Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/307

Rh Bear's-Son, lest he see the scar. So at length he asked: "Brothers, why do ye stand thus facing me, like men who fear to show their shoulders?" They turned themselves about then, and he asked: "Why are the scars upon your backs?"

Then Usynia said: "The day I stayed at home the smoke of the fire blinded my eyes, so that I touched the stove and the hot iron seared me." Gorynia said: "When I remained, the wood was damp, and in filling the stove with dry, a fagot dropped from my shoulder and tore my flesh." And Dubynia said: "When I was left behind, the gas from the oven made me giddy, so that I slipped and fell upon thy iron club."

Then Little Bear's-Son laughed, and opening the cupboard door, dragged from thence the Baba-Yaga. "Here, my brothers," he said, "are the smoke, the dampness, and the gas."

Now the old witch was cunning, and she pretended to be still senseless from her beating. She opened one eye a little, however, and seeing her chance, suddenly leaped into her mortar, whirled through the doorway, and in another moment had disappeared beneath the huge stone.

The three giants, angered to find their secret discovered, were still more furious to see the