A list of traditional tales
Examples of Fairy Tales: 17 Famous Stories to Know
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What's your favorite fairy tale? These memorable short stories often involve magic and legendary deeds. The fantastical characters found in a fairy tale include elves, fairies, witches, and dragons. Fairy tales are traditional stories told and retold through generations that are usually spun from folklore. Many were finally written down and have had lasting fame.
Cinderella
Cinderella grew up with an evil stepmother and stepsisters. They would not let her go to the prince's ball, but her fairy godmother made it happen with magic. Cinderella danced with the prince and they fell in love. Since she had to leave by midnight, she ran and lost one slipper. The prince found the slipper and searched for her. After he found her, they were married and lived happily ever after.
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Elves and the Shoemaker
A shoemaker and his wife were very poor. One day they ran out of leather, so they went to bed. In the morning, they found a pair of shoes and a passerby bought them. The next night, another pair of shoes appeared. The third night, they hid and saw two elves making shoes. In gratitude, they made clothes for the elves, as winter was approaching. The elves were very happy and went on to help someone else.
Emperor's New Clothes
A vain emperor hired two people to make him some new clothes. They tricked him, telling him the cloth was not visible to people unfit for his position or who were very stupid. At first, the people pretended to see the clothes, but a child says that he is not wearing clothes and people start to agree. The emperor realized he was swindled but continues the parade anyway.
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Frog Prince
A frog asked a princess why she was crying.
She replied that she had dropped her golden ball into the pond. The princess promised anything if he would get it for her. The frog got the ball for her, and asked to eat from her plate, live in the castle, and that she be his friend. She agreed, and the frog turned into a prince as he had been under a spell from a witch. They married and lived happily ever after.
The Gingerbread Man
A little old woman baked a gingerbread man, and when she took him out of the oven, he ran away. The woman, her husband and some of their animals chased him. No one could catch him. He came to a river and a sly fox told him he could jump on his tail and he would take him across. He did and the fox went deeper and the gingerbread man had to jump on his back and then on his nose. When he got to his nose, the fox ate him.
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Goldilocks saw a cabin in the woods and entered. There, she found three bowls of porridge. One was too cold, one too hot and the other just right, so she ate that one.
Goldilocks then found three chairs, one too hard, one too soft, and the little one was just right and she sat in it and broke it. Of the three beds, one was too hard, one too soft and one just right, so she fell asleep. The bears came home and frightened her and she ran away.
Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel's wicked stepmother took them into the forest and left them there. Soon, the children came upon a house made of sweets and they ate some. The evil witch that lived there locked them in a cage and was going to make a soup out of them. Gretel got out of the cage and pushed the witch into the boiling water. The children found treasure at the house. They took it home and they were never hungry again.
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Jack and the Bean Stalk
Jack took the family cow to sell and traded it for magic beans. His mother was angry and threw the beans out of the window. The next morning a giant beanstalk had grown. Jack climbed the beanstalk and found a giant there who had gold coins.
Jack stole them and took them home. Later, Jack returned and saw a hen that laid golden eggs and he stole that, too. The third time he tried to steal a magic harp and the harp cried out. The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk, but Jack chopped it down and the giant fell.
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood's mother sent her to Grandma's house with a basket of goodies and told her not to talk to strangers. A wolf asked her where she was going and she told him. He went to Grandma's house, locked Grandma in the cupboard and put on her clothes. Little Red Riding Hood was surprised at Grandma's eyes, ears and teeth, remarking on how big they were. The wolf said the teeth were better for eating, and he pounced. She screamed; when some woodcutters heard her cry, they ran in and rescued her.
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The Pied Piper of Hamelin
The town of Hamelin was overrun with rats. The Pied Piper offered to get rid of the rats for 50 pounds, and the mayor agreed.
He started playing his pipe. The rats followed him, and he led them into the harbor. He went back for his money, but the mayor only paid 20 pounds. The Pied Piper wanted to teach him a lesson, so he played his pipe and all the children followed him out of town. The mayor sent men to find the children, but they never found them again.
