Introduction
If you listen closely, you can hear the old ones whispering among
themselves. They have been marked with death and it has caused a stir
among their kind; harsh, hateful neon ex's are stretched across their
textured bellies. This is a sign that their end is near and they know
it as soon as the men came, uncaring, to give them the kiss of death.
They shuffle away silently, leaving the old ones to contemplate their
fate and their time on earth.
A quiet dusk falls gently upon the Russian forest, sweeping out the
bits of light that crept through the canopy.
"I suppose this is the end of us..." said the Fir to his neighbors
quietly. The chilly wind rustled through his branches.
"I suppose it is, yes," answered the Elm sadly.
"Indeed, friends, our fate is to die now that we have been marked as
such," the Pine remarked as he gazed upon the orange ex's that seemed
to stare him down.
"What will become of the animals after we are gone and cannot protect
them any longer?" the Asp asked anxiously.
"They will either perish or flee when the chainsaws and axes and men
come for us," the Elm replied in a still voice. A few moments of
silence settled between them.
Perhaps you have never given much thought to the
settings of fairy tales that provide a background for scenes of triumph
and tragedy in fairy tales. In Russian Tales, the forests presence is
pervasive and sets some unusual and unforgettable stores. I am writing
about Old Peter's Russian Tales. I will be retelling four stories from
the point of view of the trees in the forest, with help from creatures
of the forest that are able to mobilize and fill in the details of the
story that the trees may have missed. The focus of these stories are
the forest and the role they play in these stories, as a background or
as a plot device. They add an atmosphere of gloom or of hope depending
upon the story and the circumstances.
Interestingly enough, Arthur Ransome, the author of
this story collection, is not well known for this story collection; he
is better known for his novel series called Swallows and Amazons. After
a libel suit and consequently a strained marriage, he fled to Russia to
study their folklore and complied this story collection. Additionally,
he became a reporter for the eastern front during World War II and a
Bolshevik sympathizer during the Russian Revolution.
The first story that I retell is a tale about the
witch Baba Yaga. There are many stories of her, but I am retelling the
one in this particular collection. The forest plays a large and
important part in this story and it is a good tale to begin with. There
are familiar elements of fairy tales here, with a cruel stepmother and
talking animals. Yet, as you will notice, it has a distinctly Eastern
European feel to it.
The second story I plan to retell would be The
Hunter and his Wife. The woods play a pivotal part in this story as
well and it is a very different story form Russian folklore than I have
ever red before and I think it will be a good solid story to retell.
This fairy tales strikes me as having a morbid ending and not being a
tale for children; which is why I retell it in a gentler fashion.
The third story I will be retelling is The Cat Who Became
Head Forester. This fairy tale has the familiar element of talking
animals. I think this story will be a little different, but it fits the
theme perfectly and might surprise readers a little. I think that this
is the best story in this collection.
The fourth story I will be retelling is Frost. This
story is unusual, despite its familiar elements of evil stepmother and
evil step sisters. The forest plays the role of backdrop in this tale,
but I will retell it in a more relevant way.
Coverpage
Image Information: Trees. Web Source: Desktop
Scenes
Baba Yaga
The Hunter and His Wife
The Cat Who Became Head Forester
Frost