The Story of Yvashka with the Bear's EarBorrow, George
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The Story of Yvashka with the Bear's Ear
Borrow, George
Fairy tales -- Russia; Tales -- Russia
Whereupon they called him their brother, and proposed to him that he
should leave off digging the mountain and should consent to go with them
forthwith. He agreed to their proposal, and all three forthwith
proceeded on their way, and journeyed for some time. Arriving at the
bank of a river they saw a man sitting, who had a pair of enormous
moustaches with which he angled for fish for his subsistence. They all
three said to him, “God help you brother in your fish-catching.”
“Thank you, brothers,” he replied.
“What may your name be?” they inquired.
“Moustacho,” he answered. Whereupon they called him also their brother
and invited him to join their company, which he did not refuse. And so
these four journeyed on, and whether they journeyed long or short, far or
near, my tale will be soon told, though the deed was a long time in
doing. At last they arrived at a forest, where they saw a cabin standing
on crow’s feet, which kept turning here and there. They went up to it,
and said, “Cabin, cabin, stand with your rear to the wood and your front
to us.”
The cabin instantly obeyed them, and they having entered it began to
consult how they should contrive to live there. After that they all went
into the forest, killed some game, and prepared food for themselves. On
the second day they left Quercillo at home to cook the dinner, whilst
they themselves went into the forest to hunt. Quercillo having got ready
the dinner took his seat by the window and awaited the return of his
brethren. At that moment came Baba Yaga riding on an iron mortar, which
she urged on with the pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her
mouth she drew a mark on the earth as she went, and entering into the
cabin she said:
“’_Till now ne’er a Russian wight_
_I’ve heard with ear_, _or seen with sight_,
_Now full clear I see and hear_.”
Then turning to Quercillo she inquired, “Wherefore did you come hither,
Quercillo?” Thereupon she began to beat him, and continued beating him
until he was half dead, after which she devoured all the food which had
been got ready, and then rode off.
Upon the return of Quercillo’s comrades from the chase they asked him for
their dinner, and he, not informing them that Baba Yaga had been there,
said that he had fallen into a swoon, and had got nothing ready.
In the very same manner did Baba Yaga treat Montano and Moustacho. At
last, it coming to the turn of Jack with the Bear’s Ear to sit at home,
he remained whilst his comrades went forth in quest of game. Jack cooked
and roasted everything, and having found in Baba Yaga’s cabin a pot of
honey he placed a post by the perch, and having split it at the top he
thrust in a wedge and emptied the honey upon the post. He himself sat on
the perch, concealing behind him the post whilst he prepared three iron
rods. After the lapse of a little time arrived Baba Yaga and screamed
forth:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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