Baba Yaga by An Leysen

Fairy tales are often gruesome. This is one of the most gruesome in my opinion. But the An Leysen illustrations were so soft and gentle that I decided it might temper the less than pleasant story line. 

Here is Baba Yaga. Who looks quite pleasant and quirky in this picture. 

Do not be deceived. She is a nasty bit of goods. 

This is a fuzzy picture, but a perfectly sweet picture too of Olga and her dad. 

Olga's mother died ages ago, so it is just her and her dad and her special doll that her mother gave her. 

Enter the evil stepmother. Who happens to be Baba Yaga's sister. 

This woman is horrid. She makes Cinderella's stepmother look merely annoying. 

Evil stepmother sends Olga to fetch a needle from Auntie Baba Yaga hoping that Baba Yaga will make a meal of Olga and evil stepmother will be rid of Olga for ever. 

I mean seriously. What is with fairy tales and cannabalism? 

Baba Yaga's house on chicken legs. Because... why not?

Baba Yaga's sad maid who has not been eaten. Baba Yaga only likes to eat children. 

Baba Yaga and her toad trying to lure Olga into carelessness. 

She asks the maid to give Olga a bath. A nice HOT bath--wink, wink; ie boil the child. 

Since Olga had been nice to the maid, the maid fills the tub with a sieve, which means it doesn't actually get filled. 

Throughout this ordeal, Olga's special doll from her mother guides her through her troubles, telling her to tell the maid to fill the bath with the sieve, befriend the evil cat, etc. 

I think the doll was probably napping when Olga was heading to Baba Yaga's house. Because otherwise it should have been yelling to turn around, head to the high country, go anywhere but where you are going. 

But still. Magical dolls are useful for getting out of trouble even if they are not good at warning of trouble. 

Olga creates a river to keep Baba Yaga away (Baba Yaga can't cross water) so Baba Yaga brings her cow to drink the entire river dry. 

But I like the cow's headgear.

And like all fairy tales, the father realizes he married a horrendous woman and the stepmother disappears. 

And Olga and her father live happily ever after, reading books. Because books are an important part of happily ever after.