Pinocchio
Geppetto was a poor carpenter who carved a puppet that became alive. He named him Pinocchio and sent him to school. One day Pinocchio joined a puppet show, but the puppet master wanted him for firewood. He begged to be spared and told him about his poor father. He was spared, and the puppet master gave him five gold coins for his father. Pinocchio learned how to be honest and tell the truth and eventually became a real boy.
Princess and the Pea
A prince wanted to make sure he married a real princess. He devised a test for an unexpected guest who claimed she was a princess. He placed a pea beneath 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds, believing that only a princess could be sensitive enough to feel the small pea.
The next morning, the princess said she did not sleep because of something hard in her bed. The two were married and lived happily ever after.
Sleeping Beauty
A princess was born, and an old fairy placed a spell that she would prick her finger on a spindle when she was 16 and die. The good fairies made another spell so that she would only sleep for 100 years and a prince would awaken her. When she was 16, the witch, disguised as an old lady, showed her a spinning wheel, and the princess touched the spindle and fell asleep. The good fairies decided to make everyone sleep. After 100 years, a prince from another land found her and kissed her. Everyone awoke, they married and lived happily ever after.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White's evil stepmother wanted to be the fairest in the land and was jealous of Snow White's beauty. The stepmother ordered a huntsman to kill Snow White, but the huntsman spared her life. Snow White came upon a cottage that belonged to seven dwarfs, who let her stay.
Soon the wicked stepmother found her, disguised herself and took her a poison apple. Snow White fell into a deep sleep, and the dwarfs made a crystal coffin for her. Prince Charming came by the cottage, saw her, kissed her, and she awoke. They were married and lived happily ever after.
Three Little Pigs
Three pigs set out to build their own houses. One pig built a house of straw and the second a house of sticks because they were lazy. The third took the time to build a strong house with bricks. When the big bad wolf came, he huffed and puffed and blew the straw and stick houses down. He couldn't blow down the brick house, and the pigs put a pot of boiling water in the fireplace. The wolf fell into it and died.
Thumbelina
A woman wished for a baby, even a tiny one. A fairy granted her wish and gave her a seed to plant. When it bloomed, a tiny baby was inside. A toad fell in love with the baby and kidnapped her. A swallow rescued the baby and took her away to warmer lands.
There, Thumbelina found another tiny person just like her. He asked her to marry him and she became queen of the flowers.
Ugly Duckling
One duckling did not look like his brothers and sisters, and he was sad. He decided to run away. When he came across a cottage, he stayed there for a while but the children scared him. The duckling left and spent the winter in the pond. In the spring, he saw his reflection and realized he was a swan.
Importance of Fairy Tales
Types of Traditional Tales: Fairy Tales, Folktales, Fables, Myths, and more
Is it a folktale, a fairy tale, a fable, or a myth? With all those different types of traditional tales, it’s no wonder you become confused. So let me clear things up.
First, I need to make one caveat: I am an oral storyteller, not a folklorist. There are a lot of finer points on this page that people could argue about for ages (and they do!).
That being what it is, I work a lot with older, traditional stories.
It helps to have a working knowledge of the different types of traditional tales, both in searching for stories and telling them.
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What are the most common types of traditional tales?
| Type of tale | Examples | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| folktale | Stone Soup Goldilocks and the Three Bears | comedy, fools, tricksters, Pourquoi stories, explanation or warning |
| fairy tale | Cinderella Jack and the Beanstalk The Little Mermaid | magic, royalty, rags-to-riches, happy ending (more characteristics of fairy tales) |
| fable | The Tortoise and the Hare The Lion and the Mouse | short tale about animals acting as humans, moral lesson, allegory |
| myth | Norse myths Greek myths | explaining the universe (creation, natural phenomena, life after death, etc. ) |
| legend | Robin Hood Romulus en Remus William Tell | inspirational tale rooted in (local) history |
| tall tale | Paul Bunyan Baron Munchausen | entertaining stories, everything greatly exaggerated |
| ghost story | The Flying Dutchman Bloody Mary | scary stories, not always with ghosts |
In a world of sunlight, stories are the shadows cast by humankind, for it is humans, of course, who are the storytellers.
