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Russian Fairy Tales from the cold northen villages and forests where Europe meets Asia. Each Fairy Tale Story is like a dark poem of a land shrowed under the Midnight Sun of the North.

Russian Fairy Tales
Translated By Zeluna.net


The Brothers Frost
I love how playful the frost fairies come across in this fairy tale. There is a tendancy in Russian stories to depict them as dour, but in this story they skip through the forest and plan their mischief. 

The Shepherd's Flute
A sheepherd is so good at playing a flute that those who hear it must dance. A skill he uses to get revenge on an employer who mistreated him.

The Bear and the Man
Similar to a number of other European fairy tales in which a man tricks a creature by offering them all the tops of turnips and roots or rye. The difference is that as with Asian fairy tales this fairy tale depicts an animal rather then a troll or devil. 

The Girl in the Well
This story depicts a girl who enters an alternative world at the bottom of a well where she works hard and earns her fortune.

Snorgurashka and the Fox
A fox saves a little girl who gets lost in the forest and is rewarded.

The Fox and the Wolf 
Russian Fairy Tale translated by Zeluna.net about a tricky fox who torments a wolf. This fairy tale shows the transition from Asia where they are fairy like figures to Europe.

The Wind, Frost, and the Sun
This Russian Fairy Tale shows the importance of carefully choosing who to show respect to as there are many forces of nature which are each easily angered.

Baba Yaga II
The tale of a girl who's father takes her out to Baba Yaga to be the witches servent.

The Goat's Kids and the Wolf
A wolf tricks a goat's kids and devours them but the goat gets its revenge. 

The Fox and the Sick Lion
A sick lion tears appart all his guests except for the clever fox.

The Old Man and the Fox
An old man climbs with his wife up to the sky on a magic bean stalk and he seeks revenge on a fox. This appears to be two seperate tales put together in a strange way.

The Fox and the Wolf's Honey
A fox steals a wolf's honey.

The Soldier's Christmas Carol
Some soldier's use caroling as a way to steal a Christmas goose.


The Wolf and the Quail
A wolf learns that a bird in the hand is better then a small herd of imagined calves.

The Old Man and the Wolf
An wolf keeps demanding that an old farmer feed him until the old farmer snaps.

More Tales From the Mari-El Region of Russia

Taken From Russian Fairy Tales by W.R.S. Ralston, M.A.   

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. PAGE. The Folk-tale in general, and the Skazka in particular--Relation of Russian Popular Tales to Russian Life--Stories about Courtship, Death, Burial and Wailings for the Dead--Warnings against Drink, Jokes about Women, Tales of Simpletons--A rhymed Skazka and a Legend 15 

THE FIEND 
A girl meets a stranger at a party, he is kind to her and all the guests and they soon fall in love, and that is when the trouble begins. A dark russian folk tale of cannabalism, death and rebirth.

THE DEAD MOTHER 
A mans wife dies leaving his baby with no source of food, a short Russian Folk Tale of  how even in death those who love may try to return and the horror that may resault.

THE DEAD WITCH
 
In this Russian Folk Tale a witch dies, leaving her daughter with specific instructions on how to deal with the body, as she knows that the demons are comming for the body.

THE TREASURE
An old mans wife dies, and he wishes to bury her but the priest of the town is greedy and refuses to allow him to bury her at the grave, or to preform a funeral without money. So the man must bury her himself, in the process of doing so he is gifted with money which the priest attempts to steal and in the process looses his humanity. This folktale is a warning against greed, and of the dark plight of the Russian Peasents.

THE CROSS-SURETY
A Merchant goes broke and uses his cross as culateral to get a loan, and soon discovers that the power of the cross will not only require him to pay all debts and keep all promises but that it will aid him in doing so. This Russian Fairy tale helps to set the stage for all that comes after.

