Pushkin's World
"Pushkin's Skazki" by Aleksey Styrkas (age 6). Russian School "Friendship", Kingston upon Thames, UK
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"The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish" by Sofia Bahmutova (age 7). Friendship Society, Erith, Kent, UK
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"U Lukomorya" (by the bay) - the Prologue to "Ruslan and Ludmila"
This is the video of a lovely verse-picture of the world of the Russian folk tale (skazka in Russian). It forms the introduction to Pushkin's first skazka-poem "Ruslan and Ludmila", the story of a prince, Ruslan, who rescues his beloved princess Ludmila from the clutches of a wicked wizard called Chernomor.
This is the video of a lovely verse-picture of the world of the Russian folk tale (skazka in Russian). It forms the introduction to Pushkin's first skazka-poem "Ruslan and Ludmila", the story of a prince, Ruslan, who rescues his beloved princess Ludmila from the clutches of a wicked wizard called Chernomor.
Pushkin started writing as a child and continued all his life. He wrote poems, stories and folk tales. The folk tales were said to be inspired by the stories he had heard from his old nanny.
You can read another English translation of the poem below.
You can read another English translation of the poem below.
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Ruslan and Lyudmila: The Prologue
On the curved strand a green oak grows, On the green oak a golden chain, And on it round and round there goes The cat of knowledge, night and day – Goes to the right and sings a ditty, Goes to the left, begins a tale. Strange beings are there: there roams the leshy, A mermaid swings a fishy tail; There on the paths untrod by humans Are footprints of unheard-of beasts; A house on chicken's legs from romance Stands without windows, doors or gates; There hill and dale are full of visions; There as dawn comes, the waves are breaking Upon an empty, sandy shore, And thirty champions come striding Out of the waters, noble, handsome, And after them the ocean's lord; |
There the prince charming as he passes Takes prisoner a fearsome tsar; There in the clouds before the masses, Above the woods and seas, to war A wizard leads a knight-at-arms; A queen there sorrows in her chamber, A grey wolf faithfully attends her; There Baba Yaga's fearful mortar Comes rushing home with clash and clatter; There golden Kashchey meets his fate... All Rus's magic lies in wait! There too was I, and sipped the honey; The green oak by the strand I saw; Beneath its shade the cat of knowledge Told me its tales. I can recall Just one of them, and over tea I'll tell it to society. Translated into English by Peter France. Published in “The Penguin Book of Russian Poetry", ed. Robert Chandler, Boris Dralyuk, Irina Mashinski. Penguin Classics, 2015, ISBN 9780141198309. |
The leshy is a woodland spirit. Can you find a house on chicken's legs, the ocean's lord, a wizard, Baba-Yaga and her mortar, and Kashchey in Russian folk tales?
Rus, as you might have guessed, is an old word for Russia. You will find out more in History.
Rus, as you might have guessed, is an old word for Russia. You will find out more in History.
The skazki weren't just stories for children though - the language is so beautiful and they are so interesting that you can enjoy them at any age. This is another tale, written when Pushkin was older:
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A Tale about a Fisherman and a Fish
By the very edge of the blue sea lived an old man and his old woman. For three and thirty years they had lived in a tumbledown hut made of mud. The old man caught fish in his fishing net; the old woman span with her spinning wheel. One day the old man cast his net and all he caught in his net was slime. The old man cast his net a second time and all he caught in his net was weed. A third time the old man cast his net and what he found in his net was a fish -- no ordinary fish, but a golden fish. The fish begged, the fish begged and implored; the fish prayed in a human voice: 'Release me, set me free in the sea -- and in return you'll receive a grand ransom, I'll grant you whatever you wish.' The old man was amazed and frightened. Three and thirty years he had fished — and not once had he heard a fish talk. He returned the fish to the water, saying gently as he let her go free, 'God be with you, golden fish! I don't need your grand ransom. Off you go — into the deep blue sea! Swim free, swim where you wish!' The old man went back to his old woman and told her of this great wonder: 'Today I caught a fish in my net -- no ordinary fish, but a golden fish. The fish spoke, she spoke in our tongue; she begged to go home, into the blue sea. she promised me a splendid ransom; she said she would grant whatever I wished. But I didn't dare take this ransom. I set her free in the deep blue sea.' The old woman scolded her old man: 'Simple fool, fool of a simpleton! What stopped