English Russia posts bits from books that were designed to frighten bad Russian kids into straightening up and flying right. Although I’m not certain how effective these actually were. Here’s some samples:
If you plan not to listen to father
wild black cats would scratch your brother
Now, what’s that about? What if you don’t like your brother? And the idea of him being jumped by wild black cats has some appeal to you? And what if the brother actually does listen to the father? Well, this would make him stop listening just to get back at the brother who got him jumped by wild black cats, wouldn’t it?
If you are greedy as old and don’t share balls
probably you would be eaten by wolves
Probably? That’s not very convincing, is it? I mean, I could probably be run over by a giant stampeding wombat as I sit and type this, couldn’t I? If I was a little brat, I’d just take my chances: get your own goddamn ball.
You like to fight with your fellow-friends?
Then you’ll be bitten by different snakes!
As opposed to the regular old snakes?
Maybe it loses the terror in the translation…here in America we just make kids who misbehave watch the Hallmark Channel. Kids beg for different snakes after an hour of that.
