The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales

The third evening of the wedding-feast had come, and with music and singing the whole village escorted the young couple to their house. They were to have a house of their own, a...

The little boy did not know what to do with himself, for they were very busy getting dinner ready against his father's return from the zemstvo. He did not know how to play in th...

You would hardly know the village. As you looked down the street it would seem as if a forest of tall masts and poles had suddenly sprung up. Before every house they stood, two...

The happy day had come. The little boy was all ready for the journey, dressed in a colored shirt hanging over his full trousers--the white shirt must be kept clean for Sunday, y...

The dinner was over, the plates washed and put away, and grandmother was busy with her spinning. The little boy was amusing himself with some bits of wool that had fallen to the...

Then they all went to the parents' room for the morning prayer. They did this every morning, for Russian peasants are very devout; but Easter was a special morning, and they san...

Next morning was the wedding-day, and the bustle began bright and early, for the table must be spread with all the good things, and the korowai in the centre. Then every one put...

It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath. After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes. His white shirt, which he...

So there were few men to work in the fields, and all the women and girls must go. This they were used to; it was so every year. The little boy's mother was there, and his sister...

The little boy's father was starosta, that is, Elder of the village, and the house the little boy lived in was grander than any other, on whichever side of the long street you m...

There was a great shouting and hurrahing in the court, for the moujiks had found the sheep and were driving them home. The little boy ran out to see them come in. They were trem...

"It is such a good thing to be patient," said the grandmother, "and so hard to learn, that I am sure you deserve a reward. So come in and shut the door tight, and I will tell yo...

It was the joyous threshing-time. The summer's work was over. The harvest had been good, and from all the fields the high-piled carts were bringing the sheaves to the threshing-...

There were many men gathered in the little boy's house, for the time of the zemstvo was drawing near, and the men of the village must choose one of their number to go away to th...

There were great doings in the little boy's house. Grandmother was standing at the long table beating up the dough of the korowai for the eldest sister's wedding, for grandmothe...

The little boy could hardly eat at supper-time, and as soon as possible he ran to his grandmother's room. She was knitting in the dark, for the stock of candles was getting low,...

The grandmother sat in her room spinning, and singing a sad little song. Grandmother's songs were always sad, for that is the way with the songs of the Russian peasant women, wh...

It was already dark when they reached home, though it was not late, for January days are very short. There had been no children at the station, only men, and the walk home had s...

It was very interesting in the little boy's house the next day, for the mother was getting ready for the journey and the sisters were helping. There was food to be cooked and th...

A very delightful surprise awaited the little boy. A few days after the meeting in his house his mother told him that the mir had elected his father deputy to the zemstvo. In a...

The little boy could not sleep. The room was full of people very excitedly talking about the action of the zemstvo on some subject of importance, and although he did not underst...

The snow had fallen heavily, and some of the sheep were missing. The two moujiks put on their warm sheepskin clothes and went to look for them, taking Watch, the sheep-dog, with...

The little boy was playing in the court with the moujik's dog that helped to guard the sheep. It was a clear, cold day, but the little boy was not cold, for he had on his warm q...

It was the fête-day of the little boy's mother, and she was dressed in the beautiful clothes that had been her mother's and her grandmother's festival clothes. Her gown, which s...

Spring was coming on finely, and everybody was at work in the fields--everybody, that is, who was not in the army. From every one of the wooden houses that stood on either side...