Russian Fairy Tales

This most comprehensive collection of classic Russian tales available in English we meet both universal fairy- tale figures—thieves and heroes, kings and peasants, beautiful damsels and terrifying witches, enchanted children and crafty animals—and such uniquely Russian characters as Koshchey the Deathless, Baba Yaga, the Swan Maiden, and the glorious Firebird. The more than 175 tales culled from a centuries-old Russian storytelling tradition by the outstanding Russian ethnographer Aleksandr Afanasyev reveal a rich, robust world of the imagination that will fascinate readers both young and old. "Rambunctious, full-blooded, and temperamental, these stories are tense with action, magical and human. They are gorgeous." Eudora Welty "The oral folk tradition in Russia was truly a magic spring [that] flowed inexhaustibly, reviving, consoling, and enlightening all who partook of it." Time "Luckily someone garnered these jewels before they were lost [and] bound them into one volume. [They are] filled with action, magic, and humanity." St. Louis Globe-Democrat "A beautiful book. I recommend it to all readers, young and old, who are interested in the folktale and its unique qualities." Isaac Bashevis Singer, The New York Times Book Review