Read the works of Maxim Gorky for children. Russian fairy tales. Need help studying a topic?

03.03.2020

INTRODUCTION

1. M. GORKY - THE FOUNDER OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

2. WORKS OF A.M. GORKY FOR CHILDREN

2.1 The fairy tale “Sparrow” - its closeness to works of oral folk art. Fairy tale characters. The image of Pudik, his desire to live “by his own mind”

2.2 Household fairy tale “Samovar”. Ridicule of stupidity, complacency, emptiness. Alternation of prose and poetic text in a fairy tale. The satirical nature of the tale

2.3 Story-tale “The Case of Evseyka.” Mark the fairytale fantasy element. The image of Evseika, the humor of the fairy tale, its peculiarity

3. ABILITY OF A.M. GORKY “FUN” TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT SERIOUS ISSUES, DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF CHILDREN’S INTERESTS AND REQUESTS

CONCLUSION

LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

Maxim Gorky entered literature on the verge of two historical eras; he seemed to combine these two eras in himself. The time of moral turmoil and disappointment, general discontent, mental fatigue - on the one hand, and the maturation of future events that have not yet been openly manifested - on the other, found its bright and passionate artist in early Gorky. At the age of twenty, Gorky saw the world in such terrifying diversity that his bright faith in man, in his strength and capabilities, seems incredible. But the young writer was inherent in the desire for the ideal, for the beautiful - here he was a worthy successor to the best traditions of Russian literature of the past.

Maxim Gorky grew up in a popular environment, which gives his work a folk character, and his images romantic traits, poetic harmony, soulfulness and beauty. He inherited from his parents lively humor, love of life and truthfulness, folk traditions and a romantic, poetic attitude to life and creativity. A truly Russian folk trait of the writer was his love for children. Gorky felt sorry for them, remembering his not simple, but sometimes tragic childhood, he corresponded with the children and their letters brought him not just joy, they fed his creativity, finding the most hidden tender strings in the depths of his soul. Gorky's children's works are a golden fund of literature for children, which gives relevance to this study.

The purpose of the study is to study the creativity of A.M. Gorky, aimed at moral education and support of children.

The object of research is the work of A.M. Gorky.

Subject of research - A.M. Gorky - for children.

On the way to the goal, the following tasks were solved:

1). Define the work of M. Gorky as the founder of children's literature.

). Analyze M. Gorky’s fairy tales “Sparrow”, “Samovar”, “The Case of Yevseyka”.

). Assess M. Gorky’s ability to talk “funny” with children about serious issues, deep knowledge of children’s interests and needs.

The following methods were used to work on the topic: historical definition, analytical observation, data comparison, content analysis.

The work was based on the works of: N.D. Teleshova, I.N. Arzamastseva, S.A. Nikolaeva, A.A. Kunarev and others.

1. M. GORKY - THE FOUNDER OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

The life and creative destiny of Maxim Gorky (real name - Alexey Peshkov) is unusual. Born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1868 into an ordinary working class family. Lost his parents early. He spent his childhood in his grandfather's family. Alyosha didn’t have to study. He experienced the hardships of life early, traveled a lot around Rus', learned the life of tramps, the unemployed, the hard work of workers and hopeless poverty. From all this frailty, the pseudonym appeared - Maxim Gorky.

It is generally accepted that in Gorky’s work there are two main groups of works in their artistic properties. One of them is realistic works, the other is romantic. Such a division should be accepted, but only on one condition: in no case should both of these groups be considered completely separately, for this inevitably leads to the separation of artistic quests from the social soil on which they arose, from public life Russia in the 90s.

The ideological and artistic similarity of Gorky's realistic and romantic stories is one of the main signs of his formation as a writer. But there are also significant aesthetic differences, manifested in the artistic interpretation of realistic and romantic images. Both the closeness and the difference between Gorky’s two main cycles of stories are different sides of the same process, the artistic formation of a new method in art. Only by comparing the realistic and romantic works of M. Gorky can one analytically trace how the transition to a new quality took place in Russian literature, which reflected the full and multifaceted content of the era.

The problem of love develops in Gorky’s romantic fairy tales “About the Little Fairy and the Young Shepherd” and “The Girl and Death”. Gorky defined the theme of one of them as follows: “A new fairy tale on an old theme: about love, which is stronger than life.” The fairy tale “About the Little Fairy and the Young Shepherd” is built on an antithesis: the opposition of forest and steppe. An old shady forest with mighty beeches and velvet foliage is a world of peace and bourgeois comfort. Here the queen of the forest lives in contentment and bliss with her daughters, here they sympathetically listen to the speeches of the important and stupid mole, confident that happiness lies in wealth.

In the steppe there are neither lush palaces nor rich underground storerooms. Only the free wind plays with the gray feather grass, and the endless sky turns blue, and the steppe expanse plays with multi-colored colors. Gorky depicts the landscape in a romantic way: the steppe at sunset is painted in bright purple, as if a huge velvet curtain had been hung there, and gold was burning in its folds.

The kingdom of strength and freedom -

“My mighty steppe,” the shepherd sings.

Unlike the important mole, the shepherd has no property. But he has black curls, dark cheeks, fiery eyes and a brave heart. The sounds of his song are like the cry of an eagle. And the little fairy, who lived so happily and calmly in the palace of the Queen Mother, goes to the shepherd and dies. Maya, writes Gorky, “is like a lonely birch tree, which, loving freedom, moved out of the forest far into the steppe and stood in the wind.” The wind and thunderstorm killed her. The death of the fairy is symbolic: “the song of freedom does not go well with the song of love,” love is also slavery, it fetters the will of man. Dying, Maya says to the shepherd: “You are free again, like an eagle.”

The love of Maya and the shepherd is as strong as the love of Loiko Zobar and Radda. In her name, Maya gives up the palace, the forest, and her mother, who dies of grief. She tries to overcome even the insane, unbearable fear that grips her during a thunderstorm: after all, after the thunderstorm, Maya still remains with the shepherd. The exclusivity of feelings makes Gorky's heroes similar to the romantic images of Byron and Schiller, Pushkin and Lermontov. In the fairy tale about the little fairy, the image of a noble human heart also arises, rejecting the philistine canons established over the centuries. Fear of Fate and Death overcomes the feeling of Love. Maya tries to explain this to the shepherd and adds: “Perhaps I would have said more if I could take the heart out of my chest and bring it on my hand to your eyes.”

In the fairy tale “About the Little Fairy and the Young Shepherd” a motif appears for the first time, which, as it grows, will sound more and more insistently in other romantic works of Gorky. This is a hymn to freedom and a delight in the storm. During a thunderstorm, a shepherd stands in the blackened steppe as firmly as a rock, exposing his chest to the arrows of lightning. The description of the thunderstorm is made in rhythmic prose and is reminiscent of the “Song of the Petrel” written later: “Arrows of lightning tore the clouds, but they again merged and rushed over the steppe in a gloomy, terrifying flock. And sometimes, with a clap of thunder, something round, like the sun, blinding with blue light, fell from the sky to the ground...”

Thus, the problems posed by the writer M. Gorky in his work are perceived as relevant and pressing for solving the issues of our time. Gorky, who openly declared at the end of the 19th century about his faith in man, in his mind, in his creative, transformative capabilities, continues to arouse interest among readers to this day.

bitter tale for children

2. WORKS OF A.M. GORKY FOR CHILDREN

1 The fairy tale “Sparrow” - its closeness to works of oral folk art. Fairy tale characters. The image of Pudik, his desire to live “by his own mind”

One of Gorky’s most striking children’s works can rightfully be defined as the fairy tale “Sparrow”. Sparrow Pudik did not yet know how to fly, but he was already looking out of the nest with curiosity: “I wanted to quickly find out what God’s world is and whether it is suitable for him.” Pudik is very inquisitive, he still wants to understand: why the trees sway (let them stop - then there will be no wind); why are these people wingless - did the cat cut off their wings?.. Because of his excessive curiosity, Pudik gets into trouble - he falls out of the nest; and the cat “red, green eyes” is right there. There is a battle between the mother sparrow and the red-haired robber. Pudik even took off from fear for the first time in his life... Everything ended well, “if you forget that mom was left without a tail.”

In the image of Pudik, the character of a child is clearly visible - spontaneous, disobedient, playful. Gentle humor and discreet colors create the warm and kind world of this fairy tale. The language is clear, simple, and understandable to children. The speech of the bird characters is based on onomatopoeia:

“- What, what? - the mother sparrow asked him.

He shook his wings and, looking at the ground, chirped:

Too black, too much!

Dad flew in, brought bugs to Pudik and boasted:

Am I chiv? Mother Sparrow approved of him:

Chiv, chiv!”

The story about the little sparrow has been published more than once. Little Pudik did not want to obey his parents and almost disappeared. What happens: listen to mom and dad, and everything will be okay? Well, not really. Gorky does not scold Pudik at all, but sympathizes with him. Thanks to its audacity, the chick learned to fly. And to my mother’s condemning “what, what?” (see, they say, what happens if you don’t obey?) The chick answers convincingly and wisely: “You can’t learn everything at once!”

In the fairy tale “Sparrow” there is another moment of education. This is the cultivation of kindness towards the world and all its diversity. Pudik thinks that he, his dad and mom are the most perfect creatures on this earth. Indeed: they live high, under a roof and look down on the world.

Below, people walk back and forth who are much larger than Pudik in size and, of course, physically stronger than him. But people are “eaten by midges”, small creatures that are much smaller than Pudik himself and cause trouble for the big man. What could be worse than being literally eaten? And little Pudik eats these same midges himself. So what happens: Pudik is stronger than midges, which means he stronger than man?

“A man walks past the bathhouse,” we read in a fairy tale, “waving his arms.

“The cat tore off his wings,” said Pudik, “only the bones remained!”

This is a man, they are all wingless! - said the sparrow.

They have such a rank that they can live without wings, they always jump on their feet, wow?

If they had wings, they would catch us like dad and I catch midges...

Nonsense! - said Pudik. - Nonsense, nonsense! Everyone should have wings. It’s worse on the ground than in the air!.. When I grow up big, I’ll make everyone fly.

Pudik did not believe his mother; He didn’t yet know that if he didn’t trust his mother, it would end badly.

He sat on the very edge of the nest and sang poems of his own composition at the top of his lungs:

Eh, wingless man,

You have two legs

Even though you are very great,

The midges are eating you!”

Pudik literally grew in his eyes, became proud and squeaked: “I’m quite small, but I eat midges myself.” But then he falls out of the nest and finds himself in front of the mouth of a big red cat, which is preparing to eat him, the famous and best Pudik in the world. Pudik experiences a chilling fear that he might become food for a scary cat. It turns out that the cat is the strongest?

And then the mother sparrow comes to the rescue. She fearlessly rushes at the cat and takes it away from Pudik. Is mom really the strongest? And what is stronger is not mother, but mother’s love. And children reading the fairy tale understand this. They immediately realized how mistaken the little stupid chick was, considering himself stronger than a person. But they realized that a mother, any mother - a person, a bird, a kitten - would not let her child be offended. She will not spare not only her tail, but also life itself. This means that you need to love your mother and be grateful to her for her dedication and daily care.

And yet, we must respect life, animals and birds. After all, everyone has mothers, everyone is happy that they live, everyone has their own dreams and desires. And because the world is inhabited by different creatures, it is beautiful, challenging and interesting. This is how, without preaching and in an accessible form, Gorky teaches the little reader a great lesson in life.

The fairy tale “Sparrow” is written in the style of oral folk art. The story sounds leisurely and allegorical. As in folk culture, sparrows are endowed with feelings, thoughts, and human experiences. As in a folk tale, there is something heroic and comic here. As in the folk tale, Gorky’s work contains a large educational factor.

Thus, the fairy tale “Sparrow” is one of the brightest works for children included in the treasury of world culture.

2.2 Household fairy tale “Samovar”. Ridicule of stupidity, complacency, emptiness. Alternation of prose and poetic text in a fairy tale. The satirical nature of the tale

Sparrow Pudik loved to brag. But he is far from being a samovar. What a braggart! I forgot every measure. And he will jump out of the window, and marry the Moon, and take on the responsibilities of the sun! Boasting does no good. The samovar is falling apart: they forgot to pour water into it. The cups rejoice at the inglorious death of the samovar braggart, and the readers have fun.

Sending “Samovar” to the children of his friend, Gorky informed them that he wrote it “with his own hand and on purpose” for “Tata, Lelya and Boba, so that they would love me, because although I am an invisible person, I can write different stories about cockroaches, samovars, grandfathers of brownies, elephants and other insects. Yes!.."

The fairy tale “Samovar” contains many light, witty poems that children readily remember. The writer included “Samovar” in the first book he compiled and edited for children, “Yolka” (1918). This collection is part of the writer's big plan to create a library of children's literature. The collection was intended to be a fun book. “More humor, even satire,” Gorky admonished the authors. Chukovsky recalled: “Gorky’s own fairy tale “Samovar,” placed at the beginning of the entire book, is precisely a satire for children, denouncing self-praise and conceit. “Samovar” is prose interspersed with poetry. At first he wanted to call it “About the samovar who became arrogant,” but then he said: “I don’t want there to be a sermon instead of a fairy tale!” - and changed the title."

Indeed, there is no “sermon” in the fairy tale, but there is certainly a moral teaching. However, it is enclosed in such a funny, playful form that the reader perceives it easily and cheerfully, without the slightest protest. The hero of the fairy tale Samovar really loved to boast; he considered himself smart, handsome, he had long wanted the Moon to be taken from the sky and made into a tray for him. “The samovar got so hot that it turned blue all over and was trembling and buzzing:

“I’ll let it simmer a little more,

And when I get bored, -

I'll jump out the window right away

And I’ll marry the moon!”

An old kettle, in which water is also boiling, argues with the samovar. Gorky skillfully betrays their dialogue, which is interrupted by remarks from the dishes standing around. The dialogue is so bright and juicy that it makes you believe that this is really a samovar and a teapot arguing. “So they both kept boiling and boiling, preventing everyone who was on the table from sleeping. The teapot teases:

She's rounder than you.

But there are no coals in it, -

samovar answers.

Each character in this tale has his own voice. The blue creamer, from which all the cream has been poured, irritably says to the empty glass sugar bowl: “Everything is empty, everything is empty! I'm tired of these two." And the sugar bowl answers in a “sweet voice”: “Yes, their chatter annoys me too.” The teapot, cups, samovar stew communicate with each other only in poetry, and everyone puffs and snorts... The samovar falls into pieces - and that’s the end of the fairy tale.

In one of his letters to children, Gorky noted: “Although I am not very young, I am not a boring guy and I know how to show quite well what happens to a samovar in which they put hot coals and forgot to pour water.” However, the meaning of the tale, of course, does not end there; it reveals itself to the little reader in the final muttering of the stew:

Look: people are forever

They complain about fate

And they forgot the stew

Put it on the pipe!

Thus, an ordinary samovar received the status of a living creature and showed how pompous and stupid it is in its boastfulness. Even the teaware, which he practically never parted with, did not want to sympathize with him. Gorky masterfully uses everyday objects to condemn human weaknesses and vices, showing in their images what bragging, boasting and disrespect for others can lead to.

2.3 Story-tale “The Case of Evseyka.” Mark the fairytale fantasy element. The image of Evseika, the humor of the fairy tale, its peculiarity

And about the fisherman - a “fictional” story. The boy Evseyka miraculously ends up on the seabed and talks to the fish. The character of the hero in the fairy tale “The Case of Evseyka” is more complicated, because the hero is older than Pudik in age. The underwater world where the boy Evseyka finds himself is inhabited by creatures who have difficult relationships with each other. Small fish, for example, tease a big crayfish - they sing a teaser in chorus:

Cancer lives under the stones

The fishtail is chewed by the crayfish.

The fishtail is very dry.

Cancer does not know the taste of flies.

The underwater inhabitants are trying to drag Yevseyka into their relationship. He stubbornly resists: they are fish, and he is a man. He has to be cunning so as not to offend someone with an awkward word and not get himself into trouble. Evseika’s real life is intertwined with fantasy: “Fools,” he mentally addresses the fish. “I got two B’s in Russian last year.”

The fairy tale is not just instructive, it is also very educational for the young reader. In a witty and humorous form, Gorky conveys the sometimes dangerous, sometimes comic life of the underwater world. Pisces laughs at the boy’s appearance, which does not correspond to Pisces’ ideas of beauty; Pisces are offended by a carelessly spoken word.

In ordinary life, Evseyka would not stand on ceremony with fish, but once in their world, he weighs his words, tries to be polite, realizing that he could easily lose his life. The instinct of self-preservation awakens in him, and the talent for diplomacy opens up. “Now I’m going to start crying,” he thought, but he immediately realized that if you don’t cry, there are no tears in the water, and he decided that there’s no point in crying - maybe somehow he’ll be able to get out of this unpleasant story somehow .

And all around - oh my God! - different sea inhabitants have gathered - there is no number! A sea cucumber climbs onto your leg, looking like a poorly drawn piglet, and hisses:

I would like to get to know you better... The sea bubble trembles in front of my nose, pouts, puffs - reproaches Evseyka:

Good, good! Neither cancer, nor fish, nor shellfish, ah-ah-ah!

Wait, maybe I’ll still be an aviator,” Yevsey tells him, and a lobster climbed onto his knees and, moving his eyes on strings, politely asks:

May I know what time it is?

The sepia floated past, just like a wet handkerchief; siphonophores flicker everywhere like glass balls, a shrimp tickles one ear, someone curious also probes the other, small crustaceans even travel along the head, tangled in the hair and tugging at it.

“Oh, oh, oh!” - Evseika exclaimed to himself, trying to look at everything carefree and affectionately, like dad when he is to blame and mom is angry with him.”

Evseyka showed cunning and resourcefulness. No matter how much the fish boasted about their scales, fins, tails, and most importantly, their intelligence, the boy outwitted them and got to the surface. The dream was so true and vivid that Evseika, waking up and emerging from the water, believed that it was not a dream at all.

Towards the end, the action of the fairy tale moves through a chain of funny situations and witty dialogues. In the end, it turns out that Evseyka dreamed of all these wonderful events when he, sitting with a fishing rod on the seashore, fell asleep. So Gorky decided on the traditional literary fairy tale the problem of interaction between fiction and reality. And for the little reader, the fairy tale “Evseyka” is science: never lose courage, be smart and dexterous to get out of trouble, even when mom and dad aren’t around. Evseika more than once remembered how dad would behave in this situation. And this helped him cope with the problem.

Thus, the fairy tale “Evseika” is one of the best works of art in children's literature, in which the talent of Gorky the writer and the kindness of Gorky the person were clearly demonstrated. It is distinguished from a folk tale by the writer’s bright artistic talent in describing details and images.

3. ABILITY OF A.M. GORKY “FUN” TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT SERIOUS ISSUES, DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF CHILDREN’S INTERESTS AND REQUESTS

“I warmly greet the future heroes of labor and science. Live in harmony, like the fingers of a musician’s wonderfully working hands. Learn to understand the meaning of work and science - two forces that solve all the mysteries of life, overcome all obstacles on the path shown to you by your fathers, on the path to a bright, happy, heroic life.” Gorky wrote these words in one of his last letters to children. And he was friends with them all his life.

Once in a distant town, a little reader borrowed the story “Childhood” from the library. And - it just so happened - I lost her. Losing a library book is unpleasant and embarrassing. The boy was very upset. Well, I just got desperate. He didn't know what to do. And, in the end, he wrote a letter to Moscow, the author of the book, Gorky himself. And he told everything as it is. And he began to wait to see what would happen. And after some time a parcel arrived from Moscow. The boy had no acquaintances in Moscow, and he immediately understood that this package was from Gorky. The parcel contained two copies of “Childhood”.

A simple and touching incident speaks of what a sympathetic person Alexey Maksimovich Gorky was. And how tenderly he treated the guys. He wrote kind letters to his son Maxim. He loved to joke with his granddaughters - Marfa and Daria. Grandfather called them either girls, then girlies, then girlies, then girlies, then girlies, then girlies. Those are cheerful old ladies. That's kids. That is by highly respected learned girls.

The history of Gorky's stories and fairy tales for children begins unusually: with an earthquake. It happened on December 15, 1908 in southern Italy. The earthquake began early in the morning, at six o'clock. Everyone was still fast asleep. A few minutes later the city of Messina was already in ruins. Messina has suffered from tremors before, but now the city suffered especially hard. Thousands of people died. And the wounded could not even be counted.

Messina is a port. All ships nearby swam to the shore. The Russian ships “Bogatyr”, “Slava”, “Admiral Makarov” also came to anchor. The sailors began to save the city residents. The next morning Gorky arrived in Messina. He lived nearby at that time, on the island of Capri. I worked there and received treatment. “What can I do for the victims? - thought the writer. - They need medicine, clothes, money. They need to build new houses to continue living.”

Gorky had a powerful weapon in his hands - the word. His books were sold all over the world. Readers in different countries listened to his words. They knew that he loved people and wished them well. And Gorky appealed to the whole world: come to the aid of Italy. People responded to his call. Money and things began to be sent to Messina. Many donations came to Gorky. One day, money and a letter written in a child's handwriting arrived from Russia. Gorky read the letter. Little kids unknown to him from Bailov (a suburb of Baku) wrote: “Please give our money... to the writer Maxim Gorky for the Messinians.” The letter was signed: “School of naughty people.”

Where did these naughty people get the money from? They earned it themselves! The play was staged and the tickets sold out. The children were led by Alisa Ivanovna Radchenko, a talented teacher. Subsequently, she worked together with Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya. The envelope contained a photograph of twelve participants in the performance.

