The Silly Little Mouse and The Vain Little Mouse: On the Possible Transformation of The Folktale Plot in Marshak’s Fairytale

Abstract

This article deals with the origins of Samuil Marshak’s fairy tale "The Tale about The Silly Little Mouse". Textual analyses reveal two possible folkloric sources for this fairy tale. One in particular is “The Vain Little Mouse” (Spanish: La Ratita Presumida), which exists in English and Spanish folklore and is considered to be a late variation of the story about the wedding between a cricket and a mouse. A comparison of these different texts shows the transformation of the fairytale plot and structure as influenced by Marshak’s intention, the time period, and children’s needs, but also makes the folkloric roots of this fairy tale more explicit.

Keywords: The Silly Little Mouse, The Vain Little Mouse, The wedding between a cricket and a mouse, pretext, folkloric motifs, cumulative type of the folktale, La Ratita Presumida