Виктор Мазанов – Tales of Wisdom. Insights from Russian Folklore (страница 14)
– The fish granted wishes, but the old man never considered where they would lead.
– The wife used miracles for power, not for good deeds.
Why did the fish grant the first wishes but not the last one?
How did the old woman change with each new gift?
What did the old man feel when his wife forced him to ask the fish again and again?
If you had three wishes from the fish, how would you use them?
What does the ending of the tale teach us?
The Little House
At the very edge of the forest, where pine roots intertwine with boulders, there stood an abandoned winter shelter. Hunters had built it to wait out bad weather and then continue hunting. It was tiny, like a children’s playhouse, but warm: the door was only a child’s height (an adult could pass only by bending three times), the windows were the size of a palm. It was made this way so that the cold could not blow the heat out.
It had stood there for a very long time. All the people had forgotten it and never came near. Over many years the walls of resin‑filled logs had blackened, and the roof, covered with bark, had become overgrown with emerald moss.
It would have stayed empty, but one day a fly (a buzzing, angry fly) was caught in a hailstorm. Looking for a place to wait out the weather, she saw the little house, knocked on the window and buzzed:
– Little house, little house, who lives inside, who lives up high? Let the bad weather stay inside!
No one answered. The fly found a crack and slipped inside. No one was there, but it was dry and warm, so the fly decided to stay.
Soon a mouse (a little field mouse) ran by, also looking for shelter from the storm:
– Little house, little house, who lives inside, who lives up high? Let the bad weather stay inside!
– I am the angry fly. Who are you?
– I am the mouse.
– Shall we live together?
The mouse darted into the house, and they began to live together. The fly brewed tea, the mouse brought nuts.
A hare (a hopping bunny) came to the house. It was the first time he had seen such a place, and he was curious:
– Little house, little house, who lives inside, who lives up high?
– I am the angry fly!
– I am the mouse!
– And who are you?
– I am the hopping hare.
– Shall we live together?
The hare jumped into the house, and they all lived together. The fly brewed tea, the mouse brought nuts, the hare tended the garden.
One day a fox (a sly little fox) learned that someone lived in the house nearby. She became curious and ran to it:
– Little house, little house, who lives inside, who lives up high?
– I am the angry fly.
– I am the mouse.
– I am the hopping hare.
– And who are you?
– I am the little fox.
– Shall we live together?
The fox climbed into the house, and they all lived together. The fly brewed tea, the mouse brought nuts, the hare tended the garden, the fox kept the house tidy and baked pies.
A wolf (a gray, barrel‑shaped wolf) once smelled delicious pies in the forest. Curious, he followed the scent to the house:
– Little house, little house, who lives inside, who lives up high?
– I am the angry fly.
– I am the mouse.
– I am the hopping hare.
– I am the little fox.
– And who are you?
– I am the gray wolf.
– Shall we live together?
The wolf entered the house, and they all lived together. The fly brewed tea, the mouse brought nuts, the hare tended the garden, the fox kept order and baked pies, the wolf guarded the house and repaired the roof.
Thus they lived in cramped but friendly conditions. In the morning they did their chores; in the evenings they sang songs together.
One day a bear (a clumsy bear) heard the songs and wondered who was singing. He approached the house:
– Little house, little house, who lives inside, who lives not so high?
– I am the angry fly.
– I am the mouse.
– I am the hopping hare.
– I am the little fox.
– I am the gray wolf.
– And who are you?
– I am the clumsy bear. I’m bored, and you all seem to have fun; may I come in as a guest?
The bear tried to get into the little house. He kept pushing and pushing, but could not fit, and said:
– I’ll just live on your roof instead.
– You’ll crush us!
– No, I won’t crush you.