Сказки и сказочные спектакли на английском языке. Народные сказки.Сказочные спектакли.The TurnipGrandpa planted a turnip. The turnip grew bigger and bigger. Grandpa came to pick the turnip, pulled and pulled but couldn't pull it up! Grandpa called Grandma.Grandma pulled Grandpa,Grandpa pulled the turnip.They pulled and pulled but couldn't pull it up! Granddaughter came.Granddaughter pulled Grandma,Grandma pulled Grandpa,Grandpa pulled the turnip. They pulled and pulled but couldn't pull it up! The doggy came. Doggy pulled Granddaughter, Granddaughter pulled Grandma,Grandma pulled Grandpa,Grandpa pulled the turnip. They pulled and pulled but couldn't pull it up!A kitty came. Kitty pulled doggy,Doggy pulled Granddaughter, Granddaughter pulled Grandma,Grandma pulled Grandpa,Grandpa pulled the turnip. They pulled and pulled but couldn't pull it up! A mouse came.The mouse pulled kitty,Kitty pulled doggy,Doggy pulled Granddaughter, Granddaughter pulled Grandma,Grandma pulled Grandpa,Grandpa pulled the turnip. They pulled and pulled and pulled the turnip up!The BinOnce there lived an old man and old woman.The old man said,"Old woman, bake me a bun." "What can I make it from? I have no flour." "Eh, eh, old woman! Scrape the cupboard, sweep the flour bin, and you will find enough flour."The old woman picked up a duster, scraped the cupboard, swept the flour bin and gathered about two handfuls of flour.She mixed the dough with sour cream, fried it in butter, and put the bun on the window sill to cool. The bun lay and lay there. Suddenly it rolled off the window sill to the bench, from the bench to the floor, from the floor to the door. Then it rolled over the threshold to the entrance hall, from the entrance hall to the porch, from the porch to the courtyard, from the courtyard trough the gate and on and on.The bun rolled along the road and met a hare."Little bun, little bun, I shall eat you up!" said the hare. "Don't eat me, slant-eyed hare! I will sing you a song," said the bun, and sang:I was scraped from the cupboard,Swept from the bin,Kneaded with sour cream,Fried in butter,And coolled on the sill.I got away from Grandpa,I got away from GrandmaAnd I'll get away from you, hare!And the bun rolled away before the hare even saw it move!The bun rolled on and meta wolf."Little bun, little bun, I shall eat you up," said the wolf."Don't eat me, gray wolf!" said the bun. "I will sing you a song." And the bun sang:I was scraped from the cupboard,Swept from the bin,Kneaded with sour cream,Fried in butter,And coolled on the sill.I got away from Grandpa,I got away from GrandmaI got away from the hare,And I'll get away from you, gray wolf!And the bun rolled away before the wolf even saw it move!The bun rolled on and meta bear."Little bun, little bun, I shall eat you up," the bear said. "You will not, pigeon toes!"And the bun sang:I was scraped from the cupboard,Swept from the bin,Kneaded with sour cream,Fried in butter,And coolled on the sill.I got away from Grandpa,I got away from GrandmaI got away from the hare,I got away from the wolf,And I'll get away from you, big bear!And again the bun rolled away before the bear even saw it move!The bun rolled and rolled and meta fox."Hello, little bun, how nice yor are!" said the fox.And the bun sang:I was scraped from the cupboard,Swept from the bin,Kneaded with sour cream,Fried in butter,And coolled on the sill.I got away from Grandpa,I got away from Grandma,I got away from the hare,I got away from the wolf,I got away from bear,And I'll get away from you, old fox!"What a wonderful song!" said the fox. "But little bun, I have became old now and hard of hearing. Come sit on my snout and sing your song again a little louder."The bun jumped up on the fox's snout and sang the same song."Thank you, little bun, that was a wonderful song. I'd like to hear it again. Come sit on my tongue and sing it for the last time," said the fox, sticking out her tongue.The bun foolishly jumped onto her tongue and- snatch!- she ate it. The fox and the craneThe fox made friends with the crane. The fox once had a notion to treat the crane to dinner and went to invite him to her house."Come godfather! Come dear! How I'll entertain you!"The crane went to the dinner party. The fox had cooked farina cereal and spread it over a plate. She served it and urged."Eat, my friend-godfather, I cooked it myself. "The crane went peck-peck with his bill, knocked and knocked, but got nothing. Meanwhile, the fox licked and licked the cereal until she had eaten it all. The cereal eaten, the fox said, "Don't be offended dear godfather. There is nothing more to offer you.""Thank you, godmother for that. Come to visit me."The next day the fox went, and the crane made cold soup. He poured it into a pitcher with a narrow neck and put it on the table. He said, "Eat godmother. Truly, there's nothing more offer you."The fox began to spin around the pitcher. She approached it one way, then another. She licked it and sniffed it, but couldn't get anything. Her head wouldn't fit into the pitcher.Mean-while the crane sucked and sucked until he had eaten everything up. "Don't be offended godmother. There's nothing more to offer you."The fox was annoyed, having thought she would eat for the whole week. She went home having gotten nothing.It was tit for tat! From that moment on, the friendship between fox and crane was over. The Sly Fox and the Little Red Hen Once there was a little red hen. She lived in a little red henhouse, safe and sound, with a little blue door and windows all around. She was a happy hen. Every day she searched for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. But then a sly young fox and his mother moved into a nearby den. The sly fox was always hungry. He licked his lips when he grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. And then the sly fox tried to catch the little red hen. He plotted and planned, again and again. But the little rend hen was clever. She always got away, with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. But then the sly fox thought up a very sly plan. "Mother, boil some water in a pan," he said. "I'll bring home supper tonight." Then he crept over to the little red henhouse. And he waited until at last the little red hen came out to search for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. Quick as a flash, the sly fox slipped into the henhouse. And he waited until the little red hen came hurrying home. As soon as she saw the fox, she flew up to the rafters. "You can't catch me now!" she laughed, with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. "All part of my plan," smiled the fox on the ground. And slowly he started to chase his tail, round and round and round and round, faster and raster…until the little red hen up in the rafters grew dizzy. "Oh!" she clucked. "My poor head's spinning. I'm all in a tizzy." And she dropped down- plop!- straight into the fox's sack. "Ha!" laughed the fox. And then the fox slung the sack over his shoulder and set off for home with the little red hen. After a while, he stopped for a rest. The sun was warm and soon he was snoozing. "Now's my chance," whispered the little red hen, and out she crept without a peck, peck, peck or a cluck, cluck, cluck. Quickly she rolled some large stones into the sack and tied a knot at the top. Then she ran all the way home and didn't stop till she was safe in her little red henhouse. The fox woke up and went on his way, hungry for his supper."This hen is heavy!" he said to himself, licking his lips. "She'll make a good meal." "Is the pot boiling, Mother?" he called at the den. "Look who I've got! It's the little red hen." "Throw her in, son," said his mother. "She'll make a nice snack." So the sly fox opened up the sack. Into the boiling water crashed the stones with a SPLASH! And that was the end of the sly fox and his mother. And the little red hen lived happily ever after in her little red henhouse, searching for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck.The Country Mouse and the City Mouse The following story of the two mice, with the similar fables of The Boy who cried Wolf, The Frog King, and The Sun and the Wind, are given here with the hope that they may be of use to the many teachers who find the over-familiar material of the fables difficult to adapt, and who are yet aware of the great usefulness of the stories to young minds. A certain degree of vividness and amplitude must be added to the compact statement of the famous collections, and yet it is not wise to change the style-effect of a fable, wholly. I venture to give these versions, not as perfect models, surely, but as renderings which have been acceptable to children, and which I believe retain the original point simply and strongly. Once a little mouse who lived in the country invited a little Mouse from the city to visit him. When the little City Mouse sat down to dinner he was surprised to find that the Country Mouse had nothing to eat except barley and grain."Really," he said, "you do not live well at all; you should see how I live! I have all sorts of fine things to eat every day. You must come to visit me and see how nice it is to live in the city." The little Country Mouse was glad to do this, and after a while he went to the city to visit his friend. The very first place that the City Mouse took the Country Mouse to see was the kitchen cupboard of the house where he lived. There, on the lowest shelf, behind some stone jars, stood a big paper bag of brown sugar. The little City Mouse gnawed a hole in the bag and invited his friend to nibble for himself. The two little mice nibbled and nibbled, and the Country Mouse thought he had never tasted anything so delicious in his life. He was just thinking how lucky the City Mouse was, when suddenly the door opened with a bang, and in came the cook to get some flour. "Run!" whispered the City Mouse. And they ran as fast as they could to the little hole where they had come in. The little Country Mouse was shaking all over when they got safely away, but the little City Mouse said, "That is nothing; she will soon go away and then we can go back." After the cook had gone away and shut the door they stole softly back, and this time the City Mouse had something new to show: he took the little Country Mouse into a corner on the top shelf, where a big jar of dried prunes stood open. After much tugging and pulling they got a large dried prune out of the jar on to the shelf and began to nibble at it. This was even better than the brown sugar. The little Country Mouse liked the taste so much that he could hardly nibble fast enough. But all at once, in the midst of their eating, there came a scratching at the door and a sharp, loud MIAOUW! "What is that?" said the Country Mouse. The City Mouse just whispered, "Sh!" and ran as fast as he could to the hole. The Country Mouse ran after, you may be sure, as fast as HE could. As soon as they were out of danger the City Mouse said, "That was the old Cat; she is the best mouser in town,--if she once gets you, you are lost." "This is very terrible," said the little Country Mouse; "let us not go back to the cupboard again." "No," said the City Mouse, "I will take you to the cellar; there is something especial there." So the City Mouse took his little friend down the cellar stairs and into a big cupboard where there were many shelves. On the shelves were jars of butter, and cheeses in bags and out of bags. Overhead hung bunches of sausages, and there were spicy apples in barrels standing about. It smelled so good that it went to the little Country Mouse's head. He ran along the shelf and nibbled at a cheese here, and a bit of butter there, until he saw an especially rich, very delicious-smelling piece of cheese on a queer little stand in a corner. He was just on the point of putting his teeth into the cheese when the City Mouse saw him. "Stop! stop!" cried the City Mouse. "That is a trap!" The little Country Mouse stopped and said, "What is a trap?" "That thing is a trap," said the little City Mouse. "The minute you touch the cheese with your teeth something comes down on your head hard, and you're dead." The little Country Mouse looked at the trap, and he looked at the cheese, and he looked at the little City Mouse. "If you'll excuse me," he said, "I think I will go home. I'd rather have barley and grain to eat and eat it in peace and comfort, than have brown sugar and dried prunes and cheese,--and be frightened to death all the time!" So the little Country Mouse went back to his home, and there he stayed all the rest of his life.^ The hare and the tortoise. In the forest there was a clearing were many animals gather each evening after going to the river to drink. The tortoise was usually the last to arrive and the other animals would laugh at him as he plodded into the clearing. "Come on slow buck" they would call out as he came trough the grass towards them. The tortoise would blink at them with his beady eyes and continue slowly on his way until he reached the spot were he wanted to settle down. The liveliest of all the animals there was the hare. He run so fast that he was always the first to arrive. "Just look at me", - he was boasting one evening, - "I can run faster than any of you, my speed and quickness will always win". The tortoise ambled into the clearing last as usual but to everyone surprise he did not go to his usual place. Instead he went slowly across to the hare. "Since you run so fast could you beat me in a race", - he asked. "I?.., beat you?.., in a race?..," - exclaimed the hare. And he fell on the ground and held his sides he laughed so much. "Of course I could beat you. You've made the distance tortoise but don't make it too far for you short little legs." And he burst with laughter again. Most of the other animals laughed too. It did seem a very comic idea. The fox were fought they would see some good sport said, - "Come on then tortoise name the distance and a time and then we will all come to see fair play". "Let us start tomorrow morning at sunrise", - suggested the tortoise. “We'll run from this clearing to the edge of the forest and return to this spot again along the bank of the river.“ Right, it will take you all day to go so far, tortoise. Are you sure you wanna go ahead with it," - asked the hare. He dreamed all over his face of the fought of the easy victory he would have. "I am sure", - replied the tortoise, - "The first one back to this clearing will be the winner". "Agreed", - said the hare as the tortoise settled down in some long grass to sleep for the night. The next morning the clearing was full of animals who had come to see the start of the great race. Some run along to the edge of the forest to make sure that both animals follow the proper rout. Others choose good places to watch along the way. The hare and the tortoise stood side by side as the sun rose the fox called out "Ready!.. steady!.. go!.." The hare jumped up and was out of sight almost at once. The tortoise started off in the same direction he plodded along picking up his fits slowly then putting them down only a little in front of were they had been before. "Come on, tortoise" called his friends anxiously. But he did not lift up his foot to wave it in as the hare had done he kept on moving slowly forwards. In a few minutes the hare was alone away from the starting line so