Tereshechka

An old man and an old woman lived together and dreamed of having a child. They made a little wooden log, wrapped it in a cloth, and rocked it in a cradle. By…

An old man and an old woman lived together and dreamed of having a child. They made a little wooden log, wrapped it in a cloth, and rocked it in a cradle. By morning a boy named Tereshechka was smiling inside. His parents embraced their long-awaited son and held a small family celebration beside the cradle.

When Tereshechka grew older, his father made him a little shuttle-shaped boat, and the boy began fishing. His mother brought milk and curds to the riverbank, sang a familiar song, and her son came ashore at the sound of her voice. A forest dweller named Chuvilikha heard the song, learned the melody, and the next day called Tereshechka in a high voice. The boy made a mistake and rowed over, and Chuvilikha invited him to her hut on chicken legs to help sort baskets of berries.

When it began to grow dark, Tereshechka said that it was time to go home. Alyonka showed him the path to the river, but the little boat broke loose from its mooring and was carried away by the current. To see the road home, the boy climbed a tall oak. Chuvilikha offered him a place to stay for the night, but Tereshechka firmly decided to return to his parents.

Flocks of geese-swans flew above the oak. The first two flocks were hurrying to the lake, but they advised him to wait for a young gosling flying behind them. Tereshechka asked, “Carry me to my father and mother; they will feed you and give you something to drink.” The gosling landed on a branch, let Tereshechka sit on its back, and carefully carried him over the forest to his home.

The gosling carried Tereshechka to his own front steps. The old man and woman ran out to meet him and hugged their son. While they fed their guest and gave it a drink, Chuvilikha and Alyonka brought back the little boat and apologized for using someone else’s song. Mother fastened a clear-ringing bell to the boat so that no one could ever mistake her call again.