Page:The Russian story book, containing tales from the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod and other early sources.djvu/320

 her by the hair, and she was ready enough to make all kinds of promises to win her freedom.

"We want nothing," said Nikita, who had still more ideas in his head, "but your whistle and healing and living water. I have the whistle already, and if you will give us the water, you shall go free once more into the white world."

"That I can, and will since I must," said the Baba-Yaga.

"That you shall and are obliged to," replied Nikita.

Then the old witch led them to two springs and said:

"Here for your benefit is healing and living water." Nikita took of the healing water and sprinkled his stumps, whereupon his feet grew out as they had been before, but they would not move. So he sprinkled them next with living water, and they were made sound and whole as they had been before.

Guided by his brother, the blind man stooped to the spring of healing water and bathed the hollow sockets of his eyes. Then eyeballs came into them as they had been before, but they could not see. So he sprinkled them next with living water and they were made sound and useful as they had been before.

The brothers thanked the wicked Baba-Yaga and gave her a gift in exchange for her help and her whistle of which Nikita had need, but she grunted and said, "I could, and I would, and I did because