Atondido Stories
"Red apples," Marushka answered. "My sister, Holena, says I
must bring her some red apples from the forest or she will kill
me, and my mother says so, too. Please, sir, won't you tell me
where I can find some?"
Great January slowly stood up and walked over to one of the
older Months. He handed him the long staff and said:
"Here, September, you take the high seat."
So September took the high seat and began waving the staff
over the fire. The fire burned and glowed. Instantly the snow
disappeared. The fields about looked brown and yellow and dry.
From the trees the leaves dropped one by one and a cool breeze
scattered them over the stubble. There were not many flowers,
only wild asters on the hillside, and meadow saffron in the val-
leys, and under the beeches, ferns and ivy. Presently Marushka
spied an apple-tree weighted down with ripe fruit.
"There, Marushka," September called, "there are your apples.
Gather them quickly."
Marushka reached up and picked one apple. Then she picked
another.
"That's enough, Marushka!" September shouted. "Don't pick
any more!"
Marushka obeyed at once. Then she thanked the Months po-
litely, bade them good-bye, and hurried home.
Holena and her stepmother were more surprised than ever to
see Marushka coming through the snow with red apples in her
hands. They let her in and grabbed the apples from her.
"Where did you get them?" Holena demanded.
"High up on the mountain," Marushka answered. "There are
plenty of them growing there."
"Plenty of them! And you only brought us two!" Holena cried
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