“What am I to do today?” Raduz asked.
Yezibaba led him to a third window and told him to look out and tell her what he saw.
“I see a great rocky cliff.”
“Right,” she said. “Go now to that cliff and grind me flour out of the rocks and from the flour bake me bread. Tomorrow morning bring me the fresh loaves. Today you shall have no tools of any kind. Go now and do this task or suffer the consequences.”
As Raduz started off, Yezibaba looked after him and shook her head suspiciously.
“I don’t understand this,” she said to her husband. “He could never have done these two tasks alone. Do you suppose Ludmila has been helping him? I’ll punish her if she has!”
“Shame on you,” the old man said, “to talk so of your own daughter! Ludmila is a good girl and has always been loyal and obedient.”
“I hope so,” Yezibaba said, “but just the same I think I myself will carry him out his dinner today.”
“Nonsense, old woman! You’ll do no such thing! You’re always smelling a rat somewhere! Let the boy alone and don’t go nagging at Ludmila either!”
So Yezibaba said no more. This time she cooked a mess of lizards for Raduz’ dinner.