"Tales of the Peoples of the World" by Boris Akunin, summary

Written in 2021, this collection of nine stories reimagines traditional fairy tale archetypes through the lens of mature irony and philosophical reflection. Classic plot twists lead to completely unexpected endings.

This collection belongs to the "Boris Akunin Project Genres" series. This cycle consists of independent pastiches, which also include "Children’s Book," "Spy Novel," "Fantasy," and "Quest." The number of stories in the series is not officially assigned.

Japanese fairy tale

The story of "The Ice Dragon" tells the story of the Sad Prince. The ruler has lost his beloved wife and mourns her loss incessantly. The cruel dragon Hyo-Ryu suddenly kidnaps his young daughter, freezing everyone around him. The chief samurai sends the brave Ichiro Rumata, who stands almost two and a half meters tall, north. The warrior reaches the White Mountain, but is frightened by the freezing flames and returns empty-handed. Ichiro commits seppuku, after which the fearless Little Rumata emerges from his body. He, too, fails the task and rips open his own belly. Finally, the tiny Saburo Rumata emerges.

This miniature, doll-sized hero reaches the ice palace. The little boy waits for the monster to depart, finds the frozen princess, and takes the trophy home. Under the sun’s rays, the girl thaws and falls in love with her savior. In honor of these three brave warriors, people created the matryoshka doll.

German fairy tale

The story "The Knight von Grunwald" revolves around Princess Angelica. The girl finds a tiny forest creature named Halberfinger in her garden. She knights him, armed with an ordinary needle. The ruined king decides to marry his daughter to the hideous Duke Sigismund the Pious. The little paladin frightens the groom at night. He pretends to be the voice of a guardian angel, and the duke flees the castle in terror. The hero then makes a deal with the alchemist Panacelsius. The scientist possesses a quantum mutation retort capable of enlarging living beings.

The princess sets off with the knight into the laboratory’s dungeons. At the last moment, Angelica leaps into the narrowing part of the retort. She shrinks to the size of a gnome. The lovers settle happily in a small forest hideaway.

Russian fairy tale

"Ivanushka Yasny-Ochi" begins with Vanka the Fool’s journey to the Hut on Chicken Legs. Having entered the other world on the night of Friday the 13th, the young man drinks icy water from a spring of beauty. The hero gains an incredible appearance. He meets the enchanted Vasilisa Yelizaveta the Beautiful, who is soon carried off by a black eagle to Koschei the Deathless. The bride’s rival, Vasilisa Patrikeevna the Wise, supplies Ivanushka with a magic sword and a fire-repellent shield. The hero defeats the Serpent Gorynych, cutting off the monster’s head, and sets off for the Accursed Kingdom.

In the dark castle, Koschei attempts to drain the youth from the captives. The wise maiden bursts into the chambers and saves them, exchanging the hero for a magical rejuvenating ointment. Ivanushka keeps both Vasilisas for himself.

Arabian Tale

The tale "The Happiness of Bakhtiyar" tells the story of a wealthy Baghdad merchant during the time of Caliph al-Ma’mun. Bakhtiyar rescues the beautiful Wahida from a madman on the street. He makes her his only wife, having driven away his three previous wives. Soon, the merchant is caught in the market by his former pursuer. Omar claims that Wahida is a female ghoul jinn who sucks out human life. As proof, the enemy points to Bakhtiyar’s half-gray beard.

The merchant throws the enchanted dagger to the floor. He refuses to kill his beloved, sacrificing his own fate. A touched Vahida secretly leaves home to save her husband’s life. Bakhtiyar searches for her throughout the lands, unsuccessfully, until his old age.

Spanish fairy tale

The story of "Castillo de Ratas" revolves around the kind girl Blanda. She nurses a sick rat named Ratita back to health. The animal grows to enormous size thanks to careful care. The cruel Marquis Nariz, whose nose was bitten off by the rat as a baby, takes the animal for his capricious son. The boy locks his captive in the castle cellar. Blanda infiltrates the palace disguised as a maid and secretly feeds the rat. The clever Ratita writes a note to the Marquis, claiming to be the enchanted Duchess of the Underworld.

She demands the castle be handed over immediately, otherwise the heir will remain deep underground. The frightened father flees with his rescued son. Blanda and the rats become the rightful owners of the estate.

English fairy tale

In the story of "The Three Fairies," the sorceresses Formosa, Sapientia, and Benevolisa bestow beauty, intelligence, and kindness upon three royal newborns. Beata, Sophia, and Cordelia marry and become queens of the Beautiful, Clever, and Kind countries. The fairies constantly argue over whose kingdom will unite all of Britain. Many years later, they send a handsome prince and a clever prince to woo the daughter of the good queen, Cordelia.

Two young men meet in the palace garden. They instantly fall in love. The princes decide to rule their kingdoms together, spurning the company of women. The shocked fairies agree to no longer interfere in human affairs.

French fairy tale

The fairy tale "Bluelaska" describes the fate of a penniless viscount who arrives in Gascony. The young man marries the very wealthy Marquise Bluelaska, who has previously buried eight husbands. His wife leaves to stay with her ailing aunt, strictly forbidding her husband to unlock the small attic room with the copper key. The viscount fights his curiosity and keeps his word of honor. In the morning, his locks of hair turn blue. The Marquise returns and shows her husband eight dried plums on the windowsill — her previous, treacherous husbands.

The enchanted youth eventually turns into a shriveled plum. He drives away the Gascon chevalier who tried to reveal the truth to him through a mirror. The viscount continues to live in complete ignorance.

Jewish fairy tale

In the story "Wish Fulfillment," the learned Rabbi Shapiro uses the Book of Zohar to deduce the secret name of the evil spirit, the lilin. A demon named Shtsch advises an old man to conceive a son to create something completely new. The rabbi falls from a roof and dies. His son, Samson, grows up to be a clumsy fool, the laughingstock of the entire village. Finding his father’s notes, the boy summons the spirit. Samson asks for great physical strength, and then incredible beauty. Tired of fleeing from amorous women, the young man demands power.

The Spirit sends Samson to the City. There, the boy prevents the Governor’s heavy carriage from falling off a bridge. The grateful boss makes the savior his chief advisor. Samson resolves lawsuits with the toss of a coin and lifts all official prohibitions, bringing prosperity to the region.

Chinese fairy tale

The book concludes with the narrative "Master Wang’s Invisible Garden." A brilliant gardener from Chengdu retreats behind an invisible barrier, concealing his plants from the crowd. Wang cultivates the perfect Wangmei lotus. The blossoming petals unbearably heighten the master’s sensitivity. The gardener begins to painfully hear the suffering of the inhabitants beyond the fifteen-meter barrier. Desiring complete silence, Wang uses magical flowers one by one. He heals a sick child and finds treasures for the poor.

Wang forces the cruel prince to become just and puts an end to civil strife in the Shu kingdom. Finally, he dispatches all the villains to defend the borders of the Celestial Empire. A profound peace reigns. The gardener forever stands frozen in anticipation of the full opening of the divine lotus’s heart.