Dramatic tale
Winter. It's very cold in the forest. The squirrels and the hare are playing. The Wolf talks to the Raven. Everything is as usual. Animals have their own lives. The animals have already gotten used to the cold, but it’s not easy for the little girl who was sent into the forest by the evil Stepmother. The stepdaughter came to the forest to get firewood. She watched the animals in surprise. The girl accidentally met a Soldier in the forest and told him about it. He was not at all surprised, because New Year is coming soon, which means all sorts of miracles are possible.
Soon everyone leaves. The soldier left with a Christmas tree, which he must take to the Queen. The girl picked up a bundle of firewood and left. Twelve brothers-months gathered in the forest near the fire.
Meanwhile, in the palace, the young Queen was studying her homework. She was only 14 years old, and she was capricious and not very well-mannered. All the courtiers were afraid to make comments to her. The Queen says she doesn't like to write. The old professor is trying to persuade her to write at least a few lines. Finally the Queen graciously agrees. The professor dictates lines to her:
The grass is turning green
The sun is shining
The swallow is flying towards us in the canopy with spring!
The Queen says she will only write the first line. Suddenly the Chancellor came and asked the Queen to sign the decrees. The Queen said that if she signed the decrees, then she would not write the poem. She signed the decrees. And the chancellor handed her another document. There it was necessary to write either “execute” or “pardon.” The Queen thought the word “execute” was shorter, so she wrote it down. The chancellor left with the documents. The professor began to complain that the Queen had just decided the fate of a man without even thinking about it! The Queen replied that she could not think and write at the same time. The Queen said that if she had listened to the professor, she would have only thought. But she doesn't like it at all.
The professor tried to start a math lesson. But the Queen was extremely reluctant to study. Finally she said that it was time to finish the lessons, because New Year was coming and she had a lot to do. The professor couldn't argue with her. The Queen obeyed absolutely no one. And no one could order her. She took advantage of her position.
The Queen suddenly said that she wanted April to come. She wanted to see snowdrops. The professor began to say that April would come in just three months. But the Queen demanded snowdrops now. She ordered the chancellor to be called and issued a decree that a full basket of snowdrops should be brought to her for the New Year. For this she promised a generous reward - as much gold as would fit in the basket containing the snowdrops and a fox fur coat.
The heralds notified the people of the royal decree.
Meanwhile, in a small house, the Old Woman and her Daughter were talking about a possible reward. The daughter chose the largest basket so that as much gold as possible could fit into it. However, they both understood that it was impossible to find snowdrops in the middle of winter. But the Daughter began to get ready for the forest in the hope of finding snowdrops. She had a fight with her mother, who did not want to let her go. But then the old woman decided to send her Stepdaughter to the forest.
Just then the Stepdaughter returned from the forest with a bundle of firewood. She was very cold and sat down by the stove to warm up.
The old woman ordered her Stepdaughter to go into the forest for snowdrops. The girl could not believe that she was being sent to buy flowers in the middle of winter. But the Stepmother was not joking. She spoke about the royal decree. The stepdaughter tried to explain that it was impossible to find snowdrops now, that they would be there in the spring. But the Stepmother and her daughter did not listen to the poor girl. The old woman ordered her to go and said that she would not let her into the house without snowdrops.
The stepdaughter had no choice but to pack up and leave.
"Forest. Large flakes of snow fall to the ground. Thick twilight. The stepdaughter makes her way through deep snowdrifts. Wraps himself in a torn scarf. Blowing on frozen hands. It's getting darker and darker in the forest. A lump of snow falls noisily from the top of the tree.” The stepdaughter looks around in fear. There is no one in the forest, and she is scared. She's ready to stay here and freeze. The girl falls asleep. A Wolf comes out from behind a snowdrift. Belka can be heard saying: “Don’t sleep, you’ll freeze!” The stepdaughter woke up. She began to listen. But I didn’t hear anything else. The girl said that when she fell asleep, she felt warmer and dreamed of her birth mother.
The girl noticed that something was glowing in the distance. She went there. Finally, the Stepdaughter came to a clearing, in the middle of which a fire was burning. Twelve people were sitting around the fire. Three were very old, three were elderly, three were young and three were very young. The girl heard twelve brothers talking among themselves. It was twelve months. The girl came out to the fire and said hello. She asked permission to warm herself near the fire. February said that there was no such thing as any of the people sitting near their fire. But April said that since someone came, let them warm themselves. They allowed the girl to warm up. She was very grateful.
The eldest brother, January, asked why the girl came to the forest on New Year’s Eve, and even in such a strong snowstorm. The stepdaughter said that she did not come of her own free will. She said that her stepmother sent for snowdrops. Everyone laughed.
