These folk-tales were told by simple people--vine-dressers, farm-laborers, millers--and were preserved by word of mouth, to be repeated for entertainment in the coffee-house, or at home during the long, hard winters. There are fables here, too, selected from the collections of medieval scholars and philosophers, while the expressive and often humorous proverbs show the ways of the world through shrewd Armenian eyes.
A collection of the finest classic Armenian folk tales and legends, passed down through the generations. These tales are "captivating," entertaining and full of wisdom, true-to-tradition, and easy to read.
This enchanting sampling of traditional Armenian tales was gathered by the author in her travels and translated from Russian sources. A broad selection of more than 50 tales are organized by type-myths and legends, animal tales, fairy tales, stories of everyday life, and wits and dimwits. Readers (and listeners) of all ages will delight in stories such as The Invincible Rooster, The Donkey Who Swallowed the Moon, Seven Stars, and a sampling of tales about Silly Pugi, the Armenian trickster. Many of the stories are short and humorous, making them perfect for storytime programs and read-alouds. Stories are supplemented by background information on the people and their culture, including a brief history, discussion of folk traditions and food, recipes, photographs, and a bibliography. A great resource for educators, students, folklorists, and anyone interested in Armenian culture! All grade levels. This enchanting sampling of traditional Armenian tales was gathered by the author in her travels and translated from Russian sources. A broad selection of more than 50 tales are organized by type-myths and legends, animal tales, fairy tales, stories of everyday life, and wits and dimwits. Readers (and listeners) of all ages will delight in stories such as The Invincible Rooster, The Donkey Who Swallowed the Moon, Seven Stars, and a sampling of tales about Silly Pugi, the Armenian trickster. Many of the stories are short and humorous, making them perfect for storytime programs and read-alouds. Stories are supplemented by background information on the people and their culture, including a brief history, discussion of folk traditions and food, recipes, photographs, and a bibliography. A great resource for educators, students, folklorists, and anyone interested in Armenian culture! All grade levels.
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An NYRB Classics Original Few writers had to confront as many of the last century’s mass tragedies as Vasily Grossman, who wrote with terrifying clarity about the Shoah, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the Terror Famine in the Ukraine. An Armenian Sketchbook, however, shows us a very different Grossman, notable for his tenderness, warmth, and sense of fun. After the Soviet government confiscated—or, as Grossman always put it, “arrested”—Life and Fate, he took on the task of revising a literal Russian translation of a long Armenian novel. The novel was of little interest to him, but he needed money and was evidently glad of an excuse to travel to Armenia. An Armenian Sketchbook is his account of the two months he spent there. This is by far the most personal and intimate of Grossman’s works, endowed with an air of absolute spontaneity, as though he is simply chatting to the reader about his impressions of Armenia—its mountains, its ancient churches, its people—while also examining his own thoughts and moods. A wonderfully human account of travel to a faraway place, An Armenian Sketchbook also has the vivid appeal of a self-portrait.
A sparrow receives kindness from strangers and repays each act of kindness with a trick to get more, but at last, in a surprising twist, the sparrow is back with his original problem.
An introduction to the geography, history, people, government, and culture of Armenia with emphasis on the challenges facing this newly independent nation.
