The Chatty Girl – A Russian Folk Tale about How Words Can Harm

Description: A folk tale about a girl who, due to her chatter, almost got into trouble. The story teaches children to be careful with their words and not to share too much.

Once upon a time, there lived a girl who was very beautiful but terribly talkative. She loved to talk about everything she knew, and often said more than she should. People called her the Chatty Girl because her tongue never rested. Every time she was entrusted with a secret or an important task, she immediately spilled it to anyone who would listen.

One day, her father decided to teach her a lesson. He called the Chatty Girl and said:

– Today, I am giving you an important task. You must not tell anyone what you hear. If you speak out, there will be serious consequences.

The girl promised to stay silent, and her father told her a secret:

– We are going to slaughter our biggest ram to prepare a feast for the guests. But remember, no one should know about this!

The Chatty Girl nodded and promised to remain silent, but as soon as her father left, she ran to the village and started telling everyone:

– Have you heard the news? Tomorrow, we’re slaughtering the big ram! Come and watch!

The news spread quickly throughout the village, and soon everyone knew that the father of the Chatty Girl would have meat the next day. The thieves found out about it too. That night, they sneaked into the yard, stole the ram, and took it into the forest.

The next morning, the father went out to the yard and found the ram missing. He immediately realized that his daughter had spilled the secret. He called her and said sternly:

– Well, Chatty Girl, did you spill my secret? Do you see what has happened because of your tongue?

The girl blushed and tried to justify herself, but her father shook his head:

– Now you must fix your mistake yourself. Find the thieves and bring the ram back!

The Chatty Girl was scared, but there was nothing to be done. She went into the forest to find the thieves. She searched for a long time until she heard voices. She crept closer and saw a campfire, where the thieves were already butchering the ram.

The Chatty Girl hid behind a tree and thought about how to get the ram back. She remembered how, as a child, she used to scare the neighbor’s children and decided to scare the thieves. She cried out loudly:

– Hey, thieves, run quickly! The guards are coming! They will catch you!

The thieves got scared, dropped the ram, and ran away. The Chatty Girl quickly grabbed the ram and dragged it back home.

When she returned, her father praised her for her bravery but reminded her:

– Remember, daughter, the tongue is a powerful thing. It can either help or harm. Think before you speak.

From that day on, the Chatty Girl became more careful with her words. She no longer spilled secrets but first thought about what she could share and what was better left unsaid.

Moral: This story teaches us that chatter can lead to trouble. One must be careful with their words to avoid harming themselves or others.

Questions for children:

1. Why did the father ask the Chatty Girl not to tell anyone the secret?
2. What happened when the girl spilled the secret?
3. What lesson does this story teach us?