Folk tale from Russia
by Stephanie UK
his a story of a girl named Anya who lived at the edge of the forest in Russia. Her mother died when Anya was very small. Her father married another women who was mean and horrible to Anya.
One day, the stepmother decided to get rid of Anya. She remembered her sister, who was a witch named Baba Yaga, who lived deep in the wood. She asked Anya to ask for a needle at her sister's house. So Anya went.
When she drew near the middle of the forest she saw a weird house. She came to the cottage and saw that it stood on chicken legs and windows that looked like eyes and a door like a beak. The fence was covered in human skulls, the witch's victims.
She went through the gate. It squeked. Anya decided tooil it. Then she saw a dog that was very hungry. She threw some meat for it to eat. Then she arrived at the door. Baba Yaga appeared.
'Hello little girl. Come in and sit down.' she said.
Her teeth made of iron.
'Have a bath of BOILING water to clean your dirty body.'
The servant heard Baba Yaga mutter that she was to eat the delicious girl. The servant warned Anya. This was before, Anya gave the servant, a cloth to keep her hair tidy. The cat looked hungry and Anya gave it some cheese. The cat told the girl to when she escaped to throw a towel and then the witch will try to capture Anya again so she must throw down her comb. Then will she get home safely.
When the girl escaped the cat turned itself into Anya. Then when the witch realised the cat wasn't Anya, she was angry! Then Baba Yaga asked the servant why she let her go.
'She gave a piece of cloth to tie her hair with.' she said.
Then the dog dragged the witch away.
'Why?' the witch asked.
The dog said that the girl gave it food.
Then the gate wouldn't open because the witch nevered oiled it but Anya did. So then the witch chased Anya. The girl threw down the towel. It turned into a river. The witch got cows to drink the river till it was dry. Then the girl threw down her comb. A thick hedge of thorns grew and the witch could not get through. That was when Anya returned home safly.
Anya told her father the story. That was when the wicked stepmother packed her bags and left. She was never to be seen again.
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