Very early next day VasilĂ­sa woke up. BĂĄba YagĂĄ was already up and was looking out of the window. The glimmer in the eyes of the skulls had dimmed; the white horseman raced by: and it dawned. BĂĄba YagĂĄ went into the courtyard, and whistled, and the mortar, the pestle, and the besom appeared at once, and the red horseman came by: and the sun rose. BĂĄba YagĂĄ sat in the mortar and went by, thrusting the mortar with the pestle, and with the besom she removed every trace of her steps.

VasilĂ­sa, left all by herself, looked over the house of the BĂĄba YagĂĄ, wondered at all the wealth gathered in, and began to consider what she should start with. But all the work was already done, and the doll had sifted out the very last of the ears of oats.

“Oh, my saviour!” said Vasilísa. “You have helped me in my great need.”

“You now have only to get dinner ready,” the doll answered, and clambered back into Vasilísa’s pocket. “With God’s help get it ready, and stay here quietly waiting.”

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