Long ago, in the fertile countryside of central Ukraine, where fields of wheat stretched golden beneath the sky and quiet villages rested along the broad lands near the Dnipro River, there lived an old man and his hardworking wife.
They owned a small field at the edge of the forest. Though their farm was humble, they cared for it with great love. Every spring they planted grain and vegetables, hoping the harvest would be enough to carry them through the coming winter.
But the forest nearby was full of hungry animals.
And year after year, those animals helped themselves to the old couple’s crops.
The Problem in the Field
One summer morning the old woman returned from the field with a worried look on her face.
“The rabbits have eaten half the cabbages,” she sighed. “And the fox has been sneaking in again at night.”
The old man scratched his beard thoughtfully.
“We cannot guard the field every hour of the day,” he said. “And we are too old to chase animals through the forest.”
The old woman nodded.
“But perhaps,” she added slowly, “you could make something to scare them away.”
The old man thought for a long time.
Then suddenly his eyes brightened.
“I have an idea,” he said with a smile.
Building the Straw Bull
That afternoon, the old man gathered bundles of straw from the barn and began tying them together with twine. Slowly, piece by piece, the shape of a small bull appeared.
He gave it strong legs made of sticks and a sturdy head with two curved horns.
When the figure was finished, the old man carried a pot of thick black tar from the shed.
Carefully, he spread the sticky tar all over the bull’s body until it gleamed dark and shiny in the sunlight.
“What a strange creature!” laughed the old woman.
“It may look odd,” the old man replied, “but it will do its job.”
Together they carried the tar-covered straw bull into the field and placed it near the crops.
Then the old woman sat nearby with her spinning wheel, pretending to work while keeping an eye on the strange guard.
The Curious Fox
Not long after, a red Red Fox crept quietly out of the forest.
The fox had visited the field many times before, enjoying the chickens and vegetables left unguarded.
But today something unusual stood in the field.
The fox circled cautiously.
“What sort of animal are you?” he asked the bull.
The straw bull said nothing.
The fox narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you standing here in my field?”
Still, the bull did not move.
Annoyed, the fox gave the bull a quick shove with his paw.
Immediately his paw stuck fast to the tar.
“What trick is this?” the fox yelped.
He tried pulling away, but the tar held tight.
In frustration, he pushed with his other paw, and that became stuck too.
Soon the fox was trapped completely against the sticky straw bull.
The Hungry Bear
Later that afternoon, a large Brown Bear wandered into the field looking for food.
He noticed the fox struggling against the strange black creature.
“What happened to you?” the bear asked with a deep rumbling voice.
“This bull attacked me!” the fox lied quickly. “Help me push it away!”
The bear snorted angrily and swung his heavy paw at the bull.
But the moment he touched the tar, his paw stuck fast.
Soon the other paw followed.
Now the bear was trapped as well.
The Greedy Wolf
As evening approached, a hungry Gray Wolf appeared from the forest.
He stopped in surprise when he saw both fox and bear stuck to the bull.
“What foolishness is this?” he growled.
“This terrible bull caught us!” the fox cried dramatically.
“Help us knock it over!”
The wolf lunged forward and bit the bull’s side.
But instantly his jaws stuck to the sticky tar.
Within seconds the wolf was trapped along with the others.
The Old Man’s Discovery
When the old woman saw what had happened, she hurried back to the cottage.
“Come quickly!” she called to her husband. “Your straw bull has caught half the forest!”
The old man grabbed a rope and walked to the field.
There he found the fox, the wolf, and the bear all struggling helplessly against the tar-covered bull.
“Well now,” the old man said thoughtfully. “It seems our guard has done its job.”
The animals trembled nervously.
They expected punishment.
Mercy Instead of Punishment
The fox spoke first.
“Please, kind sir,” he pleaded. “Let me go, and I will bring you a fine hen from the forest.”
The old man stroked his beard.
“Very well,” he said. “I will release you but remember your promise.”
He carefully pulled the fox free from the tar.
The fox ran off quickly into the trees.
Next the wolf spoke.
“If you free me,” he said, “I will bring you a fat sheep from the hills.”
The old man nodded.
He freed the wolf as well.
Finally, the bear rumbled nervously.
“I have no sheep or chickens,” he admitted. “But I know where the forest bees keep their honey. I will bring you the sweetest honey you have ever tasted.”
The old man smiled kindly.
“That will do.”
And he released the bear.
Unexpected Rewards
The next morning the old couple awoke to find something surprising outside their door.
A plump chicken sat quietly beside the fence.
Later that day a strong sheep appeared near their barn.
And by evening the bear arrived with a heavy piece of honeycomb dripping with golden honey.
The animals had kept their promises.
From that day forward, none of them returned to steal from the field again.
Instead, the forest creatures treated the old couple with respect.
The Lesson of the Straw Bull
The strange tar-covered straw bull remained in the field for many years.
Travelers often laughed when they saw it standing guard among the crops.
But the old couple always smiled proudly.
For they knew the truth:
The bull had not only protected their harvest.
It had also reminded them, and the animals, that kindness often brings better rewards than anger.
And in the peaceful countryside of Ukraine, stories about the clever straw bull were told for generations beside warm hearth fires.
Discover Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian folktales where magic and morality meet
Moral Lesson
The Straw Bull teaches that clever thinking and mercy can solve problems better than punishment. Kindness, even toward those who cause trouble, often leads to friendship and unexpected rewards.
Knowledge Check
1. Who creates the straw bull?
An old farmer living in rural Ukraine.
2. Why is the bull covered in tar?
So, animals who touch it become stuck.
3. Which animals are caught by the bull?
A Red Fox, a Brown Bear, and a Gray Wolf.
4. What does the old man do when he finds them?
He shows mercy and releases them.
5. How do the animals respond?
They bring gifts to repay the old man’s kindness.
6. What is the story’s main lesson?
Mercy and kindness often lead to rewards.
Source: Collected by Ivan Rudchenko, South Russian Folk Tales, 1870
Cultural Origin: Central Ukraine rural folklore
