BABAYAGA

She began to run home through the dark forest.

Somehow it did not appear as dark as before, and it seemed as if the trees had grown fresh green leaves, and also, she found that she could remember the way home without any difficulty.

Gradually the skull became very heavy and she became frightened of it’s eerie light which glowed from its eyes and ears and mouth and she wanted to throw it away, but the skull spoke to her and calmed her with its deep quiet voice and gave her a quiet determination to carry on.

She realised she must keep going, no matter how uncomfortable the skull became.

At last she reached home, where her step-family were watching anxiously out of the window, fearing she had not been eaten up.