The girl said that she herself would willingly laugh at this. After all, she understands that there are no flowers in winter. But the Stepmother ordered not to return without snowdrops. February asked why Stepmother needs snowdrops in the middle of winter. Then the girl told about the royal decree that the Queen would give a whole basket of gold to the one who brought a basket of snowdrops.
January said that in order to collect snowdrops, you need to wait for the month of April.
The girl politely replied that she knew this. She apologized for the disturbance, said goodbye to her brothers and got ready to go home. But then April approached January and asked to give him his seat for an hour. January said he would have conceded. But before April there must come March, and before March there must come February.
March and February agreed. Then January gave way to February. He gave way to Mart. Spring has begun. And then March handed over the magic staff to April. His time has come. Streams ran, the snow melted, ants crawled out. Green grass appeared on the ground, flowers began to bloom. The girl could not recover from surprise. April hurried her and said that he had only been given time for an hour.
The stepdaughter could not believe that such a miracle was performed for her sake. She quickly ran to collect snowdrops. Meanwhile, the brothers were talking among themselves. January said he recognized her immediately. After all, she constantly goes to the ice hole for water or to the forest for firewood. And despite the fact that she is dressed very lightly and is freezing, she is always cheerful. June said that the summer months also know her very well. After all, she works all day from morning to night in the garden. And when he comes to the forest, he never breaks anything in vain - neither branches, nor flowers.
All the brothers agreed for months that the girl was very good. And for her sake, it’s not a pity to arrange spring in winter for a short time. April said he would give her his engagement ring. December approved this idea. Then a girl appeared with a basket full of snowdrops. She began to thank the months brothers for their kindness. April gave her a ring as a keepsake. And he said that if trouble happens, you need to throw the ring into the ground, or into the water, or into the snow and say:
You roll, roll, little ring,
On the spring porch,
In the summer canopy,
Into the autumn mansion and across the winter carpet to the New Year's bonfire!
And then April promised that all twelve months would come to the rescue.
The girl remembered these words. January told the girl that on the last night of the Old Year, on the first night of the New Year, she had the opportunity to meet with all twelve of them at once. And this is all because she walked the short path. And January said that this reserved road should not be opened to anyone. February added that it is impossible to talk about who gave the snowdrops.
The stepdaughter promised not to tell anyone anything. The girl said goodbye to her months-brothers and went home. And so that she could have light, the brothers asked for a month to shine brighter.
The girl returned home. She brought snowdrops to her stepmother and her daughter. But it seemed to them that it was not enough that they would receive a royal reward. And they stole the magic ring from the sleeping Stepdaughter. The ring was extraordinary, it shone and shimmered. And, seeing the ring, the Stepmother and Daughter realized that the girl was not alone collecting snowdrops, that someone was helping her.
The girl begged for the ring to be returned to her. But they didn't give it away. Stepmother and Daughter gathered at the palace. The stepdaughter was left alone. Now she was thinking that no one would stand up for her, because the ring was missing. The girl was very sad.
There is a holiday in the palace. But the Queen said that the New Year would begin only after she received a basket of snowdrops. The gardeners bring the Queen a variety of flowers, all very beautiful. But she only requires snowdrops. The Queen says that if she does not receive the snowdrops, she will order the execution of the head gardener and the chief forester.
But the Stepmother and Daughter brought snowdrops. The queen was very happy and said that now the New Year has come. The queen ordered them to tell where they found the flowers. The stepmother and daughter began to say that they walked through the forest for a long, long time, and finally found an amazing lake. Flowers, mushrooms, nuts and berries grew around him. The Queen immediately wanted to go there and ordered her courtiers to gather. They tried to dissuade her, but the capricious girl did not want to listen to anyone. The Queen ordered the Stepmother and Daughter to show the way. They tried to make an excuse that the snow had covered the wonderful lake. But the Queen said that if they did not show the way, they would be executed. Then the stepmother and her daughter admitted that they had cheated. They said that the Stepdaughter brought the flowers, but they don’t know where she found them. The Queen ordered to find the Stepdaughter. Everyone went to the forest.
It was cold in the forest. The queen quickly froze. She looked in surprise at the soldiers who were clearing the snow so that the sleigh could pass. The soldiers were very hot. The Queen asked why, she was told that it was because of work. Then the Queen ordered all the courtiers to take brooms, shovels and work.
Suddenly they brought the Stepdaughter. The Queen began to ask where she found the snowdrops. The girl didn't say anything. The Queen found out about the ring. The stepdaughter began to ask him to give it to her. But the Queen said that she would give the ring only if the girl told where she got the snowdrops. The stepdaughter refused to reveal the secret. The angry Queen threw the ring into the hole. The stepdaughter quickly said the cherished words. And immediately the moon brothers took her to their place.
