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Painting by Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov (Russian: Ви́ктор Миха́йлович Васнецо́в;
Ten Hairs
After the meadow the birches stand tall--
Enter the woods and there’s no light at all.
Run through the bramble, push at the brush,
Feel your heart pounding, confused at your rush.
Then in a swamp, a bit of dry land,
A house with no doors, it’s standing on sand,
On a large chicken leg with one naked claw--
The skin is toad bumpy and the flesh is red raw.
For a wonderful reading of the Baba Yaga story see the MYTHS AND LEGENDS site:
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/story117-baba-yaga-and-vasilisa-the-fair.html
Ten Hairs
After the meadow the birches stand tall--
Enter the woods and there’s no light at all.
Run through the bramble, push at the brush,
Feel your heart pounding, confused at your rush.
Then in a swamp, a bit of dry land,
A house with no doors, it’s standing on sand,
On a large chicken leg with one naked claw--
The skin is toad bumpy and the flesh is red raw.
Do you know who could live in this terrible place?
In the mud and the sand there are flies in a chase for
A man wanders blind from a glance at her face:
Yes, the witch Baba Yaga is truly a fright.
She escapes through her chimney but only at night,
Screaming and cackling, loud at the moon,
She’ll spit out her teeth and sing you a tune.
If you listen, beware your ear will turn in
And push out a wart with ten hairs on your chin.
