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d again. But he had a daughter by the first marriage, a young girl, and she found no favor in the eyes of her evil stepmother, who used to beat her, and consider how she could get her killed outright. One day the father went away somewhere or other, so the stepmother said to the girl, "Go to your aunt, my sister, and ask her for a needle and thread to make you a shift." Now that aunt was a Baba Yaga. Well, the girl was no fool, so she went to a real aunt of hers first, and says she: "Good morning, auntie!" "Good morning, my dear! what have you come for?" "Mother has sent me to her sister, to ask for a needle and thread to make me a shift." Then her aunt instructed her what to do. "There is a birch-tree there, niece, which would hit you in the eye--you must tie a ribbon round it; there are doors which would creak and bang--you must pour oil on their hinges; there are dogs which would tear you in pieces--you must throw them these rolls; there is a cat which would scratch your eyes out--you must give it a piece of bacon." So the girl went away, and walked and walked, till she came to the place. There stood a hut, and in it sat weaving the Baba Yaga, the Bony-shanks. "Good morning, auntie," says the girl. "Good morning, my dear," replies the Baba Yaga. "Mother has sent me to ask you for a needle and thread to make me a shift." "Very well; sit down and weave a little in the meantime." So the girl sat down behind the loom, and the Baba Yaga went outside, and said to her servant-maid: "Go and heat the bath, and get my niece washed; and mind you look sharp after her. I want to breakfast off her." Well, the girl sat there in such a fright that she was as much dead as alive. Presently she spoke imploringly to the servant-maid, saying: "Kinswoman dear, do please wet the firewood instead of making it burn; and fetch the water for the bath in a sieve." And she made her a present of a handkerchief. The Baba Yaga waited awhile; then she came to the window and asked: "Are you weaving, niece? are you weaving, my dear?" "Oh yes, dear aunt, I'm weaving." So the Baba Yaga went away again, and the girl gave the Cat a piece of bacon, and asked: "Is there no way of escaping from here?" "Here's a comb for you and a towel," said the Cat; "take them, and be off. The Baba Yaga will pursue you, but you must
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