Russian Folktale

Retold by The Legendary Connection

TLC#00207

Once upon a time, there was an old man who lost his wife and later married again. He had a young daughter from his first marriage. Sadly, the girl's new stepmother was cruel and never treated her kindly. Instead, she often beat the girl and thought of ways to get rid of her.

One day, while the father was away, the stepmother called the girl over and said, “Go to my sister, your aunt, and ask her for a needle and thread so I can make you a new dress.” But this wasn’t an ordinary aunt. She was a Baba Yaga, a witch known for her nasty ways.

The girl, however, was clever. She went to her real aunt first, the one who was kind to her, and said, “Good morning, Auntie! My stepmother sent me to her sister to get a needle and thread for a new dress.”

Her real aunt was worried and warned her, “Your stepmother’s sister is a Baba Yaga. Listen carefully. When you get there, you’ll see a birch tree that will try to hit you. Tie a ribbon around it so it won’t. You’ll pass doors that will creak and bang. Pour some oil on their hinges so they stay quiet. You’ll also meet hungry dogs—give them these rolls to eat so they let you pass. Finally, there will be a cat that might scratch you. Give it this piece of bacon, and it will help you.”

Thanking her aunt, the girl took the ribbon, oil, rolls, and bacon and headed toward the Baba Yaga’s hut deep in the woods. When she arrived, the Baba Yaga was inside weaving. The girl went up to her and said, “Good morning, Auntie. My stepmother sent me to ask for a needle and thread to make a dress.”

The Baba Yaga smiled a wicked smile and said, “Very well. Sit down and weave while I get things ready.” Then, she called to her servant, “Heat the bath and prepare my niece. I’m going to have her for breakfast!”

The poor girl was terrified but tried not to show it. She whispered to the servant, “Please, don’t light the fire too quickly. And when you fetch the water for the bath, use a sieve so it takes longer.” She then gave the servant a handkerchief as a gift, hoping to win her kindness.

Soon, the Baba Yaga called out, “Are you weaving, niece?”

“Yes, Auntie,” replied the girl, pretending to work at the loom. Meanwhile, she slipped the bacon to the cat and asked, “Is there any way to escape from here?”

The cat, grateful for the treat, whispered back, “Take this comb and towel. Run away now. When the Baba Yaga chases you, listen for her. If she gets close, throw down the towel, and it will turn into a river. If she crosses that, throw down the comb, and it will become a dense forest she can’t pass.”

The girl quickly took the towel and comb, then sneaked out. She walked past the hungry dogs, giving them the rolls so they didn’t harm her. She poured oil on the creaky doors so they wouldn’t slam and give her away. She even tied a ribbon around the birch tree, which let her pass without hitting her.

Back at the hut, the cat pretended to weave at the loom. The Baba Yaga came in and asked, “Are you weaving, niece?”

“Yes, Auntie,” the cat replied in a low voice. But the Baba Yaga saw that the girl was gone. Furious, she scolded the cat for letting her escape. “You’ve never fed me, but she gave me bacon!” the cat hissed back. Then, the Baba Yaga turned on the dogs, the door, and the birch tree, blaming them all. But they each had the same answer, “You never gave us anything, but she did.”

Enraged, the Baba Yaga jumped into her mortar, took her pestle, and flew after the girl, sweeping away her tracks with a broom. The girl heard her coming, so she threw down the towel, and instantly, a wide river appeared between them. The Baba Yaga had to turn back to fetch her oxen, which drank up the river, then continued the chase.

As the Baba Yaga came closer, the girl heard her again and threw down the comb. In a flash, it turned into a thick, dark forest. The Baba Yaga tried to get through, but the trees were too dense. She gnawed at them and tried to push through, but it was no use. Finally, she had to give up and return home.

Meanwhile, the girl made her way back to her father’s house. When he saw her, he was relieved and asked, “Where have you been?”

She told him everything. Her father was furious at the stepmother for putting his daughter in such danger, and he sent her away. From then on, he and his daughter lived together happily, and no harm ever came to them again.

Original Source: “Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-Lore.” Gutenberg.org, 2024, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/22373/pg22373-images.html#Page_158. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.