Little Magic Horse. Mstiora Painting

THE LITTLE MAGIC HORSE is a brilliant tale in verse, an everlasting masterpiece in the spirit of Russian folklore and one of unsolved riddles of great Russian literature. This utterly fascinating piece of poetry intended for children contains so many hidden undertones that soon after its publication it was forbidden by the Tzar himself and its author Pyotr Yershov, who created this unsurpassable work, Russia's best fairy tale, at the age of eighteen, remained forever the author of a single work and is still regarded as one of the most mysterious Russian literary figures. In the interpretation of the Mstiora artist Vadimir Nemov, an outstanding master of Russian lacquered miniatures, the brave Ivan, or Johnny, a peasant's son, the silly Tzar, the magic humpbacked horse and other characters of this merry tale appear before the reader as vivid and memorable images. Nemov's beautiful illustrations still further enhance the unforgettable impression of this exciting children's book.