(P. Timofeev. Russian Tales (1787))
In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a king, and that king did not have a wife; but he had three favorites, from whom he received a son. The king was very happy about this and made a great feast for all the ministers. Then he gave them up to be raised with great care. And since all three of his children had already reached adulthood, the king loved them all equally, both one and the other, and did not know which of them to entrust the government of the state in his stead. But their mothers did not live in agreement with each other, for each wanted her son to be the heir. The king, seeing their disagreement, did not know how to make them agree.
Finally, the king came up with an idea, and called all three sons to him, and said to them: “Dearest children! You’re all getting older now, it’s time for you to think about brides.” His children answered: “Our dear sir, father! We are under your commands, and whatever you order us, we will do.” Then the king said to them: “Make, dear children, an arrow for yourself and write an inscription on them; go out of the city into the reserved meadows and shoot in different directions; whose arrow flies in which direction, in which city and in whose house - a ministerial or a general's, then that is the bride, and that city is given into full possession." The children, having heard everything from him and being very pleased with his invention, made themselves an arrow and wrote an inscription.
And after they were completely ripe, they went out into the reserved meadow, and first the big brother shot at right side, the middle one to the left, and the younger brother, who was called Ivan the Bogatyr, shot his arrow straight; but she flew to the side. After that, all the brothers went to their father and told him in which direction he shot his arrow. The father, having heard from them, ordered them to go look for their arrows. And so the children went in different directions. The big brother found his arrow in the house of a minister who had a great beauty daughter, and the prince took her and took her to his father. The middle brother found his arrow in the house of a certain general, who had a daughter who was also beautiful, and the prince took her and took her to the king, his father. And when both princes arrived, the king celebrated their weddings with great triumph.
But his youngest son could not find his arrow, and was extremely sad, and set the intention not to return to his father until he found his arrow. And he walked for two days through forests and mountains, and on the third day he entered a great swamp. And as he walked through that swamp far away, he began to get stuck. Ivan the hero, seeing such a danger, did not know what to do, and began to look in all directions, where it would be better for him to get out of that swamp. Finally he saw a small hut made of reeds, he was very surprised and said to himself: “Of course, here lives some hermit or a shepherd who has fallen behind his flock.” And to make sure, he began to quietly approach that hut. And as he approached and looked into that hut, he saw in it a large frog, which was holding his arrow in its mouth. Ivan the hero, seeing the frog, wanted to run away from the hut and retreat from his arrow, but the frog shouted: “Kwa, kwa, Ivan the hero, come into my hut and take your arrow.” Ivan the hero was very frightened and did not know what to do, but the frog told him: “If you do not come to my hut, you will never come out of this swamp.” 
Ivan the hero answered her that he could not enter the hut, because he could not get through due to the smallness of the hut. The frog, without saying a word to him, turned somersault, and at that same time the hut became a painted gazebo. Ivan the hero, seeing this, was very surprised and was forced to go up to that gazebo, in which he saw a very rich sofa and sat down on it. The frog immediately said to him: “I know, Ivan the hero, that you need food, because you haven’t eaten for three days” (which in fact happened, for as he was looking for his arrow, he didn’t eat all three days). The frog immediately somersaulted, and at that very moment a table was brought with all sorts of food and drinks. Ivan the hero sat down at the table, and the frog sat on the ground the entire time he was eating. Then, as soon as he got up from the table, the frog somersaulted again, and at that hour the table was taken out. After that, the frog said: “Listen, Ivan the hero, your arrow hit me, then you should marry me.”
Ivan the hero was very sad and thought to himself: “How can I take a frog for myself? no, I’d better tell her that I can’t take her for myself.” But the frog said: “If you don’t marry me, then I assure you that you will never get out of this swamp.” Ivan the hero became more sad than ever and did not know what to do. Finally, he decided to deceive her and told her: “Listen, frog, I will marry you, just give me the arrow in advance, and I will take it to my father, and say that my arrow hit you.” But the frog said: “No, you are deceiving me and want to take my arrow, and therefore you will not come. But I assure you that if you do not take me for yourself, then you will not leave this gazebo.” Ivan the hero was frightened and thought to himself: “Of course, this frog is some kind of sorceress,” but he didn’t know what to do. “When I’m already so unhappy that my arrow hit her, then so be it, take her for myself.” Finally, he told the frog that he agreed to take her for himself. And as soon as he spoke these words, the frog shed that skin and became a great beauty. Then she said: “Here, dear Ivan the hero, is what I am, but the fact that I wear frog skin on me will only be during the day, and at night I will always be as you see me now.” Ivan the hero, seeing such a beauty in front of him, was very happy and swore to her that he would take her for himself.
After that, they talked to each other for quite some time, and then she said to him: “Now it’s time for you to go to the palace, and I will turn into a frog again, and you take me and carry me with you.” After that, she put on that frog skin and became a frog. Ivan the hero saw an old little box in the gazebo, and, putting a frog in it, he left the gazebo and went to his state. And when he came to the city, and then to the palace, the king, seeing him, was very happy about his return. And when Ivan the hero entered his chambers, the king asked him about the arrow, but his son answered him with a sad look: “My dear sir, my father! My arrow hit the frog, which I brought at your order. For you ordered that each of us, upon finding his arrow, should bring you his bride, so I brought my frog.” His brothers and daughters-in-law began to laugh at him, and the king began to persuade him to give up the frog and take the general’s or minister’s daughter. His daughters-in-law began to introduce him - one to his niece, and the other to his relative. But Ivan the hero asked his father to allow him to marry a frog. And since the king could not persuade him, he allowed him. And when the day came on which Ivan the hero was supposed to get married, he rode in a carriage, and the frog was carried on a golden platter to the palace. After Ivan the hero had eaten in the palace and went to his rooms, and as night fell, the frog took off his skin and became a beauty; and when the day came, she became a frog again. Ivan the hero lived happily with his frog for some time and was not at all upset that his wife was a frog during the day.
