Project Gutenberg 2018-12-04 Public domain in the USA. 278 Gogol, Nikolai Vasilevich 1809 1852 Gogol, Nikolay Vasilyevich Гоголь, Николай Васильевич Gogol, Nikolaj Tolstoj, Jurij V. 1824 1878 Tolstoy, George‏ Cossack Tales Introduction -- The night of Christmas Eve -- Tarass Boolba. Produced by Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature "Cossack Tales" by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol is a collection of short stories written in the early 19th century. This vibrant narrative dives into the lives and folklore surrounding the Cossacks, particularly highlighting their humor, valiance, and cultural vibrancy through portrayals of village existence. The tales blend elements of comedy and legend, capturing the essence of peasant life in Little Russia, with a focus on characters like the blacksmith Vakoola and the enchanting Oxana. The opening of the tale titled "The Night of Christmas Eve" introduces readers to an atmospheric winter night, characterized by a clear starry sky and a sense of impending festivity. As the Cossack Choop prepares to leave his home for a Christmas gathering, the devil makes a mischievous appearance, stealing the moon to create darkness. The story unfolds as Choop encounters various elements of magic and folklore, underlying themes of romance as the devil's antics interfere with the lives of village characters, particularly affecting young Vakoola, who is enamored with Oxana. The blend of humor, supernatural elements, and a rich cultural backdrop sets the tone for the tales that follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 76.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Christmas stories Cossacks -- Fiction Ukraine -- Fiction Christmas -- Russia -- Fiction PG Text Category: Short Stories Category: Romance Category: Humour Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore Category: Russian Literature 464281 2025-07-23T08:58:09.154706 text/html 464228 2018-12-04T10:53:00 text/html 231644 2025-07-23T08:58:13.732664 application/epub+zip 238611 2025-07-23T08:58:09.751678 application/epub+zip 238610 2025-07-23T08:58:09.442668 application/epub+zip 358433 2025-07-23T08:58:17.060104 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 339624 2025-07-23T08:58:13.429711 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 339764 2022-09-26T13:25:55.039981 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 433538 2025-07-23T08:58:08.689701 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 433681 2018-12-04T10:53:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20978 2025-07-23T08:58:17.195093 application/rdf+xml 10262 2025-07-23T08:58:09.524661 image/jpeg 1882 2025-07-23T08:58:09.483671 image/jpeg 165732 2018-12-04T10:53:06 application/octet-stream application/zip 216075 2018-12-04T10:53:06 application/octet-stream application/zip 216070 2025-07-23T08:58:09.192666 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia de.wikipedia fi.wikipedia