“Little Bear’s Son”

This tale supports the fact that Baba Yaga does not ask male heroes to complete difficult tasks. Baba Yaga shows up at their house, and essentially steals their food. It can be concluded that Baba Yaga is testing their masculinity. Similar to Little Phillip showing his maturity through being unable to be forced into the oven, Little Bear is showing that he is developing into a masculine young man. By defeating Baba Yaga, he is essentially shedding the skin of the little boy who did not fit in with his clan and growing into a mature adult.