Search This Blog

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Baba Yaga's Hut

 Petrush wandered through the forest, seeking mushrooms to liven his mother's stew. He had gone out early, but was distracted at a pond by all of the tadpoles, and the birds that swooped down to gobble them up. So long did he tarry, in fact, that he found the light dimming, and realized it was time to go home. He became disoriented in the dimness and walked past what he was sure was the same tree three times. He began to despair of ever getting home, and his rumbling stomach told him it was passing dinner time. Little Petrushka, he thought to himself, you have done it now. But at least he had some mushrooms to eat, and so selected the biggest one for a snack.
 After another half hour of wandering, he began to feel strange, like maybe it wasn't getting darker, and maybe there were strange musical sounds in his ears. And as he pondered these odd things, he came upon a hut, and on the front stoop sat an old, gnarled woman, her matted mass of gray dredlocks looking for all the world like a worn out pile of snakes. She saw him come out of the woods and said "You God damned kids Stay Off My Lawn ! Can't an old lady get some peace and quiet ?!?" But when she saw how young and lost and huge pupiled Petrush was, she softened a bit, putting down her shotgun, and coming to greet him. "Oh, I'm sorry, boy, but did you eat one of those big mushrooms that you're carrying there ?" He nodded, watching her face elongate and twist into itself and look very clay-like. He giggled. "Ooh, they sure look good. Give one to Baba, and I'll take you home." Petrush could barely form the word 'here.' but gave her a mushroom. Baba did a little jig, holding it up like a prized jewel, and said "thanks boy. now let's get you..." But Petrush only heard "luudluudluudluuuuuuudluuuuuuuu..." and he began to laugh, and as his laughter left streaks in the air he laughed harder, and the harder he laughed the stronger the imprints they left on the world, which was endlessly fascinating. He watched as Baba moved and trails swirled in her wake, and the music of the spheres babbled insistently in the back of his mind.
  So when her house stood up on chicken legs, and she invited him aboard, he wasn't the least bit fazed. In fact, it seemed somehow more real than some of the other things that were happening. The Hut walked through the wood to the river, which it couldn't cross, so they flew the rest of the way back in Baba's giant mortar, which she seemed to row with the giant matching pestle. And while this was all great fun, Petrush was totally fixated on the rippling auras surrounding his hands, which he kept shaking as if to shed water from them to keep the lights flashing.
  When they reached little Petrushka's house, Baba realized he was tripping way too hard to return to his Mother; so she took him back to the hut until he came down a bit.
  So they watched 'Yellow Submarine' and 'The Waking Life' and 'Adventures of Mark Twain in Claymation', while making beaded jewelry and smoking Baba's pipe until the sun came up.
 Petrush exclaimed "I am going to be so grounded for this", but Baba said, "Don't worry little dude, I will return you in my mortar and pestle, and they will think I kidnapped you. It's what happens with all the kids who come to visit me."

2 comments: