Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

by Afanas'Ev, Aleksandr

  THE RAM WHO LOST HALF HIS SKIN

  A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN had many head of cattle. One day he killed and skinned five sheep, because he wanted to have a coat made of the skins. He sent for a tailor and said to him: “Now sew up a sheepskin for me.” The tailor measured him and found that he needed half a skin more. “You don’t have enough skins,” he said. “I need some more for the lapels.” “That’s easy,” answered the nobleman, and ordered his lackey to remove half the skin of one ram. The lackey carried out the order. The ram became angry at the nobleman, called the goat, and said to him: “Let’s run away from this wicked man; we can live in the woods, eat grass, drink water, and be happy.” And so they did. They went to the forest, built a cabin for the nights, and lived happily eating grass.

  Many other beasts also disliked living with the nobleman, and a cow, a pig, a cock, and a gander also left his farm. While it was warm, these creatures lived in the open, but when icy winter came, they sought a refuge from the cold. They walked and walked through the woods, found the ram’s cabin, and begged him to let them in. “Please, give us shelter,” they said. “We are very cold.” But the ram and the goat refused. Then the cow came up to the door and said: “Let us in, else I will knock down your cabin!” The ram saw that he had no choice and admitted the cow. The pig came up. “Let me in,” he said, “else I will dig up all the ground around your house, make a tunnel to the door, and freeze you out!” There was nothing they could do, so they admitted the pig. A moment later, the gander said: “Let me in or I’ll peck a hole in the wall, and the cold wind will come in.” And the cock said: “Let me in, or I’ll befoul your whole roof.” What could they do? They admitted the birds too and all of them began to live together.

  After some time, a long time or a short time, robbers passed by the cabin and heard cries and noises coming from inside. They came close, listened, could not guess who was there, and sent one of their companions to find out. “Go in,” they said, “else we shall put a rope around your neck and throw you into the water.” There was nothing the fellow could do, so he opened the door. The moment he set foot in the cabin, he was attacked from all sides and was forced to turn back. “Well, brothers,” he said, “do what you will, but I won’t go back in there for anything in the world. In all my life I have never been so frightened. The moment I stepped in, a woman began to thrash me with an oven fork; her daughter fell upon me in her turn; then a cobbler thrust an awl into my back; then a tailor cut me with his scissors; then a soldier armed with spurs jumped at me in such fury that his hair stood on end; he shouted in a terrible voice. And the biggest of them all began to mutter threateningly. I was scared out of my wits.” “Not so good,” said the robbers. “Let’s move out of this—they might come after us.” And they left.

  And so the beasts went on living together. One day wolves came to their cabin and by the smell knew who was there. They said to one of their band: “Go in, be the first of us.” He had no sooner opened the door than all the beasts in the cabin began to thrash him and he barely escaped with his life. The wolves did not know what to do. A hedgehog was with them, and he said: “Just wait, let me try; I think I can do better.” For he knew that the ram had lost one side of his skin. So he waddled in and pricked the ram; the ram gave a tremendous jump over all his companions and ran away. All of them followed him and took to their heels. Then the wolves moved into the cabin and stayed there.

  THE FOX AS MIDWIFE

  A WOLF AND A FOX lived together in true friendship. They had a little keg of honey. The fox liked sweets; she lay with her crony the wolf in their little house and stealthily rapped the floor with her tail. “Friend fox,” said the wolf, “there’s a knocking at the door.” “Ah, it’s someone coming to ask me to help deliver a child,” murmured the fox. “Well, go then,” said the wolf. The fox went out of the house, straight to the honey keg, licked her fill of it, and returned. “What has God given?” asked the wolf. “A first child,” said the fox.

  Another time, the fox again lay quietly rapping her tail. “Friend, I hear a knocking,” said the wolf. “It’s probably someone who needs a midwife.” “Well, go then.” The fox again went to the honey keg and licked her fill of it, so that only a little remained at the bottom. “What has God given?” asked the wolf. “A second child.” Then the fox cheated the wolf still a third time, and finished all the honey. “What has God given?” asked the wolf. “A last child.”