After that, long after their wedding, one day the king ordered to call all his sons to himself. And when his children came, he said to them: “Dear children! Now all three of you are married, then I want to wear a shirt from your wives, and my daughters-in-law, and so that they are in time by tomorrow.” Then the king gave them each a piece of linen. The children accepted the linen from him, and each one took it to his wife. Ivan the Bogatyr’s big brothers brought the canvas to their wives and said: “Father ordered you to sew a shirt from this cloth, and so that it will be ready by tomorrow.” Their wives accepted the linen and began to call nannies, mothers and hay red girls to help them sew a shirt. Immediately their nannies and mothers came running and began to do: some cut, some sewed. Meanwhile, they sent a black girl to the frog to see how she would sew a shirt. And when the girl came to Ivan the hero’s room, at that time he brought the canvas and, being very sad, put it on the table.
The frog, seeing him sad, said: “Why are you, Ivan the hero, so sad?” And he answered her: “How can I not be sad: the priest ordered me to sew a shirt from this fabric, and so that it would be ready by tomorrow.” The frog, having heard from him, said: “Don’t cry, don’t worry, Ivan the hero, lie down and sleep, the morning is wiser than the evening, everything will be fine.”
After that, the frog grabbed scissors and cut the entire canvas into small shreds, then opened the window, threw it into the wind and said: “Violent winds! Distribute the scraps and sew a shirt for your father-in-law.” The dark girl came to her daughters-in-law and said: “Oh, dear ladies! The frog cut the entire canvas into small shreds and threw it out the window.” The daughters-in-law laughed at the frog in absentia and said: “Her husband will bring something to the king tomorrow.” Then they began to sew their own shirts; and when that day passed and Ivan the hero got up, the frog gave him a shirt and said: “Here, dear Ivan the hero, take the shirt to your father.” And just as Ivan the hero took the shirt and carried it to his father, soon after his brothers brought their shirts. And when the king woke up, all three of his children came in, and first the big brother brought a shirt to his father, and the king looked at it and said: “This shirt is sewn the way they usually sew.” Then he looked at the other son’s shirt and said that this one was not sewn either. better than that one. And when the youngest son gave him his shirt, the king could not be surprised enough, for not a single seam could be found, and said: “Give me this shirt on the most solemn holidays, and give those two shirts along with the others.”
Then, after a while, he called his sons to him and said to them: “Dear children! I want to know if your wives know how to sew with gold and silver, and for that, here is some silver, gold and silk for you, and so that a carpet can be made from this and will be ready by tomorrow.” The children accepted gold, silver and silk from him, and Ivan the Bogatyr’s brothers took him to their wives and told them to embroider on the carpet by tomorrow. Their wives began to call nannies and mothers and hay red girls to help them embroider carpets. Immediately the girls came and began to embroider carpets, some with gold, some with silver, and some with silk. Meanwhile, they sent the black girl to see what the frog was doing. The dark girl, on their orders, went to the rooms of Ivan the hero; at that time he brought from his father the gold, silver and silk given to him for the carpet and was very sad. The frog, sitting on a chair, said: “Kwa, kwa, kwa, Ivan the hero, why are you so sad?” Ivan the hero answered her: “How can I not be sad; Father ordered to make a carpet from this silver, gold and silk, and so that it would be ready by tomorrow.” The frog said: “Don’t cry, don’t grieve, Ivan the hero, go to bed, the morning is wiser than the evening.” After that, the frog took scissors, cut all the silk, tore up the silver and gold, and threw it out the window and said: “Violent winds! Bring me the carpet with which my father covered the windows.” Then the frog slammed the window and sat down on the chair again. The dark girl who was sent from those two daughters-in-law, seeing that there was nothing else, went and said: “Ah! Dear ladies, I don’t know why the frog is praised; she doesn’t know how to do anything, and she cut up everything given for the carpet to Ivan the hero, tore it up and threw it outside the window, and told the winds to bring her the carpet with which her father covered the windows.” The daughters-in-law, having heard everything from the dark girl, decided to do so themselves, for they knew that, according to her, the winds sewed her a shirt, they thought that the winds would be obedient to them, like a frog, and would sew them carpet Then they took gold, silver and silk, cut it, tore it and threw it out the window, shouting: “Violent winds! Bring us those carpets with which the priests covered our windows.” After that they closed the windows, sat down and waited for the carpets.
But they waited for a long time, and seeing that the winds would not carry their carpets, they were forced to send to the city to buy gold, silver and silk. And when they brought it, both daughters-in-law sat down and called the girls and began to embroider, some with silk, some with silver, and some with gold. And as that day passed, and the next day Ivan the hero quickly got up, the frog gave him the carpet and said: “Take it, Ivan the hero, and take it to your father.” Ivan the hero took the carpet, carried it to the palace and waited for his brothers, because their carpets were not yet ripe. But as soon as they were finished, his brothers brought their carpets. And when the king woke up, the children came in with their carpets, and the king first received his big son from him and, looking, said: “This carpet is suitable for covering horses when it rains.” Then he looked at the carpet of his middle son and said: “This carpet should be laid in the front room, and so that those who come to the palace wipe their feet on it.” Then he accepted a carpet from his youngest son, Ivan the Bogatyr, and, looking at it, was very surprised and said: “This carpet should be laid on my table on the most solemn days.” Then he ordered Ivan the Bogatyr to hide and take care of the carpet, and Ivan the Bogatyr gave those carpets back to his brothers and said: “Take your carpets to your wives and tell them to take care of them for themselves.”
After that, the king said to all the children: “Now, dear children, I want to have bread baked with their hands, and so that they will be in time by tomorrow.” The children, having heard from the king, went to their chambers, and the two brothers of Ivan the hero, coming to their wives in the chambers, said that the king ordered them to bake bread for tomorrow. And when they heard from their husbands, they sent the black girl to the frog to see what she would do. The dark girl came on their orders to the rooms of Ivan the Bogatyr, and at that time Ivan the Bogatyr came to his rooms very sad that, seeing, the frog said: “Kwa, kwa, kwa, Ivan the Bogatyr, why are you so sad?” Ivan the hero answered her: “How can I, frog, not be sad: the father ordered you to bake bread, then who will bake it for you?” When the frog heard it, he said: “Don’t cry and don’t worry, Ivan the hero, I’ll do everything.” Then she ordered flour, kneading and water to be brought; and when everything was brought, then the frog poured flour into the kneading bowl, and then poured in water and dissolved the solution, and poured it into the cold oven, and covered it with a damper, and said: “Bake, bread, clean, loose and white as snow.”