you taking this ransom? A mere fish — and you were too frightened! You could at least have got a new washtub. Ours is cracked right down the middle.' Off he went towards the blue sea. (The blue sea looked a little troubled.) He called out to the golden fish and the fish swam up and asked him, 'What is it, old man, what do you want?' The old man bowed to the fish and said, 'Have mercy on me, Sovereign Fish. My old woman is cursing and scolding me. Though I am old, she gives me no peace. She needs a new washtub, she says. Ours is cracked right down the middle.' The golden fish replied straightaway, 'Take heart — and God be with you! Outside your hut you'll find a new washtub!' The old man went back to his old woman. His old woman now had a new washtub, but she was cursing more fiercely than ever: 'Simple fool, fool of a simpleton, all you got from the fish was a washtub. What wealth can be found in a washtub? Get on back, you fool, to the fish. Bow down to the fish and say you want a handsome house built of wood.' Off he went towards the blue sea. (The blue sea was a little rough.) He called out to the golden fish and the fish swam up and asked him, 'What is it, old man, what do you want?' The old man bowed to the fish and said, 'Have mercy on me, Sovereign Fish. My old woman is cursing and raging. Though I am old, she gives me no peace. She wants a handsome house built of wood.' The golden fish replied straightaway, 'Take heart — and God be with you! You shall have your house built of wood.' The old man set off for his hut, but not a trace of his hut could he find. In its place stood a house built of wood with a whitewashed brick chimney and two strong gates hewn from oak. Sitting by the window was his old woman, swearing at him for all she was worth: 'Simple fool, fool of a simpleton, all you got from the fish was a house. Get on back, you fool, to the fish. I don't want to be a lowly peasant. I want to be a noble lady.' Off he went towards the blue sea. (The blue sea was not calm.) He called out to the golden fish and the fish swam up and asked him, 'What is it, old man, what do you want?' The old man bowed to the fish and said, 'Have mercy on me, Sovereign Fish. My old woman is shouting and swearing, cursing me for all she is worth. Though I am old, she gives me no peace. She doesn't want to be a lowly peasant. She wants to be a noble lady.' The golden fish replied straightaway, 'Take heart — and God be with you!' |
The old man went back to his old woman and saw? He saw a tall mansion. His old woman was standing there in the porch. She was wearing a splendid 'soul-warmer' -- a precious waistcoat trimmed with sable. On her head was a brocade head-dress; round her neck hung heavy pearls and gold rings encircled her fingers. On her feet were fine red boots and before her stood zealous servants; she was slapping them and pulling their hair. The old man said to his old woman, 'Good day, Lady Countess Baroness! I hope you've got all you want now!' The old woman flew at her husband and packed him off to work in the stables. A week passed, and another week. The old woman grew madder than ever. She sent her old man back to the fish: 'Go back to the fish, bow low and say I don't want to be a fine lady -- I want to be a mighty tsaritsa.' The old man took fright. He implored her: 'What's got into you, woman? Are you crazy? Have you been eating black henbane? You don't know how to walk like a tsaritsa, You don't know how to talk like a tsaritsa. You'll be the laughing stock of your tsardom.' The old woman flew into a fury. She struck her husband across the cheek: 'How dare you, peasant, answer me back? How dare you talk like that to a lady? Back you go again to the sea — or, upon my word, You'll be dragged there against your will.' Off he went towards the blue sea. (The blue sea was blacker than black.) He called out to the golden fish and the fish swam up and asked him, 'What is it, old man, what do you want?' The old man bowed to the fish and said, 'Have mercy on me, Sovereign Fish. My old woman is raging again. She doesn't want to be a fine lady. She wants to be a mighty tsaritsa.' The golden fish replied straightaway, 'Take heart — and God be with you! Your old woman shall be a tsaritsa.' The old man went back to his old woman. Before him stands a splendid palace and his old woman is there in the hall. She is a tsaritsa sitting at table. Nobles are standing and waiting on her, pouring her wines from over the seas while she nibbles on honeycakes. All around stand fierce-looking guards with sharp axes poised on their shoulders… The old man was frightened. He bowed to the ground and said, 'Greetings, O dread Tsaritsa -- and I hope you've got all you want now!' The old woman didn't look at him; she just ordered him out of her sight, and her nobles and courtiers came running and shoved the old man towards the door; and the guards ran up with their axes and all-but hacked him to pieces. and everyone laughed at the old man: 'Serves