Gorky replied: “Dear children! I received the money you collected for the Messinians and I sincerely thank you for everyone you helped. I sincerely wish for you, good little people, that throughout your life you will be as sensitive and responsive to the grief of others as you were in this case. The best pleasure, the highest joy of life is to feel needed and loved by people! This is the truth, do not forget it, and it will give you immeasurable happiness. ...Be healthy, love each other and - do more pranks - when you are old men and women - you will begin to remember the pranks with a cheerful laugh. I press your paws tightly, may they be honest and strong all the days of your life!..”

Then the children from the “School of Naughty People” - Borya, Vitya, Gynt, Dima, Fedya, Jeffrey, Zhenya, Irena, Lena, Lisa, Mema, Mary, Nora, Pavel and Elsa - sent Gorky a letter.

The letter from six-year-old Fedya said: “We have 3 main naughty kids at school: Jeffrey, Borya and Fedya. Besides, I’m a big sluggard” (Here and below, materials stored in the A.M. Gorky Archive are used). Jeffrey wrote even more briefly: “I fell into the pool. Hooray!" - and illustrated his message with a drawing. And Borya wrote: “Uncle Alyosha! I love you, do you have a horse, a cow and a bull? Write us a story about a little sparrow. And also write us some fictitious story about the boy fishing. I kiss you... I would like to see you.”

Gorky this time did not leave his little friends’ letters unanswered. In his second letter to the naughty people, Gorky, having amicably scolded them for so skillfully distorting the Russian language: instead of “lazy” they write “lintyay”, and instead of “performance” they write “spil-talk”, he admitted: “I really like to play with children , this is an old habit of mine, little, about ten years old, I babysat my little brother... then I babysat two more children; and finally, when I was about 20 years old, on holidays I gathered children from all over the street where I lived and went into the forest with them for the whole day, from morning to evening. It was nice, you know! There were up to 60 children, they were small, from four years old and no older than ten; running through the forest, they often found themselves unable to walk home. Well, I had such a chair made for this, I tied it on my back and on my shoulders, the tired ones sat in it, and I carried them home through the field perfectly. Wonderful!

The children were delighted with Gorky's letters. “My dear Gorky! - Nora wrote. - Your letter is very affectionate. Mom and Dad love you, and so do I. …I’m a girl, but I wear a boy’s dress because it makes me feel comfortable.” Lisa asked: “How are you doing? What are the Messinians doing? Vitya was interested in nature: “Are there sponges in the sea that surrounds Capri? How many miles are there along and across Capri? What is the name of the sea that surrounds Capri? Seven-year-old Pavka wrote: “Dear Maximushka Gorky! To please you, I am sending you a letter. I love to read very much and, returning from school, where I had a lot of fun, I sit down to read a book. I read about all sorts of plants and animals, their lives are very interesting. You wrote to us that we are all snub-nosed, and I saw your card, on it you yourself are snub-nosed, which I am very happy about.”

And Gorky said that, having received the children’s letters, he “laughed with joy so much that all the fish stuck their noses out of the water - what’s the matter?” But the most important thing is that Gorky fulfilled the request of one of the three main naughty people: they wrote about a sparrow and about a young fisherman!

Apparently, Gorky more than once happened to meet with children and talk about the samovar. In the end, Gorky wrote down on paper an oral story that he had written a long time ago. He knew the value of kindness. He was touched by the action of the Bail boys. He thanked the good little people the way only he could thank them: with stories, fairy tales, poems.

“...if these lines ever reach Gorky,” wrote Alisa Ivanovna Radchenko in 1926, “let him know that the naughty girls of that time lived up to his hopes, became good, sensitive, sympathetic people and socially useful workers...”

CONCLUSION

Maxim Gorky entered world literature as a realist writer, for whom the truth of life was a powerful driver of his creativity. Gorky had a powerful weapon in his hands - the word. His books were sold all over the world. Readers in different countries listened to his words. They knew that he loved people and wished them well. It is generally accepted that in Gorky’s work there are two main groups of works in their artistic properties. One of them is realistic works, the other is romantic. Such a division should be accepted, but only on one condition: in no case should both of these groups be considered completely separately, because this inevitably leads to the separation of artistic quests from the social soil on which they arose, from the social life of Russia in the 90s.

The problems posed by the writer M. Gorky in his work are perceived as relevant and pressing for solving the issues of our time. Gorky, who openly declared at the end of the 19th century about his faith in man, in his mind, in his creative, transformative capabilities, continues to arouse interest among readers to this day.

But Gorky, a recognized genius writer of socialist realism, was also a wonderful children's writer. His children's works are filled with the light of love, kindness and understanding of the child's soul. One of Gorky’s most striking children’s works can rightfully be defined as the fairy tale “Sparrow”. In the image of Pudik, the character of a child is clearly visible - spontaneous, disobedient, playful. Gentle humor and discreet colors create the warm and kind world of this fairy tale. The language is clear, simple, and understandable to children. The speech of the bird characters is based on onomatopoeia.

For the little reader, the fairy tale “Evseyka” is also science: never lose courage, be smart and dexterous to get out of trouble, even when mom and dad are not around. Evseika more than once remembered how dad would behave in this situation. And this helped him cope with the problem of getting out of the water kingdom onto land.

Thus, Maxim Gorky was able not only to understand the soul of the child, he loved her with all his soul. When creating children's works of art, he made sure that reading books was interesting, instructive and entertaining for children. Gorky's tales are written in a good folk style, but they have their own unique flavor, are imbued with the writer's good humor and abound bright images and details, which brings them closer to the world of childhood experiences.

LITERATURE

1.Gorky Maxim [Text] // Writers of our childhood. 100 names: biobibliographic dictionary in 3 parts. Part 3. - M.: Liberea, 2000. - P. 134-142.

.Gorky, M. Literary heritage [Text] / M. Gorky // Gorky, M. Complete. collection op. T.7. - M.: Khud. lit., 1975. - P. 166.

.Gorky, M. Elka [Text] / M. Gorky // Gorky, M. Complete. collection op. T.1. - M.: Khud. lit., 1975. - pp. 125-159.

.Gorky, M. About children's literature [Text] / M. Gorky. - M.: Det. lit., 1972. - 248 p.

.Kunarev, A.A. Early prose of M. Gorky. Moral and aesthetic quests [Text] / A.A. Kunarev // Russian literature. XX century: reference materials. - M.: Education, 1995. - P. 234-238.

.Maxim Gorky and new children's literature [Text] // Arzamastseva, I.N. Children's literature: a textbook for students. higher ped. textbook head / I.N. Arzamastseva, S.A. Nikolaev. - 3rd ed. reworked and additional - M.: Publishing house. Center Academy, 2005. - pp. 280-289.

.Teleshov, N.D. Notes of a writer [Text] / N.D. Teleshov. - M.: Det. lit., 1982. - 265 p.

Tutoring

Need help studying a topic?

Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.

Submitting your good work to the knowledge base is easy. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://www.allbest.ru/

INTRODUCTION

A. M. Gorky born: (March 16 (28), 1868 - June 18, 1936) is known to us as a writer, literary critic and a publicist who entered literature at the turn of two centuries. Gorky's creative path covers a historical period that became a turning point for Russian society, marked by changes in moral guidelines, the restructuring of social and cultural institutions, and the intensity of searches and discoveries in the field of art and pedagogy.

This characteristic is confirmed by many autobiographical works Gorky, in particular the trilogy consisting of the stories “Childhood”, “In People”, “My Universities”. Their heroes are already in early work the author endowed him with a dream of a better life, a desire to search for moral and social truth. The educational significance of his works is also undeniable and is approved by school curricula and methodological developments. Modern readers of the 21st century are attracted by the versatility of Gorky’s talent, his aesthetic positions and innovation as a writer and as a playwright, his personal views, embodied in works of different genres. fairy tale bitter satirical plot

In conditions when pedagogy is looking for new approaches in educating the younger generation and the question is being raised about updating the perception of the literary heritage of our great writers, that component of Gorky’s work, which is called “children’s”, acquires special significance.

The novelty of the topic of our research lies in the fact that Gorky’s work as a children’s author has not yet been fully studied, not truly revealed, without relying on the ideologies of the 20th century and the pedagogical potential of his children’s works, in particular fairy tales, although such literary scholars wrote about their poetics , as: Privalova Z.V., Anakin V.P., Leonova T.T.

There are very few systematic and generalizing scientific works on this topic also because, through literary discussions of the late 20th century, the attention of researchers was concentrated on such works as “Mother”, “At the Depth”, “ Untimely thoughts”, which are not included in the range of perception of young children. Meanwhile, Gorky’s legacy includes a whole cycle of 6 fairy tales, written specifically for the students of the “School of Naughty People” in Baku: “Morning”, “Sparrow”, “The Case of Yevseyka”, “Samovar”, “The Tale of Ivanushka the Fool” ", "Yashka". Along with Tales of Italy, this cycle also deserves special study.

The purpose of our work is to study the ideological and artistic features of Gorky’s 6 fairy tales for children of primary school age, to determine the nature of the author’s innovative solutions in the field of poetics of literary fairy tales for children 6-10 years old and the components of the author’s pedagogical concept.

This goal involves solving the following tasks:

Study scientific literature on this topic;

Find out Gorky’s position regarding children’s literature, his view on the role of fairy tales in the development of a child reader;

Consider the chronology and reasons for the appearance of 6 fairy tales “Morning”, “Sparrow”, “The Case of Evseyka”, “Samovar”, “The Tale of Ivanushka the Fool”, “Yashka” in the context of the author’s creative fate; perform an analysis of the structural and genre features of Gorky's fairy tales;

Assess the linguistic features of M. Gorky’s fairy tales for children;

To be convinced in practice of the educational potential of fairy tales that shape the moral values of children.

The goals and objectives of the study involve relying on methods such as:

Analytical observation and research;

Data comparison and comparative analysis;

Elements of structural analysis of literary texts of fairy tales.

The theoretical and methodological basis of the thesis was a review of materials on Gorky’s work and works on the specifics of children’s fairy tales of the early 20th century. The collected works of A.M. Gorky in 30 volumes, comments to this edition, and works by Ovchinnikova and A. Volkov were considered.

M. Gorky's fairy tales are appropriate for study by preschoolers. Analyzing his tales requires learning the concept of folk tale analysis. Great value works on this issue by V.Ya. Proppa.

Book by V.Ya. Propp's “Morphology of the Fairy Tale” had a great influence on the development of the concept of text analysis. It was published in 1928, its original title was “Morphology of a Fairy Tale.” The Russian publishing house that published the book changed the title in order to arouse more interest in the book; the editor removed the word “magical” and thereby misled readers, as if the work were examining the laws of fairy tales as a genre in general.

This book is an analysis of fairy tales taken from the collection of A.N. Afanasyeva. The research was based on the observation that in fairy tales the same actions are performed by different people. V.Ya. Propp called the actions and deeds of the fairy tale heroes their functions. The interesting thing is that all the plots of fairy tales are based on the same functions. V.Ya. Propp noted that all fairy tales are the same in structure. They have a single compositional scheme, which is the basis of a fairy tale. According to Propp, composition is a stable factor, and plot is a variable factor. This method of studying narrative genres based on the functions of the characters turned out to be applicable to other types of fairy tales; it is used in the study of narrative works of world literature.

I. One of the family members leaves home

II. The hero is approached with a ban

III. The ban is violated, etc.

Each function sequentially names the actions of the heroes of the fairy tale.

V. Propp draws conclusions at the end of the chapter that within the framework of these functions the action of all fairy tales of the material taken for research develops. When considering this list of functions, one can agree with the author that one function follows from another, and they all belong to one core. A large number of functions are arranged in pairs: (prohibition-violation, scouting-extradition, fight-victory, pursuit-rescue, etc.). Some functions can be arranged in groups, while others act as single functions.

In the sixth chapter of V.Ya. Propp talks about the distribution of functions among the actors. He notes that many functions are grouped into known circles that correspond to the performers. V.Ya. Propp calls them circles of action. The author of the work identifies the following circles:

1) The range of actions of the antagonist (pest).

2) The range of actions of the donor (supplier).

3) Circle of actions of the assistant.

4) The circle of actions of the princess (the desired character) and her father.

5) Circle of actions of the sender.

6) The hero’s range of actions.

7) The circle of actions of the false hero.

Based on the seven named circles, V.Ya. Propp names seven characters in the tale; the functions of the preparatory part are distributed among the same characters, but at the same time, according to the author, the distribution will be uneven. Characters cannot be defined by these functions. V.Ya. Propp also talks about the distribution of the designated circles among individual fairy-tale characters:

1) The range of actions exactly corresponds to the character.

2) One character covers several circles of actions.

3) The opposite case: one circle of actions is distributed over several characters.

4) Thus, we see that the analysis of a fairy tale according to Propp involves clarifying the functions of the heroes of the fairy tale and the circles of their actions.

In our opinion, the method of determining the functions of the hero can be applied not only to fairy tales, but also to other types, as well as to literary fairy tales.

The purpose and objectives of our research determined the structure of the work. It includes an introduction, four chapters, a conclusion and a list of references. The logic of constructing the study involves moving from historical, literary and theoretical issues to observations, analysis of 6 fairy tales and methodological developments, taking into account the specifics of Gorky’s works for children of primary school age.

1. A. M. GORKY ABOUT CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

A.M. Gorky made a great contribution to the field of children's literature. He was not a teacher, but thought about education until the end of his days. Gorky said that raising children should be done by people who truly love this business.

In a message to the Third International Congress of Family Education in 1910, the writer expresses his requirements for raising children. Later, in a speech at a meeting of the League of Social Education in 1917, he formulates the goals of education: “saturating a person with knowledge about the world and about himself, the formation of character and will, the development of abilities.” These goals are still relevant today. Gorky advocated a joyful childhood, in which life and work are pleasure, and not sacrifice and feat. He puts forward the thesis that protecting children is protecting culture.

In the 30s A.M. Gorky maintained an active correspondence with children and advised them to read the works of great literary classics: A.S. Pushkina, M.Yu. Lermontov, I.S. Turgeneva, L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhova, N.A. Leskova. Together with the Parus publishing house, he conceived the idea of publishing books for children's reading and drew up a plan. The alphabet and arithmetic in pictures were planned for five-year-old children. For children from five to nine years old it was proposed to publish a series of folk tales by A.S. Pushkina, V.A. Zhukovsky, A.M. Gorky, H.K. Andersen, Brothers Grimm. Gorky proposed not to limit oneself to the selection of existing books for children's reading; he advocated uniting writers to create new works. Later, in 1933, a special publishing house for children's literature, Detgiz, was created. The best children's writers were recruited to work. He appeals to children through the newspaper “Pionerskaya Pravda” with a request to write their wishes, what books they would like to read. The children responded to Gorky's proposal and sent many letters in which they indicated topics, books, and heroes.

HER. Zubareva believes that Gorky influenced literature for children not only with the theoretical innovation of his articles, but also with his artistic innovation in his works, which reflected the world of childhood. A.M. Gorky painted images of children, showing them together with the lives of adults; he emphasized that there are uniform laws for the formation of a person’s character in society. In the stories written back in the 90s: “Spectators”, “Grandfather Arkhip and Lyonka”, “Girl”, “Passion-faces”, “Shake-up”, images of children are given, many of whom are doomed to death, physical or moral , showing a crippled childhood, Gorky believed that this was an irrefutable document indicting the inhumanity of society. Many of the stories became available for children's reading. The writer was convinced that the “leaden abominations of life” did not kill honesty, love for people, kindness, and interest in life in children. The story “Grandfather Arkhip and Lyonka” was transferred to the publishing house “Znanie”, and the story “Shake” was published in the magazine “Vskhody” in 1898, it is associated with Gorky’s autobiographical stories. Gorky showed in it the truth about the life of a little worker who early learned social injustice. The educational impact of the story is great, as it awakens a protest against the humiliation and destruction of the joy of childhood.

In the period from 1913 to 1916, he worked on the stories “Childhood” and “In People,” in which he continued the tradition of autobiographical prose about childhood. Unlike L.N. Tolstoy, Gorky pays attention not only to inner world the child and the formation of his personality, but on the socio-moral self-determination of the hero, which occurs due to confrontation with others. All his stories about children are filled with spiritual generosity and spontaneity.

At the turn of the 30s and 40s, it was prescribed to create works on the themes of defense and labor. The children's book updated the image of a strong and wise author. The heir to the “new” children's literature was Soviet children's literature, the programs of which were developed in the pre-revolutionary era.

In the post-October period, the program of A.M. was taken as a basis. Gorky. This was part of his grandiose plan to create “proletarian” literature.

This program was taken up by Chukovsky and then Marshak. The language of literature in the post-October period changed rapidly; it was similar to the language of illegal publications of revolutionary anthems, slogans, proclamations, and to the poetry and prose of satirical magazines, which did not entirely appeal to Gorky.

The writer believed that children's literature is an inseparable part of all Soviet literature and argued that the same high demands should be placed on books for children as on every work of art.

1.1 ARTICLES ABOUT EDUCATION AND CHILDREN'S BOOKS

It should be noted that, first of all, Gorky viewed children's literature as a means of education, understood the need for renewal, and therefore sought to attract a variety of poets and writers to it. He believed that the topic of a book for children should be broad. This literature should not idealize the world around us. Gorky outlined his basic views on education and children's books in his articles.

In the article “On Irresponsible People and the Children's Book of Our Day,” written in 1930, he railed against those who believed that to amuse a child through art was to disrespect him.

“A man whose ears are plugged with cotton wool” was written the same year in response to an article by E. Flerina. The writer notes D. Kalm's ignorance of the literary process. Further, Gorky develops a conceptual view of a book for children as specific - age-appropriate, great art. The essence of E. Flerina’s article is the denial of the “tendency to amuse a child.” “I don’t believe,” writes Gorky, “that the People’s Commissariat for Education denied this trend. A child up to the age of ten demands fun, and this demand is biologically legitimate. He wants to play, he plays with everyone and learns about the world around him first of all and most easily through play, through play. He plays with words and with words; it is through playing with words that a child learns the intricacies of his native language, absorbs music and what is philologically called the “spirit of language.” Gorky notes that Pushkin, Leskov, Uspensky and most other writers learned the Russian language from fairy tales, songs, “comprehended the beauty, strength, clarity and accuracy” of the language through “funny jokes, sayings...”. “Children have never needed to be enriched with language as much as they need in these years, in our days, when life is changing comprehensively, many new things are being created and everything requires new verbal forms.”

In his 1930 article “On Themes,” Gorky raises the question of the themes of children’s books; he writes: “The question of the themes of children’s books is, of course, a question of the line of social education of children. In our country, to educate means to revolutionize, that is, to free the child’s thinking from the technical skills of thought predicted by the past of his grandfathers and fathers, from its delusions “...” It is necessary to organize the task of raising children in such a way that from an early age, even at games, they decisively break away from the conscious and unconscious attraction to the past - hence it is clear that it is necessary to reveal to the children the processes of the past.” The way in which this can be achieved is through stories about labor processes, how they created facts, and from them concepts, theories and ideas flowed.

In the article “On Irresponsible People and the Children's Book of Our Day,” written in 1930, he railed against those who believed that to amuse a child through art was to disrespect him. It is necessary to note the innovation of Gorky’s views on the development of children’s literature. Any knowledge, according to Gorky, even the most complex ones, can be taught in an entertaining way.

In another article, “Literature for Children,” he writes: “You shouldn’t think that all children’s books, without exception, should provide educational material. Our book should not be didactic, not grossly tendentious. It must speak the language of images, it must be artistic. We also need a cheerful, funny book that develops a child’s sense of humor.” In the article by A.M. Gorky noted that the book is designed to speak to children in the language of images; it must be artistic. He was also concerned about preschool literature, noting the need for poems that would provide an opportunity for play, such as counting rhymes and teasers. The writer also advocated the publication of collections composed of the best works of oral folk art. He appealed to publishers with a request to carefully select the most valuable books of world and Soviet literature. The writer noted the need for children to read fairy tales. He proposed to include in plans for publishing children's books greek myths, Scandinavian epic, Russian epics, etc. He proposed publishing a series of books “Why and how people created fairy tales.”

Activities of A.M. Gorky’s work was versatile: correspondence with writers, development of themes for children’s books, creation of the first post-revolutionary children’s magazine “Northern Lights” - he sought to do all this for the development of children’s literature.

It is necessary to note M. Gorky’s thoughts about language, which he considered the basis of the culture of the people, therefore it is necessary to introduce children to the folk language. In this matter, he assigned a huge role to literature, since for it language is the main tool. Gorky believed that children best comprehend the beauty of language through the example of riddles, sayings, and jokes, since in the elements of their native language its spirit is preserved. A.M. Gorky advocated entertaining children's literature. In his opinion, until the age of ten, a child requires fun, and this is explained by biological nature. A child’s knowledge of the world also occurs through play, so children’s literature must take into account the needs of children for exciting reading. The writer persistently defended the rights of children to their childhood and said that the writer also has the right to entertain his reader. He said that you need to talk to children in a funny way.

Gorky’s article “On Fairy Tales,” written in 1935, became especially significant, since on the pages of “Literary Gazette” back in 1929 a heated debate about this genre broke out, resulting in a literary debate about the meaning of literature addressed to children.

A. M. Gorky’s work with aspiring writers was of great importance, to whom he advised to read folk tales, as they develop imagination and enrich the language. In his opinion, a children's writer must take into account the characteristics of the reader's age, since children's perception, thinking, memory, language culture differ in different periods childhood. The educational potential of children's literature, according to Gorky, is great. He drew attention to the fact that children of preschool and primary school age do not have their own life experience, they are characterized by increased emotionality, they are able to imagine themselves as participants in the events that they read about. They present everything described in the book as actually happening.