After that, the frog sat down on a chair, and the black girl looked at everything, went back to her daughters-in-law, and when she arrived, she said: “Dear ladies, I don’t know why the king praises the frog, she doesn’t know how to do anything.” Then the dark girl told what the frog was doing; and they, having listened to everything, decided to do the same themselves, like the frog, and ordered flour, kneading and water to be brought; and when everything was brought, they each poured it into their own kneading bowl, diluted it with cold water, poured it into cold ovens, then closed the oven doors and told them to bake their bread clean, loose and white as snow. But how did they dissolve on cold water, and then they poured it into cold ovens, their solutions spread throughout the ovens, which, seeing, they ordered to bring flour again, and dissolved it in hot water, and ordered to heat the ovens, and planted their grains. But as they were in a hurry, all of one’s bread was burnt, and the other’s was completely raw; The frog took his bread out of the oven and it was clean, crumbly, and white as snow. Ivan the hero took the bread from the frog and took it to his father. Then the brothers came and brought their loaves, and as soon as the king got up, they entered with their loaves. The king, having accepted the bread from his big son and looking at it, said: “People can eat this bread only out of need.” Then he accepted bread from the middle son and, looking at him, said: “This bread is also not good.” Then he accepted bread from his youngest son and, looking at him, said: “Bring this bread to my table when I have guests.” After that, turning to those two sons, he said to them: “I must admit, dear children, that although your wives are beautiful, they cannot be compared with a frog.”
Then he said: “Dear children! Since your wives did everything for me that I ordered, then in gratitude to them I ask you to bring them to my palace to dine tomorrow.”
He also ordered Ivan the hero to bring his frog. After that, the children went to their rooms, and when Ivan the hero arrived, he became very sad and thought to himself: “How can I take her with me to the palace?” The frog, sitting on a chair, said: “Kwa, kwa, kwa, Ivan the hero, what are you so sad about?” Ivan the hero answered: “How can I not be sad, the priest ordered us all to come to his palace tomorrow to eat with our wives, then how can I take you to the priest?” To which the frog said: “Don’t cry and don’t grieve, Ivan the hero, the morning is wiser than the evening, lie down and sleep.” Ivan the hero did not say anything more, and the next day, as he began to get ready for the palace, the frog said: “If the king sees what a rich carriage and goes to meet him, then you tell him: “Don’t bother, father, it’s, they say, dragging along.” “You know, my little frog is in a box.” After that, Ivan the hero got ready and went to the palace, and her two daughters-in-law again sent the dark girl to see what the frog would wear. The dark girl came into the rooms and watched what the frog was doing; at that time the frog opened the window and called out in a loud voice: “Oh, you wild winds! Fly to my country and tell me that that very rich ceremonial carriage with all the equipment will arrive and that there will be those lackeys, haiduks, walkers and horsemen who rode in the parade with my father.” After that, the frog slammed the window and sat down on a chair. And suddenly the dark girl saw that a very rich carriage had arrived, and with it came footmen, guides, walkers and horsemen, and everyone was in a very rich dress. And the dark girl went to her daughters-in-law and told them everything, and they, having heard from her, decided to do the same themselves, and opened the windows and began to shout: “Violent winds! Fly and tell those rich ceremonial carriages to come and those lackeys, haiduks, walkers and horsemen who rode with our priests in the parade.” After that they closed the windows and waited; but the winds did not obey them, and their carriages did not move, which, seeing, they ordered their horses to be laid down and rode to the palace.
And as everyone had already gathered and was waiting for the frogs, they suddenly saw that the horsemen were jumping, the walkers were running; then a very rich ceremonial carriage drove by. And when the king saw it, he thought that some king or prince was coming, and he went to meet him. But Ivan the hero said: “Don’t work, father, and don’t walk, this is, you know, my little frog dragging around in a box.” And as that carriage drove up to the porch, Ivan the hero’s beautiful wife came out of the carriage, and as she entered the rooms, everyone was surprised, and the king was very happy to see his youngest daughter-in-law.
After that, they sat down at the table and began to eat, then the frog would pour what he didn’t finish down his sleeve, then he would put the bones behind the other. That when those two daughters-in-law saw her, they began to do the same; what they didn’t finish drinking, they poured it down the sleeve, and what they didn’t finish, they put the bones behind the other. Then, as soon as they got up from the table, enormous music began to play, and the frog began to dance; and as she waved one sleeve, it suddenly became a yard high in the water in that hall, then as she waved her other sleeve, geese and swans swam across the water, which, seeing, everyone could not be amazed at her cunning. And as soon as she danced, it all disappeared.
Then those two daughters-in-law went to dance, and when they waved their sleeves, they doused and sprayed everyone, and then the next time they waved their sleeves, they knocked out everyone’s eyes with bones, and when they saw it, everyone began to laugh at them. And at that time, Ivan the hero decided to burn his wife with his frog skin, thinking that since the skin was gone, it would remain the same as it was in the palace. And for this purpose he pretended to be sick and went from the palace to his home. And when he arrived, he went into the rooms and found frog skin, and immediately burned it. At that time his wife recognized him and pretended to be sick; went home, and as soon as she arrived, she rushed to look for her peel, and, not finding it anywhere, said: “Well, Ivan the hero, when you could not tolerate a little time, now look for me, distant lands in the thirtieth kingdom, in the Sunflower state, and know that my name is Vasilisa the Wise.” After these words she disappeared, and Ivan the hero cried inconsolably. Then he went to his father to the palace and told him about his misfortunes. The king, hearing from him, was very sorry for the loss of his daughter-in-law.
