KidLit Forum

The Dun Cow
A. Context
It is a Russian fairy tale translated in English.
The original collector is Alexander Afanassyev.
The title of collection is: “Russian Folk-tales” (1916).
The translator’s name is Leonard A. Magnus.

B. Summary
There once lived a Tsar and a Tsaritsa, who had one only daughter, Marya Tsarevna. Tsaritsa died and the Tsar married a witch, who had three daughters: with one eye, two eyes and three eyes. The stepmother could not abide Marya and sent her with a dun cow to the heath. Marya bowed down to the right foot of the cow and all of a sudden she got beautifully dressed, and had as much to eat and drink as she liked. When she went home, she offered the bit of bread she took with her to her stepmother. The witch sent her daughters to watch her, but the first two fell asleep and did not see anything. The third one told her mother everything and she ordered the dun cow to be slain. Marya planted a little tiny bit out of the cow and a bush with berries grew up. Ivan Tsarevich, who had heard of Marya Tsarevna, went to her stepmother, telling her that he would marry the girl who would bring him a bowl full of berries. Marya gathered them, helped by some little birds, and married Ivan. After a while, she had a son. But the witch turnes her into a goose and sent one of her daughters as though she were Ivan’s wife. An old man who tended the child, took him and went out to the field to find the baby’s mother. She appeared and fed him. Ivan followed him secretly and burnt his wife’s feathers. He took the gun and shot the substitute wife and lived happy ever after with Marya, his wife.

C. Position in the Aarne-Thomson-Uther Index
Tales of Magic (300-749)
It is a tale of magic and marriage. There are supernatural adversaries, but also supernatural helpers.

D. Characters and functions according to Vladimir Propp
The Initial Situation: Marya’s father marries a which who despises her.
The Absentations: Marya is sent with a dun cow to the heath.
Complicity: The stepmother is helped by her daughters to destroy Marya.
Villainy: Her stepmother kills the cow (Marya’s supernatural help) and tries to deceive Ivan.
Acquisition of Magical Agent: A bush with berries grew up from a little tiny bit of the dun cow.
Struggle: The stepmother turns Marya into a goose with no power.
Branding: Marya is recognised by her husband when she takes off her feathers.
Victory: Ivan kills the substitute wife.

E. Similarities with other known tales
The fairy tale is more alike “Cinderella” because there’s a stepmother (with her daughters), who despises her husband’s daughter. She tries to make the girl disappear and to deceive the prince. But then, the girl is recognised by her prince.