THE AWFUL DRUNKARD
A man dies leaving his son to care for his family, soon the son meets the devil and is invited to dine with him. While dining with the devils the youth has the oppertunity to free his father from the devils grasp.This is a strange Russian Fairy Tale showing the need to wlways give blame where do, and of how the devil may snatch any soul.

THE BAD WIFE 
A man tricks his wicked wife into a deep pit, later as he is checking the pit he by accedent frees and imp, who agrees to help him trick people into giving him money. A the end of this Russian Folk Tale the peasent must find a way to be free of the imps evil.

The Glovikha
A women attempts to gain power and learns a lesson about it, A Russian Folktale about the relationship between women and men.

THE THREE COPECKS 
The story of a hard working orphan boy, who takes pitty on the defenseless. And of a merchant who thinks greedy thoughts and is punished for his sins of averous. Another Russian foktale which shows the need for truthfulness in all dealings.

THE MISER 
A poor man lends a rich man a small amount of money, but the wealthy man goes to great lengths to avoid paying up, just as the poor man goes to great lengths to get his money. A funny Russian Folk tale of reversed tables with the rich trying to get out of a loan.

THE FOOL AND THE BIRCH-TREE 
A foolish brother sells his ox to a tree, thinking that the tree is speaking to him, as is usual in such stories his brothers make fun of him and the fool ends up with a great wealth.

THE MIZGIR 
A folktale about how the spiders came to save the world from flys, and gnats, and how a spider took pitty on a single fly.

THE SMITH AND THE DEMON 
An interesting aspect of Russian Folktales and folklore is shown by this fairy tale for it is about a smith who tortures a picture of a demon. As it turns out that in turn causes pain to a real demon, who punishes the smith for his actions. This story shows in the dark world of Russian Fairy Tales one must pay respect to evil as well as good.

CHAPTER II. MYTHOLOGICAL. _Principal Incarnations of Evil._ 
On the "Mythical Skazkas"--Male embodiments of Evil: 1. The Snake as the Stealer of Daylight; 2. Norka the Beast, Lord of the Lower World; 3. Koshchei the Deathless, The Stealer of Fair Princesses--his connexion with Punchkin and "the Giant who had no Heart in his Body"--Excursus on Bluebeard's Chamber; 4. The Water King or Subaqueous Demon--Female Embodiments of Evil: 1. The Baba Yaga or Hag, and 2. The Witch, feminine counterparts of the Snake 

IVAN POPYALOF 
A boy builds a great mace with his father and then sets out to slay a family of snakes which is blocking out the sun, but part way through the battle he must call on his brothers for aid and they must use all their cunning to achieve victory. One of the more adventuresome folktales.

THE NORKA 
A king is tormented by a monster which eats the animals in his garden so his youngest son battles the beast which flees into the other world. In this Russian Folktale the hero must travel into the strange other world to gain victory over his enemy. 

MARYA MOREVNA 
One of the more intresting pieces of folklore for in this fairy tale it is the women who is strong and carries the man to her home. In this story with some Blue Beard elements the Prince looses his wife when he frees a monster from a closet she tolde him never to enter and must set out to regain her with the help of his brother in laws. 

KOSHCHEI THE DEATHLESS 
A boys mother is taken by Koshchei an immortal monster, and he must travel far to free her from the man. And when he does find her he discovers he must travel even further to find an egg which holds the Key to Koschei's death. A common theme for a folk tale for an immortal to have his heart or some other thing hidden in a far away place.

THE WATER SNAKE 
A unique Russian Fairy Tale about a girl which marries a water snake and has two children and would perhaps have lived happily ever after until a tragedy strikes.

THE WATER KING AND VASILISSA THE WISE 
A King spares an eagle who agrees to give him a favor, and over time the eagle grows to be giant. Through happenstance the Kings sun is left in the wilderness to meet Baba Yaga and Vasilissa the Wise. This Russian fairy tale has many twists and turns, as it seems to move through a number of motifs.