  After some time, a long time or a short time, the fox pretended to be ill and asked her friend the wolf to bring her some honey. He went to the keg and found that not even a drop was left. “Friend, friend,” cried the wolf, “the honey is all eaten up!” “What do you mean?” asked the fox angrily. “Who could have eaten it except you?” The wolf swore that it was not he. “Very well, then,” said the fox, “let us lie in the sun; whoever sweats out the honey is the culprit.” They lay down in the sun. The fox did not sleep but the gray wolf snored with his whole snout. After a while, the fox got hold of some honey and quickly smeared the wolf with it. “Friend, friend,” she said, nudging the wolf, “what’s this? Who has eaten the honey?” The wolf had no choice but to admit his guilt.

  There’s a tale for you, and a crock of butter for me.

  THE FOX, THE HARE, AND THE COCK

  ONCE UPON A TIME there lived a fox and a hare. The fox had a hut made of ice, and the hare a hut made of lime tree bark. The radiant spring came and the fox’s hut melted, while the hare’s stood as before. The fox asked the hare to let her in to warm herself and then drove him out. The hare walked along the road weeping, and met some dogs. “Bow-bow-bow, why are you weeping, little hare?” The hare said: “Let me alone, dogs! How can I help weeping? I had a hut made of lime tree bark and the fox had a hut made of ice; she begged me to let her into my hut, then drove me out.” “Don’t weep, hare!” said the dogs. “We shall drive her out.” “No you won’t.” “Yes we shall!” They came to the hut and barked: “Bow-bow-bow! Go away, fox!” But the fox replied from the stove: “As I jump out, as I leap out, only tufts will fly all around!” The dogs took fright and ran away.

  Again the hare walked down the road weeping. He met a bear. “Why are you weeping, hare?” And the hare said: “Let me alone, bear! How can I help weeping? I had a hut made of lime tree bark, and the fox had a hut made of ice; she begged me to let her into my hut, then drove me out.” “Don’t weep, hare, I’ll drive her out.” “No you won’t! The dogs tried it and could not, and you will do no better.” “I shall!” So they both went to drive out the fox. “Go away, fox!” growled the bear. The fox replied from the stove: “As I jump out, as I leap out, only tufts will fly all around!” The bear took fright and ran away.

  Again the hare walked down the road weeping, and met a bull. “Why are you weeping, hare?” “Let me alone, bull! How can I help weeping? I had a hut made of lime tree bark, and the fox had a hut made of ice; she begged me to let her into my hut, then drove me out.” “Let us go there, I will drive her out!” “No, bull, you won’t! The dogs tried it and couldn’t; the bear tried it and couldn’t; and you will do no better.” “I shall!” They went to the hut. “Go away, fox!” roared the bull. But the fox replied from the stove: “As I jump out, as I leap out, only tufts will fly all around!” The bull took fright and ran away.

  Again the hare walked down the road weeping, and met a cock carrying a sickle. “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Why are you weeping, hare?” “Let me alone, cock! How can I help weeping? I had a hut made of lime tree bark, and the fox had a hut made of ice; she begged me to let her into my hut, then drove me out.” “Let us go there, I will drive her out.” “No you won’t! The dogs tried it and couldn’t; the bear tried it and couldn’t; the bull tried it and couldn’t; and you will do no better.” “Yes I shall!” They came to the hut: “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” crowed the cock. “I have a sickle on my shoulders, I am going to cut the fox to pieces! Get out, fox!” The fox heard the cock, took fright, and said: “I am getting dressed!” The cock called again: �
��Cock-a-doodle-doo! I have a sickle on my shoulders, I am going to cut the fox to pieces! Get out, fox!” The fox said: “I am putting on my fur!” The cock shrilled for the third time: “Cock-a-doodle-doo! I have a sickle on my shoulders, I am going to cut the fox to pieces! Get out, fox!” The fox ran out; the cock cut her with his sickle, and began to live with the hare and to prosper.

  There’s a tale for you, and a crock of butter for me.

