The Russian story book : $b containing tales from the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod and other early sourcesWilson, Richard
General
The Russian story book : $b containing tales from the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod and other early sources
Wilson, Richard
Mythology, Slavic -- Juvenile literature
"Stop, Nikita," cried Timothy at last, for he was utterly exhausted,
"I can no longer dance with such a burden upon my back." So Nikita
stopped whistling, and as the last note died away everything settled
down in quiet once again. Then when all was still the door was suddenly
opened and the wicked Baba-Yaga entered her cottage.
When she saw the two in one she screamed out with a loud voice:
"You beggars and thieves! Up to this time not even a bird or a beast
had come to my lonely dwelling, and now you have come to devour my
food and loosen the very props of my little cottage. But very soon,
and indeed sooner than that, I will settle with you."
"Hold the wicked old witch, Timothy," cried Nikita, and the blind
man caught her in his arms and squeezed her very hard. Then Nikita
seized her by the hair, and she was ready enough to make all kinds
of promises to win her freedom.
"We want nothing," said Nikita, who had still more ideas in his head,
"but your whistle and healing and living water. I have the whistle
already, and if you will give us the water, you shall go free once
more into the white world."
"That I can, and will since I must," said the Baba-Yaga.
"That you shall and are obliged to," replied Nikita.
Then the old witch led them to two springs and said:
"Here for your benefit is healing and living water." Nikita took of
the healing water and sprinkled his stumps, whereupon his feet grew
out as they had been before, but they would not move. So he sprinkled
them next with living water, and they were made sound and whole as
they had been before.
Guided by his brother, the blind man stooped to the spring of healing
water and bathed the hollow sockets of his eyes. Then eyeballs came
into them as they had been before, but they could not see. So he
sprinkled them next with living water and they were made sound and
useful as they had been before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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