The Fish and Baba Yaga

Part 1-Fish meets Baba Yaga

A long time ago, there was a shimmering, blue fish. He spent his whole life in a river, free from the humans' nets. He was satisfied with his life, but unfortunately, a drought hit the lands, and the river dried up. He now struggled to breathe; amongst him were the fellow animals of the lake who were now all dead.

"Please, god of the rivers, don't let me suffer," the poor fish pleaded. His scales had already started to dry up from the burning sun.

Suddenly, an old woman flew across the sky to the river on a mortar. Her gnarled, wrinkled face stared at him.

The woman talked, "Hello, my child, it seems like you're struggling to live in a dried up river?"

The fish mumbled, "Yes." He was only moments away from death.

Suddenly, her hand reached out to touch his fin. The fish felt a change inside of him. The old woman had transformed him into another creature; therefore, he could now breathe.

"There we go, my child. You may come with me to my hut to live with me. I am Baba Yaga," the old woman said kindly.

At first, he was hesitant, but he decided to follow her, for she had changed him into a boy who could breathe and live outside of water. Baba Yaga led him for miles through meadows to swamps, until he reached her house. It was an odd sight to see; the old woman dwelled in the forests, which were surrounded by hundreds of trees, birds, and a little hut. The hut was held up by bird legs and held a rooster head on the roof.

"I have never seen anything like this before," the boy told her.

Baba Yaga responded, "My house is quite a spectacle to see. You will love it here."

The boy hoped with all his heart he'd have a good life here, so he stepped into the hut. Inside were a black cat and a small mouse, who stood there to greet him. A cauldron lay in the center of the hut, and a pile of straw sat in the corner.

"My child, you will sleep on the straw. You will also do work for me," Baba Yaga told him, her bony figure sitting at her cauldron. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I am very hungry."

"I don't have any food for a boy like you." She cackled. "I do have a nice cauldron for cooking boys who don't do their chores."

The boy was taken aback by her comment. "Do you mean you will cook me?"

She continued laughing, "Only if you don't complete your work."

The boy asked her what work he has to complete. She replied, "Cook, clean, and kill one of my sisters. She is also called Baba Yaga."