Frost and the Hare – A Russian Tale About Wit and Cleverness

Summary

Frost and the Hare is a tale about how a hare outsmarted Frost using his wit and cleverness. The story shows that quick thinking can save the day in difficult times.

The Tale

In a snowy forest, there lived a clever and fast hare. Winter had arrived, covering the forest with a thick layer of snow. The hare loved to hop and leap through the snow, but one day he noticed the frost growing harsher and decided to find shelter.

At the same time, Frost himself was wandering through the forest. He was in a bad mood and wanted to find someone to tease. Spotting the hare, he shouted loudly, “Hey, hare, where are you going? Let’s play a game! I’m going to freeze you!”

The hare was frightened but quickly came up with a plan. “All right, Frost, let’s play a game. If you catch me, I’ll freeze, but if you don’t, I’ll stay safe!” he suggested.

Frost agreed, confident he would win. He started chasing the hare, blowing icy winds, but the hare was too nimble. He darted between trees, leaped over snowdrifts, and hid in bushes. Frost couldn’t catch him.

After a while, Frost grew tired and stopped to rest. The hare came closer and said, “Frost, you’re so powerful, but can you freeze my tracks? Try it!” Frost thought this was easy and blew his icy breath onto the hare’s tracks, covering them with a thick layer of ice.

While Frost was busy, the hare slipped into a deep hollow in an old tree. Frost circled the tree but couldn’t find the hare. Frustrated and exhausted, he eventually left, and the forest grew quiet once more.

The hare peeked out from his hiding place, made sure the danger had passed, and happily hopped away. He realized that wit and cleverness could sometimes save the day even in the toughest situations.

Moral

This tale teaches us that intelligence and resourcefulness can help overcome even the most serious challenges. The key is to stay calm and think ahead.

Questions About the Tale

• Why did Frost decide to chase the hare?
• How did the hare outsmart Frost?
• Why couldn’t Frost find the hare in the end?
• What lesson can we learn from this tale?