A.M. Gorky believed that for preschool children the age-related characteristics of a children's book, style and theme should be more clearly taken into account; for younger children, the author should strive to reveal the character of the hero through his actions, and he recommended showing older children how character development occurs. He talks about the need to take into account the mental characteristics of children and their age-related aesthetic needs.

1.2 DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TALE: A.M.’S POSITION GORKY

Children's literature of the 20-30s of the 20th century is characterized by a variety of directions. The construction of communism was a utopia, but the dream of a happy life inspired writers and gave birth to new children's literature. The new direction of utopian avant-gardeism captured many writers of the 20s. Children of pioneer age were carried away a utopian novel A. Bogdanov “Red Star”, written back in 1908 and subjected to criticism by the “old” intellectuals. The novel depicts a Martian society in which there is no family, children are raised in a commune,

where there are no differences between children by age and gender. The word “mine” is considered a defect in upbringing. Parents who visit their children temporarily become educators for everyone. The goal of education is the desire to eliminate feelings of individualism, possessiveness and cultivate a sense of unity with the team. The exploration of Venus must be carried out by thousands of people, whose calls were the words: “Let nine-tenths perish... if only victory is won!” Bogdanov’s utopian principles were heard on the pages of pioneer publications of the 20s and early 30s.

Children's literature of that time was also characterized by realistic trends that reflected traditional spiritual Christian foundations. The literature of the early Soviet period had a valuable quality, which consisted in the preservation of the foundations of a religious worldview by some writers of “proletarian” culture. Many writers retained their religious feeling - these were Samuel Marshak, Tamara Gabbe, Evgeny Schwartz, Vera Panova, Daniil Kharms, Alexander Vvedensky, Yuri Vladimirov. Along with them, convinced atheists created their works: Lydia Chukovskaya, Ivan Khalturin and others.

Most of all, the introduction of children to the Christian ethnic group took place thanks to the work of Alexander Neverov; his story “Tashkent is the city of grain” is known. Neverov’s ethical beliefs are similar to those of Andrei Platonov, the author of the story “The Pit.” In their works, the dream of a “city of grain” is tested, whether children will be able to live in it.

In the 30s, the variety of artistic trends gave way to new creative method“socialist realism”, which excluded the topic of pre-revolutionary childhood. Along with the “new” Russia, the need arose to cross out one’s personal biographical past, and therefore the topic of childhood in the 20s was taboo for many. After 1936, first of all, works were created on social topics, mainly marches, chants, and in prose - articles and stories from the scene. The “new” children's literature of the Soviet era lost a valuable quality - intimacy.

In the first Soviet decades, not all of the preserved heritage of children's literature found its demand; old children's literature ceased to exist, although no one forbade writing or closed the old magazines; old writers had nothing to say to the new reader. The new magazines that appeared were much inferior to the well-known old ones.

The question of the new reader was central to the discussions of the 20s, which considered the most important issues in the development of children's literature:

· traditions and innovation;

· the role of fairy tales;

· criteria for evaluating a children's book, its language, content, characters. Famous writers, scientists, teachers, critics and publishing workers, and government officials took part in these discussions. The issue of literary heritage caused a lot of controversy, which boiled down to the extent to which Soviet literature is based on the classics, what of the classical heritage will be useful in new literature, and what will hinder development. Some panelists advocated for a modern children's book, while others argued that the eternal moral principles of classical literature should not be abandoned. A.M. Gorky was on the side of classical literature and sharply condemned those who adhered to the theory of vulgarizing sociologists who removed classical works from libraries.

The issue of attitude towards the fairy tale also caused a lot of controversy. Objections to fairy tales boiled down mainly to the following: a fairy tale distracts a child from real life, it contains mysticism and religiosity. Fairy-tale anthropomorphism inhibits the child’s affirmation in his real experience: the child cannot create stable connections between himself and external environment which are necessary for its normal development. Teachers were categorically against Fairy Tales as a genre of literature for children. At pedological conferences, speakers called for “launching a broad anti-fairy tale campaign,” “the fairy tale has outlived its usefulness,” “those who are for fairy tales are against modern pedagogy,” and very briefly and simply, “Down with every fairy tale.” Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya was also against fairy tales; in her opinion, they were alien to communist ideology. She proposed creating modern fairy tales that would be aimed at raising “ardent fighters.” Krupskaya did not completely reject the fairy tale, but she considered fairy tales about understandable to a child things in which there was no mysticism, since children should develop under the influence of realistic literature.

Lunacharsky was against this approach to the fairy tale, believing that deprivation of magic would interfere with the normal development of the child.

Gorky advocated the fairy tale, noting its beneficial effect on the emotional and mental state of the child. He believed that “fiction is fascinating and instructive for a person - the amazing ability of our thoughts to look far ahead of fact.” Therefore, fairy tales have a beneficial effect on the spiritual and mental maturation of children.

Gorky advised young authors to read folk tales, as they develop imagination, force the aspiring writer to appreciate the importance of fiction for art, and most importantly, they are able to “enrich his meager language, his poor vocabulary.” And children, Gorky believed, urgently need reading fairy tales, as well as works of other folklore genres.

Marshak was also on the side of the fairy tale; he opposed those who generally rejected the folk tale.

The next question of discussion was about the criteria for evaluating children's literature. Krupskaya advocated a book that expands a child’s understanding of social relationships. In her opinion, the book should give the child a broad understanding of social relations. Other participants in the discussion considered the book's merits to be the originality of the plot, impeccable form and perfection of the language.

Educators argued that the basis of the book should be the educational value of a children's work.

Other proposals for evaluating the book were also made, which boiled down to the fact that, first of all, when evaluating, you need to pay attention to whether the book meets the needs of children. During the discussions, other issues were also touched upon: about creating an adventure novel, about low-education works of art, about the artistic skills of children's writers.

2. HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF A.M. GORKY’S FAIRY TALES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

The history of Gorky's stories and fairy tales for children is connected with the earthquake that happened in the south of Italy, in Messina. The disaster occurred on December 15, 1908, at about six in the morning. Thousands of people died, there were large number wounded.

All ships nearby swam to the shore. The sailors began to provide the necessary assistance to the victims.

Gorky at that time lived on the island of Capri, worked and received treatment. “What can I do for the victims? - thought the writer. - They need medicine, clothes, money. They need to build new houses to continue living.”

A. M. Gorky's books were sold all over the world. The writer turned to the whole world for help. Many people responded. Money and things began to be sent to Messina. Many donations came to Gorky himself. One day, money and a letter written in a child's handwriting arrived from Russia. Unknown kids from Bailov (a suburb of Baku) wrote: “Please give our money... to the writer Maxim Gorky for the Messinians.” The letter was signed: “School of naughty people.” It was a school for children from democratic families, organized by Baku revolutionaries in 1909. Teachers believed that any complex child could be turned into a joyful, cheerful naughty boy.

The children earned money by selling out tickets to the play, which they staged themselves under the guidance of the talented teacher Alisa Ivanovna Radchenko. The envelope contained a photograph of twelve participants in the performance.

Then the children from the “School of Naughty People” - Borya, Vitya, Dima, Fedya, Zhenya, Lena, Lisa, etc. - sent Gorky a letter.

One of the boys wrote: “Uncle Alyosha! I love you, do you have a horse, a cow and a bull? Write us a story about a little sparrow. And also write us some fictitious story about the boy fishing. I kiss you... I would like to see you.”

Gorky this time did not leave his little friends’ letters unanswered. In his second letter to the naughty people, Gorky admitted: “I really love playing with children, this is an old habit of mine, little, about ten years old, I nursed my brother<…>then I nursed two more children...”

Gorky said that upon receiving the children’s letters, he “laughed with joy so much that all the fish stuck their noses out of the water - what’s the matter?” But the most important thing is that Gorky fulfilled the request of one of the children: the fairy tale “Sparrow” was first published in 1912 in the collection of fairy tales “The Blue Book”, which was published in the same year; the fairy tale was published separately in 1917 by the Parus publishing house. The fairy tale “The Case of Evseyka” was published in the newspaper “Den”, and then, with minor changes, reprinted in the magazine “Northern Lights”.

In November 1910, the writer received a letter from a seven-year-old boy. Impressed by the death of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, the boy wrote:

“Dear Maxim Gorky! All the writers have died, you are the only one alive. Send me a story and a letter. I kiss you, your Ilyusha.” Gorky responded to his correspondent one or two weeks later, sending him the fairy tale “Morning.”

Gorky also returns to the theme of philistinism, one of the most important themes of his entire work, in the fairy tale “Yashka”. First published in the magazine “Northern Lights”, 1919, No. 1 - 2, January - February.

“The Tale of Ivanushka the Fool” goes back to Russian folk traditions.

From the letter to the naughty people it is clear how the story with the samovar was written. “Although I’m not very young,” Gorky slyly noted, “I’m not a boring guy, and I know how to show quite well what happens to a samovar in which they put hot coals and forgot to pour water.” Apparently, Gorky more than once happened to meet with children and talk about the samovar. This incident is described in one of the books of the autobiographical trilogy “In People”: “...” One Sunday, when the owners left for early mass, and I, having put the samovar on, went to clean the rooms, the eldest child, having climbed into the kitchen, pulled out the tap from samovar and sat down under the table to play with the tap. There were a lot of coals in the pipe of the samovar, and when the water flowed out of it, it came apart. While still in the rooms, I heard the samovar humming unnaturally angrily, and when I entered the kitchen, I saw with horror that it was all blue and shaking, as if it wanted to jump off the floor. The unsoldered faucet sleeve sank sadly, the lid slid to one side, drops of tin flowed from under the handles - the lilac-blue samovar seemed completely drunk. I poured water on him, he hissed and sadly collapsed on the floor. “...”.

So, the history of the creation of fairy tales for young children includes the reasons and motivations for Gorky’s correspondence with the students of the “School of Naughty People”, his position as a publisher and writer in relation to the order coming from the little reader. The chronology of creation does not always coincide with the chronology of publication:

1. “Morning” - a fairy tale written in 1910, published for the first time in the children's magazine “Lark” (1918, M 11-12);

2. “Sparrow” - 1912 - first published in the collection “Blue Book” in the same year, but published separately only in 1917, publishing house “Parus”;

3. “The Case of Evseyka” - 1912 - newspaper “Day” in 1912, then in 1919, magazine “Northern Lights” (N2 3-4);

4. “Samovar” - 1913 - first published in the collection “Yolka. A book for small children”, publication “Parus”, 1918;

5. “The Tale of Ivanushka the Fool” - 1918;

6. “Yashka” - 1919 - first published in the magazine “Northern Lights”, 1919, No. 1 - 2, January - February.

3. FEATURES OF THE POETICS OF SIX FAIRY-TALE WORKS

3.1 “MORNING” AS A TALE ESSAY

As noted above, Gorky in 1910 received a letter from a seven-year-old boy upset by the death of L.N. Tolstoy. In the future - famous composer Ilya Frenkel. After some time, at the request of a young correspondent, the fairy tale “Morning” was written. The very title of the work was already intended to help overcome the sadness associated with the departure of the writer, to inspire the little reader with the thought of the continuing life of nature, of the joyful and bright beginning of a new day.

The beginning of the fairy tale sets the reader up to perceive it, the author conveys his mood and joy of life: “The best thing in the world is to watch the day being born!” . Morning, everything on Earth wakes up, and after it comes day, “good afternoon.” We can note the weak development of the plot, which allows us to talk about the similarity of this tale with the essay.

The sun is the first to rise; in the fairy tale, it is kind and tireless, “a source of joy and strength.” The author asks the reader to love the “lord of the world” and be like him - cheerful, kind to everyone. People wake up with the sun. It watches them as they go to their fields to work. About the majesty of the image of a person A.M. Gorky wrote in his poem: “Man! It’s as if the sun is born in my chest, and slowly moves in the bright light - forward! and - higher! A tragically beautiful man!”

Along with the sun and man, there are other images in the fairy tale: mountains, waves, green lizards, flowers, bees, wasps, birds, pine trees - they all live on the earth, work and enjoy life, even if it is coming to an end.

Despite this, there is a lot of optimism in the tale. She captivates the reader with her colorfulness. For this purpose, the writer uses epithets: golden sun, velvet petals, sweet smell, in the air, blue, warm, full of fragrances, affectionate song.

Nature in the fairy tale is spiritualized, the use of personifications helps the writer create vivid pictures of nature that depict the joy of life: the sun looks, smiles, laughs; flowers look into the sky, laugh, smile proudly; the waves bow and sing, the darkness quietly hides. Many comparisons enhance the impression of the unusualness of the morning seen: the waves bow to the sun, like court beauties; siskins are like street children, just as mischievous; swallows and swifts flash like black arrows; The pine trees look like huge bowls filled with light, like golden wine.

You should pay attention to how skillfully the author expresses philosophical thoughts about the importance of work in human life. In a form accessible to children, he talks about the most important things that should become a moral guideline for them throughout their lives. The author also puts before the children real question(which is also close to the essay genre): why do those who work all their lives remain poor from birth to death? But Gorky does not give the reader an answer. Respect for the work of ancestors, understanding the value of life itself and the need for work, joy from everything that surrounds you, overwhelms the fairy tale, creates a joyful positive attitude in the soul of the child. The whole fairy tale is perceived as a confidential conversation between the writer and the little man. To influence and persuade, the writer uses rhetorical exclamations that convey author's attitude to what he writes about: “Ah, they worked superbly, our ancestors, there is something to love and respect for the great work they did all around us!” .

Gorky uses entertainment to describe nature and the world around him. He glorifies the sun, flowers, sea, birds. Gorky writes that work and life on earth are wonderful. He wrote about this in his articles and embodied it in his fairy tale. The fairy tale is a kind of hymn to work and man. The technique of spiritualizing nature and humanizing surrounding phenomena helps the writer paint a vivid figurative picture of a summer morning.

3.2 “SPAUGHTER”: THE THEME OF CHILDREN’S INDEPENDENCE

The main character of the fairy tale is the little sparrow Pudik, he doesn’t know how to fly yet, but he is very curious and constantly looks out from his nest: “I wanted to quickly find out what God’s world is and is it suitable for him?” Pudik, like all children, is distinguished from adults by his great curiosity, the desire to understand everything that is happening around him, he constantly asks questions: “why do the trees sway, why are people wingless - did the cat cut off their wings?” When asking questions, he has his own ready answer: (“the trees are swaying - let them stop, then there will be no wind”). Sparrow does not listen to anyone, he understands everything in his own way. Gorky, in the image of the boastful Pudik, shows the character of a naughty, playful child. The theme of the fairy tale is about a naughty, inquisitive sparrow who did not listen to his mother and almost fell into the clutches of an evil cat. The heroes of the fairy tale: little sparrow Pudik, mother sparrow, father sparrow.

Reading a fairy tale, a small child in the mother - caring, worried, patient, selfless, and the father - who brings food - the little sparrow Pudika can recognize his parents.

Next, we see that excessive curiosity and stubbornness lead Pudik to trouble - he falls out of the nest, where the red cat, about whom his caring mother warned him, was already waiting for him. Mother Sparrow rushes to the aid of her naughty son, she bravely fights the cat and saves Pudik at the cost of her tail. The little sparrow even flew up out of fear for the first time when he found himself in the nest. In the end, he admits: “You can’t learn everything at once.”

Gorky likes the independence of the little sparrow Pudik, hence the ambiguity of attitude towards his action: on the one hand, the author shows that you need to trust the experience of your parents, but on the other hand, caution and the desire to live without opening up the world around you, as in “The Wise Minnow” by Saltykov-Shchedrin does not accept.

Gorky's innovative ideas lie at the heart of this fairy tale; we feel the gentle humor of the writer, who, in a simple, funny form, strives to convey to the little reader the main idea of the fairy tale, to show what disobedience, boasting and self-confidence lead to. The language of the fairy tale is understandable to children, it is simple and clear. Gorky uses the technique of onomatopoeia in the characters’ speech, which is also typical for folk tales:

“- What, what? - the mother sparrow asked him.

He shook his wings and, looking at the ground, chirped: Too black, too!

Dad flew in, brought bugs to Pudik and boasted: Am I smart? Mother Sparrow approved of him: Chiv, chiv!” .

A.M. Gorky uses colloquial vocabulary: you’ll make a mess, daddy, he’ll gobble it up, at the top of his lungs, right there. Lexical repetitions are used to give dynamics to the action of a fairy tale, to convey the features of speech, to emphasize its expressiveness: fly, fly; sang, sang; nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, etc.

This fairy tale is characterized by the use of words with diminutive suffixes: birdies, flywheels, mice; they convey the folk character of speech.

There are many educational moments in the fairy tale; it is instructive and kind. The author sympathizes with Pudik. He is sure that the hero has learned a lesson for life, since the little sparrow says that you can’t learn everything at once. The folk basis of the fairy tale is felt throughout the entire text. Like a folk tale, the fairy tale “Sparrow” fosters a kind attitude towards the world and teaches us to see its diversity. The plot also shows similarities with a folk tale: a ban, a violation of a ban, a red cat as an antagonist, a mother as a helper and savior. With this episode, the second shows the great love of a mother who is able to save her son at the cost of her life. Pudik wonders, is mom really the strongest? Children reading the fairy tale understand that it is not the mother who is stronger, but the love for her son. The moral lesson of the fairy tale is clear to the reader; you need to love and appreciate your mother, thank her for her care and self-sacrifice.

Pudik believes that his parents are the most perfect creatures on earth, because they live high under the roof and look down on everyone. Sparrow sees people below who do not have wings, they are larger than Pudik, but they are “eaten by midges” - these small creatures that people are afraid of. Pudik thinks that since he is small and eats these midges, it means he is stronger than a person. If a person had wings, people would catch sparrows as they catch midges. These arguments speak of the hero’s curiosity, which is inherent in every child; he is kind to everyone, because when he grows up, he wants to make everyone fly.

With this fairy tale, Gorky quite simply gives children a serious life lesson, teaches little readers to be attentive to all living things, to see the beauty of the world, to take their parents seriously and to enjoy life.

3.3 STORY - THE TALE “THE CASE OF YEVSEIKA”, FEATURES OF THE PLOT AND SPACE-TIME ORGANIZATION

The fairy tale is built on the motif of a dream that Evseyka sees, and since at the end of the fairy tale he returns to his original place, it can be argued that the composition is circular. The miraculous return coincides with the awakening of the hero.

A tale of a hero's miraculous journey to the bottom of the sea. The main character, the boy Evseyka, falls to the bottom of the sea; the miraculous movement again tells us that a miracle happens in a fairy tale. The writer uses a technique known in literature: a fantastic adventure takes place in a dream. The line between dream and reality is invisible.

The writer conveys the life of the underwater world through fiction. Unusual fish and sea creatures swim past the boy, they talk like people, laugh, sing songs in chorus, tease each other, take offense at offensive words. This description of underwater inhabitants is comparable to the manner of H.H. Andersen. Every living creature, every fantastic creature in his fairy tales has its own character, history, humor, whims, manner of speech and quirks. Yevseyka is drawn into the relations of the inhabitants seabed, he resists, realizing that they are fish and he is a man. As in real world the hero has to resort to ingenuity so as not to offend anyone, not to cause anger and not to get into trouble. Gorky continues the traditions of folk tales, using the plot of a fantastic fall into the underwater kingdom. The latter, in turn, is also described fantastically, for this Gorky used epithets: hot day, scarlet starfish, curious things, green fish, white stones, with bluish-silver scales, fast shrimp.

There is one episode in the fairy tale in which the boy's best qualities are revealed. He is characterized by determination and resourcefulness. From the very beginning of the tale, the writer sympathizes with Evseika and uses evaluative vocabulary that helps him express his and the hero’s attitude to what is happening: a good man, very well, walks solidly, smiled pleasantly, asked angrily.

Evseyka himself considers himself smart: “I don’t understand German at all, but I immediately understood fish language! Wow, what a good fellow!” ; smart and savvy. Feeling the danger of the situation, Evseyka is looking for an opportunity to return to earth. You should pay attention to Evseika’s speech, he is very tactful and polite, the writer wants to show that even in moments of danger, the boy does not get lost, politeness and courtesy help him avoid trouble.

“The Case of Yevseyka” is an excellent example of a literary fairy tale of a special type - scientific and educational. The writer expresses the main idea of the fairy tale, showing how the hero, having found himself in trouble, shows perseverance, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. Gorky teaches children to be brave, resourceful, decisive, and kind in life. difficult situations don't lose your spirit.

3.4 “SAMOVAR”: SATIRICAL PROPERTIES OF A TALE

The fairy tale tells about a samovar, he appears to us as pot-bellied, boastful, considers himself smart, handsome, but who is arrogant and thinks that he is better than everyone. All these characteristics can be seen in Samovar’s songs:

Phew, I'm so hot!

Phew, how powerful I am! .

The plot of the tale is based on the dispute between the central character and the Teapot. In their conversation, one can identify the characteristics of the Samovar:

Oh, what a braggart you are,

It's unpleasant to even listen to!

All things around behave differently. The creamer started a conversation with the empty sugar bowl. The grimy stew also joins the general conversation. Gorky skillfully uses dialogue, conveying the peculiarities of speech and character of each character. He describes each character in few words, but in such a way that it is easy to imagine the appearance of each: the teapot is old, the creamer is blue, the hunchbacked gentleman (“he always said something sad”), the sugar bowl is thick, wide and funny, the stew pot is grimy. Epithets create for us images of things that we are used to seeing every day. Colloquial vocabulary emphasizes the ordinariness of the situation: snorts, snouts, sings at the top of his lungs, so-so, muttered. The character traits of a person, which acquire cups, a teapot, a sugar bowl, a stew, etc., received satirical exaggeration in the fairy tale.

The tension of events was increasing, and there was no longer any water in the samovar, but it was still buzzing and brave, never ceasing to boast. The rhythm of the poems corresponds to the tension of events. The tale ends with the samovar unsoldering and falling into pieces.

