Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/66

50 She sat with her hands folded in the coolest part of the hut. She loved the cold winter, it was her best friend, but this horrid heat she hated. She was glad when it rained a little, there was no broiling sun then. She did not mind the winter sun, but the summer sun was her enemy; and quite natural, too, poor thing, when she was born in the winter in the snow! At last the great summer feast arrived, the village youths and maidens came to the Snow-Maiden and asked her to join them in a romp through the woods, and begged Masha to let her go with them. At first Masha refused, but the girls begged so hard that at last, on thinking it over, she consented, for she thought it might cheer Snow-Maiden up.

"But," said she, "take care of her, for she is the apple of my eye, and if anything happens to her, I don't know what I shall do!"

"All right! all right! we shall take care of her, she is just as dear to us!" cried the young people, as they took Snow-Maiden and ran off with her into the forest, where the girls wove themselves wreaths, while the young men gathered sticks, which they piled up high; and at sunset they set fire to them, and then they arranged themselves all in a row one after another, boys and girls, and prepared to jump over the burning heap. Our Snow-Maiden was the last in the row.

"Mind," said the girls to her, "don't stay behind but jump after us."

One! two! three! and away they went, jumping over the flames in great delight. Suddenly they heard