Stranica 119 [119]
Pea WEL VE. MONTHS
and joyfully ran home. You may imagine the astonish¬
ment of Katinka and the stepmother. The fragrance of
the strawberries filled the whole house.
- Where did you find these things?" asked Katinka, in
a disdainful voice.
"Up yonder on the mountain,” answered her sister:
"there were so many of them that they looked like blood
poured on the ground."
Katinka and her mother devoured the strawberries with¬
out even thanking the poor child.
The third day the wicked sister took a fancy for some
red apples. The same threats, the same insults, and the
same violence followed. Dobrunka ran to the mountain,
and was fortunate enough to find the Twelve Months warm¬
ing themselves, motionless and silent.
“You here again, my child?" said old January, making
room for her by the fire. Dobrunka told him, with tears,
how, if she did not bring home some red apples, her mother
and sister would beat her to death.
Old January repeated the ceremonies of the day before.
“Brother September,” said he to a gray-bearded man in a
purple mantle, “this is your business."
September rose and stirred the fire with the staff, when,
behold! the flames ascended, the snow melted, and the
trees put forth a few yellow leaves, which fell one by one
before the wind—it was autumn. The only flowers were
9]