The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Story of Yvashka with the Bear's Ear, by
Anonymous, Edited by Thomas Wise, Translated by George Borrow

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Story of Yvashka with the Bear's Ear

Author: Anonymous

Editor: Thomas Wise

Release Date: May 16, 2009 [eBook #28834]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF YVASHKA WITH THE
BEAR'S EAR***

Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org. Many thanks to Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library,
UK, for kindly supplying the images from which this transcription was
made.

[Picture: Manuscript of Yvashka with the Bear's ear]

THE STORY
OF
YVASHKA WITH THE BEAR'S EAR

_Translated from the Russian_
BY
GEORGE BORROW

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION
1913

INTRODUCTION

The tale of _Yvashka_; _or_, _Jack with the Bear's Ear_, is a great
favourite in Russia. Its main interest depends not so much on him of the
Bear's Ear, or even his comrade, Moustacho, who angles for trout with his
moustaches, as on Baba Yaga. This personage is the grand mythological
demon of the Russians, and frequently makes her appearance in their
popular tales, but perhaps in none plays so remarkable a part as in the
story of Yvashka. A little information with respect to her will perhaps
not be unacceptable to the reader before entering upon the story. She is
said to be a huge female who goes driving about the steppes in a mortar,
which she forces onward by pounding lustily with a pestle, though of
course, being in a mortar, she cannot wield the pestle without hurting
herself. As she hurries along she draws with her tongue, which is at
least three yards long, a mark upon the dust, and with it seizes every
living thing coming within her reach, which she swallows for the
gratification of her ever-raging appet