To help celebrate the 50 th anniversary of

our Russian language program, we bring you Russian Magic!

Name: ______________________

Class______________

Supported by a grant from the New York State Council of the Arts

Silver Hoof
A long time ago, there was an old hunter named Kokovanya. He was lonely, so he asked an
orphan girl named Darya, to come and live with him. When Darya came to live in his neat little cottage, she
brought along a scrawny kittena stray she had found outside of the village.
Kokovanya, Darya, and the kitten were not rich but they had a good life. While the old man
hunted, Darya would clean the cottage and cook soup. Her cat kept her company and he grew stronger, and
more content with each passing day. At night, Kokovanya told wonderful tales, and Daryas favorite was
the one about Silver Hoof, a magical deer.
Legend had it that Silver Hoof was a very special deer. Where most shed their antlers in the
winter, Silver Hoof had antlers year round. His antlers shone in the moonlight. On his right forefoot he had
a silver hoof. When he stamped this hoof once, a gem would be left there. If he stamped it twice there
would be two gems, and if he pawed the ground there would be a whole pile of gemsrubies, sapphires,
and emeralds.
Kokovanya told Darya that he had been trying for years to find Silver Hoof and that when autumn
came he would be going into the woods to find him. Darya begged to go with him because she truly wanted
to see Silver Hoof for herself.
Kokovanya, Darya, and the cat headed deep into the woods. By now the cat was no longer
scrawnyit was healthy and could hunt for its own food. They stayed in a poor hunting cabin that
Kokovanya had deep in the woods. Kokovanya hunted many deer for both their hides and their meatbut
he did not wish to kill Silver Hoof. He only wished to experience his magicand perhaps take a few gems
for himself and Darya. Towards the end of winter, he told Darya that he had so many deer hides and meat
that he would have to go into town to get a horse to help bring them all home. It would take him three days
to travel to the village and come back. As the journey was a long and difficult one, Kokovanya asked Darya
to stay behind in the cabin.
Darya spent the first day and night by herself easily enough. She swept the floor, san songs and
played with the cat. On the second day, she heard a pitter patter outside. It was Silver Hoof! She opened the
door and called out to him, Silver Hoof! You have come! No sooner did she speak these words, then
Silver Hoof disappeared.
On the third day the cat went out to hunt and did not return. As evening came, Darya was so
worried she went outside to find him. She searched for him everywhere, and suddenly, by the light of the
moon, she saw him up ahead. He stood in the glade with Silver Hoof. Both the cat and Silver Hoof were
nodding their heads as if they were talking to each other. Then they began to run about in the snow. Silver
Hoof would run and stamp all around the little clearing. Then he jumped upon the cabins roof and stamped

Russian Magic is an Arts-in-Education program developed by

our Russian language teachers and
funded by the New York State Council on the Arts.

beinstein

Thursday, March 24, 2011 9:25:32 AM ET

34:15:9e:39:1f:d8

To help celebrate the 50 th anniversary of

our Russian language program, we bring you Russian Magic!
some more. Precious stones flashed out like sparks from his magical hoof red, green, light blue, dark blue,
and many other colors.
Kokovanya returned while Silver Hoof danced on the cabins roof, and he almost did not
recognize his cabin and its clearing. The cabin was covered in gems and it sparkled in the moonlight while
the cat and Silver Hoof danced about the roof. As soon as Kokovanya understood that he was seeing the
magical Silver Hoof of legend he cried out, Silver Hoof! You have come! And with those words, both
Silver Hoof and the cat disappeared from the roof. They were gone.
Kokovanya and Darya gathered some of the gems in Kokovanyas winter hat and then they went
in to sleep. They had such wonderful dreams! When they awoke they ran outside to look at the wonder, but
all the gems were gone. All they had left were the ones that Kokovanya had put in his hat. But that was
enough to let them live happily ever after.
No one ever saw Silver Hoof, or the cat again, but sometimes people still find gems in the glade
where they played that night. And what happened to Daryas cat? Surely he has a good tale to tell!

If Silver Hoof stamped the ground twice there would be two gems, and if he pawed the ground there would
be a whole pile of gemsrubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

Russian Magic is an Arts-in-Education program developed by

our Russian language teachers and
funded by the New York State Council on the Arts.

beinstein

Thursday, March 24, 2011 9:25:32 AM ET

34:15:9e:39:1f:d8

To help celebrate the 50 th anniversary of

our Russian language program, we bring you Russian Magic!

t
The Russian Blue is a breed of cat famous for the blue sheen to its glossy gray coat.
Some people think that the magical learned cat is a Russian Blue.

Ludmila is a Russian Princess

Ruslan is a Russian Warrior

Russian Magic is an Arts-in-Education program developed by

our Russian language teachers and
funded by the New York State Council on the Arts.

beinstein

Thursday, March 24, 2011 9:25:32 AM ET

34:15:9e:39:1f:d8