"She gave him a touchstone and flint"

FOLK TALES
FROM THE RUSSIAN

RETOLD BY

VERRA XENOPHONTOVNA KALAMATIANO DE BLUMENTHAL

Core Collection Books, inc.

GREAT NECK, NEW YORK

BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

First Published 1903 Reprinted 1979

International Standard Book Number0-8486-0216-1

Library of Congress Catalog Number 78-74512

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FOREWORD

In Russia, as elsewhere in the world, folklore is rapidlyscattering before the practical spirit of modern progress. Thetraveling peasant bard or story teller, and the devoted "nyanya",the beloved nurse of many a generation, are rapidly dying out, andwith them the tales and legends, the last echoes of the nation'searly joys and sufferings, hopes and fears, are passing away. Thestudent of folk-lore knows that the time has come when haste isneeded to catch these vanishing songs of the nation's youth and topreserve them for the delight of future generations. In sendingforth the stories in the present volume, all of which are here setdown in print for the first time, it is my hope that they mayenable American children to share with the children of Russia thepleasure of glancing into the magic world of the old Slavicnation.

THE AUTHOR.

THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

A List of Illustrations

Dedication

Notes

FOLK TALES

The Tsarevna Frog

Seven Simeons

The Languageof the Birds

Ivanoushka the Simpleton

Woe Bogotir