Meanwhile, in the place where the Queen and her courtiers were, spring came. Everyone rushed to collect flowers. The Queen was delighted. Summer came immediately, the flowers disappeared, berries appeared. Everyone took off their clothes because it was very hot. But suddenly a strong wind blew and it began to rain. It's autumn. The warm fur coats of the Queen and her courtiers flew away. Winter has come. Everyone was very cold. Some immediately mounted their horses and rode out of the forest. The Queen didn't know what to do. Everyone was in despair. Suddenly January appeared. He said that he would fulfill everyone's wishes. The Queen said she wanted to go home. The old professor, her Teacher, said that he wanted all seasons to return to normal. The soldier asked to warm himself by the fire. Stepmother and Daughter wanted warm fur coats, even with dog fur. The old man gave them fur coats. They started arguing with each other. The stepmother reproaches her daughter for not asking for a more expensive and beautiful fur coat. And suddenly they turned into dogs. The soldier harnessed them to the sleigh, and they drove off. The dogs rode very poorly, constantly trying to pull in different directions. They somehow made it to the fire, where the moon brothers and the Stepdaughter were. The moon brothers returned the ring to the girl and generously presented her with it. When the Queen appeared, she, the Professor and the Soldier were allowed to warm up. The soldier taught the capricious Queen how to ask people for help. And she turned to her Stepdaughter to give her a ride to the palace. The stepdaughter gave the Queen, the Soldier and the Teacher each a fur coat so that they would not freeze. The moon brothers told her that the dogs were Stepmother and Daughter. And if they do not correct themselves in three years, then they will have to be in the form of dogs for several more years. At parting, the moon brothers promised their Stepdaughter to always help in everything.
The fairy tale "The Twelve Months" is a winter story that tells us about good and evil. This is an instructive story about how you need to help other people, and then your deeds will return to you a hundredfold. This is a magical play that enchants with the winter forest and New Year's atmosphere. One phrase can describe its brief content. "Twelve Months" is a message from childhood, thanks to which we know that bad people will always be punished, and those who bring light and love will find happiness and peace. The history of writing a fairy tale The then famous Soviet writer Samuil Marshak wrote “Twelve Months”. The fairy tale was not created in a fairy-tale time. Outside the window, the volleys of the Second World War thundered, and nothing reminded of the miracle. But the writer did not hang his nose, he did his job, and fictional characters soon began to live their own lives on the pages of the manuscript. Before this, the writer experienced grief - his little beloved daughter died. And after this tragedy, he devoted himself entirely to children's literature, writing poems and stories for children. In this way, he seemed to communicate with his daughter, dedicating more and more fairy-tale stories to her. There are several versions of writing the story "Twelve Months". Marshak borrowed the plot from the Czech author, the famous writer Bozena Nemcova, or he presented the Greek folk tale in his own way. Whether this is true or not, no longer matters. Because the world received an unusually interesting and fascinating story about the New Year's adventures of a little girl. Brief summary of the fairy tale "Twelve Months"
First of all, this is a story about hard work. Such conclusions can be drawn by reading its summary. “Twelve Months” tells the story that everything in the world, even the forces of nature, helps just such people - those who are not afraid of work, who do it with pleasure and do not ask for anything in return. And it all starts with the fact that on New Year’s Eve the princess issues a decree: bring her a basket of snowdrops for a good reward. The evil stepmother and her lazy daughter want to receive the promised gold coins. They are very greedy, but they are even more overcome by laziness. Therefore, they drive their stepdaughter out into the forest, into the frost and cold. “Go, and don’t come back without flowers,” they finally tell her and slam the door in her face. In the forest, the poor girl meets the moon brothers near the fire, who help her and give her a basket of snowdrops for her kindness and affection. They help the main character more than once. Even when the queen with her entire retinue goes to the thicket, finds out that she has been deceived, and wants to execute the girl, the months fly by in a crowd. They punish the stepmother and her daughter, give a good beating to the mischievous queen and generously reward the little orphan. This is what Marshak wanted to convey to us. “Twelve Months” (a brief summary is given above) is a fairy tale that promotes goodness and shows that evil and meanness will always be punished.
Positive characters The main character of this story is the positive one - the stepdaughter, who gets to work early in the morning. “She carries firewood and collects water,” January says about her. July supports and describes how she works at the beds all summer day. The girl constantly endures insults and ridicule from her stepmother and stepsister, but this does not make her evil. On the contrary, her friendliness and kindness illuminate everything around her even more. The brothers months are also positive heroes of the fairy tale “The Twelve Months”. Marshak shows us their justice and honesty. The forces of nature should be like this. Punishing people for their evil activities is something that we see not only in this story, but also in real life. Samuel Marshak put this main idea into his story. “Twelve Months” (the summary looks like a simple fairy tale) actually teaches us to be thrifty, selfless, generous and kind to the world around us and to people. And the positive heroes of the story are role models. Negative characters Here we have room to roam. Let's start with the stepmother and her daughter. Both are greedy and constantly looking for profit. Everything is not enough for them, and in the pursuit of wealth they go over their heads.
