Ram-Nepomnyaschiy
The Nepomnyashchy Ram is the hero of a fairy tale. He began to see unclear dreams that worried him, making him suspect that “the world does not end with the walls of a stable.” The sheep began to mockingly call him “clever” and “philosopher” and shunned him. The ram withered and died. Explaining what happened, the shepherd Nikita suggested that the deceased “saw a free ram in a dream.”
BOGATYR
The hero is the hero of a fairy tale, the son of Baba Yaga. Sent by her to his exploits, he uprooted one oak tree, crushed another with his fist, and when he saw a third one with a hollow, he climbed in and fell asleep, terrifying the surrounding area with his snoring. His fame was great. They were both afraid of the hero and hoped that he would gain strength in his sleep. But centuries passed, and he still slept, not coming to the aid of his country, no matter what happened to it. When, during an enemy invasion, they approached him to help him out, it turned out that the Bogatyr had long been dead and rotten. His image was so clearly aimed against the autocracy that the tale remained unpublished until 1917.
WILD LANDLORD
The wild landowner is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. Having read the retrograde newspaper “Vest”, he stupidly complained that “there are too many divorced... men,” and tried in every possible way to oppress them. God heard the tearful prayers of the peasants, and “there was no man in the entire domain of the stupid landowner.” He was delighted (the air had become “clean”), but it turned out that now he could neither receive guests, nor eat himself, nor even wipe the dust off the mirror, and there was no one to pay taxes to the treasury. However, he did not deviate from his “principles” and, as a result, became wild, began to move on all fours, lost human speech and became like a predatory beast (once he did not lift up the policeman’s canard). Concerned about the lack of taxes and the impoverishment of the treasury, the authorities ordered “to catch the peasant and bring him back.” With great difficulty they also caught the landowner and brought him into more or less decent shape.
CRUCCIAN IDEALIST
The idealistic crucian carp is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. Living in a quiet backwater, he is content and cherishes dreams of the triumph of good over evil and even of the opportunity to reason with Pike (whom he has seen since birth) that she has no right to eat others. He eats shells, justifying himself by saying that “they just crawl into your mouth” and they “don’t have a soul, but steam.” Having presented himself before Pike with his speeches, he was released for the first time with the advice: “Go and sleep it off!” The second time he was suspected of “Sicilism” and was pretty much bitten during interrogation by Okun, and the third time Pike was so surprised by his exclamation: “Do you know what virtue is?” - that she opened her mouth and almost involuntarily swallowed her interlocutor." The image of Karas grotesquely captures the features of liberalism contemporary to the writer.
SANE BUNNY
The sane hare, the hero of the fairy tale of the same name, “reasoned so sensibly that it was fit for a donkey.” He believed that “every animal is given its own life” and that, although “everyone eats hares,” he is “not picky” and “will agree to live in any way.” In the heat of this philosophizing, he was caught by the Fox, who, bored with his speeches, ate him.
KISSEL
Kissel, the hero of the fairy tale of the same name, “was so soft and soft that he didn’t feel any discomfort from eating it. The gentlemen were so fed up with it that they gave the pigs something to eat, so in the end, “all that was left of the jelly was dried scrapes." In a grotesque form, both peasant humility and the post-reform impoverishment of the village, robbed not only by the "gentlemen" landowners, but also by new bourgeois predators, who, according to the satirist, are like pigs, "do not know satiety... ".
The generals are the characters in “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals.” Miraculously, we found ourselves on a desert island wearing only nightgowns and medals around our necks. They didn’t know how to do anything and, being hungry, almost ate each other. Having come to their senses, they decided to look for the man and, having found him, demanded that he feed them. Later they lived on his labors, and when they got bored, he built “a vessel so that one could sail across the ocean.” Upon returning to St. Petersburg, G. received the pension accumulated over the past years, and gave their breadwinner a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver.
Ruff is a character in the fairy tale “Crucian the Idealist.” He looks at the world with bitter sobriety, seeing strife and savagery everywhere. Karas is ironic about his reasoning, accusing him of complete ignorance of life and inconsistency (Crucian is indignant at Pike, but eats shells himself). However, he admits that “after all, you can talk to him alone to your liking,” and at times even slightly wavers in his skepticism, until the tragic outcome of the “dispute” between Karas and Pike confirms that he is right.
