The Frog Princess

10/08/20 • -1 min

A king has three wonderful, princely sons. But none of them has a bride! So the king decides to fix the problem, and test their virtue at the same time. Each of them must shoot an arrow up into the sky. Wherever it falls, there they will find their bride. Poor Ivan, the third son, shoots his arrow straight into the swamp. But not only does he find a bride there, he also gets more than he ever bargained for... In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar explores the strange, but compelling fact that stories of talking animals appear in nearly every folkloric tradition since ancient times. What do these stories say about us? Might they be reflections of some deep, primordial desire for something we lost?

Previous Episode

Vasilissa the Beautiful

A young girl loses her mother, and her father marries the stepmother from hell. Sound familiar? But this version of Cinderella has Baba Yaga, magical talking dolls, and a happily-ever-after to beat them all. In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar introduces the idea of moral imagination and talks about how good stories help cultivate it in the heart of both children and adults. He also discusses how, yes, in some cases, stories can be very dangerous for you indeed . . .

Next Episode

The Red Flower

A merchant has three daughters, whom he loves dearly. Before leaving on a long journey, he offers them to choose any gift they desire, and he promises to give it to them. But the third daughter asks the impossible: the most beautiful red flower in the world. The merchant searches and searches, but can't find it—until, by accident, he happens upon a magical castle with the most beautiful gardens he has ever seen. And what should he see in the garden, but the most beautiful red flower in the world! But then, he picks it, and all hell breaks loose. You may think you know the story of the beauty and the beast, but you probably haven't heard the Russian version yet. In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar examines our ideas of beauty and ugliness. Are these concepts intrinsic and objective, or do they depend on personal expression? And what happens when a real life beast-lookalike insists that he should be allowed to teach kindergarten?