There are no obstacles - you can commit theft, lies and betrayal. The story “Twelve Months” clearly shows how they splashed out all these negative character traits on their innocent stepdaughter, for which they ultimately paid. The Queen is another negative character. Spoiled, accustomed to giving only instructions, she does not tolerate being contradicted. If she now wants April to come, then so be it. Decrees are issued, heads are chopped off, executions are ordered just to satisfy her fleeting desires. But pride is punishable - this is what the summary of the fairy tale “The Twelve Months” has already told us. The queen's retinue - all together and each individually - is also one continuous negative image. They indulge their ruler in everything, turning a blind eye to her whims and unfair decisions. They accepted her actions and became apathetic towards everything. Lack of an opinion and thoughtless slavish obedience are far from positive qualities. Even the summary conveys this. “Twelve Months” is a fairy tale that, in a simplified version, clearly reveals the author’s main idea. Fiction and life truth
The story "Twelve Months" shows us a lot of life. The fairy tale embodies real life - people who are ready to betray for the sake of gold, unjust managers who do not spare mere mortals and play with them like pawns. All the characters described in the story are certainly taken from life and are revealed in their entirety. In addition, the truth is shown in the actions of the heroes. For example, the kind gesture of a soldier who is ready to freeze for the sake of an orphan, just so that she can be warm in his overcoat. It is these little things that show us what kind of person he is - both in a fairy tale and in life. Despite the truthful descriptions, there are also many fictitious, magical moments. The physical shell of the brothers months and their namesake in the sky, the conversations of animals and birds - do not exist in ordinary life. The same can be said about the sharp change of seasons - spring covers winter, a minute later it’s summer, then autumn bursts in to replace them, and a minute later winter comes into its own again. With this combination of the fantastic and the real, Marshak created an indescribable atmosphere in the work “Twelve Months.” The fairy tale is not like other stories; it instills in us the belief that brother months really exist. The theme of the struggle between good and evil in the fairy tale “The Twelve Months” It is this that runs through the entire story, and this is clearly demonstrated to us by the summary. "Twelve Months" shows that the author tried his best to answer the question: "Is submission the embodiment of goodness or evil?" After all, at first glance it seems that it relates more to the first manifestation of human character, but this is not at all the case. In the fairy tale, we see that the submission of the stepmother and retinue to the queen only leads to the tyranny of the ruler. Seeing that no one will contradict her, she issues decrees, one more stupid than the other, which is why ordinary people suffer. The same submissiveness of the stepdaughter to the stepmother also did not lead to anything good. If it weren’t for the month brothers, the girl would simply freeze in the forest and die. Therefore, Marshak answers his own question: humility is not always a good quality, sometimes it is a manifestation of weakness, which ultimately gives rise to evil. He condemns her. The struggle of good in the guise of wisdom and hard work, loyalty and affection is opposed in the story to evil, as the embodiment of obedience, greed and selfishness. The use of folklore in the speech of characters Samuel Marshak used interesting figures of speech and folklore in the story “Twelve Months.”
The characters speak in bright phrases, the fairy tale is filled with lively replicas. His animals communicate using characteristic interjections and epithets. If this is a raven, then his monologue is sure to be decorated with the traditional “Karr!” The author shows true skill by overly individualizing the speech of his characters. We can clearly see this in the monologues of the stepdaughter. They have a pronounced folk-poetic core. The words flow like a song. The phrases are very melodic and rhythmic. Every dialogue in the story breathes folk art. Many literary critics are sure that it is in Slavic folklore that the children's story "The Twelve Months" originates. The fairy tale reveals to us about the beliefs of our distant ancestors - that the seasons have a human form, that animals in the forest can speak in our language, that the forces of nature are punishment for bad deeds. "Highlight" of the fairy tale Have you ever noticed the names of the characters in the story "Twelve Months"? I think not. And this is not at all surprising - the author did not give a single name to his characters. Advisor, queen, stepdaughter, stepmother - all of them without their own name. Marshak wanted to show society as a whole, without getting personal. Each hero embodies one layer of society: the orphan - the people, poor and hardworking, the queen - the rulers, ruthless and often stupid, the adviser - officials, sycophants and cowards, the stepmother - managers who are ready to cross out everything human for the sake of profit. Only twelve months have names. The forces of nature in the image of the brothers are shown only from the positive side. And this is understandable, because the world around us gives life to a person. Thanks to him, we breathe, grow crops, and continue our family line. But often people don't appreciate this. They are unhappy that it is winter and not summer, they do not like the rain, they are disappointed because of the severe frost outside the window. Although we know that nature does not have bad weather. Each of its manifestations is an essential link in the chain, without which life on Earth would be impossible.
