Rolling away from the kitchen windowstill, merry Kolobok eludes many dangers before finally meeting his fate. Above: Hare is the first animal the little bun encounters.

What is our earliest memory? What carries the oldest knowledge of any people? Surely it is the folktale! One of the first stories that Russian children encounter, even as infants, recounts the adventures of Kolobok. That has been, is now, and—I am sure—always will be true.

It is a short and simple story. Kolobok is a fun-loving bun. He has been baked from the last bit of flour by a poor old woman. The bun is intended for her beloved husband.

She places Kolobok on the window ledge to cool. But this bundle of mischief gets tired of lying there, and so he rolls off the ledge to the floor. From the floor he rolls to the door, then into the yard, and then off down the road. Rolling along the road, the bun meets Hare. Hare wants to eat Kolobok, who looks so delicious. But Kolobok does not want to be eaten. He begs to sing Hare a song: