Folktales as a traditional narrative genre S. Korolyova 9-year student O. B. Razmakhnina a teacher of English school №2 Morshansk

“Fairy tales are more than true - not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.” they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.” G. K. Chesterton G. K. Chesterton

The aim: to compare Russian and English tales defining their common and specific aspects.

The hypothesis: There are more similarities than differences in Russian and English tales

The subject: Russian and English fairy tales.

The object: Russian folk-tales collected by Alexander Afanasyev, English Fairy Tales collected by Joseph Jacobs and folk-tales of the British Isles collected by James Riordan.

Folktale Fairytale

The Aarne-Thompson classification Magic tales Magic tales Animal tales Animal tales Tales about everyday life Tales about everyday life

Magic tales Russian tales English tales “The Crystal Mountain”“Jack and the Beanstalk” "Sister Alenushka and Brother Ivanushka" “Cherry of Zennor” “The Apples of Youth and the Water of Life” “The Well at the World’s End” “The Wonder of Wonders”“The Black Bull of Norroway” “Ivan the Bull’s Son”“Tom Tit Tot”

Animal tales Russian tales English tales “Silly Old Grey Wolf” “The Cat and the Mouse” “Mistress Fox the Confessor”“The Magpie's Nest” “The Crane and the Heron”“Gingerbread man” “The Goat with the Peeling Side”“ The Story of the Three Little Pigs” “The Fox and the Wolf”“ Mouse and Mouser”

Tales about everyday life Russian tales English tales “The Exchange”“Lazy Jack” “The Wise Daughter”“The Clicking Toad” “The Biter Bit”“The Wise Men of Hothem” “Princess Never-a-Smile”“The Mare’s Egg”

Tales with similar plot Russian tales English tales “Tiny”“The History of Tom Thumb” “The Peasant and the Bear”“Tops or Butts?” “The Three Bears”“The Three Bears and the Goldilocks” “The Axe Soup”“The Stone Soup” “Kolobok”“Johnny-Cake”

Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp (1895—1970), a Russian and Soviet formalist scholar who analyzed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest irreducible narrative elements.

The Propp’s classification ABSENTATION ABSENTATION INTERDICTION INTERDICTION VIOLATION of INTERDICTION VIOLATION of INTERDICTION DELIVERY DELIVERY TRICKERY TRICKERY BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT GUIDANCE GUIDANCE STRUGGLE STRUGGLE VICTORY VICTORY

8 broad character types The villain The villain The donor The donor The (magical) helper The (magical) helper The princess or prize The princess or prize The father The father The dispatcher The dispatcher The hero or victim-seeker hero The hero or victim-seeker hero False hero False hero

The villain Koschey Bessmertny Zmey Gorynych Baba Yaga LeshyKikimoraVodyanoyDomovoy Tom Tit Tot DwarfsGoblinsDragons Red Caps BrowniesGiantsElves

The donor The Priest An Old Man Fairies Father Frost An Old Man Baba Yaga

The helper FairiesAnimals

The princess or prize Vasilisa Half the kingdom The apples of Youth The princess The Kingdom The treasure

The father The Tsar The King

The dispatcher Baba Yaga Fairies

The hero or victim-seeker hero Ivan The youngest son Jack/John

False hero The elder brother/sister The eldest daughter

Fairytale traditional clichés Emotional epithets Emotional epithets Common folkloric epithets Common folkloric epithets Rhymed nicknames Rhymed nicknames Beginning and ending Beginning and ending

Common folkloric epithets красна девица красна девица добрый молодец добрый молодец ясно солнышко ясно солнышко Emotional epithets a poor little Red Hen a poor little Red Hen a good little Red Hen a good little Red Hen a lazy Cock a lazy Cock a big bad Fox a big bad Fox a lovely little house a lovely little house

Rhymed Nicknames “Teremok”“Henny-penny” Мышка-норушкаHenny-penny Лягушка-квакушкаCocky-locky Зайчик-побегайчикDucky-daddles Лисичка-сестричкаGoosey-poosey Волчок - серый бочокTurkey-lurkey Медведь – Тяпыш-Ляпыш Foxy-woxy

Russian Fairytale Beginning An owl, free of care, flew here and flew t here, and then happily it lit on a tree. It twirled its tail fast, looked down at the ground and took to the air with never a sound. An owl, free of care, flew here and flew t here, and then happily it lit on a tree. It twirled its tail fast, looked down at the ground and took to the air with never a sound. Now, this is just the little tale before the big tale, and the big tale is still to come. Now, this is just the little tale before the big tale, and the big tale is still to come. (“The Crane and The Heron”) (“The Crane and The Heron”)

English Fairytale Beginning Once upon a time – and a very good time it was – when pigs were swine and dogs ate lime, and monkeys chewed tobacco, when houses were thatched with pancakes, streets paved with plum puddings, and roasted pigs ran up and down the streets with knives and forks on their backs, crying ‘Come and eat me!’, that was a good time for travellers. Once upon a time – and a very good time it was – when pigs were swine and dogs ate lime, and monkeys chewed tobacco, when houses were thatched with pancakes, streets paved with plum puddings, and roasted pigs ran up and down the streets with knives and forks on their backs, crying ‘Come and eat me!’, that was a good time for travellers. (“The Clicking Toad”) (“The Clicking Toad”)

Russian Fairytale Ending I was at the feast too, I drank ale and I drank wine, but it all ran down this beard of mine and not a drop got into my mouth. I was at the feast too, I drank ale and I drank wine, but it all ran down this beard of mine and not a drop got into my mouth. (“The Crystal Mountain”) (“The Crystal Mountain”) Believe me you, the story is true! Believe me you, the story is true! (“Princess Never-A-Smile”) (“Princess Never-A-Smile”)

English Fairytale Ending Be bow bend it, My tale’s ended. If you don’t like it, You may mend it. (“The Clicking Toad”) I cannot tell how the truth may be. I say the tale as ‘twas said to me. (“The Tulip Pixies”)

English Fairytale Ending I were along the road one night an’ I seed a feller coming along towards me, and I thought it were ‘ee and ‘ee thought it were I. And we got a little closer, an’ I knowed it were ‘ee and ‘ee knowed it were ‘ee and ‘ee knowed it were I. An’ we got a little nearer, an’ I were sure it were ’ee and ‘ee were sure it were I. An’ us got a little closer still, and I were darned positive it were ‘ee and ‘ee were darned positive it were I. And we comed right up to each other, and it weren’t neither of us! I were along the road one night an’ I seed a feller coming along towards me, and I thought it were ‘ee and ‘ee thought it were I. And we got a little closer, an’ I knowed it were ‘ee and ‘ee knowed it were ‘ee and ‘ee knowed it were I. An’ we got a little nearer, an’ I were sure it were ’ee and ‘ee were sure it were I. An’ us got a little closer still, and I were darned positive it were ‘ee and ‘ee were darned positive it were I. And we comed right up to each other, and it weren’t neither of us! (“The Three Sillies”) (“The Three Sillies”)

Conclusion The hypothesis of the research has been proved