The liberal is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. “I was eager to do a good deed,” but out of caution I increasingly moderated my ideals and aspirations. At first he acted only “if possible,” then agreeing to get “at least something” and, finally, acting “in relation to meanness,” consoled by the thought: “Today I’m wallowing in the mud, and tomorrow the sun will come out and dry the mud - I’m good again.” -Well done!" The patron eagle is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. He surrounded himself with a whole court staff and even agreed to introduce science and art. However, he soon got tired of this (however, the Nightingale was driven out immediately), and he brutally dealt with the Owl and the Falcon, who were trying to teach him literacy and arithmetic, imprisoned the historian Woodpecker in a hollow, etc. The wise minnow is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name, “enlightened, moderate -liberal". Since childhood, I was frightened by my father’s warnings about the danger of getting hit in the ear and concluded that “you have to live in such a way that no one notices.” He dug a hole just to fit himself in, made no friends or family, lived and trembled, and in the end even received pike praise: “If only everyone lived like this, the river would be quiet!” Only before his death did the “wise one” realize that in this case “perhaps the entire gudgeon family would have died out long ago.” The story of the wise minnow in an exaggerated form expresses the meaning, or rather the whole nonsense, of cowardly attempts to “devote oneself to the cult of self-preservation,” as stated in the book “Abroad.” The features of this character are clearly visible, for example, in the heroes of “The Modern Idyll”, in Polozhilov and other Shchedrin heroes. The remark made by the then critic in the newspaper “Russkie Vedomosti” is also characteristic: “We are all more or less minnows...”
THE WISE PISCAR
The wise minnow is the “enlightened, moderately liberal” hero of the fairy tale. Since childhood, I was frightened by my father’s warnings about the danger of getting hit in the ear and concluded that “you have to live in such a way that no one notices.” He dug a hole just to fit himself in, made no friends or family, lived and trembled, and in the end even received pike praise: “If only everyone lived like this, the river would be quiet!” Only before his death did the “wise man” realize that in this case “perhaps the entire pis-brown family would have died out long ago.” The story of the wise minnow in an exaggerated form expresses the meaning, or rather the whole nonsense, of cowardly attempts to “devote oneself to the cult of self-preservation,” as stated in the book “Abroad.” The features of this character are clearly visible, for example, in the heroes of “The Modern Idyll”, in Polozhilov and other Shchedrin heroes. The remark made by the then critic in the newspaper “Russkie Vedomosti” is also characteristic: “We are all more or less minnows...”
Pustoplyas is a character in the fairy tale “The Horse,” the hero’s “brother,” who, unlike him, leads an idle life. The personification of the local nobility. The talk of the empty dancers about Konyaga as the embodiment of common sense, humility, “life of the spirit and the spirit of life,” etc., is, as a contemporary critic wrote to the writer, “the most offensive parody” of the then theories that sought to justify and even glorify “hard labor” peasants, their downtroddenness, darkness and passivity.
Ruslantsev Seryozha is the hero of “A Christmas Tale,” a ten-year-old boy. After a sermon about the need to live by the truth, said, as the author seems to casually note, “for the holiday,” S. decided to do so. But his mother, the priest himself, and the servants warn him that “you have to live with the truth looking back.” Shocked by the discrepancy between lofty words (truly a Christmas fairy tale!) and real life, stories about the sad fate of those who tried to live in truth, the hero fell ill and died. The selfless hare is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. He is caught by the Wolf and sits obediently awaiting his fate, not daring to run even when his fiancee’s brother comes for him and says that she is dying of grief. Released to see her, he returns back, as promised, receiving condescending wolfish praise.
Toptygin 1st is one of the heroes of the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship.” He dreamed of etching himself in history with a brilliant crime, but with a hangover he mistook a harmless siskin for his “inner adversary” and ate it. He became a universal laughing stock and was unable to correct his reputation even with his superiors, no matter how hard he tried - “he climbed into the printing house at night, smashed the machines, mixed up the type, and dumped the works of the human mind into a waste pit.” “And if he had started straight from the printing houses, he would have been... a general.”
Toptygin 2nd is a character in the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship.” Having arrived in the voivodeship with the expectation of ruining the printing house or burning down the university, he discovered that all this had already been done. I decided that it was no longer necessary to eradicate the “spirit”, but “to get right to the skin.” Having climbed up to a neighboring peasant, he killed all the cattle and wanted to destroy the yard, but was caught and put on a spear in disgrace.
