# The story of Baba Yaga and Koschei the Immortal, their birth and life. You haven’t heard this story yet

Ирина Буянова

Love is a garden. If one partner plants a tree and the other does nothing or tramples the new sprouts, the garden will eventually die. But if both partners take care of the garden together, even the most insignificant sprouts can grow into beautiful, mighty, and strong trees that will produce juicy fruits for a lifetime. The trees’ strong canopies will protect the family from the wind and weather, and the fruits will provide food and strength even in the most difficult times.

© Ирина Буянова, 2025


ISBN 978-5-0068-4009-6

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

## CHAPTER 1

It was a long time ago. My grandmother told me this story, and her grandmother told her grandmother, and so it was passed down from generation to generation in our family. No one outside of our family has ever heard this version of the story, and it has never been written down anywhere.

No one has ever known what really happened, or how their lives began. Everyone knows that there was a woman named Baba Yaga, and a man named Koschei the Immortal. But no one knows where they came from, or what their childhood was like, or how they became the people they are today. Grandmother has been gone for a long time, but I want to share my knowledge now. It’s time to uncover the secrets of Yaga and Koschei and tell you their story.

In those days, when miracles and magic were commonplace and no one doubted their existence, when illnesses could be cured with potions and magic, when you could meet kind and strange creatures in the forest during the day and evil spirits at night, when you could embark on a journey in search of a firebird’s feather to provide endless light for your home or a fern to grant your deepest wish, when dragons flew through the sky and talking animals were a daily occurrence, the Earth was divided into territories inhabited by humans, evil spirits, and the magical world.

The magical world was closed from prying eyes, there was no way a person could get there on their own. And the inhabitants of the magical world could leave this place and come back again as soon as they pleased. The world of evil spirits, on the contrary, was open to everyone. As its inhabitants said: “We are not afraid of anyone or anything!” – that’s why the gates have always been open for both entry and exit, even for people, even for evil spirits, even for magical creatures. But no one of the human race was willing to visit this place, even out of necessity, let alone out of curiosity. And it was not customary for magical creatures to visit the world of the unclean.

In order to trade with people, the evil spirits came out to the people themselves, and in exchange for human goods, they gave people knowledge and magical attributes. However, the angry and unhappy people asked the evil spirits for potions for love spells, which made their object of love and their surroundings unhappy. People also bought attributes for revenge, which brought grief and sadness to entire homes and families, and they took knowledge to use it for their own evil purposes. As a result, the people decided that those who trade with the evil spirits and take knowledge from them should be isolated from society. In some countries, they even decided to take extreme measures and burn at the stake those who had connections with evil spirits and could take revenge and cause harm from afar.

This is how the fear of those who practice magic came about. And those who practiced magic had the fear of being caught in the act. Magic gradually became a forbidden fruit.

But there were also people who practiced magic only for good deeds, but secretly. There were also good people who obtained knowledge for good purposes. These people practiced healing for a certain fee. Everything has a price. And the price of this secret business is, first and foremost, the risk of your own life, and then the price of your time, effort, ingredients, equipment, and expenses for your food and livelihood.

But the evil and envious people saw only one side of the medicine-man’s activities – they saw large, spacious houses, bought and equipped with the proceeds from healing, they saw horses in the stables. They also saw a large number of patients near the medicine-man’s house, and in their thoughts they already counted how much money the sorcerer received for a day, a week, a year. But they didn’t think about the fact that large houses are needed to accommodate the sick and infirm for constant care, and horses are needed to transport the sick to the hospital when necessary and to bring medicine from the market for their treatment. Additionally, horses are used to explore the forest in search of specific medicinal herbs, and due to the large number of sick people at home, there is no time to enjoy the profits.

These jealous people couldn’t sleep or eat until they revealed the healer’s name and location to the royal guard and witnessed his execution by burning at the stake for practicing magic. Only then could they rest peacefully until they discovered a new target for their envy and hatred.

Over time, magic began to be confused with sorcery, as sorcery could be used for good purposes, but it was forbidden. Therefore, good magic was also considered similar to sorcery, making it risky to engage with. As the years and centuries passed, this confusion persisted. And the magical world stopped letting its inhabitants out, for their own safety. People began to catch and try to exterminate creatures from the world of evil, who had come out of it. At the same time, evil creatures learned to hide from human eyes, and some even began to take revenge not only on the guards and informants, but also on the entire human race, for the death of their blood or spirit relatives.

The knowledge from the world of evil spirits was still being passed on, and they were still trading with humans, but they were doing so more cautiously. The teachings were being kept secret from generation to generation, and they were only shared with relatives or the most trusted students of the human bearers. The knowledge from the evil spirits was rarely shared with those who sought it. It was necessary to prove one’s loyalty, worthiness, and security to the evil spirits before learning anything. Not all knowledge was shared; some people were shown one piece of the secret, while others were shown another. You can’t give one bearer everything at once. Because he could turn all his power against the teacher. So the teacher must always be stronger to withstand possible betrayal.

