The boat floated up to the shore; Peter took the cake and went back to his fishing again. Now it so happened that a Baba Yaga, a terrible witch, was hiding in the bushes near-by. She heard all that passed between the woman and the child. So after the woman had gone home, the Baba Yaga waited for a while, and then she went down to the edge of the river and hid herself there, and called out: “Peter, Peter, bring your boat to the shore, for I have brought another little cake for you.” But when Peter heard her voice, which was very coarse and loud, he knew it must be a Baba Yaga calling him, so he said: “Little boat, little boat, float a little farther. Little boat, little boat, float a little farther.” Then the boat floated away still farther out of the Baba Yaga’s reach. The old witch soon guessed what was the matter, and she rushed off to a blacksmith, who lived over beyond the forest. “Blacksmith, blacksmith, forge me a little fine voice as quickly as you can,” she cried, “or I will put you in my mortar and grind you to pieces with my pestle.” The blacksmith was frightened. He made her a little fine voice as quickly as he could, and the Baba Yaga took it and hastened back to the river. There she hid herself close to the shore and called in her little new voice, “Peter, Peter, bring your boat to the shore, for I have brought another little cake for you to eat.” When Peter heard the Baba Yaga calling him in her fine, small voice, he thought it was his mother, so he said to his boat: “Little boat, little boat, float a little nearer. Little boat, little boat, float a little nearer.” Then the little boat came to the land. Peter looked all about, but saw no one. He wondered where his mother had gone, and stepped out of his boat to look for her. Immediately the Baba Yaga seized him. Like a whirlwind she rushed away with him through the forest and never stopped till she reached her own house. There she shut him up in a cage behind the house to keep him until he grew fat. After she had shut him up, she went back into the house, and her little cat was there. “Mistress,” said the cat, “I have cooked the dinner for you, and I am very hungry. Will you not give me something to eat?” “All that I leave, that you can have,” answered the Baba Yaga. She sat down at the table and ate up everything but one small bone. That was all the cat had. Meanwhile at home the mother waited and waited for Peter to come back from the river with his fish. Then at last she went down to look for him. There was his boat drawn up on the shore empty, and all round it were marks of the Baba Yaga’s feet, and the trees and bushes were broken where she had rushed away through the forest. Then the mother knew that a witch had carried off the little boy. She went back home, weeping and wailing. Now the woman had a very faithful servant, and when this girl heard her mistress wailing, she asked her what the matter was.