Masha and the Bear

Once upon a time, in a village, there lived a grandfather and a grandmother. They had a granddaughter called Masha. One day the village girls were getting ready to go into the forest to pick mushrooms and berries, and they asked Masha to come too. "Grandfather, Grandmother," said Masha, "let me go into the forest with the girls." "Go," said the grandfather and grandmother, "but don't leave the other girls, or you'll get lost."

The girls reached the forest and began picking mushrooms and berries. Masha went from tree to tree and from bush to bush, and without noticing she wandered away from her friends. She went deep into the forest. She began to call to her friends, but no one heard her, and no one answered.

Masha walked and walked, and at last, in the middle of the thick forest, she came to a little hut. She knocked at the door, but there was no answer. She pushed the door, and it opened. Masha went inside and sat down on the bench by the window. "I wonder who lives here?" she thought.

A great big bear lived in that hut. But just then he was out walking in the forest. When evening came, the bear came home, and when he saw Masha he was delighted: "Aha! Now I'll never let you go! You'll live with me. You'll light the stove, cook porridge and feed me porridge."

Masha was very sad and cried, but what could she do? She began to live with the bear. Every day the bear went off into the forest, and he warned Masha strictly: "Don't go anywhere outside the hut. If you run away, I'll catch you again and eat you!"

Masha began to think how she could escape. All around was forest, she did not know which way to go, and there was no one to ask. She thought and thought, and at last she found a way.

One day, when the bear came home from the forest, Masha said to him: "Bear, bear, let me go to the village for a day. I want to take a basket of pies to my grandfather and grandmother." "No," said the bear, "you'll get lost. Give me the pies, and I'll take them myself." That was just what Masha wanted.

Masha baked pies, fetched a big, deep basket and said to the bear: "Look, I'll put the pies in this basket, and you take them to my grandfather and grandmother. But mind, don't open the basket on the way and don't eat the pies. I'll climb to the top of the tree and watch you." "All right," said the bear, "give me the basket." "Go out and see whether it's raining first," said Masha.

As soon as the bear went outside, Masha quickly climbed into the basket and put the plate of pies on top of her head. The bear came back, saw that the basket was ready, put it on his back and set off for the village.

The bear walked between the trees and through the bushes, downhill and uphill. As he walked, he grew tired and said: "I'll sit on a tree stump and eat a pie." But from inside the basket Masha called out: "I can see you, I can see you! Don't sit on the stump, don't eat the pie! Take it to Grandfather, take it to Grandmother!" "My," said the bear, "what sharp eyes she has. She sees everything!" He put the basket back on his back and walked on.

After a while he stopped again: "I'll sit on a tree stump and eat a pie." But again Masha called from the basket: "I can see you, I can see you! Don't sit on the stump, don't eat the pie! Take it to Grandfather, take it to Grandmother!" The bear was astonished: "How clever she is! She's climbed up high and sees far." He got up and walked even faster.

At last he reached the village, found the house of Masha's grandfather and grandmother, and knocked at the door with all his might: "Knock, knock, knock! Open up, open up! I've brought you a present from Masha!" But the village dogs saw the bear and came running and barking. The bear was frightened, left the basket at the door and ran back to the forest without looking back.

The grandfather and grandmother opened the door and saw the basket. "I wonder what's in this basket?" said the grandmother. The grandfather lifted the lid, looked inside and could not believe his eyes: there in the basket sat Masha, safe and sound! The grandfather and grandmother were overjoyed; they hugged and kissed Masha and kept saying how clever she was.

That evening they all ate the pies Masha had baked. And Masha never again left her friends in the forest.

This tale tells us: in a difficult situation, instead of crying, we must stay calm and think. A clever plan can defeat even a great big bear.