## CHAPTER 2

Everything was fine with Olga Guy, and her husband Egor was a handsome, caring and rich merchant, and the house was huge, and the servants were personal, and the ships were trading, and the farm was large – bees, cows, goats, chickens, horses and sheep could not be counted. Wealth and abundance had been in their family for five years since the wedding. But there were no children. There was no one to transfer all the acquired wealth and experience. There is no one to take care of and raise in love and affection. They really wanted a child, but they couldn’t have one.

Olga and Egor came to a joint decision to seek treatment from a healer in secret. They learned where he was located and what he was like, based on the rumors of those who had already received treatment. Without hesitation, they harnessed two horses and set off on horseback, traveling secretly at night, dressed in black cloaks with large hoods that concealed their faces. They took plenty of money for payment and provisions for the journey. The journey was long, taking two days to reach their destination. At night, they stopped for the night in the forest, lit a fire, and ate together under the starry sky.

They reached their destination at dawn. They had deliberately waited in the forest at the end of the journey to arrive at the house first and avoid being seen by random passers-by. The door was opened by an elderly healer, who appeared to be around eighty years old. He had a gray beard and wore a beige cotton robe that reached to the floor, with no embroidery or patterns. He had a staff in his left hand, which he used to lean on when he walked.

The healer let them into the house and invited them to go to the kitchen to drink tea. The guests agreed and sat down on a bench at the table. When the healer poured tea for the travelers and sat down at the table himself, they began a conversation.

“We have come to you from far away on a very important matter,” Egor began to say. – We don’t want anyone to know about this conversation. Can we count on that?

“Of course, traveler,” the healer replied. “I’ll ask the same of you!” After these words, the healer laughed loudly.

Next, Olga continued:

– My husband and I have been together for five years, but we still can’t have children. We’ve tried all the advice from our friends, and we’ve consumed a lot of herbs, but nothing has happened. Why have the heavens punished us like this? Please help us! We won’t be in your way. We’ve given up. We have a lot of money. We’ll pay whatever you ask. Just help us, please…

The healer thought for a moment and looked at them intently. He looked them over from head to toe, and his gaze was so penetrating that Olga’s entire body trembled, and she suddenly felt cold, every muscle trembling and her skin covered in goosebumps.

They sat in silence for two minutes, and suddenly the healer spoke:

– You don’t have to pay me, I won’t spend medicines and funds on you that would cost money. – he looked at Olga and continued: – You, guest, are completely healthy and your womb is capable of raising a child, and more than once. And you, the guest,” he turned to Egor. – You are also healthy, but not full-fledged, your seed is empty. You are not able to give a new life in your wife’s body. The branch of your family ends with you, and the continuation of this tree is given to other men of your blood, from other branches, but not from yours. I cannot help you with deeds, but I can help you with words. There is a legend that on the Witch’s Hour and the Devil’s Night, on the Bald Mountain, you must hear twelve beats of the gong. And on the last beat, the gates to a secret place will open, where only young maidens can enter. You cannot go there, but you can send your chosen one. Wait for her until dawn, and in the morning she will return to you with a full womb. This will be her child, not yours. But if you are willing to love and raise it as your own, and keep its origins a secret, I will tell you when the day comes.

“Tell me, and I’ll think about it,” Egor replied.

“No, dear!” Olga exclaimed, her face pale with fear. “You won’t do it, we won’t do it, please don’t… I beg you, don’t!”

“What other options do we have?”

“Well, I believe we can make it work without this… All we need is to believe in miracles…” A tear rolled down her cheek.

“Don’t cry, my love…” I can’t bear to see your tears… – saying this, Egor wiped a tear from her cheek and kissed her gently on the forehead, embracing her – let’s try for a few more years, well, three years, and if nothing works out, then we’ll try this method?

“All right…” murmured the upset wife in her nose. “Just promise that we’ll definitely wait three years, and it will happen by itself.” She looked up into his eyes, and there was a question in her gaze.

“All right, all right, I agree,” he smiled and kissed her forehead again, then turned to the healer and said, “Tell me the exact day that will come in three years.”

The healer told him the day and time, and to lighten the atmosphere, he started a conversation on a different topic. Olga calmed down in her husband’s arms, became cheerful, and even started laughing at the healer’s jokes. They spent about an hour together, drinking tea. When someone knocked on the front door, the healer led his guests to the second door on the other side of the house, which led to the backyard with a forest behind the fence. He said goodbye to them, wished them good luck in their marriage, and watched them leave with a sad, sympathetic gaze.

## CHAPTER 3

Three years have passed, and the Guy family still hasn’t had any children. However, a lot has changed in their home during this time.

Yegor has become deeply immersed in his work, spending more time on the road and rarely returning home. He has become distant towards his wife, treating her as someone he is used to, someone he is responsible for, and someone he cares about, but nothing more. The passion and infatuation of the past have faded, and true, mature love has yet to emerge in their hearts. Olga was grateful to him for taking care of her and for the gifts he showered on her. He didn’t touch her, and she didn’t distract him from his work, and they each had their own hobbies and concerns.

