Ivan Tsarevich

Once there was a prince named Ivan. He lived in a big, shiny castle with his father, the Tsar, and his two big brothers. One day, the Tsar said, 'It is time to find your brides. Shoot an arrow, and where it lands, your bride will be.'. My two brothers shot their arrows far away. Their arrows landed at the homes of two nice ladies. But Ivan's arrow flew up, up, up and went right into a green, murky swamp. Oh no. He felt very sad when he found his arrow. A little, croaking frog was holding it. But then, a magical thing happened. The frog talked. She said she would be a good bride if he took her home. This is the story of The Frog Princess, and it started because Prince Ivan was kind to a little frog.

Guess what happened at the castle. Poof. The little frog turned into a beautiful princess. Wow. Her name was Vasilisa the Wise, and she was full of magic. She could bake yummy bread that smelled so good. She could weave amazing carpets with bright, pretty colors. Ivan was so happy. But Ivan made a big mistake. He found her little frog skin and put it in the fire. He thought she would be a princess forever. A big, dark wind blew through the room. Whoosh. It carried his dear Vasilisa far, far away. She was taken to the castle of a grumpy sorcerer named Koschei. Ivan knew he had to be very brave. He put on his strong boots and went on a long, long journey to find her.

On his journey, Ivan walked and walked. He met a big, fuzzy bear and was kind to it. He met a little bird singing in a tree and was kind to it. He even met a big, splashy fish and was kind to it, too. When he found Koschei's dark castle, he did not know how to save Vasilisa. But his new animal friends came to help him. The strong bear, the fast bird, and the clever fish all helped. Together, they were brave and smart, and they rescued the princess. Ivan and Vasilisa went back to their home and were happy forever. This story teaches us that what is on the inside is what is most beautiful, and being kind is the best magic of all.