A famous Russian fairy tale about a brave girl sent by her jealous stepsisters to fetch fire from old frightful witch Baba Yaga.

Sweet, lovely Vasilisa lives with her jealous stepmother and stepsisters on the edge of a dark forest inhabited by the evil witch Baba Yaga. One night the stepmother sends Vasilisa to visit Baba Yaga, an errand from which the gentle girl has little chance of returning alive. "An engaging text and accomplished paintings set this version apart....A stylized and classy offering."--School Library Journal.

A beautiful illustrated collection of fairy tales about the most iconic and active of Russian magical characters

Once upon a time, these stories of magical transformation were told to young women by their mothers and grandmothers and the wise women of the clan. The heroines of these old tales set out on a difficult road of trials to discover their true destiny. And marrying a prince was not the only goal. These ancient tales of wonder and adventure are about learning to be strong, brave, kind and true-hearted, and trusting in yourself to change the world for the better. -- Back cover.

CONTENTSVasilisa the BeautifulTsarevich Ivan and Grey WolfThe two IvansFenist the FalconSister Alyonushka and Brother IvanushkaChestnut-GreyFather FrostGo I Know Not Where, Fetch I Know Not WhatLittle Girl and the Swan-GeeseThe Silver Saucer and the Rosy-Cheeked AppleEmelya and the PikeThe Frog TsarevnaWee Little HavroshechkaMarya Morevna the Lovely TsarevnaIvan - Young of Years, Old of WisdomThe Seven Simeons - Seven Brave Workingmen

Do you have something that someone special once gave you that seems to offer you strength and protection when you need it the most? In 'Vasilisa the Beautiful', the young girl, Vasilisa, was given a special doll on her mother's deathbed. Let's find out more about this story… 'Vasilisa the Beautiful' is a Russian fairytale that features a young girl named Vasilisa and one of the most infamous characters in Russian folklore, Baba Yaga. In this story, the eponymous heroine is pitted against Baba Yaga. Vasilisa the Beautiful is in a collection of Russian folktales known as Russian Fairy Tales or Russian Folk Tales . The stories in this collection were compiled during the 19th century by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev, who has been considered the Russian equivalent of the Grimm Brothers. Illustration by Nataly Ger.

Baba Yaga is an ambiguous and fascinating figure. She appears in traditional Russian folktales as a monstrous and hungry cannibal, or as a canny inquisitor of the adolescent hero or heroine of the tale. In new translations and with an introduction by Sibelan Forrester, Baba Yaga: The Wild Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales is a selection of tales that draws from the famous collection of Aleksandr Afanas'ev, but also includes some tales from the lesser-known nineteenth-century collection of Ivan Khudiakov. This new collection includes beloved classics such as "Vasilisa the Beautiful" and "The Frog Princess," as well as a version of the tale that is the basis for the ballet "The Firebird." The preface and introduction place these tales in their traditional context with reference to Baba Yaga's continuing presence in today's culture--the witch appears iconically on tennis shoes, tee shirts, even tattoos. The stories are enriched with many wonderful illustrations of Baba Yaga, some old (traditional "lubok" woodcuts), some classical (the marvelous images from Victor Vasnetsov or Ivan Bilibin), and some quite recent or solicited specifically for this collection