Ivan the hero told the king, his father, that he intended to go look for his wife. The king did not contradict him, and Ivan the hero went to look for her. And he walked, whether long or short, close or far, soon the tale is told, but not soon the deed is done. Finally he came to a hut that stood on chicken legs and turned around on its own. Ivan the hero said: “Hut, hut, stand with your back to the forest, and stand in front of me.” And according to his speeches, the hut stopped, Ivan the hero went into the hut and saw that Baba Yaga was sitting and saying in an angry voice: “The Russian spirit has never been heard of or seen before, but now the Russian spirit is manifested in the eyes.” Then she asked him: “What are you, Ivan the hero, willingly or unwillingly?” Ivan the hero answered that as much as I will, but twice as much as I will. Then he told me what he was looking for. Then Baba Yaga said: “I feel sorry for you, Ivan the hero, please, I will serve you and show you your wife, for she flies to me every day to rest. Just watch how she rests, then you try to catch her by the head, and when you catch her, she will begin to turn into a frog, toad and snake and other reptiles, then you don’t let go, and finally she will turn into an arrow, then take that arrow and break it on your knee: then it will be yours forever.”
Ivan the hero thanked her for her instruction. After that, Baba Yaga hid Ivan the Bogatyr, and as soon as she had time to hide him, Vasilisa the Wise flew to her. Ivan the Bogatyr left that place and quietly approached Vasilisa the Wise and grabbed her head, which, seeing, she began to turn into a frog, a toad, and then a snake. And Ivan the hero got scared and lowered himself. Then Vasilisa the Wise disappeared at that very moment, and Baba Yaga said to him: “When you did not know how to hold her, then go to my sister, to whom she flies to rest.”
Ivan the hero walked away from her and was very sorry that he had missed Vasilisa the Wise, and walked for a long time, finally coming to a hut that stood on chicken legs and turned around on its own. Ivan the hero said to the hut: “Hut, hut, stand with your back to the forest, and stand in front of me.” And when the hut stopped, Ivan the hero went into the hut and saw that Baba Yaga was sitting in the front corner and said in an angry voice: “The Russian spirit has never been heard of or seen before, but now the Russian spirit is manifested in the eyes.” Then she asked him: “What are you, Ivan the hero, willingly or unwillingly?” Ivan the hero answered: “As much as I will, and twice as much as I will.” And he told her why he came. Baba Yaga, having heard everything from him, said: “Listen, Ivan the hero, I assure you that you will see your wife here, just watch and don’t let her go.” Then Baba Yaga hid it, and as soon as she had time to hide it, Vasilisa the Wise flew to her to rest. At that time, Ivan the Bogatyr came out and quietly approached Vasilisa the Wise, and grabbed her hand. Then she began to turn into various reptiles, then Ivan the Bogatyr held everything, and when Vasilisa the Wise turned into a snake, he got scared and let her go from his hands. As Ivan the Bogatyr lowered himself, Vasilisa the Wise disappeared at that very moment. Then Baba Yaga said: “Well, Ivan the hero, when you didn’t know how to hold her, then go now to our third sister, because she will already fly to her.”
Ivan the hero left her very sadly, and he walked along the road, whether long, short, close, or far, soon the fairy tale is told, but not soon the deed is done. Finally he came to a hut that stood on chicken legs and turned around on its own. Ivan the hero said: “Hut, hut, stand with your back to the forest, and stand in front of me.” The hut stopped, and Ivan the Bogatyr went into the hut and saw Baba Yaga sitting in the front corner, who said in a very angry voice: “Until now, the Russian spirit has never been heard of or seen, but now the Russian spirit is being perfected in the eyes.” Then she asked: “What are you, Ivan the hero, willingly or unwillingly?” Ivan the hero answered that as much as I will, but twice as much as I will. Then he told her what he was looking for. And as Baba Yaga listened, she said: “Listen, Ivan the hero, your wife will fly to me this day to rest, then you catch her hand at that time, and as soon as you catch her, hold her tight and don’t let her go. Although it will turn into all sorts of nasty things, you hold it and don’t let it go, and when it turns into an arrow, you take the arrow and break it in two, and then it will be yours forever. If you, Ivan the hero, let it go, you will never get it again.” Ivan the Bogatyr thanked her for her instruction, and Baba Yaga hid him, and as soon as she managed to hide him, Vasilisa the Wise flew to her to rest. At that very time, Ivan the Bogatyr came out of the place where he was hidden, and approached quietly, grabbed Vasilisa the Wise by the hand, which, seeing, she began to turn into a frog, toad, snake and other reptiles, but Ivan the Bogatyr did not let her go. out of hand Seeing Vasilisa the Wise that she could not free herself, she finally turned around with an arrow, and Ivan the Bogatyr took the arrow and broke it in two. At that very time, Vasilisa the Wise appeared before him and said: “Well, dear Ivan the hero, now I surrender to your will.” Ivan the Bogatyr, seeing her, was very happy, and that whole day was spent in great joy, and the next day Ivan the Bogatyr began to ask Vasilisa the Wise to come into his state, but she said: “Dear Ivan the Bogatyr, when I said that I was giving myself up at your will, then I am ready to go wherever you want.”
Then they began to consult how they should ride and on what, for they did not have a single horse, seeing that Baba Yaga immediately gave them a flying carpet and said that “this carpet will carry you faster than your horses, and you will no more fly to your state in three days.” Ivan the Bogatyr and Vasilisa the Wise thanked her for the gift. After that, they spread out the carpet and said goodbye to Baba Yaga, flew to their state, and after flying for three days, on the fourth day the carpet, at their command, landed directly in the palace. And Ivan the Bogatyr and Vasilisa the Wise went to their chambers. And as soon as the king heard about the return of his son and daughter-in-law, he was very happy and greeted them himself with great joy. And for their return the king held a great feast, and after that he gave the rule of his kingdom to Ivan the hero and made him king in his place. And Ivan the hero made a great party in his palace, and at this party there were his brothers and many ministers. At the end of that fun, the brothers of Ivan the hero went to their homes, and Ivan the hero remained with his wife and ruled the kingdom after his father safely.
Lymar D.V. 1
Dyatkova L.N. 1 Novikova L.B. 2
1 Municipal budgetary educational institution "Secondary secondary school No. 9 of the city of Lesosibirsk"
2 MBOU "Secondary School No. 9"
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Introduction
I have said and I repeat again and again: we can only approach a miracle with the help of numbers...
Daniel Kelman
Among the books, the most amazing are fairy tales. They do not know the power of time.
I really enjoy reading them. And Russian folk, and author's, and fairy tales different nations- they are all instructive, they carry something mysterious, magical, enigmatic, they reflect the soul of a person, his way of life, his faith, superstition. While reading works of oral folk art, I noticed that in folklore texts: fairy tales, proverbs, riddles, etc., the presence of numbers is observed very often. Is this a coincidence? What is this connected with? While studying mathematics, I decided to return once again to Russian folk art, to study the fairy tale for the use of numbers and numerical significance in it. After all, there is not only magic in a fairy tale, there is a place for science in it. I decided to find out.
I became interested, so I chose the topic of my research: “One is a secret, two is half a secret, three is no secret... (mathematics in the Russian fairy tale “The Frog Princess”).” It is known that this fairy tale has more than 20 versions, which means that it has been improved and is not without reason considered one of the best folk tales.
The relevance of the chosen topic lies in the fact that numbers at all times are of great importance for the destinies of people.
The subject of the study is the numbers found in the folk tale “The Frog Princess”.
Goal: to understand the role of numbers in Russian folk tales, what experience the people wanted to convey, passing folk tales from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation.
To trace which numbers are most often found in works of oral folk art;
Analyze and summarize the data obtained.
The material for observation was works of oral folk art.
Research methods:
search;
descriptive method (observation, generalization);
survey;
systematization of material; making a presentation.
Hypothesis: not all numbers appear in speech folk art, but those that have religious and everyday significance for the people of that time.
Practical significance of the study : this material can be used both in mathematics lessons in primary and secondary classes, and in literature lessons when studying works of oral folk art and when studying the topic “Numeral” in Russian language lessons.
Main part
2.1 Frequency of use of numbers in Russian folk tales
In order to analyze what numbers are used in fairy tales and what role they play, we conducted a survey (see Appendix 1) of 5th grade students (50 people were surveyed), re-read some fairy tales and compiled a table “Frequency of use of numbers in fairy tales” (see Appendix 2) and the diagram “Frequency of use of numbers in fairy tales” (see Appendix 3).
Survey results
To the question “Name your favorite Russian folk tales” the following answers were received: “Kolobok” (25 people - 50%), “Teremok” (10 people - 20%), “The Frog Princess” (10 people - 20%), “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats” (8 people - 16%), other fairy tales (single answers - 13 people - 26%).
To the question “Do you think the numbers used in fairy tales carry certain meaning? Which?" 25 people (50%) answered positively, 10 people (20%) gave a negative answer, 15 people (30%) found it difficult to answer. The guys tried to explain the meaning of numbers in fairy tales: “They add magic to the story,” said 12 people (24%), “They hint at a happy outcome of events” - 4 people (8%), “They talk about misfortunes and troubles” - 2 people (4%), “Numbers are related to real life(help count heroes, small children learn to count)” - 5 people (10%)
To the question “What numbers did you most often encounter in Russian folk tales?” a variety of answers were received, respondents named numbers from 1 to 13, 33, “far away” and “thirtieth”. The leader of the survey was number 3 (38 people - 76%), followed by numbers 7 (30 people - 60%), 9 (15 people - 30%), 2 (13 people - 26%), “far away” and “thirtieth "(10 people - 20%), 4 (7 people - 14%), 12 (6 people - 12%), 33 (5 people - 10%), 1 (4 people - 8%), 13 (1 person - 2%)
To the question “In mathematics there are even and odd numbers. Which ones are more common in fairy tales? Why?" 34 people (68%) answered “Odd”, 4 people (8%) - “Even”, 1 person (2%) - “Equally”, 11 people (22%) found it difficult to answer. Only 2 people (4%) were able to explain their point of view - “Misfortunes are associated with even numbers.”
To the question “Do you think that the people deliberately chose the number of trials in fairy tales, the number of sons the king had? Why? What was this connected with? 36 people (78%) gave a positive answer, 11 people (22%) gave a negative answer, 3 people (6%) found it difficult to answer. How respondents tried to explain their positive answer: 14 people (28%) believe that the use certain numbers associated with magic and sorcery, 9 people (18%) assume that with religion, because there is an expression “God loves a trinity”, 3 people (6%) think that numbers add intrigue to the story and make it more interesting.
Studying the survey results, the following conclusions can be drawn:
Most often in fairy tales the numbers 3, 7, 9, 2, “far away” and “thirtieth” are found;
Most respondents believe that the choice of numbers in fairy tales is not accidental, although not everyone can justify their opinion.
2.2 Study of the fairy tale “The Frog Princess”
Rereading the fairy tale “The Frog Princess”, I chose the moments where numbers are used:
In the old days, one king had three sons.
Threefold actions: three brothers - three arrows shot in three directions; played three weddings; three trials of princes' wives.
The king ordered his three sons to come to him for a feast tomorrow along with their wives.
The frog princess repeats three times: “Don’t be sad, Ivan Tsarevich“Go to bed, the morning is wiser than the evening.”
In the third task, Vasilisa the Wise had to attend a feast.
“I only waited three days, I would have been yours forever. And now goodbye. Look for me far away, in the thirtieth kingdom, near Koshchei the Immortal...”
“How you wear out three pairs of iron boots, how you gnaw three iron loaves - only then will you find me...”
Koschey ordered Vasilisa the Wise to be a frog for three years.
Whether he walked for a long time, short, close, or far - soon the tale is told, but the deed is not soon done - he wore out two pairs of iron boots, gnawed two iron loaves, and set to work on the third.
He walked and walked, wore out the third pair of iron boots, gnawed the third iron bread and came to a dense forest. Ivan the Tsarevich comes across a bear, a drake, a hare, a pike fish, a hut, a Baba Yaga - seven meetings before the main test.
On the ninth brick lies Baba Yaga.
He bowed to four sides.
“His death is at the end of a needle, that needle is in an egg, that egg is in a duck, that duck is in a hare, that hare is in a forged casket, and that casket is on the top of an old oak tree. And that oak tree grows in a dense forest.” Seven items before Koshchei's death.
