“ The Doll replied: "Fear not, Vasilisa. Eat your supper, say your prayers, and go to sleep. Morning is wiser than Evening."
Vasilisa did so. She awoke rather early, but the Baba Yaga was up before her and was looking out of the window; the eyes in the skulls were growing dim, and now the white horseman galloped by and it became quite bright. The Baba Yaga went outdoors, whistled, and before her appeared her mortar and pestle and besom. The red horseman flashed by and the sun came up. ”

“ Prince Ivan replied: "How can I help being troubled? The sovereign, my father, has ordered me to provide him a new shirt in a single night."
"Do not be distressed, Prince Ivan. Do not disturb yourself for nothing: Morning is cleverer than Evening."
She got the prince off to sleep, and then she laid aside her frogskin and once more became the Soulmaiden, Vasilisa the All- wise, and so beautiful that neither tongue could describe nor pen depict her beauty. She went to the stairway and called out in a loud voice:
"Maidies! maidies! ”

“ Prince Ivan pastured the colt in green meadows, and he grew into a wonderful horse. Then the prince came riding up to Marya Morevna. She came running to meet him, threw herself on his neck, and said: "How did God deliver you?"
"So and so," said he; "come with me."
"I am afraid, Prince Ivan! If Koshchei should catch us, he would make mincemeat of you again."
"No, he will not catch us this time! I have a wonderful and a gallant horse; he flies like a bird." ”

“ Marya Morevna mounted on Koshchei's steed and Prince Ivan on his own, and they went first and visited the Raven, then the Eagle, and finally the Hawk. And wherever they came they were received with a joyous welcome:
"Oh, Prince Ivan, we never expected to see you again! But you have not been through all this trouble in vain; for such a beautiful woman as Marya Morevna you might seek throughout the whole world, but you would never find another!"
They feasted them, they entertained them, and then they came home to their own kingdom. When they got there they lived happily ever after. ”

“ Prince Ivan asked: "If there is a man alive here let him answer. Who conquered this great host?"
A living man answered: "Marya Morevna, the beautiful queen, conquered this mighty host."
Prince Ivan proceeded on his way, and he came to white tents, and Marya Morevna, the beautiful queen, came to meet him.
"Your good health, prince," she said, "whither does God bring you—of your own will or against your own will?"
Prince Ivan replied: "Brave young men do not go against their own will." ”

“ When you reach the thrice-ninth empire, the thirtieth kingdom, on the shores of the blue sea you will find the Bright-Hawk's bride walking on the beach, and you must remember to roll the egg on the plate. She will want to buy my gift of you, but, my pretty maid, don't you accept anything; only ask to look at the Bright-Hawk-of-the-gaudy-feathers."
The girl thanked the old dame, sighed, and again started after the little ball; and again she walked through the dim forest, on and on, and the forest grew ever darker and denser, and the tree-tops leaned against the sky. ”

“ All three brothers were handsome and brave, but the best of them, the finest of them, was the youngest brother, and his name was Prince Ivan.
One day the king called his sons to him and said: "My dear children, you are now grown up. It is time for you to think of getting married. You shall have wives and I daughters-in-law. Let each choose a well-tempered arrow and go down into the forbidden meadow. Bend your stiff bows and shoot your arrows, and into whatever courtyard your arrows fall, there will you find your brides." ”

“ In the garden flowed crystal-clear spring water.
"Why!" exclaimed the little woman, "the day is so warm, the sun is scorching, but the water is icy cool. See how it dashes! Couldn't we have a bath here?"
"No, no, I will not!" she replied. But at the same time she said to herself: "Why! there's no sin in taking a bath." ”

“ The Tsar's daughter took the distaff and the golden spindle, hastened back to the palace, thrust into the Bright-Hawk's cloak an enchanted brooch, so that he might sleep more soundly and not wake from his sleep for a long, long time, and then she ordered the serving-women to bring the beautiful girl into the palace to see the Bright-Hawk, while she herself went out to walk. ”

“ The horse replied: "Prince Ivan has come and carried off Marya Morevna."
"But we can overtake them, can't we?"
"One may sow wheat and wait till it grows, till it is harvested, till it is ground, till it is made into flour, till it is baked into five loaves of bread, and all that time you would be in pursuit of them. But if we are going to try, it is time to start." Koshchei galloped away and overtook Prince Ivan. ”

“ So Vasilisa made haste, hid the Doll in her pocket, and having crossed herself went into the dense forest. As she went along tremblingly a horseman suddenly galloped past her. He was white, his dress was white, the horse he rode was white, and the horse's trappings were white. Outdoors it began to grow light.
She walked farther, and another horseman galloped past. He was red, his clothing was red, and he rode a red horse. The sun began to rise. ”

“ Prince Ivan visited with them three short days, and then said: "I cannot stay any longer; I am going to find my wife, Marya Morevna, the beautiful queen."
The Eagle replied: "It will be hard for you to find her. Leave with us your silver fork; when we look at it we shall have something to remember you by."
He left them his silver fork and started on his way. He went one day, he went a second day, and at dawn of the third day he saw a palace still better than the first two, and near the palace grew an oak-tree, and on the oak-tree sat a Raven. ”

“ It is hard to reach her; it is not easy to overcome the immortal one: his death is on the end of a needle; the needle is in an egg; the egg is in a duck; the duck is in a hare; the hare is in a box; the box stands on a tall oak; and the tree is guarded by Koshchei like the apple of his eye."
The Baba Yaga showed him in what place that oak was growing. Prince Ivan went there and did not know what he should do or how to reach the box. ”

“ Couldn't you turn into the gold-maned horse? Because it seems to me as if I could not part with this gold-maned horse!"
Suddenly the Gray Wolf struck the moist earth and turned into a gold-maned horse. Prince Ivan left the beautiful Queen Helena in a green meadow with the real horse, mounted the Gray Wolf, and rode to the palace, to Tsar Dolmat. And as soon as he got there, Tsar Dolmat recognised Prince Ivan coming on the gold-maned horse. ”

“ The wicked witch is Winter, who temporarily drives away the Summer or Spring, but when she returns the Tsar's garden blooms again and the little Kid gambols around the bountiful table. That explains why the Kid is not restored to his pristine form. He stands for the young life of the world in the early Spring. ”

“ The second son shot his arrow, and it flew into the courtyard of a rich merchant, and remained sticking in the red stairway, and on the stairway stood the merchant's daughter.
Prince Ivan shot his arrow. It soared high, it fell out of sight, and though he hunted for it long he could not find it. So his heart grew heavy, and he was sad. For two whole days he wandered over the meadows and through the forests, but on the third day he made his way into a miry swamp, and he saw there a Frog, and the Frog had his arrow. ”

“ The next day the Tsar went hunting again, but Aliona lay at home sick.
The witch came to her and said: "Would you like me to cure you? Go to a certain lake at dawn and drink the water there."
The Tsaritsa heeded her, and in the early morning she went to the lake, but the witch was there waiting for her and seized her, hung a stone around her neck, and flung her into the water. Aliona went to the bottom. The Kid came running down to the water and bitterly, bitterly lamented. ”

“ Prince Dimitri and Prince Vasili had conceived a bitter hatred against their youngest brother, Prince Ivan, because he had succeeded in getting a feather from the Magic Bird's tail. They received their father's blessing and went forth together to hunt for the bird. Then Prince Ivan also began to ask his father for his blessing. However much the Tsar strove to detain Ivan he could not help letting him go, because he was so urgent in his beseeching. So the young man got his father's blessing, chose a horse for himself, and started on his journey, not knowing at all what way it would take him. ”

“ Presently one of the Tsar's servants came into the old dame's yard and said: "Our sovereign Tsar wishes to see the clever artist who has made him the shirts and to reward her from his own hands."
Vasilisa went and showed herself before the eyes of the Tsar. When he saw the fair young girl he fell passionately in love with her. "No!" he exclaimed, "I will never part with you: you shall be my wife." So the Tsar took Vasilisa by her white hands and caused her to sit by his side, and so they celebrated a great wedding. Vasilisa's father soon afterwards returned home. ”

