Tale of the Priest and Balda [Pushkin]

Product Description

"The Tale of the Priest and of his Workman Balda" ("Сказка о попе и о работнике его Балде") is a fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). The Priest hires Balda on the cheap to collect a fabricated debt from the sea devils. Balda causes the sea to pitch, which forces the leader of the devils, an "old Бес", to come out on land. He agrees to pay the debt if Balda will defeat his grandson at running and weight carrying. Balda tricks the "little Бес", first by getting a hare, whom he proclaims his "younger brother" to run in his stead, and then by "carrying" a horse between his two legs by riding on it. There is also a sub-plot involving the priest's daughter and her attraction to Balda. The story ends when Balda gives the priest three blows to the forehead resulting in the priest losing his mind. The final line is, "You shouldn't have gone rushing off after cheapness.

All of the paintings are fully handpainted, and each piece is richly detailed. Even the bottom of each piece is painted black. The style is anime/eclectic. Signed by the artist on the first doll. In about fine condition.  8" down to 1¾". 1 only.

Pushkin wrote the tale in rhyme in 1830, based on a Russian folk tale which Pushkin had found. In the summer of 1831, Pushkin showed his tale to Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), who greatly admired it. The Tale saw its  first publication in 1840 posthumously by Vasily Zhukovsky in 1840 with considerable alterations due to censorship; the Priest character was replaced by a merchant.