Snake 23

THE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY: The Story of the Princess Who Learned
to say "Please" 45

VITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS: The Story of a Hero Whose Mother Loved
a Dragon 57

FIVE NURSERY TALES:
I KURATKO THE TERRIBLE: The Story of an Ungrateful Chick 91

II SMOLICHECK: The Story of a Little Boy Who Opened the
Door 99

III BUDULINEK: The Story of Another Little Boy Who Opened
the Door 109

IV THE DEAR LITTLE HEN: The Story of a Rooster that Cheated 123

V THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER: The Story of Another Little Hen 133

THE NICKERMAN'S WIFE: The Story of Lidushka and the Imprisoned
Doves 139

BATCHA AND THE DRAGON: The Story of a Shepherd Who Slept all
Winter 149

CLEVER MANKA: The Story of a Girl Who Knew What to Say 165

THE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL: The Story of a Man Who Found that
Death was Necessary 177

A GULLIBLE WORLD: The Story of a Man Who Didn't Beat His Wife 187

THE CANDLES OF LIFE: The Story of a Child for Whom Death Stood
Godmother 197

THE DEVIL'S GIFTS: The Story of a Man Whom the Devil Befriended 207

GENTLE DORA: The Story of a Devil Who Married a Scold 225

THE DEVIL'S MATCH: The Story of a Farmer Who Remembered What
His Grandmother Told Him 239

THE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW: The Story of a Youth Who
Couldn't Find Work 251

THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON: The Story of the Man Who Sits Near the
Golden Gate 271

THE TWELVE MONTHS

THE STORY OF MARUSHKA AND THE WICKED HOLENA

[Illustration]

THE TWELVE MONTHS

There was once a woman who had two girls. One was her own daughter,
the other a stepchild. Holena, her own daughter, she loved dearly,
but she couldn't bear even the sight of Marushka, the stepchild.
This wa