The fox in Russian folk tales has become the personification of an evil mind. She is beautiful, seductive, eloquent, can easily pretend to be defenseless and weak, manipulating others for her own benefit. To achieve what she wants, the red-haired beast is ready to use all her trump cards - deceit, deceit, fraud, seduction. In fairy tales, the fox acts as a negative character who, trying to outwit the positive hero, becomes a victim himself, paying for his meanness and hypocrisy.
Fox in Russian folk tales
Why is a fox credited with a sharp mind and resourcefulness?
The cunning fox, as a character in fairy tales, appeared as a result of observations of this animal by the common people. Basically, these are the stories of hunters who personally saw the tricks of the red cheat. More than once she pretended to be dead in order to catch game. As a prisoner, she behaves similarly in order to lower the hunter's guard and escape. It can fall when a weapon is fired, as if wounded, but when it is thrown to the rest of the prey, it will slip away at any convenient moment. Even with serious injuries, the foxes managed to get out of the bag and escape back into the forest. Since she is not endowed with special powers, she has to resort to cunning in order to survive.
And they often hunt for her, either because of her beautiful fur, or because of her robbery activities. She herself is a good hunter - dexterous, cunning, silent. Its victims are hares, grasshoppers, mice, butterflies, fish, Maybug, young roe deer, as well as poultry and eggs hatched by it. Due to the fact that she often climbs chicken coops, the owners of poultry did not like her. That is why, among the people, the fox acquired the image of a clever villain-thief.
Fox nicknames in fairy tales
In fairy tales, the fox is depicted as a real beauty because of her luxurious red fur coat. And, despite the negativity of the character, they are often affectionately called “Gossip” or “Sister”. She has similar family ties with another anti-hero of fairy tales - the wolf and other animals, whom she can fool anyway. There is another prerequisite for this nickname - a crafty female image that was met among the people. A cunning and sharp-tongued gossip or a neighbor who was in every village, able to sweeten the interlocutor and achieve her own selfish goals.
In one of the Russian fairy tales, the fox is even given a name - Patrikeevna. But it is not in honor of a woman, but in honor of the governor of Novgorod, Prince Patrikey Narimantovich. He became famous among the people as a cunning and unscrupulous ruler, manipulating people and profiting in a dishonest way.
The image of a fox from folk tales
In each of the tales, specific features of the fox are highlighted. Rarely is she the victim. Basically it is a skillful deceiver and swindler:
- "Fox and Crane" displays duplicity - outward benevolence and hospitality, hiding indifference to other people's needs and calculation;
- "Sister Fox and the Wolf" shows the adventurism of the villainess, her penchant for mischief and ridicule, hypocrisy even with her fellows;
- "Fox - Confessor"- the image of the red-haired heroine personifies deceit and vindictiveness;
- "Cockerel is a golden comb" And "Kolobok"- the heroine deceives naive good-natured characters for the sake of her own selfish goals;
- "Fox with a rock"- reveals the image of a swindler fox, greedy and dishonorable;
- "The Fox and the Grouse" shows the main features of the character - flattery and deceit, hypocrisy;
- "Snow Maiden and Fox"- one of the few fairy tales where the animal character is positive. Here she shows kindness and altruism, helping Snegurushka.
The people in fairy tales showed a negative attitude not to the animal itself, but to the qualities that it symbolizes.
Ushinsky Konstantin Dmitrievich (February 19 (March 2), 1824 - December 22, 1870) - a great Russian teacher, the founder of Russian pedagogical science, which did not exist in Russia before him. K.D. Ushinsky is the keeper of fairy tales. Be sure to read his other stories as well. And now - we are reading about Lisa.
Illustrations by Ksenia Pavlova
"Lisa Patrikeevna"
The gossip-fox has sharp teeth, a thin stigma, ears on the top of the head, a tail at the fly away, and a warm fur coat.
Kuma is well dressed up: wool is fluffy, golden; waistcoat on the chest, and a white tie around the neck.
The fox walks quietly, bends down to the ground, as if bowing; he wears his fluffy tail carefully, looks affectionately, smiles, shows white teeth.