Egor was striving for money, and his goal in life was to be the richest person in the village. This goal helped him understand why he woke up in the morning and why he lived, because he no longer saw any other joy in life. However, this goal did not always save him. There were moments of sadness and despair when he questioned the purpose of his life. Looking at other well-adjusted families, he wondered, “Why am I here? Why do I need this money?” On such days, he would go to the local tavern and get drunk. He might even get into a fight with the locals, and in the morning, he would apologize, saying that he had been drunk, and give the injured person money so that they would not hold a grudge.

Olga found herself in growing flowers. On her orders, a large glassed-in garden was built, where she spent hours. She took care of the plants, thus compensating for the needs of her maternal instinct. And she was happy that her husband was somewhere at work or in a tavern. After all, while he was busy, he did not touch her and did not disturb the already forgotten worries about their failed union without children. They had both simply accepted this state of affairs and did not live, but existed together by the familiar inertia.

But they were not the only ones unhappy in this settlement. There was also a girl named Katerina, who was dissatisfied with her situation. She had been secretly in love with Yegor for a long time, but she could not express her feelings due to her young age. As she grew older, her feelings for him became stronger.

At first, it was a crush when she saw how he treated his wife, giving her expensive gifts, dressing her up beautifully, and buying her everything she wanted. Was it love or just jealousy? She couldn’t understand her own feelings. He didn’t seem handsome to her, but there was something about him that drew her in. She felt like if she were his wife, she would feel like a princess, with everything she wanted granted and protected from any harm. She really wanted to be his wife, instead of living her own life.

Katerina’s own fate was not to be envied. Her father was an alcoholic, and she had no mother. She didn’t know what a happy family was like, and she always longed for unconditional love and care. Money was scarce in their home, and from a young age, she began working as a servant in a tavern. There, she served drinks, fed and watered guests, and cleaned up after them. It was there that she met Yegor, a wealthy, courteous, and kind man. He was always kind to her and gave her money for free for good service. Then she started following him on the street and admired his noble attitude towards people and his wife.

As the years passed, she began to grow up as a woman. It was then that she began to develop a passion for him. If she had been married at the right time, she would have been able to channel her feelings towards her husband, but since she did not have a husband, the only person she desired was the object of her secret attraction, Yegor. As a result, her feelings for him intensified. Her jealousy, desire for wealth, love, and a newfound sense of sexual attraction all began to turn into addiction and obsession.

She began to dress up provocatively to attract his gaze. But he didn’t notice it. Then she began to think about how else to attract his attention. And one day, she finally figured out how to play on his naive kindness and indifference to the weak.

Every Saturday Egor visited the pub and this time he also came, as Katerina expected. She has already dressed more decently to look like a sweet and fragile girl whom she wants to protect. Egor sat down in his favorite spot by the window at a large, spacious table, where he invited anyone who wanted to join him. The more people there were, the more fun he thought it would be. Some people would tell funny stories, and in return, Egor would buy them drinks on his own expense. Others would pretend to be understanding friends in exchange for drinks. Egor was used in various ways to get drunk and eat at his expense.

Katerina knew when he was going to go home. She knew how much to pour him to get him drunk. She had calculated everything and personally poured him drinks all evening. She had a plan in mind.

In the basement, where the beer barrels were stored, she went to look for a local employee named Pashka. Pashka had been working in the warehouse for a long time and was a hard worker, rarely taking days off. As a result, he rarely joined the drinking party. In his free time, he did not drink and spent it with his family, who needed to be fed and supported. He had a lot of children, and he didn’t have time or money to drink beer with the guys. He brought every penny he earned home to his wife and children, and he was happy to take on any extra work. That was the plan.

– Pasha, are you here? – shouted Katerina, when she came down the stairs.

– Of course here, where else should I be. What do you need? – Pasha replied, moving towards her from behind the left corner with barrels.

– Are you alone? There is a matter.

– Alone, speak.

– I pay five silver, but about this matter will need to be silent and never tell anyone.

– I will not steal and I will not allow you! Pasha replied sharply in a rough voice.

– What are you talking about? What kind of stealing? Are you out of your mind? You need to put on these clothes so that no one recognizes you, and when you’re outside near the exit, behind the woodpile, you need to pretend that you want to undress me and have sex with me, and when the protector approaches, you need to run into the forest and burn these clothes. For this and for your silence, you will receive five silver coins. However, you must never tell anyone about this, do you understand? Do you agree?

– How can I earn that much in an hour? Ha-ha… – Pashka laughed joyfully. – Never happened! How long did you save up that money for such a stupid activity?

“It’s none of your business. I’m giving this money so that I can live like a queen!” Katerina replied, proudly lifting her nose.

“Ha-ha-ha… I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous! Give me the money, queen…” Pashka laughed again. “And throw your things over there.” He pointed to a slightly rotten wooden table near the stairs. “When are we leaving?”

