But the translator never mentions in his preface
what difficulties he has been forced to contend
with ! Mr. Kasso, the late Russian Minister of
Education, sent him a letter of congratulation on
this volume, but the Russian Ministers of Educa-
tion have seldom taken a keen interest in Russian
enhghtenment, especially in the Russian peasant's
unique speech, and Mr. Kasso least of all ! His
letter, pubHshed next to the preface, carries more
weight as a diplomatic than a Hterary document,
for Mr. Post Wheeler's signature is followed by,
' Secretary of the American Embassy at St. Peters-
burg.' This letter does anything but minimize
the deplorable fact that the ancient, genuine
fagon de parler of the Russian tales is entirely
lost and unrecognizable in the Enghsh version.
This is inevitable, and could not be helped. But
what I wish to point out is the obvious indifference
of the translator towards the most precious part
of those folk-lore creations: their unique, superb,
Old Russian style ! He seems to be quite uncon-
scious of it; otherwise he should have made it
clear in some form or other.
