Before she died, Vasilisa's mother gave her a small doll and told her, 'Keep this with you always. If you ever need help, give it a little food, and it will guide you through the hardest of times.' Afterward, Vasilisa's father remarried a harsh woman with two jealous daughters, who treated Vasilisa cruelly — but she always kept her little doll hidden close and quietly asked its advice.

One night, her stepmother put out every fire in the house and sent Vasilisa into the dark forest to fetch flame from the witch Baba Yaga's hut, secretly hoping she would never return. Frightened, Vasilisa walked among the trees, but she consulted her little doll, and it guided her safely along the right path.

Vasilisa arrived at Baba Yaga's strange hut, which stood on giant chicken legs. The witch agreed to give her fire, but only if she completed impossible chores in an impossibly short time. While Vasilisa slept, the little doll finished every task with magical speed, and each time, Baba Yaga was astonished to find the work already done.

Impressed by the girl's cleverness, Baba Yaga finally gave her a glowing skull filled with real fire, telling her to carry it carefully home. Vasilisa returned home carrying the glowing skull, which lit her path through the darkness.

When Vasilisa reached her house, her cruel stepmother and stepsisters vanished forever. Vasilisa lived on peacefully, growing up to become a skilled weaver whose beautiful work became famous far and wide, until she married a kind man and lived happily ever after.