Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/13



presenting to the English Public this little volume of Russian stories, I give the result of some years' experience in Russia, where I was born, and where I spent my childhood. Some of these tales were dictated in the original Russian at school, others were related to me by my nurse and other servants of my father's household, while some are translations which I have made from various collections of Russian stories current among the people. Russian humour is peculiar, and it is not always easy to know whether Ivan is laughing at or with you. In this respect he resembles "Pat," whose affected simplicity is in nine cases out of ten a mere cloak for unfathomable shrewdness.

The perfect recklessness regarding possibility (to say nothing of probability) lends a special charm to the Russian story. Nothing stops the progress of events. The most startling phenomena occur in the most every-day sort ot way, and none of the characters seem surprised at occurrences of which the bare narration almost deprives one of breath.

I hope that my work may not only prove amusing