Folk Tales from the RussianBlumenthal, Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de
General
Folk Tales from the Russian
Blumenthal, Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de
Folklore -- Russia; Tales -- Russia
"That's a joke!" exclaimed the rich brother. "Without a ruble in
thy pockets, stupid fellow! Thou evidently desirest to imitate rich
people," and then the rich brother laughed and laughed at him. But
at the same time he got very anxious to know how it was with his poor
brother, so he went without delay to the new place. When he arrived
there he could not believe his eyes. His poor brother seemed to be
quite rich, perhaps richer than himself. Everything bespoke wealth
and care. The host treated his brother and the brother's family most
kindly and was very hospitable. They had good things to eat and plenty
of honey to drink, and all became talkative. The brother who had been
poor related everything about Woe, how he decided to deceive him and
how, free from such a burden, he was getting to be a very happy man.
The rich man grew eager and thought:
"Is he a fool? Out of so many pots, to take only one! Fool and nothing
but fool! If one has money, even the Bitter Woe is not too bad."
So at once he decided to go in search of the stone, to remove it, to
take the treasure, the whole treasure, and to send Woe Bogotir back to
his brother.
No sooner thought than done. The rich brother said good-by and went
away, but did not go to his wealthy home. No, he hurried to the stone.
He had to toil hard with the heavy stone, but finally moved it just
a little, and had not time to look inside when the hidden Bogotir had
jumped out and onto his shoulders.
The rich man felt a burden, oh, what a heavy burden! looked around and
perceived the hideous monster. He heard this monster whisper in his
ear:
"Thou art bright! Thou didst want to let me perish in that pit?
Now, dearest, thou wilt not get rid of me; now we shall always be
together."
"Stupid Woe," began the rich man; "it was not I who hid thee under the
stone; it was my brother; go to him."
But no, Woe would not go. The monster laughed and laughed.
"All the same, all the same," he answered to the rich man. "Let us
remain dear companions."
The rich man went home under the heavy burden of the misery-giving
Woe. His wealth was soon lost, but his brother, who knew how to get
rid of Woe, was prosperous and is prosperous to this day.
BABA YAGA
[Illustration] Somewhere, I cannot tell you exactly where, but
certainly in vast Russia, there lived a peasant with his wife and they
had twins--son and daughter. One day the wife died and the husband
mourned over her very sincerely for a long time. One year passed, and
two years, and even longer. But there is no order in a house without a
woman, and a day came when the man thought, "If I marry again possibly
it would turn out all right." And so he did, and had children by his
second wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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