he slowed down. "It's gonna take the tortoise all day" he fought. "So there's no need for me to hurry. He stopped to talk to friends in nearby juicy grass here and there along the path. By the time he reached halfway the sun was high in the sky and the day became very hot. The animals who were waiting there saw the hare turned back towards the clearing. They settled down for a long wait for the tortoise. As he returned by the river the hot sun and the grass he had eaten made the hare fill sleepy. ''There's no need to hurry" he told himself. "Here's a nice shady spot". And stretched himself comfortably he laid down with paws beneath his head he murmured sleepily. "It won't mere if tortoise passes me, I'm much faster than he is, I'll still get back first and win the race". He drifted off to sleep. Meanwhile the tortoise went on slowly. He reached the edge of the forest quite soon after the hare for he had not stopped to talk to his friends or eat tempting fresh grass. Before long smiling gently he passed the hare sleeping in the shade. The animals in the clearing waited all day for the hare to return but he did not arrive. The sun was setting before they saw the tortoise plodding towards them. "Where’s the hare" they called out. The tortoise did not waste his breath in answering but came steadily towards them. "Hurrah!.. Tortoise has won!.. Well done slow buck!.." The animals cheered. Only when he knew he had won the race did tortoise speak. "Hare?.. Ou!.. He's asleep back there by the river". There was a sudden flurry and with great speed the hare burst into the clearing. He had woken and seen how long the shadows were realized that he had slept much longer than he intended. He had raced back to the clearing but he was too late. Tortoise smiled and said "Slow and steady wins the race".The wooden house There stood a small wooden house (teremok) in the open field. A mouse ran by:- Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? Nobody answered. The mouse went into the house and began to live there. A frog hopped by:- Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse. And who are you?- I am a frog. Let's live together. So the mouse and the frog began living together. A hare ran by. He saw the house and asked: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse.- I am a frog. And who are you? -And I am a hare. The hare jumped into the house and all of them began living together. Then there came a fox. She knocked on the window: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse. - I am a frog. -And I am a hare. And who are you? -And I am a fox. The fox climbed into the house too. A wolf ran by: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse. -I am a frog. -And I am a hare. -And I am a fox. And who are you? - I am a wolf. The wolf climbed into the house too, and they all started living together. A bear walked by. He saw the house and roared: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse. -I am a frog. -And I am a hare. -And I am a fox. -And I am a wolf. Who are you? -And I am a bear!!! The bear started climbing onto the roof and - crushed the whole house! All of the scared animals ran away in different directions! ^ Goldilocks and the three bears. Once upon a time there were three bears who lived together in their own little house in the wood. There was a great big father bear, a middle sized mother bear and a little baby bear. They each had a special bowl for porridge, a special chair for sitting in and a special bed to sleep in. One morning the mother bear made the porridge for breakfast and poured it out into the great big bowl, the middle sized bowl and a little baby bowl. But it was so hot. The bears decided to go for a walk while it cold. Now a little girl named Goldilocks was walking in the woods that morning and she came across the bear's house, she knocked on the door and then there was no reply she crept slowly in. "Au, Au" - she cried, when she saw the bowls of porridge - ''I'm so hungry, I must have just one spoon full". First she went to the great big bowl and took a taste. "Too hot" - she said. Then she went to the middle sized bowl and tried that porridge. "Too cold" - she said. Last she went to the little baby bowl. "Au, Au, just right" - she cried, and she ate it all up every bit. Then Goldilocks saw the great big chair and climbed into it. "Too big" - she said and climbed down quickly. Next she went to the middle sized chair, and sat dawn. "Too hard" - she said. Then she went quickly to the little baby chair. "It just fits" - she said happily. But really the chair was too small for her and cracked and broke it down she tumbled. Then she went into the next room when she saw the three knit beds. First she climbed into the great big bed. But it was too high. Next she climbed into the middle sized bed, but it was too low. Then she saw the little baby bed. "Au, Au" - she cried - "This is just right". She got in pulled up the covers and went fast asleep. Before long the three bears came home for their breakfast. First the great big bear went to eat his porridge. He took one look and said in his great rough voice - ''Somebody's been eating my porridge". Then the middle sized bear looked into her and said in her middle sized voice - "And somebody's been eating my porridge to". Finally the little baby bear went to his bowl - "Au, Au," - he cried in his little baby voice. "Somebody has been eaten my porridge and has eaten it all up." After that all three bears wanted to sit down. The great big bear went to his great big chair and saw that the curtain had been squashed down. "Somebody's been sitting in my chair" - he cried in his great big voice. Then the middle sized mother bear went to her middle sized chair and found her curtain on the floor. "Somebody's been sitting in my chair" - she said in her middle sized voice. Then the little baby bear hurry to his chair. "Au, Au," - he cried in his little baby voice. "Somebody has been sitting in my chair and broken it all to bits." The three bears feeling very sad. Went into the bedroom. Thirst the great big bear looked at his bed. "Somebody's been lying in my bed", - he said in his great big voice. Then the middle sized bear saw her bed all rumpled up. And she cried in her middle sized voice - "Au, dear somebody’s been lying in my bed". By this time the little baby bear had gone to his little baby bed and he cried - "Somebody's been lying in my bed and she is still here." This time his little baby voice was so high and squeaky that Goldilocks woke up with the start and sat up. There at one side of the bed there were three bears all looking down at her. Now Goldilocks did not know that these were kind bears and she was very frightened. She screamed, jumped out of bed run to the open window and quickly climbed out. Then she run home to her mother as fast as she possibly could. As for the bears they put things to rights and since Goldilocks never came again they lived happily ever after.Ali and the sultan's saddleOnce upon a time… there lived a very powerful Sultan whose kingdom stretched to the edges of desert. One of his subjects was called Ali, a man who enjoyed making fun of his ruler. He invented all sorts of tales about the Sultan and his Court, and folk would roar with laughter at his jokes. Indeed, Ali became so well known, that people pointed him out in the street and chuckled. Ali's fun at the Sultan's expense reached the point where the Sultan himself heard about it. Angry and insulted, he ordered the guards to bring the joker before him. ‘I shall punish him for his cheek', said the Sultan eagerly, as he rubbed his hands, thinking of the good whipping he was about to administer. But when Ali