she has spat replies to every summons which is addressed to her.[203]

Before taking leave of the Baba Yaga, we may glance at a malevolent
monster, who seems to be her male counterpart. He appears, however, to
be known in South Russia only. Here is an outline of the contents of
the solitary story in which he is mentioned. There were two old folks
with whom lived two orphan grandchildren, charming little girls. One
day the youngest child was sent to drive the sparrows away from her
grandfather's pease. While she was thus engaged the forest began to
roar, and out from it came Verlioka, "of vast stature, one-eyed,
crook-nosed, bristly-headed, with tangled beard and moustaches half an
ell long, and with a wooden boot on his one foot, supporting himself
on a crutch, and giving vent to a terrible laughter." And Verlioka
caught sight of the little girl and immediately killed her with his
crutch. And afterwards he killed her sister also, and then the old
grandmother. The grandfather, however, managed to escape with his
life, and afterwards, with the help of a drake and other aiders, he
wreaked his vengeance on the murderous Verlioka.[204]

We will now turn to another female embodiment of evil, frequently
mentioned in the Skazkas--the Witch.[205] She so closely resembles the
Baba Yaga both in disposition and in behavior, that most of the
remarks which have been made about that wild being apply to her also.
In many cases, indeed, we find that one version of a story will allot
to a Baba Yaga the part which in another version is played by a Witch.
The name which she bears--that of _Vyed'ma_--is a misnomer; it
properly belongs either to the "wise woman," or prophetess, of old
times, or to her modern representative, the woman to whom Russian
superstition attributes the faculties and functions ascribed in olden
days by most of our jurisprudents, in more recent times by a few of
our rustics, to our own witch. The supernatural being who, in
folk-tales, sways the elements and preys upon mankind, is most
inadequately designated by such names as _Vyed'ma_, _Hexe_, or
_Witch_, suggestive as those now homely terms are of merely human,
though diabolically intensified malevolence. Far more in keeping with
the vastness of her powers, and the vagueness of her outline, are the
titles of Baba Yaga, Lamia, Striga, Troll-Wife, Ogress, or Dragoness,
under which she figures in various lands. And therefore it is in her
capacity of Baba Yaga, rather th