Toptygin 3rd is a character from the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship.” I faced a painful dilemma: “if you do a little mischief, they will laugh at you; If you do a lot of mischief, they’ll raise you to the spear...” Arriving at the voivodeship, he hid in a den, without entering into control, and discovered that even without his intervention, everything in the forest was going on as usual. He began to leave the den only “to receive the assigned allowance” (although in the depths of his soul he wondered “why they were sending the governor”). Later he was killed by hunters, like “all fur-bearing animals,” also according to routine.
In a certain village lived two neighbors: Ivan the Rich and Ivan the Poor. Rich
they were called "sir" and "Semyonich", and the poor man was simply called Ivan, and sometimes
Ivashka. Both were good people, and Ivan Bogaty was even excellent. As it is
a philanthropist in every form. He did not produce valuables himself, but about the distribution
wealth thought very nobly. “This, he says, is a contribution on my part.
The other, he says, does not produce values, and even thinks ignoblely - this is
it's disgusting. But I’m nothing yet.” And Ivan Bedny about the distribution of wealth
didn’t think at all (he had no time for it), but instead he produced
values. And he also said: “This is a contribution from my side.”
They will gather in the evening on holiday, when both the poor and the rich - everyone
idlely, they will sit on a bench in front of the mansion of Ivan the Rich and begin to scribble.
- What do you have cabbage soup with tomorrow? - Ivan Bogaty will ask.
“To no purpose,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
- And I have a problem with slaughter.
Ivan the Rich yawns, crosses his mouth, looks at Poor Ivan, and it’s a pity
he will.
“It’s a wonderful thing in the world,” he says, “that a person is constantly in
he is in labor, and on holidays he has empty cabbage soup on the table; and which one at
useful leisure consists of - even on weekdays, cabbage soup with slaughter. Why did it happen?
“And I’ve been thinking for a long time: “Why would that be?” - Yes, I don’t have time to think about it.
As soon as I start to think, I need to go to the forest for firewood; brought firewood -
Look, it’s time to haul manure or go out with a plow. So, in the meantime,
thoughts go away.
- However, we need to judge this matter.
- And I say: it would be necessary.
Ivan Bedny, for his part, will yawn, cross his mouth, go to bed and
in a dream he sees tomorrow's empty cabbage soup. And the next day he wakes up and looks,
Ivan the Rich has prepared a surprise for him: slaughter, for the sake of the holiday, in cabbage soup
sent.
On the next holiday eve the neighbors will come together again and again
old matter will be accepted.
“Do you believe,” says Ivan Bogaty, “both in reality and in dreams there is only one me and
I see how much you are offended against me!
“And thanks for that,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
- Although I bring considerable benefit to society with noble thoughts, however
because you... if you didn’t come out on time with the plow, you might have had to go without bread
I'd like to have enough time. Is that what I'm saying?
- That's true. But I can’t not leave, because in this
If so, I'll be the first to starve.
- Your truth: this mechanics is cleverly designed. However, don't think that I
I approve of her - my God! I’m just grieving about one thing: “Lord! How could it be
make Ivan Poor feel good?! So that I have my share, and he -
your portion."
- And with that, sir, thank you for your concern. This is really what
If it weren’t for your virtue, I would have been sitting on holiday on one...
- What you! what you! Is that what I mean! Forget about it, but here’s what I’m talking about.
How many times have I decided: “I’ll go and give half of my property to the poor!” And he gave it away.
And what! Today I gave away half my estate, and tomorrow I will wake up - instead of me
About half, or as many as three quarters, had disappeared again.
- So, with a percentage...
- Nothing can be done, brother. I am from money, and money comes to me. I
the poor man gets a handful, and instead of one, I, from nowhere, got two. That's right
what a miracle!
They will talk and start yawning. And between the conversation Ivan Bogaty
Still, the Duma thinks: “What could be done so that tomorrow at Ivan Bedny’s
Were there any cabbage soup with slaughter?” He thinks and thinks, and even comes up with an idea.
- Listen, my dear! - he will say, - now it’s not long until night remains,
Go to my garden and dig up a bed. You joke for an hour with a shovel
pick it up, and I will reward you, to the best of my ability, as if you
really worked.
And indeed, Ivan Poor will play with a shovel for an hour or two, and tomorrow he
Happy holiday, as if I had “really worked.”
