Written by Russian writer Anthony Pogorelsky in 1829 and cited by Leo Tolstoy as his childhood favorite, this tale starts with a lonely boy Alyosha spending weekends at school while his classmates go home.
It's then that he rescues the black hen from the cook's knife. That night, the hen takes him to the underground kingdom of the miniature people. There Alyosha is granted one wish for having saved the life of the black hen. Alyosha asks for the first thing that came into his mind - to be able to memorize his lessons without studying. Soon he becomes the most famous pupil in St. Petersburg.
But one day the seed that gave him the magical ability is gone so the boy couldn't recite his lessons anymore. To avoid the punishment from the headmaster, he blurted out the whole story of the underground inhabitants.
This classic tale of friendship and betrayal has long been a favorite in Russia, where it has been made into a popular children's film. This time the story is retold in English by Elizabeth James and illustrated by Russian-born artist Gennady Spirin.
In English language. Publisher: Simply Read Books. Printed and bound in Belgium. Large format. Hardcover. 28 pages.
Recommended for reading aloud to 5-7-year olds. Young readers of 8 to 10 years of age would also enjoy this book.
