7 h 11 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if kindness is your strongest weapon, and the animal beside the road knows more than the king?
In Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen by Alexander Chodzko, humble heroes face hard tasks in a world where magic is close to daily life. These tales come from Russian, Polish, Serbian, Czech and other Slavic traditions. Kings set hard tasks, poor farmers face danger, and witches wait in strange forest houses.
The youngest son may be mocked, but patience and good advice give him a chance. The clever peasant faces powers far greater than himself. Across tales of village life, magic helpers and family troubles, kindness meets greed, courage meets cruelty, and an ordinary person must find a way through.
What you’ll discover
- Village and pasture tales Enter a world of villages and pastures, where ordinary people face danger and unexpected magic.
- The humble hero Follow overlooked younger sons and poor peasants whose kindness matters more than strength or standing.
- Magic close at hand Meet talking horses, helpful birds and small objects that offer answers to seemingly impossible problems.
- Courage against power Watch clever villagers face greedy lords and heroes confront rulers or monsters stronger than themselves.
- Family, justice and greed Explore homes troubled by jealous brothers, cruel masters and stepmothers who make children suffer.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy magic horses, clever fools and brave princes will love these tales. They welcome lovers of village storytelling, where kindness meets enchantment and a fireside voice carries each adventure.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Kindness to strangers brings rich rewards
- The Fates cannot be cheated by a king
- Pride and greed choose the wrong bargain
- Small creatures repay every favor they receive
- Honest questions to the Sun and Moon
- Brave princes and the horses that carry them
- A fisherman with four magic gifts faces a king
- Fools and clever tricksters often win the day
- How the storyteller shapes each tale
Who’s who
- MaroucklaA kind orphan treated harshly by her stepmother and stepsister, she is sent into the winter snow for flowers and fruit.
- PlavacekA charcoal burner's son found floating in a basket, he is sent to fetch three golden hairs from the sun.
- GeorgeA king's servant who learns the language of animals and is sent to win the Maid with Hair of Gold.
- Prince DobrotekA prince who rescues his bride Pietnotka from a magician dwarf with the help of a magic horse.
- The fishermanA poor, honest fisherman who receives a golden ring and later gains a flying carpet, a cap and a club.
- NiezguinekThe youngest of twelve brothers hatched from eggs, whose enormous strength and wit are tested by old Yaga.
- The red foxA hungry fox who helps the youngest prince find a firebird, a golden-maned horse and a princess.
- The SluggardA lazy young man who lies on his stove and makes every wish come true with a pike's words.
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- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
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- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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Contes des paysans et des pâtres slaves
by Alexander Chodzko · 1864
A poor fisherman, a magic ring and a flying carpet face a king who keeps breaking his promises.
Medium level5–10 hours to readfrançais
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In short
Why does a golden apple vanish from a king's tree every night? Why does a magic fish offer a fisherman a ring?
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Kindness to strangers brings rich rewards
Many tales here test a character with a stranger at the door. Those who share what little they have are rewarded, and the greedy find a harsher welcome.
In The Two Brothers, a poor man with hungry children climbs the Crystal Mountain, where twelve silent beings sit around an eternal fire. They send him home with a sack of embers that weigh nothing and turn to gold. In The Twelve Months, a girl named Marouckla is sent by her stepmother and stepsister Helen into the snow for violets and then strawberries. The months themselves pass a wand between them, bringing spring and summer to the mountain top for her.
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 8 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1864
- Language
- français
- Level
- Medium level
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What is Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen about?
It is a collection of Slavic folk tales. The stories follow princes, fools, fishermen and orphans who meet witches, ogres, talking animals and magic objects, and they show how kindness, courage and wit shape fortune.
Who is Yaga in these stories?
Yaga, often called old Yaga, is a witch of Slavic folklore who lives in a cottage that turns on a rooster's leg. She sometimes helps a hero with gifts and advice, and sometimes threatens him.
Who is Kostey?
Kostey is an ogre and sorcerer who kidnaps princesses and puts whole kingdoms to sleep. Ordinary weapons offer little protection against his magic.
The author
Alexander Chodzko
1804–1891 · Polish poet and orientalist
Alexander Chodzko (1804–1891) was a Polish poet and orientalist, born in what is now Belarus. He published poetry in 1829 and collected Slavic folk tales. He worked as a diplomat in Persia and later lived in France, where he taught Slavic languages at the Collège de France. He died near Paris.
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