Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
UNWLA 100
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
BLOW BALL KUL’BABA The Dandelion and the Weeping Willow A Ukrainian Folk Tale About Friendship Once, high in the Carpathian Mountains, lived a Blow Ball. Round like a ball, grey like an old woman's silvery hair, yet so light that the lightest wind could blow her away .. and in that part of the world they called her Kul'baba. Down in the valley, by the winding Donets River, lived a Weeping Willow swaying his long silvery branches, so long that they touched the ground covered with the greenest grass anyone ever saw. The wind came and blew Blow Ball Kul'baba into a thousand little Blow Ball seeds and they all scattered over the land like little parachutes. One seed fell near Weeping Willow down in the valley by the winding Donets River. Days went by and the little Blow Ball Kul'baba seed went unnoticed. But one morning, Weeping Willow's branches touched a new plant as they swept across the green grass that carpeted the land on the banks of the Donets River. The plant had three long sharp leaves. She was so tiny yet so determined to hold on to the ground that Weeping Willow smiled at the newcomer. She was so tiny and so naive with only three leaves to protect herself. But at a closer look, Weeping Willow determined that these leaves looked like some ferocious animal's teeth. And although he had never seen a lion, he thought to himself, "A good name for my new neighbor would be Miss Dandelion because these leaves look like the teeth of a fierce lion." And soon Weeping Willow decided to befriend the newcomer and with his long weeping willow branches and silvery leaves he gently caressed Blow Ball Kul'baba whom he had named Dandelion. One day Weeping Willow decided to be neighborly and Greeted Blow Ball Kul'baba: "Good morning to you, little one." "And good morning to you too," replied Blow Ball Kul'baba. "What is your name?" "My name is Blow Ball Kul'baba and what is yours?" "I am Weeping Willow." And so they became friends. The wind would sway Weeping Willow's branches and Weeping Willow would caress Blow Ball Kul'baba. But one morning Weeping Willow woke up and to his surprise, saw Blow Ball Kul'baba in bloom! There was a yellow flower in the middle of the sharp looking leaves. "You are brighter than the sun!" said Weeping Willow. "You are so beautiful!" "You are beautiful too," replied Blow Ball Kul'baba. "I always admire you at night. With your shiny leaves, you are more silvery than the moon." And from that moment, they always found nice things to say about each other and Blow Ball Kul'baba was happy. Weeks went by. One morning when Weeping Willow looked up, the yellow Dandelion flower was there no more. Instead, Weeping Willow found a fuzzy white ball and he began to weep:
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
