Василиса Прекрасная

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

I... like to do this all in one go. I just finished reading Василиса Прекрасная, and it had to have been one of the hardest kids' stories I've ever read in regards to vocabulary. The immense amount of slight alterations to every word throws me off and frustrates me. Here are my questions, as always...

I also have another request. If in the vocabulary you see a conjugated verb, can you please give me the infinitive (it means I didn’t find it in my dictionary)

Vocabulary: потужить, запрется, гонит, тихонько, горница, скачет (мимо неё всадник), обомлела, вкопанная, обнюхав, настряпано, закром, ранешенько, избавительница, стемнело, изволь, подосадовать, обогнать, похаживать, диковинный, приемыша моего

 

Phrases: Пестом погоняет: She smelled a stink?

 

Тогда и дам тебе огня, а коли нет, так я тебя съем!

 

Подавай-ка сюда: I’ve never seen this participle –ка, what is it, exactly?

 

Мне хотелось бы спросить тебя кой о чём

 

Только не всякий вопрос к добру ведет

 

Так вот что!

 

Я хоть прясть буду – I was under the impression that хоть was an “although.” She just asked an old lady to buy her some flax.

 

General Questions:

 

In here: Но он обманулся и не нашёл в ней доброй матери для своей Василисы – they’re referring to the father and the step mother, but if he was deceived, how could he find that there wasn’t a good mother in her? Or maybe I’m not reading this correctly (Also, why is доброй матери in genitive? Shouldn’t it be that he found в ней добрую мать?)

 

После такого наказу – Is it allowed for наказ to be in the genitive ending with –y?

 

Утро мудреней вечера then later on… Утро вечера мудренее: I’m aware of the superlative of the latter, but is the former right or typo? Or another “it’s a fairy tale thing?”

 

Внесли череп в горницу, а глаза из черепа так и глядят на мачеху и её дочерей, так и жгут! Те было прятаться, но куда ни бросятся – глаза всюду за ними так и следят; к утру совсем сожгло их в уголь, одной Василисы не тронуло – A) There was a place to hide, but nowhere to hide? I’m kind of in the dark about that. B) Сожгло их в уголь – Burnt them to a crisp? (charcoal) C) There was no one to bother the lonely Vasilisa?

Comments

[insaint.livejournal.com]

General Questions:
In here: Но он обманулся и не нашёл в ней доброй матери для своей Василисы – they’re referring to the father and the step mother, but if he was deceived, how could he find that there wasn’t a good mother in her?

The translation here isn't that literal. What they're saying is that "But he was wrong and she wasn't a good mother for his Vasilisa."

Also, why is доброй матери in genitive? Shouldn’t it be that he found в ней добрую мать?)

I think (and I hope that if I'm wrong someone will correct me :)) that this is merely a stylistic/dialectal choice. Either way is correct.

После такого наказу – Is it allowed for наказ to be in the genitive ending with –y?

Again, it's a style thing. In modern Russian, you'd say "наказа".

Утро мудреней вечера then later on… Утро вечера мудренее: I’m aware of the superlative of the latter, but is the former right or typo? Or another “it’s a fairy tale thing?”

I believe either is correct. "It's a fairy tale thing." :)

Внесли череп в горницу, а глаза из черепа так и глядят на мачеху и её дочерей, так и жгут! Те было прятаться, но куда ни бросятся – глаза всюду за ними так и следят; к утру совсем сожгло их в уголь, одной Василисы не тронуло – A) There was a place to hide, but nowhere to hide? I’m kind of in the dark about that. B) Сожгло их в уголь – Burnt them to a crisp? (charcoal) C) There was no one to bother the lonely Vasilisa?

Те было прятаться - they tried to hide.
So, "they tried to hide, but there was no hiding place - the eyes followed them everywhere; and by morning, burned them all to a crisp except Vasilisa, who remained untouched."

Hope this helps. :)