The soldier sat on his carpet and flew away. He had to wander long over the white world. Whenever he wanted to eat or drink, he put on the cap of invisibility, let himself down, entered a shop, and took what his heart desired; then to the carpet and off on his journey. He came to the second hut, entered; inside was sitting Baba-Yaga, boneleg, old and toothless. “Greetings to thee, grandmother! Dost thou know how I can find my fair princess?”
“No, my dove, I do not know.”
“Ah, thou old hag! how many years art thou living in the world? All thy teeth are out, and thou knowest no good.”
He sat on the flying carpet and flew toward the eldest sister. Long did he wander, many seas and many lands did he see. At last he flew to the end of the world, where there was a hut and no road beyond,—nothing but outer darkness, nothing to be seen.
“Well,” thought he, “if I can get no account here, there is nowhere else to fly to.” He went into the hut; there a Baba-Yaga was sitting, gray, toothless.
“Greetings to thee, grandmother! Tell me where must I seek my princess.”
“Wait a little; I will call all my winds together and ask them. They blow over all the world, so they must know where she is living at present.”
The old woman went out on the porch, cried with a loud voice, whistled with a hero’s whistle. Straightway the stormy winds rose and blew from every side; the hut just quivered.
“Quieter, quieter!” cried Baba-Yaga; and as soon as the winds had assembled, she said: “My stormy winds, ye blow through all the world. Have ye seen the beautiful princess anywhere?”
“We have not seen her anywhere,” answered the winds in one voice.