The role of animals in Russian folk art extremely large and varied. Almost all fairy tales feature some kind of animal. Among them are fox, bear, wolf, hare, hedgehog, magpie and others. With these well known bright characters adults tell their children about what is good and what is bad. The first fairy tales in history appeared long before the invention of books and writing and were passed on from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. That's why they are called folk. Let's look at the most popular animals that appear in fairy tales and compare how much their “fairytale” characteristics coincide with their descriptions in real life.
“Fox-sister”, “Fox is beautiful when talking”, “Fox Patrikeevna”, Lisafya, Fox-godmother - this is how the Fox is affectionately called in Russian folk tales. This red-haired cheat is certainly an all-time favorite character. And invariably she is cunning, smart, quick-witted, calculating, vindictive and insidious. So, only she was able to outwit and eat poor Kolobok, deceive a stupid wolf whose tail was frozen to the ice hole, and even deceive a man by pretending to be dead. The main idea of these fairy tales is to tell children that what is important in life is not strength, but cunning. Despite this, the fox is still a negative character. In some fairy tales, peaceful animals who have suffered from this red-haired cheat have to work very hard to outwit and teach the Fox herself a lesson.
But is the fox really that cunning and smart? German zoologist Alfred Brehm, in his book “The Life of Animals,” argues that the cunning of the fox in Russian fairy tales is greatly exaggerated, but the intelligence of the wolf is, on the contrary, underestimated. Otherwise, the real common fox is in many ways similar to the “fairytale” one: red fur, a beautiful fluffy tail, the fox often hunts a hare or visits nearby chicken coops.
“Bear Clubfoot”, “Mikhail Potapych” or simply Mishka in its popularity does not lag behind the Fox. This character is often presented in fairy tales as lazy, fat and clumsy. Big and clubfooted, he is slow, stupid and dangerous. Often he threatens the weak with his strength, but in the end he always loses, because it is not strength that is important, but speed, dexterity and intelligence - this is the meaning of fairy tales involving Mishka. The most popular fairy tales- “Three Bears”, “Masha and the Bear”, “Tops and Roots”. However, in real life, the brown bear is not as slow as one might assume. He can run very fast and, moreover, is not particularly stupid. Otherwise, his “fairy-tale” image has a lot to do with him common features: he is really big, dangerous and a little club-footed: when walking, his toes point slightly inward, and his heels point outward.
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“Runaway Bunny”, “Cowardly Bunny” or “Slant” is also a very common hero of Russian fairy tales. His main feature- cowardice. In some fairy tales, the Hare is presented as a cowardly, but at the same time boastful, cocky and stupid hero, and in some, on the contrary, as a moderately cautious and intelligent forest animal.
For example, in the fairy tale “The Boastful Bunny” or “Fear Has Big Eyes,” the cowardice of the Hare is ridiculed, main idea these fairy tales - you must always be brave. At the same time, in the fairy tale “Zayushkina’s Hut”, the Bunny appears before us positive character who needs support and protection.
In real life, the hare, like its “fairytale” character, has long ears, is fast, agile, careful and attentive. Thanks to the special position of the eyes, the hare can look not only forward, but also backward. During the chase, the hare may “squint” its eye to calculate the distance to its pursuer. For this ability, the hare was nicknamed Oblique. The main enemy of the hare, as in fairy tales, is the fox.
“The gray wolf - chucked his teeth”, “The wolf-wolf - grabbed from under the bush”, “The wolf-fool” is presented in most cases as a negative character, stupid, angry, hungry and dangerous. But, in most cases, he is so stupid that in the end he is left with nothing. For example, “the tale of the Fox and the Wolf” or “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats.” In these fairy tales, the wolf is the embodiment of evil, and the main message for children is that good always triumphs over evil. However, in some fairy tales the wolf appears to us as wise and true friend a person who is always ready to help, an example of this is the fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf.”
In real life, a wolf can indeed be extremely dangerous. He is often hungry and wanders through the forest in search of food. But his intelligence is extremely underrated. The wolf is an intelligent and organized animal; a clear structure and discipline can be seen in the wolf pack. Wolves create incredibly strong couples, their unions are strong, and the wolves themselves are the real personification of loyalty and love for each other. A tamed wolf can indeed become a faithful and devoted friend for a person.
The Prickly Hedgehog has long appeared before us in the image of a kind, smart old man, wise in life. Despite his small stature and small legs, he always emerges victorious thanks to his extraordinary intelligence and cunning. So, for example, in the fairy tale “The Hare and the Hedgehog,” the hedgehog outwitted and killed the poor Hare, with whom they allegedly ran a race, and in the fairy tale “The Magic Wand,” the Hedgehog taught the Hare various life wisdom, explaining that for survival it is necessary first just think with your head.
In real life, the Hedgehog is not distinguished by his outstanding intelligence, but he is not stupid either. When in danger, the hedgehog curls up into a thorny ball, which makes it inaccessible to predators, as stated in fairy tales.
In a certain kingdom, a certain state, namely the one in which we live, there lived a landowner. The landowner had a cat, his name was Vaska-Muska.
The landowner loved Vaska-Muska, and the cat did his cat’s job well - he caught rats and mice in the grain stores...
There lived in my grandfather’s yard a gray hen, Corydalis, and a cheerful cockerel, Petya. One day the Corydalis hen was walking around her grandfather’s garden. And a large cloud was passing over the village, thunder struck from the cloud. Hail fell like large peas...
Once upon a time there lived a goat and a ram in the same yard; They lived together amicably: a bunch of hay, and that in half. And if a pitchfork hits the side, it’s for Vaska the cat alone! He is such a thief and robber, every hour he is on the hunt, and wherever he lies, his stomach hurts...
Once upon a time there lived a peasant who had a Sheep. The owner didn’t like her and tortured her with nagging! She decided to leave home. I walked, I walked. The Fox met her: “Where are you going, Sheep?” The goat and the ram went into the deep forest to pluck grass and take a walk in the open air. We walked and walked and got lost in
Once upon a time there was a cat, a thrush and a cockerel - a golden comb. They lived in the forest, in a hut. The cat and the blackbird go into the forest to chop wood, and leave the cockerel alone. They leave and are severely punished: “We will go far, but you stay to be a housekeeper, but don’t raise your voice, when the fox comes, don’t look out the window...
Once upon a time there lived a grandfather, a woman and a granddaughter Masha. They had neither a cow, nor a pig, nor any cattle - just a goat. Goat, black eyes, crooked leg, sharp horns. Grandfather loved this goat very much. Once the grandfather sent the grandmother to graze the goat. She grazed and grazed and drove home...
A crane met a fox: “What, fox, can you fly?” - No I do not know how to. - Sit on me, I’ll teach you. The fox sat on the crane. The crane carried her away high, high. - What, fox, do you see the earth...
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had a granddaughter Alyonushka. The girlfriends got ready to go into the forest to pick berries and came to invite her with them. For a long time the old people did not let their granddaughter go. Then they agreed, only they ordered her to keep up with her friends. Girls walk through the forest, picking berries. Tree by tree, bush by bush - Alyonushka fell behind her friends...
The fox and the crane became friends. So the fox decided to treat the crane, and went to invite him to visit her: “Come, little kuman, come, dear!” I'll treat you! The crane went to the banquet. And the fox cooked semolina porridge and spread it on the plate...
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They sowed turnips. So the bear got into the habit of stealing turnips from them. The old man went to look and saw: a lot of turnips had been picked and scattered around. He returned home and told the old woman...
One day a man was sitting in the forest under a tree and eating bread. The Wolf saw him and asked: “What are you eating, man?” “Your own bread,” he answers. - Give me some bread to try. The man cut off the edge of the bread. The wolf ate it and licked his lips: the bread was delicious...
Once upon a time there lived an old woman who spoke, and she had a goat with kids. In the morning people will get up and get to work, but the old woman still lies on the stove. Only by lunchtime will he get up, eat, drink - and let’s talk. She talks, talks, talks - both with neighbors, and with passers-by, and with herself...
