Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/301

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LITTLE BEAR'S-SON
257

tied his handkerchief about his head and sat groaning till his comrades returned.

Seeing, they asked: "Art thou in pain, that thou hast bound up thy head? And where is our supper?"

"Ah, little brothers," he replied, "I have been able neither to boil nor to roast for you. The oven is new and the smoke poured out into the room till it gave me a headache." So Little Bear's-Son and his two comrades prepared their meals themselves.

The next day Gorynia remained at home. He roasted and fried to his heart's content, and when all was done, he washed his head and began to comb his hair, when all at once it lightened, hail began to fall and the trees of the dense, sleepy forest bent over to the ground. He grew faint and giddy and everything seemed to turn green. Then he saw the earth stir, the stone lift, and from beneath it the Baba-Yaga came riding in her mortar, driving with the pestle and sweeping away her trail with her kitchen broom.

Gorynia was too frightened to hide himself, and the old witch came in without knocking. "Health to thee, grandmother!" said the giant, and bade her sit down.