Russian Folk-tales |
Common terms and phrases
Afanasief appears asked Baba Yaga began bird boyars bride brother caftan carried church coffin copeck corpse Cossack cried crying daughter dead death demon devil Dnieper door drink everything evil eyes fair maiden father flew flung flying folk-tales forest Frost gave girl give grave Grimm ground hand head hero horse husband Ivashko Katoma Khudyakof killed Koshchei the Deathless legends Legendui Likho lived look Lord lord King magic marry Marusia Marya Morevna merchant morning mother moujik Mythology Nicholas night Norka Novgorod old woman palace Panchatantra peasant Perun Pope Prince Ivan Princess replied rich Russian Russian story says seized sister sitting Skazkas Slavonic sleep Snake Soldier Songs Sozh steed story stove tale tell thee thou told took turned vampire variant Vasilissa Vazuza versts Vikhor village Volga walked Warlock werwolf wife witch word youth Zhar-Ptitsa
Popular passages
Page 94 - Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age : and he made him a coat of many colours.
Page 20 - Their language is simple and pleasantly quaint, their humour is natural and unobtrusive, and their descriptions, whether of persons or of events, are often excellent. A taste for acting is widely spread in Russia, and the Russian folk-tales are full of dramatic positions which offer a wide scope for a display of their reciter's mimetic talents.
Page 265 - ... bread to eat, and very little of that, and very little water to drink ; so these seven poor little Princesses, who had been accustomed to have everything comfortable about them, and good food and good clothes all their lives long, were very miserable and unhappy ; and they used to go out every day and sit by their dead mother's tomb and cry — and say : " Oh mother, mother, cannot you see your poor children, how unhappy we are, and how we are starved by our cruel step-mother...
Page 162 - The trees cracked, the dry leaves rustled ; out of the forest came the Baba- Yaga riding in a mortar, urging it on with a pestle, sweeping away her traces with a broom. Up she drove to the gate, stopped short, and sniffing the air around her, cried :
Page 169 - Veda, and there is a curious dialogue between her and her brother, where she (the night) implores her brother (the day) to make her his wife, and where he declines her offer because, as he says, 'they have called it sin that a brother should marry his sister
Page 320 - What are you talking about ? Don't you deceive yourself ; I serve God and the Emperor." The Warlock gnashed his teeth, howled aloud, and sprang at the Soldier — who drew his sword and began laying about him with sweeping blows. They struggled and struggled ; the Soldier was all but at the end of his strength. " Ah ! " thinks he, " I'ma lost man — and all for nothing ! " Suddenly the cocks began to crow.
Page 269 - ... stir, nor may Gunnar any the more ride through that fire. So now they change semblance, Gunnar and Sigurd, even as Grimhild had taught them ; then Sigurd in the likeness of Gunnar mounts and rides, Gram in his hand, and golden spurs on his heels ; then leapt Grani into the fire when he felt the spurs ; and a mighty roar arose as the fire burned ever madder, and the earth trembled, and the flames went up even unto the heavens, nor had any dared to ride as he rode, even as it were through the deep...
Page 335 - God created the earth, and determined to supply it with se^s, lakes, and rivers, He ordered the birds to convey the waters to their appointed places. They all obeyed except this bird, which refused to fulfil its duty, saying that it had no need of seas, lakes or rivers, to slake its thirst. Then the Lord waxed wroth, and forbade it and its posterity ever to approach a sea or stream, allowing it to quench its thirst with that water only which remains in hollows and among stones after rain. From that...
Page 19 - Russian folk tales, may justly be said to be characteristic of the Russian people. There are numerous points on which the "lower classes" of all the Aryan peoples in Europe closely resemble each other, but the Russian peasant has — in common with all his Slavonic brethren — a genuine talent for narrative which distinguishes him from some of his more distant cousins. And the stories which are current among the Russian peasantry are for the most part exceedingly well narrated. Their language is...