Page:WishfulfillmentAndSymbolism.djvu/30

20 in with his daughter and went back home. There the little maid threw herself at the feet of her stepmother.

The old woman wondered very much when she saw the girl living and saw the new furs and the basket full of linen. "Eh, you can't fool me!" said she.

After a few days the old woman said: "Take my daughters to the bridegroom, he will give them still better presents." In the morning the old woman awoke her daughters, dressed them, as if she were sending them to their wedding and sent them forth. The old man took the same way and left the maids by the same pine. They sat down and laughed. "What occurred to mother to marry us so suddenly? As if there were not fellows enough in the Village! Who knows, what sort of a devil comes here!" The girls had great furs on but in spite of that the cold stung them.

"Paracha, the Frost runs over my skin, if the chosen one does not come soon we will freeze." "Nonsense Mascha, since when do bridegrooms come so early, it is only breakfast time." "Paracha! if he comes now who will he take?" "Not you, you goose." "You perhaps?" "Certainly." "Don't laugh." The Frost nipped the maids' hands. They put their hands in their furs and began again: "You sleepy child, you bad nuisance, you scold. You cannot spin and you never think of praying." "Oh, you boaster, what can you do then? In the spinning room you hang around and prattle. Wait and see who he takes." So the little maids quarreled and froze. "Why you are getting blue!" said they together. Far away the Frost crackled and snapped and sprang from fir to fir. To the maids it appeared as if some one was coming. "Ho, Paracha! he is coming; his bells are jingling." "Go on fool, the Frost is making me shake." "But will you still marry?" They blew on their fingers. The Frost came nearer and nearer, finally he alighted on the pine over the maids. "Are you warm little maids, are you warm beautiful little doves?"

"Oh Frost it is so cold. We are nearly frozen. We are waiting for the bridegroom and the devil does not come."

The Frost came down lower and crackled and snapped still more: "Are you warm little maids, are you warm my beautiful ones?" "Go to the devil! Are you blind, our hands and feet are already frozen off." Then the Frost came still further down,