Born January 18, 1884, Arthur Ransome was a British author of stories for children among other texts. His contribution to the world of folklore is the notable Old Peter’s Russian Tales, which features Russian folk tales told for English children. Unlike other Russian folklore authors, he rewrote his stories using multiple variants of the same stories, and inserting the new characters of Old Peter, Vanya and Maroosia. Old Peter tells the stories in the text to Vanya and Maroosia.
This chapter is not one of old Peter’s stories, though there are, doubtless, some stories in it. It tells how Vanya and Maroosia drove to the village to see a new baby. Old Peter had a sister who lived in the village not so very far away from the forest. And she had a plump…
One evening, when they were sitting round the table after their supper, old Peter asked the children what story they would like to hear. Vanya asked whether there were any stories left which they had not already heard. “Why,” said old Peter, “you have heard scarcely any of the stories, for there is a story…
Long ago there lived a King, and he had three daughters, the loveliest in all the world. He loved them so well that he built a palace for them underground, lest the rough winds should blow on them or the red sun scorch their delicate faces. A wonderful palace it was, down there underground, with…
It sometimes happened that the two children asked too many questions even for old Peter, though he was the kindest old Russian peasant who ever was a grandfather. Sometimes he was busy; sometimes he was tired, and really could not think of the right answer; sometimes he did not know the right answer. And once,…
Once upon a time a strong and powerful Tzar ruled in a country far away. And among his servants was a young archer, and this archer had a horse—a horse of power—such a horse as belonged to the wonderful men of long ago—a great horse with a broad chest, eyes like fire, and hoofs of…
Alenoushka and her Brother Once upon a time there were two orphan children, a little boy and a little girl. Their father and mother were dead, and they had not even an old grandfather to spend his time in telling them stories. They were alone. The little boy was called Vanoushka, and the little girl’s…
Once upon a time a horse’s skull lay on the open plain. It had been picked clean by the ants, and shone white in the sunlight. Little Burrowing Mouse came along, twirling his whiskers and looking at the world. He saw the white skull, and thought it was as good as a palace. He stood…
“This,” said old Peter, “is a story against wanting more than enough.” Long ago, near the shore of the blue sea, an old man lived with his old woman in a little old hut made of earth and moss and logs. They never had a rouble to spend. A rouble! they never had a kopeck….
Sometimes in spring, when the big river flooded its banks and made lakes of the meadows, and the little rivers flowed deep, old Peter spent a few days netting fish. Also in summer he set night-lines in the little river not far from where it left the forest. And so it happened that one day…
Once upon a time there were two brothers, peasants, and one was kind and the other was cunning. And the cunning one made money and became rich—very rich—so rich that he thought himself far too good for the village. He went off to the town, and dressed in fine furs, and clothed his wife in…