VASILISA PREKRASNAYA IVAN BILIBIN · GILLIAN AVERY

Far away and long ago there once lived a merchant. He had been married for twelve years but he had only one child, a daughter, whom from her earliest days had been called Vassilissa the Beautiful. When the little girl was eight her mother became ill, and realized that she had not long to live. So she called the child to her, and giving her a tiny wooden doll, said to her: 'I am dying, little Vassilissa, and I leave you this doll with my blessing. It is very precious, and there is no other doll like it anywhere. Put it in your pocket, always have it with you, and never show it to anyone. But if ever you are in trouble or sorrow, go into a corner, take it out, give it something to eat and drink; after that you can ask for help and it will advise you.' Then she kissed her little daughter, blessed her, and soon afterwards she was dead.

That night little Vassilissa could not sleep for crying. At last she tought of the doll, and took it from the pocket of her dress. She found a piece of bread and a cup of kwas, put them in front of the doll, and said: 'Dear doll, eat and drink a little of this. I shall never see my mother again and I am so lonely and sad.'

Then the doll's eyes began to shine like fireflies and it ate a crumb of bread and took a ship of kwas. Then it said: 'Don't cry, little Vassilissa. Grief is worse at night. Lie down and go to sleep. The morning is wiser than the evening.' So Vassilissa went back to bed, and sure enough she felt better when she woke.

(...)

She stumbled on through the dark, full of fear. Then suddenly she heard the sound of a horse's hooves and a mounted knight galloped past her. He was dressed all in white; the horse he rode was milk-white and the harness was white, and as he passed her she could see through the branches of the trees that the sky was getting lighter.

 

She went a little farther and then again there was the sound of a horse. This time a rider dressed all in red came galloping through the forest. His horse was blood-red with a red harness, and just as he passed her the sun rose.

Vassilissa had walked all day. By this time she had completely lost her way and she could not call on the doll for help for she had no food to make it come alive. But as the light was fading and evening was approaching she came into a clearing of the forest. There stood a tumbledown hut on hen's legs which was spinning round and round, and she knew she had reached the Baba Yaga's house. The fence round the hut was made of human bones and on its top were skulls. There was a gate with hinges made of the bones of human feet, and locks made of jaw-bones set with teeth. Vassilissa stood there, frozen with horror. 

 

Then behind her a third man came galloping through the trees. His face was black, he was dressed in black, and he rode a coal-black horse. He went up to the gate and there he dissapeared as if he had sunk into the ground. At this moment night came on and the forest became dark. Immediately the eyes of the skulls on the fence lit up and the clearing became as bright as day. 

 (...)

Then the trees of the forest began to creak and groan, and the bushes and leaves began sighing, and the Baba Yaga came riding out of the dark wood in her mortar, using the pestle as a whip, and sweeping behind her with the broom. Vassilissa let her in, and she went all round the hut, poking into every crevice, looking for faults in the girl's work. But hard as she tried, she could find none. There was not a weed in the yard, nor a speck of dust in the hut, and every black grain had been carefully picked out of the millet.

The witch had to pretend that she was pleased. 'Alright.' she said grudgingly, 'you have done well.' Then she clapped her hands and shouted: 'Ho, my servants! Grind my millet!' Immediately three pairs of hands appeared, picked up the sack and took it away.

 (...)

Vassilissa the Beautiful and the Witch Baba Yaga
(Vasilisa Prekrasnaya)

Retold by GILLIAN AVERY

with illustrations by IVAN BILIBIN
(Source)