are the Witch and
the Baba Yaga, how readily the name of either of the two may be
transferred to the other.

But there is one class of stories in which the _Vyed'ma_ is
represented as differing from the Baba Yaga, in so far as she is the
offspring of parents who are not in any way supernatural or inhuman.
Without any apparent cause for her abnormal conduct, the daughter of
an ordinary royal house will suddenly begin to destroy and devour all
living things which fall in her way--her strength developing as
rapidly as her appetite. Of such a nature--to be accounted for only on
the supposition that an evil spirit has taken up its abode in a human
body[215]--is the witch who appears in the somewhat incomprehensible
story that follows.

THE WITCH AND THE SUN'S SISTER.[216]

In a certain far-off country there once lived a king and queen.
And they had an only son, Prince Ivan, who was dumb from
his birth. One day, when he was twelve years old, he went into
the stable to see a groom who was a great friend of his.

That groom always used to tell him tales [_skazki_], and on
this occasion Prince Ivan went to him expecting to hear some
stories [_skazochki_], but that wasn't what he heard.

"Prince Ivan!" said the groom, "your mother will soon
have a daughter, and you a sister. She will be a terrible witch,
and she will eat up her father, and her mother, and all their subjects.
So go and ask your father for the best horse he has--as
if you wanted a gallop--and then, if you want to be out of harm's
way, ride away whithersoever your eyes guide you."

Prince Ivan ran off to his father and, for the first time in his
life, began speaking to him.

At that the king was so delighted that he never thought of
asking what he wanted a good steed for, but immediately ordered
the very best horse he had in his stud to be saddled for the
prince.

Prince Ivan mounted, and rode off without caring where he
went.[217] Long, long did he ride.

At length he came to where two old women were sewing
and he begged them to let him live with them. But they said:

"Gladly would we do so, Prince Ivan, only we have now
but a short time to live. As soon as we have broken that trunkful
of needles, and used up that trunkful of thread, that instant
will death arrive!"

Prince Ivan burst into tears and rode on. Long, long did
he ride. At length he came to where the giant Vertodub was,[218]