In some small village there lived an old widow. She had one daughter of her own and a stepdaughter. Her own daughter was a pock-marked, lame and ugly girl. What is more she was wicked and lazy. The stepdaughter was pretty; she had blue eyes and a long braid. Moreover she was a hard-working needlewoman and an amusing person. The stepmother and her daughter didn't love her and made her work all the time.
One day the stepdaughter was sitting near the well and spinning. Suddenly she dropped her spindle in the well, and began to cry. The stepmother said: "You must take out the spindle! Jump into the well and take it out!"
The stepdaughter thought to herself: "It's better to die than to live with my cruel relatives." She jumped into the well and found herself lying in a green meadow. The sun was shinning brightly and birds were merrily twittering. The girl got up and went walking through the meadow. Soon she met a herd of sheep. "Please wash us!" beseeched the sheep. The girl washed the sheep and continued her journey.
She went and went and met a herd of cows. "Milk us, please!" lowed the cows. The girl milked the cows and went further. She went and went till she met a herd of horses.
"Comb our manes and pick out the thistles, please" asked the horses. The girl combed the horses and went further.
Soon she came to a hut standing on chicken lags. Baba Yaga was sitting near the hut.
"Don't be afraid of me, dear girl. Stay with me and help me to keep house!" The stepdaughter agreed and stayed with Baba Yaga. She wove, spun, cooked and cleaned up the hut. Baba Yaga didn't offend the girl and treated her with tender love.
One day the stepdaughter told Baba Yaga that she missed her home. Baba Yaga awarded her richly with gold for her good work and presented her with a silver spindle. On the way home the girl met sheep. They awarded her with a young sheep and a ram. Then she met cows. They presented her with a heifer. At last the girl met horses who presented her with a foal.
The stepdaughter returned home, showed the presents to her stepmother and stepsister and told them everything that had happened to her. The stepmother and her daughter were very envious and the stepsister decided to jump into the well too.
The girl also found herself lying in the meadow. She stood and began her journey.
On the way to Baba Yaga the stepsister also met the sheep, the cows and the horses but she was very lazy and refused to help them.
Some time later she reached the hut of Baba Yaga. "Bow-legged Baba Yaga, open the door!" cried the impolite girl. Baba Yaga said nothing but agreed to employ the stepsister. The girl was very lazy and worked badly. The food that she cooked was tasteless, the hut was untidy, and the livestock was hungry.
Baba Yaga finally told her, "You work badly. Go home! There is no need for bad workers! Take this wooden spindle for your bad work." On the way home the horses, cows and sheep pushed, butted and kicked the stepsister.
So, the stepsister returned home beaten black and blue without any presents.
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