Chapter III. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 3 · page 21 2101She had been left alone for a long time, and after midnight, when the first cock crew, she began to think about going to bed, only she would have liked to finish spinning what she had in hand. "102Well," thinks she, "I'll get up a bit earlier in the morning, but just now I want to go to sleep."103So she laid down her hatchel--but without crossing herself--and said:104"Now then, Mother Wednesday, lend me thy aid, that I may get up early in the morning and finish my spinning."105And then she went to sleep.106Well, very early in the morning, long before it was light, she heard some one moving, bustling about the room.107She opened her eyes and looked.108The room was lighted up.109A splinter of fir was burning in the cresset, and the fire was lighted in the stove.110A woman, no longer young, wearing a white towel by way of head-dress, was moving about the cottage, going to and fro, supplying the stove with firewood, getting everything ready.111Presently she came up to the young woman, and roused her, saying, "Get up!"112The young woman got up, full of wonder, saying:113"But who art thou?114What hast thou come here for?"115"I am she on whom thou didst call.116I have come to thy aid."117"But who art thou?118On whom did I call?"119"I am Wednesday.120On Wednesday surely thou didst call.121See, I have spun thy linen and woven thy web: now let us bleach it and set it in the oven.122The oven is heated and the irons are ready; do thou go down to the brook and draw water."123The woman was frightened, and thought: "What manner of thing is this?"124(or, "How can that be?") but Wednesday glared at her angrily; her eyes just did sparkle!125So the woman took a couple of pails and went for water.126As soon as she was outside the door she thought: "Mayn't something terrible happen to me?127I'd better go to my neighbor's instead of fetching the water."128So she set off.129The night was dark.130In the village all were still asleep.131She reached a neighbor's house, and rapped away at the window until at last she made herself heard.132An aged woman let her in.133"Why, child!" says the old crone; "whatever hast thou got up so early for?134What's the matter?"135"Oh, granny, this is how it was.136Wednesday has come to me, and has sent me for water to buck my linen with."137"That doesn't look well," says the old crone. "138On that linen she will either strangle thee or scald[256] thee."139The old woman was evidently well acquainted with Wednesday's ways.140"What am I to do?" says the young woman. "141How can I escape from this danger?"142"Well, this is what thou must do.143Go and beat thy pails together in front of the house, and cry, 'Wednesday's children have been burnt at sea!'144[257] She will run out of the house, and do thou be sure to seize the opportunity to get into it before she comes back, and immediately slam the door to, and make the sign of the cross over it.145Then don't let her in, however much she may threaten you or implore you, but sign a cross with your hands, and draw one with a piece of chalk, and utter a prayer.146The Unclean Spirit will have to disappear."147Well, the young woman ran home, beat the pails together, and cried out beneath the window:148"Wednesday's children have been burnt at sea!"149Wednesday rushed out of the house and ran to look, and the woman sprang inside, shut the door, and set a cross upon it.150Wednesday came running back, and began crying: "Let me in, my dear!151I have spun thy linen; now will I bleach it."152But the woman would not listen to her, so Wednesday went on knocking at the door until cock-crow.153As soon as the cocks crew, she uttered a shrill cry and disappeared.154But the linen remained where it was.155[258]156In one of the numerous legends which the Russian peasants hold in reverence, St. Petka or Friday appears among the other saints, and together with her is mentioned another canonized day, St. Nedelya or Sunday,[259] answering to the Greek St. Anastasia, to _Der heilige Sonntag_ of German peasant-hagiology.157In some respects she resembles both Friday and Wednesday, sharing their views about spinning and weaving at unfitting seasons.158Thus in Little-Russia she assures untimely spinners that it is not flax they are spinning, but her hair, and in proof of this she shows them her dishevelled _kosa_, or long back plait.1 2← previousChapter III. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 2next →Chapter III. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 4↑ back to Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-loreThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/37/page/2/