I end on a story type that was my favorite throughout the year: Russian Folktales.
A mean old man went walking and stumbled upon a beggar. He passed by without a word, and saw a poor man give him a copeck. The rich man was ashamed, so he asked the poor man for money to give to the beggar - he had money himself, but not anything small enough he wanted to give away. The poor man gave him one, asking when he should find him again for repayment. The rich man said the next day, but when they day came the rich man claimed to have no change. The poor man said he would try again tomorrow, and the previous events repeated. The rich man told him unless he could give him change for a hundred copeck, he could return in a fortnight. The poor man returned, and when the rich man saw him coming up the driveway he told his wife to pretend he was dead. The wife did as he said, and the poor man said he would wash the corpse for his money back. The wife let him, and the poor man washed the rich mans body with scalding hot water. The poor man instructed the wife to buy a coffin, and having to cover up the lie she did. During the funeral, robbers crept through the church and the poor man hid. He saw them sharing the stolen goods, but they all argued over who could take a golden sabre. The poor man jumped up and said "whoever will cut off the corpses head can have the sabre!" at which point the rich man jumped up, scaring off the robbers. The poor man offered to divide the money equally, and after the poor man asked for the still owed copeck. But alas, none of the money found was even close to the small currency of a single copeck - so the poor man became rich, but the rich man never paid him back.
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