Gorky talks about things familiar and close to children. The main idea of the fairy tale is that simple things the author expresses important thoughts - you cannot brag and become arrogant. Boasting and disrespect for others - ridiculing these negative qualities of a person was the main task of the writer. Little readers are invited to think about the behavior of the heroes and draw a moral conclusion for themselves about what such behavior leads to, so the fairy tale contains an instructive meaning.

3.5 THE TALE ABOUT IVANUSHKA THE FOOL IN THE CONTEXT OF FOLK TRADITION

First of all, let's turn our attention to the title. The term “fairy tale” is already included by the author in the title. Most likely, this is motivated by the fact that the image of Ivanushka the Fool is one of the most popular heroes of Russian folk tales.

Exploring the plots of folk tales “About Ivanushka the Fool”, it can be noted that Ivanushka is always the youngest, third son in a peasant family. The older brothers always help their father and mother, are busy with some kind of business, and they laugh at Ivanushka, since he doesn’t succeed in anything he undertakes. Parents most often feel sorry for their youngest son.

According to the plot, one day an unusual event occurs: either someone poisons the crops, or the father gets sick, or the king gives a dangerous task. Then Ivanushka gets down to business. We see his main qualities: honesty and kindness; having met a wizard on the way, he acquires an assistant. Ivanushka is kind to both people and animals, he will never pass by someone in trouble, he will always help. He always speaks politely to elders, and always outwits villains. In fairy tales, Ivanushka often solves riddles, showing his intelligence; other heroes cannot solve these riddles. For his diligence, he receives a magical assistant. He achieves success in all tasks.

The fairy tale “About Ivanushka the Fool” contains a plot and images of oral folk art. Gorky recalls the fairy tales that he heard as a child from his grandmother Akulina Ivanovna and nanny Evgenia. Gorky's treatment of the folk story is so original that it can be considered Gorky's creation. An everyday fairy tale begins with a fabulous beginning: “Once upon a time there was Ivanushka the Fool, a handsome man, and no matter what he did, everything turned out funny for him - not like with people.” The ending of the tale is happy, as in folk tales. The image of Ivanushka the Fool also has a folklore origin, as it should be, he is a cheerful, cheerful person, but everything he does turns out funny, as Gorky emphasizes, not like people do. Gorky endows the hero with a resilient character. Ivanushka sings songs, is not afraid of difficulties, he overcomes all obstacles. Gorky's image of Ivanushka is deeper and more complex. In the fairy tale, what comes first is not Ivanushka’s stupidity, but kindness and strength, which helps him conquer the bear.

Indicative in the episode with the bear is their dialogue about kindness and intelligence; Ivanushka concludes that the one who is angry is stupid. In such a simple formula, along with such everyday phrases as: “whoever is smarter will be the first to finish” an argument or fight, Gorky goes into complex philosophical categories in order to give an explanation to the child in early childhood. The author does not forget to talk about this with his characteristic humor.

The tale uses colloquial, everyday vocabulary: man, stew, asked for, dragged in, fool. painfully harmless, go ahead and dial, etc.

The folk character of the fairy tale is visible in the special verbal comedy: play with puns, unexpected literal meanings of familiar words. We see how Ivanushka diligently fulfills the man’s order to guard the door. Ivan takes it off its hinges and carries it around the forest, thereby showing his childish naivety and spontaneity, but they, in turn, cover up his ridiculous actions.

The fairy tale contains a moral lesson, folk wisdom that life itself teaches - not the truly fool who sits on the stove, measures the ashes with a hat, spits at the ceiling or sells a bull to a birch tree, but the one who, arrogant, does not hear the world around himself, not connected with him together. Pride is a sin, and it will be punished!

3.6 THE TALE “YASHKA” AS A SOCIAL SATIRE

Gorky also returns to the theme of philistinism, one of the most important themes of his entire work, in the fairy tale “Yashka”. The satire here is clearly political and anti-religious in nature.

The fairy tale “Yashka” opened the first issue of the Northern Lights magazine, which Gorky edited, in 1919, but it was written before the October Revolution. In 1918, the class struggle in Russia reached extraordinary tension.

A ten-year-old boy, Yashka, goes to heaven for his everyday suffering. And then he sees lines of holy saints. They languish with boredom and unctuously whine about their sacrificial suffering and valor: “our legs are broken, our arms are dislocated, because how we suffered!” . This heavenly life made Yashka no longer want to drink, eat, or play. And he returns to earth to live “for the glory of people.” The plot of the tale itself was borrowed by Gorky from folklore. The folk version of the fairy tale told about a soldier who went to heaven, but he did not like living in heaven.

The beginning is the same as in the folk tale: “Once upon a time there was a boy Yashka.” At the beginning of the fairy tale, Yashka goes to heaven, but on earth he was constantly beaten, he suffered until he was ten years old and died. In paradise, Yashka sees beautiful nature, it would seem, to live and rejoice, but the beautiful picture is overshadowed by the saints who “walk in a round dance and boast about their torments.” The boy is not happy with what he sees; the saints make a depressing impression on him. Yashka was surprised by the fact that they all considered their merit to be torment and patience. They do not notice the beauty of nature around them and are only busy constantly talking about their own things. God himself was tired of them, he was tired of listening to them and was not averse to having fun. All this made Yashka bored, although they did not beat him or starve him. He was so bored that he didn’t want to eat or drink. Yashka began to ask to go to the ground and even agreed to be beaten there again if there was anything for it, and he didn’t want to complain about his life. In this episode, the social characteristics of the hero invade the text. He wanted to exchange heavenly life for earthly life. Yashka decided to serve people on earth, and not complain to God in paradise about his torment. He wanted to help people in their labors, to console them in their grief, to cheer them up in their sorrows. Despite his hard life, Yashka retained his cheerfulness and kindness. On earth, he wants to learn to play the balalaika, so that later, when he dies, he will amuse God.

Similar documents

Definition of the work of M. Gorky as the founder of children's literature. Analysis of M. Gorky's fairy tales "Sparrow", "Samovar", "The Case of Yevseyka". Assessment of the writer’s ability to talk “funny” with children about serious issues, knowledge of their interests and requests.

course work, added 09/29/2011

essay, added 04/27/2015

Identification and description of linguistic features, anthroponyms and zoonyms of E. Uspensky’s fairy tales “Crocodile Gena and his friends” and “Uncle Fyodor, the dog and the cat.” Interpretation of the meanings of the names of the characters in Uspensky’s works, analysis of the main artistic means.

thesis, added 04/19/2011

The main genre features of children's fairy tales, their difference from fairy tales for adults. Classification of fairy tales recorded by A.I. Nikiforov from children of different ages. The mechanism of fairy tale transmission. The connection between a child’s choice of fairy tales and age and gender stereotypes.

thesis, added 03/21/2011

Modern interpretation of the creative heritage of M. Gorky. The beginning of the writer's literary activity. Traditions and innovation of Gorky the playwright. Tradition and innovation poetic works Gorky. Analysis of "Song of the Falcon" and "Song of the Petrel".

course work, added 12/16/2012

Features of folk and literary fairy tales. Studying the works of the Brothers Grimm, determining the reasons for changes in the author's text by translators. Comparison of the original works with several translations. Analysis of the characteristics of child psychology.

course work, added 07/27/2010

Brief essay life and creative path famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky, analysis of his most striking works. Analysis of the spirit of romanticism in Gorky's stories. Transformation of the romantic tradition in the works of various masters.

course work, added 03/21/2010

Study of Russian realistic literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The significance of the work of the writer, publicist and public figure M. Gorky in the literature of the era of realism. Determination of the features of the problematics and genre originality of the play “At the Depths”.

course work, added 03/11/2011

Familiarization with the works of M. Gorky. Consideration of the features of the description of the merciless truth about the life of the social lower classes in the play "At the Bottom". Studying the problem of kindness, compassion, social justice. The author's philosophical view of white lies.

abstract, added 10/26/2015

A list of analyzed German fairy tales recorded by the Brothers Grimm and Russian folk tales by various authors. Carrying out their quantitative and qualitative analysis. Comparative characteristics of animals and analysis of the frequency of use of their names.

Gorky Maxim

Russian fairy tales

A.M.Gorky

Russian fairy tales

Being ugly and knowing it, the young man said to himself:

I'm smart. I will become a sage. For us it is very simple. And he began to read thick works - he really was not stupid, he understood that the presence of wisdom is most easily proven by quotations from books.

And having read as many wise books as it takes to become short-sighted, he proudly raised his nose, reddened by the weight of his glasses, and declared to all that existed:

Well, no, you can't fool me! I see that life

This is a trap set for me by nature!

And - love? - asked the Spirit of Life.

Thank you, thank God I’m not a poet! I will not enter the iron cage of inevitable duties for the sake of a piece of cheese! But still, he was not a particularly talented person and therefore decided to take the position of professor of philosophy. He comes to the Minister of Public Education and says:

Your Excellency, here - I can preach that life is meaningless and that the suggestions of nature should not be obeyed!

The minister thought: “Is this good or not?”

Then he asked:

Should you obey the orders of your superiors?

Definitely a must! - said the philosopher, respectfully bowing his book-wipe head. - Because human passions...

Well, that's it! Climb onto the pulpit. Salary - sixteen rubles. Only - if I prescribe that even the laws of nature should be taken into account, look without freethinking! I won't tolerate it! And, after thinking, he said melancholy:

We live in such a time that for the sake of the interests of the integrity of the state, perhaps the laws of nature will have to be recognized not only as existing, but also useful - in part!

“The hell with it!” the philosopher exclaimed mentally. “You’ll get to this point, how?”

And he didn’t say anything out loud.

So he settled down: he climbed into the pulpit every week and said to different curly-haired young men for an hour:

Dear sirs! Man is limited from the outside, limited from the inside, nature is hostile to him, woman is a blind instrument of nature, and for all this our life is completely meaningless!

He was used to thinking like this and often, carried away, spoke beautifully and sincerely; The young students clapped enthusiastically for him, and he, pleased, affectionately nodded his bald head to them, his red nose sparkled with affection, and everything went very well.

Dining in restaurants was bad for him - like all pessimists, he suffered from indigestion - so he got married and dined at home for twenty-nine years; in between, unbeknownst to himself, he fathered four children, and then died.

Behind his coffin walked respectfully and sadly three daughters with their young husbands and a son, a poet in love with all the beautiful women in the world. The students sang “Eternal Memory” - they sang very loudly and cheerfully, but poorly; over the grave, the professor’s comrades spoke flowery speeches about how harmonious the deceased’s metaphysics was; everything was quite decent, solemn and even touching at moments.

So the old man died! - one student said to his comrades when they left the cemetery.

“He was a pessimist,” said another.

And the third asked:

Well? Really?

Pessimist and conservative.

Look, bald! And I didn't even notice...

The fourth student was a poor man, he inquired with concern:

Will they invite us to the wake?

Yes, they were called.

Since the late professor wrote good books during his lifetime, in which he passionately and beautifully proved the purposelessness of life, the books were bought well and read with pleasure - after all, no matter what you say, people love beautiful things!

The family was well provided for - and pessimism can provide! - the funeral was organized by the rich, the poor student ate unusually well and, when he walked home, he thought, smiling good-naturedly:

"No - and pessimism is useful..."

And there was another case.

Someone, considering himself a poet, wrote poems, but for some reason they were all bad, and this made him very angry.

One day, he was walking down the street and saw: the driver had lost his whip lying on the road.

Inspiration struck the poet, and an image immediately formed in his mind:

Like a black scourge in the dust of the road

Lying - crushed - is the corpse of a snake.

Above him a swarm of flies buzzes alarmingly,

There are beetles and ants around.

The links of thin ribs turn white

Through the torn scales...

Snake! You remind me

My dying love...

And the whip stood on the end of the whip and said, swaying:

Well, why are you lying? A married man, you know how to read and write, but you’re lying! After all, your love has not died out, you both love your wife and are afraid of her...

The poet got angry:

It's none of your business!..

And the poems are bad...

And you can’t invent such things! You can only whistle, and even then not by yourself.

But still, why are you lying? After all, love hasn’t died out?

You never know what happened, but it needed to be...

Oh, your wife will beat you! Take me to her...

Well, just wait!

Well, God be with you! - said the whip, curling like a corkscrew, lay down on the road and thought about people, and the poet went to the tavern, asked for a bottle of beer and also began to think, but about himself.

“Although the whip is rubbish, the poems are again rather bad, that’s true! It’s a strange thing! One always writes bad poems, and sometimes the other succeeds in good ones, how wrong is everything in this world! Stupid world!”

So he sat, drank and, delving deeper and deeper into understanding the world, finally came to a firm decision: “We must tell the truth: this world is absolutely no good, and it’s even offensive for a person to live in it!” He thought in this direction for an hour and a half, and then composed:

The colorful scourge of our passionate desires

Drives us into the coils of Death the Snake,

We are lost in a deep fog.

Ah - kill your desires!

They deceitfully lure us into the distance,

We drag ourselves through the thorns of grievances,

Along the way, our hearts of sorrow are wounded,

And at the end of it, everyone is killed...

And so on in this spirit - twenty-eight lines.

This is clever! - the poet exclaimed and went home, very pleased with himself.

At home, he read the poems to his wife - she also liked it.

Only,” she said, “the first quatrain seems to be wrong...

They'll devour you! Pushkin also started the “wrong” thing... But what is the size? Memorial service!

Then he began to play with his little son: sitting him on his knee and throwing him up, he sang in tenor:

Jump-jump

On someone else's bridge!

Oh, I'll be rich

I'll wash mine

I won't let anyone in!

We had a very fun evening, and in the morning the poet took his poems to the editor, and the editor said thoughtfully - they are all thoughtful, editors, that’s why magazines are boring.

Hm? - said the editor, touching his nose. - This, you know, is not bad, and most importantly, it is very in tune with the mood of the time, very much so! Hmmm, you may have found yourself. Well, continue in the same spirit... Sixteen kopecks line... four forty-eight... Congratulations!

Then the poems were published, and the poet felt like a birthday boy, and his wife kissed him diligently, languidly saying:

M-my poet, oh! Have a great time!

And one young man - a very good young man, painfully searching for the meaning of life - read these poems and shot himself. He, you see, was sure that the author of the poems, before rejecting life, was looking for meaning in it just as long and painfully as he himself, the young man, was looking for, and he did not know that these gloomy thoughts were sold for sixteen kopecks a line. He was serious.

Let the reader not think that I want to say that sometimes even a whip can be used to benefit people.

Evstigney Zakivakin lived for a long time in quiet modesty, in timid envy, and suddenly unexpectedly became famous.

And it happened like this: one day, after a luxurious feast, he spent his last six hryvnia and, waking up the next morning with a severe hangover, very dejected, sat down to his usual work: writing advertisements in verse for the “Anonymous Bureau of Funeral Processions.”

He sat down and, sweating profusely, wrote convincingly:

They hit you on the neck or forehead,

All the same, you will lie in a dark coffin...

Honest man you or a scoundrel,

Still, they will drag you to the graveyard...

Will you tell the truth or lie?

It's all one: you will die!..

I took the work to the “bureau”, but they didn’t accept it:

Sorry, they say, there is no way to publish this: many dead people may be offended and even shudder in their graves. There is no point in admonishing the living to death; they will die of their own accord, God willing:

Zakivakin was upset:

Damn you! Take care of the dead, erect monuments, serve memorial services, but the living die of hunger...

In a disastrous mood of spirit, he walks the streets and suddenly sees a sign, and on it - in black letters on a white field - it says:

"Harvest of Death"

Also a funeral home, and I didn’t even know it! - Evstigney was delighted.

But it turned out that this was not a bureau, but the editorial office of a new non-partisan and progressive magazine for youth and self-education. Zakivakin was kindly received by the editor-publisher Mokei Govorukhin himself, the son of the famous lard maker and soap maker Antipa Govorukhin, a lively, albeit skinny guy.

Mokey looked at the poems and approved.

RUSSIAN TALES

Being ugly and knowing it, the young man said to himself:

I'm smart. I will become a sage. For us it is very simple.

And having read as many wise books as it takes to become short-sighted, he proudly raised his nose, reddened by the weight of his glasses, and declared to all that existed:

Well, no, you can't fool me! I see that life is a trap set for me by nature!

And - love? - asked the Spirit of Life.

Thank you, thank God I’m not a poet! I will not enter the iron cage of inevitable duties for the sake of a piece of cheese!

But still, he was not a particularly gifted person and therefore decided to take the position of professor of philosophy.

He comes to the Minister of Public Education and says:

Your Excellency, here - I can preach that life is meaningless and that the suggestions of nature should not be obeyed!

The minister thought: “Is this good or not?”

Then he asked:

Should you obey the orders of your superiors?

Definitely a must! - said the philosopher, respectfully bowing his book-wipe head. - Because human passions...

Well, that's it! Climb onto the pulpit. Salary - sixteen rubles. Only - if I prescribe that even the laws of nature should be taken into account, look - without freethinking! I won't tolerate it!

And, after thinking, he said melancholy:

We live in such a time that for the sake of the interests of the integrity of the state, perhaps the laws of nature will have to be recognized not only as existing, but also useful - in part!

“The hell with it!” the philosopher exclaimed mentally. “You’ll get to this point, how?”

And he didn’t say anything out loud.

So he settled down: he climbed into the pulpit every week and said to different curly-haired young men for an hour:

Dear sirs! Man is limited from the outside, limited from the inside, nature is hostile to him, woman is a blind instrument of nature, and for all this our life is completely meaningless!

He was used to thinking like this and often, carried away, spoke beautifully and sincerely; the young students clapped enthusiastically for him, and he, pleased, affectionately nodded his bald head to them, his red nose sparkled with affection, and everything went very well.

Dining in restaurants was bad for him - like all pessimists, he suffered from indigestion - so he got married and dined at home for twenty-nine years; In between, unbeknownst to himself, he fathered four children, and after that he died.

So the old man died! - one student said to his comrades when they left the cemetery.

“He was a pessimist,” said another.

And the third asked:

Well? Really?

Pessimist and conservative.

Look, bald! And I didn't even notice...

The fourth student was a poor man, he inquired worriedly:

Will they invite us to the wake?

Yes, they were called.

The family was well provided for - and pessimism can provide! - the funeral was organized by the rich, the poor student ate unusually well and, when he went home, he thought, smiling good-naturedly:

"No - and pessimism is useful..."

And there was another case.

Someone, considering himself a poet, wrote poems, but for some reason they were all bad, and this made him very angry.

One day, he was walking down the street and saw a whip lying on the road - the driver had lost it.

Inspiration struck the poet, and an image immediately formed in his mind:

Like a black scourge, in the dust of the road lies - crushed - the corpse of a snake. Above him is a swarm of flies buzzing alarmingly, Around him are beetles and ants. The links of thin ribs turn white through the torn scales... Snake! You remind me of my lost love...

And the whip stood on the end of the whip and said, swaying:

Well, why are you lying? A married man, you know how to read and write, but you’re lying! After all, your love has not died out, you both love your wife and are afraid of her...

The poet got angry:

It's none of your business!..

And the poems are bad...

And you can’t invent such things! You can only whistle, and even then not by yourself.

But why are you lying anyway? After all, love hasn’t died out?

You never know what happened, but it needed to be...

Oh, your wife will beat you! Take me to her...

Well, just wait!

Well, God be with you! - said the whip, curling up like a corkscrew, lay down on the road and thought about people, and the poet went to the tavern, asked for a bottle of beer and also began to think, but about himself.

“Although the whip is rubbish, the poems are again rather bad, that’s true! It’s a strange thing! One always writes bad poems, while the other sometimes succeeds in good ones - how wrong everything is in this world! Stupid world!”

The motley scourge of our passionate desires Drives us into the coils of Death the Snake, We wander in the deep fog. Ah - kill your desires! They deceitfully lure us into the distance, We drag ourselves through the thorns of insults, Along the way, they hurt our hearts of sorrow, And at the end of it, everyone is killed...

And so on in this spirit - twenty-eight lines.

This is clever! - the poet exclaimed and went home, very pleased with himself.

At home, he read the poems to his wife - she also liked it.

Only,” she said, “the first quatrain seems to be wrong...

They'll devour you! Pushkin also started the “wrong” thing... But what is the size? Memorial service!

Then he began to play with his little son: sitting him on his knee and throwing him up, he sang in tenor:

Jump-hop onto someone else's bridge! Eh, I’ll be rich - I’ll wash mine, I won’t let anyone in!

We had a very fun evening, and in the morning the poet took his poems to the editor, and the editor said thoughtfully - they are all thoughtful, editors, that’s why magazines are boring.

Then the poems were published, and the poet felt like a birthday boy, and his wife kissed him diligently, languidly saying:

M-my poet, oh...

Have a great time!

Let the reader not think that I want to say that sometimes even a whip can be used to benefit people.

Evstigney Zakivakin lived for a long time in quiet modesty, in timid envy, and suddenly unexpectedly became famous.

And it happened like this: one day, after a luxurious feast, he spent his last six hryvnias and, waking up the next morning with a severe hangover, very dejected, he sat down to his usual work: writing advertisements in verse for the “Anonymous Bureau of Funeral Processions.”

He sat down and, sweating profusely, wrote convincingly:

They hit you on the neck or in the forehead, - It doesn’t matter, you will lie in a dark coffin... Are you an honest man or a scoundrel, - Still, they will drag you to the graveyard... Whether you tell the truth or lie, - It’s all the same: you will die !..

I took the work to the “bureau”, but they wouldn’t accept it:

Zakivakin was upset:

Damn you! Take care of the dead, erect monuments, serve memorial services, but the living die of hunger...