“I’ll come down to you at the right time and call you outside, where we’ll be together to guard my protector. We’ll hide behind the woodpile and sit quietly like mice.”

“Good.”

Pasha took the money and went to finish his work in the corner behind the barrels.

The guests were already starting to leave. Katerina started pouring more beer for Yegor, choosing stronger drinks to make him go home faster. And when she saw that he was getting ready to leave the tavern and was saying goodbye to everyone, she called Pashka and went outside through the door for the workers, on the other side of the tavern entrance. They both crouched behind a stack of wood and looked for Yegor.

When Egor was leaving the tavern and heading home along his usual path through the woodpile, Katerina elbowed Pashka in the ribs with such force and surprise that he let out a yelp.

– Come on! Katerina whispered to him.

Pashka stood up with her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and used his other hand to cover her mouth, but he spread his fingers so that she could scream. Katerina pretended that she couldn’t escape from his grasp and started screaming loudly.

Egor jumped up in fright and was abruptly sobered by a woman’s scream coming from his right. Without hesitation, he rushed towards a silhouette of two shadows near a stack of wood. It took him a moment to realize what was happening, but his instincts took over and compelled him to run towards the scream.

Pashka saw a man running towards him and ran into the forest. Egor stopped next to the girl and peered into the darkness, but he still didn’t fully understand what was happening. Meanwhile, Katerina, with a well-thought-out plan, threw herself into his arms, crying and wiping away tears that streamed from her eyes.

“What happened? Who was that man who ran away?” Egor asked, pulling away from her embrace.

“I was on my way home from work… and I… I…” Katerina began to answer, but before she could finish, she burst into tears again.

“I think I recognize you, do you work here as a servant?” asked Egor, trying to distract her from crying.

– Yes! I work here. I was walking home, and this man jumped out at me from around the corner so suddenly that I didn’t have time to react. Then, he covered my mouth with his hand and started touching me all over, and he also tore my dress on my chest, here… – she pointed to the torn piece of fabric from her dress in the chest area, which she had prepared beforehand and kept in the pocket of her dress, and with her other hand she covered the place where the fabric should be. Without this piece of fabric, her chest was not exposed, but the view was obscene. “And I don’t know what he would have done to me if it hadn’t been for you. It’s a good thing you came here, right here, right now. I’m innocent, and if you hadn’t scared him away, I wouldn’t have been able to marry a decent man. I’m so grateful…” and she began to cry again, slowly stepping closer to him so that he could embrace her and comfort her.

– Maybe I should walk you home? Egor asked.

– Yes, please. I’m really, really scared. And I trust you. You are a noble man and everyone knows it.

– Thanks for the compliments. Egor grinned and took off his raincoat. – Take it and put it on yourself. You can’t walk around like this alone at night.

– I’m sorry, but this is my job and I have to walk home alone from the pub at this time. – with resentment in her voice, Katerina replied, put on her cloak and headed towards home, walking next to her protector.

– Why did you choose such a difficult and dangerous job? – asked Egor.

– I didn’t have a mother, and my father doesn’t work, they don’t hire him because he drinks a lot. He used to earn some money by doing hard labor on call. He would chop wood or dig a garden. But now his health is poor and he can’t even do that. I had to go to work to support my father and me.

– Why didn’t you get married?

– I’m not educated, my father didn’t have money for school, and I’ve been working in the kitchens of big houses since I was young. But they didn’t pay much, so I came here. As for a husband, who would want an uneducated daughter of a drunkard with family debts? Another drunkard with debts? I can’t support two people. Thank you.

– What did you do in the kitchen?

– I washed, cleaned, and helped.

– How much do you get paid here?

– 2 silver per month.

– I’ll pay you 10 silver per month in the kitchen of my ship. We’re going on a voyage to buy goods in a week. You’ll see the world and earn money. No one will hurt you. You’ll share a cabin with the cooks and female workers. It’s safe. I’ll be there, and you can contact me personally if you have any questions. I won’t hurt you. We’ll find you a good husband later. What do you think? Do you agree?

Katerina stopped abruptly, her head spinning with excitement. She hadn’t expected such an offer herself. Her plan had worked. He not only responded to her help, began to feel sorry for her and paid attention, but also offered to live next to him on the ship, of course out of pity, but the result is important. Her eyes widened abruptly, she couldn’t help but smile, and her heart began to beat like a bird’s, so fast that she couldn’t breathe.

– Yes, I agree! Katerina spoke confidently and clearly. – Thank you so much! You are the kindest person I know…

“Then we’ll discuss the details tomorrow when we’re sober, and I’ll come over after lunch. For now, let me walk you home and then I’ll go home myself. My head is splitting.” Egor muttered in a tired voice.

They walked towards her house, chatting nonstop about everything that came to mind.

## CHAPTER 4

A week later, Katerina settled in her new cabin, met the other kitchen workers on the merchant ship, and made sure that Yegor was traveling with her. She was happy and began to make new plans for this man.