Film adaptation After the universal success of the printed story written by Marshak, we finally saw “Twelve Months” on TV screens. Feedback from people indicates that the cartoon, which was published in 1952, broke records for its popularity. The children appreciated the wonderful New Year's story. The full-length animated film was created by director Ivan Ivanov-Vano. The cartoon scenery and its characters, known to all of us since childhood, were drawn by a master of his craft, Anatoly Sazonov. The fairy tale was also released as a full-length film for children. "Twelve Months" is a moral story that teaches us to be sensitive and kind, to love work and to remain human in any situation. For more than half a century it has been considered a classic of its genre. Both children and adults all over the world love to read this work and watch its film adaptation. In the coming New Year holidays, be sure to watch this fairy tale again with the whole family.
In the winter forest, a wolf talks with a raven, squirrels play burner with a hare. They are seen by the Stepdaughter, who came to the forest for brushwood and firewood (sent by her cruel Stepmother). The stepdaughter meets the Soldier in the forest and tells him about the game of animals. He explains that all sorts of miracles happen on New Year’s Eve and helps the girl collect the bundle. And the Soldier himself came to the forest to get a Christmas tree for the Queen. When he leaves, the twelve months gather in the forest to build a fire.
The fourteen-year-old Queen, the same age as her Stepdaughter, is an orphan. The gray-bearded Professor teaches the wayward girl penmanship and mathematics, but not very successfully, because the Queen does not like to be contradicted. She wishes April to come tomorrow, and issues an order: she promises a big reward to the one who brings a basket of snowdrops to the palace. The heralds announce the beginning of spring and the royal order.
The stepmother and her daughter dream of a reward. As soon as the Stepdaughter returns with brushwood, she is immediately sent back to the forest - for snowdrops.
The frozen Stepdaughter wanders through the forest. He comes out into a clearing where a fire is burning, and twelve brothers-months are warming themselves around it. The girl tells them her story. April asks the brothers to give him an hour to help his Stepdaughter. They agree. Snowdrops are blooming all around, the girl is collecting them. April gives her her ring: if trouble happens, you need to throw the ring, say the magic words - and all the months will come to the rescue. The brothers punish the Stepdaughter not to tell anyone about meeting them.
Stepdaughter brings snowdrops home. Stepmother's Daughter steals the ring given by April from the sleeping Stepdaughter. She immediately guesses about this and begs for the ring to be returned to her, but the old woman and her evil Daughter don’t even want to listen. They go with the snowdrops to the royal palace, leaving the Stepdaughter at home.
Gala reception at the royal palace. The Queen announces that the New Year will not begin until a basket full of snowdrops is brought. Gardeners appear with greenhouse flowers, but there are no snowdrops among them. Only when the Stepmother and Daughter bring Snowdrops does the Queen admit that the New Year has come. She orders “two persons” to tell where they found the flowers. They weave a tale about a wonderful place where flowers, mushrooms, and berries grow in winter. The Queen decides to send them for nuts and berries, but then she has the idea of going there herself along with the courtiers. Then the Stepmother and Daughter say that the wonderful place is already covered with snow. The Queen threatens them with execution for deception, and the liars admit that it was the Stepdaughter who picked the flowers. The Queen goes to the forest, ordering “two persons” to accompany her along with her Stepdaughter.
In the forest, soldiers are clearing the way for the Queen. They are hot, but the courtiers are cold. The Queen orders everyone to work and takes the broom herself. Stepmother, Daughter and Stepdaughter appear. The Queen orders that the Stepdaughter be given a fur coat. The stepdaughter complains that her ring was taken away. The Queen orders her stepmother to return the ring to her Daughter, and she obeys. The Queen then demands that the Stepdaughter tell her where she found the snowdrops. The girl refuses, and then the angry Queen orders her fur coat to be taken off, threatens her with execution and throws her ring into the hole. The stepdaughter finally says the magic words and disappears somewhere. Spring comes immediately. Then summer. A bear appears next to the Queen. Everyone runs away, only the Professor and the old Soldier protect her. The bear leaves. Autumn is coming. Hurricane, rain. The courtiers, having left the Queen, run back to the palace. The Queen stays with the Professor, the old Soldier, the Stepmother and her Daughter. Winter is returning, severe cold. There are sleighs, but you can’t ride: the courtiers rode off on horses. The Queen is freezing. How to get out of the forest? An old man in a white fur coat appears and invites everyone to make one wish. The Queen wants to go home, the Professor wants the seasons to return to their places, the Soldier wants to warm up by the fire, the Stepmother and Daughter want fur coats, even dog ones. The old man gives them fur coats, they scold each other for not asking for sables. And then they turn into dogs. They are harnessed to a sleigh.
Twelve months and Stepdaughter are sitting by the fire. The months give the girl a chest with new clothes and a wonderful sleigh drawn by two horses. The royal sleigh in a dog sled appears. Months allow everyone to warm themselves by the fire. Of course, you can't get far with dogs. We should ask the Stepdaughter for a ride, but the arrogant Queen doesn’t want to ask and doesn’t know how. The soldier explains to her how it is done. The Queen finally kindly asks her Stepdaughter, who puts everyone in a sleigh and gives everyone a fur coat. And in three years she will lead the dogs to the New Year's bonfire, and if they improve, they will be turned into people again.
Everyone is leaving. Months remain around the New Year's fire.
Everyone loves fairy tales: both children and adults. By following the magical adventures of the heroes, we simultaneously learn the most important moral lessons, become cleaner and kinder. The fairy tale play “Twelve Months” by S. Ya. Marshak is very bright, poetic and light. Along with colorful characters, nature becomes the protagonist in it, generous with blizzards, snowdrops, berries and torrential rains. The work is staged in many theaters; a wonderful cartoon (1956) and a film for children (1972) were created based on it.
History of creation
From childhood, we all remember the wonderful poems and fairy tales of S. Ya. Marshak. The writer himself recalled that when he was little he was forced to read books for adults, since there were no others. Perhaps that is why he paid so much attention to literature for children.
However, during the war, the writer switched to an adult audience. This continued until a letter was received from one boy. The child asked why his favorite author doesn’t write anything for children right now, when they are so scared? As a result, in 1943, the fairy tale play “Twelve Months” was born. It is based on the Slovak legend about the New Year's bonfire and the moon brothers gathered around it.
The beginning
The dramatic tale "The Twelve Months" begins in a winter forest, where a wolf talks with a wise raven, and baby squirrels and a hare play burners. The stepdaughter, sent by her stepmother for brushwood, sees this picture. She is surprised by the behavior of the animals. A soldier he meets by chance explains that real miracles happen on New Year's Eve. He helps the girl collect brushwood. She, in turn, shows the soldier the best Christmas tree, which he takes to the palace.
The fourteen-year-old queen at this time, under the guidance of an elderly professor, is studying mathematics and calligraphy. During class, she becomes capricious and threatens to cut off the teacher's head if he tries to contradict her. In the end, the young queen expresses her desire to receive snowdrops for the New Year and signs the order. According to him, April has arrived in the kingdom. She promises anyone who brings snowdrops to the palace a whole basket of gold.
The stepmother and her greedy daughter passionately want the reward. They send their stepdaughter back from the forest, despite a strong snowstorm. And they are forbidden to come home without snowdrops.
Magical meeting by the fire
Further, the fairy tale “Twelve Months” tells about the wanderings of a freezing stepdaughter through the forest. Suddenly she comes out to the fire, behind which the moon brothers of different ages are sitting. After a polite greeting, the girl tells them her sad story. For months, we had seen the hardworking girl in the forest more than once. To help her, January gives way to April for one hour.
In addition to snowdrops, the stepdaughter receives a ring as a gift. If you throw it and say the magic words, the months will come to the rescue. Before leaving, the girl promises not to tell anyone about what she saw. She returns home with a full basket of flowers.
Cunning and whims
While the stepdaughter is sleeping, the stepmother's daughter steals the magic ring from her hand. Waking up, the girl asks to return the gift. However, the stepmother and daughter do not listen to her. They go to the palace, taking snowdrops.
The young queen does not want to acknowledge the arrival of the New Year without spring flowers. Having received them, she tries to find out where the “two persons” found them. An embarrassed stepmother and daughter make up a story about a wonderful lake in the forest, near which flowers bloom, berries and mushrooms ripen in the middle of winter. The Queen wants to go there immediately. Fear of the death penalty forces the stepmother and her daughter to confess to deception. They are sent for their stepdaughter.
The queen and her courtiers go to the forest, where the fairy tale “The Twelve Months” continues. Soldiers cut through the path of the noble procession. Work makes servants feel hot, while courtiers shiver from the cold. The Queen, to keep warm, takes a broom and orders the others to follow her example. At this time, the stepmother and daughter and the meek stepdaughter arrive.
The Queen gives the latter a fur coat and promises other gifts. The stepdaughter asks for one thing: to return the stolen ring to her. The stepmother's daughter has to do this. However, the queen's mercy instantly turns to anger when the stepdaughter refuses to say where she got the snowdrops.
Climax
Events in the dramatic tale “Twelve Months” are developing rapidly. The stepdaughter is threatened with execution. They tear off her fur coat and throw a ring into the hole. The girl barely has time to utter the magic words and immediately disappears. Spring is coming in the forest. The joyful queen runs to the snowdrops, but is faced with an awakened bear. The courtiers are frightened, and only the soldier and the professor help the capricious girl.
