is lovely daughter into the wide, wide fields;
drove her nearly to the woods, left her there alone, and speedily
drove away--he was a good man and did not care to see his daughter's
death.

Alone, quite alone, remained the sweet girl. Broken-hearted and
terror-stricken she repeated fervently all the prayers she knew.

Father Frost, the almighty sovereign at that place, clad in furs,
with a long, long, white beard and a shining crown on his white head,
approached nearer and nearer, looked at this beautiful guest of his
and asked:

"Dost thou know me?--me, the red-nosed Frost?"

"Be welcome, Father Frost," answered gently the young girl. "I hope
our heavenly Lord sent thee for my sinful soul."

"Art thou comfortable, sweet child?" again asked the Frost. He was
exceedingly pleased with her looks and mild manners.

"Indeed I am," answered the girl, almost out of breath from cold.

And the Frost, cheerful and bright, kept crackling in the branches
until the air became icy, but the good-natured girl kept repeating:

"I am very comfortable, dear Father Frost."

But the Frost, however, knew all about the weakness of human beings;
he knew very well that few of them are really good and kind; but he
knew no one of them even could struggle too long against the power of
Frost, the king of winter. The kindness of the gentle girl charmed old
Frost so much that he made the decision to treat her differently from
others, and gave her a large heavy trunk filled with many beautiful,
beautiful things. He gave her a rich "schouba" lined with precious
furs; he gave her silk quilts--light like feathers and warm as a
mother's lap. What a rich girl she became and how many magnificent
garments she received! And besides all, old Frost gave her a blue
"sarafan" ornamented with silver and pearls.

[Illustration: "_Old Frost gave the gentle girl many beautiful,
beautiful things_"]

When the young girl put it on she became such a beautiful maiden that
even the sun smiled at her.

The stepmother was in the kitchen busy baking pancakes for the meal
which it is the custom to give to the priests and friends after the
usual service for the dead.

"Now, old man," said the wife to the husband, "go down to the wide
fields and bring the body of thy daughter; we will bury her."

The old man went off. And the little dog in the corner wagged his tail
and said:

"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter is on her way home,
beautiful and happy a