was brought before him, he bowed so low that his forehead scraped the floor. Giving the Sultan no time to open his mouth, Ali said, ‘Sire! Please let me thank you for granting my dearest wish: to look upon you in person and tell you how greatly I admire your wisdom and handsome figure. I've written a poem about you. May I recite it to you?' Overhelmed by this stream of words and delighted at Ali's unexpected praise, the Sultan told him to recite his poem. In actual fact, Ali hadn't written a single word, so he had to invent it as he went along, and this he did, loudly comparing the Sultan's splendour to that of the sun, his strength to that of the tempest and his voice to the sound of the wind. Everyone applauded and cheered. Now quite charmed, the Sultan forgot, why he had called Ali before him, and clapped at the end of the poem in his honour. ‘Well done!', he cried. ‘You're a fine poet and deserve a reward. Choose one of these saddles as payment for your ability'. Ali picked up a donkey's saddle and, thanking the Sultan, he hurried out of the palace with the saddle on his back. When people saw him rush along, they all asked him: ‘Ali, where are you going with that donkey's saddle on your back?' ‘I've just recited a poem in honour of the Sultan, and he's given me one of his own robes as reward!' And winking, Ali pointed to the saddle!Alyonushka Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a brother and sister walked together down a long road. The sister's name was Alyonushka, and her brother was called Ivanushka. The two had been walking a long time when they came to a cow's hoof filled with water. "May I drink form it sister?" Little Ivanushka asked. "No, or you will turn into a calf." Alyonushka answered. Little Ivanushka was very thirsty, but obeyed his sister. He obeyed her again when they came to a horse's hoof filled with water. Alyonushka told him that if he drank from it, he would turn into a foal. The brother and sister walked along further, and Ivanushka became increasingly thirsty. Then they came upon a goat's hoof filled with water. "May I drink from it?" Ivanushka asked. Alyonushka once again was firm, "No, if you do you will turn into a kid." But this time the boy disobeyed his sister, and on his first sip turned into a little goat. Alyonushka sat on the rode crying when a merchant drove by and inquired about her trouble. Alyonushka explained the situation to him, and he said that if she married him they could live happily with the goat. Alyonushka agreed, and so they lived happily this way for some time. Then one day an evil witch tricked Alyonushka into going down to the river, where she tied a stone around her neck and threw her in. The witch then took on Alyonuska's form and lived as her for awhile. Only poor Ivanushka new the truth about his sister. Little did he know that the witch had plans for him too. When the wicked woman overheard him one day talking to his sister in the lake, she decided to ask the merchant to kill the little goat. It was hard for the merchant to agree to kill Ivanushka, as he loved the goat like a person. But, begin deceived by the witch, he felt his wife's wishes to be the most important. Ivanushka asked the merchant if he could go to the river for one last drink before he died, and the merchant agreed. There at the river's edge the goat cried out to his sister, and she answered him that she couldn't help him with a stone tied around her neck. Neither the brother nor sister realized that this time a peasant had overheard their conversation, and was on his way to stop the merchant form killing Ivanushka. Upon hearing the peasant's story, the merchant ran to the river, found Alyonushka, and took the stone from around her neck. The witch was then tied to a horse, which was turned loose in an opened field. The little goat was so happy that he turned three summersaults, and was changed back into a boy. They lived happily ever after. Fenist the Bright Falcon Once upon a time there lived a peasant. His wife died and left him three daughters. The old man wanted to hire a servant-girl to help about the house, but his youngest daughter Maryushka said: "Don't hire a servant, Father, I shall keep house alone." And so his daughter Maryushka began keeping house, and a fine housekeeper she made. There was nothing she could not do, and all she did she did splendidly. Her father loved Maryushka dearly and was glad to have such a clever and hard-working daughter. And how lovely she was! But her two sisters were ugly creatures, full of envy and greed, always paint-ed and powdered and dressed in their best. They spent all day putting on new gowns and trying to look better than they really were. But nothing ever pleased them long -- neither gowns, nor shawls, nor high-heeled boots. Now, one day the old man set out to market and he asked his daughters: "What shall I buy you, dear daughters, what shall I please you with?" "Buy us each a kerchief," said the two elder daughters. "And mind it has big flowers on it done in gold." But his youngest daughter Maryushka stood silent, so the father asked her: "And what would you like, Maryushka?" "Dear Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon." By and by the father came back with the kerchiefs, but the feather he had not found. After a while the man went to market again. "Well, daughters, make your orders," said he. And the two elder daughters replied eagerly: "Buy each of us a pair of silver-studded boots." But Maryushka said again: "Dear Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon." All that day the father walked about the market and bought the boots, but the feather he could not find. And so he came back without it. Very well, then. He set out on his way to the market for the third time and his elder daughters asked him: "Buy us each a new gown." But Maryushka said again: "Dear Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon." All that day the father walked about the market, but still no feather. So he drove out of town, and who should he meet on the way but a little old man. "Good day, Grandfather!" "Good day to you, my dear man. Where are you bound for?" "Back to my village, Grandfather. And I don't know what to do. My youngest daughter asked me to buy her a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon, but I haven't found it." "I have the feather you need; it is a charmed one, but I see you are a good man, so you shall have it, come what may." The little old man took out the feather and gave it to the girl's father, but it looked quite ordinary, so the peasant rode home and he thought: "What good can it be to my Maryushka?" In a while the old man came home and gave the presents to his daughters. And the two elder ones tried on their new gowns and kept laughing at Maryushka: "Silly you were, and silly you are! Stick it in your hair now -- won't you look fine with it!" But Maryushka made no answer, she just kept away from them. And when the whole house was asleep, she cast the feather on the floor and said softly: "Come to me, dear Fenist, Bright Falcon, my cherished bridegroom!" And there came to her a youth of wondrous beauty. Towards morning he struck the floor and became a falcon. And Maryushka opened the window and the falcon soared up into the blue sky. And so for three nights she made him welcome. By day he flew about in the blue heavens as a falcon; at nightfall he came back to Maryushka and turned into a handsome youth. But on the fourth day the wicked sisters caught sight of them and went and told their father. "Dear daughters," said he, "better mind your own business." "All right," thought the sisters, "we shall see what comes next." And they stuck a