Masha and the Bear

A Tale of Cleverness and Coming Home

For children ages 3–8. Approximate listening time: 8 minutes.

Transcript

Masha and the Bear: A Tale of Cleverness and Coming Home Once upon a time, in a cozy little village beside a great green forest, lived a little girl named Masha with her Grandma and Grandpa. One bright morning, Masha's friends came to call. Lily called cheerfully. "Masha! Tom and I are going to the forest to pick wild berries." Then Tom asked. "Would you like to come with us?" Masha called to her grandparents. "Grandma! Grandpa! May I go to the forest with Lily and Tom? Please?" Grandma smiled, though her voice was serious. "All right, Masha. But you must be careful." Grandpa looked toward the tall trees and added, "The forest is wide and deep. Stay close to your friends, and do not wander away." "I won't, Grandpa. I promise. Goodbye!" The children ran into the woods. Sunlight danced between the branches, and the bushes were heavy with ripe, juicy berries. Lily cried with delight. "Look at all these berries!" Farther along the path, Tom called. "Masha! Over here!" Masha called back. "Coming!" "One red berry, two berries blue, into my basket, one and two. Oh! Look at that enormous raspberry. And there is another!" Step by step and berry by berry, Masha wandered deeper into the forest. She was so busy filling her basket that she did not notice how far she had gone. "Lily? Tom? Look at my basket! Hello? Is anyone there? The trees are so tall here, and I cannot see the path. I think I am lost." Masha walked for a long time. Just as her feet began to ache, she saw a wooden hut in a quiet clearing. She tiptoed to the door and knocked. "Hello? Is anyone home?" Nobody answered, so Masha peeped inside. Everything in the hut was enormous. "What a tall table! That spoon is as big as a shovel, and I could almost take a bath in that teacup. Who could live here?" The floor gave a gentle tremble. A great brown Bear appeared in the doorway. "Sniff, sniff. Someone is in my house. Why, it is a little girl!" "Hello, Mr. Bear. My name is Masha. I lost my way in the forest." "Then you may stay here and help me. You can cook porridge, sweep the floor, and keep the fire warm. But do not try to slip away. I know every path in this forest, and I will bring you straight back!" "But I cannot stay here! Grandma and Grandpa will be worried. Please, Mr. Bear, show me the way home." "No. The forest paths twist and turn, and you would only lose your way again. You must stay here with me." Masha's heart sank. She wanted to run, but she remembered the vanished path and the tall trees hiding the sun. The Bear knew every trail, and wandering off alone would only take her deeper into the forest. "Very well, Mr. Bear. I will stay for now." But Masha had not given up. She decided to be patient, watch carefully, and wait for a safe chance to return home. During the days that followed, Masha stayed clever, cheerful, and full of energy. She soon learned that the Bear loved peace and quiet. Unfortunately for him, quiet was not Masha's greatest talent. "Good morning, Mr. Bear! Breakfast is ready!" "Oh, my aching head. It is far too early." "Let us play hide-and-seek! One, two, three, come and find me!" "I am much too big for hide-and-seek. I wanted a quiet helper. But I seem to have invited a little whirlwind into my house." Masha kept the Bear very busy. Yet each evening, when the forest grew still, she thought of Grandma and Grandpa and longed to go home. At last, she made a clever plan. Early the next morning, Masha mixed flour, sugar, and berries and baked a basketful of sweet pies. When the Bear woke, the whole hut smelled wonderful. "Mmm. What is that delicious smell?" "Good morning, Mr. Bear. I baked pies for Grandma and Grandpa. Will you carry this basket to their house in the village?" The Bear paused. He still would not let Masha walk through the forest alone, but carrying the pies himself seemed quite different. He knew every path, was proud of his strength, and believed Masha would wait safely at the hut. To him, the errand seemed simple. "To the village? Very well. Though I may grow hungry on the way." "You must not eat even one. I will climb the tallest pine tree and watch over the basket. I can see far and wide from there." "Do not worry, little Masha. I will deliver every pie. First, I shall fetch my walking stick." The moment the Bear went outside, Masha placed the pies at the top of the basket and tucked herself safely underneath them. When the Bear returned, Masha was nowhere to be seen. "She must already be high in that pine tree. Oof! What a heavy basket. She must have baked a hundred pies!" The Bear walked through the forest. Before long, the warm sun and the heavy basket made him tired. "My paws ache, and my back needs a rest. I will sit on this stump and eat just one little pie." "I see you! I see you! I am sitting up high, looking far and wide. Do not sit on the stump. Do not eat the pie. Take it to Grandma by and by!" "What sharp eyes that girl has! She can see me all the way from her tree. I had better keep walking." The Bear crossed a hill and came to a little stream. A curious bee began to buzz around his nose. "Shoo, little bee. I have no honey. Perhaps I can rest on that cool rock. Masha cannot possibly see me down here. I will sit on this rock and eat one sweet pie." "I see you! I see you! I am sitting up high, looking far and wide. Do not sit on the rock. Do not eat the pie. Take it to Grandma by and by!" "That clever girl sees everything. On I go!" At last, tired and out of breath, the Bear reached the village. He carried the basket to Grandma and Grandpa's gate and knocked. "Open the gate! I have brought a basket of pies from Masha!" The village dogs caught the scent of a wild bear and hurried over, barking from every yard. "Dogs! Far too many dogs! Here are your pies. Goodbye!" The Bear set the basket beside the gate and ran back to the forest. Hearing the commotion, Grandma and Grandpa came outside. "Goodness! What is this enormous basket?" "And who brought it here?" "Peekaboo, I am home!" "Masha!" "Our clever little Masha!" Grandma and Grandpa hugged Masha tight. They carried the basket inside and shared the sweet berry pies with all her friends. Masha had found her way home by being patient and clever. From that day on, she stayed close to her friends whenever she visited the forest. And in his quiet hut beneath the trees, the Bear remembered the lively little guest who had outsmarted him. And they all lived happily ever after. The end.

Masha and the Bear

Transcript

More Gentle Audio Stories