Russian Folk Tales
Baba Yaga, the Firebird, enchanted kingdoms and resourceful travellers appear in these Russian tales, alongside related Slavic material identified in the sources. The English versions come through different nineteenth- and early twentieth-century collections.
Names, helpers and endings can change between versions. The source note matters particularly when a familiar villain appears in a different kind of adventure. Read the individual guidance for violence, coercion or tragic outcomes.
17 stories are in this collection right now.
Browse by region: Russia.
Russian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Woe Bogotir
A poor man picks up a ragged spirit called Bitter Woe who rides on his shoulders and drinks away his goods, until he tricks Woe into a pit full of gold.
Russian Folk Tales
Ivanoushka the Simpleton
Mocked as a fool, Ivanoushka rides his father's magic horse to win a princess, then sells his treasures to his boastful brothers for toes, fingers and ears.
Russian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Language of the Birds
When a nightingale foretells that his father will serve him, a merchant's son is cast adrift, and his gift for bird talk saves a ship and wins a princess.
Russian Folk Tales
Seven Simeons
A lonely tsar recruits seven peasant brothers with odd talents, from building a sky-high pillar to stealing, to carry off a proud island king's daughter.
Russian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Tsarevna Frog
Forced to marry the frog who caught his arrow, Ivan finds she is the wise Vassilissa, but burning her skin too soon sends him on a quest against Kostshei.