row of sharp knives into the window-sill and hid by watching. And after a while the Bright Falcon appeared. He flew up to the window, but could not get into Maryushka's room. So he fluttered and fluttered there, beating against the pane, till all his breast was cut by the blades. But Maryushka slept fast and heard nothing. So at last the falcon said: "Who needs me, will find me, but not without pains. You shall not find me till you wear out three pairs of iron shoes, and break three iron staffs, and tear three iron caps." Maryushka heard this and she sprang from her bed to the window. But the falcon was gone, and all he left on the window was a trace of red blood. Maryushka burst into bitter tears, and the little tear-drops washed off the trace of red blood and made her still prettier. And then she went to her father and said to him: "Do not chide me, Father, but let me go on my weary way. If I live to see you, I shall, but if I do not, then so must it be." The man was sorry to part with his sweet daughter, but at last he let her go. So Maryushka went and ordered three pairs of iron shoes, three iron staffs, and three iron caps. And off she set on her long weary way to seek her heart's desire Fenist the Bright Falcon. She walked through open fields, she went through dark forests and s he climbed tall mountains. The little birds cheered her heart with merry songs, the brooks washed her white face, and the dark woods made her welcome. And no one could do harm to Maryushka, for all the wild beasts -- grey wolves, brown bears and red foxes -- would come running out towards her. At last one pair of iron shoes wore out, one iron staff broke and one iron cap was torn. And Maryushka came to a glade in the woods and she saw a little hut on hen's feet spinning round and round. "Little hut, little hut," said Maryushka, "turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please. Let me in to eat bread within." The little hut turned its back to the trees and its face to Maryushka, and in she went. And there she saw Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a snag. Baba-Yaga caught sight of Maryushka and growled: "Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where to?" "Granny dear, I am looking for Fenist the Bright Falcon." "It's a long way off, pretty maid! You will have to pass through the Thrice-Nine Lands to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom to find him. A wicked sorceress, the queen there, has charmed him with a magic drink and made him marry her. But I shall help you. Here, take this silver saucer and golden egg. When you come to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom get hired as a servant to the Queen. After the day's work is done, take the silver saucer and put the golden egg on it. It will start to roll about all by itself. Should they want to buy it, do not sell it - ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright Falcon." Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went off. The woods became darker, and she got too frightened to move, when all of a sudden there came a Cat. It jumped up to Maryushka and it purred: "Have no fear, Maryushka, it will be still worse farther on, but g o on and on and do not look back." And the Cat rubbed against her feet and was gone, while Maryushka went farther. And the deeper she went into the woods the darker it grew. She walked and she walked, till her second pair of iron shoes wore out, her second iron staff broke and her second iron cap got torn. And soon she came to a little hut on hen's feet with a strong fence all round and terrible glowing skulls on the pales. Maryushka said: "Little hut, little hut, turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please. Let me in to eat bread within." The little hut turned its back to the trees and its face to Maryushka, and Maryushka went in. And there she saw Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a snag. Baba-Yaga caught sight of Maryushka and she growled: "Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where to?" "I want to find Fenist the Bright Falcon." "And have you been to my sister?" "Yes, Granny dear, I have." "All right, then, my beauty, I shall help you. Take this gold needle and silver frame. The needle works all by itself and embroiders red velvet with silver and gold. Should they want to buy it, do not sell it - ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright Falcon." Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went on her way. It crashed and it banged and it whistled in the forest, and a weird light shone from the skull, hanging round. How terrible it was! But suddenly up ran a Dog: "Bow-wow, Maryushka, have no fear, darling, it will be still worse, but you go on and never look back." So it spoke and was gone. Maryushka went on and on, and the woods got darker, scratching her knees and catching at her sleeves. But Maryushka walked and walked and never looked back. How long she walked is hard to say, but the third pair of iron shoes wore out, the third iron staff broke and the third iron cap was torn. And she came to a glade in the forest and saw a little hut on hen's feet with a tall paling all round and glowing horse skulls on the pales. Then said Maryushka: "Little hut, little hut, turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please." The hut turned its back to the trees and its face to Maryushka, and in she stepped. And there she saw Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a snag. Baba-Yaga saw Maryushka and she growled: "Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where to?" "I'm looking for Fenist the Bright Falcon, Granny!" "It is no easy task to find him, my beauty, but I shall help you. Here, take this silver distaff and this gold spindle. Hold the spindle in your hands and it will spin all by itself and the thread will come out all gold." "Thank you, Granny." "All right, save your thanks until afterwards, and now listen to me. Should they want to buy the gold spindle, don't sell it, but ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright Falcon." Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went on her way. And it roared and rumbled and whistled in the forest. The owls wheeled round, the mice crawled out of their holes and rushed straight to Maryushka. Then all of a sudden a Grey Wolf ran up to her and said: "Have no fear, Maryushka. Get on my back and never look behind." So she sat on the Wolf's back and off they flashed out of sight. They passed wide steppes and velvet meadows, they crossed honey rivers with custard banks and they climbed tall mountains that touched the clouds. On and on raced Maryushka till she reached a crystal palace with a carved porch and fancy windows. And there was the Queen herself looking out of a window. "Well," said the Wolf, "we've come, Maryushka. Climb down from my back and get hired as a servant at the palace." Maryushka climbed off, took her bundle and thanked the Wolf. Then she went up to the Queen and bowed. "I beg your pardon," she said, "I don't know your name; aren't you in need of a servant-girl?" "Yes," said the Queen, "it is long I have looked for a servant, but the one I need must be able to spin, weave and embroider." "All that I can do," said Maryushka. "Then come in and set to work." And so Maryushka became a servant-girl. She worked all the day until night-time, and then she took out her golden egg and silver saucer and said: "Roll about, golden egg, on your silver saucer, show me my Fenist dear." And the golden egg rolled about till Fenist the Bright Falcon appeared before her. Maryushka gazed and gazed at him and her tears ran fast. "Fenist, my Fenist, why have