“That was my bright Day!” answered the Baba Yaga.
“Afterwards there passed me another rider, on a red horse; red himself, and all in red clothes. Who was he?”
“That was my red Sun!”[191] answered the Baba Yaga.
“And who may be the black rider, granny, who passed by me just at your gate?”
“That was my dark Night; they are all trusty servants of mine.”
Vasilissa thought of the three pairs of hands, but held her peace.
“Why don’t you go on asking?” said the Baba Yaga.
“That’s enough for me, granny. You said yourself, ‘Get too much to know, old you’ll grow!’”
“It’s just as well,” said the Baba Yaga, “that you’ve only asked about what you saw out of doors, not indoors! In my house I hate having dirt carried out of doors;[192] and as to over-inquisitive people—well, I eat them. Now I’ll ask you something. How is it you manage to do the work I set you to do?”
“My mother’s blessing assists me,” replied Vasilissa.