The Eyes of Fear Are Big – A Russian Folktale About Fear and Imagination
Read this unique version of the story "The Eyes of Fear Are Big," where fear causes the characters to see dangers that don't really exist.
Summary
"The Eyes of Fear Are Big" is a story about how fear can blow a problem out of proportion, causing people to see dangers that don't really exist. The story teaches us that fear is often exaggerated.
The Story
In a forest lived an old grandmother, her cheerful granddaughter, a chicken, and a mouse. Every day they went to fetch water: the grandmother carried large buckets, the granddaughter a smaller one, the chicken a tiny bucket with a cucumber, and the mouse only a small thimble.
The grandmother drew water from the well, the granddaughter from a stump, the chicken from a puddle, and the mouse from a trail left by a pig.
On the way back, the sounds were as follows: the grandmother – “Tro-oo-o, ploo-oo-h!” the granddaughter – “Tro-h, ploo-h!” the chicken – “Tro-tro-tro, ploo-ploo-ploo!” and the mouse – “Tro-tro-tro-tro, ploo-ploo-ploo-ploo!”
One day, the group went to fetch water, filled their containers, and were heading back through the garden. Suddenly, a little rabbit appeared, sitting under an apple tree. A breeze blew, the tree swayed, and an apple – bang! – hit the rabbit right on the forehead!
The rabbit jumped up and landed right in the path of the water carriers. Our heroes got scared, dropped their buckets, and ran home. The grandmother fell on the bench, the granddaughter hid behind her, the chicken flew onto the stove, and the mouse crawled under it into the burrow.
The grandmother sighed:
“Oh, a bear almost crushed me!”
The granddaughter cried:
“Oh, the wolf jumped on me!”
The chicken clucked:
“The fox snuck up on me!”
And the mouse squeaked from under the stove:
“The terrible cat with whiskers almost caught me!”
Meanwhile, the little rabbit had hidden in the forest, lay down under a bush, and thought:
“What a drama! Four hunters with dogs chased me! I barely managed to escape!”
And there you have it: “The eyes of fear are big – they see what isn’t there!”
Moral
The story teaches us that sometimes fear is greater than the actual danger. We can imagine many more threats than there really are. It's important not to panic and to stay calm.
Questions about the Story
- Why did everyone get so scared of the rabbit, even though it didn't harm them?
- How did the fox, the chicken, and the mouse exaggerate their fears?
- What role does imagination play in our lives?
- What lesson from this story can be applied to real life?
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