After spring comes summer, and then autumn with showers and hurricanes. The courtiers flee to the palace in fear, taking all the horses. The queen is forgotten in the forest. Her stepmother and daughter, an old professor and a soldier also remain with her. Frosty winter is returning. The heroes cannot get out without horses and begin to freeze.
Then a mysterious old man appears and promises to fulfill everyone’s wishes. The queen asks to go home, the soldier - to the fire. The professor expresses his wish that the seasons return to their proper places. The stepmother's daughter wishes for fur coats for herself and her mother, at least dog ones. And he immediately receives them. Her mother reproaches her for not asking for sable. For a squabble, a mysterious old man turns his stepmother and daughter into dogs. The soldier offers to harness them to the sleigh.
Final
The fairy tale play "Twelve Months" again takes us to the fire. Not only the month brothers sit around him, but also his stepdaughter. The magical characters give her a chest with beautiful clothes, a sleigh and wonderful horses, and also promise to visit her. At this time, the rest of the heroes arrive on a dog sled. Months allow them to warm themselves by the fire. To return to the palace, the queen must ask her stepdaughter for help, since squabbling dogs will not get you far. However, the arrogant girl does not know how to do this.
The soldier teaches her to ask for favors kindly. The stepdaughter seats everyone in her sleigh and presents them with fur coats. Over the months, she agrees to bring the enchanted dogs to the New Year's bonfire in three years. If they correct themselves by then, they will return to their original appearance. The guests leave the forest. The moon brothers sing a song for the alarmed nature.
Stepdaughter image
The tale "The Twelve Months" is closely related to folklore. The stepdaughter symbolizes all the best feminine qualities glorified in Rus': kindness, hard work, modesty, politeness, honesty, patience, self-sacrifice. She is closely connected with nature, understands the language of animals, and admires the beauty of the forest. This sincere, open girl can show firmness and go to death in order to preserve a trusted secret.
It is nature that comes to her aid, showing real miracles. The fairy tale shows how love and great respect for everything around us can transform the world around us and the person himself. At the end of the story, the stepdaughter is dressed in new clothes embroidered with silver. But even after being transformed, she continues to sympathize with her enemies, comes to their aid (she finds out how to return her stepmother and daughter to their former appearance, gives a lift to the queen, although she wanted to execute her). It is this moral standard that the author encourages us to strive for.
Stepmother and daughter
In many fairy tales, the main character is a kind, meek orphan. The wicked stepmother and her spoiled daughter constantly offend the girl, but she does not hold a grudge against them. This folk tradition can be clearly seen in Marshak’s fairy tale “The Twelve Months”.
The stepmother and her daughter are mercantile. For the sake of wealth, they are capable of destroying their stepdaughter, committing lies and betrayal. Even among themselves, the heroines constantly quarrel. The daughter is ready to send her mother into a severe snowstorm to look for snowdrops without any remorse.
Marshak shows that such an attitude towards people leads to serious problems. In a fairy tale, a negative character is necessarily punished. The world boomerangs back both good and evil to man. Selfish motives never lead to happiness.
Queen
Not all the heroes of the fairy tale "Twelve Months" are so clear. The fourteen-year-old queen is an orphan, which arouses sympathy for herself. There was no one to raise her, since the girl grew up without parents. The courtiers worshiped her and fulfilled all her whims. Inflated ego led to horrific consequences. The queen is not familiar with moral standards, she is used to easily managing the lives of her subjects. She is sure that even nature must fulfill her whims.
At the same time, the girl is smart, insightful and knows how to draw the right conclusions. In her first conversation with the professor, she asks with hidden melancholy how he would punish his ordinary student for disobedience. And of his own free will he goes into the corner, even if only for a few seconds. Finding herself in danger for the first time and feeling helpless, the girl understands the true attitude of those around her. The courtiers run away in fear. An old professor and a soldier come to the aid of the young queen, even though she has treated them poorly.
Left without support, the headstrong girl realizes her mistake and even finds the strength to meekly ask her stepdaughter for help. She is capable of changing for the better and is taking the first steps in this direction. The character shows that anyone can make mistakes in life. It is important to recognize them in time and try to correct everything.
Other characters
Next to the Queen we see flattering courtiers and hypocritical ambassadors. At the first danger, they all run away, throwing the wayward girl into the forest thicket. This is the embodiment of insincere relationships between people.
The positive hero of the fairy tale "Twelve Months" is a soldier. He is sympathetic, generous, always acts according to his conscience and thinks about the well-being of other people. A soldier will not listen to orders from his superiors if they are reckless, self-sacrificing, and unassuming. He generously shares his desire to warm up by the fire with the Professor and the Queen.
The old teacher is an ambiguous person. He is educated, tries to live in accordance with the laws of nature, and is deeply worried about the immorality and selfishness of the Queen. But at the same time, he is afraid of reprisals against himself and follows the lead of a capricious girl. This internal conflict constantly gnaws at the character. In difficult times, however, he does not lose his presence of mind and boldly rushes to save his student from the bear. Marshak managed to portray a kind, honest, fair old man, whom life forces to compromise with his conscience.