Digs holes, clever, deep; there are many passages in them and exits, there are pantries, there are bedrooms, the floors are lined with soft grass. The fox would be a good hostess to everyone, but the robber fox is cunning: she loves chickens, loves ducks, will twist the neck of a fat goose, will not have mercy on a rabbit.
"Fox and Goat"
The fox ran, gaped at the crows, and fell into the well. There was not much water in the well: you can’t drown, and you can’t jump out either. The fox is sitting, grieving. There is a goat, a smart head; walks, shakes his beards, shakes his mugs; looked, having nothing to do, into the well, saw a fox there and asked:
What are you doing there, fox?
I'm resting, my dear, - the fox answers.
It's hot up there, so I climbed up here. How cool is it here! Cold water - as much as you want.
And the goat wants to drink for a long time.
Is the water good? - asks the goat.
Excellent! - answers the fox. - Clean, cold! Jump here if you like; there will be a place for both of us.
The goat jumped foolishly, almost crushed the fox, and she told him:
Ah, the bearded fool! And he didn’t know how to jump - he splashed everything.
The fox jumped on the back of the goat, from the back onto the horns, and out of the well.
The goat almost disappeared from hunger in the well; they found him by force and dragged him out by the horns.
"Bunny Complaints"
The little gray bunny burst into tears, sitting under a bush; crying, saying:
“There is no worse share in the world than mine, a gray bunny! And who just doesn’t sharpen their teeth at me? Hunters, dogs, a wolf, a fox and a bird of prey; a crooked hawk, a bug-eyed owl; even a stupid crow drags my dear children with its crooked paws - I have nothing to defend myself with: I can’t climb a tree like a squirrel, I can’t dig holes like a rabbit. I'm a master at running, and I jump pretty well, but it's good if you have to run across a flat field or uphill, but if you have to run downhill, then you will go somersault over your head: your front legs are not mature enough.
It would still be possible to live in the world, if it were not for worthless cowardice. If you hear a rustle, your ears will rise, your heart will beat, you will not see the light, you will pierce out of the bush, and you will fall right into the net or under the hunter's feet.
Oh, it's bad for me, gray bunny! You are cunning, you hide in the bushes, you wander around in the bushes, you confuse your tracks; and sooner or later the trouble will not be avoided: and the cook will drag me to the kitchen by the long ears.
The only consolation I have is that the tail is short: there is nothing for the dog to grab. If I had a tail like a fox, where would I go with it? Then, it seems, he would have gone and drowned himself.
"Rooster and dog"
An old man lived with an old woman, and they lived in great poverty. All they had was only a rooster and a dog, and even those they were poorly fed. So the dog says to the rooster:
Come on, brother Petka, let's go to the forest: life here is bad for us.
Let's go, - says the rooster, - it won't get worse.
So they went where their eyes look. Wandered all day; it began to get dark - it's time for the night to pester. They went off the road into the forest and chose a large hollow tree. The rooster flew up on the bough, the dog climbed into the hollow and fell asleep.
In the morning, just as the dawn began to break, the rooster crowed: "Ku-ku-re-ku!" The fox heard the rooster; she wanted to eat rooster meat. So she went up to the tree and began to praise the rooster:
Here is a cock so a cock! I have never seen such a bird: and what beautiful feathers, and what a red crest, and what a sonorous voice! Fly to me, handsome.
And for what business? - asks the rooster.
Let's go to visit me: today I have a housewarming party, and a lot of peas are in store for you. - Well, - says the rooster, - but I can’t go alone: my comrade is with me.
"What happiness has come!" thought the fox. "There will be two roosters instead of one."
Where is your friend? she asks. - I'll invite him over.
There, in a hollow, he spends the night, - the rooster answers.
The fox rushed into the hollow, and her dog by the muzzle - tsap! .. Caught and tore the fox.
"Fox and Geese"
Once a fox came to the meadow. And there were geese in the meadow. Good geese, fat. The fox rejoiced and said:
Now I'll eat all of you! And the geese say:
You are a good fox! You, fox, are good, do not eat, have pity on us!