How long or how short did the neighbors scribble in this manner, only in the end
Ivan the Rich’s heart began to boil so much that he really couldn’t bear it.
became. I’ll go, he says, to the Greatest One, I’ll fall down before him and say: “You have
The eye of the king is upon us! Here you decide and bind, punish and show mercy! They took us with
Ivan Bedny is a mile away. To recruit from him - and from me
recruit, a cart from him - and a cart from me, a penny from his tithe - and from mine
tithes pennies And so that both his and mine souls are equally free from excise tax
were!"
And as he said, so he did. He came to the Greatest, fell before him and
explained his grief. And the Great One praised Ivan the Rich for this. Said
to him: “I will punish you, good fellow, for the fact that your neighbor, Ivashka
Poor guy, don't forget. There is nothing more pleasant for the authorities than if the sovereign
subjects live in good harmony and in mutual zeal, and there is no such evil
angrier than if they are in a quarrel, in hatred and in denunciations of each other time
carried out!" The Big One said this and, at his own peril, commanded his
assistants, so that, in the form of experience, both Ivans would have an equal trial, and tribute
equal, but it would be as before: one bears burdens, and the other sings songs
sings - no matter what happens in the future.
Ivan the Rich returned to his village, with no land beneath him for joy.
hears.
“Here, dear friend,” he says to Ivan the Bedny, “I turned around,
By the mercy of the boss, the stone is heavy from my soul! Now it's against me
you, in the form of experience, will not have any benefits. You are a recruit - and I am
recruit, from you a cart - and from me a cart, from your tithe a penny - and from
my penny Before you even have time to look back, you’ll get from this one little pig
There will be slaughter in cabbage soup every day!
Ivan Bogaty said this, and he himself, in the hope of glory and goodness, left for
warm waters, where for two years in a row I spent useful leisure time.
I was in Westphalia - I ate Westphalian ham; was in Strasbourg - ate
Strasbourg pies; I was in Bordeaux - I drank Bordeaux wine; finally arrived in
Paris - everyone drank and ate. In a word, I lived so happily that I could hardly
carried off his legs. And all the time I thought about Ivan Bedny: “Now, after
He's a little bit of an equal, he's peeing on both cheeks!"
Meanwhile, Ivan Bedny lived in labor. Today the strip will be plowed, and tomorrow
will fence; Today the octopus will be mowed down, and tomorrow, if God gives a bucket,
hay can be dried. He forgot the way to the tavern, because he knows that the tavern
- this is his death. And his wife, Marya Ivanovna, works together with him:
and reaps, and harrows, and shakes hay, and chops wood. And their kids have grown up
- and they are just eager to work as much as possible. In short, the whole family
from morning to night it’s like a cauldron is boiling, and yet empty cabbage soup does not go away
from the table. And since Ivan Bogaty left the village, even
Ivan Bedny sees no surprises during the holidays.
“It’s bad luck for us,” the poor fellow says to his wife, “so they leveled me, in the form of
experience, in hardships with Ivan Bogaty, and we all have the same interest
we are. We live richly, the yard is sloping; no matter what, everyone is welcome
take a ride.
Ivan the Rich gasped when he saw his neighbor in his former poverty.
Frankly, his first thought was that Ivashka would profit from the tavern
carries his own. “Is he really so entrenched? Is he really incorrigible?” -
he exclaimed in deep distress. However, it didn’t cost Ivan Bedny any
hard to prove that he doesn’t always have enough money not only for wine, but also for salt
there are enough profits. And that he is not a spendthrift, not a spendthrift, but a master
diligent, and the evidence of this was obvious. Shown by Ivan Bedny
your household equipment, and everything turned out to be intact, in the same form
what it was like before the rich neighbor left for warmer waters. Bay horse
crippled - 1; brown cow with tan - 1; sheep - 1; cart, plow,
harrow. Even the old logs - and they are leaning against the fence, although, according to
summer time, there is no need for them and, therefore, it would be possible, without
damage to the farm, put them in a tavern. Then they examined the hut - and there
everything is there, only the straw has been pulled out from the roof in places; but that happened too
because the spring before last there was not enough feed, so from rotten straw
cuttings for livestock were being prepared.
In a word, there was not a single fact that would accuse Ivan
Poor in debauchery or extravagance. It was a native, oppressed Russian
a man who strained every effort to exercise all his right to
life, but, due to some bitter misunderstanding, he carried it out only in
the most insufficient degree.