In a disastrous mood of spirit, he walks the streets and suddenly sees a sign, and on it - in black letters on a white field - it says:

"Harvest of Death"

Also a funeral home, and I didn’t even know it! - Evstigney was delighted.

Mokey looked at the poems and approved:

“Your inspiration,” he says, “is precisely the very word of new poetry that has not yet been spoken by anyone, in search of which I have equipped myself, like the Argonaut Herostratus...

Of course, he lied all this at the suggestion of the traveling critic Lazar Serum, who also always lied, which is how he created a big name for himself. Mokey looks at Evstigney with buying eyes and repeats:

The material is just right for us, but keep in mind that we don’t publish poems for nothing!

“I want to be paid,” Evstigneika admitted.

Wa-am? For poetry? You're kidding! - Mokey laughs. - We, sir, only hung up the sign the day before, and during this time seventy-nine fathoms of poetry were sent to us! And everyone's name is signed!

But Evstigney does not give in, and they agreed on a nickel per line.

Only because you have done it really well! - Mokey explained. - You should choose a pseudonym, otherwise Zakivakin is not very good. Now, if... for example, - Smertyashkin, huh? Stylish!

“It’s all the same,” said Evstigney. - I just want to get a fee: I really want to eat...

He was a simple-minded guy.

And after some time the poems were published on the first page of the first book of the magazine, under the heading:

From that day on, glory befell Evstigneika: the inhabitants read his poems and rejoiced:

That's right, mother's son! And we live, try somehow, this and that, and it was not noticeable to us that in our life, by the way, there is no meaning! Well done Smertyashkin!

And they began to invite him to evenings, to weddings, to funerals and wakes, and his poems were published in all fashion magazines in half a line, and already at literary evenings, full-breasted ladies, smiling charmingly, read “Smertyashkin’s poetry”:

Life strikes us every day, Death threatens us from everywhere! From every point of view, We are only victims of decay!

Bravo-oh! Thank you! - the residents shout.

“But perhaps I really am a poet?” - Evstigneika thought and began - little by little - to become arrogant: he put on black and variegated socks and ties, put on black trousers with a white stripe across them and began to speak languidly, spreading his eyes in different directions:

Oh, how life-changing it is!

He read the funeral liturgy and used gloomy words in his speech: paki, dondezhe, in vain...

Various critics walk around him, depleting Evstigneikin’s fees, and inspire him:

Go deeper, Evstigney, and we will support you!

And indeed, when the book “Obituaries of Desires, Poems of Evstigney Smertyashkin” was published, critics very favorably noted the deep graveness of the author’s moods. Evstigneika, to celebrate, decided to get married: he went to his familiar modern girl Nymphodora Zavalyashkina and told her:

Oh, ugly, inglorious, without form!

She had been waiting for this for a long time and, falling on his chest, coos, decomposing with happiness:

I agree to go to death hand in hand with you!

Doomed to destruction! - exclaimed Evstigney.

Nymphodora, mortally wounded by passion, responds:

My vanishing without a trace!

But immediately, fully returning to life, she suggested:

We definitely need to arrange a stylish life!

Smertyashkin was already used to a lot of things and immediately understood.

“I,” he says, “of course, am unattainably above all prejudices, but, if you want, let’s get married in the cemetery church!”

Do I want to? Oh yes! And let all the best men shoot themselves immediately after the wedding!

Everyone, perhaps, will not agree to this, but Kukin can - he has already shot himself seven times.

And so that the priest was old, you know, like... on the eve of death.

So, dreaming stylishly, they sat until the mournful face of the moon appeared from the cold grave of space, where myriads of extinct suns were buried and frozen planets were circling in a dead dance - until in this desert of the bottomless cemetery of departed worlds the mournful face of the moon appeared, gloomily illuminating the earth that was devouring everything is alive... Ah, this eerie glow of the dead moon, similar to the glow of rotten things, always reminds sensitive hearts that the meaning of existence is decay, decay...

Smertyashkin was so inspired that even without much difficulty he composed poems and whispered them in a black whisper into the ear of the future skeleton of his beloved:

Look, death is knocking with an honest hand On the lid of the coffin, like a tambourine!.. I hear its call so clearly Through the vulgar chaos of boring everyday life. Life argues with her, - with a false cry Calls people to its deceptions; But you and I will not increase the number of slaves captured by her! You cannot bribe us with sweet lies, After all, you and I both know, Life is only a moment, painful and short, And its meaning is under the lid of the coffin!

How dead! - Nymphodora admired. - How stupid and grave!

She understood all these things perfectly.

On the fortieth day after that, they got married at Nikola’s on Tychka, in an old church, closely surrounded by the complacent graves of an overcrowded cemetery. For the sake of style, two gravediggers signed up to witness the marriage; the groomsmen were notorious candidates for suicide; The bride chose three hysterical women as her friends, one of whom had already tasted vinegar essence, others were preparing for this, and one gave her word of honor to commit suicide on the ninth day after the wedding.

And when they came out to the porch, the best man, a pimply guy who had studied the effects of salvarsan on himself (a drug for the treatment of syphilis, based on arsenic - Ed.), opening the carriage door, said gloomily:

Here's a hearse!

The newlywed, in a white dress with black ribbons and under a black veil, was dying of delight, and Smertyashkin, looking around the audience with wet eyes, asked the best man:

Are there any reporters?

And the photographer...

Don't move, Nymphochka...

The reporters, out of respect for the poet, dressed up as torchbearers, and the photographer as an executioner, but the residents - they don’t care what they look at, it would be funny! - residents approved:

Quel chic! (how chic - Ed.)

And even some eternally starving man agreed with them:

Charmant! (charming – Ed.)

Yes, - Smertyashkin said to the newlywed over dinner in a restaurant opposite the cemetery, - we buried our youth perfectly! This is exactly what is called victory over life!

Do you remember that these are all my ideas? - Nymphodora asked tenderly.

Yours? Really?

Certainly.

Well... anyway:

You and I are one soul and body! You and I are now forever merged. This death so wisely commanded, We are its slaves and satellites.

But still, I will not allow you to absorb my personality! – she warned charmingly. - And then, satellites, I think you need to pronounce two “t” and two “l”! However, the satellites, in general, seem out of place to me...

Smertyashkin once again tried to overcome her with poetry:

What is our “I”, my mortal? Whether it doesn’t exist or it exists, it’s all the same! Be active, be inert, - It doesn’t matter - you are not immortal!

No, this should be left for others,” she said meekly.

After a long series of such and similar clashes, Smertyashkin accidentally gave birth to a child - a girl, and Nymphodora commanded:

Order a cradle in the shape of a coffin!

Isn't this too much, Nymphochka?

No, please! You must maintain your style strictly if you do not want critics and the public to reproach you for duality and insincerity...

She turned out to be a very thrifty lady: she salted the cucumbers herself, carefully collected all the reviews about her husband’s poems and, destroying the disapproving ones, published the laudable ones in separate volumes at the expense of the poet’s fans.

From good food she became a stout woman, her eyes were always clouded with dreams, arousing in male people a passionate desire to submit to fate. She brought in the home critic, a wiry, red-haired man, sat him down next to her, and, piercing her misty gaze straight into his heart, she read her husband’s poems in a deliberate nasal voice, asking with conviction:

Deep? Strongly?

At first he only mumbled, and then began to write monthly fiery articles about Smertyashkin, who “with incomprehensible depth penetrated into the abyss of that dark secret, which we, pathetic ones, call Death, and he fell in love with the pure love of a transparent child. His amber soul was not darkened by the knowledge of the horror of the purposelessness of existence, but transformed this horror into quiet joy, into a sweet call for the destruction of that continuous vulgarity that we, blind souls, call Life."

With the supportive help of the red-haired man - by conviction he was a mystic and an esthete, by name Prokharchuk, by profession - a hairdresser - Nymphodora brought Evstigneika to a public reading of poetry: he would go out on the stage, turn his knees right and left, look at the residents with white sheep's eyes and, shaking his angular head, on which various varieties of basal color grew, he said indifferently:

In life, we are as if at a train station, Before leaving for the dark world of the afterlife... The fewer suitcases you take, the easier and more convenient it is for you! Let's live meaninglessly and simply! Be empty, then you will be pure. The path from the cradle to the graveyard is short! Death serves as a driver for life!..

Bravo-oh! - the completely satisfied residents shout - Thank you!

And they say to each other:

Cleverly, the rogue, he proves, for nothing, that he’s such a sucker!..

Those who knew that Smertyashkin had previously written poetry for the “Anonymous Bureau of Funeral Processions” were, of course, still confident that he sang all his songs to advertise the “bureau,” but, being equally indifferent to everything, they remained silent, keeping one thing firmly in mind:

"Everyone needs to eat!"

“Or maybe I really am a genius!” thought Smertyashkin, listening to the approving roar of the residents. “After all, no one knows what a genius is; some argued that geniuses are crazy... And if so...”

And when meeting with acquaintances, he began to ask them not about their health, but:

When will you die?

This has made it even more popular among residents.

And the wife arranged the living room in the form of a crypt; I installed green sofas, in the style of grave mounds, and on the walls I hung photographs from Goya, Callot, and even Wurtz!

Boasts:

Even in our nursery, the spirit of Death is palpable: the children sleep in coffins, the nanny is dressed as a schema-woman - you know, such a black sundress, with white embroidery - skulls, bones and so on, very interesting! Evstigney, show the ladies the nursery! And we, gentlemen, will go to the bedroom...

And, smiling charmingly, she showed the bedroom decoration: above the bed like a sarcophagus - a black canopy with silver fringe; it was supported by skulls carved from oak; ornament - small skeletons gently play with grave worms.

Evstigney,” she explained, “is so absorbed in his idea that he even sleeps in a shroud...

Some residents were amazed:

She smiled sadly.

But Evstigneika was an honest guy at heart and sometimes involuntarily thought: “If I’m a genius, then what then? Criticism writes about influence, about Smertyashkin’s school, but I... I don’t believe in it!”

Prokharchuk came, flexing his muscles, looked at him and asked in a deep voice:

Did you write? You, brother, write more. Your wife and I will quickly do the rest... She is a good woman, and I love her...

Smertyashkin himself saw this a long time ago, but due to lack of time and love for peace, he did nothing against it.

Otherwise, Prokharchuk will sit down in a more comfortable chair and tell in detail:

If only you knew, brother, how many calluses I have and what they are! Napoleon himself did not have such...

My poor one! - Nymphodora sighed, and Smertyashkin drank coffee and thought:

“How correctly it is said that there are no great people for women and lackeys!”

Of course, he, like any man, was wrong in his judgment of his wife - she very diligently aroused his energy:

Styognyshko! - she said lovingly. - It seems like you didn’t write anything yesterday? You are increasingly skimping on your talent, dear! Go work and I'll send you coffee...

He walked, sat down at the table and unexpectedly composed completely new poems:

How much vulgarity and nonsense I wrote, Nymphodora, For the sake of rags, for the sake of fur coats, For the sake of hats, lace, skirts!

This scared him, and he reminded himself:

There were three children. They had to be dressed in black velvet; every day, at ten o’clock in the morning, an elegant hearse was delivered to the porch, and they went for a walk to the cemetery - all this required money.

And Smertyashkin sadly wrote out line after line:

Everywhere the greasy cadaverous smell of Death has spilled over the world. Life is in her bony paws, Like a sheep in the claws of an eagle.

“You see, Stegnyshko,” Nymphodora said lovingly. - This is not quite... how can I tell you? How should I say it, Masya?

This is not yours, Evstigney! - Prokharchuk spoke in a deep voice and with full knowledge of the matter. - You are the author of “Hymns of Death”, and write hymns...

But this is a new stage of my experiences! - Smertyashkin objected.

Well, honey, well, what experiences? - the wife convinced. - We need to go to Yalta, but you’re being weird!

Remember,” Prokharchuk inspired in a grave tone, “what you promised:

Glorify the power of death without malice and obedience... - And then pay attention: “like a sheep in” involuntarily recalls the minister’s surname - Kokovtsev, and this can be mistaken for a political prank! The public is stupid, politics is vulgar!

Well, okay, I won’t,” said Evstigney, “I won’t!” Everything is the same - nonsense!

Keep in mind that your poems have recently caused bewilderment in more than one of your wives! - Prokharchuk warned.

One day Smertyashkin, watching his five-year-old daughter Lisa walking in the garden, wrote:

A little girl walks in the middle of the garden, A little white hand boldly picks flowers... Little girl, there is no need to pick flowers, After all, they are as good as you! Little girl! Black, dumb, Death quietly follows you, You bend down to the ground, raising your scythe, Death bares its teeth and laughs, waits... Little girl! Death and you are like sisters; You are unnecessarily destroying bright flowers, And she is a sharp scythe, forever sharp! - Kills children like you...

But this is sentimental, Evstigney,” Nymphodora shouted indignantly. - For mercy, where are you going? What do you do with your talent?

“I don’t want it anymore,” Smertyashkin said gloomily.

What don't you want?

This. Death, death, enough! The word itself disgusts me!

Excuse me, but you are a fool!

Let it go! Nobody knows what a genius is! But I can’t do it anymore... To hell with the grave and all this... I am a man...

Oh, that's how it is? - Nymphodora exclaimed ironically. -Are you only human?

Yes. And I love all living things...

But modern criticism has proven that a poet should not take life into account and vulgarity in general!

Criticism? - Smertyashkin yelled. - Shut up, shameless woman! I saw how modern criticism kissed you behind the closet!

This is out of admiration for your own poetry!

Are our children red-haired - also out of admiration?

Vulgar! This may be the result of purely intellectual influence!

And suddenly, falling into a chair, she said:

Oh, I can't live with you anymore!

Evstigneika was both happy and at the same time frightened.

Can't you? - he asked with hope and fear. - And the children?

In half!

Three?

But she stood her ground. Then Prokharchuk came.

Having learned what was the matter, he was upset and said to Evstigneika:

I thought you were a big man, but you are just a small man!

And he went to collect Nymphodora’s hats. And while he was grimly busy with this, she told her husband the truth:

You're exhausted, pathetic man. You have no more talent, nothing! Do you hear: nothing!

She was choked with the pathos of honest indignation and finished:

You never had anything! If it weren’t for me and Prokharchuk, you would have been writing advertisements in verse all your life, you slug! Scoundrel, thief of my youth and beauty...

She always became eloquent in moments of excitement.

So she left, and soon, under the leadership and with the actual participation of Prokharchuk, she opened the “Beauty Institute of Madame Gizan from Paris. Specialty - radical destruction of calluses.”

Prokharchuk, of course, published a scathing article “Gloomy Mirage”, proving in detail that Evstigney not only had no talent, but that one can even doubt whether such a poet existed. If he existed and the public recognized him, then this is the fault of hasty, careless and imprudent criticism.

But Evstigneika grieved and grieved, and the Russian man quickly consoled himself! - sees: children need to be fed! He gave up on the past, on all the deadly poetry, and went about the old, familiar business: he writes cheerful advertisements for the “New Funeral Home”, convincing residents:

Long, sweet and bright on earth we love to live, But one day Parka will come and cut the thread of life! Having discussed this case, Slowly, from all sides, We offer the best Material for the funeral! Everything with us is quite brilliant, not worn out, not old: Come to our “New Bureau” more often! Mogilnaya, 16

So everyone returned to their own paths.

Once upon a time there lived an aspiring writer.

When they scolded him, it seemed to him that they scolded him excessively and unfairly, and when they praised him, he thought that they praised him little and stupidly, and so, in constant displeasure, he lived until the time when he had to die.

The writer lay down in bed and began to swear:

Well, here you go, wouldn’t you? Two novels have not been written. And in general there is another ten years of material. Damn this law of nature and all the others along with it! What stupidity! There could be good novels. And they came up with such an idiotic universal conscription. As if it couldn't be otherwise! And it always comes at the wrong time - the story is not over...

He is angry, and illnesses drill into his bones and whisper in his ears:

You were in awe, huh? Why did you tremble? You haven't slept at night, huh? Why didn't you sleep? You drank out of grief, huh? And with joy too?

He winced and winced, and finally he saw that there was nothing to do! He gave up on all his novels and died. It was very unpleasant, but he died.

Fine. They washed him, dressed him decently, combed his hair smoothly, and laid him on the table; he stretched out like a soldier - heels together, toes apart - his nose lowered, he lay quietly, feeling nothing, only surprised:

“How strange - I don’t feel anything at all! This is the first time in my life. My wife is crying. Okay, now you’re crying, but sometimes I almost climbed the wall. My little son is whining. He’ll probably be a slacker - the children of writers are always slackers, as much as I am I’ve never seen them... It must also be some kind of law of nature. There are so many of these laws!”

So he lay there and thought and thought, and was still surprised at his indifference - he was not used to it.

And so they carried him to the cemetery, but suddenly he felt: not enough people were coming for the coffin.

“No, these are pipes!” he said to himself. “Even though I’m a small writer, literature must be respected!”

He looked out of the coffin - indeed: he was seen off - not counting his relatives - by nine people, including two beggars and a lamplighter, with a ladder on his shoulder.

Well, here he became completely indignant:

"What pigs!"

And he was so inspired by the insult that he immediately resurrected, unnoticedly jumped out of the coffin - he was a small man - ran into the barbershop, shaved off his mustache and beard, took a black jacket from the barber, with a patch under the arm, left his suit for him, and respectfully made it for himself sad face and became just like alive - it’s impossible to recognize!

And even, out of curiosity characteristic of his occupation, he asked the hairdresser:

Does this strange incident surprise you?

He just straightened his mustache condescendingly.

“For goodness’ sake,” he says, “we live in Russia and are quite accustomed to everything...

After all, he’s a dead man and suddenly changes clothes...

Fashion of the times! And what kind of dead man are you? Only in appearance, but in general, if you take it, God forbid everyone! Nowadays the living are much more motionless!

Am I not very yellowish?

Quite in the spirit of the era, sir, the way it should be! Russia, sir - everyone lives a yellow life...

It is known that hairdressers are the first flatterers and the most amiable people on earth.

The writer said goodbye to him and ran to catch up with the coffin, driven by a living desire to express his respect for literature for the last time; caught up - there were ten guides, the writer’s honor increased. The people you meet are surprised:

Look how they bury the writer, ah-ah!

And understanding people, going about their business, think, not without pride:

“It is noticeable that the country understands the importance of literature more and more deeply!”

The writer walks behind his coffin, as if he were a fan of literature and a friend of the deceased, talking with the lamplighter.

Did you know the deceased?

Why! I used something from him.

Nice to hear!

Yes. Our business is a cheap, sparrow business, where it falls, there it pecks!

How should this be understood?

Just understand, sir.

Well, yes. Of course, if you look at it from the point of view, it is a sin, however, you can’t live without cheating.

Hm? Are you sure?

Definitely so! The lantern is just opposite his window, and every night he sat until dawn, well, I didn’t light the lantern, because the light from his window is quite enough - therefore, one lamp is pure income for me! He was a useful man!

So, peacefully talking with one or the other, the writer reached the cemetery, and there he had to talk about himself, because all those who accompanied him that day had toothaches - after all, it was in Russia, and there everyone always has something It aches and hurts.

He made a good speech; one newspaper even praised him:

“Someone from the audience, who reminded us of the man of the stage by his appearance, made a warm and touching speech over the grave. Although in it, in our opinion, he undoubtedly overestimated and exaggerated the more than modest merits of the deceased, a writer of the old school, who made no effort to get rid of "from its annoying shortcomings - naive didacticism and the notorious "civicness" - nevertheless, the speech was spoken with a feeling of undoubted love for the word."

And when everything - honor by honor - was over, the writer lay down in the house and thought, completely satisfied:

“Well, it’s ready, and everything turned out very well, worthy, as it should be!”

Here he completely died.

This is how you should respect your work, even if it was literature!

And then - there was one gentleman, he lived more than half his life and suddenly felt that he was missing something - he became very alarmed.

He feels himself - as if everything is intact and in place, and his stomach is even in excess; looks in the mirror - the nose, eyes, ears and everything else that a serious person is supposed to have is there; Counts the fingers on his hands - ten, on his toes - also ten, but still something is missing!

What kind of opportunity?

Asks his wife:

What do you think, Mitrodora, am I okay?

She says confidently:

And sometimes it seems to me...

As a religious woman, she advises:

If it seems, read mentally “May God rise again and his enemies be scattered”...

He gradually tortures his friends about the same thing, his friends answer inarticulately, and they look suspiciously, as if suggesting in him something quite worthy of strict condemnation.

"What's happened?" - the master thinks in despondency.

He began to remember the past - as if everything was in order: he was a socialist, and he outraged the youth, and then he renounced everything and has long been diligently trampling his own crops with his own feet. In general, he lived like everyone else, in accordance with the mood of the time and its suggestions.

I thought and thought and suddenly I found it:

“Lord! I don’t have a national face!”

He rushed to the mirror - indeed, the face was unclear, it seemed blind and without commas the printed page of translation from foreign language, and the translator was careless and illiterate, so it is absolutely impossible to understand what this page is talking about: either it demands the soul to be given to the freedom of the people as a gift, or it asserts the need for full recognition of statehood.

“Hm, what a confusion, however!” thought the master and immediately decided: “No, it’s inconvenient to live with such a face...”

I started washing my face every day with expensive soaps - it didn’t help: the skin was shiny, but the confusion remained. He began to lick his face with his tongue - his tongue was long and hung deftly, the master was involved in journalism - and his tongue did not do him any good. I used Japanese massage - the bumps popped out, as if after a good fight, but there was no definiteness of expression!

I suffered and suffered, all without success, I only lost a pound and a half. And suddenly, luckily for him, he finds out that the police officer of his station, von Judenfresser, has a very remarkable understanding of national tasks - he went to him and said:

So and so, your honor, will you help me in this difficulty?

