content Introduction: Vladimir Jakovlevič Propp by Anatoly Liberman ix I. The Nature of Folklore 1 7. The Nature of Folklore 3 2. Folklore and Reality 16 3. The Principles of Classifying Folklore Genres 39 4. On the Historicity of Folklore 48 II. The Wondertale 65 5. The Structural and Historical Study of the Wondertale 67 Translated by Serge Shishkoff 6. Transformations of the Wondertale 82 Translated by C. H. Severens 7. Historical Roots of the Wondertale: Premises 100 Translated by Maxine L. Bronstein and Lee Haring 8. Historical Roots of the Wondertale: The Wondertale as a Whole 116 Translated by Maxine L. Bronstein and Lee Haring 9. Ritual Laughter in Folklore 124 (A Propos of the Tale of the Princess Who Would Not Laugh [Nesmejana]) III. Heroic Poetry 147 10. Russian Heroic Epic Poetry: Introduction 149 IV. Supplement 165 Structure and Form: Reflections on a Work by Vladimir Propp by Claude Levi-Strauss 167 Translated by Monique Layton Postscript 189 Notes 193 Bibliography 213 General Index 235 Index of Foreign Terms 252