History Literature / VasilissaTheBeautiful

* TheLostWoods: Where Baba Yaga lives.

''Vasilissa the Beautiful'' (Василиса Прекрасная) is a Russian FairyTale collected by Creator/AlexanderAfanasyev in ''Narodnye russkie skazki'' (''Народные Русские Сказки'') and William Ralston Shedden-Ralston ''Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore''.

* SocietyMarchesOn:
** Since many modern people no longer rely on fire for heat, they may not recognize that the step-family putting out ALL the fires in the house is akin to sabotaging a modern house's power supply. Lighting a fire is tricky in the best of times, and even modern people advise to practice making a fire in good times with fair weather, so you have the experience not to panic if you actually need a fire and [[OhCrap the situation ISN'T ideal.]] A lot of preindustrial cultures wouldn't let the hearth-fire go out if they could help it--they'd keep some coals burning so they could continue rekindling it. And seeing as [[LaserGuidedKarma the step-family couldn't make a new fire while Vasilissa was away,]] they clearly made the wrong gamble even if they ''hadn't'' gotten [[KillItWithFire incinerated by Baba Yaga's lantern.]]
** Also, some people might not understand why it's so important for Vasilissa to keep the tan off her skin with herbs.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: Inverted. Baba Yaga survives the story. The stepmother and stepsisters aren't so lucky...
** In fact, one film version implies Baba Yaga killed the stepmother (the stepsisters are AdaptedOut) after realizing she's even more wicked than ''her'' and she's not happy with the competition...

* StealthMentor: One interpretation of Literature/BabaYaga in this story. While presented as cruel, it's noted that she keeps Vasilissa in her house instead of sending her back to die of cold at her old place or eating her as the stepmother intended, "conveniently" doesn't notice the blessings until AFTER they've helped Valissa (Even though you would think that a powerful witch would notice magic being used in her domain), and even when they're discovered, she STILL doesn't eat Vasilissa, but instead sends her home with ''exactly'' what she needs to escape her abusive family.
** Some stories imply it's some sort of HolyBurnsEvil going on. Baba Yaga doesn't really have the power to harm someone as good as Vasilissa until she does something wrong. Killing her for failing to do her work is apparently enough of a loophole (and we never learn if it would have worked), and so would Vasilissa asking anything about the inside of the house. Realizing Vasilissa is protected by her mother's blessing is enough to tell her not to mess with the girl any further...
** One American version, "The Sea Hag," has a similar excuse: the witch thinks someone whose able to complete one ImpossibleTask after another must be a more powerful witch than her.

** In fact, one film version implies Baba Yaga killed the stepmother (the stepsisters are AdaptedOut) after realizing they're even more wicked than ''her'' and she's not happy with the competition...

** In fact, one film version implies Baba Yaga killed them after realizing they're even more wicked than ''her'' and she's not happy with the competition...

* CinderellaCircumstances: Vasilissa lost her mother at the age of eight, and her father married another woman who had two daughters already.

* HolyBurnsEvil: The moment Baba Yaga hears that Vasilisa has a blessing upon her, she literally kicks her out.

** Also, some people might not understand why it's so important for Vasilisa to keep the tan off her skin with herbs.
* StealthMentor: One interpretation of Literature/BabaYaga in this story. While presented as cruel, it's noted that she keeps Valissa in her house instead of sending her back to die of cold at her old place or eating her as the stepmother intended, "conveniently" doesn't notice the blessings until AFTER they've helped Valissa (Even though you would think that a powerful witch would notice magic being used in her domain), and even when they're discovered, she STILL doesn't eat Valissa, but instead sends her home with ''exactly'' what she needs to escape her abusive family.

* WedlockBlock: Vassilissa is forbidden from marrying, despite having multiple suitors, because her stepmother doesn't want her to marry before her older stepsisters do.

* WickedStepmother: With two daughters close to Vasilisa in age.

''Vasilissa the Beautiful'' (Василиса Прекрасная) is a Russian FairyTale collected by Creator/AlexanderAfanasyev in ''Narodnye russkie skazki'' (''Народные Русские Сказки'').

Full text can be read [[http://www.artrusse.ca/FairyTales/vassilisa.htm here]]and [[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Vasilisa_the_Beautiful here]]. Some editions have been illustrated by [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Vasilisa.jpg Ivan Bilibin]].

* SocietyMarchesOn: Since many modern people no longer rely on fire for heat, they may not recognize that the step-family putting out ALL the fires in the house is akin to sabotaging a modern house's power supply. Lighting a fire is tricky in the best of times, and even modern people advise to practice making a fire in good times with fair weather, so you have the experience not to panic if you actually need a fire and [[OhCrap the situation ISN'T ideal.]] A lot of preindustrial cultures wouldn't let the hearth-fire go out if they could help it--they'd keep some coals burning so they could continue rekindling it. And seeing as [[LaserGuidedKarma the step-family couldn't make a new fire while Vasilissa was away,]] they clearly made the wrong gamble even if they ''hadn't'' gotten [[KillItWithFire incinerated by Baba Yaga's lantern.]] Also, some people might not understand why it's so important for Vasilisa to keep the tan off her skin with herbs.
** And this is [[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Russia]] with winter approaching. Did her stepfamily really hate her ''this'' much?
* StealthMentor: One interpretation of BabaYaga in this story. While presented as cruel, it's noted that she keeps Valissa in her house instead of sending her back to die of cold at her old place or eating her as the stepmother intended, "conveniently" doesn't notice the blessings until AFTER they've helped Valissa (Even though you would think that a powerful witch would notice magic being used in her domain), and even when they're discovered, she STILL doesn't eat Valissa, but instead sends her home with ''exactly'' what she needs to escape her abusive family.

[[caption-width-right:320:Vasilissa ]]

"Vasilissa the Beautiful" is a Russian FairyTale. Vasilissa is the youngest, and a stepdaughter, and her stepmother and stepsisters set her tasks she manages with her mother's blessing and the doll her dead mother gave her. When she comes of age, all the young men wish to marry her, rather than her older stepsisters, which the stepmother forbids. Finally, having sent her into the woods many times in hopes that Literature/BabaYaga would eat her, she has her sent directly to the witch to get fire after they had deliberately quenched all their fires.

Can be found [[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Vasilisa_the_Beautiful online]].