2.3 Secrets of numbers
Mysterious number 3
Our research has shown that in the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” the number 3 is the most common. In the fairy tale, the story begins with the fact that the king had three sons. Moreover, the third son is special! When we meet three sons in a fairy tale, most likely this beginning tells us that all the main events will unfold around the third hero, who will eventually come out of all troubles with flying colors.
What significance did people attach to the number 3?
When people first started inventing numbers, they only needed four words to count: one, two, three and many. For a long time, the number 3 was the limit of counting for many peoples; it was considered magical in ancient times because it was the sum of the previous numbers (1+2=3).
The very observation of natural phenomena suggested the special significance of this number. People everywhere met, or thought they met, division by three. They saw that the universe consists of sky, earth and water; the heavenly bodies stood in front of them: the sun, the moon and the stars; in bodies they observed three dimensions: length, width and height; three states of substances in nature: solid, liquid, gaseous; in time: past, present and future.
Since the religion of the ancients was associated with natural phenomena, they made division by three the basis of their theoretical systems, and this number acquired the meaning of the sacred. The number 3 has entered the Christian religion; believers represent God in the form of a trinity: Father - Son - Holy Spirit. It is curious that the number “three” was considered not only as a lucky number (the expression “God loves the trinity” is well known), but also as an unlucky one (“damned”).
The number three appears in almost every fairy tale. Very often you can find in Russian legends three wishes, three attempts, three from a casket, a stone by three roads, three heads by a monster. We also meet the number three when fairy tale hero faces a choice of three paths, and the third path is the most dangerous, difficult and main character always chooses the most thorny path, which promises not only great dangers, but also great rewards. Choosing the most dangerous path, the hero commits right choice, because to achieve the best result, to transform your experience into real wisdom, you need to pass all the tests.
About the number 9 and “far away lands, in the thirtieth kingdom...”
The number 9 is directly related and dependent on the number 3. Sometimes it is thought of as the number 3, only in a stronger form: 9 = 3x3. The numbers 3 and 9 found special use in everyday relationships. For example, at feasts there was a rule - to drink 3 cups or 9, but never 4 or 5.
From 3 x 3 = 9 a step is taken to 3 x 9 = 27. This number also has magical power, for example, the famous fairy tale “far away lands” comes from it.
“Far distant lands, in the thirtieth kingdom...” This is how fairy tales begin. In most fairy tales these words are used as a common and familiar saying. But not everyone knows that this is a kind of determination of the distance to the place where the events took place. And to be more precise, how much time will it take to get there. Far Away Lands is nothing more than the number 27 (3 x 9 = 27). So many days ancient calendar length of the lunar month. That is, you need to walk for the same number of days.
But the expression “the thirtieth state” came from peasants who could only count to ten. Three times ten is so far that it is simply impossible to get there. For our ancestors, these particular places were considered inaccessible. It turns out that the numbers 27 and 30 are the limit beyond which miracles live and happen.
Lucky number 7
An equally magical number is the number 7. In the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” it clearly does not appear, but the number of animals and the number of objects before Koshchei’s death is seven. What is the magic of number 7?
Seven is the number of luck, a magical and sacred number that represents wisdom and secret knowledge. The number seven was considered a symbol of holiness among many peoples.
Even in ancient times, seven was considered lucky number and was surrounded with great honor. The person perceived the world around us(light, smells, sounds, taste) through seven “holes” in the head (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth).
About four thousand years ago, the ancient peoples located on the territory of modern Iraq already had the first astronomical knowledge. These peoples observed the movement of five planets in the starry sky, which, together with the Sun and Moon, made up 7 celestial bodies. Ancient scientists noticed that lunar month equal to 28 days, and divided it into four equal parts so that each of the seven days was dedicated to one of the seven deities - this is how the seven-day week arose.
Echoes of the veneration of this number have reached our days, when we use in our speech proverbs, sayings and phraseological units such as “Seven troubles - one answer”, “Seven do not expect one thing”, “Being in seventh heaven”, “Seven spans in the forehead” " This number is a symbol of the knowledge of truth; you need to measure seven times in order to cut once. There are 7 colors in the rainbow, 7 wonders in the world, 7 days in a week, 7 notes in music.
The number 7 is found in such fairy tales as: “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats” - “Once upon a time there was a beautiful house a goat with her seven kids."
Fairy tale “Teremok” - seven animals settled in Teremok: a fly, a mosquito, a mouse, a frog, a hare, a fox, a wolf.
Even in fairy tales, there is often a mention of the number seven - “behind seven doors, behind seven locks...”, etc. Seven is more often used in the meaning - many.
In the Russian folk tale “The Frog Princess” - given number It was not chosen by chance, because there were exactly seven items before the liberation of Vasilisa the Wise. The use of the number seven in a fairy tale immediately prepares us for the fact that no matter what events happen in the fairy tale, even the most inevitable ones, everything will certainly end well.
About even numbers
Even numbers 4, 6, 8 are rare in Russian folk tales. Most likely, the creators of fairy tales did not give them special significance and used them only as simple numerals to indicate quantity. Until now, since ancient times, people have used knowledge of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west), and calendar year divided into four seasons: winter, spring, summer, autumn.
In the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” there is a mention that Ivan the Tsarevich bowed to four sides.
In the fairy tale "Kolobok" - 4 characters were met by Kolobok (hare, wolf, fox, bear).
In ancient times, the numbers 4 and 6 were considered the most unlucky. This sign has come to us since the times when New Year was celebrated not on January 1st, but on September 1st. December and February were considered the 4th and 6th months, respectively. It is during these months that the largest and strictest church fasts occur. It was believed that even babies should not be fed. At such a time, a lot of both children and adults died. Today this sign is no longer relevant. But, nevertheless, in fairy tales, not very good events are associated with these numbers. If a man is given 4 riddles in a fairy tale and the answer must be given within four days, this is a sign of trouble. The same goes for the six. Many princes who tried to save their bride from evil forces died at the sixth obstacle.
The even number 2 plays a more significant role in oral folk art.
