Russian Fairytale: Tale of the Golden Cockerel

Somewhere in a Thrice-Nine kingdom there lived the famous Tsar Dadon. When he was young, he was fierce and brave, so, all his neighbors were afraid of him. But when he grew old he wanted to live in peace, to have a rest from wars, but then his neighbors began to make him much trouble often invading his kingdom. To defend the kingdom borders the Tsar had to maintain a mighty army, which fought day and night, led by the glorious chiefs practically without sleeping. Tsar Dadon and his army were so tired that the Tsar decided to ask for help the wise Astrologer, old eunuch from the east.

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Russian Fairytale: The Great Turnip

Listen, please, listen how sometimes it can be…

Once the Grandpa has planted a Turnip. The Turnip has grown to be enormously huge. The Grandpa went to pick the Turnip. He pulls and pulls it out, but could not pull it out…

Then, the Grandpa called the Grandma, his wife, to help him to pull out the Turnip.

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Russian Fairytale: The Humpedback Pony

Once upon a time there was a peasant family that owned one wheat field. One morning they found that during the night, someone had been trampling around in the field and ruining the wheat. The two elder brothers stood guard during the next two nights, but because of storms and cold winds they left the field, and in the morning it was trampled down even more. On the third night the youngest brother Ivan, whom everyone thought was the fool in the family, managed to catch the wonderful mare that had been destroying the field.

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Russian Fairytale: The Snow Maiden

Very, very long ago in an Old Russian village there lived an old couple: the woodcutter and his wife. They barely made the ends meet, owing to the old man who cut logs in the forest and carried them into the nearest town. They were poor and had no children, so as they grew older they became sadder and sadder. The old woman often asked, “Who will take care of us? We are so old.” Her husband used to answer, “Don’t worry, old woman. God will not leave us alone, he will help us, if necessary.”

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Russian Fairytale: The Scarlet Flower

Once upon a time in a far away land, a merchant was preparing to set out on a long journey. This merchant had three daughters, and he asked all of them what they would like as gifts for themselves when he returned from his voyage. The first daughter requested a golden crown, and the second one wanted a crystal mirror. The third daughter asked only for “the little scarlet flower.”

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Russian Fairytale: The Spotted Hen

Once upon a time there lived Grandma and a Grandpa. They were very poor, and often went hungry.

One of their few earthly belongings was a hen, which laid very few eggs. One day the hen laid a golden egg. Grandpa set it on the table and called his wife. They discussed what they should do with the egg. Grandpa thought that if they took it to the tsar they might be honored as nobles

and given some land.

“But what good is it to be nobles if we have no finery?” Grandma asked.

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Russian Fairytale: Morozko – Father Frost

Many years ago there lived an old widower and his pretty, diligent daughter Nastenka. With time, the man married a second time to a woman, who had her own nasty and lazy daughter, named Marfa. The woman doted upon Marfa, praised her at any opportunity, and she despised and hated her stepdaughter. Nastya had to work hard every day, and nevertheless her stepmother was always unsatisfied and made her work more and more

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Russian Fairytale: The Frog Princess

Two or three hundred years ago in some kingdom there lived a Tsar who had three sons. One day the Tsar called his sons and said, “My children, all of you have grown up to a manhood. It is time to think about marriages. Each of you should shoot an arrow as far as you can. The girl who catches your arrow will be your bride whom you will marry.”

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Russian Fairytale: Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka

Once there lived an old man and his wife, and they had a daughter named Alyonushka and a son named Ivanushka.

The old man and the old woman died, and Alyonushka and Ivanushka were left all alone in the world.

“I am dying of thirst, Sister Alyonushka. May I drink out of the hoof?”

Alyonushka set off to work and took her little brother with her. They had a long way to go, and a wide fie (more…)

Russian Fairytale: Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf

A Very long time ago in a certain kingdom there reigned a Tsar who had three sons, the first was Dimitriy Tsarevich, the second – Vassiliy Tsarevich, and the third – Ivan Tsarevich. The Tsar had a magnificent orchard, where grew his favorite magic apple-tree with golden apples. However every night a Firebird fell into the habit of flying on that apple-tree and tear away few apples. Its feathers were red-and-gold, and bright as a fire, her eyes were like Eastern crystals.

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