Russian Folktales · Chapter
Iváshko and the Wise Woman explained
A young boy named Iváshechko goes fishing despite his parents' concerns.
What happens
A young boy named Iváshechko goes fishing despite his parents' concerns. A wise woman (witch) tricks him by having a smith forge a voice like his mother's, captures him, and orders her daughter Alyónka to cook him. Iváshechko tricks Alyónka into the oven instead, then climbs a tall oak tree. The witch and her guests unknowingly eat Alyónka, and when the witch boasts of eating Iváshechko, he reveals the truth from the tree. The witch gnaws through several oaks with iron teeth, but Iváshechko escapes by asking geese and swans to carry him home. He is joyfully reunited with his parents.
Themes in this chapter
Trickery and Cunning
Iváshechko uses cleverness to avoid being cooked by tricking Alyónka onto the shovel, and later reveals the witch's cannibalism from the tree. The witch also uses deception by having her voice forged.
Good vs. Evil
The innocent boy Iváshechko is pitted against the malevolent wise woman who intends to eat him. His eventual escape and reunion with his parents represent the triumph of good over evil.
Characters to notice
- The Boy
Iváshechko, the clever young son who outwits the witch and escapes being eaten.
- The Witch
The wise woman who captures Iváshechko, tricks him with a forged voice, and unknowingly eats her own daughter.
- The Old Man
Iváshechko's father, who calls him from the shore and later rejoices at his return.
- The Old Woman
Iváshechko's mother, who feeds him and calls him from the shore; overjoyed when he returns.
- The Swan
Geese and swans that carry Iváshechko home on their wings after the third flock agrees.
Key passages
“Little boat, little boat, sail far away, O'er the blue water away and away.”
Iváshechko sings a charm to make his boat sail out onto the lake.
This refrain is repeated each time he goes fishing, showing the magical nature of his boat.
“Dance and prance! you have eaten Alyónka's flesh.”
Iváshechko reveals from the tree that the witch has actually eaten her own daughter.
This moment of revelation is the climax of the trick, exposing the witch's unintended cannibalism.
“Geese and swans, geese and swans, Waft me away on your pinions: Take me home to my mother and father; With my mother and my father There is plenty to eat And life is sweet!”
Iváshechko begs the birds to carry him back to his parents' home.
The birds initially refuse but the third flock agrees, fulfilling a common folk motif of triple attempts before success.