The ship set sail, and Katerina began to spend more time with Yegor under various pretexts. Sometimes she would complain about being afraid, and he would comfort her with kind words and advice, and then she would subtly engage him in conversation. Other times, she would complain about her health, and he would search for herbs at nearby docks. Then she asked for a tour at the next stop, and he politely agreed to show her around the city, the markets, and even bought her gifts out of pity to make her smile. There were many attempts to get Yegor to talk or spend time with her. She was successful in doing so. She easily manipulated him, and he felt sorry for her.

Over time, he got used to talking to her, spending time with her, and even started taking the initiative. He started inviting her to his cabin for dinner when he was feeling particularly sad. He noticed that spending time with her made him feel less lonely and sad. She took advantage of this.

One evening, when he invited her for dinner again, she brought a herbal tea that she had purchased from the market. The seller said that a bottle of this tincture would be enough to put an elephant to sleep, and a drop would be enough to make even the most severe insomnia go away.

The evening went on as usual, with them eating, drinking wine, and chatting about various topics.

“Oh, do you have a needle? I think I’ve gotten a splinter, and I need to remove it before my finger swells up.” Katerina asked Yegor.

“Yes, I think I have one somewhere, I’ll find it.”

While he was looking for a needle in his drawers, with his back to Katerina, she quickly took the bottle out of her pocket and poured half of it into his glass.

“Oh, I already got it, so don’t look for it anymore,” Katerina said, laughing.

– Okay, then let’s continue to have dinner.

– Let’s drink to the dregs to you, a kind and noble gentleman who saved my life, so to speak. Katerina said, raising her mug above her head.

– Well, don’t exaggerate. To the bottom!

And they drained their mugs. After a couple of minutes, Egor felt very weak and dizzy. He stood up and immediately fell. His legs were not holding and his thoughts were confused. Katerina ran up to him, helped him up, and led him to the bed.

– You need to lie down, you’re tired.

– No, – Egor muttered, – Yes. I don’t understand what’s wrong with me? Olya, is that you?

– Yes, it’s me, and I love you, dear.

Katerina realized that he wasn’t paying attention, so she decided to take advantage of the situation and get pregnant with his child. She figured that if he was calling for Olya, he would be more receptive to her advances. As she tried to undress him, he fell asleep. She couldn’t wake him up. He was completely unconscious, snoring loudly in the cabin. So she decided to create a scene.

She completely undressed him, undressed herself, scattered her and his clothes on the floor, and climbed into his bed under the covers. Lying in bed, she began to shout his name and words of love for him, hoping that someone outside the walls would hear it. Then, satisfied, she threw his arm over herself and fell asleep in his embrace.

In the morning, Egor was the first to wake up and was horrified when he saw that it was not his wife who was sleeping next to him, and their belongings were scattered on the floor.

He tried to remember what had happened during the night, but all he could remember was drinking a lot of alcohol and hearing the words of love from the woman lying next to him. After that, there was a blank spot in his memory and darkness. He was overcome with panic. He began to think about what he would say to his wife when he returned, how he would keep her quiet about what had happened, and how he would hide the fact that she was no longer innocent because of him.

“First of all, I’m giving up drinking. Alcohol is the devil in flesh…” Egor said in a hoarse voice.

“What did you say, my love?” Katerina purred, having woken up from his movements but pretending to be asleep, waiting for his reaction.

“Have we already switched to ‘you’?”

– We not only switched to “you”, but also to something else. Katerina replied and giggled coquettishly. – and I dreamed that I was expecting a baby from you after tonight.

Egor slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand and lowered his head in disappointment.

– This can’t be happening! No need to compose! And address me as “you”. I’m still your boss. And it won’t happen again like yesterday. Is that clear? – shouted angrily Egor, getting up from the bed and turning an angry look at her.

– But what about me? And if I’m pregnant? And if I’m not taken to marry now such a spoiled? What should I do now? It’s your, oh, your fault! – responded on the emotions Katerina and covered herself with a blanket up to the chin offended.

– I am ready to compensate for this misunderstanding. I will find you a groom. I will reveal this secret to him, and he will cherish you as his wife and take care of you despite this bothersome situation. He will keep this secret just like you and I. As payment, I will give him one of my trading ships, and he will be able to profit from goods just like me. You and he will live in wealth and abundance. And if you give birth to my child, I will give the child a ship when they reach the age of majority. But all of this is in exchange for your silence!

– I will try to remain silent, but I cannot promise…

– And why is that, may I ask? – asked Egor sarcastically, restraining all his angry emotions and gritting his teeth.

“I love you and I want to live with you and our child…”

“There is no child and there is no us! Is that clear?” Yegor shouted at her, waving his arms and spitting with anger.

“But I…” Before Katerina could finish, Yegor threw her dress at her, which he had picked up from the floor.

“If you don’t keep quiet, I will insist that it wasn’t me. Who will people believe? Me or some servant from a tavern?” You can lose everything. And your husband will give you up. Think about whether you want wealth or shame on your head. – Egor said in a calm and authoritative tone.

