KidLit Forum

’’Царевна Лягушка’’(The Frog Tzarevna)-Russian Wonder Tales.
A. Context.
A Russian Fairy Tale, first published by Alexander Afanasyev. It is included in the collection of folklore tales: ’’ Hародные русские сказки’’(Narodnye Russkie Skazki).

B. Summary.
1. The king wanted to marry his sons.
2. The Tsarevichs shoot arrows and find brides: the boyar daughter got the senior, the middle one - the merchant's daughter, and the younger Ivan - the frog.
3. After the wedding, the king decided to test the daughter-in-law - they sewed shirts, baked bread, but the best was obtained from the frog, which turned into Vasilisa the Wise.
4. The king summoned his sons and their wives to a banquet, from which Ivan furtively left and burned the frog skin.
5. Vasilisa turned to a bird and flew to Koshchey the Immortal.
6. Ivan went in search of Vasilisa and along the way helps animals - a bear, drake, a hare, a pike.
7. Then, on the advice of the Baba Yaga and with the help of the rescued animals, Koscheev gets his death - he breaks the needle.
8. Koshchei dies, Ivan takes Vasilisa, they live happily ever after.
The main idea pass through the whole fairy tale - be unselfish, help others with a pure heart and all this will return to you with even more good. Be purposeful and bear responsibility for your actions, do not be afraid of difficulties and good luck will always accompany you.

C. Position in the Aarne-Thomson-Uther Index
This tale fits the category of Animal Tales, we are aware of this from the very beginning, even from the title. The beautiful Vasilisa in the guise of a frog, but also the magic element expressed by the present of the witch Baba Yaga, which probably transform this tale into a magic one (tales of magic).

D. Characters and fictions according to Vladimir Propp.
The hero: Ivan is the embodiment of valor, courage and selflessness, ready to go to the ends of the world for the sake of the beloved and enter into a deadly fight even with such an opponent as Kaschey the Immortal. At the same time, he is generous, merciful, and disinterested. All these qualities are fully manifested in the moment of meeting beasts on his way.
The heroine :Vasilisa-the Beautiful is the ideal of a woman, intelligent, loving, and faithful.
In addition to the main characters, the tale is filled with a variety of heroic helpers. The magical helpers or the side-kick characters are: the talking beasts, the old man who gave the prince Ivan a clue and the Baba Yaga, who helped him find his way into the kingdom of Kashchei. And, finally, Kashchei the Immortal himself. The embodiment of evil! The character is as malicious as loving, since in most Russian fairy tales he is the abductor of beautiful women. His actions are far from morality, but he also gets what he deserves.
1)The initial situation – king had three sons. Having received the instruction from the father to marry those girls to whom their arrow falls, the sons do so. The younger Ivan Tsarevich gets his wife a frog.
2) Violation of interdiction-- Ivan Tsarevich burns frog skin;
3) Mediation, the message of trouble-the moment when Vasilisa say goodbye to Ivan and tells him to look for her in the thirtieth kingdom. And there was no princess anymore.
4) Beginning opposition - That year has passed, Ivan Tsarevich misses his wife.
5) The hero leaves the house - he got ready for another year, begged father for his blessing, and went.
6) the donor tests the hero - in the forest, Ivan see a hut, and in the hut was Baba Yaga, she sends him to her middle sister, that one to the older one, where the princess lives.
7) the hero reacts to the actions of the future donor -- Ivan obeys both the first and second Baba Yaga and follows the indicated path.
8) The hero is transferred, delivered or brought to the location of the object of the quest - the path leads Ivan truly to the third hut where the frog princess is located.
9) the hero is offered a difficult task to find his princess.
10) the problem is solved - Prince Ivan did everything was indicated.
11) Recognition: Hero is recognized. Tsarevna recognize Ivan.
12) The hero enters into marriage - they flew home, where everyone was delighted.

E. Similarities with other known tales. Another similar version of this fairy tale is the Italian ’’The Frog’’ , by Andrew Lang , or the Greek variant ’’The Enchanted Lake’’, by Georgios A. Megas, in which the prince married a frog. I also find a common feature with the Beauty and the Beast, more precisely between the frog princess and the beast (which was also a prince).