Goldfish
(Russian folks tale)

Once upon a time there lived poor old man and women. They lived in very poor hovel. Old man was fisher. One day he caught golden fish and she asked him in human voice: "Old man, put me in water back. I will do what you want."
Old man told: "Don't worry, Goldfish. Go in water. I do not want service for this. "
Old man went home. He told his wife about fish. Old woman was very angry: "You are fool! Go to fish and ask her new wash tub!"
Old man went to the sea again and called goldfish. Fish asked him: "What do you want, old man?" old man felt in shame but he asked new wash tub.
He went home. His wife was angry: "Why you asked only wash tub? Go and ask new house!"
Old man went to sea again. Sea was not very quiet. He asked new big house. He went home and saw very big and beautiful house.
But old woman was angry again: "Go to fish and tell her. I want to be rich lady!"
Old man went to the sea again. Sea was more wild. He asked fish : "Make my wife in rich lady" Fish made it. Old lady became very rich. She had many servants. She made her husband in her servant.
Time went and old became angry again. She told: "Go to fish and tell her. I want to be tzaritsa (queen) . I want to have palace."
Old man went to sea again. He was very ashamed. He saw wild sea. He asked goldfish what his wife wanted. Old woman became tzaritza. She had big palace. She was very rich but old man was poor.
Time went and old woman became angry again. She told: "Go to fish and tell her. I want to be mistress of ocean. I want to have house in ocean. I want goldfish be my servant"
Old man went to sea again. He was very sad. He was very ashamed. He saw storm in sea. He asked goldfish what his wife wanted. Goldfish did not tell him a word. She hit water with her tail. And what old man saw: his poor hovel, old wash tub and his old woman.
Animation: Timmy, Mark, Ramie, and Bradley (USA); drawings: Ana Cristina (Mexico), Jana (Russia)

Geese- swans
(Russian folks tale)

Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman. They had a daughter and a little son. One day parents went to the town to the market and told daughter: "Take care of your brother! Do not leave him alone".
But the girl forgot about it and ran to play with her friends. Little brother was alone. Suddenly geese – swans flew and took the boy with them.
When sister came she only saw geese – swans far away. She ran to take her brother.
She saw oven on her way and asked about geese – swans. Oven told: "Eat my pie and I will tell you."
But the girl told: "I do not want to!"
Then she saw the milk river and asked it about geese – swans. Milk river asked her:
" Drink my milk and I will tell you."
But the girl told: "I do not want to drink!"
The girl continued to go. She saw the apple tree and asked about geese – swans. The tree told her:
" Eat my forest apple and I will tell you."
But the girl told: "I do not want to!"
Finally, girls saw the log cabin. Baba Jaga lived there. Her little brother sat in the cabin and played.
The girl knew that Baba Jaga will eat them both. She took her brother and ran away. Baba Yaga sent geese – swans to catch children.
Children saw apple tree and asked to hide them. The tree told: " Eat my forest apple and I will hide you."
They ate forest apple and the tree hid them. Geese – swans flew by and did not see children.
Then they saw milk river that told: "Drink my milk and I will hide you."
Children drank milk and the milk river hid them. Geese – swans did not see children again.
Then they saw the oven and ate its pies. The oven hid children. Geese – swans did not see them and flew away.
Children returned home very happy.
Drawing: Pamela (Mexico)

The Gingerbread Man
(American tale)

The gingerbread man is a fairy tale from a long time ago. A old man and woman were  going to make a gingerbread man to eat for a snack. They made him and put him in the oven and baked him . When he was done they pulled him out. All of the sudden he hopped up from the pan and walked to the edge of the table. The old man and woman were very startled and jumped out of their chairs really fast. This was his chance. The gingerbread man jumped off the table and said, "Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" He ran outside, with the old man and woman in pursuit, and stopped when
he reached a cow and horse. He said to them,"Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" Then the horse and the cow joined the old man and woman and continued chasing the
gingerbread man. Next, the gingerbread man stopped at a group of farmers and said, "Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"  And then they all started chasing the gingerbread
man. Next the gingerbread man stopped at some hunters and said "Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" And then they started chasing him but they were firing their guns
at him also. With every body that he had said "Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"  were chasing him. Then he came across water so he was trapped. All of the sudden a
fox near by spotted him and he thought the gingerbread man was tasty looking so he thought of a plan to eat him. Then the fox noticed other people were trying to get him so he put his plan into action. He ran up
to the gingerbread man and said " Hop on my back and I will take you across the river. So the gingerbread man hopped on his back and the fox started swimming across the river. Suddenly the foxes legs started
sinking so the fox said "run to my tummy so you don't get wet. At this time the people and animals had stopped chasing the gingerbread man. Then the foxes stomach started sinking so the fox said "run to my neck so you don't get wet." The foxes plot was working. Then the fox made his neck start to sink so he said "run to my nose so you don't get wet." When the gingerbread started doing this the fox opened his mouth and the gingerbread man fell in and the fox ate him. The fox had made his plan to eat the gingerbread man worked.
Drawings: Nina (Russia), Alejandra (Mexico)