– I agree, I agree. But I give you a month, otherwise how will you explain that the child was born prematurely, counting from the day of the wedding? The wedding needs to be played urgently. What if I’m pregnant?

– Okay, we’ll find one, – Egor replied. – We’ll play the wedding tomorrow. There’s a candidate. His name is Mitka. I’ll introduce you to him tonight.

## CHAPTER 5

As soon as Katerina left Yegor’s cabin, he immediately went to meet Mitka. He had known Mitka for a long time, and they had been friends since childhood. They were also neighbors and lived on the same street.

Mitka was not a particularly handsome blond man, and he was not the smartest, but he had managed to survive in this world thanks to his cunning. As a child, he had become an orphan and had no home, growing up in a local orphanage. When he noticed Yegor, a well-groomed and richly dressed boy, he immediately wanted to be his friend. From then on, he never left Yegor’s side. He even resorted to flattery and feigned kindness to get closer to him. He always pretended to be ready to help. He was a great joker. He valued their friendship very much. And he succeeded. Yegor made Mitka his chief assistant in business matters when he bought his first ship with his inheritance. I also started trusting him with all my secrets.

With the help of such a patron, Mitka got a very well-paid job and bought a house in the neighborhood. However, he never managed to get married. It could be due to his intimidating appearance, or it could be his desire to become rich. He had dedicated his entire life to work. He wanted to have everything that he had missed out on as a child, and that he had envied when he looked at Yegor. He no longer had time for women.

When Egor found Mitka, he was already working hard on his papers in the early morning.

– Mitya, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. There’s an urgent matter! – Egor shouted as he entered the room, where they were alone.

– Good morning, Egor Stepanovich! How can I help you? – Mitka said jokingly with a serious expression.

– I hope no one is listening… Do you want to get married?

– Who? When? Why? I hadn’t thought about it,” Mitka said awkwardly, blushing and scratching the back of his head.

– So, what I’m about to say will remain a secret between us. Okay? Can I count on you, my friend? You’ve never let me down.

– Of course, what are you saying? Of course I’ll keep our secrets. Go on, you’ve got me intrigued, – replied Egor, a smile spreading across his face.

– I think I cheated on my wife. But I will never do it again. Do you hear me? Never! And she shouldn’t find out about it. The girl who woke up in bed with me today suddenly claims that she could have gotten pregnant during the night. But I don’t remember anything about our night together, I was unconscious from drinking. I don’t know if anything happened or not.

Mitka’s eyes widened in surprise, and he thought for a long time in silence.

– Egor, this is not like you at all. It’s like a bucket of ice water has been poured on me right now. Mitka scratched the back of his head again, eyebrows raised in surprise, and continued. “And you’re asking me to marry her?” Well, of course I don’t mind a nice lady in my house, I hardly ever go there. I’ll give her a small budget for personal expenses, let her have fun and entertain me. But are you sure she’ll agree to me being so ugly and not rich? And what about your child, if you have one?

– I’ve thought it over. I’ll give you a wedding gift – a ship. And you’ll be able to work for yourself instead of me. You’ve already learned everything from me, and you’ll be able to manage all your own affairs. And I understand that she needs my money. So she’ll marry me for my money. And if I have a child with her, I’ll give him a ship when he reaches adulthood. But please, wait at least three months before your wedding night.

– Why three?

“If she gives birth in nine months, she can blackmail me with rumors that it’s from me, even if it’s your child. But if she gives birth in twelve months, there’s no doubt that it’s your child. And you’ll know for sure. Don’t you want to know for sure?”

“That’s brilliant. I hadn’t thought of that,” Mitya smirked.

“So, let’s make a deal.”

“Why not?” Good, – Mitka held out his hand to Yegor.

– Good.

The men sealed the deal with a firm handshake, both of them looking pleased and smiling at each other with bright eyes.

– We’ll introduce you in the evening, and tomorrow we’ll have a wedding right on the ship. You’ll come up with a story about how you met and fell in love. You’ll tell my wife and everyone around you about it. – said Egor at the end.

In the evening, the bride and groom met, and the next morning, they had a wedding, just as they had planned.

The bride was displeased, but she held back her emotions, because she still had a plan. She decided that if Olga left Yegor on her own, he would have no choice but to throw himself into the arms of Katerina, who was pregnant with his child. This would lead to the annulment of Mitya and Katerina’s marriage, and Katerina would become Yegor’s wife. The chances of this happening would increase if Katerina became truly pregnant. It wouldn’t matter who the father was, as long as she claimed it was Yegor.

At the nearest stop in the city, Katerina sent a letter to Olga with a messenger. In the letter, she vividly described her night with Yegor. She informed Olga that she was pregnant with Yegor’s child. She asked Olga not to torment Yegor and to let him go. She lied and claimed that Yegor had long complained to her about his wife’s infertility and his dreams of having a child. Now, as they awaited the arrival of their child, Yegor was filled with happiness and secretly hoped that Olga would leave the house with her pride intact, avoiding the shame of being forced out. After all, now Egor loves not his wife, but the mother of his child.

