Episode Details

The Fables of Ivan Krylov — Episode Ten

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

The Eagle and the Mole (Орёл и Крот, Book III, No. 21) — An Eagle scorns a Mole's warning that the oak he has chosen for his nest is rotten at the root — what business have Moles with the affairs of the tsar of birds? Krylov's moral stands at the head: despise no one's counsel — but weigh it first.

The Eagle and the Spider (Орёл и Паук, Book III, No. 18) — On a hundred-year-old cedar above the Caucasus, the Eagle thanks Zeus that no height is barred to him — and a Spider, basking above his very head, asks him not to lord it. The Spider rode up on the Eagle's tail; a single gust of wind settles the argument.

The Ear of Wheat (Колос, Book VI, No. 20) — A little Ear of Wheat, open to storms and drought in the open field, envies the hothouse flower behind its glass and demands the same care from the farmer. The farmer's reply is Krylov at his kindest and firmest: had he followed the advice, there would be no flowers — and no bread.

The Education of the Lion (Воспитание Льва, Book III, No. 12) — The old Lion rejects tutor after tutor for his son — the Fox lies, the Mole is a mighty beast for petty things, the Leopard knows no statecraft — and sends the cub to the Eagle, a tsar to teach a tsar. The prince comes home a master of ornithology, ready to teach the beasts to build nests.

The Elephant and the Pug-Dog (Слон и Моська, Book III, No. 4) — The famous one. They lead an Elephant through the streets, and a little Pug dashes out to bark at him fit to burst. Her neighbour begs her to stop disgracing herself; the Pug's answer is the whole point: without any fight at all, she can get herself counted among great brawlers.

Krylov Fables.

Intermission: "The Longest Night by the River" — instrumental.

KacheliTV — Russian classics, read aloud.