you right, you ignorant lout! Let this be a lesson to you, bumpkin! Don't get too big for your boots or sit in another man's sleigh!' A week passed, and another week. The old woman grew madder than ever. She sent her courtiers to fetch her husband. They found him and brought him before her and the old woman said to her old man, 'Go back, bow down to the fish. I don't want to be a mighty tsaritsa, I want to be a sea empress; I want to live in the Ocean-Sea with the golden fish as my servant to bring me whatever I ask for.' The old man did not dare say a word; he was too frightened to open his mouth. Off he went towards the blue sea. Raging there was a black storm! Waves were flinging up spray; angry waves were crashing and howling. He called out to the golden fish and the fish swam up and asked him, 'What is it, old man, what do you need?' The old man bowed to the fish and said, 'Have mercy on me, Sovereign Fish! What am I to do with the wretched woman? She no longer wants to be a tsaritsa, she wants to be a sea empress. She wants to live in the Ocean-Sea with you as her faithful servant to bring her whatever she asks for.' Not a word did the fish reply. She just slapped her tail on the water and dived deep into the blue sea. The old man waited and waited But that was all the answer he got. He went back — to a hut made of mud. His old woman was sitting outside it; And before her lay a broken washtub. Translated into English by Robert Chandler. Published in “Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov”, ed. Robert Chandler, Penguin Classics, 2012, ISBN 9780141442235. |
Now it's your turn!
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Why do you think the fish did what the fisherman asked?
Was the fisherman's wife grateful? Can you explain why, or why not? Why did the fish swim away without speaking to the fisherman at the end? What happened next? What do you think of the story? What would you ask the fish for? Do you think he would grant your wish? |
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Paint a picture of the cat and all the fantastic creatures in the first poem.
Paint a series of pictures to illustrate the story of the fisherman. You could do this on your own or share it with a group. Paint a picture of the fisherman when he first speaks to the fish. Paint a picture of the fisherman's wife at the end. Does she look angry, sad, happy or...? |
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Retell the fisherman's story in your own words.
Write a play about the fisherman and his wife and act it with your friends. |
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You can listen to the fisherman's story in Russian here: Youtube (1950 animated film, starts with the prologue to Ruslan and Ludmila. English subtitles)
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Can you find more fairytales by Pushkin on the internet or in the library? Which one is your favourite?
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MORE INFORMATION: Pushkin's writings in English
Alexander Pushkin, The Queen of Spades and Selected Works. Poems and prose, translated by Anthony Briggs. Pushkin Press 2012.
Alexander Pushkin, Eugene Onegin. Translated by Stanley Mitchell. Penguin Classics 2008
Alexander Pushkin, The Collected Stories. Everyman 1999
Alexander Pushkin, Tales of Belkin and Other Prose Writings. Translated by Ronald Wilks. Penguin Classics 1998
Robert Chandler (ed), Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov. Penguin Classics 2012
Robert Chandler (ed), Russian Short Stories from Pushkin to Buida. Incl. Pushkin’s The Queen of Spades. Penguin Classics 2005
Elaine Pogany, The Golden Cockerel: From the Original Russian Fairy Tale of Alexander Pushkin. Dover Children's Classics 2013
Alexander Pushkin, The Queen of Spades and Selected Works. Poems and prose, translated by Anthony Briggs. Pushkin Press 2012.
Alexander Pushkin, Eugene Onegin. Translated by Stanley Mitchell. Penguin Classics 2008
Alexander Pushkin, The Collected Stories. Everyman 1999
Alexander Pushkin, Tales of Belkin and Other Prose Writings. Translated by Ronald Wilks. Penguin Classics 1998
Robert Chandler (ed), Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov. Penguin Classics 2012
Robert Chandler (ed), Russian Short Stories from Pushkin to Buida. Incl. Pushkin’s The Queen of Spades. Penguin Classics 2005
Elaine Pogany, The Golden Cockerel: From the Original Russian Fairy Tale of Alexander Pushkin. Dover Children's Classics 2013
Which are your favourite poems and stories
If you read any of these books tell us which poems and stories by Pushkin you like best. Send a few words about why you like them with an extract or a picture to info@findoutaboutrussia.co.uk and we will share them here.
If you read any of these books tell us which poems and stories by Pushkin you like best. Send a few words about why you like them with an extract or a picture to info@findoutaboutrussia.co.uk and we will share them here.