Word of warning – if you consider adding some music, and ‘Babushka’ by Kate Bush leaps to mind (as it did in my case) – think again! After reading/listening to the lyrics, I came to the conclusion that Kate had obviously read a different version to the one I had! Yes there was also,” said the landlord. “The kings asked about a baby, too…” When he saw the disappointment in Babushka’s eyes, he stopped. If enacted you will need: a headscarf and apron; three crowns; three gifts; a broom, dustpan and brush, dusters, etc.; a large number of small boxes wrapped as gifts. This is a picture book retelling of the Russian folktale about an old woman's endless search for the Christ child. Baboushka is described as a very old woman, with a scarf wrapped around her head. Dressed in a long dark cloak, Baboushka is pictured as a frail woman, carrying a basket of goodies in one arm.

But suddenly she heard a loud rap at her door. She opened it and her candle shone on three old men standing outside in the snow. Their beards were as white as the snow, and so long that they reached the ground. Their eyes shone kindly in the light of Babushka’s candle, and their arms were full of precious things—boxes of jewels, and sweet-smelling oils, and ointments. It was so cold the night Jesus was born. The fire in the stable was slowly dying. Who could keep them warm?Babushka shook herself. There was no time for dreaming, all this washing-up and putting away had to be done. Later retellings blend the character of Babushka with St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, and depict her bringing gifts to children. In earlier versions, Babushka either simply looked sorrowfully at every child she met because s/he was not the one she sought or gave a gift to each infant in case the baby was the Christ Child. Vzvar' (meaning 'boil-up') is often served at the end of the meal. It's a sweet drink made from dried fruit and honey boiled in water. Vzvar is traditionally at the birth of a child, so at Christmas it symbolizes the birth of the baby Jesus.

With her staff she raps gently at the doors and goes inside and holds her candle close to the little children’s faces. As soon as they walked across the threshold, the three kings were delighted with all the food they saw: home-baked bread, pies and cakes. Babushka dashed about, serving them and offering the best of her hospitality, asking lots of questions. Once in a small Russian town, there lived a women called Babushka. Babushka always had work to do sweeping, polishing, dusting and cleaning. Her house was the best kept, most tidy house in the whole village. Her garden was beautiful and her cooking was wonderful. One evening she was busy dusting and cleaning, so busy that she didn't hear all the villagers outside in the village square talking about and looking at the new star in sky.The kings were very pleased when they saw all of the of the homemade bread, pies and cakes. She dashed about, serving them, asking lots of questions. Baboushka invited the men inside but they declined. Instead, they invited her to travel with them, to Bethlehem, where they were bound, they said, to find and welcome the child who would be the king of Jews and lead mankind to salvation. Since, it was night and the winter harsh, the old mother asked the strangers to alight and spend the night her house so that they all can leave in the morning but they declined, saying that they do not want to get delayed, and set off. Later that night, she thought of the three men and the strange tidings they bore about the child who would be the king. She felt sad at rebuffing their invitation and so, then and there, she decided to meet the Child.

She cleaned all of the toys until each one shined. Babushka looked through the window, and it was morning. The star had came and gone. The kings would have also found somewhere else to rest by now. She could easily catch up with them, but she felt so tired she had to sleep. The search for the kings Yes, it would only be until night falls and the star appears again,” the servant replied. Babushka gulped. When winter came, and winter in Russia is long and dreary, these little comforts would also fade away. Even the birds, that she would leave crumbs for, would desert her for warmer climes, leaving the old woman sad and lonely, wishing and praying for company. It was on one such winter night, when she was trying to sleep, that she heard a noise steadily growing louder - voices and grunts - and she knew there are no humans or animals for miles around, what with the entire earth being blanketed in snow. Before long, she heard a loud pounding at her door and she rushed to open it, thinking that it must be a cold and famished traveler only to find three large horses with three noblemen dressed in, she thought, some of the finest and richest clothes that she had ever seen. The illustrations are done in watercolor and crayon, using a pastel color palate. They are whimsical with traditional Slavic elements reworked in a modern style.Babushka shook herself. There was no time for dreaming, all this washing-up and putting away had to be done. “Anyway,” she thought, “how long would she be away? What would she wear? What about the gift?” She sighed. “There is so much to do. The house will have to be cleaned when they’ve gone. I couldn’t just leave it.” Babushka invited them in and prepared a meal for them. As they ate they told her that they were following a star which would lead them to a special baby. They asked her to accompany them but she protested that she didn’t have time – after all she had a house to keep clean, and who would dust and sweep if she went off travelling?