Hawk used to be with me, but my sisters did me an injury. I am now in search of him."

"Alas! my girl, my girl, your Finist is going to be married. This very day the wedding takes place!" exclaimed the Baba Yaga. She gave the beautiful girl food and drink and put her to bed, and the next morning, ere the dear sun had risen, she woke her up and gave her a costly gift—a