Hans Christian Andersen Birthday

The Russian Store celebrates Hans Christian Andersen Birthday and International Children’s Book Day

Tale of the Snow Queen Nesting Doll

The Snow Queen
by Hans Christian Andersen

Once upon a time a magician made a magic mirror. In this mirror, a kind face became wicked; a look of hate was reflected as a look of love. One day, however, the mirror broke, and if a sliver of glass from the mirror entered someone’s eye, that person’s soul became evil, if another pierced a heart, that heart grew hard and cold as ice.

In a big town two children, called Karl and Gerda were very close friends, and even the sweet pea that grew on Karl’s windowsill spread across the street to entwine with Gerda’s little rose bush. One evening Karl was watching the snowdrift down, when he noticed a white flake slowly turn into a beautiful ice maiden. Karl was startled to hear the ice maiden speak his name, and he was not to know he had set eyes on the Snow Queen. Winter passed, and one spring afternoon, as Karl and Gerda poured over a book, the little boy told her: “I feel a pain in my heart! And something’s pricking my eye!”

“Don’t worry”, said Gerda comfortingly. “I can’t see anything!” But, alas, splinters from the shattered mirror had pierced the little boy.

Now in the grip of the evil spell, he snapped: “You’re so ugly!” And ripping two roses from her bush, he ran off. From that day on, Karl turned into a very nasty boy, and nobody could understand what had happened to him to cause such a change. Only Gerda still loved him, though all she got in return were insults and spite.

Winter came round again, though earlier than usual, and bringing far more snow than anyone could remember.

One day, just after going outdoors to play in the snow, Karl saw the beautiful maiden he had seen that night, coming towards him wrapped in a white fur coat. She stood in front of him and told him to tie his sled to her own, drawn by a white horse. Then they sped away. Suddenly, the great sled soared into the sky and through the clouds. Stretched out on his own little sled, Karl didn’t dare move a muscle for fear of falling into space. At last, they came to a halt on an immense white plain, dotted with lots of sparkling frozen lakes.

“Come into my arms,” said the Snow Queen, opening her soft fur coat. “Come and keep warm!”

Karl allowed himself to be hugged by the unknown maiden and a chill ran up his spine as two icy lips touched his forehead. The Snow Queen kissed him again, and in an instant, the little boy forgot all about Gerda and his past life, as he fell into a deep sleep.

In the meantime, Gerda was anxiously searching for Karl, but no one had seen him. Finally, she went down to the river.

“Great river,” she said, “please tell me if you’ve seen Karl or if you’ve carried him away! I’ll give you these, if you do!” And she threw her shoes into the river. But the current paid no heed and just swept them back to the bank. Not far away stood an old boat, and Gerda climbed into it. As she drifted with the current, she pleaded: “Great river, silently flowing and knowing all things about men’s lives, take me to Karl.”

At dusk, she stopped by a riverbank carpeted with all kinds of flowers. After resting she went into the forest, and though she did not know how she would ever find her friend, a mysterious voice inside her told her to be brave. After wandering far and wide, she stopped, tired and hungry. A crow flapped out from a hollow tree.

“If you’re looking for Karl,” it said, “I know where he is! I saw him with the Snow Queen on her sled in the sky!”

“And where is her kingdom?” Gerda asked the crow.

“In Lapland, where all is icy cold. That reindeer over there might take you! ”

Gerda ran over to the big reindeer, threw her arms around its neck and, laying her cheek against its soft muzzle, said: “Please help me to find my friend!” The reindeer’s kindly eyes told her that he would, and she climbed onto its back. They traveled till they came to the frozen tundra, lit by the fiery glow of the Northern Lights.

“Karl! Karl! Where are you?” shouted Gerda as loudly as she could. When, at last, she found the little boy, Karl did not recognize her. Gerda threw her arms round him, and teardrops dripped onto his chest and heart. This broke the evil spell. Karl woke from his long sleep, and when he set eyes on Gerda, he too began to cry. The second cold splinter of mirror vanished. They had found each other again at last, thanks to Gerda’s love, and the reindeer galloped them home. The two plants on the windowsills started to blossom again and to twine, a sign of their everlasting friendship.