  BABA YAGA

  A CERTAIN PEASANT and his wife had a daughter. The wife died; the husband married another woman, and had a daughter with her also. His wife conceived a dislike for her stepdaughter and the orphan had a hard time. Our peasant thought and thought, and finally took his daughter to the woods. As he drove in the woods, he beheld a little hut standing on chicken legs. The peasant said: “Little hut, little hut, stand with your back to the woods, and your front to me!” The hut turned around. The peasant entered it and found Baba Yaga: her head was in front, her right leg was in one corner, and her left leg in the other corner. “I smell a Russian smell!” said Yaga. The peasant bowed to her and said: “Baba Yaga the Bony-legged One, I have brought you my daughter to be your servant.” “Very well, serve me, serve me!” said Yaga to the girl. “I will reward you for it.” The father said farewell and returned home.

  Baba Yaga gave the girl a basketful of yarn to spin, told her to make a fire in the stove, and to prepare everything for dinner. Then she went out. The girl busied herself at the stove and wept bitterly. The mice ran out and said to her: “Maiden, maiden, why are you weeping? Give us some gruel: we shall return your kindness.” She gave them some gruel. “And now,” they said, “stretch one thread on each spindle.” Baba Yaga came back. “Well,” she said, “have you prepared everything?” The girl had everything ready. “And now wash me in the bath!” said her mistress. She praised the maiden and gave her several beautiful dresses.

  Again Yaga went out, having set even more difficult tasks for her servant. Again the girl wept. The mice ran out. “Lovely maiden,” they said, “why are you weeping? Give us some gruel: we shall return your kindness.” She gave them gruel, and again they told her what to do and how. Baba Yaga upon her return again praised the maiden and gave her even more beautiful dresses.

  One day the stepmother sent her husband to see whether his daughter was still alive. The peasant drove into the woods; when he came to the house on chicken legs, he saw that his daughter had become very prosperous. Yaga was not at home, so he took the maiden with him. As they approached their village, the peasant’s dog began to bark: “Bow! wow! wow! A young lady is coming, a young lady is coming!” The stepmother ran out and struck the dog with a rolling pin. “You’re lying!” she said. “You should bark, ‘Bones are rattling in the basket!’ ” But the dog kept barking the same thing as before. The peasant and his daughter arrived. The stepmother began to press her husband to take her daughter to Baba Yaga. He took her.

  Baba Yaga set a task for her and went out. The girl was beside herself with spite, and wept. The mice ran out: “Maiden, maiden,” they said, “why are you weeping?” But she did not even let them speak; she struck them with a rolling pin and scolded them roundly and did not do her work. Yaga came back and became angry. Another time the same thing happened. Then Yaga broke her in pieces and put her bones in a basket.

  Now the stepmother sent her husband for his daughter. The father went and brought back only her bones. As he approached his village, his dog barked on the porch: “Bow! wow! wow! Bones are rattling in the basket!” The stepmother came running out with a rolling pin: “You’re lying!” she said. “You should bark, ‘A young lady is coming!’ ” The husband arrived; and then the wife moaned and groaned.

  There’s a tale for you, and a crock of butter for me.

  THE RAM, THE CAT, AND THE TWELVE WOLVES

  AN OLD COUPLE had a cat and a ram. The old woman prepared cream to make butter with, and the cat stole some of it. “Old man,” said the old woman, “there’s mischief in our cellar!” “You must see,” said the old man, “whether some stranger is not playing tricks on us.” The old woman went to the cellar and saw the cat pushing the lid of the pot aside with his paw and lapping some cream; she drove him out of the cellar and went back into the house, but the cat had preceded her and hidden on the stove in a corner. “Husband,” said the old woman, “we did not believe that our own cat was the offender, but it is he indeed; let us kill him.” Hearing these words, the cat jumped from the stove, rushed to the ram in the stall, and said: “Brother ram, I am to be killed tomorrow, and you are to be slaughtered.”