“ Ivan told the Gray Wolf where he wanted to go, and the Gray Wolf galloped off with him faster than the horse, and after some time, toward nightfall, he brought him to a stone wall not so very high, and there the Wolf stopped and said:
"Now, Prince Ivan, get down from my back, from the Gray Wolf's back, and climb over this stone wall. There on the other side of the stone wall is a garden, and in that garden sits the Magic Bird in a golden cage. You may take the bird, but do not touch the cage. If you do they will seize you instantly." ”

“ The stepmother was crosser than ever and replied to all the suitors: "We will not give the youngest one before the older ones."
And as soon as she had sent the suitors away she would vent her spite on Vasilisa with blows.
Now it happened that the merchant was obliged to go away from home for a long time on important business. The stepmother went to live in another house which stood near a dense forest, and in this was a hut where Baba Yaga the Witch dwelt. She was a wicked hag who never permitted any person to approach her, and she ate men like chickens. ”

“ The ugly one made the same answer: "Whether we are asleep or not, we have made up our minds that they are going to kill us. The red-hot fire is built, the bubbling pot is hung, the steely knives are sharpened."
"Why is it always one voice replies?" wondered the sorceress. She opened the door a little way and perceived that the two brothers were sound asleep. Instantly she touched them with her deathly hand and they died.
In the morning the White Duckling called her children; they did not come. Her heart had a presentiment. She shook her wings and flew into the prince's courtyard. ”

“ The father thought the matter over in his mind.
"If I don't get the flower my dear little daughter will be bitterly disappointed, but if I take it I shall have to give her in marriage, and God knows who her husband will be."
He thought it over and he thought it over, but finally he decided to take the ruby-red flower.
"After all, what is the harm?" he asked himself. "Even after they are engaged, if it does not look well, we can break it off." ”

“ The Witch ate her supper, lay down to sleep, and again gave Vasilisa her orders.
"To-morrow do the same as you did to-day; but above all, take from the corncrib the poppy, and clean it of all dirt to the last seed. You'll cause trouble for someone if the least bit of earth is mixed with the poppy." ”

“ The men reported this to the Tsar. The Tsar summoned Aliona and asked her about everything. She was pleasing in his sight and he wanted to marry her.
"Come!" said he, "follow me. I will give you fine clothes and silver, and I will not neglect the Kid; wherever you are there he shall be also."
The wedding quickly took place and they began to live together, and the Kid with them. He used to disport himself in the garden, and eat and drink with the Tsar and Tsaritsa. Good men gazing at them were delighted, but evil-minded men were full of envy. ”

“ They carried the skull into the house, when the eyes gazed so steadily at the stepmother and her daughters that it burnt them. They tried to hide, but wherever they went the eyes always followed them. In the morning they were burnt to ashes, but it did not touch Vasilisa.
Then Vasilisa buried the skull in the ground, locked the house up, went into the city, and asked for shelter with an old woman who had no relations. She said to the old woman: "It is tiresome for me to have nothing to do, grannie. Come buy me the very best flax and I will spin for you." ”

“ They're sharpening the steely knife,
They're going to take away my life."
She replied to him:
"Oh, Ivan, little brother, dear!
A heavy stone keeps me down here,
A cruel snake gnaws at my heart."
The poor little Kid lamented and went back home. At noon he again asked the Tsar: "Tsar, let me go down to the lake and get a drink of water and bathe myself."
The Tsar let him go. The poor little Kid ran down to the lake again, and began to lament piteously:
"Dear Aliona, sister mine! ”

“ The older sisters came from church and began to tell their young sister about the beautiful queen; but when they looked at her they saw the diamond glittering so brilliantly in her braided hair!
"Now, sister, what is that on you?" the girls exclaimed. "Why, just such a brooch the queen wore on her head this day! ”

“ The old man began to laugh at his youngest daughter. "Well now, what do you want a ruby-red flower for, you stupid little girl? What good is there in that? I would rather buy you some nice piece of finery." ”