- God! why is that so? - Ivan Bogaty grieved, - so they leveled us
with you, and we have the same rights, and we pay equal tribute, and yet the benefits for
you are not in sight - why would you?
- I myself think: “Why?” - Ivan Bedny responded sadly.
Ivan the Rich began to think wildly and, of course, found the reason.
Because, they say, it turns out that we have neither public nor private
initiative. Society is indifferent; private people - everyone looks out for themselves;
The rulers, although they strain their strength, do so in vain. Therefore, first of all
We need to cheer up society.
No sooner said than done. Ivan Semenych Bogaty gathered a meeting in the village and
in the presence of all the householders, gave a brilliant speech about the benefits of public
and private initiative... He spoke at length, loosely and intelligibly,
like throwing pearls before swine; proved with examples that only those
societies represent the guarantee of prosperity and vitality, which are about themselves
they know how to fish; the same ones that allow events to take place apart from
public participation, they doom themselves in advance to gradual
extinction and ultimate death. In a word, everything that is in the ABC is a penny
I read it, laid it all out in front of the audience.
The result exceeded all expectations. The townspeople not only saw the light, but
and became self-aware. They have never experienced such hot
an influx of diverse sensations. It seemed as if she had suddenly snuck up on them
a long-desired, but for some reason, lingering life wave somewhere,
which lifted these dark people high, high. The crowd rejoiced
enjoying your insight; Ivan the Bogaty was honored and called a hero.
And in conclusion, the verdict was unanimously passed: 1) close the tavern
forever; 2) lay the foundation for self-help by establishing the Volunteer Society
Pennies.
On the same day, according to the number of souls assigned to the village, the society’s cash desk
two thousand twenty-three kopecks arrived, and Ivan Bogaty, moreover,
donated one hundred copies of the Alphabet-Kopeyka to the poor, saying: “Read,
others! Everything you need is here!”
Again Ivan Bogaty left for warm waters, and again Ivan Poor remained
with useful labors, which this time, thanks to new conditions
self-help and assistance ABC-penny, undoubtedly should have brought
the fruit is a hundredfold.
A year passed, another passed. Did Ivan Bogatyy eat during this time?
Westphalia has Westphalian ham, and in Strasbourg - Strasbourg pies,
I can’t say for sure. But I know that when he, at the end of his term,
When he returned home, he was stupefied in the full sense of the word.
Ivan Poor was sitting in a crumbling shack, thin and emaciated; on the table
there was a cup with a prison in which Marya Ivanovna, on the occasion of the holiday,
I added a spoonful of hemp oil for flavor. The kids sat around the table
and they hurried to eat, as if fearing that a stranger might come and demand
orphan's share.
- Why did it happen? - Ivan exclaimed with bitterness, almost with hopelessness.
Rich.
- And I say: “Why would that be?” - Ivan Bedny responded out of habit.
Pre-holiday interviews began again on the bench in front of the mansions
Ivan Bogaty; but no matter how comprehensively the interlocutors considered the depressing
their question, nothing came of these considerations. I thought at first Ivan
Rich, that this happens because we have not matured; but, having reasoned,
I became convinced that eating a pie with filling is not at all such a difficult science that
she needed a matriculation certificate. He tried to go deeper
dig, but from the very first abtsug such scarecrows jumped out of the depths that
He immediately made a vow to himself - never to get to the bottom of anything. Finally
decided on a last resort: seek clarification from the local
to the sage and philosopher Ivan the Simpleton.
The simpleton was a native villager, a lame-legged hunchback who, according to
case of squalor, he did not produce valuables, but ate what was available all year round
went to pieces. But in the village they said about him that he was smart, like priest Semyon,
and he fully justified this reputation. No one could do beans better than him
dilute and show miracles in a sieve. The dupe will promise a red rooster -
Lo and behold, a rooster is already flapping its wings somewhere on the roof; will promise hail from
a pigeon egg - lo and behold, a maddened herd is running from the field from the hail.
Everyone was afraid of him, and when the sound of his beggar’s stick was heard under the window,
the hostess-cook was in a hurry to serve him the best piece as quickly as possible.
And this time the Simpleton fully justified his reputation as a seer.
As soon as Ivan Bogaty outlined the circumstances of the case before him and then
suggested the question: "Why?" - The simpleton immediately, not at all
thinking, he replied:
- Because it says so in the plan.
