The Magic Ring

“The Magic Ring" is a modern-day adaptation of a traditional folktale from Latvia about a young boy named Vadim who is given a magic ring. Vadim is poor and lives on a small farm with his father. One morning, his father sends him to the market to get some bread. Along the way, Vadim comes across someone who is beating a dog in the street and gives them money to leave the dog alone. He lies to his father and says that he didn’t have enough money to buy any bread. His father sends him back to the market several days in a row, but Vadim keeps saving animals from their abusers by using what little money they have and going hungry for dinner as a result. After he has already saved a dog, a mouse, and a cat, he uses his final coins to save a snake. Not to abandon him doomed to starve, the snake thanks him for his kindness by giving him a magic ring that will grant him anything he wishes. At first, he uses the ring to care for his family, but when Vadim starts creating trees made of glittering gold and diamonds, the King and Queen catch on to how he makes them, so they try to swindle him out of his magic ring. Luckily, Vadim has his new animal friends to help save the day! This short story comes from the collection 3 Folktales from Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Stories from the Ukraine, Latvia, and Turkmen, where the author retells some of her favorite folktales that were told by villagers from these regions. Each story is centered around the common theme of poor peasants using their wisdom and generosity “to succeed despite obstacles against an unfair ruler.” This collection uses stock images to illustrate the stories, using a mix of real-life photography and digital illustrations. These magical tales are suitable for ages 7 to 10 years old.