Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/127

Rh "Yes, aunty! Yes, my dear aunty!"

But the witch was beginning to get very hungry, and also very angry. She rushed into the room in a rage, but on seeing that the little girl was not there she became furious, and scolded the maid for not having made the bath hot enough.

"I have served you for many a year," the maid answered, "but you never gave me so much as a rag for my head, but that little girl gave me a handkerchief."

The witch then ran to the cat and beat the unfortunate animal, telling it that it had no right to let the little girl go, but that it ought to have scratched her eyes out.

"I have served you so long, and you never gave me a bone all the time, while she gave me some ham."

Away went the old witch and scolded the dogs, the gates, and the trees.

The dogs answered her, and said,—

"We have served you so long, and you have never even given us any corn, but she gave us some bread."

The gates answered her, and said,—

"We have served you for many years, but you never put any grease on our hinges, while she poured some oil on them."

Then the trees said,—

"We have been with you for very many years, but you never tied so much as a thread round us, while she tied us up with silken ribbons."

Finding that she could do nothing, or get any