From
Konstantin's Russian blog, this explanation of Putin's citation of "Comrade Wolf."
Some information for those who are mystified by Putin’s “Comrade Wolf” metaphor. Comrade Wolf comes from an old Soviet joke.
Rabinovich and his pet sheep are walking in the woods. Suddenly they fall into a deep pit. A minute later a wolf also falls into the same pit. The scared sheep starts bleating. “What do you mean – baa, baa, baa?” – says Rabinovich, “Comrade Wolf knows whom to eat”.
Apparently, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack doesn't read Konstantin's Russian Blog:
QUESTION: What about the speech today from President Putin, his state-of-the-nation speech, where he compared the United States to a voracious wolf and said, "We are aware of what is going on in the world. Comrade Wolf knows whom to eat, it eats without listening and it's clearly not going to listen to anyone." What does that say about the state of Russia-U.S. relations and the prospects for bringing them along on this?
MR. MCCORMACK: Secretary Rice has talked about this. We have, in many areas, a strong partnership with Russia. As for differences, you've heard about them in public over the past several months, Secretary Rice has talked about them, President Bush has talked about them, Vice President Cheney has talked about them. But we do have the kind of relationship where, if we do have differences, we'll speak about them frankly. And there are a lot of different issues on the table between the United States and Russia and we're going to try to push forward on those areas where we can. And where we have differences, we're going to try to work through them.
QUESTION: But can you specific for me on this "comrade wolf," the "voracious wolf" comment?
MR. MCCORMACK: I hadn't seen it, Jonathan, honestly. I haven't seen it before you just mentioned it.
QUESTION: You didn't see the wolf or the comment?
MR. MCCORMACK: I had not heard the comment before Jonathan brought it up. So in fairness, I'd like to take a look at it before I offer a specific response. I'm not commenting that you are not giving me the entire quote, but I'd like to take a look at the whole thing.
Here's the conclusion of another version of a
Russian wolf story from Sister Alyonuskha's Russian Folk Tales website, about a wolf and some baby goats he plans to eat:
The Wolf did as the Fox told him and made straight for the smithy. He came up to the Blacksmith and said:
"Please, Blacksmith, forge me a new throat, for I want to bleat like a goat."
"What will I get in return?"
"I don't know what you want. We animals have no money, but I can make you a gift of some kind."
"Well, then, Wolf, bring me a pair of geese, live ones, mind, and then I'll forge you a new throat."
The Wolf went to the river bank and began crawling through the rushes there, and he was soon muddy and wet up to his ears. But he finally
managed to catch two geese, and, holding them by their wings, carriec them to the Blacksmith. He felt very cross, for he would have liked to eat the geese himself, but this he could not do as he had to keep his promise. He brought the geese to the Blacksmith and said:
"I have brought you what you asked for, Blacksmith, so now be quick and forge me a new throat."
"Very well, Wolf, it's time to get to work," the Blacksmith replied "Move up closer to the anvil, stick out your tongue as far as it will go and close your eyes, and I will be quick and do the rest."
The Wolf moved up close to the anvil, he stuck out his tongue and closed his eyes, and he stood there as if frozen to the spot. And the Blacksmith at once seized his biggest hammer and he struck the Wolf with it over the head! The Wolf dropped dead on the spot, and the Blacksmith skinned him and sold the skiji at the market for ten silver pieces. And he kept the geese for himself to be eaten when he had a mind to.
And as for the Kids, they remained alive and well.
