Stranica 119 [119]
OCR
Pea WEL VE. MONTHS and joyfully ran home. You may imagine the astonishment 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 without 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 warming 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]
