The Timeless Magic of a Classic Tale

Hello everyone!

Hope you're all smiling and having a great day!

I'm a big fan of the classic tale of Konyok-Gorbunok. I grew up with it, and I loved reading it to my son (I practically had it memorized!). I even bought an audiobook version, which I'd play on my old cassette player from time to time.

But then I encountered the 'monster'.

📚 * * * * * 📖

Official annotation:

This beloved children's tale has been recognized as a classic of Russian literature since the 19th century. Since then, the little donkey with two humps and oversized ears, the Tsarina, the Miracle Fish, and the Scorching Bird have become an integral part of the vivid memories of generations of readers. The poem's ease, vivid expressions, folk spirit, adventures, and humor continue to captivate children and adults alike. The book is in a convenient 'pocket-sized' format and features a wealth of wonderful illustrations by Igor Yegunov, created in the best traditions of Russian book illustration.

Genre: children's fairy tale, poetry

Age category: highly debatable 😊

Where to buy, read: I'd love to, but there are plenty of both electronic and print versions available, as the tale remains popular even today.

📚 * * * * * 📖

Since I have the paperback version, I'll focus on that.

I took a look at the books in this series with my sister-in-law while browsing the 'Read City' store, but I decided not to buy right away, comparing prices in online stores instead. And I didn't regret it. On Ozone, they were available for a whole ruble cheaper, or even for a star and a ruble.

📚 Publisher: 'Exmodestia'

📚 Year of publication: 2024.

📚 Format: 15x11 cm. 'Book in a pocket'

I love this format – it's small enough for adults, but proportional for kids, so they feel like they're on equal footing with their parents when holding it.

Cover is hard, well-stitched.

Pages are dense, white, with well-printed text.

There are illustrations by Igor Yegunov on the cover and throughout the text.

I love the illustrations in this book! They're reminiscent of classic, whimsical fairy tales. No pink ponies or weirdly-proportioned monsters (although they can be cute too, but it's nice when Russian fairy tales have recognizable and fitting pictures), just regular animals, people, and mythical creatures. There are plenty of illustrations, which is great because kids can look at the pictures and retell the story on their own.

The text is framed with wreaths and stands out from the illustrations, making it easier to read and more interesting to look at.

The story of this poem is probably only unknown to a baby. And maybe it seems that way to us, but he just can't retell it. Either because he's not talking yet, or because he doesn't know the meaning of some words.

And that's when I finally got to the part that blew my mind!

So, my five-year-old son and I have been reading and listening to "Konyok-Gorbunok" for a while now. He listens with great interest, asks to read or listen to it himself, and one day I ask him to retell the story.

It starts off well.

There's the old man with three sons, and even an unexpected mishap that happens to them.

But then things got weird. I don't even remember how the eldest brother described his night watch, I just got stuck.

Because when telling about the middle brother's night watch, Nikitos first asked what tools the boy took with him, and then proudly reported: "and then a scary creature attacked him!"

I was stunned.

-What kind of strange creature?

The kid's response:

-Well, mom, the dizziness attacked him!

For some reason, the kid didn't associate dizziness with the word "dizzy" and saw it as some kind of unknown, scary creature that attacked the poor boy.

This made me think some not-so-nice thoughts, and after finishing the free retelling, I was convinced that without explanations, we wouldn't get anywhere.
It's not surprising, considering the book was written in 1834. Outdated words and phrases were bound to leave their mark, but it's exactly this that gives the story a sense of a bygone era.

After that, it was fun.

Unfamiliar words kept popping up in almost every sentence. I patiently explained them, but the story itself got lost in the process.

I realized that I was just confusing and misleading my son, so I stopped trying to explain it and only occasionally commented on it.
And I was amazed when I realized that my son was picking up not just the story, but also the underlying meaning. I think it's thanks to the fantastic, yet easy-to-follow rhyme, which flows like a song, never stumbling once.

I was surprised to find that the book also includes a fun little animated movie that retells the story. The unfamiliar words in the movie just added to my kid's passive vocabulary, but I have to admit, I made the mistake of not explaining the harder words to him, and just letting him figure it out on his own.

Speaking of the story, let me tell you more.

It's divided into three parts.

I love fantasy stories, and this one is no exception! I mean, who doesn't love a good fairy tale?

Part one:

The main character, Ivan, is a bit of an oddball in his family. But what's great is that he's also super responsible and kind. He's not afraid to take on tough tasks and does them with all his heart.

As a result, he gets two beautiful horses and a long-eared donkey as a gift.

Ivan's not a fool, he just looks at the world in a positive way. He even finds excuses for his older brothers, who stole the horses and were trying to sell them behind his back.

That's why he's not opposed to selling the horses, even though it's not his idea. He's more concerned about his family's well-being, and he's not even thinking about how to improve their situation himself. He's just come up with some story to cover up the fact that he didn't tell anyone about the horses.

The first part of the book tells the story of Ivan's relationships with his family and his journey to the capital with the horses, which was an adventure in itself.

Part two: The Political Adventure

Ivan gets a bit too full of himself after getting the horses and the fancy clothes. But, as we all know, it's not always easy to pass the test of "golden pipes".

Unfortunately, Ivan doesn't understand the intricacies of palace politics, and he's not even supposed to be involved in them. This gives his enemies plenty of opportunities to set him up and cause trouble for him. Our villain isn't exactly sly or good at making excuses. And if it wasn't for the trusty Gorbunok, Vanja wouldn't be in this mess - the king is as quick to reward as he is to punish! He's a bit of a tyrant, to be honest.

The Third Part: An Adventure Quest.

The king's at it again, deciding to marry a young girl. Of course, she's not exactly thrilled, so she's putting up some conditions.

Ivan's in for another beating, though - kidnapping wasn't exactly the best idea.

But, as with all things, there's a boomerang effect. Vanja's help comes back to him, too.

In the end, it all wraps up like a fairy tale - with a happy wedding and all that jazz!But, honestly, I'm having a hard time picturing the 15-year-old princess (even if she is from a magical royal family)

and the naive village boy (who would've lost his head on the first task without Gorbunok's help)

running the kingdom. It's hard not to feel sorry for the country and its people.

Songs like this one have been around for nearly two centuries. The language may be outdated, but the magic lies in the rhymes, which flow like a song and transport you to a world of wonder and enchantment, no matter the time or age.

I highly recommend "The Little Humpbacked Horse" by Pyotr Yershov to both kids and adults.

Pushkin's Collection of Fairy Tales - A New Look at Old Fairy Tales.

Check out my reviews of children's books and more.