# The Princess Who Would Not Smile explained — Russian Folktales

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

## What happens

A princess never smiles or laughs, so her father promises her hand to anyone who can make her smile. Meanwhile, a humble workman, after three years of honest labor, takes only one coin each year, loses it, and eventually recovers all three coins. He gives them to a mouse, a beetle, and a sheatfish, who later help him by cleaning his coat and boots and driving away flies, causing the princess to smile. The workman is then identified as the one who made her smile and marries her.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Hierarchy

The contrast between the wealthy Tsar's palace and the workman's humble hut highlights class divisions, yet the workman's virtue elevates him.

### Fate and Divine Justice

The workman's faith in God and his honest actions lead to divine reward, as his lost coins float back and he gains the princess.

## Character check-ins

### The Tsarévna

The princess who never smiles, eventually smiles at the workman's antics.

### The Tsar

The father of the princess who promises her hand to whoever makes her smile.

### The Workman

An honest laborer who takes only one coin for his work, loses it, and later gives coins to a mouse, beetle, and sheatfish.

### The Mouse

Receives a coin from the workman and later helps clean his coat.

### The Beetle

Receives a coin from the workman and later cleans his boots.

### The Sheatfish

Receives a coin from the workman and later drives away flies.

## Key lines

> In the Tsar’s palace, in the Prince’s chamber, every day the Princess Without a Smile grew fairer. What a life she had, what plenty, what beauty round her! There was enough of everything that exists that the soul may desire, but she never smiled, never laughed, and it seemed as though her heart could not rejoice at anything.

The princess lived in luxury and beauty but never smiled or laughed, as if nothing could bring her joy.

_Describes the princess's melancholic state despite her wealth._

> The workman went up to the table and thought, 'How shall I not be guilty in the eyes of God if I take too much for my labour?' So he took only one little coin, put it into the hollow of his hand and thought he would have a little drink. So he went to the well, and the coin slipped through his fingers and fell to the bottom.

The workman, fearing to take more than he deserved, took only one coin, but accidentally dropped it into the well.

_Shows the workman's honesty and the loss of his coin._

> The Princess Without a Smile gazed on their services, and she smiled. 'Who is he who has enlivened my daughter?' cried the King. One man said 'I,' and another man said 'I.' 'No,' said the Princess, 'that is the man there'; and she pointed out the workman.

The princess smiled at the animals helping the workman, and when the king asked who made her smile, she pointed to the workman.

_Climax where the workman is identified as the one who made the princess smile._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/russian_folktales_se/chapters/the-princess-who-would-not-smile
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