Episode Details

Five fables by Ivan Krylov (1769–1844), in new English verse translations made for this show, read aloud over a gentle instrumental bed.

The Dog (Собака, Book III, No. 20) — A squire's Dog wants for nothing, yet steals every piece of meat she can reach, and no beating cures her. The master's friend sees the flaw in the discipline at once: beat her less, he says — but never let her keep the theft.

The Dog and the Horse (Собака и Лошадь, Book VIII, No. 16) — Barbos the yard dog holds forth: the Horse is a fine lady indeed — haul or plough, what merit is that next to a guardian who never rests, watching the herd by day and the house by night? The Horse's answer closes the debate in four lines.

Dog's Friendship (Собачья дружба, Book II, No. 5) — Polkan and Barbos, sunning themselves beneath the kitchen window, discourse on friendship and swear to be Orestes and Pylades to each other for ever — embraces, kisses, one soul between them. Then the cook, as ill luck would have it, throws a bone out of the kitchen.

The Dog, the Man, the Cat, and the Falcon (Собака, Человек, Кошка и Сокол, Book V, No. 15) — Four companions swear an eternal friendship — unflattering, sincere, pure of heart: one house, one table, and death for one another if need be. On the hunt a bear bursts out of the wood, and the vow is tested on the spot. Krylov's moral is for everyone who was ever rescued — and then left.

The Donkey (Осёл, Book I, No. 16) — When Jupiter was peopling the world, the Donkey came out near as small as a squirrel — and nobody noticed him. Stung, he begs the Cloud-compeller for stature, day after day, until Zeus grants him a huge frame and a voice to match. Krylov's closing couplet weighs rank and breeding against the soul.

Krylov Fables.

Intermission: "Santa Fe Springs 2" — instrumental.

KacheliTV — Russian classics, read aloud.