Once upon a time there lived a fox and a hare. The fox had an ice hut, the hare had a bast hut. The red spring has come - the fox’s hut has melted, but the hare’s hut remains as before. So the fox asked him to spend the night, and kicked him out of the hut. A dear bunny walks and cries. A dog meets him. - Tyaf, tyaf, tyaf! Why, bunny, are you crying...
Proper upbringing has a positive effect on a child’s personality and spiritual qualities. When introducing their baby to the world that exists outside the family, parents must be very attentive, since an overabundance of information can overload the child’s consciousness. The supply of materials should be made as comfortable as possible for young listener, and in this case, short fairy tales will be an ideal option for teaching.
Not only in old folklore attention was paid to such stories - modern writers continued to invent tales about domesticated and wild animals. Their heroes are no longer so clear in terms of their characters, but thanks to this approach, the characters began to turn out brighter, more colorful and memorable. The plots of author's works are sometimes deeper than folk narratives.
Read stories about animals
After reading children's fairy tales about animals on the site, the child realizes that the behavior of animals and birds reflects the very essence of human society. With the help of new knowledge, the child will be able to behave correctly in a variety of situations. life situations. Through the prism magical world Through fairy tales, boys and girls will better understand the relationships that exist between people.
The children will be most interested in stories telling about the adventures of animals. Since ancient times, through these images, the wisdom of generations accumulated over a long time has been transmitted. Animals, birds or reptiles had special characteristics that were characteristic of their normal behavior. Reading Russians folk tales, you can learn that foxes have always been distinguished by cunning, wolves by cunning, and hares by cowardice.
Throughout the history of humankind, animals have played and continue to play a huge role in the world. literary art, including fairy tales for children. In wonderful and mysterious fairy tales we meet witches and queens, princes and elves, dragons and talking animals. From ancient times, when man first scratched buffalo on cave walls, to the present day, animals have been depicted in mythical stories and Russian folk tales. Rich story The animal world, represented in mythology and fairy tales, continues endlessly. These animals awaken our creative spirit and feed our imagination.
Tales about animals for young children is one of the sections of the list fairy tales, which have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Wonderful and amazing things happen to small and large animals. Some of them are kind and sympathetic, others are evil and treacherous. IN fairy tales animals can turn into handsome princes and extraordinary beauties, speak human language, laugh, cry and worry.
The best fairy tales about animals with pictures
Young children always listen with enthusiasm and special interest to the fairy tales of Prishvin and Leo Tolstoy, where the main characters are animals, admiring their exploits and condemning evil deeds. Animals that help people are portrayed as strong, agile, fast, cunning and kind. Fictional talking creatures in the form of animals, possessing human qualities, entertain children and adults, making them worry extraordinary adventures, which are told in short fairy tales with pictures. For hundreds of years, we and our children have been learning about scary dragons, unicorns and other unusual creatures of animal origin. These creatures appeared in such fairy tales as “The Adventures of Pinocchio”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Cinderella” and many, many others. 
Storytellers characterize animals with human behavior in their stories, for example, in the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs” or “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats,” evil, greedy and at the same time kind and sensual animals are shown. They, like people, are capable of loving and hating, deceiving and admiring. On our website you can read 1 story summary for each fairy tale and choose exactly the one that your child will like. 
Fairy tales about animals will never go out of style. From year to year we will read, compose and tell them to our children, experience and admire good deeds animals and rejoice at their victories and achievements. Modern authors continue folk traditions and the traditions of storytellers of past years, creating new stories with new titles, where the main characters are animals.
- 1. Grandma and the bear
- 2. Tale about black grouse
- 3. Bean seed
- 4. Bull, ram, goose, rooster and wolf
- 5. The wolf is a fool
- 8. Wolf, quail and jerk
- 9. Crow
- 10. Crow and cancer
- 11. Where was the goat?
