Originally published in 1981 by Kiev-based Dnipro Publishers, this massive collection of Ukrainian folktales features seventy-eight stories, varying in both length and style, from brief animal fables to lengthier legends and folk-epics. Translated by Irina Zheleznova, who seems to have worked for most of the major publishing houses of the former Soviet Union, they make an excellent introduction to the folklore of the Ukraine.

Enthusiasts will immediately recognize many of these stories, some of which can be already be found under my "ukrainian folklore" tag. The Magic Mitten, in which a series of woodland creatures make a temporary home in a lost mitten, has been retold many times, from Jan Brett's popular The Mitten, to the more obscure, mitten-shaped adaptation by Tom Botting. The Little Straw Bull with the Tarred Back, in which a tar-covered straw bull helps an impoverished older couple change their fortune, has been retold, also by Irina Zheleznova, as The Little Straw Bull. Sir Cat-o-Puss, in which a former house-cat takes a fox for his mate, and, through a series of humorous misunderstandings, convinces the other woodland creatures that he is a fierce fighter, has appeared in picture-book form as Mister Cat-and-a-Half. Finally, The Honest Nephew and the Dishonest Uncle, in which a young man and his uncle debate whether honesty or dishonesty is rewarded, seems to be a variant of a tale also found in Carole Kismaric's powerful The Rumor of Pavel & Paali.

I saw the influence of Aesop in many of the animal fables, particularly selections such as The Fox and the Crane and The Heron, the Fish and the Crayfish. Others, such as The Frog Princess and The Flying Ship, were already familiar to me through similar stories from the Russian tradition. Many of the tales were variations on a theme, with as many as three versions of the same basic story all appearing in the collection. The Fire-Bird and the Wolf and The Iron Wolf are clearly from the same tale-type, as are Ivanko, Tsar of the Beasts; The Greedy Old Woman and the Lime Tree; and The Brother, the Sister and the Devil-Dragon.

I enjoyed this collection, and found it most informative, particularly as it concerns the connections between the folklore of the Ukraine and her various neighbors. I was a little dismayed at the number of false women depicted, particularly sisters, and the cheerful way in which violence against them was incorporated into the tales. There were one of two heroines, such as Marusya in The Clever Maid, but men were usually the more interesting characters. Be that as it may, this was still a very worthwhile read, particularly for those with an interest in the subject. ( )