No! - says the fox, - I won’t regret it, I’ll eat everyone! What to do here? Then one goose says:
Let us sing a song, fox, and then eat us!
Well, okay, - says the fox, - sing! The geese all stood in a row and sang:
Ha-ha-ha-ha!
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
They are still singing, and the fox is waiting for them to finish.
Lisa-Patrikeevna, fox-gossip, fox-sister - as soon as they do not call a red cheat in fairy tales! Tales about the fox are just a huge number of plots, names and pictures invented by different peoples. The prototype, of course, is a real animal that lives in almost all countries. People followed the bright and cunning beauty and her habits and endowed them with a fairy-tale character.
Most often, the fairy fox is a favorite of 1skaz.ru, distinguished by cunning, intelligence, cunning, deceit, dexterity and resourcefulness. Russian folk writers present her as a negative character, weaving intrigues, deceiving other animals, seeking profit and profit at the expense of animals. In the forest, she is usually not liked, but, in extreme cases, they can seek advice or help.
A predator in real life, she remains so in fairy tales. For example, a fox can steal a rooster (the fairy tale "Cat, rooster and fox") in order to get enough. To achieve her own advantage, she can “set up” or outwit another animal or even a person. A vivid example is the fairy tale "The Fox and the Wolf": the fox deceived the peasant (pretending to be dead), stole the fish, and even made the wolf risk his life - to fish in the winter hole. Due to cunning and arrogance, he can get his own food (“Bear and Fox”, “Gingerbread Man”) and improve living conditions (“Fox and Hare”) at the expense of the hare. 
Most often, the narrow-minded wolf, stupid bear and cowardly hare become accomplices or victims of the fox. But there are stories in which the fox acts as a positive character, showing good qualities. In the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden and the Fox" she saves a girl who got lost in the forest.
Tales about the fox, which came to us from East Asia, create the image of a real werewolf. In these stories, the fox can transform into a human and even get married. Were foxes were usually beautiful, young and practically immortal (change foxes could live up to a thousand years). Some werefoxes found happiness in marriage with people, while others simply deceived and ruined gullible men.
The image of a fox is found in many literary tales. The most famous can be considered the enchanting liar Lisa Alice from the fairy tale "The Golden Key or the Adventures of Pinocchio" by A.N. Tolstoy. The fox Alice and the pseudo-blind cat Basilio made up a wonderful criminal duo, aimed at taking money from the gullible Pinocchio. The fox from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's fairy tale "The Little Prince" is distinguished by wisdom, shyness and curiosity. He is very lonely in his burrow near the wheat field and dreams of finding a friend who would tame him. In this tale, we see a kind dreamer fox who taught the boy to be friends.
There are a lot of fairy tales about the fox, this image is in fairy tales and legends among many peoples of the world. And all alone are worthy of the attention of readers. Just take a story and read it.
Watch the fox story:
Lisa is always busy with something. The cheater has no free time at all. Look around, look around, she has no time. But one day, magical events made her take a fresh look at the world ...
Fairy Tale "The Fox and the Walking Boots"
There lived a fox. She once found walking boots in the forest. Who lost? The fox took them to the hare. He refused to take it, said that he was running so fast, he didn’t need walking boots.
The fox thought, and offered walking boots to her chatterbox friend magpie, but she said that it was more convenient to fly without boots.
Then the fox herself put on the magic boots and went to the magic forest. In the magical forest, she flew like a bird. The fox looked down and wondered how beautiful it was! Then she went to her native forest. “How did I not notice the beauty that surrounded me every day before? It was worth being in a magical forest to understand how beautiful the world is!
Questions and tasks for the fairy tale
What magical item did the fox find in the forest?
To whom did the fox offer walking boots?
In which forest did the fox fly?
What discovery did the fox make for himself?
The main idea of the tale is that the world is really beautiful. Sometimes, in order to understand this, you need to put on magic boots and find yourself in a magical forest. But it sometimes happens that the magical forest is no different from the real one. The forest is always a little magical. What events are taking place there, behind tall pines, centuries-old oaks and sprawling birches? Different. This is from the realm of mystery ...
What proverbs and famous expressions fit the fairy tale?
