The Sun, The Moon and Crow Crowson
by Alexander Afanasyev
The Sun, The Moon and Crow Crowson Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman who had three daughters. The old man went into the loft for some groats, and took them home, but there was a hole in the sack, and the groats were running and running out of the sack. The old man went home, and the old woman asked, “Where are the groats?” But all the groats had dripped out. So the old man went to collect them, and said, “If only the Sun would warm the grain, and the moon show its light on it, and Crow Crowson help me to get the groats, I would give my eldest daughter to the little Sun, and my middle daughter to the Moon, and my youngest to Crow Crowson.” So the old man set to collecting the grain, and the Sun warmed it, and the Moon shone on it, and Vóron Vóronovich helped to collect the grain. The old man came back home and said to the eldest daughter: “You must dress nicely and go out on the steps.” So she dressed and went out on the steps. And the Sun laid hold of her. And he commanded the next daughter in the same way to dress herself finely and to stand on the steps. So she dressed herself up and went out, and the Moon seized and took away the second daughter. And he said to the third daughter, “Dress yourself prettily and stand on the steps.” So she dressed herself prettily and stood on the steps, and Crow Crowson seized her and carried her away. Then the old man said, “I think I might go and visit my sons-in-law.” So he went to the Sun, and at last he arrived there. The Sun asked him, “With what shall I regale you?” “Oh, I don’t wish for anything!” So the Sun bade his wife make a custard ready. So the daughter prepared the custard; the Sun sat down in the middle of the floor, and his wife put the pan on him and the custard was soon cooked. So they gave the old father refreshment. Then the old father went back home and bade his wife make him a custard; and he sat down on the floor and commanded her to put the pan with the custard on to him. “What are you talking about? Bake it on you!” said the old wife. “Go on!” he replied. “Put it there; it will be baked!” So she put the pan on him, and the custard stood there for ages and was not ever cooked, only turned sour. It was no good. So in the end the wife put the pan into the stove, and this time the custard was baked and the old man got something to eat. Next day the old man went to stay as a guest with his second son-in-law, the Moon, and he arrived. And the Moon said, “With what shall I regale you?” “I do not wish for anything,” said the old man. So the Moon got the bath heated ready for him. The old man said, “Won’t it be very dark in the bath?” “No,” said the Moon to him, “quite light; only step in.” So the old man went into the bath, and the Moon twisted his little finger into a chink, and it was quite light in the bathroom. So the old man steamed himself thoroughly, went back home and told his wife to heat the bath at night. So the old woman heated it, and he sent her there to steam herself. “But,” she said, “it will be much too dark to steam myself!” “Go along! it will be light enough.” So the old woman went. And the old man saw how the Moon had lit the place up for him, and he went and bored a tiny hole in the bathroom and thrust his finger through it. But there was still no light in the bath, and the old woman shrieked out to him, “Dark! much too dark!” It was not any good. So she went out, brought a lamp, and enjoyed her steam bath. On the third day the old man went to Vóron Vóronovich. He got there. “How shall I regale you?” asked Vóron Vóronovich. “Oh,” said the old man, “I don’t want anything!” “Well, let us come and sleep on the perch.” So the Crow put a ladder up and climbed up there with his father-in-law. Crow Crowson settled himself comfortably with his head under his wing. But as soon as ever the old man dropped off to sleep both of them fell down and were killed.
Moral of the Story
Promises, especially those made lightly, can have unexpected and sometimes fatal consequences, and one should not attempt to imitate powers beyond their understanding.
Characters
The Old Man ★ protagonist
Implied to be frail or at least not supernaturally strong, as he cannot warm grain or light a bath on his own.
Attire: Simple, peasant-like clothing appropriate for a man of his station, likely homespun and practical.
Gullible, somewhat demanding, eager to replicate magical feats without understanding the underlying power.
The Old Woman ◆ supporting
Unknown, likely similar to the old man in age and appearance.
Attire: Simple, peasant-like clothing appropriate for a woman of her station, likely homespun and practical.
Practical, skeptical, long-suffering, more grounded in reality than her husband.
The Sun ◆ supporting
Implied to be a powerful, radiant being capable of generating immense heat.
Attire: Unknown, possibly depicted as a source of light rather than wearing clothes.
Powerful, hospitable, possesses unique magical abilities.
The Moon ◆ supporting
Implied to be a luminous being capable of generating light.
Attire: Unknown, possibly depicted as a source of light rather than wearing clothes.
Powerful, hospitable, possesses unique magical abilities.
Crow Crowson ⚔ antagonist
A large crow, capable of carrying a human.
Attire: Natural plumage of a crow.
Deceptive, dangerous, ultimately fatal to the old man.
The Eldest Daughter ○ minor
Unknown, but implied to be attractive enough to be a bride.
Attire: Finely dressed, as instructed by her father, likely a traditional peasant dress.
Obedient.
The Middle Daughter ○ minor
Unknown, but implied to be attractive enough to be a bride.
Attire: Finely dressed, as instructed by her father, likely a traditional peasant dress.
Obedient.
The Youngest Daughter ○ minor
Unknown, but implied to be attractive enough to be a bride.
Attire: Finely dressed, as instructed by her father, likely a traditional peasant dress.
Obedient.
Locations
Old Man and Old Woman's Home
A simple home where the old man and old woman live, featuring a loft for storage and steps leading outside.
Mood: humble, domestic, later chaotic/frustrated
The initial problem of the lost groats, the daughters being given away, and the old man's failed attempts to replicate his sons-in-law's magic.
The Sun's Dwelling
The home of the Sun, where the eldest daughter now lives. It is warm enough for custard to be cooked by placing the pan directly on the Sun.
Mood: magical, warm, hospitable
The old man visits his eldest daughter and the Sun, experiencing the Sun's unique way of cooking.
The Moon's Bathhouse
A bathhouse within the Moon's dwelling, which is dark until the Moon illuminates it by twisting his finger into a chink.
Mood: magical, dark until illuminated, refreshing
The old man visits his second daughter and the Moon, experiencing the Moon's unique way of lighting a bath.
Crow Crowson's Perch
A high perch within Crow Crowson's dwelling, accessed by a ladder, where Crow Crowson and his guests sleep.
Mood: unconventional, dangerous, ultimately fatal
The old man visits his youngest daughter and Crow Crowson, leading to his demise when he falls from the perch.
Story DNA
Moral
Promises, especially those made lightly, can have unexpected and sometimes fatal consequences, and one should not attempt to imitate powers beyond their understanding.
Plot Summary
An old man loses his groats and rashly promises his three daughters to the Sun, Moon, and Crow Crowson in exchange for their help. After the supernatural beings claim their brides, the old man visits each son-in-law, witnessing their unique powers. He attempts to replicate these powers at home, failing comically with the Sun's cooking and the Moon's lighting. His final attempt to imitate Crow Crowson by sleeping on a perch leads to both their deaths, highlighting the fatal consequences of his hubris and foolish imitation.
Themes
Emotional Arc
indifference to curiosity to tragic end
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Collected by Alexander Afanas'ev, a prominent collector of Russian folklore. This tale reflects common folk motifs of rash promises and the dangers of imitating powerful beings without understanding their nature.
Plot Beats (12)
- An old man loses groats from a leaky sack on the way home.
- The old man promises his three daughters to the Sun, Moon, and Crow Crowson if they help him recover the groats.
- The Sun, Moon, and Crow Crowson help, and then claim their respective brides.
- The old man decides to visit his sons-in-law.
- He visits the Sun, who cooks custard by sitting on the pan, and the old man is fed.
- The old man returns home and tries to cook custard the Sun's way, but it fails and turns sour.
- He visits the Moon, who lights a bath by sticking his finger in a chink, and the old man enjoys a steam.
- The old man returns home and tries to light a bath the Moon's way, but it fails and his wife needs a lamp.
- He visits Crow Crowson, who offers to sleep on a perch.
- Crow Crowson and the old man climb a ladder to the perch.
- Crow Crowson sleeps comfortably with his head under his wing.
- The old man falls asleep, and both he and Crow Crowson fall from the perch and die.
