# The Potter explained — Russian Folktales

> Chapter companion for Russian Folktales by A. N. Afanasyev.

## What happens

A clever potter encounters Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich on the road and impresses him with his wit. The Tsar commissions a large order of clay plates, and the potter later outwits a greedy boyar in a bargain, forcing the boyar to pull his carriage. The Tsar rewards the potter by swapping their clothes, humbling the boyar and elevating the potter.

## Themes in this chapter

### Trickery and Cunning

The potter uses his wit to outsmart the boyar and secure a favorable deal, demonstrating the power of cleverness over greed.

### Social Class and Hierarchy

The Tsar's decision to swap clothes between the potter and the boyar highlights the arbitrary nature of social rank and the potential for reversal.

## Character check-ins

### The Potter

A clever and witty craftsman who outsmarts both the Tsar and a boyar through sharp bargaining.

### Iván the Terrible

Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, who tests the potter's wisdom and later rewards him by swapping their social positions.

### The General

A boyar who tries to cheat the potter but is outwitted and humiliated.

## Key lines

> Do not fear a man who sings songs; but fear a man who slumbers!

Beware not of those who are openly joyful, but of those who appear idle or unaware.

_The potter's proverb warns that hidden dangers are more threatening than obvious ones._

> The first is an evil neighbour, the second an evil wife, and the third a weak understanding.

The three great misfortunes are a bad neighbor, a bad wife, and a weak mind.

_The potter lists the three worst evils, emphasizing that a weak intellect is the most inescapable._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/russian_folktales_se/chapters/the-potter
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/russian_folktales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/russian_folktales_se/chapters