Russian Folk Tale – The Swan Geese

Summary:

The fairy tale tells the story of a girl who disobeys her parents and, while playing with her friends, leaves her younger brother unattended. During this time, he is kidnapped by the swan geese. The girl goes into the forest to rescue her brother. Along the way, she meets an oven, a river, and an apple tree, which help her hide from the pursuing geese. In the end, the girl saves her brother and returns home.

The Swan Geese

Once upon a time, an old man and an old woman lived in a village. They had two children: an older daughter and a little son. One day, when the parents went to work, they asked their daughter to watch over her brother, not to go too far from home, and not to talk to strangers.

“Sweetheart, be good, don't go too far, and take care of your brother! When we return from work, we’ll bring you a beautiful scarf and a sweet bun,” said the parents.

But as soon as the parents left, the girl didn’t listen to their advice. She sat her brother on the grass and ran off to play with her friends. The games captivated her so much that she forgot everything — her brother and the promises she made to her parents.

At that moment, swan geese were flying in the sky. They saw the little boy sitting carelessly and decided to kidnap him. They lifted him up and flew away with him, far beyond the river and the forest, to a distant hut of an evil witch.

When the girl finally came back home, she saw that her brother was missing. Frightened, she began to search for him, crying. Suddenly, she saw the swan geese flapping their wings in the sky and disappearing behind the horizon. She realized what she had done and decided to go immediately to rescue her brother.

The girl walked through the forest, searching, until she reached a field. There stood an old oven. She went up to it and asked:

“Oven, dear, tell me, where did the swan geese take my brother?”

“Eat my rye pie, and I will tell you,” replied the oven.

“No, I will not eat your pie, we don’t even eat wheat pies at home,” said the girl and ran further.

The girl reached the river, but it too was not willing to help without a reward:

“River, dear, tell me, where did the swan geese take my brother?”

“Drink my kissel and some milk, and then I will tell you,” offered the river.

“No, I will not drink your kissel, we don’t even drink cream at home,” answered the girl.

So she continued her journey until she met an apple tree.

“Apple tree, help me! Tell me, where did the swan geese take my brother?”

“Eat my apple, and I will tell you,” offered the apple tree.

“No, I will not eat your apple, at home we only eat garden apples!” replied the girl.

And at last, the girl had luck: she met a rabbit who took pity on her and pointed her in the right direction. So, she finally reached a clearing where there stood a strange old hut on chicken legs, wobbling and creaking.

The girl approached, and on the grass sat her brother, playing with golden apples. Without hesitation, she picked him up and ran back home. But the swan geese noticed their escape and pursued them.

“Apple tree, hide us!” shouted the girl.

“Eat my apple, and I will hide you,” said the apple tree.

The girl hastily picked an apple, ate it, and hid under the apple tree, whose branches covered the children. The swan geese flew by, not noticing them.

But as soon as the girl and her brother started running again, the swan geese saw them once more and began to chase them. At that moment, the river appeared on their path.

“River, dear, hide us!” the girl cried.

“Drink my kissel, drink some milk, and I will hide you,” said the river.

The girl did as the river said, and they hid on the riverbank. The swan geese again didn’t notice them and flew by.

Finally, the oven appeared on their path.

“Oven, hide us!” asked the girl.

“Eat my pie, and I will hide you,” said the oven.

The girl quickly ate the pie, and the oven hid them inside. The swan geese circled around but could not find the children.

Finally, the girl and her brother reached home, where their parents greeted them, bringing the scarf and sweet bun. They embraced the children, rejoicing that they had returned home.

The End.

Moral:

It’s important to listen to your parents and not forget your responsibilities. Kindness and help are always rewarded.

Questions for Children:

1. Why didn’t the girl listen to her parents’ advice?
2. How did the girl save her brother?
3. What helped the girl hide from the swan geese?
4. What plants and animals helped the girl on her journey?
5. Why is it important to help others, like the girl did?