Paper Russian fairy tales proverbs and stories Contents Introduction

English folk tale “Cap o’Rushes” and Bashkir folk tale “A daughter,who loved her father more than salt”
Nowadays we can find a number of fairy tales in different languages that are alike. I mean, the plot, characters, beginning and endings. I read a Bashkir folk tale “A daughter, who loved her father more than salt” and an English folk tale “Cap o’rushes”.
These two tales are very interesting and I liked them. Let me compare and contrast them.
A tale under analyses is “Cap o’Rushes”. It is about a daughter of a rich gentleman. He didn’t like her third daughter’s answer to his question “How much do you love me, my dear?” She went away; on her way she gathered a lot of rushes, made them into a cloak, kind of with a hood, to cover her from head to foot, and to hide her fine clothes. She came to a house and asked for any work without wages. She agreed to wash the pots, and scrape the saucepans and did al the dirty work. And because she gave no name they called her Cap o’Rushes. One day there was to be a great dance and the servants was let to go, and to look at the grand people. Cap o’Rushes was tired but when everybody went she cleaned hererself and went to dance. She was the most beautiful and finely dressed. But before the dance was gone, Cap o’Rushes slipped off, nobody noticed her. So, dances lasted three days. The cook’s son fell in love with her; he didn’t dance without her and gave her a ring. After three days cook’s son got worse and worse for the love. Cap o’Rushes made some gruel for him and dropped the ring. They were to be married, invited guests. Her father was also invited to the wedding. Before the wedding Cap o’Rushes asked the cook to dress every dish without a mite of salt. When guests began to eat meat, it was so tasteless. Cap o’Rushes’ Father burst out crying. He said “I had a daughter, and I asked her how much she loved me, and she answered as much as fresh meat loves salt”. Only that time her father understood how much Cap o’Rushes loved him.
The Bashkir folk tale is called “A daughter,who loved her father more than salt”. A king had three daughters and asked them how much they loved him. The king didn’t like the third daughter’s answer “I love you as much as salt”. Because of that the king married her third daughter to a bad man. An old woman had a twenty-year-old son, who was in a baby bed all time long. The girl was so hardworking, she wasn’t afraid of any kind of work: she sew, knitted, crocheted, embroidered and wove. Her mother-in-law sold everything in the market. One day the girl asked her mother-in –law to buy a switch with thorns. Her mother-in-law brought it home and the girl bit her husband with that switch. After that her husband jumped out the bed and began working. He was so hardworking, and they lived happily. Once the girl decided to invite her parents to her place. They didn’t want to come but at last agreed. The table was full of dishes. Guests began eating, but the girl’s father couldn’t eat, because his food had no salt. Only after that the father understood his mistake and asked for pardon. They all lived happily after that.
These two folk tales have the same beginning. Rich fathers asked questions and didn’t like third daughters’ answers. In English tale father closed the door in front of her, which means a concrete reaction. In Bashkir tale father thinks about taking revenge, which means he was thinking of making her daughter’s life harder. (So he drove her out there and then, and shut the door in her face)
In English tale the girl found a place to live herself. It means she is independent. (I haven’t nowhere to go, and I’d ask no wages, and do any sort of work)
In Bashkir tale the girl is sent by her father. It means her father feels himself responsible for her future. I think, we can notice traits of national character in these actions. English are concrete and independent, Bashkir people always need somebody to take care of and give advice.
In both tales girls did their best, they worked hard. In both cultures women are supposed to be modest, kind, neat, smart. These two characters overcame all difficulties due to their patience, good nature and wisdom.
In both tales we can see mothers; they are not as active as fathers, they help the girls and they help their sons. Mothers are rather weak in these tales, fathers are strong and angry.
In both tales sons need help; only these girls could help them.
The development of the plot is different in two languages. English tale is complicated, Bashkir tale is simpler.
English folk tale is rich in repetitions.
Tales have happy end, fathers understand everything and they all live happily.
The language of these folk tales constitutes the genuine oral poetry of the common people, dating from a time, when poet and peasant were one. The beauty and wealth of the language is important in folklore.