The Mizgir
by W. R. S. Ralston · from Russian Folk Tales
Original Story
The Mizgir
THE MIZGIR.[66]
In the olden years, long long ago, with the spring-tide fair and
the summer's heat there came on the world distress and shame.
For gnats and flies began to swarm, biting folks and letting
their warm blood flow.
Then the Spider[67] appeared, the hero bold, who, with waving
arms, weaved webs around the highways and byways in
which the gnats and flies were most to be found.
A ghastly Gadfly, coming that way, stumbled straight into
the Spider's snare. The Spider, tightly squeezing her throat,
prepared to put her out of the world. From the Spider the
Gadfly mercy sought.
"Good father Spider! please not to kill me. I've ever so
many little ones. Without me they'll be orphans left, and from
door to door have to beg their bread and squabble with dogs."
Well, the Spider released her. Away she flew, and everywhere
humming and buzzing about, told the flies and gnats of
what had occurred.
"Ho, ye gnats and flies! Meet here beneath this ash-tree's
roots. A spider has come, and, with waving of arms and weaving
of nets, has set his snares in all the ways to which the flies
and gnats resort. He'll catch them, every single one!"
They flew to the spot; beneath the ash-tree's roots they hid,
and lay there as though they were dead. The Spider came,
and there he found a cricket, a beetle, and a bug.
"O Cricket!" he cried, "upon this mound sit and take
snuff! Beetle, do thou beat a drum. And do thou crawl, O
Bug, the bun-like, beneath the ash, and spread abroad this news
of me, the Spider, the wrestler, the hero bold--that the Spider,
the wrestler, the hero bold, no longer in the world exists; that
they have sent him to Kazan; that in Kazan, upon a block,
they've chopped his head off, and the block destroyed."
On the mound sat the Cricket and took snuff. The Beetle
smote upon the drum. The Bug crawled in among the ash-tree's
roots, and cried:--
"Why have ye fallen? Wherefore as in death do ye lie
here? Truly no longer lives the Spider, the wrestler, the hero
bold. They've sent him to Kazan and in Kazan they've chopped
his head off on a block, and afterwards destroyed the block."
The gnats and flies grew blithe and merry. Thrice they
crossed themselves, then out they flew--and straight into the
Spider's snares. Said he:--
"But seldom do ye come! I would that ye would far more
often come to visit me! to quaff my wine and beer, and pay me
tribute!"[68]
This story is specially interesting in the original, inasmuch as it
is rhymed throughout, although printed as prose. A kind of lilt is
perceptible in many of the Skazkas, and traces of rhyme are often to
be detected in them, but "The Mizgir's" mould is different from
theirs. Many stories also exist in an artificially versified form, but
their movement differs entirely from that of the naturally cadenced
periods of the ordinary Skazka, or of such rhymed prose as that of
"The Mizgir."
The following legend is not altogether new in "motive," but a certain
freshness is lent to it by its simple style, its unstrained humor, and
its genial tone.
Story DNA
Moral
Those who are easily deceived often fall into traps set by the cunning.
Plot Summary
A plague of gnats and flies leads to the Spider weaving webs to catch them. After catching and releasing a Gadfly who pleads for her children, the Gadfly warns her kin, who then hide, feigning death. The cunning Spider enlists other insects to spread false news of his death, causing the rejoicing gnats and flies to emerge and fly directly into his waiting snares, becoming his tribute.
Themes
Emotional Arc
distress to false relief to capture
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story is noted to be rhymed in its original form, suggesting a poetic or song-like oral tradition. 'Skazkas' are traditional Russian folk tales.
Plot Beats (13)
- Gnats and flies infest the world, causing distress.
- The Spider appears and weaves webs to catch them.
- A Gadfly is caught in the Spider's snare.
- The Gadfly pleads for her life, citing her many children.
- The Spider releases the Gadfly.
- The Gadfly warns all other gnats and flies about the Spider's traps.
- The gnats and flies gather and hide beneath an ash-tree, feigning death.
- The Spider finds a cricket, beetle, and bug near the ash-tree.
- The Spider instructs the cricket to take snuff, the beetle to beat a drum, and the bug to spread news of his death.
- The Bug announces that the Spider has been sent to Kazan and beheaded.
- The gnats and flies, believing the Spider dead, rejoice and fly out.
- The gnats and flies fly directly into the Spider's webs.
- The Spider welcomes them, stating they are his tribute.