Odd and Funny Uses for Nesting Dolls

I saw a movie called Transsiberian the other day, and noticed that nesting dolls played a role in the plot, and were used in a way that was most certainly non-traditional. It got me thinking of other non-traditional ways that one could use a Nesting Doll. This was what I came up with:

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Russian Fairytale: The Golden Fish

Once upon a time an old man and his wife lived on the shore of the blue sea. They were poor and lived in an old mud hut. He made a living by fishing, while his wife spun cloth. One day he caught a small golden fish in his net. The fish begged him, “Let me go, old man. I will reward you for my freedom by giving you anything you desire.” The fisherman was astonished and frightened because he had never before heard a fish speak. He let the fish go and said kindly to her, “God bless you, golden fish. I don’t need anything from you.”

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Fun things to do with nesting dolls

Whether you own a nesting doll, are considering buying one, or haven’t heard of them at all, you’re in for treat with these fun ideas for things you can do with nesting dolls.

Not only do they make a great gift, but nesting dolls can give you a lifetime of memories to cherish.

Here are 5 fun things to do with nesting dolls:

1. Let your kids play with them
2. Collect them
3. Give a gift inside of them
4. Use them to learn to count
5. Create a funny animated video

1.  Let you kids play with them

Children love taking things apart as much as they love surprises, and nesting dolls offer them the satisfaction of both.  Watching the expression on your child’s face as he or she discovers each new doll hidden inside of the previous doll is a delightful experience.

The hand-eye-coordination they gain by disassembling them and putting them back together again is similar to working with puzzles.  Plus, most nesting dolls have illustrated stories with important people throughout history, classic fairytales, and other events that you can use to open the door to teaching your child about the world around them.

2.  Collect them

If you’re a doll aficionado, no collection is complete without at least one traditional nesting doll from Russia.  If you’re an old hand at the nesting doll collecting game, you can diversify your collection with various sizes, specific artists, or a complete set of themes.

With Facebook, Flickr, and other online social photo galleries, you can take photos of your collection and share them with the world!

3.  Give a gift inside of them

As the saying goes, “great things come in small packages.”  With nesting dolls, the smallest ones are nested deep within the larger ones, offering creative and fun ways to give a gift that’s cleverly hiding it inside one of the smaller dolls.

Watching your loved one open the dolls only to find that the real treasure was hidden inside all-along is a moment you’ll want to capture on video, so have your video recorder handy!  This is one memory she (or he) will never forget.

4. Use them to learn to count

While the simple joys of playing with nesting dolls is rewarding enough for most, Russian parents often use them as a way to teach their children to count.

You start out by opening them up one at a time, and counting how many you have opened as you go along.

In fact, there’s even a special type of nesting doll — a counting nesting doll — that’s designed to aid your child in learning to count.

Not only is this a fun, old-world toy, but it starts your child off on the right track in exploring numbers, puzzles, and more.

5.  Create a funny animated video

Being in the information and digital age, having access to video cameras and publishing fun animated videos has never been easier.

Instead of getting your hands dirty with clay, use nesting dolls to come up with funny skits and video clips to express your creativity.

Why not produce a video that asks a girl out to on a date, or that wishes your mom a happy Mother’s day?  The possibilities are endless and the results are lasting, whimsical memories that you and your loved ones will keep close to their hearts.

Read This Russian Fairytale Baba Yaga & The Wicked Geese

Tell this story with this Baba Yaga Russian Fairytale Nesting Doll!

Once upon a time, there lived a man and his wife. They had a daughter and a little son. One day the mother said to her daughter: “Darling, your father and I are going to work. Take care of your brother, keep an eye on him and don’t leave the house. Be a good girl and we will bring you a present”.

After parents left the house, the girl forgot her mother’s instructions, and left her little brother in the garden near the house so she could play with her friends. While the girl was enjoying herself, Baba Yaga’s wicked Geese [servants of Baba Yaga] swooped down and stole her little brother out of the garden. The poor girl returned home only to discover that her brother was gone. She wept bitterly calling for her baby brother.

While she was crying, she saw the wicked Geese in the sky. The girl figured out that they might have been the ones who kidnapped her brother. She suddenly remembered that people always were concerned about Baba Yaga’s Geese frequently kidnapped the little children to bring them to Baba Yaga for her to eat them. She ran after them desperately trying to catch up to them when she saw the Stove. The girl asked it if it had seen the Baba Yaga’s Geese and asked it to show her in what direction they had flown. The Stove answered: “Eat my rye patty and I will show you the direction”. The girl replied: “I won’t eat your rye patties. I don’t eat even wheat patties at home.” Since the girl was so rude, the Stove did not show her the direction.

