Tsarevna the frog
(Russian folk tale)
taught by Liza (Russia), illustrated by Savannah and Khloe (USA), Ena (Croatia)
Once upon a time there lived a tsar. He had 3 sons. One day tsar told them:
"Please, marry! Shoot arrows. Where your arrows will fall, there you will find your wife".
The arrow of one son fell on rich merchant yard and he took his daughter. The arrow of second son fell on bojar yard and he married his daughter. The arrow of youngest son Ivan Tzarevich feel in swamp. He went to look for it and saw it in frog's mouth. He was very sad. But the frog told him:
"Why are you so sad, Ivan? Please, marry me".
Ivan took the frog.
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Soon three weddings were in tsar's palace. All sons and wives were happy but Ivan was very sad. All people laughed that he his wife was frog.
One day the tsar asked his daughters in law to cook bread. Ivan was very sad. But his wife told him to go to bed and not worry. Then frog put off her skin and became a pretty princess. She cooked the best bread. Tsar liked it very much.
One day the tsar asked his daughters in law to make a carpet. Again the frog made the best carpet.
Once the tsar had a big party. He invited many people. Ivan was very sad but frog told him: "Go do not worry. I will come."
People laughed at Ivan. They told him: "Where is your wife? Why did not your bring her in handkerchief?"
Later the frog came but she was not a frog. She was beautiful woman.
Ivan ran home and put frog skin into the fire. When his wife came home she was very sad. She told: "Oh, Ivan! Why did you do it! Why you did not wait for 3 more days? Kashey Deathless put magic on me to be frog for 3 years. My term would finish in 3 days. But now I must go to Kashey for ever!"
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And she disappeared.
Ivan was very sad and went to save his wife. He was going through forests, swamps, climbed mountains but could not find his wife.
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One day he met Baba Yaga. She explained him the way. She told: "You can not kill Kashey Deathless. But you can do following. Go to deep forest and see a high oak. There is a box on the top of the oak. The hare is in the box. The bird is in the hare. The egg is in the bird. Keshey's death is in this egg if you break it."
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Ivan told thank you and started to go.
He was very hungry and wanted to eat the bear. But bear told him in human voice: "Ivan, do not kill me! I will be very useful for you."
Then Ivan wanted to eat the hare but hare told him in human voice: "Ivan, do not kill me! I will be very useful for you."
Ivan wanted to shoot the bird. But bird told him in human voice: "Ivan, do not kill me! I will be very useful for you."
Ivan was very and very hungry. He saw a pike on sea shore and wanted to eat it. But pike told him in human voice: "Ivan, do not eat me! I will be very useful for you. Please, put me into water. " Ivan felt sorry for the pike and put her into the sea.
Finally, Ivan found the oak tree with box. It was high to the sky! Ivan was sad. But bear appeared and dropped the tree. The tree feel and the box broke. Hare ran out of it and started to run. Suddenly another hare who was not eaten by Ivan ran after and stopped box hare. Bird flew out from the hare and wanted to fly away but another bird stopped her. Egg fell from bird into the sea! Ivan was very unhappy. He sat near the sea and began to cry. But his pike swam and gave him the egg. Ivan broke the egg and suddenly his beautiful wife appeared. She told: "I am free now."
They came home and lived together for a long time very happily.
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