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THE TWELVE MONTHS Dobrunka gathered a large bouquet, thanked the Twelve Months, and joyfully ran home. You can imagine the astonishment of Katinka and the stepmother. The fragrance of the violets filled the whole house. “Where did you find these fine things?” asked Katinka, in a disdainful voice. . Up yonder, on the mountain,” answered her sister. “It looked like a great blue carpet under the bushes.” Katinka put the bouquet in her bosom and did not even thank the poor child. The next morning the wicked sister, as she sat idling by the stove, took a fancy for some strawberries. "Go to the forest and bring me some strawberries,” said she to Dobrunka. “Oh, sister, what an idea! as if there were any strawberries under the snow!" . Hold your tongue, stupid fool, and do as I bid you. If you don’t go to the forest and bring me back a basket of strawberries, I will beat you to a jelly.” The mother took Dobrunka by the arm, put her out of the door, and drew the bolt on her. The poor girl returned to the forest, looking with all her eyes for the light that she had seen the day before. She was fortunate enough to spy it, and she reached the fire trembling and almost frozen. 89
