The Little Humpbacked Horse (1941 film)

Plot

A father orders his three sons, Danila, Gavrila, and Ivanushka, to watch over the family fields. A white horse appears, and when Ivanushka climbs onto its back, the horse speaks, promising him three horses. After a frantic ride across the field, the horse throws Ivan off and vanishes. Ivan keeps a strange feather left behind, which belongs to a firebird. The next morning, Danila and Gavrila watch their brother leave, then lock the stable. They sneak inside, find two beautiful horses, and steal them. Ivan is horrified when he discovers the theft, but the third horse, small and plain, ignored by his brothers, encourages him and joins the pursuit. Meanwhile, a fair is underway in town. The tsar spots the stolen horses and wants to buy them from the brothers. Ivan arrives, reveals himself as the true owner, and sells the animals, though he gives the gold to Danila and Gavrila. The sold horses break free from Tschichir, the tsar’s stable master, and run off; Ivan recaptures them. As a result, Ivan is given Tschichir’s position. Jealous, the former stable master notices Ivan’s firebird feather and tells the tsar. The tsar, wanting the magical bird, sends Ivan to fetch it. With the horse’s help, Ivan escapes a band of robbers and reaches the sea, where a massive whale swallows him along with several boats. Ivan falls under the sea tsar’s power but frees himself and forces the whale to spit out the boats. On one boat, he sees the beautiful Sarja-Sarjaniza and brings her to court. The tsar wants to marry her, but she refuses. Eventually, she agrees on one condition: the tsar must bathe in boiling hot milk in the castle courtyard to become young again. The tsar forces Ivan to try first. The miracle horse intervenes, and Ivan steps out of the kettle as a handsome young man in noble robes. The tsar then jumps in and is killed. The servants and soldiers scatter, and the wonder horse drives the former stable master away. The palace gates open, and the people enjoy the treasures. In the end, Ivanushka and Sarja marry, and the horse sits in a place of honor at the wedding table.