It is found in proverbs and phraseological phrases: “A mind is good, but two are better,” “Like two peas in a pod,” “A double-edged sword.” The number two symbolizes pairing, evenness, doubling. It embodies something transitory, unstable, divisible. Also, the use of the number two occurs due to the fact that in life there are always two opposites: good and evil, black and white, light and darkness, wealth and poverty, etc., and many fairy tale plots are based on opposition. And in fairy tales, the number two is most often found to indicate the pairing of heroes and circumstances. Of the two heroes, one gets into trouble, and the other saves him. Their meeting is a happy ending.
Conclusion
Thus, our research shows that in Russian fairy tales the numbers 3, 9, 7, “far away”, “thirtieth” are most often found.
Three is a very powerful number that greatly influences our lives. The most important idea contained in number three: don’t give up if something doesn’t work out the first time. You should think and try again. It’s not for nothing that they say that God loves the Trinity; it didn’t work out once, which means it will definitely work out another time. And if not for the second time, then for the third time. Maybe that’s why the Russian people became famous for their resilience, their strong spirit, which cannot be broken by anything! The number nine is three, multiplied by three - harmony squared - almost perfection! And the distant kingdom is a kingdom in which everything should be harmonious! The happy ending of the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” tells us exactly this: “And they began to live together, in love and harmony.”
The number seven, which almost always denotes positive moments in people’s lives, was considered a symbol of holiness among many peoples; it is not only a holy number, but also a symbol of reason. It is interesting to note that our memory is particularly good at retaining only up to seven different impressions or objects.
Even numbers - two, four, six, eight - are much less common in oral folk art. This is due to superstitious beliefs. The number 2 most often denotes quantity and is important in contrast.
To summarize, we can say that Russian folk tales are riddled with numbers. The presence of numbers is observed everywhere, they appear as sacred (religious) and deeply symbolic, and the choice of numerals in fairy tales is based on the popular idea of the meaning of numbers. Numbers play literary text an important role, and their study helps to penetrate into the thought laid down by the people, to better understand the history of their people.
Thus, our hypothesis that not just any numbers are found in oral folk art, but those that have religious and everyday meaning for the people of that time, was confirmed.
“I don’t know how you can sit all day and look at numbers.
Yes, if you look at them as simple numbers, then they really look dry. But there are people behind them. They reflect the world they live in, what they need, and how their community lives. It's amazing what you can learn from numbers. This is the only thing in life that makes sense. As Pythagoras said, “numbers rule the world” (From the film “Population 436”)
References
Dal V.I. Dictionary living Great Russian language / Comp. Shakhmatova N.V. St. Petersburg: Ves Publishing House, 2004. 1678 p.
Literature. 5th grade. Textbook for general education organizations. In 2 parts / V.Ya. Korovina, V.P. Zhuravlev, V.I. Korovin. - 5th ed. - M.: Education, 2015. - 303 p. : ill.
Mathematics: 5th grade: textbook for students of general education organizations/A.G. Merzlyak, V.B. Polonsky, M.S. Yakir. - M.: Ventana-Graf, 2014 -304 p.: ill.
Panov V.F. Mathematics ancient and young. Ed. Zarubina V.S. M.: MSTU im. N.E. Bauman, 2006. 648 p.
Propp V.Ya. Historical roots fairy tale St. Petersburg: Labyrinth, 1996. 511 p.
Russian folk tales. Compiled by Anikin V.P. M.: Press, 1992. 560 p.
Stepanov A.I. Number and culture: The rational unconscious in language, literature, science, modern politics, philosophy, history. M.: Languages Slavic culture, 2004. 259 p.
Appendix 1
1.Name your favorite Russian folk tales.
2. Do you think the numbers used in fairy tales have a certain meaning? Which?
3. What numbers did you most often encounter in Russian folk tales?
4.In mathematics there are even and odd numbers. Which ones are more common in fairy tales? Why?
5. Do you think that the people deliberately chose the number of trials in fairy tales, the number of sons the king had? Why? What was this connected with?
Appendix 2
Frequency of use of numbers in fairy tales
|
Fairy tale title |
distant, thirtieth |
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Marya Morevna |
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Ivan Tsarevich and the snake |
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Tiny - Khavroshechka |
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Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf |
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Wolf and seven kids |
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Princess - frog |
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It is known that this tale has more than 20 variants, which means that it has been improved and is not without reason considered one of the best folk tales. Try to find examples of a special kind of fairy tale. Here is one of them: a description of the work of the frog princess - rhythmic, flowing, like a poem:
Where a needle pricks you once, a flower will bloom,
where it stings another time - cunning patterns go,
where the third one stings, the birds fly...
What versions of this tale do you know? What differences did you notice in them?
Answer
In the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” an internal rhythm is felt. For example, a passage about a glomerulus can be written like this:
The ball is rolling along the high mountains,
The ball is rolling along dark forests,
The ball rolls through the green meadows,
The ball rolls through the marshy swamps,
The ball is rolling through remote places...
The words about how the prince found the needle convey the speed of the action:
The prince was delighted,
Broke an egg
Got a needle
And he broke off the tip.
There is a known version of the fairy tale, the text of which was prepared for publication by V. Anikin. This option is basically the same as what is given in the textbook. But there are slight differences.
The frog greets Ivan a little differently when he returns home after his father’s orders: “Kwa, kwa, Ivan Tsarevich, what’s wrong? Or did you hear an unfriendly word from the priest?”
First, the king asks his daughters-in-law to sew a shirt and then bake bread. Vasilisa calls mothers and nannies for help.
When describing the feast, there are no words “music” and “dance”; it is said that “it’s the turn to dance.” The princess turned not into a white swan, but into a gray cuckoo.
V. Anikin’s version does not talk about iron boots and iron bread. Ivan Tsarevich sees not a casket on the oak tree, but a forged chest.
The beginning and ending of these tales are told differently.
- Did you like the fairy tale? What genre of fairy tales does it belong to (magical, everyday, fairy tales about animals)? What features of the folk tale did you find in it (saying, beginning, ending, repetitions, constant epithets)? Give examples from the text.
- Who are the main characters? Why is the fairy tale called “The Frog Princess”, although she is not the only heroine of this fairy tale?
- How do Tsar Vasilisa the Wise and the wives of the senior princes carry out the tasks? Tell us about it. How does the king evaluate their work? Try to tell close to the text the episode when the frog princess comes to the feast. What was the feast like?
