Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/128

112 sympathy from those around her, the witch started off after her niece. But the little girl put her ear to the ground, as the cat had told her, and when she heard the witch coming she threw down the towel, and a very large river appeared; then she ran on a little farther and again put her ear to the ground, and heard that the old witch had crossed over and was coming nearer towards her. She ran on, and then threw down the comb, and immediately a very dense forest sprang up, through which the wicked old woman could not pass, though she tried very hard; but all in vain, she was obliged to return home. What she had for her dinner I do not know.

When the little girl's father came home, and saw that the child was not there, he asked his wife,—

"Where is my little daughter?"

"She has gone to her aunt to fetch a needle and thread," answered the wife. "She will be back soon."

And much to the woman's astonishment, her little step-daughter did very soon put in an appearance.

Her father at once asked her where she had been.

"My step-mother sent me to her sister, who is a wicked old witch, and who wanted to eat me up."

"But how did you get away?"

The child told him the whole story, how she went to her real aunt first, how the cat had helped her, and all she had done.