The Female Personification of Evil in Russian Folk Tales.

THE BABA YAGA
A girls wicked step mother is related to Baba Yaga, and the mother sends her step daughter to be eaten by her aunt Baba Yaga. A Russian folktale which introduces Baba Yaga as an aristocratic figure with servents, a dark fairy tale of cannabalism, as will as of aid through friends and pity.

VASILISSA THE FAIR
A sort of Cinderella story in which the wicked step sisters send Vasilissa out one day to be eaten by Baba Yaga whom they know. But Vasilissa has help from a magical doll which her mother gave her on her death bed. This is a long Russian Fairy Tale in which the main character must enter and serve Baba Yaga to servive.

THE WITCH 
Much the same as many stories a witch is bringing death to a village and a Cossack slices off her arm allowing her to be identified later, however this story is unique in that the witch rather then being a monster or beast is a women all in white as her manifestation of death. 

THE WITCH AND THE SUN'S SISTER 
Prince Ivan Must find a home, yet at first all he comes to say they will soon die causing him to cry. He eventually finds a home with the suns sister. However as with all fairy tales he must travel forth to discover what has happened to his old home.  However on returning to his old home his sister tries to eat him.


CHAPTER III. MYTHOLOGICAL. _Miscellaneous Impersonations._ One-eyed Likho, a story of the Polyphemus Cycle--Woe, the Poor Man's Companion--Friday, Wednesday, and Sunday personified as Female Spirits--The Leshy or Wood-Demon--Legends about Rivers--Frost as a Wooer of Maidens--The Whirlwind personified as a species of Snake or Demon--Morfei and Oh, two supernatural beings 

ONE-EYED LIKHO 
In this story a smith realizes he has not yet seen evil so he sets out to find it with a taylor, and as with all people in Russian Fairy Tales those who search for evil will find true evil for the taylor is devoured by and the Smith looses his hand to a witch with one eye.

WOE, the Poor Man's Companion 
A poor man struggles hard for a loaf of bread from his rich brother then watches as his brother provides feasts to guests. Soon the man discovers that his companion is woe itself. 

 FRIDAY 
A women is punished by Mother Friday for disrespecting the day itself, and so the women must beg for forgivness. 

WEDNESDAY 
In this Russian Folk Tale a women is punished for spinning on Wensday.

VAZUZA AND VOLGA 
A short story about an arguement that ends in a race between two rivers, to the Caspian Sea.

SOZH AND DNIEPER 
Another short story of the rivelry between two rivers.

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE DNIEPER, THE VOLGA, AND THE DVINA 
A folktale of how three people turned into the three rivers Dnieper, Volga, and The Dvina

FROST 
A Wicked step mother has her husband take his daughter (her step Daughter) into the wilderness to marry the Frost, but the girl is so kind that Frost takes pity on her and gives her gifts. So the women asks the man to take out her wicked step daughters, to see Frost they being wicked however freeze to death.. In the Harsh winters of Russia the cold makes sounds, of the trees cracking, and so this very real force is given a nature.

 THE BLIND MAN AND THE CRIPPLE
A prince and his wise man set out to marry a Princess who set tasks to get married, and the wise man helps the prince finish these tasks. However the Princess even in maraige is cruel and always thinking of ways to get rid of the Prince but the wise man always helps the prince. However the Princess manages one day to get the wise mans feet cut off then she leaves him in the woods, where he meets a blind hero, and together they live, and face down Baba Yaga. One of the longer Russian stories with a more complex plot.

PRINCESS HELENA THE FAIR 
In this story  a man dies asking his son to read prayers by his grave but only the youngest will do so as is common in folktales he is small and weak. But his comes up from the grave to help him win the princess by calling a magical horse for him.

