Ivasyk-Telesyk

There lived a grandfather and a grandmother, but they had no children. The old women were very worried. One day the grandfather went into the forest, cut a log from an ash tree, made a likeness of a boy out of it and brought it home. The grandmother put the log in a cradle, lulled it and sang along.

And a miracle happened - overnight the little piece of wood came to life, turning into a handsome boy. The grandfather and grandmother were delighted, and they named him Ivasyk-Telesyk. He grew not by days, but by hours, and he already became his father's assistant.

Grandfather made him a golden boat and a silver bow. Ivasik-Telesik swam along the river, catching fish, and when the boat was full, he swam to the shore and called his mother: «Mother-dove, bring me some food, I caught some fish for you!» The woman ran with a basket, took the fish, fed her son, and he went back to the water.

The evil Snake, who lived in the forest, overheard all this. She was jealous that the people had a beautiful child, but she only had a crooked daughter. So she decided to steal Ivasik. She came to the shore and called in a thick voice: "Ivasik-Telesik, swim to the shore, I brought you some food.".

And Ivasik is smart - he heard that the voice was not his mother's, it was rough, and he said: "That's not my mother's voice, I won't swim to you." Zmeikha got angry, ran to the blacksmith. "Blacksmith, make me a thin voice, like my mother's." The blacksmith made a forge. Zmeikha turned around, calling softly and loudly: "Ivasik-Telesyuk, swim to the shore..." The boy thought - it seemed to be his mother's voice. He swam to the shore. And Zmeikha - snap! - grabbed her by the bangs, and carried her to her hut in the forest.

Zmiikha brought Ivasyk home and said to her daughter Olena: «Light the stove and roast this guy for me, I’ll come back from the hunt hungry.» She herself ran to call her relatives to a feast. And Olena was in trouble — she had become like her mother.

Olenka lit the stove, took a large wooden shovel, and said: "Lie down, Ivasik, on the shovel, I'll put you in the stove." And Ivasik is cunning - he had already thought everything through. "But, auntie, I don't know how to lie down. First show me yourself, and then I'll lie down properly.".

Silly Olena lay down on the shovel, and Ivasyk, as he was about to push her into the stove, covered it with a flap, and rushed out of the house to a tall sycamore tree. He climbed to the very top, sat there, not breathing.

Zmiikha came running with her guests, and in the oven only bones were cracking. She was happy: "Let's sit down, little ones, let's eat Ivasyk's meat." They ate, put the bones away - and then they saw: her daughter, Alenka, had baked in the oven. Zmiikha roared furiously, rushed to look for Ivasyk - and he was on the sycamore.

The Snake rushed to the sycamore tree, bit it with her teeth, chopped it with an axe. Then the geese flew. «Little swan geese, take me on your wings, carry me to my mother!» The first flew, the second flew, and the third flock took pity on the boy, picked him up on their wings and carried him to his parents’ home. And the Snake burst out of grief. So Ivasik-Telesik, with his intelligence and cleverness, escaped from a fierce death and returned to his father and mother alive and well.