The bailiff, of course, is flattered that here is an educated person, who was recently suspected of illegal activities, and now trustingly advises him on how to change his face. The bailiff laughs and, in great joy, shouts:

Nothing could be simpler, my dear! You are my American diamond, but if you rub yourself against a foreigner, it will immediately come to light, your true face...

Here the master was delighted - a weight off his shoulders! - he chuckles loyally and is surprised at himself:

I didn’t guess, did I?

Nonsense of the whole matter!

We parted as bosom friends, but the master immediately ran out into the street, stood around the corner and waited, and as soon as he saw a Jew walking past, he ran at him and began to instill:

“If you,” he says, “are a Jew, then you must be Russian, and if you don’t want to, then...

And the Jews, as we know from all the jokes, are a nervous and fearful nation, and this one was also of a capricious nature and could not stand pogroms,” he turned around and hit the master on the left cheek, and he went to his family. The master stands, leaning against the wall, rubbing his cheek and thinking:

“However, identifying a national figure is associated with sensations that are not entirely sweet! But so be it! Although Nekrasov is a bad poet, he still said correctly:

Nothing is given for free - fate asks for redemptive sacrifices..."

Suddenly a Caucasian comes along, a man - as proven by all the jokes - uncultured and ardent, he walks and yells:

Mitskhales sakles mingrule-uh...

Master - at him:

No, he says, let me! If you are Georgian, then you are therefore Russian and should love not the saklya of a Mingrelian, but what is ordered to you, and the prison - even without an order...

The Georgian master left him in a horizontal position and went to drink Kakhetian wine, and the master lay there and thought:

“However? There are also Tatars, Armenians, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Mordovians, Lithuanians - God, how many! And that’s not all... And then there are our own, the Slavs...”

And then a Ukrainian comes along and, of course, sings seditiously:

It was good for our dads to live in Ukraine...

No,” said the master, rising to his feet, “you will be kind enough to use eras from now on, because by not using them, you are violating the integrity of the empire...

For a long time he told him different things, and he listened to everything, because - as is irrefutably proven by all the collections of Little Russian jokes - Ukrainians are a slow people and like to do things slowly, and the master was a very sticky person...

Compassionate people raised the master and asked:

Where do you live?

In Great Russia...

Well, of course, they took him to the police station.

They are driving, and he, feeling his face, not without pride, although with pain, feels that it has widened significantly, and thinks:

“I think I bought it...”

They introduced him to von Judenfresser, and he, being humane to his own people, sent for a police doctor, and when the doctor arrived, they began to whisper to each other in amazement, and they kept snorting, inappropriate to the event.

“This is the first case in my entire practice,” the doctor whispers. - I don’t know how to understand...

"What would that mean?" - the master thinks, and asked:

The old is all erased,” von Judenfresser answered.

Has your face changed in general?

Of course, just, you know...

The doctor says comfortingly:

Now, dear sir, you have such a face that you could even put trousers on it...

It remained that way for the rest of my life.

There is no morality here.

And another master liked to justify himself with a story - as soon as he wants to lie to something, he now orders the appropriate person:

Egorka, go pull out facts from history to prove that it does not repeat itself, and vice versa...

Egorka is dexterous, quick to pull, the master will decorate himself with facts, in accordance with the requirements of the circumstances, and proves everything he needs, and is invulnerable.

And he was, by the way, a seditious person - at one time everyone found that they needed to be seditious, and they boldly pointed out to each other:

The British have habeas corpus, and we have circulars!

They mocked this difference between nations very wittily.

They will indicate and, freed from civil sorrow, they will sit down and crow until the third roosters, and when they announce the arrival of morning, the master commands:

Egorka, pull something uplifting and appropriate for the moment!

Yegorka will strike a pose and, raising a finger, will meaningfully remind:

In Holy Rus' the roosters are crowing - Soon there will be a day in Holy Rus'!..

Right! - say the gentlemen. - Definitely, - there must be a day...

And they will go to rest.

Fine. But just suddenly the people began to get restless, the master noticed this and asked:

Egorka - why are people trembling?

And he, with pleasure, reports:

People want to live like human beings...

Here the master became proud:

Yeah! Who gave it to him? This is what I suggested! For fifty years, my ancestors and I have been instilling in us that it’s time for us to live like human beings, right?

And he began to get carried away, every now and then he chases Egorka:

Pull out facts from the history of the agrarian movement in Europe... from the Gospel texts, about equality... from the history of culture, about the origin of property - lively!

Egorka - glad! So he rushes about, even in a lather, he has torn apart all the books, only the bindings remain, he drags heaps of various exciting evidence to the master, and the master praises him:

Try! Under the constitution, I will make you the editor of a large liberal newspaper!

And, finally becoming bolder, he personally inspires the most intelligent men:

Also, he says, the Gracchi brothers are in Rome, and then in England, Germany, France... and all this is historically necessary! Egorka - facts!

And he will immediately prove with facts that every people is obliged to desire freedom, even if the authorities do not want it.

The men, of course, are happy - they shout:

We humbly thank you!

Everything went very well, amicably, in Christian love and mutual trust, only - suddenly the men ask:

When will you leave?

And away?

From the ground...

And they laugh - what an eccentric! He understands everything, but he no longer understands the simplest things.

They laugh, and the master gets angry...

Excuse me, he says, where will I go if the land is mine?

But the men don’t believe him:

How is it yours, if you yourself said that it is the Lord’s and that even before Jesus Christ, some just people knew this?

He doesn’t understand them, and they don’t understand him, and again the master grabs Yegorka’s sides:

Egorka, go and pull out all the stories...

And he answers him quite independently:

All stories are torn apart for evidence to the contrary...

You're lying, seditious!

However, it’s true: he rushed into the library and saw that only the spines and empty bindings remained of the books; He even sweated from this surprise and sadly called out to his ancestors:

And who gave you the idea to create a story so one-sided! So we've done it... ehma! What the hell is this story?

And the men are pulling their weight:

So, they say, you’ve proven to us perfectly that you leave quickly, otherwise we’ll drive you away...

Yegorka finally gave in to the peasants, turned his nose to the side and even began to snort when meeting the master:

Habeas corpus, right there! Liberal, right there...

It got really bad. The men began to sing songs and, to celebrate, carried the master’s haystack around their yards.

And suddenly - the master remembered that he still had something in stock: his great-grandmother was sitting on the mezzanine, waiting for her inevitable death, and she was so old that she had forgotten all human words - she only remembers one thing:

Don't give...

Since sixty-one, I couldn’t speak anything but.

He rushed to her in a great excitement of feelings, fell kindly at her feet and called out:

Mother of mothers, you are living history...

And she, of course, mutters:

Don't give...

But - how?

Don't give...

And they set me free to plunder and plunder?

Don't give...

Should I give force to my reluctance to notify the governor?

You scared the old woman, and she sent for the soldiers - calm down, nothing will happen, I won’t let the soldiers get to you!

Well, formidable warriors galloped up on horses, it’s a winter thing, the horses got sweaty on the road, and then they trembled and were covered with frost - the master felt sorry for the horses, and he placed them in his estate - he placed them and said to the peasants:

The sentso that you took away from me not quite rightly - return it to these horses, because the cattle are not guilty of anything, right?

The army was hungry, they ate all the roosters in the village, and it became quiet around the master. Egorka, of course, again went over to the master’s side, and the master still uses him for history: he bought a new copy and ordered to erase all the facts that could tempt him to liberalism, and ordered those that could not be erased to be filled with new meaning.

Egorka - what? He is capable of everything, he even began to engage in pornography for the sake of reliability, but still there remains a bright spot in his soul and, staining history for fear, for his conscience he writes regretful verses and publishes them under the pseudonym: P.B., that means "defeated fighter."

O messenger of the morning, red loop! Why did your proud cry fall silent? Replaced you - as I noticed - a sullen owl. The master does not want the future, And again today we are all in the past... And you, oh petel, were fried and eaten all... When will we be lured back to life? And who will sing for us in the morning? Oh, if there are no roosters, we’ll oversleep!

And the men, of course, calmed down, live quietly and, having nothing to do, compose obscene ditties:

Eh, mother is honest! When spring comes, we'll groan a little and die of hunger!

The Russian people are cheerful people...

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived Jews - ordinary Jews for pogroms, for slander and other state needs.

The order was as follows: as soon as indigenous people begins to reveal dissatisfaction with his existence - from the points observing the order, from the side of their nobles, a call enchanting with hopes is heard:

People, come closer to the seat of power!

The people will be attracted, and they will seduce them:

Why the excitement?

Your honors - there is nothing to chew!

Do you still have teeth?

There is a little...

You see - you always manage to hide something from the hands of your superiors!

And if their nobles found that the excitement could be pacified by finally knocking out the teeth, then they immediately resorted to this means; if they saw that this could not create harmony in relations, then they seductively tried to get some sense:

What do you want?

Earthlings would...

Some, in the ferocity of their misunderstanding of the interests of the state, went further and begged:

There would be some kind of leforms, so that our teeth, ribs and entrails would seem to be considered our property and should not be touched in vain!

Here their nobility began to admonish them:

Eh, brothers! What are these dreams for? “It is not about bread alone,” it is said, and it is also said: “For the beaten they give two unbeaten!”

Do they agree?

Unbeaten?

God! Certainly! In the third year, after the Dormition, the British asked us - that's how! Send, they ask, all your people somewhere to Siberia, and put us in their place, we, they say, will pay you taxes accurately, and we will drink twelve buckets of vodka a year per brother, and in general. No, we say, why? Our people are good, meek, obedient, and we will get along with them too. Tell you what, guys, instead of worrying in vain, you’d better go and bash the Jews, eh? What are they for?

The indigenous population thinks and thinks, sees that they can’t expect any benefit other than what was ordained by the authorities, and decides:

Well, come on, guys, bless you!

They will destroy fifty houses, kill several Jewish people and, tired of their labors, will calm down in their desires, and order will triumph!..

In addition to their nobles, the indigenous population and Jews, to divert unrest and quench passions, there existed in this state good people, and after each pogrom, having gathered with their entire number - sixteen people - they declared a written protest to the world:

“Although Jews are also Russian subjects, we are convinced that they should not be completely exterminated, and hereby - from all points of view - we express our censure of the immoderate destruction of living people. Humanists. Fitoedov. Ivanov. Kusaygubin. Toropygin. Krikunovsky. Osip Troeukhov. Grokhalo. Kirill Mefodiev. Kapitolina Kolymskaya. Retired lieutenant colonel Narym.

And so after each pogrom, with the only difference that Grisha’s age changed, and for Narym - on the occasion of his unexpected departure to the city of the same name - Kolyma signed.

Sometimes the province responded to these protests:

“I sympathize and join,” Razdergaev telegraphed from Dremov; Zatorkanny from Myamlin also joined, and from Okurov - “Samogryzov and others,” and it was clear to everyone that “others.” - he made it up to make it even more threatening, because there are no “others” in Okurov. there wasn't.

Jews, reading the protests, cry even more, and then one day one of them - a very cunning man - suggested:

You know what? No? Well, then, before the future pogrom, let’s hide all the paper, and all the pens, and all the ink, and see what they will do then, these sixteen and with Grisha?

The people are friendly - said and done: they bought all the paper, all the feathers, hid it, and poured the ink into the Black Sea and - sit, wait.

Well, we didn’t have to wait long: permission was received, the pogrom was carried out, Jews were in hospitals, and humanists were running around St. Petersburg, looking for papers, feathers - there was no paper, no feathers, nowhere except in the offices of their nobles, and from there they didn’t give them!

Look, you! - They say. - We know for what purposes you need this! No, you can do without it!

Khlopotunsky begs:

Yes - how?

Well, they say, we’ve taught you enough about protests, guess for yourself...

Grisha, who is already forty-three years old, is crying.

I want to flesh out!

And - there’s nothing!

Figofobov gloomily guessed:

On the fence, or what?

But in St. Petersburg there are no fences, just bars.

However, they ran to the outskirts, somewhere behind the slaughterhouses, found an old fence, and just as Humanists had chalked out the first letter, suddenly - supposedly descending from heaven - a policeman came up and began to exhort:

What will this happen? Boys get bullied for writing something like this, but you are respectable gentlemen - ah-ah-ah!

Of course, he didn’t understand them, thinking that they were the kind of writers who write under Article 1001, but they were embarrassed and went - literally - home.

So one pogrom remained unprotested, and the humanists remained without pleasure.

People who understand the psychology of races rightly say that the Jews are a cunning people!

Here too - there lived two swindlers, one black and the other red, but both mediocre: they were ashamed to steal from the poor, the rich were inaccessible to them, and they lived somehow, caring, most importantly, about going to prison, to government bread to get.

And these slackers lived to see difficult days: the new governor, von der Pest, arrived in the city, looked around and ordered:

“From this date, all residents of the Russian faith, without distinction of gender, age and occupation, must, without hesitation, serve the fatherland.”

The black and red man's comrades hesitated, sighed, and all went away: some became detectives, some became patriots, and some were more skilled - both here and there, and the red and black man remained in all alone, in general suspicion. They lived for a week after the reform, their stomachs let them down, the red-haired man couldn’t stand it any longer and said to his comrade:

Vanka, let us also serve our fatherland?

The little black one became embarrassed, lowered his eyes and said:

Ashamed...

You never know! Many people lived better than us, but let’s go for it!

All the same, their deadline for joining the prison companies was coming...

Give it up! Look: nowadays even writers teach: “Live as you like, you’ll die anyway”...

They argued and argued, but they never agreed.

No,” says the little black one, “you go ahead, but I’d rather remain a swindler...

And he went about his business: he would pull the roll off the tray and before he had time to eat it, he would be seized, beaten, and brought to the magistrate, who would honestly assign him to government food. The little black one will sit for two months, his stomach will improve, then he will be released and go to visit the red one.

What are you doing?

I destroy children.

Being ignorant in politics, the little black one is surprised:

To calm down. Everyone is ordered to “be calm,” explains the red-haired man, and there is despondency in his eyes.

The little black one will shake his head and go back to his work, and he will go back to prison for food. It’s simple and your conscience is clear.

They let him out - he goes back to his comrade - they loved each other.

Are you exterminating?

But how can...

Isn't it a pity?

I'm choosing which ones are more gilded...

But you can’t do it in a row?

The red-haired one is silent, only sighs heavily and sheds his hair and turns yellow.

How are you?

Yes, that’s all... They’ll catch them somewhere, bring them to me and tell me to get the truth out of them, but nothing can be achieved, because they’re dying... I don’t know how, apparently...

Tell me - why is this being done? - asks the little black one.

The interests of the state demand it,” says the red-haired man, while his voice trembles and there are tears in his eyes.

The little black one was thinking - he really felt sorry for his comrade - what kind of independent activity could he open for him?

And suddenly it burst into flames!

Listen - did you steal money?

But how can that be? Habit...

Well, that's it - publish a newspaper!

You will print advertisements about rubber products...

The redhead liked this and grinned.

So that there are no children?

Of course! Why bother giving birth to them?

That's right! Just why a newspaper?

To cover up trade, weirdo!

The employees probably won’t agree?

The little black one even whistled.

Won! Nowadays, employees offer themselves as living bonuses to subscribers...

That’s what they decided: the red-haired man began to publish a newspaper, “with the participation of the best literary forces,” opened a permanent exhibition of Parisian products at the office, and above the editorial premises, for the sake of maintaining decency, he established a meeting house for high-ranking officials.

Things went well, the red-haired man lives, gets fat, his bosses are happy with him, and on his business cards it is printed:

"Along Across

Editor-publisher of the newspaper "Tuda-Syuda", founding director

"Sweet rest for administrators, tired of the pursuit of the rule of law." There is also wholesale and retail sale of condoms."

The little black one will come out of prison, go to his friend’s house to drink tea, and the red-haired one will treat him to champagne and boast:

Brother, now I even began to wash my face with nothing other than champagne, by God!

And, closing his eyes in delight, he says touchingly:

Well, you've got me thinking! This is service to the fatherland! Everyone is happy!

And the little black one is happy too:

Well, live now! Our fatherland is not demanding.

The red-haired man is moved and invites his friend:

Van, come join me as a reporter!

The little black one laughs:

No, brother, I must be a conservative, I’ll remain a swindler, in the old way...

There is no morality here. Not a grain.

One day, the authorities, tired of fighting dissidents and wanting to finally rest on their laurels, ordered most sternly:

“It is hereby ordered to bring to the surface all dissidents, without hesitation removing them from under all sorts of covers, and upon discovery, to completely eradicate them by various suitable measures.”

The execution of this order was entrusted to the civilian exterminator of living beings of both sexes and all ages, Orontius Stervenko, a former captain in the service of His Highness the King of the Fuegians and the ruler of Tierra del Fuego, for which Orontius was allocated sixteen thousand rubles.

It was not because Orontius was called to this task that his survivors would not be found, but because he was unnaturally fearful, was distinguished by his hairiness, which allowed him to walk naked in all climates, and he had two rows of teeth - sixty-four in total, which he deserved special trust from superiors.

But, despite all these qualities, he thought cruelly:

“How do you find them? They are silent!”

But indeed, the resident in this city was trained - everyone was afraid of each other, considering them provocateurs, and did not assert anything at all, even speaking to their mothers in a conventional form and in a foreign language:

N'est-ce pas? (Isn't it - Ed.)

Maman, it’s time for dinner, n’est-ce pas?

Maman, shouldn’t we go to the cinema today, n’est-ce pas?

However, having thought enough, Stervenko finally found a way to reveal his secret thoughts: he washed his hair with hydrogen peroxide, shaved in the right places and became a dull-looking blond, and then put on a sad-colored suit, and - you wouldn’t recognize him!

He goes out into the street in the evening and walks thoughtfully, and when he sees that a resident, obedient to the voice of nature, is sneaking somewhere, he will attack him from the left side and whisper defiantly:

Comrade, are you really happy with this existence?

At first, the resident slows down his steps, as if remembering something, but a guard will appear a little in the distance - then the resident will immediately find himself:

Policeman, grab him...

Stervenko jumped over the fence like a tiger and, sitting in the nettles, thought:

“You can’t take them like that, they act naturally, the devils!”

Meanwhile, the allocation is melting.

He changed his clothes more cheerfully and began to catch him with a different technique: he boldly approached the resident and asked:

Mister, do you want to become a provocateur?

And the resident calmly inquires:

How much is the salary?

Others politely decline:

Thank you, I'm already engaged!

“Well,” thinks Orontius, “go ahead and catch him!”

Meanwhile, the allocation somehow decreases by itself.

I looked into the “Society for the Comprehensive Recycling of Eaten Eggs,” but it turned out that it is under high pressure from three bishops and a gendarmerie general, and meets once a year, but each time with a special permit from St. Petersburg.

Orontius is bored, and from this the appropriation seems to have fallen ill with fleeting consumption.

Then he got angry.

Okay!

And he began to act directly: he approached the resident and, without preamble, asked him:

Are you satisfied with your existence?

Well, the bosses are unhappy! Please...

And whoever says he’s dissatisfied, of course:

Let me...

Yes, I am unhappy that it is not firm enough.

Yes, sir? Whoa...

In this way, over the course of three weeks, he collected ten thousand different creatures and first planted them wherever possible, and then began to hang them, but - to save money - at the expense of the inhabitants themselves.

And everything went very well. Only once the main authorities went hunting for hares, and upon leaving the city, they saw in the fields an extraordinary revival and a picture of peaceful activity of citizens - they were covering each other with evidence of guilt, hanging, burying, and Stervenko walking among them with a rod in his hands and encouraging:

Tor-painting! You, brunette, are more fun! Hey, sir, why are you dumbfounded? The loop is ready - well, climb, there is no point in delaying others! Boy, hey boy, why are you trying to get in front of your dad? Gentlemen, don’t rush, you’ll have time... You’ve been patient for years, waiting for calm, but you can be patient for a few minutes! Man, where?.. Ignorant...

The authorities look, sitting on the back of a zealous horse, and think:

“However, he collected a lot of them, well done! That’s why all the windows in the city are tightly boarded up...”

And suddenly he sees his own aunt hanging without her feet touching the firmament of the earth - he was very surprised.

Who gave the orders?

Stervenko is right there.

I, Your Excellency!

Then the boss said:

Well, brother, it seems that you are a fool and are almost wasting government funds! Give me the report.

Stervenko presented a report, and it said:

“In pursuance of the order to exterminate dissidents of both sexes, I discovered and imprisoned 10.107.

due........................................................ . 729 v.p.

hanged........................................................ 541 » »

irreparably damaged........................ 937 » »

didn't make it................................................... . 317 » »

ourselves .................................................... .63 ""

Total eradicated................................................... ...1876 v.p.

For the amount................................................... ............16.884 rub.,

counting seven rubles apiece with everything.

And overspent................................................... .884 rub.”

The authorities were horrified, shaking and muttering:

Over-expenditure? Oh, you Fuegian! Yes, your whole Tierra del Fuego with the king and you together is not worth 800 rubles! Just think - if you steal such pieces, then I am a person ten times higher than you - what then? But with such appetites, Russia won’t last for three years, and yet you don’t want to live alone - can you understand that? And besides, 380 extra people were assigned, because those who “did not survive” and those who “made themselves” are clearly superfluous! And you, robber, think for them too?..

Your Excellency! - Orontius justifies himself, - but it was I who brought them to disgust with life.

And for this, seven rubles? Moreover, there are probably so many people who were not involved in anything! There were twelve thousand of all the inhabitants in the city - no, my dear, I will bring you to justice!

Indeed, a strict investigation was ordered into the actions of the Fuegian, and it was discovered that he was guilty of embezzlement of 916 government rubles.

They gave Orontius a fair trial, sentenced him to three months in prison, ruined his career, and - the Fuegian disappeared for three months!

