Виктор Мазанов – Tales of Wisdom. Insights from Russian Folklore (страница 12)
A harsh winter arrived, and the frosts struck hard. The ram froze completely, even though his wool was thick. He went to the bull and begged:
– Friend, let me warm up! I have no strength, I’m freezing!
– No, ram, you have a warm coat! – answered the bull.
– Well, if you don’t let me in, I’ll run away and knock a log out of the hut! You’ll get colder, – threatened the ram.
What should the bull do? He felt sorry for his friend and let him in to warm up.
Then the pig came running, clacking her teeth:
– Let me in quickly to warm up!
– No, you said you’d dig into the ground!
– If you don’t let me in, I’ll dig a tunnel under your hut and you’ll be left without a home!
The bull had to let the pig in as well. Later the goose and the rooster arrived, shivering and miserable:
– Please let us in, we’re freezing!
– No, you said you’d spend the winter in the branches!
– If you don’t let us in, we’ll pull the moss from the walls and tear off the roof; you’ll be worse off! – the birds threatened.
Again the bull had to agree. They all began to live together in the warmth.
The rooster warmed up and began to sing. A cunning fox in the forest heard the song and wanted to eat the rooster. She went to a bear and a wolf:
– I have a catch! For you, bear – the bull; for you, wolf – the ram; and for me – the rooster!
The bear and the wolf were delighted and went to the hut. The bear said:
– You go first!
– No, you’re stronger, go yourself!
The bear went in. As soon as he entered, the bull pressed him against the wall with his horns! Then everyone rushed in: the ram nudged the bear in the side – he fell. The pig bit him, tearing his fur; the goose pecked at his eyes and ears; and the rooster, perched on a beam under the ceiling, shouted:
– Bring it here, bring it here!
The wolf and the fox heard this, got scared, and fled into the forest. The bear, barely alive, chased after them. He caught up with the wolf and said:
– Oh, my friends, I’ve never felt such fear! I just entered and the “owner” (the bull) clutched me to the wall. Then people attacked me from all sides: some beat, some tore, some stabbed my eyes with a awl and ripped my ears. And another one sat under the ceiling shouting, “Bring it here, bring it here!” If they had brought it, death would have come to me. I barely escaped with my legs!
After that, none of the animals wanted to approach the wintering place again.
In the hut the animals realized that together they were stronger. They lived more friendly and warmer. From then on they always helped each other and never again boasted about wintering alone.
Diligence and foresight
– The bull showed wisdom by preparing for winter in advance, while the others relied on chance.
– Highlights the importance of planning and preparing for hardships.
Friendship and mutual assistance
– Despite initial disagreements, the animals found a way to live together.
I- n a critical moment they united against a common danger.
Fear and imagination
– The bear was so frightened by the unexpected resistance that his imagination greatly exaggerated reality.
– The wolf and the fox believed the bear’s terrifying story without checking the truth themselves.
Why did the bull decide to build a house while the others refused?
Did the bull act correctly by letting his friends in, even though they had previously refused to help him?
How were the animals able to defeat the bear, the wolf, and the fox even though they were much weaker?
What would have happened if each animal had stayed to winter alone?
What lesson can be taken from this fairy tale for one’s own life?
The Golden Fish
Once there lived an old man and an old woman on an island in the middle of the sea. They had no children and lived in a shabby cottage in poverty. The woman ran the household, and the man caught fish with a net.
One day the old man went to the sea and spent the whole day trying to catch even a single fish, but the net brought up only mud and seaweed.
At last he decided to cast the net into the sea one more time. When he pulled it up and examined it, there was still no fish. Dejected, he began to roll up the net and, to his surprise, saw a tiny golden fish.
He lifted the fish in his hands, and it spoke to him in a human voice:
– Release me, old man, back into the sea; I will be of use to you: whatever you wish, I will do.
The old man thought for a moment, smiled, and answered:
– Swim away, little fish, be free. What do I, an old man, need? A net to catch food; a roof over my head is already there.
He let the golden fish slip back into the water and returned home. His wife asked:
– Did you catch much, husband?
– I caught only one golden fish, and I let it go. It begged me, “Release me into the blue sea; I will be of use to you—whatever you wish, I’ll do!” I felt sorry for the fish and released it for free.
– You fool! You had a great fortune in your hands and you threw it away!
The old woman raged, scolding her husband from dawn till dusk, never letting him rest:
– At least ask the fish for some rye bread! Soon the crust will be gone; what will you eat? Go, bow to the fish, and ask for a loaf of rye!
The old man could not stand it any longer. He went to the sea and called the fish:
– Fish, fish! Appear, great fish‑queen!
The golden fish swam to the shore:
– What do you need, old man?
– My wife is angry and won’t leave me alone. She asks for rye bread.
– Go home; you will have plenty of bread.
The old man returned: