Loginova Olga: Consulting Psychologist specializing in Positive Psychology. Art Therapist, Trainer of NLP
E-mail:  psycholog50@mail.ru     call at: +7(916)555-98-10  Russia, Moscow

Fairytale Therapy

The full text in Russian and English languages

Who is going to talk first?

Russian folktale

Once there lives an old woman and an old man – they were very lazy! The one always shifted any work onto the other. It was necessary to latch the door for night –and they had an argument:

- You latch!

- No, you!

To unlatch the door in the morning and they argue again:

- You will unlatch!

- No, you! I latched yesterday!

Once they made up their mind to cook some porridge. After disputes and arguments the old woman cooked the porridge.

They sat and ate out the porridge. One had to wash the pot up. And the old man and the old woman started arguing again. The old woman said:

- I cooked the porridge and you have to wash up the pot!

- No, - said old man, - you cooked then you have to wash it up! I have never washed the pots in my life and I will never do it!

- And I made it hundreds of times and don`t want to do it any more!

- What a stubborn and lazy you are!

- Look, who's talking!

They argued and argued – no one wanted to wash the pot up. The pot remained unwashed. The old man looked and it and said:

- Old bones, eh, old bones!

- What do you want?

- And the pot is dirty.

- Take it and wash it up!

- I told you: it`s` not my business!

- And I told you: it`s not mine!

And again they started to argue and quarrel. The old man got tired of quarrel and said:

- I tell you what I think of it: the one who will talk first tomorrow morning, that one will wash the pot!

The old woman agreed to that. They fell asleep: old woman – on the stove, the old man – on the bench. The pot remained on the table unwashed.

They slept all night. The sun rose. Morning came. The old woman was lying on the stove and did not get up, the old man was lying on the bench. They both kept silent. Who will keep silence longer?

The cow is mooing in a cowhouse– one should milk it and lead it to the herd. The cock and chicken are crying– they want to get out to the yard. The pig was yelling – it wants to eat. Old woman was lying and let her eyes rove. She did not get up from the stove. The old man looked at her but did not get up from the bench. And the dirty pot stood on the table.

People did a lot of work  and sat for lunch, and the old man and the old woman were still lying.

Neighbors are very surprised: what`s going on? Was there some trouble happened? Why did not the old woman lead her cow to the herd? Why did not she stoke the stove?..

They came , pulled the door –the door was latched from inside. They started knocking.  No one answered.

There the distant neighbors gathered and stared to advise: what they have to do?

- One should, -they said, -break off the door and have a look – what if they are poisoned by charcoal fumes or died both?

They broke off the door and came in the hut. They saw: the old woman was lying on the stove, the old man – on the bench, both were breathing, both have their eyes opened –both are alive.

Neighbors asked:

- What has happened? Why are you lying the whole day? Or maybe you are unwell?

The old woman kept silent, and the old man kept silent.

Neighbors did not understand anything. The hut was full of people, everyone were talking, and making fuss, and were splashing water on the old man and the old woman, pulled them by the sleeves.

And the old woman and the old man kept silent as if  beated.

One ran for the priest:

- Maybe he knows, maybe he understands!

The priest came. He came to the stove and asked the old woman:

- What `s happening by you here, why have you become dumb?

The old woman keeps silent, just looks coldly at the priest. The priest to the old man:

- Or the cat has got your tongue?

The old man kept silent. Priest said:

- Someone should stay with them until they come to their senses. One cannot leave them here alone. Who will stay will them? Who will look after them?

One woman said:

- I am lack of time, I have to wash the linen and rinse it.

The other said:

- I have to feed children.

This one is busy and that one, and the third one had no time.

And at that the old woman said:

- I would, - she said , - look after them but I have to be paid for that. I don`t want to spend my time for nothing.

- That`s right, -the priest said, -you have to be paid for the work. Just what to give you?

He looked around the hut and saw the old woman`s warm fur coat hanging on the nail.

- Here it is , -he said, - take this fur coat for your service!

Hardly had he said that, the old woman jumped from the stove and rushed to the fur coat, snatched it and started crying:

- Who ever heard of such a thing to dispose other people`s things? I made this furcoat just last summer! I just scratched put anyone eyes for it and pulled out the hair!

Here the old man jumped from the bench and – rushed to the old woman. He gesticulated and  shouted at the top of voice:

- Aha, old woman, you will wash the pot! You! You were the first to talk! You!

The priest spitted and all neighbors spitted:

- The hell with them! If they are safe and sound, let them decide who will wash up their pot!

Please e-mail at: psycholog50@mail.ru
Or call at: +7(916)555-98-10

Copyright © 2005-2015 Loginova Olga: Author’s Project ‘Personality and Psychology’

® All rights reserved. The materials of the site may be reproduced partially
or in full only stating the full name of the author(s) of the article. www.olga2901L.narod.ru