It's not an easy task to please your boss...

One good-natured man thought and thought - what to do?

“I will not resist evil with violence, I will overcome it with patience!”

He was not a man without character; he decided to sit and endure.

And Igemonov’s spies, having learned about this, immediately reported:

“Among the residents subject to discretion, one suddenly began to behave motionless and speechless, clearly intending to mislead the authorities that he was not there at all.”

The Hegemon became furious.

How? Who is missing? No management? Introduce! And when they presented him, he commanded:

Search!

They searched them, stripped them of their valuables, like this: they took a watch and a red gold engagement ring, they picked out gold fillings from their teeth, they took off their brand new suspenders, they tore off their buttons, and they reported:

Done, Hegemon!

Well, what - nothing?

Nothing, and what was superfluous was taken away!

What about in your head?

And it’s like there’s nothing in my head.

Allow it!

A resident entered the Hegemon, and just by the way he held up his pants, the Hegemon saw and understood his complete readiness for all the contingencies of life, but, wanting to make a soul-crushing impression, he nevertheless roared menacingly:

Yeah, the resident has arrived?!

And the resident meekly confesses:

Everyone has arrived.

What are you doing, huh?

I, Igemone, nothing! I just decided to win with patience...

The Hegemon bristled and growled:

Again? Win again?

Yes I am evil...

Be silent!

Yes, I don't mean you...

The hegemon does not believe:

Not me? And who?

Hegemon was surprised.

Stop! What is evil?

In resistance to it.

By God...

Hegemon even broke out in a sweat.

"What's wrong with him?" - he thinks, looking at the resident, and after thinking, he asks:

What do you want?

I don't want anything.

So - nothing?

Nothing! Allow me to teach the people patience by my personal example.

Hegemon thought again, biting his mustache. He had a dreamy soul, loved to steam in the bathhouse, and cackled voluptuously, was generally inclined to constantly experience the joys of life, but the only thing he could not tolerate was resistance and obstinacy, against which he acted with softening agents, turning the cartilage and bones of obstinates into mush . But in the hours free from the test of joy and softening of the inhabitants, he loved to dream about the peace of the whole world and the salvation of our souls.

He looks at the resident and is perplexed.

How long has it been? And - lo!

Then, having come to a softer feeling, he asked, sighing:

How did this happen to you, huh?

And the resident answered:

Evolution...

Well, brother, this is our life! This is this, that is another... Everything is lacking. We sway and sway, but we don’t know which side to lie on... we can’t choose, yeah...

And the Hegemon sighed again: after all, the man pitied the fatherland and fed from it. The Hegemon is overwhelmed by various dangerous thoughts:

“It’s nice to see a resident soft and tamed - so! But, however, if everyone stops resisting, wouldn’t this lead to a reduction in daily allowances and per diems? And also the rewards may suffer... No, it cannot be that he has completely dried up - he is pretending, the rogue! We need to try it out. How will I use it? To provocateurs? The expression on his face is loose, no mask can hide this impersonality, and his eloquence, apparently, is dull. To the executioners? Weak..."

Finally he came up with an idea and said to the servants:

Send this blessed one to the third fire station to clean the stables!

Determined. The resident of the stable cleans it fearlessly, and the Hegemon watches, is touched by his hard work, and his trust in the resident grows.

“If only everything would be okay?”

After a short period of testing, he promoted him to himself and gave him the opportunity to rewrite in his own hand a falsely compiled report on the income and expenditure of various amounts, - the resident copied it and remained silent.

Hegemon was completely moved, even to the point of tears.

“No, this creature is useful, although literate!..”

He calls the resident before his face and says:

I believe! Go and preach your truth, but keep your eyes open!

The resident went through the bazaars, through fairs, through big cities, through small ones, and everywhere he exclaimed:

What are you doing?

People see a person who is disposed to trust and extraordinary meekness, they confess to him who is to blame for what, and even cherished dreams they discover: one - as if to steal with impunity, another - as if to cheat, a third - as if to slander someone, and all together - like primordially Russian people - they want to evade all duties before life and the obligation to forget.

He tells them:

And you - drop everything! Therefore it is said: “Every existence is suffering, but it turns into suffering thanks to desires, therefore, in order to destroy suffering, it is necessary to destroy desires.” Here! Stop wishing, and everything will be destroyed by itself - by God!

People, of course, are happy: both correctly and simply. Now, where someone stood, he lay down there. It became free, quiet...

Whether for a long time or for a short time, the Hegemon only notices that it is very humble around and seems even creepy, but he is brave.

“Fake it, you rascals!”

Some insects, continuing to fulfill their natural duties, multiply unnaturally, becoming more and more daring in their actions.

“However - what lack of verbosity!” - Hegemon thinks, shivering and scratching himself everywhere.

Calls a serving gentleman from among the residents.

Come on, free me from unnecessary...

And he told him:

I can't.

I just can’t, because although they bother me, they are alive, and...

But I’ll make you a dead man yourself!

Your will.

And so - in everything. Everyone unanimously says - your will, but as soon as he orders his will to be fulfilled, mortal boredom begins. The Hegemon's palace is falling apart, rats have filled it, they eat the deeds and, being poisoned, die. Hegemon himself sinks deeper and deeper into inaction, lies on the sofa and dreams of the past - life was good then!

Residents resisted the circulars in various ways, some should have been executed, hence the wake with pancakes and good food! Then a resident is trying to do something, you need to go and prohibit the action, hence the bans! If you report to the right place that “in the area entrusted to me, all the inhabitants have been eradicated,” - from here the rewards will be sent, and fresh inhabitants will be sent!

The Hegemon dreams of the past, and the neighbors, the Hegemons of other tribes, live as they lived, on their own foundations, their inhabitants resist each other with whatever they can and where necessary, they have noise, stupidity, all sorts of movement, but nothing, and it’s useful they, and in general, are interested.

And suddenly the Igemon realized:

“Fathers! But the resident tricked me!”

He jumped up, ran across his country, pushing everyone, shaking them, ordering:

Get up, wake up, rise up! At least that's it!

He grabs them by the collar, but the collar has rotted and can’t hold them.

Damn it! - Hegemon shouts in complete concern. - What do you? Look at the neighbors!.. Even China over there...

The residents are silent, clinging to the ground. "God! - Igemon yearned. - What to do?" And he resorted to deception: he leaned over to the resident and whispered into his ear:

Hey citizen! The Fatherland is in danger, by God, those crosses are in grave danger! Get up - you have to resist... Hear that all amateur activities will be allowed... citizen!

And the citizen, decaying, mutters:

My fatherland is in God...

Others simply remain silent, like offended dead people.

Damned fatalists! - Hegemon shouts in despair. - Get up! All resistance is allowed...

Some former merry fellow and scuffle-fighter stood up a little, looked and said:

Why resist? There is nothing at all...

Yes, insects...

We're used to them!

The mind of the Hegemons was completely distorted, he stood in the navel of his land and yelled in a heart-rending voice:

I allow everything, fathers! Save yourself! Do it! I allow everything! Eat each other!

Peace and quiet is pleasant.

The Hegemon sees - the matter is over!

He began to sob, shed burning tears, tearing out his hair, crying out:

Residents! Darlings! What now - should I make a revolution myself? Come to your senses, it’s historically necessary, nationally inevitable... After all, I can’t make a revolution on my own, I don’t even have a police force for this, the insects have devoured everything...

But they just bat their eyes and - even if you impale them - they won’t give up!

So everyone tried it on in silence, and the desperate Hegemon came last.

From which it follows that even in patience moderation must be observed.

Finally, the wisest of the inhabitants thought about all this:

"What's happened? Everywhere you look there are sixteen around!”

And, after thinking seriously, we decided:

All this is because we have no personality. We need to create a central thinking organ, completely free from any dependencies and fully capable of rising above everyone and standing in front of everything - just like, for example, a goat is in a herd of rams...

Someone objected:

Brothers, haven’t we already suffered enough from the central personalities?..

I didn't like it.

This seems to have something to do with politics and even with civil grief?

Someone is pulling everything:

But how can we live without politics if it permeates everywhere? I mean, of course, that prisons are cramped, hard labor has nowhere to turn, and that rights need to be expanded...

But he was sternly remarked:

This, my sir, is an ideology, and it’s time to quit!.. A new person is needed and nothing more...

And after this they began to create a person according to the methods indicated in the patristic traditions: they spit on the ground and stir, they immediately got dirty up to their ears in mud, but the results were thin. In their convulsive zeal, all the rare flowers on earth have been trampled down and useful grains have also been destroyed - they try, sweat, strain - nothing comes out except babble and mutual accusations of inability to be creative. Even the elements were brought out of their patience by their zeal: whirlwinds blow, thunder roars, voluptuous heat scorches the soaked earth, for - the showers are pouring and the whole atmosphere is saturated with heavy odors - it is impossible to breathe!

However, from time to time this mess with the elements seems to be clarified, and behold, a new personality comes into the light of day!

A general rejoicing arises, but, alas, it is short-lived and quickly resolves into painful bewilderment.

For - if a new personality grows on peasant land, then he immediately becomes a seasoned merchant and, entering life, begins to sell the fatherland to foreigners in pieces, at a price of forty-five kopecks, up to a passionate desire to sell the whole region together with living inventory and with everyone who thinks organs.

A new person will be kneaded on the merchant's land - he will either be born a degenerate or want to become a bureaucrat; on the lands of the nobility - as has always been the case before - creatures grow with the intention of absorbing all the income of the state, and on the lands of the townspeople and various small owners they grow like lush thistles different forms provocateurs, nihilists, passivists and the like.

But we already have all this in quite sufficient quantities! - the wise residents confessed to each other and thought seriously:

“We made some mistake in the technique of creativity, but what?”

They sit and think, and the mud all around is lashing like a wave of the sea, oh, Lord!

They bicker:

You, Celery Lavrovich, spit too abundantly and comprehensively...

And you, Kornishon Lukich, don’t have the courage for this...

And the newborn nihilists, pretending to be Vaska Buslaevs, treat everything with contempt and shout:

Hey you vegetables! Think about what's best, and we... will help you, no matter what...

And they spit and they spit...

General boredom, mutual bitterness and dirt.

At that time, Mitya Korotyshkin, nicknamed Steel Claw, a second-grade student at the Myamlina gymnasium and a famous collector of foreign stamps, was passing by, shirking his lessons, and he walked and saw: people sitting in a puddle, spitting in it and thinking deeply about something. .

“Grown-ups, let’s get dirty!” - thought Mitya with the insolence characteristic of small years.

He examined whether there was anything pedagogical among them, and, not noticing it, inquired:

Why did you, guys, get into a puddle?

One of the residents, offended, entered into an argument:

Where is the puddle? This is just a semblance of pre-temporal chaos!

What are you doing?

We want to create a new person! Tired of people like you...

Mitya became interested.

And in whose likeness?

That is - how? We wish you an incomparable... come on in!

Being a child, not yet initiated into the secrets of nature, Mitya, of course, was glad to have the opportunity to be present at such an important matter and innocently advises:

Make it about three legs!

What is this for?

He will run funny...

Go away, boy!

And then - with wings? That would be clever! Do it with the wings, by God! And even if he kidnapped teachers, like the condor in “The Children of Captain Grant”, let’s say it wasn’t the teacher who was kidnapped by the condor, but rather the teacher...

Boy! You are talking nonsense and quite harmful! Remember the prayer before and after the teaching...

But Mitya was a fantastic boy and became more and more carried away:

The teacher goes to the gymnasium, and he would - hop! by the back of the collar and carried through the air somewhere - it’s all the same! - the teacher just dangles his legs, and the books just fall out, never to be found...

Boy! Go respect your elders!

And he shouts to his wife from above: “Farewell, I ascend into heaven, like Elijah and Enoch,” and she stands in the middle of the street on her knees and whines: “My teacher, teacher!..”

They were angry with him.

Let's go! There are people who can talk nonsense without you, but it’s too early for you!

And they drove away. And he, having run away a little, stopped, thought and asked:

Are you for real?

Of course...

Doesn't it work?

They sighed gloomily and said:

No. Leave me alone...

And I know why, and I know why!

They were behind him, he was away from them, but, accustomed to running from camp to camp, they caught up with him and began to chatter.

Oh, you... tease the elders?..

Mitya cries and begs:

Guys... I'll give you a Sudanese stamp... I have a duplicate... I'll give you a penknife...

And they scare him as the director.

Guys! By God, I will never tease again! And, really, I guessed why a new person is not created...

Let go a little!

They let him go, but they held him by both hands, and he said to them:

Guys! The earth is not the same! The land is no good, honestly, no matter how much you spit, nothing will come of it!.. After all, when God created Adam in his own image and likeness, the land was no one’s, but now it’s all someone else’s, that’s why man has always someone else's... and it's not a matter of spitting at all...

This stunned them so much that they dropped their hands, and Mitya began to fight and, running away from them, put his fist to his mouth and shouted:

Red-skinned Comanches! Ir-roquois!

And they again unanimously sat down in the puddle, and the wisest of them said:

Colleagues, let's continue our studies! Let's forget about this boy, because there is no doubt that he is a socialist in disguise...

Eh, Mitya, darling!

Once upon a time there lived the Ivanichs - wonderful people! No matter what you do with him, nothing is surprising!

They lived in a close environment of Circumstances, completely independent of the laws of nature, and Circumstances did to them whatever they wanted and could: they would tear off seven skins from Ivanovich and menacingly ask:

Where's the eighth?

The Ivanovichs, not at all surprised, answer obediently to the Circumstances:

Not grown up yet, Your Excellencies! Wait a little...

And Circumstances, impatiently awaiting the growth of the eighth skin, boasts to its neighbors, in writing and orally:

Our population is disposed to submission, do with it what you want - nothing is surprising! Not like yours, for example...

This is how the Ivanychs lived - they worked, they paid taxes, they gave bribes to whomever they needed, and in their free time from these activities they quietly complained to each other:

It's hard, brothers!

Those who are smarter predict:

It will be even more difficult!

Sometimes one of them would add two or three more words to these words, and they would respectfully say about such a person:

He dotted the i's!

The Ivanychs even went so far as to occupy a large house in the garden and put special people in it so that they would dot the i’s every day, practicing eloquence.

Four hundred people will gather in this house, and four of them will begin to plant dots like flies; They will plant as much as the local police officer, out of curiosity, will allow, and brag all over the land:

It's great we're making history!

And the police officer looks at this activity of theirs as if it were a scandal, and - as soon as they try to put a dot on the other letter - he decisively suggests to them:

I ask you not to spoil the alphabet, and go home!

They disperse them, and they - without being surprised - console themselves among themselves:

Never mind, they say, we will write all these outrages, for shame, onto the pages of history!

And the Ivanovichs, secretly gathering in their own apartments in twos and threes at a time, whisper, also without surprise:

Our chosen ones have again been deprived of the gift of speech!

Daredevils and desperate heads whisper to each other:

The law is not written by circumstances!

The Ivanovichs generally liked to console themselves with proverbs: if one of them is sent to prison for accidentally disagreeing with Circumstances, they meekly philosophize:

Don't get on your sleigh!

And some of them are gloating:

Know your cricket!

The Ivanychs lived in this order, lived and finally lived to the point where they dotted all the i’s, every single one! And the Ivanovichs have nothing else to do!

And then Circumstances see that all this is useless, and they ordered that the strictest law be published throughout the country:

“From now on, dotting the i's is prohibited everywhere, and no dots, except censorship ones, should exist in the circulation of ordinary people. Those guilty of violating this are subject to punishment provided for by the most severe articles of the Criminal Code.”

The Ivans were stunned! What to do?

They were not trained in anything else, they could only do one thing, and even that was forbidden!

And so, gathering secretly, two by two, in dark corners, they reason in whispers, like the Poshekhons in the joke:

Ivanovich! What if, God forbid, God forbid?

Well?

I’m not something, but still?..

Let God know what, and even then - for nothing! Not what! And you say - what!

Is it me? I - nothing!

And they can’t say any more words!

On one side of the land lived the Kuzmichi, on the other - the Lukichi, and between them there was a river.

The earth is a cramped place, people are greedy and envious, and that is why there are fights between people over every trifle; Almost no one liked it - now - hurray! and - in the face!

They'll fight, defeat each other, and let's count the profits and losses: count them - what a miracle?! - as if they fought well, completely mercilessly, but it turns out - unprofitable!

Kuzmichi argues:

For him, Lukich, the red price is seven kopecks, but it cost one ruble six hryvnia to kill him! What's happened?

The Lukichis also realize:

A living Kuzmich, even by personal assessment, is not worth a penny, but destroying him would cost ninety kopecks!

How is this?

And out of fear of each other they decide:

We need to get more weapons, then the war will break out sooner and murder will cost less.

And their merchants, filling their purses, shout:

Guys! Save the Fatherland! The Fatherland is worth a lot!

We prepared countless weapons, chose the right time and let’s kill each other from the world!

They fought and fought, defeated each other, robbed each other, - again counting profits and losses - what kind of obsession is this?

However, say the Kuzmichi, something is wrong with us! The other day they killed Lukich for six rubles, but now for every soul killed, it came out to sixteen rubles!

They are despondent! And the Lukiches are also sad.

Damn it! War is so costly that at least give it up!

But, being stubborn people, they decided:

It is necessary, brothers, to develop lethal technology more than ever before!

And their merchants, filling their purses, shout:

Guys! The Fatherland is in danger!

And little by little the prices for bast shoes are rising and rising.

The Lukichis and the Kuzmichis developed deadly equipment, defeated each other, robbed each other, began to calculate profits and losses - you want to cry!

A living person is worth nothing, but killing him costs more and more!

On peaceful days they complain to each other:

This thing will ruin us! - say Lukichi.

It will completely ruin you! - Kuzmichi agrees.

However, when someone's duck dived into the water incorrectly, they got into trouble again.

And their merchants, filling their wallets, complain:

These banknotes are simply tormenting! No matter how much you grab them, it’s not enough!

The Kuzmichi and Lukichi fought for seven years, beating each other mercilessly, destroying cities, burning everything, even five-year-old babies were forced to fire machine guns. It got so bad that some only had bast shoes left, while others had nothing but ties; nations walk naked.

They defeated each other, robbed each other - they began to count profits and losses, and both of them were stupefied.

They blink their eyes and mutter:

However! No, guys, apparently, the murderous business is definitely not within our budget! Look, for each killed Kuzmich it cost a hundred rubles. No, we need to take other measures...

They consulted, and they all went ashore in a herd, and on the other bank the enemies stood, also in a herd.

Of course, they are shy, looking at each other, as if they were ashamed. They hesitated, hesitated and shouted from shore to shore:

What are you doing?

We are nothing. And - you?

And we are nothing.

We just went out to look at the river...

They stand there, itching, some feel ashamed, while others groan in sadness.

Then they shout again:

Do you have diplomats?

Eat. What about you?

And we...

But what are we?

And - us? And so do we...

We understood each other, drowned the diplomats in the river and let’s talk plainly:

Do you know why we came?

As if we know!

And - for what?

You want to make peace.

The Kuzmichi were surprised.

How did you guess it?

And the Lukichi grin and say:

But we ourselves are behind this too! War is too expensive.

This is it!

Even though you are swindlers, let's live peacefully, huh?

Hosha, you are thieves too, but we agree!

Let's live like brothers, by God - it will be cheaper!

Everyone became joyful, they were dancing, jumping, as if possessed, they lit fires, they kidnapped each other’s girls, they stole horses and shouted to each other, hugging:

Dear brothers, everything is fine, huh? Although you... so to speak...

And Kuzmichi responded:

Dear ones! We are all one soul and one essence. Of course, you want that too... well, okay!

Since then, the Kuzmichi and Lukichi have been living quietly, peacefully, they have completely abandoned military affairs and rob each other lightly, in a civilian manner.

Well, the merchants, as always, live according to God’s law...

The stubborn man Vanka lies humbly under the povet, he has worked hard, he has mucked, and he is resting. The boyar came running to him and yelled:

Vanka, get up!

And for what?

Let's save Moscow!

Why is she?

The Pole offends!

Look, I got shot...

Vanka went and saved him, and the demon Bolotnikov shouted to him:

Fool's head, why are you wasting your strength on the boyars, think about it!

“I’m not used to thinking, the holy fathers-monks think very well for me,” said Vanka.

He saved Moscow, came home, and looked - there was no word.

Sighed:

What thieves!

Lie down on your right side for good dreams, lay there for two hundred years, suddenly the mayor runs:

Vanka, get up!

What is it?

Let's save Russia!

And who is her?

Bonaparte about twelve languages!

Look at him like... anathema!

He went and saved, and the demon Bonaparte whispered to him:

Why are you, Vanya, trying to get rid of the masters? It’s time, Vanya, to come out of serfdom!

They’ll let you out on their own,” said Vanka.

He saved Russia, returned home, and looked - there was no roof on the hut.

Sighed:

These dogs are robbing everything!

He went to the master and asked:

So what, nothing will happen to me for saving Russia?

And the master asks him:

Do you want me to whip you?

No, don't! Thank you.

He worked and slept for another hundred years; I saw good dreams, but there was nothing to eat. If he has money, he drinks; if he has no money, he thinks:

“Ehma, it would be nice to have a drink!..”

A guard came running and yelled:

Vanka, get up!

What else?

Let's save Europe!

What is she doing?

The German offends!

And why are they worried, this one and that one? If only we could live...

He went and started saving him, but then the German tore off his leg. Vanka turned back on one leg, and lo and behold, there was no hut, the children had died of hunger, and the neighbor was carrying water on his wife.

Gee! - Vanka was surprised, raised his hand, scratched the back of his head, but he didn’t even have a head!

