| Kolobok | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
The Running Bun |
|
First Appearance |
East Slavic fairy tale |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
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Illustration of Kolobok from the 1913 A. Medvedev Russian edition.
Kolobok—meaning “small round bun” in Ukrainian or “round dough” in Russian—is a folk tale similar to The Gingerbread Man. An old couple, often very poor, bakes a Kolobok from their last scraps of food. The bun comes to life and escapes, meeting various animals (typically a rabbit, wolf, and bear) who all try to eat it. Each time, Kolobok sings a boastful song about escaping others and rolls away. Eventually, a cunning fox flatters Kolobok into coming closer to sing, then tricks and eats it.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Kolobok from before January 1, 1931 are public domain in the US.