Baba Yaga

Once upon a time, in a small village on the edge of a dense forest, there lived a young girl named Vasilisa. Her life was happy until her mother fell gravely ill. Before her mother passed away, she gave Vasilisa a special doll.

Mother: "Take this doll, my dear Vasilisa. Whenever you are in trouble, give it something to eat and ask for its advice. It will always help you."

With those words, her mother passed away, and Vasilisa’s father soon remarried. Her new stepmother and stepsisters were cruel and spiteful, and they made Vasilisa's life miserable, forcing her to do all the hardest chores.

Despite their cruelty, Vasilisa endured their mistreatment. Whenever she felt hopeless, she would feed her doll a small piece of bread and ask for guidance. Each time, the doll would offer comforting advice, helping her complete the impossible tasks set by her wicked stepfamily.

One day, Vasilisa’s stepmother, looking to get rid of her, gave her an impossible task. The fire in their hearth had gone out, and the stepmother ordered Vasilisa to go deep into the dark forest to seek out Baba Yaga, the fearsome witch, and bring back fire.

Stepmother: "Go to Baba Yaga’s hut and ask her for fire. If you return without it, don’t bother coming back at all."

Vasilisa, terrified, knew of Baba Yaga’s terrible reputation. The witch was said to eat anyone who wandered into her domain. But with no other choice, she took her doll and set off into the forest.

As she walked deeper into the woods, she grew more frightened, but she pulled out her doll and fed it a crumb of bread.

Vasilisa (whispering): "Please help me. How can I find Baba Yaga's hut and survive her wrath?"

The doll’s eyes sparkled, and it spoke softly.

Doll: "Do not worry, Vasilisa. Be brave. Follow the path, and when you reach Baba Yaga’s hut, be respectful and kind. I will guide you."

With renewed courage, Vasilisa continued her journey. Eventually, she found herself in front of Baba Yaga’s hut—a strange, eerie house that stood on giant chicken legs, turning slowly as it creaked and groaned.

Baba Yaga soon appeared, flying through the air in her mortar, pushing it along with a pestle. Her wild, bony figure and sharp, gleaming eyes made Vasilisa’s heart race with fear.

Baba Yaga (grinning): "What do you want, little girl?"

Vasilisa (trembling but respectful): "Grandmother, I have come to ask for fire for my home. My stepmother sent me."

Baba Yaga cackled.

Baba Yaga: "I will give you fire, but not for free. You must first complete three tasks for me. If you fail, I will eat you."

Vasilisa nodded, knowing she had no choice. Baba Yaga gave her the first task: to clean the entire house, wash the laundry, and cook a feast—all before nightfall.

Vasilisa worked as hard as she could, but the tasks were overwhelming. Exhausted, she fed her doll again and asked for help.

Vasilisa: "How can I complete this? It's too much!"

The doll comforted her and whispered instructions. With the doll’s magical help, the house was spotless, the laundry was done, and a feast was prepared long before nightfall.

Baba Yaga inspected everything, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Baba Yaga (grudgingly): "Well done. But there are still two more tasks."

The next day, Baba Yaga set Vasilisa a more difficult task: to separate a huge pile of poppy seeds from a pile of dirt by dawn. Vasilisa again fed her doll and asked for guidance.

Doll: "Don’t worry. Rest now, and I will take care of the task."

While Vasilisa slept, the doll worked tirelessly through the night, and by morning, the poppy seeds were perfectly separated from the dirt.

Baba Yaga, seeing that the task was completed, was furious but couldn’t deny the girl had succeeded.

Baba Yaga (scowling): "You have done well, but now for your final task. You must fill this entire tub with water and bathe me before the sun sets."

Once again, with the doll’s help, Vasilisa completed the task with ease. Baba Yaga, though impressed by Vasilisa's work, became suspicious.

Baba Yaga: "How have you managed to do all these impossible tasks, girl? Who has been helping you?"

Vasilisa, careful not to reveal her secret, simply replied that she worked hard and was blessed by her late mother’s spirit. Baba Yaga, who disliked any mention of blessings or goodness, waved her hand dismissively.

Baba Yaga: "Very well. You have earned your reward."

Baba Yaga handed Vasilisa a skull lantern, its hollow eyes glowing with magical fire.

Baba Yaga: "Take this fire and go. But remember, do not look back as you leave, or else you will regret it."

Vasilisa took the skull lantern and hurried back through the forest. Though she was frightened, she followed Baba Yaga’s instructions and didn’t look back, no matter how eerie the sounds behind her became.

When she returned to her home, she found that the fire in the skull lantern was no ordinary fire. The moment she entered the house, the fire flared up, consuming her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. Vasilisa, finally free from their torment, was left unharmed.

With her stepfamily gone, Vasilisa moved into the city, where she lived happily and eventually caught the eye of the Tsar himself. Impressed by her beauty, strength, and kindness, the Tsar married her, and Vasilisa became Tsarina of the land.

As for the magical doll, Vasilisa kept it close all her life, grateful for its wisdom and guidance. And so, Vasilisa lived in peace, never forgetting the lessons of courage and cleverness that had saved her from the fearsome Baba Yaga.