Ivan Bedny, apparently, immediately understood the Simpleton's speech and hopelessly
shook his head. But Rich Ivan was decidedly perplexed.
“There is such a plant,” explained the Simpleton, clearly pronouncing each
word and as if enjoying his own insight - and in this plant
it appears: Ivan the Poor lives on the crossroads, and his dwelling is either a hut or
the sieve is full of holes. That’s why wealth flows past and through, because
I don’t see any delay. And you. Rich Ivan, you live right next to the stack, where with
Streams run on all sides. Your mansions are spacious, clear, palisades
strong ones have been brought out all around. Streams of wealth will flow to your residence
- they’ll get stuck here. And if, for example, yesterday you gave away half of your estate, then
Today, as many as three quarters of you have come to work on your shift. You are from money, and
money is yours. Whatever bush you look under, there is wealth everywhere.
This is what this plant is like. And no matter how much you scribble among yourself, how much
Don’t even scatter your mind, you won’t come up with anything as long as it’s like this in this plant
appears.
In a certain village lived two neighbors: Ivan the Rich and Ivan the Poor. The rich man was called “sir” and “Semyonich”, and the poor man was simply called Ivan, and sometimes Ivashka. Both were good people, and Ivan Bogaty was even excellent. As is a philanthropist in every form. He did not produce any valuables himself, but he thought very nobly about the distribution of wealth. “This, he says, is a contribution on my part. The other, he says, doesn’t produce any value, and even thinks ignoblely - this is truly disgusting. But I’m still okay.” And Ivan Bedny did not think at all about the distribution of wealth (he had no time for it), but, in return, he produced valuables. And he also said: “This is a contribution from my side.”
They will gather in the evening on holiday, when both the poor and the rich are all at leisure, they will sit on a bench in front of the mansion of Ivan the Rich and begin to scribble.
What are you having cabbage soup with tomorrow? - Ivan Bogaty will ask.
“To no purpose,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
And I have a problem with slaughter.
Ivan the Rich will yawn, cross his mouth, look at Poor Ivan, and feel sorry for him.
It’s a wonderful thing in the world,” he says, “that a person is constantly at work, and on holidays there is empty cabbage soup on the table; and who spends useful leisure time - he also has cabbage soup with slaughter on weekdays. Why did it happen?
And I’ve been thinking for a long time: “Why would that be?” - Yes, I don’t have time to think about it. As soon as I start to think, I need to go to the forest for firewood; I brought firewood - look, it’s time to move out with manure or with a plow. So, in the meantime, thoughts go away.
However, we need to judge this matter.
And I say: it would be necessary.
Ivan Bedny, for his part, will yawn, cross his mouth, go to bed, and in his dreams see tomorrow’s empty cabbage soup. And the next day he wakes up and sees that Ivan the Rich has prepared a surprise for him: for the sake of the holiday, he sent slaughter in cabbage soup.
On the next pre-holiday eve, the neighbors will come together again and again begin to take up the old matter.
“Do you believe it,” says Ivan Bogaty, “both in reality and in dreams I see only one thing: how much you are offended against me!”
And thank you for that,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
Although I bring considerable benefit to society with my noble thoughts, yet you... if you hadn’t come out on time with the plow, perhaps you would have had to live without bread. Is that what I'm saying?
It's so accurate. But I can’t not leave, because in this case I’ll be the first to starve.
Your truth: this mechanic is cleverly designed. However, don’t think that I approve of her - not my God! I only worry about one thing: “Lord! How can we do this so that Ivan Poor would feel good?! So that I have my portion, and he has his portion.”
And with that, sir, thank you for your concern. It’s true that if it weren’t for your virtue, I would have been able to sit on my own for a holiday...
What you! what you! Is that what I mean! Forget about it, but here’s what I’m talking about. How many times have I decided: “I’ll go and give half of my property to the poor!” And he gave it away. And what! Today I gave away half of my estate, and the next day I wake up - instead of the lost half, a whole three quarters have appeared again.
So, with a percentage...
Nothing can be done, brother. I am from money, and money comes to me. I give the poor a handful, but instead of one, I, from nowhere, got two. What a miracle!
They will talk and start yawning. And between the conversation, Ivan Bogaty still thinks: “What could be done so that tomorrow Ivan Poor would have cabbage soup with slaughter?” He thinks and thinks, and even comes up with ideas.