The letter reached Olga. She also heard rumors that a hasty, lavish wedding had been held on the ship, but the identity of the bride and groom was unknown.

Katerina tried to spend the night with her new husband in order to get pregnant, but Mitka refused and avoided her. After her unsuccessful attempts, Mitka realized that she intended to have a child and name Yegor as the father. He decided not to give her this chance and, after the agreed-upon time, to have an heir of his own in order to subdue his wife and discourage her from thinking about Yegor. Moreover, he assigned guards to their cabin and ordered them to keep an eye on her for the next three months, so that no man would be near her and no one would be able to speak to her.

## CHAPTER 6

Olga couldn’t find a place for herself with worries and anxious thoughts: “What does this letter mean? Does he want to leave me? But he loved me. Has all the love gone because of his desire to raise his child? I wouldn’t have believed the letter if it hadn’t been for the rumors about the wedding… Does this mean that he has already divorced me? And now he’s coming to let a new mistress and his wife into the house, and he’s kicking me out? But that can’t be true!”

Olga tormented herself with these thoughts and cried for several nights, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the house. She couldn’t do that, and there was still a small hope that everything would turn out well, that Egor would come with gifts and tell her it was just a joke.

After a week, Olga finally realized that it was true and it was time to leave. As she was packing her things, she heard loud people shouting outside. She went to the window and looked out at the crowd running towards the square. It was spring, and the trees were just beginning to bloom, the snow had long since melted, and the grass was green and fresh. It was a sunny day.

“Mistress!” The maid’s voice echoed from the hallway, “Mistress, are you here?”

“What’s going on?” Olga asked the maidservant when she entered the room.

– The royal messenger has arrived with news, and he is gathering everyone in the square. He will read the royal decree. Come quickly. And put on your jacket, the wind is cold.

Olga quickly put on her jacket and joined the crowd in the square. As most of the village gathered, the messenger climbed the stairs, unfurled his scroll, and began to read.

– The kingdom’s scholars have predicted that there will be a Devil’s Night in three days. Everyone should stay in their homes on this night and not leave until morning. Additionally, the scholars have predicted that a person will be born on this night who will become a devil not by blood but by spirit. This person will be powerful and have control over the world. They will be stronger than the king himself.

Therefore, in the name of the king, I order that all the babies born on this night be captured and killed in the morning!

– What is this all about, my good people! – began to be heard from the crowd, – what are you doing? The fiends!

– And who will interfere with the enforcement of the law, will be punished as a criminal. – finished the messenger.

The crowd was raging. And the pregnant women began to weep in fear. Someone from the crowd began to shout:

– Women pregnant, do not cry, you can not be nervous, or you will give birth prematurely, calm down.

The crowd gradually calmed down and went home. The messenger continued on his way.

Olga stood there for a long time, realizing what she had just heard.

“It’s the Night of Demons,” Olga thought. “How could I have forgotten about it? Now is the time for me to get pregnant, and then my husband won’t have a new wife. No one will force me to leave. I just need to leave early, wait for the day to pass, and return the next day. Then no one will catch me on the way and suspect me. I’ll tell the servants not to enter the room, pretending to be tired.”

That’s exactly what she did. She packed a lot of food, water, and warm clothes, locked herself in her room, and climbed out the window during the day, when all the servants were busy with their own tasks. She immediately set off for the Bald Mountain through the forest, making sure to avoid anyone she knew.

It only took her a couple of hours to reach the mountain. She lit a fire, as she was far from any settlements and could only encounter animals. It was better to keep them at bay with the fire.

When it got dark, Olga began to listen to the silence, waiting for the gong to sound. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound behind her, as if someone was making their way through the branches of the trees. The forest was very close, it surrounded bald mountain from all sides with its darkness. Olga turned around and asked:

“Who’s there?”

But there was no response.

Suddenly, she heard a loud gong ringing in her head, making her ears ring and her head spin. Another ringing, and another, and another. It was so sudden, loud, and fast that Olga stumbled and landed on all fours on the ground. When all twelve ringing had ended and silence had fallen, Olga looked up and saw a glowing passage between two trees in the forest.

She headed towards it and walked through the light as if in a trance, without any fear. Only the body trembled and the muscles seemed to twitch one by one. And there were no thoughts. She moved forward as if hypnotized.

After passing through the passage, she heard a noise behind her. It was the loud music of drums, flutes and some unknown instrument. And also singing from many female voices. Turning around, she saw many women dancing around a huge burning fire. All had their hair loose and only white shirts with a skirt to the floor. Everyone was having fun, laughing, and looking happy.

She headed towards the crowd. Three women ran up to her and began to undress her, leaving only her nightgown. They all smiled at her and said nothing. Then a fourth woman approached with a mug in her hand and silently handed it to Olga, gesturing for her to drink it all.

