THE NICKERMAN’S WIFE
THERE was once a young housewife named Lidushka. One day while she was washing clothes in the river a great frog, all bloated and ugly, swam up to her. Lidushka jumped back in fright. The frog spread itself out on the water, just where Lidushka had been rinsing her clothes, and sat there working its jaws as if it wanted to say something.
“Shoo!” Lidushka cried, but the frog stayed where it was and kept on working its jaws.
“You ugly old bloated thing! What do you want and why do you sit there gaping at me?”
Lidushka struck at the frog with a piece of linen to drive it off so that she could go on with her work. The frog dived, came up at another place, and at once swam back to Lidushka.
Lidushka tried again and again to drive it away. Each time she struck at it, the frog dived, came up at another place, and then swam back. At last Lidushka lost all patience.
“Go away, you old fat thing!” she screamed. “I have to finish my wash! Go away, I tell you, and
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