the black cat. They
generously gave him some of the good ham which their good grandmother
had given them, petted him and asked:

"Dear Kitty-cat, black and pretty, tell us what to do in order to get
away from thy mistress, the witch?"

"Well," very seriously answered the cat, "I will give you a towel and
a comb and then you must run away. When you hear the witch running
after you, drop the towel behind your back and a large river will
appear in place of the towel. If you hear her once more, throw down
the comb and in place of the comb there will appear a dark wood. This
wood will protect you from the wicked witch, my mistress."

Baba Yaga came home just then.

"Is it not wonderful?" she thought; "everything is exactly right."

"Well," she said to the children, "today you were brave and smart; let
us see to-morrow. Your work will be more difficult and I hope I shall
eat you up."

The poor orphans went to bed, not to a warm bed prepared by loving
hands, but on the straw in a cold corner. Nearly scared to death from
fear, they lay there, afraid to talk, afraid even to breathe. The next
morning the witch ordered all the linen to be woven and a large supply
of firewood to be brought from the forest.

The children took the towel and comb and ran away as fast as their
feet could possibly carry them. The dogs were after them, but
they threw them the cookies that were left; the gates did not open
themselves, but the children smoothed them with oil; the birch tree
near the path almost scratched their eyes out, but the gentle girl
fastened a pretty ribbon to it. So they went farther and farther and
ran out of the dark forest into the wide, sunny fields.

The cat sat down by the loom and tore the thread to pieces, doing it
with delight. Baba Yaga returned.

"Where are the children?" she shouted, and began to beat the cat.
"Why hast thou let them go, thou treacherous cat? Why hast thou not
scratched their faces?"

The cat answered: "Well, it was because I have served thee so many
years and thou hast never given me a bite, while the dear children
gave me some good ham."

The witch scolded the dogs, the gates, and the birch tree near the
path.

"Well," barked the dogs, "thou certainly art our mistress, but thou
hast never done us a favor, and the orphans were kind to us."

The gates replied:

"We were always ready to obey thee, but thou didst neglect us, and the
dear children smoothed us with oil."

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