"Miracle-Yudo-Fish-Whale" Картина - Maxim Pritula

Once upon a time there was a whale. He was huge, just huge and very voracious. In the sea-ocean, where the bogatyr whale lived, he had a lot of food. But the whale was so scattered that sometimes, opening its mouth wide, taking food and water into it, swallowed ships along with crayfish. Yes, real ships with sails and rowers, decks and cannons.
The ships kept their way across the sea, and ended up in the jaws of a huge whale. They languished there, poor.
And so the Lady Moon decided to punish the whale.
- From now on I command: there will be a big city on the back of the fish-whale!
It must have been long ago that the Lady Moon read ancient legends that the world stands on the back of a whale, and when the whale, lying on its sides, turns over to the other side, earthquakes happened.
So the mistress decided that the whale fish should be punished for being voracious.
The miracle whale was tired of carrying out his service, and decided to find out why he was punished.
- Wind-wind, why were torments sent to me? - asks the whale fish.
“You'd better ask the sun,” said the wind.
- Sun-sun, will I ever get forgiveness?
- Better ask the moon.
-Moon-moon, when will I get freedom?
“Wonderful yudo whale fish!
Return all ships
Give them back their freedom
And then you'll get freedom yourself!"
The miracle whale perked up and began to throw ship after ship out of its mouth.
So he won his freedom. And all the inhabitants who lived on the whale had collected the sacks the day before and left the whale.

(Russian folk tales)