that linen
she will either strangle thee or scald[256] thee."

The old woman was evidently well acquainted with Wednesday's
ways.

"What am I to do?" says the young woman. "How can I
escape from this danger?"

"Well, this is what thou must do. Go and beat thy pails together
in front of the house, and cry, 'Wednesday's children
have been burnt at sea!'[257] She will run out of the house, and
do thou be sure to seize the opportunity to get into it before she
comes back, and immediately slam the door to, and make the
sign of the cross over it. Then don't let her in, however much
she may threaten you or implore you, but sign a cross with your
hands, and draw one with a piece of chalk, and utter a prayer.
The Unclean Spirit will have to disappear."

Well, the young woman ran home, beat the pails together,
and cried out beneath the window:

"Wednesday's children have been burnt at sea!"

Wednesday rushed out of the house and ran to look, and the
woman sprang inside, shut the door, and set a cross upon it.
Wednesday came running back, and began crying: "Let me in,
my dear! I have spun thy linen; now will I bleach it." But the
woman would not listen to her, so Wednesday went on knocking
at the door until cock-crow. As soon as the cocks crew, she
uttered a shrill cry and disappeared. But the linen remained
where it was.[258]

In one of the numerous legends which the Russian peasants hold in
reverence, St. Petka or Friday appears among the other saints, and
together with her is mentioned another canonized day, St. Nedelya or
Sunday,[259] answering to the Greek St. Anastasia, to _Der heilige
Sonntag_ of German peasant-hagiology. In some respects she resembles
both Friday and Wednesday, sharing their views about spinning and
weaving at unfitting seasons. Thus in Little-Russia she assures
untimely spinners that it is not flax they are spinning, but her hair,
and in proof of this she shows them her dishevelled _kosa_, or long
back plait.

In one of the Wallachian tales[260] the hero is assisted in his
search after the dragon-stolen heroine by three supernatural
females--the holy Mothers Friday, Wednesday, and Sunday. They replace
the three benignant Baba Yagas of Russian stories. In another,[261]
the same three beings assist the Wallachian Psyche when she is
wandering in quest of her lost husband. Mother Sunday rules the animal
world, and can collect her subjects by play