In Russia, for most of the last thousand years, the creation of literature was the exclusive domain of the church and religious writers. Other stories were passed orally from one generation to the next. Folktales contained unique plots and characters and included elements from both Western and Eastern traditions. What distinguishes the Russian folktale genre is that stories were meant to be told, not read. Storytellers could change plot details in reaction to the times and events, as well as their personal preferences, and offer stories in their own highly individual, ornamental style. Storytellers concluded their tales with the following couplet, hinting that as the listeners had been well served, the teller now expected the same:

I was there; drank mead, wine, and beer!
It rolled down my mustache, but not a drop went down my mouth!

Throughout Russian history, both storyteller and their audiences were satisfied by this rich oral tradition. It was not until 1855 that the first comprehensive collection of folktales, compiled by Alexander Afanasiev, was published. Kanyok Garbunok (The little hunchbacked horse), the story that I have translated and retell here in a highly condensed account, was first published as a 120-page verse poem by Pyotr Ershov in 1834. It is regarded as a classic of Russian literature for its adept fusion of numerous folktales.