|
Marina Rojavin, Ph.D.
Baba Yaga
 IN the middle of a thick dark forest, there is a hut upon chicken legs; and it twists about itself. The dreadful Baba
Yaga lives in there. Only the queer huge trees grow around it, and the horrible creatures dwell in that forest. Neither human nor animal, nor bird can pass through but
monsters. Come close to the hut and say: “Hut-hut, turn forward to me and turn back to the woods”. And the hut turns. Peer inside and see the crooked Baba Yaga with a
huge nose and the big tooth resembling a fang. She seats with her broom and mortar near the stove. Only the black cat shares this hut with Baba Yaga pretending that he is sleeping.
MALICE and hatred hover in that place. It will be bad luck for someone brave spirited who comes to be there. The stove and a hot copper are waiting for a poor stranger. Baba Yaga thinks thus. However…
THE little Ivanushka who was caught by her servant swans survived because his sister Alionushka deceived the old witch and dragged him out.
IVAN the Fool was ordered by Baba Yaga to seat at the shovel to be placed into the copper for cooking there; he asked her to show how to do it… Can you imagine what happened next?
IVAN the Prince demanded Baba Yaga to help him to find Vasilisa Prekrasnaia (the Beautiful). Funny, but she did it to enrage Koschey Bessmertny. She was not going to support Ivan the
Prince, she only wanted to annoy Koschey…
HER stepmother sent a little girl to Baba Yaga to be eaten. However, Baba Yaga’s guards, the black cat and the dogs, helped the girl escape the fate of being cooked. Although strange it may
seem, it happened because the girl gave a bit of ham to the cat and a slice of bread to the dogs. And Baba Yaga never fed her devoted servants.
THREE young fellows left their homes in search of brides. They wondered for a long time and finally approached the hut upon chicken legs. Baba Yaga cried to them: “Why did you tie your
horses without my leave?” The young men told her to shut up and listen, and explained the reason that led them here. It turned out that there were three daughters of the old witch and she agreed to
give them away. Alas! It is always so suspicious when Baba Yaga shows kindness! After a sumptuous feast, the young men exchanged their dresses with the girls and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, Baba Yaga gave an order to kill the three men. In the morning, she discovered the heads of her daughters impaled upon pikes.
STUDY Russian and read many more fairy tales about Baba Yaga, her allies, and her enemies.
|