Olga drank the entire contents of the mug. It tasted bitter and unpleasant. After that, her vision became blurred, everything around her spun, and all she could see before she collapsed to the ground was a large creature with huge horns on its head, like a bull, approaching her on its hind legs from the dark forest.

She woke up later that day, and for some reason, she was at home, lying on her bed under the covers. The warm clothes she had brought with her to the mountain were lying on the bed at her feet.

Suddenly, a maid knocked on the door, shouting:

“Mistress, you’ve been sleeping for so long. Are you ill?

– No, I’ll let you in now. Olga answered and opened the door.

– It’s already lunch. No one in our settlement gave birth that night, what a joy.

“Where was I last night?”

“Like where?” Here. How to close and sleep. And silence. Are you sure you’re not sick? – Maybe you have a fever?

– No, everything is fine. Just stress. Worried about the pregnant.

– I understand. Also worried a lot. But now it’s easier. All behind. What you bring for breakfast?

– I don’t want anything, let’s have tea.

– As you wish, mistress. – said the maid, bowed and went to the kitchen for tea.

## CHAPTER 7

On the Night of the Devil, a child was born. But not in a village, but in a castle. The queen gave birth to a premature baby boy during the Witch’s Hour.

The royal physician had predicted that she would give birth in two months. When the king issued a decree to capture all infants born on the Night of the Devil, he had no idea that he was signing the death warrant for his own child.

When the queen gave birth, the learned men immediately demanded that the baby be handed over to them for execution, so that they could make sure that it would not be hidden or raised in secret. The king called a council and began to distract the learned men with the problems that had accumulated and their discussion. And his chief general, Arkady the Wise, disguised himself as a poor man, put on a torn, dirty cloak with a large hood to hide his face, and went to fulfill the king’s request.

They agreed that the general would kidnap a baby from a local orphanage, bring it to the queen’s chambers in secret, and quietly take the royal son away and hand him over to his distant friend in a nearby village. There, they planned to raise the prince, concealing his true identity, and later use him as a servant, eventually promoting him to the position of royal advisor.

Arkady stole the baby from the orphanage and brought it to the queen through a window. The Queen put an amulet with the family coat of arms around her newborn son’s neck, blessed him on his happy journey, kissed him on the forehead, whispered words of love to him, and handed him over to the general. As the general climbed out the window, he heard the loud and heart-wrenching cries of the prince’s mother behind him.

After a while, the queen was visited by the guards, who were ordered by the scholars. They took the baby and left with it. The queen prayed for her son’s health and for the return of the evil spirits until morning. She grew even more hatred for the evil world for taking her son away and for the suffering of so many children on that night.

As planned, Arkady walked through the forest along the river. A little further away from the kingdom, a boat was waiting for him, with warm clothes and food for the long journey. It took about an hour to swim against the current. The child cried all the way, and his cries echoed through the forest.

As soon as the general approached the boat, he immediately fell into the boat from the unexpected pain in his ribs. Looking at his chest, he saw an arrow sticking out of his body.

“So they’ve spotted you and me, little one…” said Arkady, addressing the baby. “Well, at least they didn’t hit you, and you’ll be on your way without me. Your life is now in your own hands. Don’t let me down, and live a long and happy life! Goodbye!”

Arkady put the baby in the boat and pushed it away with all his might, so that it would get into the current faster and move away from the guards. To prevent them from chasing him, he turned around and faced the guards, drew his sword, and charged at them. He knew that if he told them who he was, they would not believe him and would punish him as a criminal for hiding the baby. Even if they did believe him, he would be exposing the king’s secret and the king’s conspiracy against his own decree. And for the sake of the baby’s life, and for the sake of saving his king’s reputation, the general threw himself at the crowd of guards in silence and fought them off for a long time. He had to buy time and let the baby in the boat sail away so far that it would be impossible to find it again.

The general died in this battle, but he still said the last word to the guards before he died – You can’t tell about the fact that there was a baby in the boat and you missed him.… Then you will be punished yourself.… Let no one ever know what happened here.

Standing near the deceased, the guards thought for a long time and discussed his words. And then we agreed that it would remain a secret. They pulled the arrows out of the general’s body, removed all the evidence of the battle from the shore, and threw the general himself into the river and sent him adrift. They prayed and went back closer to the kingdom.

In the morning, the fishermen fished the general’s body out of the river and took it to the guards. It was different guards who identified the general, buried him with full honors, and reported his murder to the king. They believed that he had been killed by robbers, as he had no money on him and was dressed in tattered clothes that the killers could have exchanged for his fine attire.

And the king already had three mourns. The learned minds carried out the decree and executed the baby from the orphanage, thinking it was the prince. They declared mourning for the heir and the first child of the royal family. Then they declared mourning for the general. And when the king and queen realized that their real son had also been killed by the same bandits who had killed the general, they declared a secret mourning for their beloved firstborn.

Arkady’s wife, Galina, and his daughter, Vasilisa, who was not even a year old, were taken by the king and queen to live in the palace. Galina was made a lady-in-waiting, and their daughter grew up in abundance and luxury.