  The two animals decided to run away from their owner that night. “But how shall I do it?” the ram asked. “I should be glad to take flight with you, but my shed is locked.” “Never mind!” said the cat. He climbed up the door, removed the string from the nail with his paw, and set the ram free. And so they went wandering along the roads. They found a wolf’s head, took it up, and continued walking; then they saw a little fire in the woods at some distance, and went straight to the fire.

  They came up and found twelve wolves warming themselves around the fire. “God be with you, wolves!” “Welcome, cat and ram!” “Brother,” said the ram to the cat, “what do we have for supper?” “We have twelve wolves’ heads. Go and choose the fattest.” The ram went into the bushes, raised high the wolf’s head they had found on the road, and asked: “This one, brother cat?” “No, choose a better one!” The ram raised the head once more and asked: “How about this one?” The wolves took such fright that they would gladly have run away, but they did not dare do so without first asking permission. Four wolves came to the cat and the ram, begging: “Please, let us go get some wood for you!” And these four left. The remaining eight wolves became even more fearful than before, thinking, “Since they could eat twelve, they will be able to eat eight even more easily!” Four more wolves asked permission to go for water. The cat let them go. “You may go, but come back soon,” he said.

  The last four wolves went to get the others, saying: “Why haven’t they come back?” The cat let them go, ordering them even more sternly to come back soon; but he and the ram were really happy that the wolves had gone.

  The wolves gathered together and went farther into the woods. They met the bear, Mikhailo Ivanovich. “Have you heard, Mikhailo Ivanovich, of a cat and a ram who ate twelve wolves?” “No, my boys, I haven’t heard of them.” “But we have seen this cat and ram ourselves.” “I too should like to see how brave they are!” “Eh, Mikhailo Ivanovich, the cat is awfully quick-tempered, there is no way of winning his favor; at any moment he may jump on you and tear you to pieces. We are nimble with dogs and hares, but the cat is a different matter. It would be better to invite them for dinner.” They sent for the fox and said to her: “Go and invite the cat and the ram.” The fox began to excuse herself: “It’s true I am nimble, but I am not good at dodging—they might eat me.” “Go!” There was nothing to be done, so the fox ran to invite the cat and the ram. She came back and said: “They promised to come. Ah, Mikhailo Ivanovich, how fierce that cat is! I found him sitting on a tree stump and breaking it with his paws: he was sharpening his knives against us! And he rolled his eyes in the most terrifying manner!” The bear was scared, put one wolf on a high tree stump to be the lookout, gave him a piece of rag, and said: “When you see the cat and the ram, wave the rag, and we’ll all go out to meet them.” They began to cook dinner; four wolves dragged up four cows, and the bear appointed a marmot as cook.

  The cat and the ram were on the way to pay their visit, when they saw the lookout and suspected foul play. The cat said: “I will crawl quietly in the grass and sit close by the tree stump facing the wolf; and you, brother ram, take a run and hit him with your head as you pass him at full speed.” The ram began to run and hit the wolf with all his strength and threw him down, while the cat jumped at his snout and clawed it and scratched it till it bled. When the bear and the wolves saw this, they began to talk among themselves: “Now yo
u see what the cat and the ram can do! They managed to throw Evstifeyko the wolf from a high tree stump and maul him: how can we hold our ground against them? Apparently they do not give a fig for our preparations; they have come here not to enjoy a treat but to hurt us. Ah, brothers, wouldn’t we do better to hide?”

  All the wolves scattered in the woods, the bear climbed into a pine tree, the marmot crawled into a hole, and the fox hid under a log. The cat and the ram fell upon the prepared feast. As the cat ate he kept mewing: “Not much, not much!”

  Then he happened to look back, saw the marmot’s tail sticking from the hole, took fright, and jumped into the pine tree. The bear was frightened by the cat, flung himself down from the pine tree, and rushed forward, almost crushing the fox under the log. The bear ran away and so did the fox. “So you hurt yourself?” said the fox to the bear. “No, mate. If I had not jumped off the tree, the cat would have eaten me long ago!”

  THE FOX AND THE WOODPECKER