you left poor me to shed tears without you?" And the Queen overheard her and said: "Maryushka, sell me your silver saucer and golden egg." "No," replied Maryushka, "they are not to be sold, but you may have them free if you let me see Fenist the Bright Falcon." The Queen thought for a while and then she said: "All right, let it be so. To-night, when he falls asleep, I will let you see him." So when night came, Maryushka went to his bedroom and saw Fenist the Bright Falcon. Her darling lay fast asleep and could not be awakened. She looked and she looked and she could not look enough, and she kissed him on his sweet mouth, and she pressed him to her white bosom, but her darling slept on and did not awaken. Morning set in, but still Maryushka could not rouse her beloved. All that day she worked and in the evening took her silver frame and gold needle. And as it sewed, Maryushka kept saying: "Get embroidered, little towel, get embroidered, little towel, let my Fenist the Bright Falcon wipe his face." The Queen overheard her and asked: "Maryushka, sell me your silver frame and gold needle." "Sell I will not," replied Maryushka, "but you may have them free if you let me see Fenist the Bright Falcon." The Queen thought hard, but at last she said: "All right, let it be so. Come and see him to-night." Night came on, and Maryushka entered the bedroom and she saw her Fenist the Bright Falcon lying fast asleep. "O my Fenist, Bright Falcon, arise, wake up!" But her Fenist slept on as fast as ever, and Maryushka could not wake him up, try as she might. At daybreak Maryushka set to work and took out her silver distaff and golden spindle. And the Queen saw her and began asking her to sell them. But Maryushka replied: "Sell them I will not, but you may have them for nothing if only you let me see Fenist the Bright Falcon." "All right," said the other and she thought to herself: "She won't wake him up anyhow." Night drew on and Maryushka entered the bedroom, but Fenist lay as fast asleep as ever. "O my Fenist, Bright Falcon, arise, wake up!" But Fenist slept on and would not awaken. Maryushka tried and tried again to wake him, but she could not. And soon it would be morning. So Maryushka burst out weeping and she said: "Dearest Fenist, arise and open your eyes, look at your Maryushka, press her close!" And a hot tear fell from Maryushka's eyes on the bare shoulder of Fenist and burnt it. Fenist the Bright Falcon stirred and he opened his eyes and saw Maryushka. And then he took her in his arms and kissed her. "Can it be you, my Maryushka? So you have worn out three pairs of iron shoes and broken three iron staffs and torn three iron caps? Cry no more. Let us go home, now." And they started getting ready for the homeward journey. But the Queen noticed it and she bade her trumpeters spread the news of her husband's betrayal through all the towns of the land. And the princes and merchants of her land came together to hold council and decide how to punish Fenist the Bright Falcon. And then Fenist the Bright Falcon stood up and said: "Who do you think is the real wife, the one who loves me truly or the one that sells and betrays me?" Everyone had to agree that only Maryushka was fit to be his wife. After that they went back to their own land. And they had a grand feast there, and all the guns fired and all the trumpets blew at their wedding. And the feast they had was so grand, it is still remembered. And they both lived happily ever afterwards.Little Red Riding Hood Once upon a time... in the middle of a thick forest stood a small cottage, the home of a pretty little girl known to everyone as Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her Mummy waved her goodbye at the garden gate, saying, 'Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful. Keep to the path through the wood and don't ever stop. That way, you will come to no harm.' Little Red Riding Hood kissed her mother and ran off. 'Don't worry', she said, 'I'll run all the way to Grandma's without stopping'. Full of good intensions, the little girl made her way through the wood, but she was soon to forget her mother's wise words. 'What lovely strawberries! And so red...' Laying her basket on the ground, Little Red Riding Hood bent over the strawberry plants. 'They're nice and ripe, and so big! Yummy! Delicious! Just another one. And one more. This is the last... Well, this one... Mmmm.' The red fruit peeped invitingly through the leaves in the grassy glade, and Little Red Riding Hood ran back and forth popping strawberries into her mouth. Suddenly she remembered her mother, her promise, Grandma and the basket... and hurried back towards the path. The basket was still in the grass and, humming to herself, Little Red Riding Hood walked on. The wood became thicker and thicker. Suddenly a yellow butterfly fluttered down through the trees. Little Red Riding Hood started to chase the butterfly. Til catch you! I'll catch you!' she called. Suddenly she saw some large daisies in the grass. 'Oh, how sweet!' she exclaimed and, thinking of Grandma, she picked a large bunch of flowers. In the meantime, two wicked eyes were spying on her from behind a tree... a strange rustling in the woods made Little Red Riding Hood's heart thump. Now quite afraid, she said to herself, 'I must find the path and run away from here!' At last, she reached the path again, but her heart leapt into her mouth at the sound of a gruff voice which said; 'Where are you going, my pretty girl, all alone in the woods?' 'I'm taking Grandma some cakes. She lives at the end of the path,' said Little Riding Hood in a faint voice. When he heard this, the wolf (for it was the big bad wolf himself) politely asked: 'Does Grandma live by herself?' 'Oh, yes,' replied Little Red Riding Hood, 'and she never opens the door to strangers!' 'Goodbye. Perhaps we'll meet again,' replied the wolf. Then he loped away thinking to himself 'I'll gobble the grandmother first, then lie in wait for the grandchild!' At last, the cottage came in sight. Knock! Knock! The wolf rapped on the door. 'Who's there?' cried Grandma from her bed. 'It's me, Little Red Riding Hood. I've brought you some cakes because you're ill,' replied the wolf, trying hard to hide his gruff voice. 'Lift the latch and come in,' said Grandma, unaware of anything amiss, till the horrible shadow appeared on the wall. Poor Grandma! For in one bound, the wolf leapt across the room, in a single mouthful swallowed the old lady. Soon after, Little Red Riding Hood tapped on the door. 'Grandma, can I come in?' she called. Now, the wolf had put on the old lady's shawl and cap and slipped into the bed. Trying to imitate Grandma's quavering little voice, he replied, 'Open the latch and come in!' 'What a deep voice you have,' said the little girl in surprise. 'The better to greet you with,' said the wolf. 'Goodness, what big eyes you have.' 'The better to see you with.' 'And what big hands you have!' exclaimed Little Red Riding Hood, stepping over to the bed. 'The better to hug you with,' said the wolf. 'What a big mouth you have,' the little girl murmured in a weak voice. 'The better to eat you with!' growled the wolf, and jumping out of bed, he swallowed her up too. Then, with a fat full tummy, he fell fast asleep. In the meanwhile, a hunter had emerged from the wood, and on noticing the cottage, he decided to stop and ask for a drink. He had spent a lot of time trying to catch a large wolf that had been terrorising the neighbourhood, but had lost its tracks. The hunter could hear a strange whistling sound; it seemed to be coming from inside the cottage. He peered through the window... and saw the large wolf himself, with a fat full tummy, snoring away in Grandma's bed. 