Orel Government.

[256] Doubtful. The Russian word is "Svarit," properly "to cook."

[257] Compare the English nursery rhyme addressed to the lady-bird:

"Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
Your house is a-fire, your children at home."

[258] Wednesday in this, and Friday in the preceding story, are the
exact counterparts of Lithuanian Laumes. According to Schleicher
("Lituanica," p. 109), Thursday evening is called in Lithuania _Laumiu
vakars_, the Laume's Eve. No work ought to be done on a Thursday
evening, and it is especially imprudent to spin then. For at night,
when the Laumes come, as they are accustomed to do between Thursday
evening and Friday morning, they seize any spinning which has been
begun, work away at it till cock-crow, and then carry it off. In
modern Greece the women attribute all nightly meddling with their
spinning to the _Neraides_ (the representatives of the Hellenic
Nereids. See Bernhard Schmidt's "Volksleben der Neugriechen," p. 111).
In some respects the _Neraida_ closely resemble the _Lamia_, and both
of them have many features in common with the _Laume_. The latter name
(which in Lettish is written Lauma) has never been satisfactorily
explained. Can it be connected with the Greek _Lamia_ which is now
written also as +Lamnia+, +Lamna+ and +Lamnissa+?

[259] The word _Nedyelya_ now means "a week." But it originally meant
Sunday, the non-working day (_ne_ = not, _dyelat'_ = to do or work.)
After a time, the name for the first day of the week became
transferred to the week itself.

[260] That of "Wilisch Witiasu," Schott, No. 11.

[261] That of "Trandafiru," Schott, No. 23.

[262] J. Wenzig's "Westslawischer Maerchenschatz," pp. 144-155.
According to Wenzig Ned[)e]lka is "the personified first Sunday after
the new moon." The part here attributed to St. Ned[)e]lka is played by
a Vila in one of the Songs of Montenegro. According to an ancient
Indian tradition, the Aswattha-tree "is to be touched only on a
Sunday, for on every other day Poverty or Misfortune abides in it: on
Sunday it is the residence of Lakshmi" (Good Fortune). H. H. Wilson
"Works," iii. 70.

[263] "Songs of the Russian People," pp. 120-153.

[264] Afanasief, vii. No. 33. The name Leshy or Lyeshy is derived from
_lyes_, a forest.

[265] Literally "as a _lun_," a kind of hawk (_falco rusticolus_).
_Lun_ also means a greyish light.

[266] _Ottogo ya i cyed chto chortof dyed._

[267] Afanasief, _P.V.S._,