The girl kept on running and soon she saw an Apple-Tree and asked it if it had seen in what direction the Geese flew. The Apple-Tree answered: “Eat my wild forest apple and I will show you”. The girl responded rudely: “I won’t eat your wild apple. I don’t even eat good apples from my father’s garden.” The Apple-Tree didn’t answered her and did  show her the direction.

The girl ran and ran, and at last she saw a Milk River with kissel [a kind of sweet starchy jelly] banks. The girl asked: “Milk River, kissel banks, could you tell me in what direction Baba Yaga’s Geese have flown carrying my poor little brother?”
The Milk River replied: “Eat my milk kissel and I will show you the direction.” “I don’t eat even cream at home,” the girl responded.

The girl ran in forests and fields, and in the evening she saw a little hut that stood on chicken legs and turned itself around. Her little brother sat on the bench and played with silver apples. In the hut old Baba Yaga was spinning her yarn. The girl said: “Baba Yaga, let me rest and warm myself.” “Take the spindle and spin,” Baba Yaga replied.

After Baba Yaga had left the room, the girl saw a little gray mouse. “Give me some grain and I will give you a piece of good advice,” said the little mouse. The girl gave it some grain and the mouse continued: “Baba Yaga has gone to stoke a stove, she is going to wash you, and then she is intending to roast you in the stove and eat you. Take your little brother and run, and I will spin instead of you.” The girl was very frightened and naturally followed the mouse’s advice. She took her brother and ran away.

Baba Yaga asked if the girl spun yarn and the mouse answered that she did. When Baba Yaga returned and found that the girl and her little brother disappeared, she ordered: “Baba Yaga’s Geese! Fly and catch that sister and her   brother.”

The girl and her little brother reached the Milk River and noticed that Baba Yaga’s Geese were in pursuit of them. ”Dear Milk River, please hide us,” the girl entreated. “Eat my kissel.” The children ate kissel and the Milk River hid them under its kissel banks. The Baba Yaga’s Geese didn’t find them and the children went on running but soon they noticed the Baba Yaga’s Geese spotted them and were in hot pursuit.

They saw the Apple-Tree and the girl begged: “Dear Apple-Tree, please, hide us!” “Eat my wild forest apples.” The children ate the apples and thanked the Apple-Tree. The Apple-Tree covered them with its branches and Baba Yaga’s Geese didn’t notice them.

The girl and her brother continued running and this time, when the Baba Yaga’s Geese saw them again the children nearly got caught. Fortunately, at the right moment, the children saw the Stove and cried: “Stove, please, hide us!” “Eat my rye patty,” said the Stove. The children ate the patties and hid themselves inside the Stove. The Baba Yaga’s Geese could not catch the sister and her brother and they flew away. The children thanked the Stove and ran home.

At the exact moment that the children returned home, their parents came home from work. They praised their daughter for taking good care of her brother. They never found out what happened to them, because the girl vowed not to worry her parents with the events that happened that day. She also learned to listen to her parents, not to be naughty and feisty, and to have a respect to others.

Since then, everyone lived happily ever after.

How You Should Open up Your Russian Nesting Dolls

 Hmm, how do I get these Nesting Dolls to open?

When we receive e-mails or calls on how to open up our Nesting Dolls, we usually direct them to our blog post entitled “How You Should Open up Your Russian Nesting Dolls”.

However, it’s always better to show, rather than tell (after all, monkey see, monkey do!) So here’s a video on opening up our large and standard sized Nesting Dolls!

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Nesting Dolls Just Want You to Open Up

Nesting Dolls always want to share their feelings, and talk, and sometimes that causes relationship problems when they’re with other dolls.

Be sure to check out our enormous collection of nesting dolls that are sure to open up for you!

You Need to Know the Legend of The First Doll in Space

Nesting Dolls in Space: Ground Control to Matryoshka Tom

Everyone knows that Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, and Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, people even know of Laika, the first dog in space, but few know the legend of the first Nesting Doll in space … probably because the mission was a horrible failure, and truly a space oddity.
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Nesting Dolls and the Wild West

The Good, the Bad, & the Babushka

Nesting Dolls are widely associated with Russia, but few know of their history in the wild west.

Come take a gander at our collection of nesting dolls; they’re the best in the east, and the west!

Tell me about your Matryoshka

Nesting Dolls occasionally need some psychological assistance.

Why don’t you have a look at our nesting dolls they’re sure to take a load off your mind!