- 12. Stupid wolf
- 14. For a bast shoe - a chicken, for a chicken - a goose
- 16. Hares and frogs
- 17. Animals in the pit
- 19. Golden horse
- 20. Golden Cockerel
- 21. How the wolf became a bird
- 23. How the fox sewed a fur coat for the wolf
- 24. Goat
- 25. Goat Tarata
- 28. Cat and Fox
- 29. Cat, Rooster and Fox
- 30. Kochet and chicken
- 31. Crooked duck
- 32. Kuzma is soon rich
- 33. Chicken, mouse and black grouse
- 34. Lion, pike and man
- 35. Fox is a wanderer
- 36. Fox and blackbird
- 38. Fox and goat
- 40. Fox and bast shoe
- 41. Fox and cancer
- 42. Fox and black grouse
- 44. Fox Confessor
- 45. Fox midwife
- 46. The fox-maiden and Kotofey Ivanovich
- 48. Masha and the Bear
- 49. Bear - fake leg
- 50. Bear and fox
- 51. Bear and dog
- 52. The Man and the Bear (Tops and Roots)
- 53. Man, bear and fox
- 54. Mouse and Sparrow
- 55. Scared wolves
- 56. Scared bear and wolves
- 57. Wrong court of birds
- 58. No goat with nuts
- 59. About Vaska - Muska
- 60. About the toothy pike
- 61. Sheep, fox and wolf
- 62. Rooster and bob
- 63. Rooster and hen
- 64. Cockerel
- 66. At the behest of the pike
- 67. Promised
- 68. About the toothy mouse and about the rich sparrow
- 69. About the old lady and the bull
- 71. Mitten
- 72. The Tale of Ersha Ershovich, Shchetinnikov’s son
- 73. The Tale of Ivan the Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf
- 74. Tar goby
- 75. The Old Man and the Wolf
- 77. Three bears
- 79. Sly goat
Read fairy tales about animals / Title of fairy tales about animals
Read stories about animals useful for all children from the youngest to the oldest. Title of animal tales speaks about the main character of the fairy tale: wolf, fox, rooster, hen, crow, hare. Russian fairy tales about animals are a peculiar variety fairy tale genre. Animals, birds, fish, and some plants act in the animal world. So, fairy tales about animals to read include tales about a fox who steals fish from a sleigh, and about a wolf at an ice hole; about a fox that fell into a pot of sour cream; famous folk tales about animals: the beaten one brings the unbeaten one (fox and wolf), fox-midwife, animals in the pit, fox and crane (inviting each other to visit), fox-confessor, peace among animals. All these stories fill the child’s soul with goodness, love not only for people, but also for animals. Animal heroes of Russian folk tales include: a wolf visiting a dog, an old dog and a wolf, a cat and wild animals (the animals are afraid of the cat), a wolf and kids and others...
In the fairy tale “Little Little Khavroshechka,” a wonderful apple tree grows from the bones of a cow: it helps the girl get married. Anthropomorphism in fairy tales is expressed in the fact that animals speak and act like people. Short fairy tales about animals “Bear and Lime Leg.” With the development of man's ideas about nature, with the accumulation of observations, tales include stories about man's victory over animals and about domestic animals, which was the result of their domestication.
In the fairy tale “The Fox Confessor,” the fox, before eating the rooster, convinces him to confess his sins; at the same time, the hypocrisy of the clergy is wittily ridiculed. The fox turns to the rooster: “Oh, my dear child, rooster!” She tells him the biblical parable of the publican and the Pharisee. Fairy tales about animals, creating images of characters that combine animal and human traits, naturally convey a lot of things characteristic of human psychology.
We find the names of fairy tales about animals: “once upon a time there was a godfather and a godfather - a wolf and a fox”, “once upon a time there was a wolf and a fox”, “once upon a time there was a fox and a hare”. In fairy tales about animals, dialogism is developed much more than in fairy tales of other types: it moves the action, reveals situations, and shows the state of the characters. Songs are widely introduced into fairy tales: a fox lures a rooster with a song, a wolf deceives kids with a song, a bun runs and sings a song: “I scrape the box, sweep the bottom of the barrel...” Fairy tales about animals are characterized by bright optimism: the weak always get out of difficult situations. It is supported by the comedy of many situations and humor. Funny fairy tales about animals. The genre was formed long time, was enriched with plots, types of characters, developing certain structural features.
