The Magic Ring

Charming folk story ingeniously adapted by translator Sian Valvis from a traditional tale told in the Pomor (northern Russia) dialect. Beautifully illustrated by Dovile Ciapaite.

The Magic Ring is a traditional folktale that was rewritten by the writer Boris Shergin in the 1930s. Translator Sian Valvis has translated and adapted the text, written in Pomor, a northern Russian, dialect which survived despite attempts to suppress it during the Soviet period. Creating her own version mixing northern English dialect with ingenious neologisms and rhyme, Sian retains the strongly regional flavour of the original and its madcap, anarchic feel while making it accessible and entertaining for children and adult readers alike.

A peasant boy, Vanya, comes across a magic ring which grants him wishes. To marry the tsar's daughter he must build a bridge connecting the palace with his village, and this he does with the help of the ring. The princess tricks him into sharing the secret of the ring, and uses it to transport herself to Paris and her lover. Through the initiative of Snowy the dog and Mashka the cat, the ring is retrieved and all ends well.