Donotknow

Name: Donotknow
Author: Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev

A merchant's son, tasked with managing the family business, requests his father to bring him luck from his travels. The father returns with a scabby foal, which the son accepts as his luck. The stepmother, resentful of her stepson, plots to kill him with the help of a wise woman. The foal, however, warns the son of her schemes three times, helping him evade death. When the stepmother feigns illness, the merchant is persuaded to sacrifice the foal to cure her. The son, heartbroken, requests to ride the horse one last time. After a day of revelry, he frees the horse, which instructs him to disguise himself in a bull's hide and answer only with "Idonotknow." This leads to his capture by a ship's crew, who take him to their king. The king, facing threats from an Arab prince demanding his youngest daughter's hand, employs Donotknow as a scarecrow. When the prince attacks, Donotknow reveals his true identity and valor, defeating the prince and his knights in battle. Despite his heroics, he returns to his disguise, maintaining his cover. As the king's daughters attend a festival, the youngest becomes enamored with Donotknow, ultimately insisting on marrying him. The Arab prince, undeterred, challenges Donotknow again. In a final confrontation, Donotknow defeats him, revealing his true form to the king, who recognizes him as a noble knight. The story concludes with Donotknow inheriting the kingdom, living happily, and punishing his stepmother for her treachery.

By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1830 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Adventure · 3,412 words

First lines

Here begins the tale of a grey horse, a chestnut horse and of the wise fallow-bay. On the shore of the ocean, in the isle of Buyán, there stood a roasted ox, and behind pounded garlic: on the one side cut your meat, on the other dip deep and eat.

Once upon a time there lived a merchant who had a son, and when the son grew up he was taken into the shop. Now, the first wife of the merchant died, and he married a second.

What this Textopian page supports

Donotknow is listed on Textopian as a novella by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev, dated 1830 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novella
Author: Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
Date: 1830 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Adventure, Folklore, Moral Story
Length: 3,412 words
Structure: 1 section, 66 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Donotknow by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters

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How does this novella by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Fairy Tale — The narrative features magical elements, anthropomorphic animals, and moral lessons typical of fairy tales.
Fantasy — The story includes fantastical elements such as enchanted horses and magical transformations.
Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a journey filled with challenges and battles, characteristic of adventure stories.
Folklore — The tale reflects cultural traditions and oral storytelling practices common in folklore.