Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/73

Rh Jack Frost jumped from branch to branch, coming nearer to her. Suddenly he sprang from the tree and stood by her side, his ice-cold fingers touching her shoulders. He was a handsome-looking old man, with a long white beard, and curly white locks hanging down his back; he had a kind-looking old face, with a good-natured smile on it.

"Are you warm, pretty maiden?" he asked again, stooping down to look into her face.

"Yes," she replied, "I am burning."

Martha was really freezing, but the cold was so great that she thought she was broiling.

Jack Frost felt very sorry for the poor girl, and coming closer to her, covered her up with what seemed to her fur cloaks and rugs, but she knew no more until she found herself at home again, surrounded by her father, step-mother, and sisters; she was clad in a beautiful silk dress, with a lovely fur mantle, and the box which was taken to the forest empty was now full of beautiful presents. It was really funny to see how cross the step-mother became on seeing Martha actually back again with such a number of rich presents and things round her; she tried, however, to keep her rage down, as well as she could. She never thought for a moment that her step-daughter's trip to the forest would have ended in this way. Nevertheless, she took the old man aside, and said proudly,—

"Was I not right in making you take Martha to the forest? See how rich she has become; Jack Frost has evidently taken a great fancy to her. I always said he would, and if you had not been in such