Василий Мантуленко
Спаси солнце. Учи английский.

THE THREE BOGATYRS

and the Secret of the Golden Sun

A modern fairy tale about Baba Yaga, Koschei,

and three brave friends

An English reader for young learners

Level: A1–A2 · Elementary school

A Note for Teachers and Parents

This story is written in simple English for young learners at level A1–A2. It uses short sentences, everyday words, and a lot of dialogue, so children can read it aloud and enjoy it in the classroom or at home.

The story is a modern retelling of classic Russian folk tale characters — Baba Yaga, Koschei the Deathless, and the bogatyrs (folk heroes) — mixed with a fun, modern twist: smart huts, drones, and robots.

Each of the 15 chapters ends with a short "New Words" box. These are the key vocabulary words from the chapter, with simple English definitions, to help build reading confidence step by step.

We hope you enjoy the adventure!

Contents

Chapter 1. A Strange Morning in the Village

Chapter 2. Ivan Wants to Be a Hero

Chapter 3. The Bogatyrs' Club

Chapter 4. The Sun Goes Dark

Chapter 5. Into the Forest

Chapter 6. Baba Yaga's Smart Hut

Chapter 7. Baba Yaga's Three Tasks

Chapter 8. The River of Whispers

Chapter 9. Koschei's Castle

Chapter 10. The Hare, the Duck, and the Egg

Chapter 11. Koschei Appears

Chapter 12. A Trap!

Chapter 13. Friends Help Friends

Chapter 14. The Battle of Light

Chapter 15. The Sun Returns

Meet the Characters

Ivan — a brave, curious ten-year-old boy who loves old hero stories.

Dobrynya — big, strong, quiet, and always kind.

Nastya — small, fast, clever, and great at solving puzzles.

Baba Nina — Ivan's wise grandmother, who knows the old stories.

Baba Yaga — an unusual, wise witch who lives in a hut on chicken legs, and loves modern technology.

Koschei — an evil, powerful sorcerer who wants to rule with endless night.

The Fox — a clever, talking fox who lives in the Deep Forest.

Chapter 1

A Strange Morning in the Village

Sunny Village was a small, happy village. It had a blue river, a little school, and a big green park. Every morning, the sun came up over the hills, and the birds sang songs.

Ivan lived in a small blue house with his mom, his dad, and his grandmother, Baba Nina. Ivan was ten years old. He had short brown hair and a big smile. He loved video games, his bicycle, and old stories about brave heroes.

One morning, Ivan woke up and looked at his phone. It said 6:00 a.m. He looked out the window. The sky was dark blue, like night. But it was morning!

"That's strange," Ivan said. "Where is the sun?"

He ran downstairs. His mom was in the kitchen. She looked at the clock on the wall. It said 6:00 a.m., but the clock was not moving.

"Mom, is the clock broken?" Ivan asked.

"No, dear," his mom said slowly. "I think something is wrong with the sky."

Outside, dogs did not bark. Birds did not sing. The whole village was quiet, like it was holding its breath.

Ivan's grandmother, Baba Nina, came into the kitchen. She was old, but her eyes were bright and smart. She looked out the window for a long time, and her face became serious.

"This happened before," she said quietly. "A long, long time ago."

"What happened, Grandma?" Ivan asked.

Baba Nina did not answer right away. She just looked at the dark sky, and she looked worried.

New Words

village — a very small town

strange — unusual, not normal

worried — feeling that something bad may happen

quiet — with no noise or sound

Chapter 2

Ivan Wants to Be a Hero

That afternoon, Ivan went to his grandmother's room. She had a big, old wooden box under her bed. Inside the box was an old book. The cover was brown and soft, like leather.

"What is this book, Grandma?" Ivan asked.

"This is a book about bogatyrs," Baba Nina said. "Bogatyrs were brave heroes. Long ago, they protected our land from monsters and dark magic."

Ivan opened the book carefully. He saw pictures of strong men on big horses. They had swords and shields. One hero fought a huge dragon. Another hero saved a village from a wicked witch.

"Were they real?" Ivan asked.

"Some people say yes. Some people say the stories are just tales," said Baba Nina. "But I think a hero is not only about a sword or a horse. A hero is about a brave heart."

Ivan looked at the pictures again. His heart felt warm and excited.

"I want to be a bogatyr," he said. "I want to be brave, like them."

Baba Nina smiled a small, secret smile. "Maybe you will get your chance sooner than you think."

That night, Ivan could not sleep. He looked out his window. The sky was still dark. No sun, no stars — only strange, slow purple clouds.

"Something bad is happening," Ivan whispered to himself. "And I want to help."

New Words

hero — a brave person who helps others

protect — to keep someone or something safe

brave — not afraid; ready to do hard things

excited — feeling very happy and full of energy

Chapter 3

The Bogatyrs' Club

The next day, there was no school. The teachers said it was "too dark" to study. Ivan called his two best friends: Dobrynya and Nastya.

Dobrynya was big and strong. He was the tallest boy in the class. He did not talk much, but he was very kind, and he always helped smaller kids.

Nastya was small, but very fast and very smart. She could solve almost any puzzle, and she always had a plan.

The three friends met in the old tree house in Ivan's garden.

"Did you see the sky?" Nastya asked. "No sun for two days!"

"My dad says it's a problem with the weather," Dobrynya said. "But I don't believe him."

Ivan showed them the old book about bogatyrs. "My grandmother says heroes protected our land, long ago. Maybe... we can be like them now."

Nastya laughed. "Us? We are just kids!"

"So what?" said Ivan. "Bogatyrs were brave. We can be brave too. We can find out what is happening."

Dobrynya nodded slowly. "I want to help. My little sister is scared of the dark."

"Me too," said Nastya. "Let's do it. Let's be a team."

They made a promise: to always help each other, and never give up.

"We need a name for our team," said Ivan.

"The Three Bogatyrs," said Dobrynya.

Nastya smiled. "The Three Bogatyrs. I like it."

They shook hands. From that day, they were a team: Ivan, Dobrynya, and Nastya — the new Three Bogatyrs.