Jane Yolen, Favorite Folktales from Around the World
Types of traditional tales: definitions
Within what is called folklore, there is the genre of the folk(loric) narrative. Within that genre, you find all the different types of traditional tales.
What is a folktale?
A folktale (tale ‘of the folk’) is a fictional story passed down from generation to generation orally.
Examples of folktales collected by the Grimm Brothers:
Clever Hans
Looking for a Bride
The Wonderful Musician
💡 Not all the Brothers Grimm stories are fairy tales. Many of them are folktales, legends, fables, etcetera. I will give some examples below of each type of tale.
What is a fairy tale?
A fairy tale is a short fictional tale with human characters set in a magical fantasy realm. There are fairy tales that have been passed down orally from generation to generation and fairy tales that have been composed by a single writer.
Examples of fairy tales collected by the Grimm Brothers:
Rapunzel
The Juniper Tree
Cinderella
What is a fable?
A fable is a short fictional story about animal characters who speak and act like human beings.
A fable usually has a clear moral point.
Examples of fables collected by the Grimm Brothers:
The Wolf and the Man
Cat and Mouse in Partnership
The Fox and the Geese
What is a myth?
A myth is a sacred story that took place long before most things took place. It explains part of the cosmos and how it came to be like it is. Myths usually feature deities.
In the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library, you find two excellent collections of myths:
- Greek myths: Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece, G. Schwab
- Norse myths: The Norse Myths, K. Crossley-Holland
Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece
The Norse Myths
What is a legend?
A legend is a story rooted in history, usually about a person that really existed.
That does not mean that all parts of a legend really happened.
Examples of a legend collected by the Grimm Brothers:
The Maid of Brakel
What is a tall tale?
A tall tale is a hero story with fantastical elements, told as if it were true and factual.
Examples of tall tales collected by the Grimm Brothers:
- The Flail from Heaven
- Knoist and His Three Sons
I wrote a whole article about tall tales and how to tell them.
What is a ghost story?
A ghost story is a short, scary story.
Ghost stories have become a synonym for scary stories, so a ghost story does not need to include ghosts.
Examples of ghost stories collected by the Grimm Brothers:
The Stolen Farthings
The Willful Child
The Little Shroud
How to tell the different types of traditional tales
I hope the different types of traditional tales are clearer to you now. I work as a professional storyteller, and knowing which type of tale a story is, helps a lot.
Each type of tale asks for a slightly different way of telling.
| Type of tale | How to tell this type of tale |
|---|---|
| folktale | Folktales are about humans: their emotions, their vices, their interactions. The characters are flat (no inner psychology) and often cartoonish.Tell these stories with energy, exaggeration, and some humor. 💡 Tip: video of storyteller Ben Haggarty about telling folktales |
| fairy tale | Fairy tales need to evoke wonder and a feeling of magic. Ask yourself where you find the magic in the fairy tale. Visualize strong, multi-sensory, powerful images. 💡 Tip: blogpost How to Tell a Fairy Tale in 5 Steps |
| fable | Fables are simple stories with a clear lesson. Take some time to find the physicality of the animals in the fable. You don’t need to fully act them out, but it will inform your telling. |
| myth | Myths are originally sacred stories. They call for reverence and respect. Of course they contain many playful elements, but it is important not to forget the importance these stories once held for a whole culture. When telling a myth, a long line of ancestors is standing behind you. |
| legend | Legends are based on history. Make sure you know the history. Legends often contain parts that people will not believe. You might want to tell those with some winks and tongue in cheek humor. |
| tall tale | Tall tales are larger than life. Personally, I like to start them very believable and make them slowly more outrageous, to see how long I can get people to still believe me. You can also start outrageous and focus more on the comedic element. |
| ghost story | Ghost stories need the right atmosphere to tell them. Find and tell ghost stories that also scare you a little. 💡 I wrote a whole guide on telling scary stories. |
Below I have added some specific questions that people often ask. I have tried to answer them in a concise yet complete way.
