ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kolobok

Kolobok is a small, round, and cute character from a famous Russian folktale. It's a story about a little ball of dough that comes to life and starts rolling away from the old lady's house where it was made. On its journey, it meets many animals like a hare, a bear, a wolf, and finally a cunning fox.

The cute kolobok likes to show off and chant “I'm a kolobok, a tiny kolobok. I'm running away from you, I'm running away from you!" The hare, bear, and wolf all try to catch and eat it, but the clever kolobok manages to outsmart them. For instance, it tells the hare that it is too little to eat and that it will grow bigger if it rolls more.

However, the fox is smarter than all of them, and the kolobok's ego gets the better of it, leading to its tragic end. The fox persuades the kolobok to hop on its nose. As soon as the kolobok does that, the fox tosses it up into the air and eats it in one gulp. That is the end of the tale, and it teaches us a lesson about not letting our pride and boasting cloud our judgment.

So, in summary, kolobok is a lively Russian folktale about a little ball of dough that rolls away from its home, meets some dangerous animals, and finally meets its doom due to its own arrogance.