The Malachite Casket (fairy tale) facts for kids

"The Malachite Casket" (Russian: Малахитовая шкатулка, tr. Malahitovaja shkatulka), also known as "The Malachite Box", is a folk tale (the so-called skaz) of the Ural region collected and reworked by Pavel Bazhov. It was first published in the several issues of the Sverdlovsk newspaper Na Smenu! in September—November 1938, and in Uralsky Sovremennik (volume 1, 1938). It was later released as a part of The Malachite Casket collection. "The Malachite Casket" is considered to be one of the best stories in the collection. The story was translated from Russian into English by Alan Moray Williams in 1944, and by Eve Manning in the 1950s.

Publication

This skaz was first published in the several issues of the Sverdlovsk newspaper Na Smenu! in September—November 1938, and in the Uralsky Sovremennik almanac (volume 1, 1938). It was released as a part of The Malachite Casket collection on 28 January 1939. The story was initially titled "Father's Gift" (Russian: Тятино подаренье, tr. Tjatino podarenje), but the title was changed prior to publication. Bazhov liked the title so much that he named the whole collection after the story.

In 1944 the story was translated from Russian into English by Alan Moray Williams and published by Hutchinson as a part of The Malachite Casket: Tales from the Urals collection. In the 1950s another translation of The Malachite Casket was made by Eve Manning

Plot

The talented miner Stepan dies, leaving his widow Nastasya (Nastyona) and their two sons and a daughter. Nastasya becomes the owner of the Malachite Casket, filled with jewellery, which Stepan got from the legendary Mistress of the Copper Mountain. Only Tanyushka likes to play with the Casket, and every piece of jewellery looks good on her. With black hair and green eyes, Tanyushka does not look like her mother at all, as if she was born to different parents. Her appearance resembles that of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain.

A female vagabond comes to their house and stays for a while, teaching Tanyushka silk embroidering. Nastasya is not happy with the arrangement, because she feels that Tanyushka "doesn't want to come to her own mother, but hugs a tramp". Nevertheless they become very close. One day, when the woman is alone with Tanyushka, the girl shows her the jewellery from the Malachite Casket, and in return the woman shows her a vision of a beautiful room decorated with malachite. She explains that the Malachite Room of the Tsar's palace is decorated with the malachite that Stepan mined. Next day the mysterious woman leaves Nastasya's house. Before she leaves, she presents the girl with a small button for a "remembrance".

Meanwhile Tanyushka grows up. She becomes an incredibly skilled needleworker and a great beauty, but keeps to herself and avoids other girls' company. People start calling her "a stone statue". A lot of young men at the Polevaya factory are attracted to her, but do not dare to approach her because of her coldness. Nastasya blames this behaviour on the vagabond "sorceress". One day a tragedy occurs in the family: the house is burned to the ground. Nastasya has to sell the Malachite Casket. A lot of merchants are interested in the jewellery. At the same time, a new bailiff arrives at the factory. He is quickly nicknamed "Flogger" (Russian: Паротя, tr. Parotya) because he always orders flagellation as a form of punishment. The bailiff is married to the mistress of the local landlord's son, and this rich woman eventually buys the Casket. However she cannot wear the jewellery because every piece of it pains her. She asks various craftsmen to fix it for her, but all of them refuse to touch the gemstones, explaining that none of the masters is willing to quarrel with their maker and they were made to fit one person only. Flogger's wife gives up and decides to resell the Casket at earliest convenience.

When the old landlord dies, his son wants his mistress back. Flogger is angry at first, but when he hears of Tanyushka's beauty and comes to see her, he is smitten. He tries to court the girl, but Tanyushka is very cold with him. The landlord's son, the noble man named Turchaninov, finally comes for Flogger's wife. When Tanyushka catches his eye, he forgets about his mistress. He buys the Casket from her and offers it to Tanyushka, but she refuses. Turchaninov then claims that he wishes to marry the girl. She announces that she will only agree to the marriage if he shows her the Tsarina herself at the Malachite Room in Saint Petersburg. Turchaninov agrees. Dressed like a queen, Tanyushka arrives at the Palace, and walks directly to the Malachite Room. Tsarina enters the room, saying: "Now then, show me this nigh-handed maid". Upon hearing that Tanyushka frowns and says to Turchaninov: "What does this mean? I told ye to show me the Tsarina, and you've done it so as to show me to her. [...] I don't want to see any more of ye". Adding that he is no match for her anyway, Tanyushka leans against the malachite wall and melts away. She is never seen again, but the Mistress of the Copper Mountain gets a twin—people see two maids in malachite robes.

Adaptations

The story inspired several film and stage adaptations.

• Stepan's Remembrance, a 1976 Soviet film, the adaptation of "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" and "The Malachite Casket".
• The Malachite Casket, a 1972 filmstrip.
• The 2012 opera The Malachite Casket, based on "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" and "The Malachite Casket", was created by Dmitry Batin.

The 1976 film

The film The Malachite Casket was a part of the animated film series made at Sverdlovsk Film Studio from the early 1970s to early 1980s, on time for the 100th anniversary since the birth of Pavel Bazhov. The series included the following films: Sinyushka's Well (1973), The Mistress of the Copper Mountain (1975), The Malachite Casket, The Stone Flower (1977), Podaryonka (based on "Silver Hoof", 1978), Golden Hair (1979), and The Grass Hideaway (1982).

The Malachite Casket is a stop motion animated film directed by Oleg Nikolaevsky, with screenplay by Alexander Timofeevsky. It was narrated by Y. Puzyrev,. The music was composed by Vladislav Kazenin and performed by the State Symphony Cinema Orchestra.