What is the difference between fairy tales, folktales, and fables?
Fairy tales, folktales, and fables are all folk narratives.
Fairy tales are rooted in magic, while folktales are rooted in the real-world, human problems, and emotions. Fables have a clear moral and feature animals as the main characters.
| Type of tale | World | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| fairy tales | magical world, no time and place, problems are solved with magic | humans (+ fantasy creatures) |
| folktales | real-world, human problems and emotions, problems are often solved with wit | humans |
| fables | animal world, animals acting like humans, allegorical stories | animals |
Is a fairy tale fiction or non-fiction?
Fairy tales are fiction. Although fragments might be based on things that really happened, they seldom contain references to events or places in the real world.
What’s the difference between fairy tales, fantasy and science fiction?
Fantasy and science fiction are literary genres.
Fairy tales are a specific kind of story, a subgenre of fantasy. Science fiction deals with the future, whereas fairy tales and fantasy are primarily in the past. Science fiction usually doesn’t contain magic, while fairy tales and fantasy do.
Type of traditional tales: Sources
For this article, I did a lot of research. I asked contacts in a Reddit community, searched the web, and dove into my dusty books. Some sources that I used:
- Wikipedia on the Traditional Story
- Amber Pepper, knowledgeable folklorist on Quora
- Masterclass article on folktales and fairy tales (with some obvious faults)
- Sur La Lune (great site) on the question ‘What is a fairy tale?’
If you enjoyed this article, I think you will also enjoy my article on Pourquoi Tales.
Photo credits: OSPAN ALI on Unsplash
💡 Once a month, I send out an email with new writings on storytelling and fairy tales.
Russian folk tales - heroes and characters - Shchi.
ru
A fairy tale plays a significant role in a person's life. This is what he hears one of the first after birth; she also accompanies him in the next stages of growing up. Fairy tales are loved not only by children, but also by adults. Their deep philosophical meaning makes it possible to take a different look at ordinary things; understand the principles of good and evil; learn to believe in a miracle and not forget about your own role.
Moral values are transmitted through characteristic characters, each of which has its own folk prototype.
Runaway bunny, gray bunny, oblique - as soon as they do not call the animal in Russian folk tales. He is endowed with a cowardly, but at the same time friendly character. Fairy hare has cunning, dexterity and resourcefulness. A vivid example is the fairy tale "The Fox and the Hare", where a small animal turns from a cowardly animal into a savvy hero who managed to deceive even an evil wolf and help his friends.
In nature, hares do have cautious habits that help them avoid the teeth of predators. Our ancestors also knew this feature of the animal.
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Cunning, quirky, smart, treacherous, vindictive... What traits are not given to a fox in fairy tales. She deceives animals, looks for profit everywhere, is not afraid of people. The fox is friends with the strong, but only for his own benefit.
Cunning is embodied in the form of an animal. A dishonest, thieving, but at the same time smart person can be considered a folk prototype. The fox is feared, despised and respected at the same time. This is evidenced by the appeal to her in fairy tales as Lisa Patrikeevna, Chanterelle-Sister.
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The wolf in Russian fairy tales embodies anger. He preys on weaker animals; is not always smart. The shortsightedness of the wolf is used by other characters. In the fairy tale "The Little Fox and the Gray Wolf" a formidable predator was deceived by a red-haired cheat, and in "The Three Little Pigs"
harmless pigs were able to circle it around their fingers.
Our ancestors also associated the wolf with death. Indeed, in nature, this predator is considered a kind of forest orderly who hunts weak and sick animals. And the human prototype of the wolf can be considered the one who is too evil, greedy and vindictive.
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Fairy bear is the owner of the forest. He is strong, rude, clumsy and not exactly smart. It is believed that in the form of a bear, ordinary people wanted to show the landowners. Therefore, in fairy tales, this animal is often deceived by weaker animals, with which ordinary people are associated.
At the same time, in fairy tales you can also find another image of a bear: kind, calm, honest and freedom-loving. Suffice it to recall how the bear helped the lost girl Masha in the work of the same name.
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The image of a man in fairy tales has different meanings. In some works, he acts as the personification of the working people: he is somewhat rustic, he works all the time, does not put up with the injustice of rich owners.
On the other hand, such traits as wisdom and cunning were embodied in the peasant. He is hardworking, not rich, but much more cunning and resourceful than the landlords and generals.
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A hut on chicken legs, a black cat, a mortar and a broom are the main attributes of any fabulous Baba Yaga. This old woman is both evil (what her threats are worth) and kind (helps in difficult situations). She is wise, strong-willed, purposeful. It can be an adviser, or it can be a threat.
The image of Baba Yaga in Russian fairy tales is one of the most controversial and controversial. She personifies matriarchal traits. Our ancestors Baba Yaga was closely associated with the clan.
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In fairy tales, his image can be seen in three forms: a sorcerer with special powers, the king of the underworld and an old man who can be the husband of the Serpent or a friend of Baba Yaga. It has unusual abilities: it turns heroes into animals and birds.
It can be defeated only thanks to certain rituals (with the help of a magic horse, club, burning). Despite his name, he is not immortal at all, because his death is on the tip of a needle (or, alternatively, in an egg), which are securely hidden.
Koshchei's folk prototype is an imperious, evil, cunning and vile person endowed with magical properties.
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Despite the ambiguous name, Ivan is not at all the personification of stupidity, even if he is called a fool in the work. In fairy tales, he is the youngest of the sons, who often does nothing, is lazy, but achieves a lot in life thanks to cunning and luck.
This is a positive character who embodies the features of what people would like to have. A kind of dream, where without much effort, by chance, everything succeeds: to become rich, and to marry a princess. Our ancestors in the image of Ivan the Fool wanted to show a lucky person.
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Unlike Ivan the Fool, who gets everything simply and effortlessly, Ivan Tsarevich must overcome many obstacles to achieve his goal, demonstrating his strength, intelligence and skills.
He becomes a prince not only by the fact of birth, which he does not even know about, but by merit. Like Ivan the Fool, he is most often the youngest of the brothers, only of royal blood.
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Kikimora in fairy tales can act as an ugly creature of indeterminate age (this is a girl, an old woman, and even a man). It is the personification of evil spirits. She tries to hide from people, but lives near residential buildings or in a swamp. Her job is to frighten and frighten.
The mythological meaning of kikimora among our ancestors is a person who died in an unrighteous way. Therefore, his soul does not find rest.
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Water is the master of water. This is a half old man half a fish. Lives near mills, in a whirlpool and a polynya. Scares people and drags them to the bottom; breaks mills and drowns cattle. But the merman can be deceived, defeated by cunning.
In ancient times, it was believed that drowned people become mermen.
People were afraid of them, so they tried to endow them with fabulous features.
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The owner of the forest in fairy tales is Leshy. His appearance can be different: this is an old man, and an incomprehensible creature. He can transform into any animal or plant.
Goblin protects all those living in the forest. It frightens people and is able to confuse their tracks.
The spirit of the forest was embodied in the image of Leshy.
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Our ancestors called the spirit of the fields midday. In fairy tales, she was portrayed as a woman or girl who comes out at noon and guards the harvest. Children were scared at noon. This had an educational value: when in the very sun the adults went to rest, it was necessary to protect the children from running away into the fields on their own.
Noon could also lure people. And here it also has its own meaning: you can’t work in the heat. Otherwise, you can get sunstroke.
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Cat-Bayun in fairy tales is the image of a character who can persuade, chat, lure. Whoever catches the cat will be able to get remarkable strength. It’s just that it’s not easy to do this: with fairy tales and red words he knows how to lull attention and kill. But the defeated animal begins to serve man.