CHAPTER IV. MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT. The Waters of Life and Death, and of Strength and Weakness--Aid given to Children by Dead Parents--Magic Horses, Fish, &c.--Stories about Brides won by a Leap, &c.--Stories about Wizards and Witches--The Headless Princess--Midnight Watchings over Corpses--The Fire Bird, its connexion with the Golden Bird and the Phoenix 

 EMILIAN THE FOOL
 
A pike is captured by a fool and offers to grant him magical powers in return for its life.

 THE WITCH GIRL 

 THE HEADLESS PRINCESS  
In this Fairy Tale story a boy sees a witch take her head off and in revealing her secret he causes her to die, and must face her undead wrath to keep her dead and survive himself.

 THE SOLDIER'S MIDNIGHT WATCH 
A soldier unknowingly flirts with an evil witch, and then discovers that she will attempt to kill him in the night from a Grandfather. However he learns how to defeat her in turn.

THE WARLOCK  
A wizard dies and has his daughter in laws come to his grave where he strangles one, then the other must come, but she uses a cross to defeat him. A short Russian folk tale of dark magic.


CHAPTER V. GHOST STORIES.
 Slavonic Ideas about the Dead--On Heaven and Hell--On the Jack and the Beanstalk Story--Harmless Ghosts--The Rip van Winkle Story--the attachment of Ghosts to their Shrouds and Coffin-Lids--Murderous Ghosts--Stories about Vampires--on the name Vampire, and the belief in Vampirism

THE FOX-PHYSICIAN 
An old man plants a cabbage which grows to the sky, and in climbing it his wife falls to the ground and dies, the a fox comes and offers to heal the women. Fairty tales such as this rarely have happy endings in Russia.

 THE FIDDLER IN HELL 
A fiddler stumbles into hell where he meets an old man who is being punished for greed, and is then captured by the fiends of hell. The fiddler is set to play until his strings break and then is escorted to the surface to get some more strings. In this Russin Fairy Tale we the fiddler must outsmart the fiends and then keep his promise to free the old man.

 THE RIDE ON THE GRAVESTONE
A Traveling Artisan meets an old friend who has been dead many years and dines with him all night, then in the morning discovers the truth.

 THE TWO FRIENDS
A man goes to invite a dead friend to his wedding, however when he visits the dead friend 300 years pass by. 

THE SHROUD 
Some girls dare another to go take a picture from a grave, the girl does this at takes a corpses shroud as well, however corpses do not like to be robbed.

 THE COFFIN-LID 
A man steals an undeads coffin lid as the corpse goes out to kill. Then he blackmails the corpse into helping him bring the people back to life.

 THE TWO CORPSES 
A soldier is beset by a corpse which chases him into the territory of another corpse and they fight over who will get to eat him. A short folktale.

 THE DOG AND THE CORPSE 
A mans dog saves him by attacking a corpse that is trying to eat him, and rather then help the dog the man runs away a coward forever earning the wrath of the dog.

 THE SOLDIER AND THE VAMPIRE
A weird sort of vampire which steals its blood as a human would not for food but out of anger and spite. The soldier must defeat this dark creature. 

CHAPTER VI. LEGENDS. 1. _Saints, &c._ Legends connected with the Dog, the Izba, the Creation of Man, the Rye, the Snake, Ox, Sole, &c.; with Birds, the Peewit, Sparrow, Swallow, &c.--Legends about SS. Nicholas, Andrew, George, Kasian, &c. 329 2. _Demons, &c._ Part played by Demons in the Skazkas--On "Hasty Words," and Parental Curses; their power to subject persons to demoniacal possession--The dulness of Demons; Stories about Tricks played upon them--Their Gratitude to those who treat them with Kindness and their General Behavior--Various Legends about Devils--Moral Tale of the Gossip's Bedstead 

ELIJAH THE PROPHET AND NICHOLAS 
Elijah keeps trying to curse a faithful servent of Nicholas however Saint Nicholas works to protect the farmer from the misfortune.

THE PRIEST WITH THE GREEDY EYES 


THE HASTY WORD 



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