Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/305

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LITTLE BEAR'S-SON
259

from his back, threw him into a corner, ate the supper and drove away. He also sat groaning till the others returned, when he said: "Little brothers, I have been able neither to boil nor to bake for you, for the dampers of the stove would not close, and the gas from the burning wood made me giddy and caused my poor little head to ache as if it must split in two!" So the others got themselves something to eat and went to sleep.

On the fourth day it came the turn of Little Bear's-Son to stay. He put the house to rights, boiled, baked and roasted, and when all was prepared, washed his head, sat down under the window and began to comb his hair. Suddenly rain began to fall, the forest complained and bowed down and everything turned green before his eyes; then the earth parted, the great stone tilted, and out from the hole came the Baba-Yaga, riding in her mortar, driving with her pestle and sweeping out her path behind her with the kitchen broom.

Little Bear's-Son was not frightened, however, nor was he made giddy. He fetched his iron club of twenty-five poods, stood it ready in a corner and opened the door. "Health to thee, grandmother!" he said.

She hobbled in and sat down, grinding all her