The Language of Birds
classic Russian fairy tale retold by Rafe Martin
Introduce yourself and your children to a delightful Russian fairy tale that you may not be familiar with. This gem is told by Rafe Martin and illustrated by Susan Gaber.
Story Synopsis
The Language of the Birds by Rafe Martin is the story of two brothers Ivan and Vasilii. They have very different personalities as siblings often do. When their father sends them out into the world to prove themselves able to make a profit the results mirrored their personalities. The older brother Vasilii seeks his own pleasure and spends the money on himself. The younger brother, Ivan, rescues a baby bird, is taught the language of the birds by the fledgling’s grateful mother, and never spends or invests the money that his father gave him. The boys return home neither having made a penny more than their father gave them.
The older brother lies about his time in the world and is rewarded by his father. Ivan tells his father exactly what he did and together the father and Vasilii mock the boy: “Tell me what is that wren saying.” Ivan interprets “One day I shall be a prince with one hundred horses, each wearing a coat of silver and gold. You shall bring me water in a silver bowl to wash my hands and a fine white cloth to dry them. Vasilii shall tend to my horses.
This being a fairy tale, I am sure you know what the outcome is. However, to discover how Ivan makes his fortune, you should read the book for yourself.
History of the Fairy Tale
The author Rafe Martin discovered this story in Post Wheeler’s Russian Wonder Tales (1912). However, Martin points out that stories of brothers like Ivan and Vasilii appear in the myths and fairy tales of cultures all around the world. Martin finds in these stories the dichotomy of our own selves. We have two paths set before ourselves and those paths always represent opposites: foolishness/wisdom, selfishness/generosity, realist/dreamer.
Martin also suggests that “myths and tales remind us, too, that the dreamer can hold the keys to life. We can hear echoes in our tale of the biblical Joseph. His more worldly brothers mocked his dreams, yet his skill with dreams saves them all in the end.”
Illustration Quality
The page borders for the illustrations by Susan Graber are black and they set off the scenes very well. The illustrations are soft and gentle paintings; although they do contain dark colors and are often mysterious in mood.
Recommendation
This is a delightful book for children. The story is appealing and even amusing. The illustrations are good and have enough detail to bear being studied. There is something bright about this book that makes it enchanting and it would certainly be a favorite of many.
The Langage of Birds, Illustrated by Susan Gaber. Retold by Rafe Martin (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2000, ISBN 0-399-22925-6)
For another picture book base on a Russian fairytale, see The Firebird.
