Summary
Summary of Folk Tales from the Russian
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Stories carry a shared magic
Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal gathers nine Russian tales for American children, hoping to preserve stories once carried by wandering storytellers and devoted family nurses. As those voices fade, she wants young readers to share the magic Russian children knew.
The tales bring together a clever frog princess, brothers with unusual talents, talking birds, witches and the ruler of winter cold. Their lively voices and sayings connect extraordinary adventures with familiar questions about how people treat one another.
Key idea 2
A frog offers wise counsel
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Key idea 3
Love can lead to haste
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Key idea 4
Mercy becomes part of the journey
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Key idea 5
Different talents can work together
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Key idea 6
The rejected brother becomes useful
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Key idea 7
Overlooked youths receive unusual gifts
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Key idea 8
Everyday conduct shapes magical danger
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Key idea 9
Small acts carry great weight
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
Readers who love fairy tales, witches and talking animals, parents and teachers looking for stories to read aloud, and anyone curious about the folklore and sayings of old Russia.
What this book is
Folk Tales from the Russian gathers nine tales that Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal set down for American children. She wrote at a time when the wandering storytellers and the devoted family nurses of Russia were fading, and she wanted their stories kept. In her foreword she hopes that young readers in America will share the magic that Russian children knew.
You meet a frog who is a clever princess, seven brothers with seven odd talents, a boy who understands birds, and a young man who rides a horse through smoke and fire. You also meet a witch in a hut on hen's feet, a sly guest who teaches a stubborn host a lesson, a merchant's son who outwits a greedy master, and a stern old ruler of the winter cold. Each tale is short, lively and full of sayings. We begin with the first tale, in which a royal arrow lands in a swamp.
In this summary
- 1A frog bride and her secretFree
- 2Ivan burns the frogskin and loses her
- 3Kindness to animals pays back
- 4The Seven Simeons and their trades
- 5Stealing a princess with a sinking ship
- 6Fate, birdsong and the simpleton hero
- 7Wit, greed and kindness in the shorter tales
Key point 1 of 7
A frog bride and her secret
The first tale, The Frog Princess, begins with a command. A sovereign prince tells his three sons to shoot arrows and marry wherever each one lands. The two elder arrows fall near a nobleman's house and a merchant's porch. Ivan Tsarevich, the youngest, shoots his into a swamp, where a frog picks it up.
Ivan complains, but his father says it is his destiny. So the brothers marry a noblewoman, a merchant's daughter and a frog. The Tsar then sets tasks for the wives. First comes a loaf of bread, then a woven rug.
Each time Ivan comes home gloomy, and the frog tells him to sleep, because the morning is a better adviser than the evening. At night she sheds her frogskin and becomes Vassilissa, a wise maiden. She calls her helpers, and by dawn the bread and the silk rug are finer than anything the other wives can offer.
The tale shows how patience and quiet cleverness beat show and mockery. Pay attention to the way the brothers laugh at Ivan before the Tsar's feast.
That’s 1 of 7 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Ivan's burning of the frogskin become a serious mistake?
Right. “She says she had only a little time left to wear it, and now she must go far away to the palace of Kostshei the Deathless.”Not quite. “She says she had only a little time left to wear it, and now she must go far away to the palace of Kostshei the Deathless.”
What makes the imprisoned seventh Simeon useful to the Tsar?
Right. “He points out that the seventh Simeon could steal her easily.”Not quite. “He points out that the seventh Simeon could steal her easily.”
Which qualities do these tales repeatedly reward?
Right. “The stories reward kindness, wit and courtesy, and they warn against envy, pride and greed.”Not quite. “The stories reward kindness, wit and courtesy, and they warn against envy, pride and greed.”
Questions about Folk Tales from the Russian
What is Folk Tales from the Russian about?
It is a collection of nine Russian folk tales, including The Frog Princess, Seven Simeons, Baba Yaga and Father Frost. They feature tsars, witches, magic horses and talking animals, and each carries a clear moral about kindness, wit or greed.
Who is Baba Yaga in these stories?
Baba Yaga is a witch who lives in a hut on hen's feet in the forest. She threatens to eat visitors, but she is outwitted by kindness, as in the tale of the twins and the black cat.
Who is Kostshei the Deathless?
Kostshei is a fearsome ruler in The Frog Princess who keeps Vassilissa in his palace. His death is hidden in a needle inside a hare, in a trunk, in an oak tree.
Are these stories suitable for children?
The tales were written for children and are told in a warm, direct voice with repeated phrases and sayings. They are short, clear and easy to read aloud, with vivid scenes.
What is the main message of the tales?
They teach that kindness, courtesy and quick wit are rewarded, while envy, pride and greed bring trouble. Small acts of mercy, such as sparing an animal or feeding a cat, matter later.
