“Quercillo,” replied the other, whereupon they became sworn brothers and proceeded
farther. Arriving at a rocky mountain they perceived a man hewing the rock, to whom they said, “God help you, honest lad; and what may your name be?”
“My name is Montano,” replied he.
Whereupon they called him their brother, and proposed to him that he should leave off digging the mountain and should consent to go with them forthwith. He agreed to their proposal, and all three forthwith proceeded on their way, and journeyed for some time. Arriving at the bank of a river they saw a man sitting, who had a pair of enormous moustaches with which he angled for fish for his subsistence. They all three said to him, “God help you brother in your fish-catching.”
“Thank you, brothers,” he replied.
“What may your name be?” they inquired.
“Moustacho,” he answered. Whereupon they called him also their brother and invited
him to join their company, which he did not refuse. And so these four journeyed on, and whether they journeyed long or short, far or near, my tale will be soon told, though the deed was a long time in doing. At last they arrived at a forest, where they saw a cabin standing on crow’s feet, which kept turning here and there. They went up to it, and said, “Cabin, cabin, stand with your rear to the wood and your front to us.”
The cabin instantly obeyed them, and they having entered it began to consult how they should contrive to live there. After that they all went into the forest, killed some game, and prepared food for themselves. On the second day they left Quercillo at home to cook the dinner, whilst they themselves went into the forest to hunt. Quercillo having got ready the dinner took his seat by the window and awaited the return of his brethren. At that moment came Baba
Yaga riding on an iron mortar, which she urged on with the pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her mouth she drew a mark on the earth as she went, and entering into the cabin she said: