ONCE upon a time there lived in a certain kingdom a moujik. He was
married, and his wife bore him a child—a boy—who had the ear of a bear,
so he was named Ivashka with the Bear’s Ear. Ivashka used to go and play
with the children of his neighbours, but his manner was rather rough,
for if he took hold of a child by the hand he would give it such a
wrench that the hand would come off, and if he took hold of a child by
the head, the head would come off too. Such play was not agreeable to
the parents of the children, and they came to Ivashka’s father and told
him that he must see that his son did not come out to play with their
children, or that he did them no hurt. The man promised to do what he
could. He found, however, that Ivashka paid no heed to him, so in the
end he turned him out of doors, saying—
“Be off where you will, for I want you no longer; you shall come no more
into my house, for if you do you will get me into trouble.”
So Ivashka with the Bear’s Ear set off on his travels. He went on for a
long time, and at last came to a great forest. There he found a man
hewing wood.
“Friend,” said Ivashka to him, “what are you called?”
“I am called Dubunia,” said the man.
“Well,” said Ivashka, “let us be friends.”
After some talk they became very friendly, and the man went on with
Ivashka. They travelled for some time, and at length they came to a high
rock, where they found a man hewing stone.
“Heaven bless you, good fellow!” said Ivashka; “what are you called?”
“Gorunia,” replied the man.
“Well,” said Ivashka, “let us be friends.”
After some talk the man became very friendly with Ivashka and his
companion, and agreed to go on with them in their travels. On they went.
At last they came to a river, on the bank of which they found a man with
very long moustaches, with which he was fishing in the water.
“Heaven bless you!” said Ivashka and his companions. “May you have good
luck.”
“Thanks, my brothers,” said the man.
“What are you called?” asked Ivashka.
“Usunia,” said he.
“Well,” said Ivashka, “let us be friends.”
So, after some talk, the man agreed to join Ivashka and his companions.
The four went on, and at length they came to a forest, near to which
they found a hut. Now the hut stood on a fowl’s legs, and kept turning
round and round.
“Hut, hut,” cried Ivashka, “stand still with your back to the forest and
your front towards us!”
The hut at once did what they told it, and the four travellers going in
commenced to plan how they should live. They were very hungry, so they
went into the forest, caught some game, and ate it.
The next day Dubunia stayed at home while the others went into the
forest to look for game. He cooked the dinner, and waited for his
companions to come back. They did not come, so Dubunia washed his head
and sat combing his hair, and who should come into the hut but Baba
Yaja. She came riding in an iron mortar, which she drove on with a
pestle, and with her tongue she wiped out the marks the mortar made as
it passed over the ground. As she came into the cabin—
“Ho, ho!” cried she, “I smell Russian flesh.”