Nashi Skazki
Умение изложить русские народные сказки на английском языке поможет учащимся ознакомить иностранцев с нашей страной, её культурой. Задания к текстам сказок помогают усвоить лексику, развивают навыки чтения.
Every child in this country knows these tales from his or her early childhood. They are buried deep in our minds, and so many wonderful painters, musicians, craftsmen have been inspired by them!
In Russian folklore there are many stories of Baba Yaga, the fearsome (страшная) witch. Hideous (отвратительная) to look upon, and with a nature to match, she devours (пожирает) her victims with her iron teeth.
In some stories her back is so bent over (сгорбленная) from age that she touches the ground with her head. Her nose is so long that it reaches the ceiling of her Hut on Chicken’s Legs when she is sleeping. She sleeps stretched out on her ancient brick oven, which she also uses to cook her meals (including people whom she catches).
She does not seem to bother with pointed witch’s hats, and has never been seen sitting on a broomstick. Her mode of travel is a large mortar (ступа) pushed along with a pestle. Never one for leaving a trail behind her, she sweeps away all traces of her path with a broom.
She lives in a hut in the forest. The hut seems to have a personality of its own and can move about at will on its large-sized chicken legs, that’s why it’s called “Hut on Chicken’s Legs”. Usually the hut is either spinning around as it moves through the forest or standing with its back towards a visitor and when approached, will only permit entry after a certain secret incantation (заклинание) is said: “Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest and your front to me”. It spins around with blood-curdling wild screeches and creakings (and eventually comes to a stop to face the visitor, where it will lower itself down on its chicken legs and throw open its door. Its windows are sometimes described as its “eyes”.
The hut is surrounded by a fence made of the bones of Baba Yaga’s victims. Baba Yaga scares passersby (прохожий) to death just by appearing to them and then devours them. Her fence is topped with the skulls (черепа) of her victims whose blazing eye sockets (глазницы) illuminate the darkness.
In some stories she has two older sisters, who are also called Baba Yaga, just to confuse you!
Although she is mostly portrayed as a terrifying old crone, she can also play the role of a helper and wise woman. Like all forces of nature, though often wild and untamed, she can also be kind. She sometimes gives advice and magical gifts to heroes with pure hearts. The hero or heroine of the story often enters the crone’s domain searching for wisdom, knowledge and truth. Then there’s also an incantation to be said to Baba Yaga. When she begins asking questions, the hero must say: “Hey you old woman, first you satisfy my hunger then you satisfy my thirst then let me wash myself in your banya (sauna) (накорми, напои, баньку истопи) then let me sleep in and then you ask me anything”. Usually Baba Yaga does as the hero demands.
She is said to be a guardian (хранительница) spirit of the fountain of the Waters of Life and of Death.
Baba Yaga rules over the elements (управляет природными стихиями) and her realm (царство) is the birch forests of old Russia.
Her faithful servants are the White Horseman, the Red Horseman and the Black Horseman. When Vasilisa the Beautiful (sometimes called Vasilisa the Wise) asks her who these mysterious horsemen are she replies: “My Bright Dawn, my Red Sun and my Dark Midnight.”
Among her other servants, whom she calls “my soul friends” and whom she is reluctant (неохотно) to discuss with visitors, are the three bodiless pairs of hands, which appear out of thin air to do her bidding (распоряжения).
Baba Yaga is the arch-crone (лукавая старуха), the goddess of wisdom and death, the bone mother. She brings wisdom and death (just like wild nature does) and through death, rebirth (возрождение). Behind her story is the figure of the ancient Slavic goddess of death and rebirth, whose autumn harvest holds the promise of winter survival and new growth in Spring.
The “old woman” of autumn was called Baba by the Slavic inhabitants of eastern Europe. Baba passed into Slavic folk legend as Baba Yaga.
Activity A. Read the text about Baba Yaga. Choose the correct item.
1. Baba Yaga is a fearsome witch ...
A. in English folklore.
B. with a good nature.
C. with iron teeth.
D. pleasant to look at.
2. Baba Yaga ...
A. wears a pointed witch’s hats.
B. travels in a mortar.
C. has been seen sitting on a large broo
stick.
D. leaves a trail behind her.
3. Baba Yaga’s hut...
A. can move.
B. has chicken wings.
C. doesn’t have any door.
D. doesn’t let anyone to approach.
4. Baba Yaga has ...
A. a beautiful fence around her hut.
B. a habit to scare her victims.
C. skulls on top of her hut.
D. two daughters.
5. The hero of the story usually...
A. gives advice to Baba Yaga.
B. answers all Yaga’s questions.
C. satisfies all Yaga’s wishes.
D. wants to wash himself.
6. Mysterious horsemen...
A. are the elements.
B. are Vasilisa’s servants.
C. guard the fountain of the Waters of Life
and of Death.
D. are white, red and black.
7. The three bodiless pairs of hands...
A. bring wisdom and death.
B. are Yaga’s soul friends.
C. give rebirth to wild nature.
D. belong to the ancient Slavic goddess.
8. ‘Baba’ is a word used ...
A. in Eastern Europe.
B. in Western Europe.
C. in the East.
D. in autumn.
Key: 1 – C; 2 – B; 3 – A; 4 – B; 5 – D; 6 – D;
7 – B; 8 – A.
Submitted by Irina Ishkhneli,
School No. 1738 |