The Golden Fish : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 212 THE GOLDEN FISH. "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...
Spring In The Forest : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 120 SPRING IN THE FOREST. Warmer the sun shone, and warmer yet. The pines were green now. All the snow had melted off them, drip, drip, the falling drops of water making tiny wells in the snow under the trees. And the snow under...
Alenoushka And Her Brother : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 231 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...
The Little Daughter Of The Snow : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 122 THE LITTLE DAUGHTER OF THE SNOW. There were once an old man, as old as I am, perhaps, and an old woman, his wife, and they lived together in a hut, in a village on the edge of the forest. There were many people in the village; quite...
The Stolen Turnips, The Magic Tablecloth : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 155 THE STOLEN TURNIPS, THE MAGIC TABLECLOTH, THE SNEEZING GOAT, AND THE WOODEN WHISTLE. This is the story which old Peter used to tell whenever either Vanya or Maroosia was cross. This did not often happen; but it would be no use...
Who Lived In The Skull : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 228 WHO LIVED IN THE SKULL? 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...
The Fool Of The World And The Flying Ship : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 70 THE FOOL OF THE WORLD AND THE FLYING SHIP. There were once upon a time an old peasant and his wife, and they had three sons. Two of them were clever young men who could borrow money without being cheated, but the third was the Fool...
The Fire Bird, The Horse Of Power : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 242 THE FIRE-BIRD, THE HORSE OF POWER, AND THE PRINCESS VASILISSA. 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...
Little Master Misery : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 184 LITTLE MASTER MISERY. 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...
A Chapter Of Fish : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 206 A CHAPTER OF FISH. 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...
The Three Men Of Power Evening, Midnight : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 269 THE THREE MEN OF POWER--EVENING, MIDNIGHT, AND SUNRISE. 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...
Note : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. v NOTE The stories in this book are those that Russian peasants tell their children and each other. In Russia hardly anybody is too old for fairy stories, and I have even heard soldiers on their way to the war talking of very wise...
Prince Ivan, The Witch Baby, And The Little : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 136 PRINCE IVAN, THE WITCH BABY, AND THE LITTLE SISTER OF THE SUN. Once upon a time, very long ago, there was a little Prince Ivan who was dumb. Never a word had he spoken from the day that he was born--not so much as a "Yes" or a "No,"...
The Hunter And His Wife : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 260 THE HUNTER AND HIS WIFE. 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...
The Tale Of The Silver Saucer And The Transparent : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 18 THE TALE OF THE SILVER SAUCER AND THE TRANSPARENT APPLE. There was once an old peasant, and he must have had more brains under his hair than ever I had, for he was a merchant, and used to take things every year to sell at the big fair...
Baba Yaga : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 88 BABA YAGA. "Tell us about Baba Yaga," begged Maroosia. "Yes," said Vanya, "please, grandfather, and about the little hut on hen's legs." "Baba Yaga is a witch," said old Peter; "a terrible old woman she is, but sometimes kind enough...
Title Page : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], They sailed away once more over the blue sea. OLD PETER'S RUSSIAN TALES BY ARTHUR RANSOME WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, COVER DESIGN, AND DECORATIONS BY DMITRI MITROKHIN NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS [1916] Formattted , July 2008...
Untitled : * This is a book of Russian folklore retold for young people and the young at heart. The tales are a good sampling of Slavic mrchen, and the luminous prose counterposes the sometimes dark narratives. Ransome was the author of the popular 'Swallows and Amazons' childrens' books. He spent time...
The Hut In The Forest : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], OLD PETER'S RUSSIAN TALES. p. 11 THE HUT IN THE FOREST. Outside in the forest there was deep snow. The white snow had crusted the branches of the pine trees, and piled itself up them till they bent under its weight. Now and then...
Frost : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 54 FROST. The children, in their little sheepskin coats and high felt boots and fur hats, trudged along the forest path in the snow. Vanya went first, then Maroosia, and then old Peter. The ground was white and the snow was hard...
Sadko : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 40 SADKO. In Novgorod in the old days there was a young man--just a boy he was--the son of a rich merchant who had lost all his money and died. So Sadko was very poor. He had not a kopeck in the world, except what the people gave him...
The Cat Who Became Head Forester : * "Old Peter's Russian Tales", by Arthur Ransome, [1916], p. 106 THE CAT WHO BECAME HEAD-FORESTER. If you drop Vladimir by mistake, you know he always falls on his feet. And if Vladimir tumbles off the roof of the hut, he always falls on his feet. Cats always fall on their feet, on their four paws...