Characters
The Spider ★ protagonist
Has waving arms, capable of weaving webs.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Bold, cunning, strategic, and somewhat boastful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young woman with an elegant, spider-like quality, her dark hair intricately woven with thin silver threads into a complex updo. She has sharp, intelligent eyes and a calm, knowing expression. She wears a form-fitting gown of deep indigo silk, its fabric patterned with a subtle, shimmering web motif that catches the light. Her posture is poised and alert, one hand gently raised as if testing an invisible thread, her fingers long and graceful. She stands in a dimly lit, ancient library, surrounded by towering bookshelves and the soft glow of a single candle. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Gadfly ◆ supporting
Capable of flying and humming/buzzing.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Fearful, maternal, quick-thinking (in pleading for her life), and communicative.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his early twenties with a lean, wiry build, sharp features, and a mischievous, knowing smirk. He has messy, dark hair and large, compound-like eyes that glint with intelligence. He wears a fitted, dark leather vest over a loose, off-white shirt, with sturdy trousers and scuffed boots. His posture is alert and slightly hunched, as if ready to spring into action, one hand casually resting on a tool belt laden with strange gadgets. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Cricket ○ minor
Small insect, capable of sitting on a mound.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Obedient, performs tasks as instructed.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tiny elderly humanoid cricket with large expressive black eyes, a tuft of white hair between his antennae, and iridescent green-brown wings folded on his back. He wears a simple brown vest over a cream-colored shirt and dark green trousers. He stands upright on two slender legs, holding a small wooden cane, his head tilted slightly with a wise and attentive expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Beetle ○ minor
Small insect, capable of beating a drum.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Obedient, performs tasks as instructed.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young anthropomorphic beetle, no taller than a human child, with a glossy, iridescent dark green carapace covering its back. It has large, curious compound eyes and delicate, jointed limbs. It wears a simple vest stitched from dried leaves and a tiny belt of woven grass. Its posture is slightly hunched, with one forelimb raised as if examining a speck of dust. Its expression is one of wide-eyed wonder. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Bug ○ minor
Described as 'bun-like', capable of crawling.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Obedient, performs tasks as instructed, a messenger.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, curious child with large, glossy black eyes and delicate, translucent wings folded neatly on their back. They wear a simple tunic of woven green leaves and brown leggings, standing barefoot on the soft earth. Their skin has a subtle, iridescent sheen like a beetle's shell. They hold a single oversized dewdrop in their cupped hands, peering into it with a look of wonder. Their antennae twitch slightly. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Gnats and Flies ⚔ antagonist
Small flying insects, capable of swarming and biting.
Attire: None, as animals.
Troublesome, easily deceived, naive, and celebratory.
Image Prompt & Upload
A menacing swarm of countless insects coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape, with iridescent dark carapaces and gossamer wings. Their compound eyes glow a sickly yellow, and their buzzing forms a visible, shimmering aura. They hover with aggressive intent over a murky swamp, surrounded by toxic fog. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Highways and Byways
Common paths and roads where gnats and flies are most abundant, now ensnared with the Spider's webs.
Mood: Initially bustling and then dangerous, filled with unseen traps.
The Spider sets his snares to catch gnats and flies.
Image Prompt & Upload
A misty dawn on a winding cobblestone path, the ancient stones slick with dew. Overgrown ferns and wildflowers line the edges, each blade and petal meticulously draped in vast, intricate spider webs. The webs are not dusty but appear fresh and ethereal, catching the first golden rays of the low sun, transforming into a million shimmering points of silver and gold light. The air is still and humid, with a faint glow illuminating the dense, silken veils that stretch between gnarled tree branches and tall grasses, creating a glistening, suspended maze over the forgotten roadway. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Beneath the Ash-Tree's Roots
A hidden spot beneath the roots of an ash-tree, where the gnats and flies gather and hide.
Mood: Initially a place of refuge and fear, then a scene of trickery and false celebration.
The gnats and flies hide here, and the Spider orchestrates his deception with the Cricket, Beetle, and Bug.
Image Prompt & Upload
Twilight beneath the sprawling roots of an ancient ash-tree, a hidden hollow where gnats and flies swarm in the cool, still air. Soft, diffused blue light filters through the tangled lattice of roots above, illuminating the damp, rich earth. The gnarled roots, thick as tree trunks, twist and arch overhead, their bark textured with moss and lichen. Patches of faintly glowing fungi cling to the soil and root walls, casting a gentle greenish-white luminescence. The air is thick with hovering insects, their tiny bodies catching the faint light. The ground is carpeted with fallen leaves and delicate, pale mushrooms. The atmosphere is quiet, sheltered, and intimately close. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