In the glorious city of Myamlin there lived a little man, Mikeshka, who lived incompetently, in the dirt, in poverty and squalor; Streams of abominations flow around him, every evil spirit is tormenting him, and he, a slacker, being in a state of stubborn indecision, does not itch, does not wash, grows wild hair and complains to the Lord:

Lord, Lord! And how badly I live, how dirty! Even the pigs laugh at me. You forgot me, Lord!

He complains, cries his fill, goes to bed and dreams:

“If only the evil spirits would give me some small reform for the sake of my humility and wretchedness! I wish I could wash myself, clean myself..."

And the evil spirits mock him even more, postponing the implementation of all natural laws until the arrival of “better times” and daily acts according to Mikeshka with short circulars like this:

“Be silent. And those guilty of violating this circular are subject to administrative extermination even to the seventh generation.”

“You are required to sincerely love your superiors. And those guilty of failure to comply with this are subject to..."

Mikeshka reads the circulars, looks around, sees: in Myamlin they are silent, in Dremov the authorities love them, in Vorgorod the residents are stealing bast shoes from each other.

Mikeshka groans:

God! What kind of life is this? If only something would happen...

And suddenly - a soldier came!

It is known that the soldier is not afraid of anything, - he dispersed the evil spirits, he stuffed them into dark cellars, into deep wells, drove them into river holes, put his hand in his bosom, - he pulled out a million rubles and - the soldier does not feel sorry for anything! - gives Mikeshka:

Here you go, you poor thing. Go to the bathhouse, wash yourself, tidy up, be human - it's time!

He gave the soldier a million and went home as if he had never existed!

Please don't forget that this is a fairy tale.

Mikeshka was left with a million in his hands - what should he do? He had long been weaned from any business by circulars; he only knew one thing - to complain. However, he went to the market in the red row, bought himself some calico for his shirt and, by the way, for his pants, put new clothes on his dirty skin, wanders the streets day and night, weekdays and holidays, shows off, boasts - hat on one side, brains too .

“I-a-sta,” he says, “I could have done this a long time ago, but I didn’t want to.” We are a hundred, Myamlinites, a great people, evil spirits are no worse for us than fleas. I wanted it, and it was over.

Mikeshka walked for a week, walked for a month, sang all the songs he knew, “Eternal Memory” and “Rest With the Saints” - he was tired of the holiday, and he didn’t want to work. And it became boring out of habit: everything is somehow wrong, everything is not right, there are no police officers, the bosses are not real, they were recruited from neighbors, there is no one to be in awe of - not good, unusual.

Mikeshka grumbles:

Previously, under evil spirits, there was more order. And the streets were cleaned on time, and there was a legitimate policeman at every intersection. It happened - you go somewhere, you drive, and he orders: keep to the right! And now - wherever you want to go, no one will say anything. So you can come to the very edge... Look, some have already reached...

And Mikeshka gets more and more boring, more and more sick. He looks like a million people, but he gets angry:

What do I need a million? Others have more! If only they gave me a billion right away, well, then... Otherwise - a million! Heh! What will I do with him, with a million? Now even a chicken walks like an eagle, because the price of a chicken is sixteen rubles! And I only have a million...

Then Mikeshka was glad that there was a reason for the usual complaints - he walks along the dirty streets, yelling:

Give me a billion! I can't do anything! What kind of life is this? The streets are not cleared, there is no police, there is chaos everywhere! Give me a billion, otherwise I don’t want to live!

An old mole crawled out of the ground and said to Mikeshka:

Fool, why are you yelling? Who are you asking? After all, you are asking from yourself!

And Mikeshka has his own:

I need a billion! The streets are not cleared, the roads are broken, there is no order...

Once upon a time there lived a woman, say Matryona, who worked for someone else’s uncle, say Nikita, with his relatives and with many different servants.

The woman felt bad, Uncle Nikita did not pay any attention to her, although he boasted to the neighbors:

My Matryona loves me - whatever I want, I do with her! An exemplary animal, submissive, like a horse...

And Nikitin’s drunken, impudent servants offend Matryona every hour, either rob her, or beat her, or simply, having nothing to do, abuse her, but they also say to each other:

Well, our butterfly Matryona! Such that, sometimes, you even feel sorry for her!

But, although they were sorry in words, in reality they still continued to torture and rob.

In addition to these harmful ones, Matryona was surrounded by many who were useless, sympathizing with Matryonin’s long-suffering; they look at her from the side and are touched:

You are our long-suffering, wretched one!

Some, in complete admiration, exclaimed:

You, they say, cannot even be measured with an arshin, how big you are! And with the mind, they say, one cannot understand you; in you, they say, one can only believe!

And Matryona, like a bear, does all sorts of work, day after day, from century to century, and everything is to no avail: no matter how much she works, her uncle’s servants will take everything away. Drunkenness around, women, debauchery and all sorts of dirty tricks - it’s impossible to breathe!

So she lived, working and sleeping, and in her free moments she lamented to herself:

"God! Everyone loves me, everyone pities me, but there is no real man! If only some real one would come and take me in strong hands and love me, a woman, with all his might, I would give birth to such children for him, Lord!”

She's crying, but she can't do anything else!

A blacksmith approached her, but Matryona didn’t like him, an unreliable-looking man, all smokey, with a daring character and spoke incomprehensibly, as if he was even bragging:

Only,” he says, “in ideological unity with me, you, Matryosha, can move to the next stage of culture...

And she told him:

Well, what are you doing, father, where are you going! I don’t even understand your words, besides, I am great and abundant, but I can barely see you!

That's how I lived. Everyone feels sorry for her, and she feels sorry for herself, but there is no sense in it.

And suddenly - the hero came. He came, drove away Uncle Nikita and his servants and announced to Matryona:

From now on you are completely free, and I am your savior, like St. George the Victorious from an old penny!

Matryona looks - she really is free! Of course I was happy.

However, the blacksmith also declares:

And I am the savior!

“He’s doing this out of jealousy,” Matryona realized, and said out loud:

Of course, you too, father!

And they lived, the three of them, with merry pleasures, every day there was a wedding, then a funeral, every day they shouted cheers. My uncle's servant Mokey felt like a republican - hurray! Yalutorovsk and Narym declared themselves the United States, too - hurray!

For two months we lived in perfect harmony, simply drowning in joy, like flies in a ladle of kvass, but suddenly - in Holy Rus' everything happens suddenly! - suddenly the hero got bored!

He sits opposite Matryona and asks:

Who freed you? I?

Well, of course, you, my dear!

What about me? - says the blacksmith.

After some time, the hero tortures again:

Who freed you - me or not?

Lord,” says Matryona, “you are the one!”

Well, remember!

What about me? - asks the blacksmith.

Well, you too... Both of you...

Both? - says the hero, smoothing his mustache. - Hmm... I-I don’t know...

Yes, and began to interrogate Matryona every hour:

Did I save you, you fool, or not?

And more and more strictly:

Am I your savior or who?

He sees Matryona - the blacksmith, frowning, walked away to the side, minding his own business, the thieves are stealing, the merchants are trading, everything is going on as before, as in his uncle’s times, and the hero is tormented, interrogated every day:

Who am I to you?

Yes, in her ear, and by her braids!

Matryona kisses him, pleases him, and speaks kindly to him:

My dear, you are my Italian Garibaldi, you are my English Cromwell, your French Bonaparte!

And at night she cries quietly:

Lord, Lord! I thought that something would actually happen, but this is what happened! ........................................................ ...............................

Let me remind you that this is a fairy tale.

NOTES
RUSSIAN TALES
ts i k l s k a z o k

First published under the general title “Fairy Tales”:

I, II, IV-X - in the magazine “Modern World”, 1912, issue 9 for September;
III - in the newspaper “Russian Word”, 1912, number 290 of December 16;
XI - in the newspaper “Pravda”, 1912. number 131 of September 30;
XII - in the newspaper “Svobodnaya Mysl”, 1917, number 1 of March 7;
XIII - in the newspaper " New life", 1917, number 1 of April 18;
XIV - in the newspaper “New Life”, 1917, number 5 of April 23;
XV - in the newspaper “New Life”, 1917, number 7 of April 26;
XVI - in the newspaper “New Life”, 1917, number 68 of July 7.

Ten fairy tales (I - II, IV - XI but the numbering of this edition) were published a separate book in the publishing house of I.P. Ladyzhnikov, Berlin 1912. Fairy tales I - XVI were published as a separate book in the Parus publishing house, Petrograd 1918.

The first ten fairy tales (I, II, IV - XI according to the numbering of this publication) were written by M. Gorky in 1912 within one month: M. Gorky announced the start of work on fairy tales in mid-January 1912; On February 10, the fairy tales were already transferred to K.P. Pyatnitsky (Diary of K.P. Pyatnitsky).

At the same time, these fairy tales were sent to the editorial office of the magazine “Modern World” and at the same time to the publishing house of I.P. Ladyzhnikov for the preparation of a separate publication, and M. Gorky intended to publish ten more “Russian fairy tales” by the fall.

The editor of Sovremenny Mir informed M. Gorky that Russian Fairy Tales would be published only in the fall. In response to this, M. Gorky wrote to him:

“Sending the fairy tales that you call “charming,” I asked, if you liked them, to put them in spring books, and three months later I received an answer that it would be better to publish them in the fall.

These fairy tales are a new genre for me, it would be very useful for me to know to what extent they are successful - I am not proud, you can talk to me simply and frankly. It seems to me that if fairy tales turned out to be sufficiently convenient for the magazine and valuable from a socio-pedagogical point of view, they could be published twice a year, partly as a feuilleton on modern topics, and partly “in general” on Russian topics” (Archive of A. M. Gorky).

Of the proposed ten new fairy tales, only one was written in 1912 (III according to the numbering of this edition); On December 5, 1912, it was sent by M. Gorky to the editorial office of the newspaper “Russian Word” (letter from M. Gorky to I.P. Ladyzhnikov dated December 5, 1912).

After the fairy tale appeared in print, the decadent poet F. Sologub, believing that the fairy tale was directed personally against him and his wife, A. Chebotarevskaya, wrote a letter of protest to M. Gorky. In a response letter on December 23, 1912, M. Gorky rejected the assumption that the fairy tale had in mind any specific persons. M. Gorky pointed out that the image of Smertyashkin absorbed features characteristic of decadents in general, including F. Sologub. In 1932 or 1933, in a letter to one of his correspondents, M. Gorky wrote:

“In the “fairy tale” the poems of Sologub are not parodied, but there is a parody of the poems of Z. Gippius - “Oh, do not believe the hour of the night.” Probably, when I wrote Smertyashkin, I also had in mind Sologub’s pessimism” (A.M. Gorky Archive).

The Diary of K.P. Pyatnitsky gives the names of the first ten fairy tales, obviously outlined by M. Gorky:

Philosopher,
Poet,
Death of a writer
National face
landowner,
Jews,
Two crooks
Orontius,
Non-resistance to evil
Personality.

(Diary of K.P. Pyatnitsky, entry dated February 28, 1912). The fairy tales appeared in print without titles, with serial numbering.

In the manuscript and letters of M. Gorky, the works of this cycle were called “Russian Fairy Tales,” but this title was changed by the editor of the “Modern World” magazine, and all magazine publications were titled “Fairy Tales.” On September 13, 1912, the editor of the magazine “Modern World” wrote to M. Gorky:

“One of these days the somewhat belated September book of The Modern World will be published. In first place is your “Russian Fairy Tales”, which I, frightened by fines and confiscations, at the last minute allowed myself to christen simply “Fairy Tales”. In accordance with this, in three cases where the action takes place “in a certain kingdom, in a certain state,” I replaced the words “Russia” and “Russian” interspersed in the text with country, fatherland, subject” (A.M. Gorky Archive).

In separate publications and collected works, the cycle was published under the general title “Russian Fairy Tales”.

Five fairy tales (XII - XVI) were written by M. Gorky in 1917. Tale XII, judging by the note of the editor who first published it, was written on February 25; the next four tales - in March - June 1917.

“Russian Fairy Tales” were included in all collected works.

Published according to the text prepared by M. Gorky for the collected works in the “Book” edition, with corrections based on authorized typewritten and first-printed texts.

Studying Gorky's fairy tales, we became convinced that they have their own characteristics inherent in literary fairy tales in general, and features characteristic only of the writer's author's style. One of the features that distinguishes Gorky's fairy tales from among folk tales and fairy tales of other writers is Gorky's ability to talk funny with children about serious issues.

In fairy tales for young children, Gorky uses vocabulary familiar to a child and does not neglect jargon and rude words. Almost all fairy tales have a dialogic structure: in the fairy tale Sparrow Pudik has an argument with Sparrow's mother; in the fairy tale Samovar, things are animatedly arguing and suddenly the samovar came apart and the cup broke; Evseika’s unexpected rescue ends his dialogue with the “huge fish,” as does Yashka’s dialogue with the god of hosts. Only the fairy tale “Morning” does not include dialogue, but like everything else it contains a poetic text that is easily understood by children. The author prefers to speak in a language familiar to the child.

In all of Gorky's fairy tales, the funny and the serious are intertwined, closely related to each other and serve to express the main idea of the fairy tales. Each fairy tale is a lesson that Gorky gives to children.

His innovation lies in the fact that he laid the foundations of a children's fairy tale. He created six fairy tales for preschool children: “Morning” (1910), “Sparrow” (1912), “The Case of Yevseyka” (1912), “Samovar” (1913), “About Ivanushka the Fool (1918), “Yashka” "(1919). These were fairy tales of a new type, in which the main ways of development of fairy tales were determined. They reflect real, authentic life, showing realistic details of everyday life, pressing problems and ideas of modern reality. All fairy tales written by Gorky take into account the interests of children, the peculiarities of their perception, and cognitive capabilities.

When creating fairy tales, Gorky turned to oral folk art, continuing its traditions, but also adding his own, new things to it. In fairy tales for preschool children, the real and the fantastic are intertwined, with the presence of a playful element. Gorky, creating images of animals, uses the technique of anthropomorphism (humanizing the animal world) characteristic of folk tales. In his fairy tales, a cat, a bear, a fish, and a sparrow talk like people. Folk stories helped Gorky expand his borders fairy world. He did not imitate, but created his own fairy tales, using folk fairy-tale images as prototypes, introducing realistic characters into the fairy-tale plot. Gorky's worldview and creative individuality were reflected in the ideological and aesthetic orientation of fairy tales and in the assessment of the heroes' actions.

In fairy tales we observe both simple and complex sentences. But thanks to the simple and familiar vocabulary for the little reader, it is easy and understandable to read.

M. Gorky's fairy tales contain educational and moralizing potential. The peculiarity of their plot is that it is dynamic and entertaining. The author shows the familiar and concrete and leads his readers to concepts that are abstract and significant. The peculiarity of these fairy tales are small, simple poems in which the rhythm is strictly observed, which are easy to remember and can be repeated during the game.

The big difference between Gorky's fairy tales and the fairy tales of other writers is optimism, glorification of life, work, glorification of the beauty of nature, the image of the common man. Fairy tales ridicule arrogance, boasting, arrogance and hypocrisy. In all the fairy tales, it is necessary to note Gorky’s ability to speak with children in an interesting and exciting way; they are all imbued with humor; one can feel the writer’s great love for children, which was combined with deep respect for the child’s personality, for his desires and rights. In each fairy tale, one can see the writer’s ability to look into the spiritual world of a child and tell in simple words about the most important things. Gorky is not afraid to talk about big social problems: exploitation in a class society, the lack of rights of workers.

Of course, such works have become a new stage in the history of the development of children's literature.

Fairy tales became the embodiment of Gorky’s love for children and a reflection of important moral principles. The educational significance of M. Gorky's fairy tales is enormous. He is the founder of new Soviet literature for children. The path of development of children's literature for many years was determined by the literary critical views of the writer.

It should be noted that the results of the study allow us to present them in the form of a table, which will reflect the features of Russian folk tales and Gorky’s tales. When creating the table, we will proceed from a comparative analysis of the folk tale “About Ivanushka the Fool” with Gorky’s fairy tale.

Thus, the data in this table allow us to conclude that literary fairy tales have their own characteristics.

We can also present general conclusions that give an idea of the features of folk tales and literary ones.

A folk tale is different from a literary one. In a literary fairy tale, the author uses fairy-tale features according to his own plan.

Tales of A.M. Gorky can serve as a basis in raising a child, in the formation of his moral qualities.

It is necessary to think through ways for the child to enter the fairy tale. Studying a fairy tale involves working with its text. Text is the link between the child and the world fairy tale characters. Taking into account the characteristics of each fairy tale, it is necessary to consider methods of getting to know the text:

· reading a fairy tale from a book by a teacher;

· listening to an audio recording;

· watching a film based on a fairy tale.

It is best to use reading, as it allows you to preserve the style and subtle author's atmosphere. Expressive reading aloud promotes the development of imaginative ideas, generates interest, and influences children’s emotions. Of course, reading aloud develops the skills of attentive listening to the text. When choosing this method of working with a fairy tale, you need to adhere to certain rules: reading should not be very loud, you must pronounce all the words correctly and clearly, and pause while reading. Reading should be emotional, as this helps to retain the child’s attention. Since Gorky's fairy tales are small in volume, they promote more attentive listening and quick memorization of the text. Gorky's tales have fascinating story, they are imaginative and funny, so they will be an effective educational tool. Since Gorky took into account the age-related mental abilities of children when creating fairy tales, they contribute to stability of attention.

To better assimilate the content of a fairy tale, you need to use a retelling, which contributes to the development of children's speech.

At preschool age, it is already possible to work on developing basic skills to analyze a work. Therefore, Gorky’s fairy tales require such work on the content, their form, identifying the main characters, expressing one’s attitude towards them, and formulating a conclusion about what this fairy tale teaches.

We suggest using the following questions for conversation:

1. What is this fairy tale about?

2. Who are the main characters in the fairy tale?

3. What are they like in character?

4. Do you approve of their behavior? Why?

6. How would you behave if you were in their place?

7. Is this good or bad? Why?

8. What does this fairy tale teach, what qualities?

You can offer children a retelling of the fairy tale. To do this, you need to highlight the key moments of the fairy tale, then diagrams are built according to the plot of the fairy tale and a retelling of the content of the fairy tale is built using Propp's maps.

The understanding of literary fairy tales is also facilitated by the work of artists’ illustrations. When studying the fairy tales of M. Gorky, it is possible to carry out this type of work using illustrations in books.

An important aspect in describing an illustration is the formulation of the question with which the adult addresses the drawing. By asking a question about what is depicted, we guide the child towards revealing functional connections and explain the actions of the characters. When giving the task: “tell us about the events depicted in the picture,” we see that the child is trying to understand them, interpret them, and creates coherent statements. Looking at a picture, a child first of all identifies the center of the picture, establishes the spatial location of objects, and builds various visible and supposed logical relationships between them. Then he perceives the drawing as a whole.

The task: “come up with a name for the picture” allows you to develop in your child the ability to summarize what he saw in two or three words and highlight the main thing. This task allows you to trace the relationships between perception, thinking and speech, analysis and synthesis.

To work from pictures of Gorky’s fairy tale “About Ivanushka the Fool,” you can use illustrations by the artist N. Shevarev

You can invite children to answer questions about these illustrations:

· who did the artist depict in this picture?

What episode of the fairy tale does the drawing correspond to?

· how do we see the hero in the illustration?

· did the artist manage to convey the mood of the hero and the events of this moment in the fairy tale?

· how would you draw the hero?

Working with Gorky's fairy tales is not limited to reading, retelling, conversation and working with illustrations. A fairy tale develops children, so work with a fairy tale can be diversified. To do this, you can use the following recommendations:

· Draw your favorite characters. If the child cannot yet do it himself, offer a template and ask him to color it. The illustrations will help your child experience the story in a new way.

· Favorite fairy-tale characters can be made from different materials: plasticine, clay, old doll, cardboard, colored paper and others.

· Together with your child, come up with a new outfit, decorations for the characters, attributes - this will contribute to the development of originality of thought processes.

· Ask your child to retell individual episodes - this develops speech and even literary abilities. If it’s difficult for him, try retelling it together, taking turns. Not worth it during retelling

interrupt the child if he makes mistakes in speech. If some mistake was constantly repeated, gently point it out to the child, but only after finishing the retelling.

· Role-play the dialogue, imitating the actions and voice of the characters. These games relieve stress and practice behavioral tactics in different situations. You can set up a home theater.

· Invite your child to make an applique based on the plot of a fairy tale - this helps to pay attention to the smallest and most inconspicuous details. In addition, this activity develops fine motor skills and perseverance.

· Try solving fairy tales. Cover part of the character and ask them to guess who it is and from which fairy tale, in what other fairy tales this hero appears and what roles he plays.

Choose a picture from a familiar book with fairy tales, and try to tell the fairy tale from memory with your child.

· Cut out 2-3 pictures from old books with a developing plot. The child must restore the correct sequence of actions, laying out the pictures in order, and tell the story.

The analysis in the third chapter allows us to draw the following conclusions:

· Gorky’s fairy tales reflect the writer’s ability to talk “funny” about serious issues;

· fairy tales help to understand the beauty and richness of language;

· fairy tales express respect for little man;

· funny and serious are intertwined in fairy tales;

· fairy tales contain a moral lesson for children;

· a literary fairy tale is characterized by the following features: the composition of the fairy tale is built according to the author’s plan;

· the problem in a fairy tale can be narrow, important for a specific time, author, hero;

· the character of the heroes is contradictory, their actions are ambiguous;

· when working with fairy tales, it is recommended to use such methods as: conversations on issues, working with illustrations, creating drawings based on fairy tales, creating crafts from plasticine, clay, cardboard, colored paper, coming up with a new outfit for the hero of a fairy tale, creating applications based on the plot of a fairy tale. Gorky's innovation in creating fairy tales for children