were much astonished thereat. After
dinner he related how he had dealt with Baba Yaga, and laughed at them
that they were unable to manage her. At last, wishing to show them the
drubbed and beaten Baba Yaga he led them to the corner, but there she was
no longer. So they resolved to go in pursuit of her, and having arrived
at a stone they lifted it up and perceived a deep abyss, down which they
thought of descending. But as none of his companions had courage enough
to do this, Jack with the Bear's Ear consented to go. So they began to
construct a cable, and having made a canoe for him to sit in they let him
down into the gulf.

Meanwhile Jack commanded them to wait for him a whole week, and provided
during this time they received no intelligence of him to await no longer.
"If I be alive and pull the rope draw up the canoe provided it be light;
but if it be heavy cut the rope in order that you may not draw up Baba
Yaga instead of me." Then having bid them farewell he descended into the
deep subterranean abyss.

He remained there for a long time. At length he arrived at a cabin,
which having entered he beheld three beautiful damsels sitting at their
needle and embroidering with gold, and these were the daughters of Baba
Yaga. As soon as they perceived Jack with the Bear's Ear they said,
"Good youth, what has brought you hither? Here lives Baba Yaga, our
mother, and as soon as she arrives you are a dead man, for she will slay
you to a certainty; but if you will deliver us from this place we will
give you information how you may save your life."

He promised to conduct them out of that abyss, and they said to him, "As
soon as our mother shall arrive she will cast herself upon you and begin
to fight with you, but after that she will desist and will run into the
cellar, where she has two pitchers standing filled with water; in the
blue pitcher is the water of strength and in the white that of weakness."

Scarcely had the daughters of Baba Yaga concluded their discourse when
they heard their mother coming on the iron mortar driving with the
pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her mouth she drew a mark
as she went, whereupon they acquainted Jack. Baba Yaga having arrived
screamed out:

"'_Till now ne'er a Russ have I_
_Heard with ear or seen with eye_,
_Now do I both hear and spy_."

"For what are you come hither, Jack with the Bear's Ear? Do you imagine
to disturb me here also?"

Then c