Dobrunka then turned toward the forest again. Snow was still on the ground. She walked along toward the mountain and saw again the fire burning in the distance. Soon she was standing where sat the twelve old men in a circle.
January heard her footfall on the snow. Dobrunka stopped and began crying. January said to her, “Child, why did you come back, we gave you violets and still you are back again?”
Dobrunka said, “My mother and sister have driven me from my home, and they say if I do not bring some strawberries they will beat me to a jelly.”
January said: “I am sorry, but I cannot help you. Strawberries do not belong to me; perhaps May can help you.”
May was sitting across the circle. He looked at the girl standing there in trouble and he felt sorry for her. He stood up and waved his wand across the fire. The old men disappeared and the fire. Dobrunka found herself standing in a field. It was a perfect day in May. Above her head the sky was soft and blue; in every treetop sang the birds. May, the old man, stood by her and said:
“Look child at the earth and see what you will find.”
Dobrunka looked, and all about in great bunches grew strawberries, peeping like jewels from the green leaves.
May said to her, “Help yourself.” And stooping down she gathered her hands full and then ran back to the house.
When she entered the door, her sister seized the berries and ate them all up.
A few days after that, Katinka came again to Dobrunka and said: “Dobrunka, I want some apples, fresh and ripe; go to the forest and find me some.”