legends Baba-Yaga

In a village in the Russian countryside, there lived a little girl who no longer had a mother. His father remarried, but he chose a bad woman. She hated the little girl and treated her badly. “How can I get rid of this child? » thought the stepmother. One day when her husband went to the market to sell wheat, she said to the little girl: “Go to my sister, your kind aunt, and ask her for a needle and thread to sew you a shirt. »

The little girl put on her pretty red kerchief and left. On the way, she said to herself, as she was clever: "I will first go and ask advice from my real kind aunt, my real mother's sister." » Her aunt received her kindly.

“Auntie,” said the little girl, “Dad's new wife sent me to her sister to ask for a needle and thread to sew me a shirt. But first, I came to ask you for some good advice.

- You were right. Your stepmother's sister is none other than Baba-Yaga, the cruel ogress! But listen to me: there is a birch tree in his garden that wants to whip your eyes with its branches, and ties a ribbon around its trunk. You will see a big squeaky gate that will want to close on its own and put some oil on its hinges. Dogs will want to devour you, throw bread at them. Finally, you will see a cat that would poke your eyes out, give it a piece of ham.

– Thank you very much, Auntie, replied the little girl.

She walked for a long time, then finally arrived at Baba-Yaga's house. Baba-Yaga was weaving. “Hello, aunt.

– Hello, my niece.

– My mother sent me to ask you for a needle and thread so that she could sew me a shirt.

– Well, I’m going to get you a straight needle and some white thread. In the meantime, sit in my place and weave. »

The little girl set to work. She was very happy.

Baba Yaga - illustration 1

Suddenly she heard Baba-Yaga say to her servant in the courtyard: “Heat the bath and wash my niece carefully. I want to eat it for dinner. »

The little girl trembled with fear. She saw the servant come in and bring logs, fagots, and buckets full of water. Then she tried to put on a friendly and cheerful voice, and she said to the servant: “Hey, my good, split less wood, and to bring the water, use a sieve instead! » And she gave him her pretty red kerchief.

The little girl looked around her. A bright, clear fire began to flame in the fireplace, the water began to sing in the cauldron, and although it was ogress water, it sang a pretty song.

But Baba-Yaga was getting impatient. From the courtyard, she asked: “Are you weaving, my niece? Do you weave, my darling?

– I weave, aunt, I weave. »

Without making any noise, the little girl got up and went to the door... But the cat was there, skinny, black, scary! With his green eyes, he looked at the little girl's blue eyes. And he was already taking out his claws to dig them out. But she gave him a piece of ham and asked him gently: “Please tell me how I can escape Baba-Yaga?” »

The cat first ate the whole piece of ham, then he smoothed his whiskers and replied: “Take this comb and this towel and run away. Baba-Yaga will come after you. Put your ear to the ground, if you hear it approaching, throw in the towel, and you'll see! If she still pursues you, press your ear to the ground again, and when you hear her on the road, throw away the comb, and you will see! »

The little girl thanked the cat, took the towel and the comb, and ran away.

But as soon as she left the house, she saw two dogs even thinner than the cat, ready to devour her. She threw them soft bread, and they did her no harm.

Next, it was the big barrier that creaked and tried to close to prevent him from leaving the enclosure. But as her aunt had told her, she poured a whole can of oil on the hinges, and the gate opened wide to let her pass. On the way, the birch hissed and moved to whip his eyes. But she tied a red ribbon to its trunk, and the birch greeted her and showed her the way.

She ran, she ran, she ran. Meanwhile, the cat had started weaving. From the courtyard, Baba-Yaga asked once again: “Are you weaving, my niece? Do you weave, my darling?

“I weave, my old aunt, I weave,” replied the cat in a loud voice. »

Furious, Baba-Yaga rushed into the house. No more little girls! She thrashed the cat and shouted: “Why didn’t you put out its eyes, you traitor?

– Hey! said the cat. I have been in your service for a long time, and you have never given me the smallest bone, while she gave me ham! »

Baba-Yaga thrashed the dogs. “Hey! said the dogs. We have been in your service for a long time, and have you even given us an old crust? While she gave us tender bread! »

Baba-Yaga shook the barrier. “Hey! said the barrier. I have been at your service for a long time, and you have never put a single drop of oil on my hinges, while she poured me a full can! »

Baba-Yaga attacked the birch. “Hey! said the birch. I have been at your service for a long time, and you have never decorated me with a thread, while she adorned me with a beautiful silk ribbon!

– And I said the servant, from whom nothing was asked, and I, in the time that I have been in your service, I have never received from you even a rag, while she gave me a pretty red kerchief as a gift! »

Baba-Yaga whistled her mortar, which came belly down, and she jumped in. Playing the pestle and erasing her tracks with her broom, she set off in pursuit of the little girl, across the countryside.

The little girl pressed her ear to the ground: she heard that Baba-Yaga was approaching. So she threw the towel which turned into a large river! Baba-Yaga was forced to stop.

She gritted her teeth, rolled her yellow eyes, ran to her house, took her three oxen out of the stable, and brought them near the river. And the oxen drank all the water to the last drop. Then Baba-Yaga resumed his pursuit.

Baba Yaga - illustration 2

The little girl was far away. She pressed her ear to the ground. She heard the pounding on the road. She threw the comb which turned into a thick forest! Baba-Yaga tried to enter there, to see the trees with his teeth. Impossible! The little girl listened: nothing more. She only heard the wind blowing between the green and black fir trees of the forest.

Baba Yaga - illustration 3

Yet she continued to run very quickly because it was getting dark, and she thought: “My dad must think I'm lost. »

The old peasant, returning from the market, asked his wife: “Where is the little one?”

- Who knows? the stepmother replied. It's been hours since I sent her on an errand to her aunt's house. » Finally, the little girl, her cheeks all red from running, arrived at her father's house. He asked her:

“Where do you come from, my little one?”

– Oh! she says. Little father, my mother sent me to my aunt to get a needle and thread to sew me a shirt, but aunt, imagine that it's Baba-Yaga, the cruel ogress! »

She told her whole story. The old man was very angry. He beat the stepmother and threw her out of her house, ordering her never to return.

Since then, the little girl and her father have lived in peace. I went to their village, they invited me to their table, the meal was very good and everyone was happy.

W