Beauty is sweeter than simplicity.
Beauty is not a burden, but a joy.
Life is beauty. Admire her!
A fairy tale about a fox for children who take someone else's
Once upon a time there was a cunning fox Syoma. He was small, red-haired and very, very naughty. The mother fox always said:
- Soma! Never take anything without asking, otherwise the animals will think that you are a thief.
“All right,” answered the little fox, and immediately forgot about his promise.
For days on end, a naughty fox ran through the forest. Where his red fluffy tail flickers, something is sure to disappear there.
The squirrel folded the nuts in a pile, jumped into the hollow for the bag, returned - empty! What are miracles?
The hedgehog hung the mushrooms on the branches to dry, brought new ones, and the old ones - as if it had never happened! What's happened?
The mouse picked up a basket of blueberries, lay down to rest and dozed off. Wakes up - no basket! How so?
The fox cub runs through the forest: a nutshell hangs on its mustache, a thread with mushrooms on its paw, and its muzzle is covered in blueberries. Runs, looks - a magpie flies, and in her paws she has a mirror. He went after her. And the mirror is heavy, it is difficult for a magpie to fly with it: it flies from bush to bush, from branch to branch, from bump to bump. The magpie was tired and decided to drink water in the swamp. She put down the mirror, went to the puddle, and the little fox was right there: grabbed the mirror and run!
- Oh, you ugly! chirped the magpie. - The animals also say that the magpie is a thief! Who is the real thief! Well, wait, you'll get caught someday!
In the evening, when Sema went to bed, he thought:
“I wonder why mom says that you can’t take other people’s things without permission? Why is that bad? On the contrary, it is very cool! Today I ate nuts, mushrooms, blueberries, now I have a beautiful mirror, why is it bad. I feel very good!”
And the next morning, this is what happened. The fox wandered into a distant clearing. At the very edge of this glade grew a huge sprawling oak tree, and on the oak tree there was a big, very big hollow.
“Wow,” thought the fox. There must be something interesting and useful there! I'll get in there!
And he began to climb the trunk. Suddenly he hears a small voice:
— Where are you?
He looks, and below, at the very roots, a small mouse sits.
“I’m in the hollow,” answered the little fox.
- It's not just a hollow, it's someone's house! Aren't you ashamed to go there without asking? - the mouse was indignant.
“You understand a lot,” the little fox waved his paw.
- You see, the owners may not like it! the mouse warned him.
“Leave me alone,” the fox twitched its tail, “or else I’ll jump off and eat you!”
The mouse shook its little head accusingly, wrinkled its nose, and said nothing.
The little fox reached the hollow, stuck his curious nose in there, and in the hollow there was honey!
- Wow! - the fox rejoiced. - That's lucky! Now let's go to hell!
- Well, - there was a voice somewhere nearby. “Didn’t your mother tell you that it’s not good to take someone else’s?”
— Who else is here? the fox asked displeased.
- It's me, the bee, it's my honey! And I won't let you take it.
“Ha-ha-ha,” the little fox cheered. - Get out of here, you annoying fly! I'm stronger than you, I want and I'll take it!
- Well, hold on! - angry bee.
And the little fox does not hear her, only the red tail sticks out of the hollow. The rest of the bees returned from the meadow, circling around the hollow with full buckets of honey, and their girlfriend tells them about the little fox.
- All right, let's teach him a lesson! boomed the oldest bee.
Only the little fox crawled out of the hollow, and the bee swarm attacked him:
Oh, you red-haired impudent thief!
You run at full speed!
Don't look that we are babies!
Swarm of bees - bad jokes!
Well, sorry for his ears!
You shouldn't have listened to the mouse!
Well, sorry for his nose!
Why did you take away our honey!?
A fox cub runs through the forest, he threw honey, he pressed his ears, he closed his eyes in fear, and a swarm of bees does not lag behind, flies after him in a dark cloud and stings, stings!
The little fox ran home, huddled under the bed, afraid to stick his nose out. Only in the evening he came out and said to his mother-fox:
- That's right, you mom, you said you can't take it without asking. I will never take anything from someone else again!
