Mary was afraid to let her go, but she thought that the outing might do her child good, so she got her ready, embraced her, and said—
“Go, my child, and play with your friends; and you, my daughters, look well after her. You know I love her better than the apple of my eye.”
“All right,” cried they all, and they ran off in a body to the woods.
There they plucked the wild-flowers, made themselves wreaths, and sang songs.
When the sun was setting they made a fire of dry grass and placed themselves in a row by it, each of them having a crown of flowers on her head. “Look at us,” said they to Snyegurka, “how we run, and follow us,” and then they began to sing and to jump, around and over the little fire.
All of a sudden they heard, behind them, a sigh—
“Ah!”
They looked about them, and then at one another. There was nothing to be seen. They looked again, and found that Snyegurka was no longer among them.
“She has hidden herself,” cried they. Then they looked for her, but could not find her, calling out and shouting her name, but there was no answer.
“Where can she be? She must have gone home,” said they.