Read more >>
A fabulous bird with unusual abilities. Her feathers light the way; it can bestow eternal youth and happiness. It is difficult to get the Firebird's feather. To do this, the heroes of the fairy tale need to overcome many obstacles.
The Firebird is a dream, the personification of happiness and rebirth.
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Heroes of Russian folk tales
A fairy tale is not only entertainment for kids. It contains instructive stories that reflect the beliefs of an entire people. The heroes are endowed with rather conditional exaggerated characters, their motives and actions are a reflection of ancient Slavic rituals.
Baba Yaga is the most famous character in Russian folklore. Meanwhile, this is not just a collective image of an ugly old woman with a quarrelsome character and ferocious deeds. Baba Yaga is essentially a conductor. The forest in which she lives is a conditional border between the worlds. She needs a bone leg so that the spirits consider her theirs. A prerequisite for “heating a bathhouse” is a ritual bath, a joint meal in one form or another - a feast, a commemoration among the Slavs. And the indispensable dwelling - a hut on chicken legs - is just the place of transition to the afterlife. By the way, chicken legs have nothing to do with the hut. "Smoke" means "to fumigate" - to pour smoke over a new haven of man "without windows, without doors." And in fact, Baba Yaga did not put children in the oven - this is again the image of the initiation of babies among the Slavs, during which the child was placed in the oven to protect him from evil spirits.
Water is an unpleasant-looking water spirit that lives in whirlpools and watermills.
He has drowned girls in his wives, and fish in his servants. The waterman will not miss the chance to drag an unlucky diver to his muddy bottom. So that he would not act outrageously, they brought him gifts, especially the spirit of water rejoiced at the appetizing goose. The water man is always ready to protect his home, as soon as the fisherman recklessly encroach on his possessions.
Firebird is an analogue of the Phoenix reborn from fire and ashes. As a rule, she (or her pen) is the goal of the search and wanderings of the main characters. It is believed that she personifies light and warmth, so every autumn she dies, and reappears in the spring. Also found in fairy tales Sirin - half-woman, half-bird. She has heavenly beauty and an angelic voice, but everyone who hears it is doomed to trouble and suffering.
Gorynych Serpent - a fire-breathing dragon that can fly. In Slavic folklore, he guards the Kalinov Bridge - access to the underworld, where the path is ordered for the common man.
The number of his heads is always a multiple of three (the sacred number of the Slavs), which indicates vitality, you cannot defeat him at a time.
Goblin – forest spirit. He is either huge and powerful, then small and absurd, then clumsy, then dexterous. They try to avoid him, because Leshy has a harmful character and can lead him into the thicket of the forest - then get out of there. You can save yourself if you wear clothes inside out - so he does not recognize his victim. At the same time, they appease him, leaving gifts at the edge, because this is the Master of the forest, without whom human life is impossible.
Domovoy is a kind guardian of the house. He is born old and dies as a baby. He is happy to help in the household, if he is not offended and fed with milk, or he can misbehave and hide the necessary things. The complete opposite of him is Kikimora - the evil spirit of the deceased, tormenting the family.
However, she does dirty tricks to those who do not keep their home in order, so it is quite fair. Another home prankster - Bannik . He is able to scare a person who has come to take a steam bath by throwing hot stones at him or scalding him with boiling water.
Kashchei the Deathless is an evil sorcerer who kidnaps brides. This is a prototype of the powerful priest Koshchei Chernobogovich, the son of Chernobog. He owned the kingdom of Navi (the underworld, the underworld among the Slavs).
Well, what is a fairy tale without Ivan the Fool ? This is a collective positive image, which is destined for a long way, but he passes it with valor and at the end receives the princess as his wife. So the Fool is not a curse, but a kind of amulet from the evil eye. Ivan solves the tasks set by life thanks to his own ingenuity and non-standard approach.
Listening to stories with heroes of Russian folk tales , children from childhood learned to be strong in spirit, fair, courageous, revering and recognizing the power of good (because it always wins).
