--- title: Opening, part 39 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees description: Opening, part 39, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Bába Yagá had forbidden her to tell them anything about it; she was therefore much too frightened for a long time to tell them what was her trouble. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/39/) [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 39 # Opening, part 39 Opening, part 39 of «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole text, 170 sentences and 2562 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/39/page/2/) Bába Yagá had forbidden her to tell them anything about it; she was therefore much too frightened for a long time to tell them what was her trouble.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") But at last they persuaded her, and she told them: “Every time when you go out on the chase an ancient hag comes into the hut.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") She has an evil face and long grey hairs.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") She hangs her head down over me and sucks my white breast.”[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh,” said the blind man, “that is the Bába Yagá\![5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Wait a little bit.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") We must deal with her in her own fashion.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") To-morrow we must not go hunting: we will try to catch her in the house and to capture her.”[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Next morning both of them went out.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") “Creep under the bench,” said the blind man to Katomá, and sit still.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will go into the courtyard, and wait under the window.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") And you, Sister, sit down.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") If Bába Yagá comes, whilst you are combing her hair weave a part of her hair and hang the knot on to the window.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") I will then seize her by her grey tresses,” It was said and done.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind man seized Bába Yagá by her grey tresses, and cried out, “Ho, Katomá! come out and hold the evil hag till I get into the hut.”[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá heard it, and she wanted to lift her head and leap away, but she was unable.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") She tore and grumbled, but it was no good.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá crept out from the bank and turned round on her, threw himself on her life a mountain of iron.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") He strangled her until the heavens appeared to her as small as a sheepskin.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind man sprang out of the hut and said: “We must build a big faggot-heap and burn the old hag and scatter her ashes to the four winds.”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Bába Yagá besought them: “Father, doveling, forgive me.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Whatever you will I will do!”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well, ancient witch,” said the knights, “show us the well with the waters of Life and Death.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") “If you will only not lay me low, I will show it you.”[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Katomá mounted the blind man’s back and he took Bába Yagá by her hair.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") So they fared into the deepest part of the slumberous forest, and she there showed them a well and said: “This is the healing water that renders life.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") “Take care, Katomá, do not make a mistake.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") If she deceives us this time we may not be able to repair it all our life long.”[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") So Katomá broke off a twig.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") It had hardly fallen into the water before it flamed up.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ah! that was a further deceit of yours!”[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") So the two knights made ready to throw Bába Yagá into the fiery brook.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") But she still prayed for mercy as before, and swore a great oath she would not deceive any more.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") “Really and truly I will show you the right water!”[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") So the two knights were ready once more to adventure it, and Bába Yagá took them to another well.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá broke off a dry twig from the tree and threw it into the well.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The twig had hardly fallen into the water before it sprouted up and became green and blue.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “This water is right,” said Katomá, so the blind man washed his eyes and could at once see.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") And he put the cripple into the water, and his legs grew on to him.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they were both very glad, and said, “Now we are healthy, we will again talk of our own rights; but we must first settle our account with Bába Yagá.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") If we now forgive her, we shall get no good thereby, for she will strive ever against us all her life.”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") So they took her back to the fiery brook and threw her into it, and she was burned to death.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá then married the merchant’s daughter, and all three went back into the kingdom of Anna Tsarévna the Fair to free Iván Tsarévich.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") They went into the capital, and there he met them with his herd of cows.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") “Stay, herd,” said Katomá, “whither are you driving the cattle?”[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") “Into the Queen’s courtyard; the Tsarévna counts them every day to see whether all the cows have come home.”[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") “Herd, put on my clothes; I will put on yours and will drive the cows home.”[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, brother, that will never do.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Should the Tsarévna notice it, I should suffer.”[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") “Fear nothing; nothing will happen, you will come by no harm; Katomá is your surety.”[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván sighed: “O good man! if only he were here I should not be herding cows.”[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Katomá showed himself who he was, and the Tsarévich embraced him tenderly and wept bitterly.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") “I never expected I should see you any more!”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") So they changed clothes, and Katomá drove the cows into the royal courtyard.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Anna Tsarévna came out on to her balcony and counted the cattle.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she commanded to take them all into the stable.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") All the cows went into the stable: only the last stayed behind and raised her tail.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá sprang up at her and cried out, “Wretched animal! why are you stopping here?”[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") So he gripped and snatched the tail so mightily that the entire skin remained in his hand.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") When Anna Tsarévna saw this she cried out aloud, “What is that wretched herdsman doing?[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") Lay hold of him and bring him to me.”[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") So the attendants laid hold on Katomá and dragged him into the castle.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá suffered it without resistence and relied on his strength.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") He was taken up to the Tsarévna, who looked at him and said, “Who are you?”[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am Katomá, whose legs you once cut off and then set on a tree trunk.”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Tsarévna thought, “If he can get his legs back, I can do no more against him.”[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") And she asked for forgiveness from him and the Tsarévich.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") She repented of her sins and swore an oath that she would ever love Iván Tsarévich and obey him in all things.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich forgave her, and forthwith they lived in peace and unison.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") The knight who was once blind stayed by them.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") But Katomá went away with his wife to the rich merchant and abode in his house.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") A CURE FOR STORY-TELLING[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") There was once a porter in the world: he had a wife who was passionately fond of stories, and she would only let people come and visit her who could tell stories.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") Well, as you may understand, this was rather costly to the husband.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") So he began to think, “How can I cure her of this undesirable habit?”[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Well, one day in the winter, late at night, an old man came in frozen to atoms, and he asked to be allowed to stop the night.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") So the husband ran out to him and said, “Can you tell tales?”[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the peasant saw that there was no help for it, as he was simply freezing with cold, and said, “I have an idea: will you tell stories for a long time?”[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, all night long.”[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") “Capital: come in!”[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") So he led the guest in.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the husband said, “Now, my wife, here is a peasant who has promised to tell stories all night long, on the condition that you are not to make any remarks or interruptions.”[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes,” said the guest; “no remarks, or else I shall not open my mouth.”[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") So they had supper and lay down to sleep, and the peasant began—[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") “There was an owl flying across a garden, and it sat over a well and sipped the water.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") “There was an owl flying across a garden, and it sat over a well and sipped the water.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/39/page/2/) - ← previous: [Opening, part 38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/38/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/39/page/2/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)