'The wolf! He won't get away this time!' Without making a sound, the hunter carefully loaded his gun and gently opened the window. He pointed the barrel straight at the wolf's head and ... BANG! The wolf was dead. 'Got you at last!' shouted the hunter in glee. 'You'll never frighten anyone again.' He cut open the wolf's stomach and to his amazement, out popped Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, safe and unharmed. 'You arrived just in time,' murmured the old lady, quite overcome by all the excitement. 'It's safe to go home now/ the hunter told Little Red Riding Hood. 'The big bad wolf is dead and gone, and there is no danger on the path.' Still scared, the little girl hugged her grandmother. 'Oh, what a dreadrul fright!' Much later, as dusk was falling, Little Red Riding Hood's mother arrived, all out of breath, worried, because her little girl had not come home. And when she saw Little Red Riding Hood, safe and sound, she burst into tears of joy. After thanking the hunter again, Little Red Riding Hood and her mother set off towards the wood. As they walked quickly through -the trees, the little girl told her mother, 'We must keep to the path and never stop. That way, we'll come to no harm'.Snowmaiden Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a peasant woman looked out the window of her cottage to watch the village children play in the snow. She did this often because, although she led a very happy life with her husband, there was still a longing in her heart. The woman and her husband had no children of their own, and their biggest wish was to one day be able to watch their own child play in the snow. The husband one day suggested to his wife that they should go outside and build a snowman, instead of sitting in the house all day. The wife agreed, but wanted instead to build a girl - a snowmaiden. The couple spent that whole day carefully building and molding a snowmaiden. They inserted two bright blue beads for eyes, and a bright red ribbon for her mouth. Then they stood back to look at their beautiful creation. As they watched they noticed something, it looked as if the snowmaiden was smiling. The couple then realized that she was coming to life. After she smiled her hair curled up and she walked into the house. The peasant couple finally had a daughter of their own! Snowmaiden grew to be beautiful. Her eyes gleamed bright blue and her flaxen hair hung down to her waist. Snowmaiden was however very pale, with no color in her cheeks or lips, but this did not make her any less beautiful. As winter melted into spring, and the weather started getting warmer, Snowmaiden started to behave strangely. She no longer wanted to go outside to play with the other children, and she began to hide in the dark places of the house. The husband and wife began to worry about her. Soon summer came and Snowmaiden was more withdrawn than ever. One day her friends asked her to join them on a trip into the woods to pick berries. Snowmaiden was reluctant to join, but at the persistence of her parents went along. In the woods Snowmaiden was sure to stay in the shade. When nightfall came her friends built a fire, and played games jumping over it. Snowmaiden, however, sat by an icy river. Her friends called to her to join their games, but Snowmaiden did not want to go. But as the night went on Snowmaiden grew very lonely by herself at the river, and decided to join their games. "Jump over the fire!" her friends yelled at her. Snowmaiden took a step, ran towards the fire, jumped, and melted away. The poor peasant couple were once again childless .The Frog Princess In days gone by there was a King who had three sons. When his sons came of age the King called them to him and said, "My dear lads, I want you to get married so that I may see your little ones, my grand-children, before I die." And his sons replied, "Very well, Father, give us your blessing. Who do you want us to marry?" "Each of you must take an arrow, go out into the green meadow and shoot it. Where the arrows fall, there shall your destiny be." So the sons bowed to their father, and each of them took an arrow and went out into the green meadow, where they drew their bows and let fly their arrows. The arrow of the eldest son fell in the courtyard of a nobleman, and the nobleman's daughter picked it up. The arrow of the middle son fell in the yard of a merchant, and the merchant's daughter picked it up. But the arrow of the youngest son, Prince Ivan, flew up and away he knew not where. He walked on and on in search of it, and at last he came to a marsh, where what should he see but a frog sitting on a leaf with the arrow in its mouth. Prince Ivan said to it, "Frog, frog, give me back my arrow." And the frog replied, "Marry me!" "How can I marry a frog?" "Marry me, for it is your destiny." Prince Ivan was sadly disappointed, but what could he do? He picked up the frog and brought it home. The King celebrated three weddings: his eldest son was married to the nobleman's daughter, his middle son to the merchant's daughter, and poor Prince Ivan to the frog. One day the King called his sons and said, "I want to see which of your wives is most skilled with her needle. Let them each sew me a shirt by tomorrow morning." The sons bowed to their father and went out. Prince Ivan went home and sat in a corner, looking very sad. The frog hopped about on the floor and said to him, "Why are you so sad, Prince Ivan? Are you in trouble?" "My father wants you to sew him a shirt by tomorrow morning." Said the frog, "Don't be downhearted, Prince Ivan. Go to bed; night is the mother of counsel." So Prince Ivan went to bed, and the frog hopped out on to the doorstep, cast off her frog skin, and turned into Vasilisa the Wise, a maiden fair beyond compare. She clapped her hands and cried, "Maids and nurses, get ready, work steady! By tomorrow morning sew me a shirt like the one my own father used to wear!" When Prince Ivan awoke the next morning, the frog was hopping about on the floor again, and on the table, wrapped up in a linen towel, the shirt lay. Prince Ivan was delighted. He picked up the shirt and took it to his father. He found the King receiving gifts from his other sons. When the eldest laid out his shirt, the King said, "This shirt will do for one of my servants." When the middle son laid out his shirt, the King said, "This one is good only for the bath-house." Prince Ivan laid out his shirt, handsomely embroidered in gold and silver. The King took one look at it and said, "Now this is a shirt indeed! I shall wear it on the best occasions." The two elder brothers went home and said to each other, "It looks as though we had laughed at Prince Ivan's wife for nothing -- it seems she is not a frog, but a sorceress." Again the King called his sons. "Let your wives bake me bread by tomorrow morning," he said. I want to know which one cooks the best." Prince Ivan came home looking very sad again. The frog said to him, "Why are you so sad, Prince?" "The King wants you to bake bread for him by tomorrow morning," replied her husband. "Don't be downhearted, Prince Ivan. Go to bed; night is the mother of counsel." Now those other daughters-in-law had made fun of the frog at first, but this time they sent an old henwife to see how the frog baked her bread. But the frog was cunning and guessed what they were about. She kneaded the dough, broke the top of the stove an d emptied the dough-trough straight down the hole. The old henwife ran back to the other wives and told them what she had seen, and they did as the frog had done. Then the frog hopped out onto the doorstep, turned into Vasilisa the Wise, and clapped