Images of magical brothers
A description of the fairy tale “The Twelve Months” will not be complete without an analysis of its most mysterious characters. The brothers are the personification of the natural elements, the unshakable world order. At the same time, each subsequent month is younger than its predecessor. Through their images, not only the endless change of seasons is shown, but also the change of generations.
It's not easy to get to twelve months. In the fairy tale, only the stepdaughter comes to them through a shortcut, since she lives in harmony with nature and her soul. The rest are forced to undergo tests first. The brothers see right through every person. They generously reward some, and help others see the light and give moral lessons. But everyone, even the stepmother and her daughter, has the opportunity to improve.
The meaning of the play
In the fairy tale “The Twelve Months,” good and evil traditionally wage their struggle. And this battle takes place against the backdrop of beautiful nature. She lives according to her own harmonious order. If a person, succumbing to selfish impulses, tries to destroy it, he suffers defeat.
People who respect nature and the people around them deserve a completely different attitude. They maintain harmony in their souls, therefore they are able to see and feel more than others. It is for them that a bright fire burns among the night, snow-covered forest. During periods of difficult trials, the light of their own soul illuminates their path, and the forces of nature come to the rescue, working real miracles.
After reading the entire fairy tale “The Twelve Months”, you will surely admire its poetry, lightness and wisdom. Marshak showed us that nothing is irreversible. We need to learn to live in accordance with the laws of the world order, to be responsive to the troubles of another person and the beauty of the world around us.
Year of publication of the book: 1942
Marshak's fairy tale "The Twelve Months" was first published in 1942. The author claimed that he borrowed the basis for the work from one of the Czech folk tales. A little later, wanting to expand the plot of the fairy tale “Twelve Months,” Marshak wrote a play of the same name, adding new characters to it.
Fairy tales “Twelve Months” summary
In one of the mountainous countries there lived a little girl who once had the opportunity to see all twelve months in one day. She lived in a small hut with her evil stepmother and her daughter. In the fairy tale “Twelve Months” by Marshak, you can read that the woman did not like her stepdaughter, trying to give her as much work as possible. However, her stepmother did not like everything that the girl did around the house. Or maybe it was her own daughter who sat at home all day and ate gingerbread cookies and sweets, while her stepdaughter carried water, firewood, and tended to the garden.
If we read the fairy tale “12 Months” in full, we will find out that one day January turned out to be very cold. There was so much snow outside that we had to clear it out with a large shovel every day. And then on one of these days, the stepmother ordered her stepdaughter to go into the forest to pick snowdrops there for her daughter, whose name day was tomorrow. The girl understood that it was impossible to find spring flowers when the trees were half buried in snowdrifts. However, there was nothing to do, the stepdaughter had to take the basket and go into the dense forest.
There she found a fallen tree, near which she wanted to sit and wait for death. The summary of “Twelve Months” says that after some time the girl saw a small light in the distance. She followed him and came out to a large fire around which twelve people were sitting. Some of them were old men, and some were very young boys. The eldest of them asked his stepdaughter what she forgot in the forest in winter, and the girl told the whole truth. Hearing this, all twelve months began to talk among themselves. They decided to help the little girl. First, January said the magic words, then February, and after him March. And then the stepdaughter saw a whole field of snowdrops. The girl quickly rushed to collect them and collected so many that the flowers no longer even fit in the basket. She wanted to thank twelve months for helping her so much. Yes, returning to the fire, I noticed that there was no one there anymore.
If we read the fairy tale “The Twelve Months” briefly, we learn that when the girl brought flowers home, the stepmother and her daughter were surprised. They began to ask the girl where she got the snowdrops. I had to tell them the whole truth. Then the stepsister was surprised that the stepdaughter did not ask the months for strawberries, apples, mushrooms or anything else. The stepmother also began to scold the girl, because in such frost the strawberries could have been sold at a higher price. Then she decided to dress her beloved daughter warmly and send her to the forest. She soon found a fire near which the moon brothers were warming themselves. She began to ask them for cucumbers, berries, and fruits. But this only angered everyone around. Then January raised a big snowstorm, which circled the girl for a long time, and then threw her into a snowdrift covered with snow. The stepmother looked out for her daughter for a long time, after which she decided to go into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest, but got lost in the darkness. This is how the heroes of the fairy tale “Twelve Months” froze.
The stepdaughter lived for many more years. She got married and raised wonderful children. And in her garden, the most delicious apples and pears ripened before anyone else. The whole village was whispering that supposedly this mistress had been staying with her for twelve months.
Fairy tale “12 months” on the Top books website
You can read Marshak’s fairy tale “The Twelve Months” in full on the Top Books website.
