The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar: (and 61 other Russian fables)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience - reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov's tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran-Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical illustrations by Katya Korobkina. Krylov's fables were often rooted in historic events, and have a unique style of language and storytelling, the texture and cadence of his poetic creations varying with the theme at hand. As a source of phrases and aphorisms that have entered the Russian language, Krylov's influence upon his native tongue is roughly analogous to that of Shakespeare upon English. This bilingual, colorfully illustrated edition is an ideal gift for language learners, adoptees and Russophiles of all ages.