- It is known that this tale has more than 20 variants, which means that it has been improved and is not without reason considered one of the best folk tales. Try to find examples of a special kind of fairy tale. Here is one of them: a description of the work of the frog princess - rhythmic, flowing, like a poem:
Where a needle pricks you once, a flower will bloom,
where it stings another time - cunning patterns go,
where the third one stings, the birds fly...What versions of this tale do you know? What differences did you notice in them?
- A fairy tale is an entertaining story about extraordinary events and adventures. Which extraordinary events and adventures related to the heroes of the fairy tale “The Frog Princess”? Who helped Ivan Tsarevich? Why? Why was Koschey the Immortal angry with Vasilisa the Wise and ordered her to be a frog for three years?
- Why was Ivan Tsarevich’s path to the frog princess so long and difficult? What did the narrator-author want to say by this? Who helped Ivan Tsarevich? Tell us about wonderful helpers.
Literature and visual arts
Compare illustrations different artists to the fairy tale “The Frog Princess,” for example, an illustration by I. Ya. Bilibin and a painting by V. M. Vasnetsov “The Feast” (see Bilibin’s illustration in a book of fairy tales or on the Internet). Which of them seem closest to the text of the fairy tale you read? Make your own drawings for the fairy tale (portraits of heroes, the path of the main character in search of Vasilisa the Wise, a feast, etc.).
Prepare a presentation of the tale using the beginning, ending, repetitions, and constant epithets.
- Why do you think the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” is considered magical? Justify your answer by retelling several episodes of the fairy tale.
- Why do you think the heroine of the fairy tale is named Vasilisa the Wise?
- Prepare a retelling of the fairy tale from the perspective of Ivan Tsarevich, while trying to convey the feelings and mood of the main character in various episodes of the fairy tale.
Enriching your speech
When preparing a retelling, or, as we say, rendering, a fairy tale, let’s pay attention to the beginning, its special melodious pronunciation (“In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a king, and he had three sons. The youngest was called Ivan Tsarevich.. .”), the king’s decision to marry his children, the unquestioning obedience of his sons to the father’s decision, and finally, advice on how to find their brides (“Where the arrow falls, marry there,” i.e., advice not to contradict fate, to trust it).
Repetitions are very important when telling stories: the arrow flew three times, the king gave the task to his daughters-in-law three times, and three times he evaluated their work.
The fairy tale conveys folk morality: good job Vasilisa the Wise is appreciated as the people would have appreciated her (“This carpet should be laid in my upper room on major holidays!”, “This bread is only eaten on major holidays!”); The frog princess protects her husband from sorrows and sorrows (“Don’t grieve, Ivan Tsarevich! It’s better to go to bed and rest: the morning is wiser than the evening!”).
There are many ancient things in the fairy tale folk words and expressions (bake bread, I was amazed, baked it for tomorrow, with intricate patterns, I’ve never seen anything like this, say it neither in a fairy tale, nor describe it with a pen, call mothers, how can I not get upset, said, came back, etc.), they should include in the retelling.
Music and poetic rhythm are heard in the description of the work of the frog princess. Read the lines expressively. Try to convey this rhythm when reading.
She took fine sieves, small sieves,
sifted the wheat flour,
kneaded the white dough,
baked a loaf - loose and soft,
decorated with various intricate patterns:
on the sides are cities with palaces, gardens and towers,
above - flying birds,
below - prowling animals.
Heroes of folk tales as assessed by writers
Prepare stories about Vasilisa the Wise and Ivan Tsarevich.
At the same time, use the statement that M. Gorky, speaking about folklore, cites as characteristics of the two main characters of Russian folk tales: “Majestic simplicity, contempt for posture, gentle pride in oneself, a remarkable mind and a deep heart full of inexhaustible love, a calm readiness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the triumph of your dreams - these are the spiritual data of Vasilisa the Wise, magnificently and lovingly outlined by the old masters of image and word..."
Do you agree with this assessment? What can you tell us about Vasilisa the Wise (how she works, how she treats Ivan Tsarevich)?
“The hero of folklore is a “fool”, despised even by his father and brothers, always turning out to be smarter than them, always the winner of all everyday adversities, just as Vasilisa the Wise overcomes them.”
This assessment of M. Gorky applies to the main characters of many Russian folk tales. Which of this assessment can be attributed to Ivan Tsarevich from the fairy tale “The Frog Princess”? Prepare your story about the hero. Remember how he evaluates the work of Vasilisa the Wise, what difficulties he overcomes along the way, what traits of his character are revealed.
It is known that this fairy tale, The Frog Princess, has more than 20 variants, which means that it has been improved and is not without reason considered one of the best folk tales. Try to find examples of a special kind of fairy tale. Here is one of them: a description of the work of the frog princess - rhythmic, flowing, like a poem:
Where the needle pricks once, the flower will bloom, where it pricks another time, cunning patterns follow, where it pricks a third time, birds fly...
What versions of this tale do you know? What differences did you notice in them?
Answers:
In the parable “The Frog Princess” there is an internal rhythm. For example, a passage about a glomerulus can be written like this: The glomerulus is rolling along the highest mountains, rolls through dark forests, rolls through greenish meadows, rolls through swampy swamps, rolls through remote places... The words about how the prince found the needle convey the speed of action: The prince was delighted, broke a testicle, took out the needle and broke off its tip. There is a known version of the fairy tale, the text of which was prepared for publication by V. Anikin. This option basically coincides with what is given in the textbook. But there are small differences. The frog greets Ivan a little differently when he returns home after his father’s cry: “Kwa, kwa, Ivan Tsarevich, what’s wrong? Or did you hear an unfriendly word from the priest?” At first, the ruler asks his daughters-in-law to sew a shirt, and later to bake bread. Vasilisa calls mothers and nannies for help. When describing the feast, there are no words “music” and “dance”; it is said that “it’s the turn to dance.” The princess turned not into a snow-white swan, but into a grayish cuckoo. Anikin’s version does not talk about steel boots and steel bread. Ivan Tsarevich sees not a casket on an oak tree, but a forged chest. The beginning and ending of these tales are told differently.