--- title: Opening, part 14 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 14, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: “Now, sisters, our watchman has gone to sleep: it is time we set out on our promenade: it is time.” --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/14/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/) / Opening, part 14 # Opening, part 14 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/14/) **2** And Vasilísa went to her room, put meat and drink before her doll, and said: “Dolly dear, eat it and listen to my complaint.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") They are sending me to Bába Yagá for fire, and the Bába Yagá will eat me up.”[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Dollet ate, and her eyes glittered like two lamps, and she said: “Fear nothing, Vasilísushka.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") Do what they say, only take me with you.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") As long as I am with you Bába Yagá can do you no harm.”[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa put the doll into her pocket, crossed herself, and went tremblingly into the darksome forest.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") Suddenly a knight on horseback galloped past her all in white.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") His cloak was white, and his horse and the reins: and it became light.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") She went further, and suddenly another horseman passed by, who was all in red, and his horse was red, and his clothes: and the sun rose.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa went on through the night and the next day.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Next evening she came to the mead where Bába Yagá’s hut stood.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") The fence round the hut consisted of human bones, and on the stakes skeletons glared out of their empty eyes.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") And, instead of the doorways and the gate, there were feet, and in the stead of bolts there were hands, and instead of the lock there was a mouth with sharp teeth.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") And Vasilísa was stone-cold with fright.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") Suddenly another horseman pranced by on his way.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") He was all in black, on a jet-black horse, with a jet-black cloak.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") He sprang to the door and vanished as though the earth had swallowed him up: and it was night.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") But the darkness did not last long, for the eyes in all the skeletons on the fence glistened, and it became as light as day all over the green.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa trembled with fear, but remained standing, for she did not know how she could escape.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") Suddenly a terrible noise was heard in the forest, and the tree-boughs creaked and the dry leaves crackled.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") And out of the wood Bába Yagá drove in inside the mortar with the pestle, and with the broom swept away every trace of her steps.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") At the door she stopped, sniffed all the way round, and cried out:[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") “Fee, Fo, Fi, Fum, I smell the blood of a Russian mum\![103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") Who is there?”[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa, shuddering with dread, stepped up to her, bowed low to the ground, and said: “Mother, I am here.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") My stepmother’s daughters sent me to you to ask for fire.”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well,” said Bába Yagá: “I know them.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") Stay with me, work for me, and I will give you fire.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") Otherwise I shall eat you up.”[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she went to the door, and she cried out: “Ho! my strong bolts, draw back, my strong door, spring open!”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") And the door sprang open, and Bába Yagá went in whistling and whirring, and Vasilísa followed her.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the door closed, and Bába Yagá stretched herself in the room and said to Vasilísa: “Give me whatever there is in the oven.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") I am hungry.”[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") So Vasilísa lit a splinter from the skulls on the hedge and fetched Bába Yagá food out of the oven, and there was food enough there for ten men.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Out of a cellar she fetched \_kvas\_, mead, and wine.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá ate and drank it all up.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") But all there was left for Vasilísa was a little of some kind of soup, and a crust of bread, and a snippet of pork.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá lay down to sleep and said: “In the morning, to-morrow, when I go away you must clean the courtyard, brush out the room, get dinner ready, do the washing, go to the field, get a quarter of oats, sift it all out, and see that it is all done before I come home.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") Otherwise I will eat you up.”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") And, as soon as ever she had given all the orders, she began snoring.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa put the rest of the dinner in front of the doll and said: “Dollet, eat it up and listen to my woe.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") Heavy are the tasks which the Bába Yagá has given me, and she threatens to eat me up if I don’t carry them all out.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") Help me!”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") “Have no fear, Vasilísa, thou fair maiden.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") Eat, pray, and lie down to sleep, for the morning is wiser than the evening.”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") Very early next day Vasilísa woke up.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá was already up and was looking out of the window.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") The glimmer in the eyes of the skulls had dimmed; the white horseman raced by: and it dawned.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá went into the courtyard, and whistled, and the mortar, the pestle, and the besom appeared at once, and the red horseman came by: and the sun rose.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá sat in the mortar and went by, thrusting the mortar with the pestle, and with the besom she removed every trace of her steps.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa, left all by herself, looked over the house of the Bába Yagá, wondered at all the wealth gathered in, and began to consider what she should start with.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") But all the work was already done, and the doll had sifted out the very last of the ears of oats.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, my saviour!” said Vasilísa.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") “You have helped me in my great need.”[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") “You now have only to get dinner ready,” the doll answered, and clambered back into Vasilísa’s pocket.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") “With God’s help get it ready, and stay here quietly waiting.”[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") In the evening Vasilísa laid the cloth and waited for Bába Yagá.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") The gloaming came, and the black horseman reached by: and it at once became dark, but the eyes in the skulls glowed.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") The trees shuddered, the leaves crackled, Bába Yagá drove in, and Vasilísa met her.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") “Is it all done?”[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá asked.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, grandmother: look!” said Vasilísa.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá looked round everywhere, and was rather angry that she had nothing to find fault with and said: “Very well.”[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she cried out: “Ye my faithful servants, friends of my heart\![144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") Store up my oats.”[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") Then three pairs of hands appeared, seized the oats and carried them off.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá had her supper, and, before she went to sleep, once more commanded Vasilísa: “To-morrow do the same as you did to-day, but also take the hay which is lying on my field, clean it from every trace of soil, every single ear.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") Somebody has, out of spite, mixed earth with it.”[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") And, as soon as she had said it, she turned round to the wall and was snoring.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa at once fetched her doll, who ate, and said as she had the day before: “Pray and lie down to sleep, for the morning is wiser than the evening.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") Everything shall be done, Vasilísushka.”[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") Next morning Bába Yagá got up and stood at the window, and then went into the courtyard and whistled; and the mortar, the besom, and the pestle appeared at once, and the red horseman came by: and the sun rose.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá sat in the mortar and went off, sweeping away her traces as before.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") Vasilísa got everything ready with the help of her doll.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the old woman came back, looked over everything, and said: “Ho, my faithful servants, friends of my heart\![155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") Make me some poppy-oil.”[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") Then three pairs of hands came, laid hold of the poppies and carried them off.[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/14/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/14/) - next →: [Opening, part 15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/15/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)