her hands and cried, "Maids and nurses, get ready, work steady! By tomorrow morning bake me a soft white loaf like the ones I ate when I lived at home." Prince Ivan woke up in the morning, and there on the table he saw a loaf of bread with all kinds of pretty designs on it. On the sides were quaint figures -- royal cities with walls and gates. Prince Ivan was ever so pleased. He wrapped the loaf up in a linen towel and took it to his father. Just then the King was receiving the loaves from his elder sons. Their wives had dropped the dough into the fire as the old henwife had told them, and it came out just a lump of charred dough. The King took the loaf from his eldest son, looked at it and sent it to the servants' hall. He took the loaf from his middle son and did the same with that. But when Prince Ivan handed him his loaf the King said, "Now that is what I call bread! It is fit to be eaten onl y on holidays." And the King bade his sons come to his feast the next day and bring their wives with them. Prince Ivan came home grieving again. The frog hopped up and said, "Why are you so said, Prince Ivan? Has your father said anything unkind to you?" "Froggy, my frog, how can I help being sad? Father wants me to bring you to his feast, but how can you appear before people as my wife?" "Don't be downhearted, Prince Ivan," said the frog. "Go to the feast alone and I will come later. When you hear a knocking and a banging, do not be afraid. If you are asked, say it is only your Froggy riding in her box." So Prince Ivan went by himself. His elder brothers drove up with their wives, rouged and powdered and dressed in fine clothes. They stood there and mocked Prince Ivan: "Why did you not bring your wife? You could have brought her in a handkerchief. Where, indeed, did you find such a beauty? You must have searched all the marshes for her!" The King and his sons and daughters-in-law and all the guests sat down to feast at the oaken tables covered with handsome cloths. All at once there was a knocking and a banging that made the whole palace shake. The guests jumped up in fright, but Prince Ivan said, "Do not be afraid, good people, it is only my Froggy riding in her box." Just then a gilded carriage drawn by six white horses dashed up to the palace door and out of it stepped Vasilisa the Wise in a dress of sky-blue silk strewn with stars and a shining moon upon her head -- a maiden as fair as the sky at dawn, the fairest maiden ever born. She took Prince Ivan by the hand and led him to the oaken tables with the handsome cloths on them. The guests began to eat, drink and make merry. Vasilisa the Wise drank from her glass and emptied the dregs into her left sleeve. Then she ate some swan meat and put the bones in her right sleeve. The wives of the elder princes saw her do this and they did the same. When the eating and drinking were over, the time came for dancing. Vasilisa the Wise took Prince Ivan and tripped off with him. She whirled and danced, and everybody watched and marveled. She waved her left sleeve, and lo! a lake appeared! She waved her right sleeve, and white swans began to swim on the lake. The King and his guests were struck with wonder. Then the other daughters-in-law went to dance. They waved one sleeve, but only splashed wine over the guests; they waved the other, but only scattered bones, and one bone hit the King right in the forehead. The King flew into a rage and drove both daughters-in-law away. Meanwhile, Prince Ivan slipped out and ran home. There he found the frog skin and threw it into the fire. When Vasilisa the Wise came home, she looked for the frog skin but could not find it. She sat down on a bench, sorely grieved, and said to Prince Iva n, "Ah, Prince Ivan, what have you done? Had you but waited three more days I would have been yours forever. But now, farewell. Seek me beyond the Thrice-Nine Lands, in the Thrice-Ten Kingdom , where Koshchei the Deathless dwells." So saying, Vasilisa the Wise turned herself into a gray cuckoo and flew out of the window. Prince Ivan wept long and hard, then bowed in all four directions and went forth he knew not where to seek his wife, Vasilisa the Wise. How long he walked is hard to say, but h is boots wore down at the heels, his tunic wore out at the elbows, and his cap became battered by the rain. By and by he met a little man, as old as old can be. "Good day, my lad," said the little old man. "Where are you going and what is your errand?" Prince Ivan told him about his trouble. "Ah, why did you burn the frog skin, Prince Ivan?" said the little old man. "It was not yours to keep or do away with. Vasilisa the Wise was born wiser than her father, and that made him so angry that he turned her into a frog for three years. Ah, well, it cannot be helped now. Take this ball of yarn and follow it without fear wherever it rolls." Prince Ivan thanked the little old man and followed the ball of yarn. It rolled on and he came after. In an open field he met a bear. Prince Ivan took aim and was about to kill it, but the bear spoke in a human voice: "Do not kill me, Prince Ivan, for you may have need of me someday." Prince Ivan spared the bear's life and went on farther. Suddenly he saw a drake flying overhead. He took aim with his bow, but the drake said in a human voice, "Do not kill me, Prince Ivan, for you may have need of me someday." He spared the drake and went on. A hare came running by. Again Prince Ivan snatched his bow to shoot it, but the hare said in a human voice, "Do not kill me, Prince Ivan, for you may have need of me someday." So he spared the hare and went on. He came to the blue sea and saw a pike lying on the sandy beach gasping for breath. "Ah, Prince Ivan," said the pike, "take pity on me and throw me back into the blue sea." So he threw the pike into the sea and walked on along the shore. By and by the ball of yarn rolled into a forest, and there stood a little hut on hen's feet, turning round and round. "Little hut, little hut, turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please." The hut turned its face to him and its back to the trees. Prince Ivan walked in, and there, sitting in the corner, was Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a snag. When she saw him she said, "Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where to?" "You might give me meat and drink and a steam bath before asking questions," retorted Prince Ivan. So Baba-Yaga gave him a steam bath, gave him meat and drink, and put him to bed. Then Prince Ivan told her he was seeking his wife, Vasilisa the Wise. "I know, I know," said Baba Yaga. "Your wife is now in the power of Koshchei the Deathless. It will be hard for you to get him back. Koshchei is more than a match for you. His death is at the point of a needle. The needle is in an egg; the egg is in a duck; the duck is in a hare; the hare is in a stone casket; the casket is at the top of a tall oak tree that Koshchei the Deathless guards as the apple of his eye." Prince Ivan spent the night at Baba-Yaga's, and in the morning she showed him the way to the tall oak. How long he walked it is hard to say, but by and by he came to the tall oak tree with the stone casket at the top of it. But it was hard to reach. Suddenly, up came the bear whose life he had spared, and pulled the tree out, roots and all. Down fell the casket and broke open. Out of the casket sprang a hare and scampered off as fast as it could. The other hare, whose life Prince Ivan had spared, gave chase, caught it and tore it to bits. Out of the dead hare flew a duck, and shot high into the sky. But in a twinkling, the drake, whose life Prince Ivan had spared, was at it. The duck dropped the egg, and do