Listen, my dear! - he will say, - now it won’t be long until nightfall, go to my garden and dig up a bed. You jokingly poke around with a shovel for an hour, and I will reward you, to the best of my ability, as if you were really working.
And indeed, Ivan Poor will play with a shovel for an hour or two, and tomorrow he will be happy, as if he had “really worked.”
Whether for a long time or for a short time, the neighbors scribbled in this manner, only in the end Ivan the Rich’s heart boiled so much that he truly became unbearable. I’ll go, he says, to the Greatest One, fall down before him and say: “You are our king’s eye! Here you decide and bind, punish and show mercy! They took Ivan Bedny and me one mile away to catch up. So that from him a recruit - and from me a recruit, from his cart - and from me a cart, from his tithe a penny - and from my tithe a penny. And so that both his and mine souls would be equally free from excise tax!”
And as he said, so he did. He came to the Great One, fell down before him and explained his grief. And the Great One praised Ivan the Rich for this. He said to him: “You, good fellow, should be punished for not forgetting your neighbor, Ivashka the Poor. There is nothing more pleasant for the authorities than if the sovereign’s subjects live in good harmony and in mutual zeal, and there is no more evil than if they spend their time in quarrels, hatred and denunciations of each other!” The Great One said this and, at his own peril, ordered his assistants so that, as an experiment, both Ivans would have an equal trial and equal tribute, and it would be as before: one bears the burden, and the other sings songs - so that in future it will not be .
Ivan the Rich returned to his village, unable to hear the ground beneath him for joy.
“Behold, my dear friend,” he says to Ivan the Poor, “by the mercy of my superior, I have lifted a heavy stone from my soul!” Now I won’t have any advantage against you in the form of experience. From you a recruit - and from me a recruit, from you a cart - and from me a cart, from your tithe a penny - and from mine a penny. Before you even have time to look back, this one little cabbage soup will kill you every day!
Ivan the Rich said this, and he himself, in the hope of glory and goodness, left for warm waters, where for two years in a row he spent useful leisure.
I was in Westphalia - I ate Westphalian ham; I was in Strasbourg - I ate Strasbourg pies; I was in Bordeaux - I drank Bordeaux wine; finally arrived in Paris - he drank and ate everything. In a word, I had so much fun that I literally lost my life. And all the time I thought about Ivan Bedny: “Now, after an equal match, he pees on both cheeks!”
Meanwhile, Ivan Bedny lived in labor. Today he will plow the strip, and tomorrow he will harrow it; Today he mows the octopus, and tomorrow, if God gives him a bucket, he starts drying the hay. He forgot the way to the tavern, because he knows that the tavern is his death. And his wife, Marya Ivanovna, works with him: she reaps, and harrows, and shakes hay, and chops wood. And their kids have grown up - and they are just eager to work as much as possible. In a word, the whole family seems to be boiling in a cauldron from morning to night, and yet empty cabbage soup does not leave her table. And since Ivan Bogaty left the village, Ivan Bedny doesn’t see any surprises even on holidays.
“It’s bad luck for us,” the poor fellow says to his wife, “so they compared me, in the form of experience, in hardships with Ivan the Rich, and we all remain with the same interest.” We live richly, the yard is sloping; no matter what, let everyone go public.
Ivan the Rich gasped when he saw his neighbor in his former poverty. To be honest, his first thought was that Ivashka was taking his profits to the tavern. “Is he really that entrenched? is he really incorrigible? - he exclaimed in deep chagrin. However, Ivan Bedny had no difficulty in proving that he did not always have enough income not only for wine, but also for salt. And that he was not a spendthrift, not a spendthrift, but a diligent owner, the evidence of this was obvious. Ivan Poor showed his household equipment, and everything turned out to be intact, in the same form as it was before the rich neighbor left for warm waters. Crippled bay horse - 1; brown cow with tan - 1; sheep - 1; cart, plow, harrow. Even the old firewood stands leaning against the fence, although, in summer time, there is no need for them and, therefore, it would be possible, without damage to the economy, to put them in the tavern. Then they examined the hut - and everything was there, only the straw had been pulled out from the roof in places; but this also happened because the spring before last there was not enough feed, so they prepared cuttings for livestock from rotten straw.
In a word, there was not a single fact that would accuse Ivan Bedny of debauchery or extravagance. He was a native, oppressed Russian peasant who strained every effort to realize his full right to life, but, due to some bitter misunderstanding, he exercised it only to the most insufficient extent.
God! why is that so? - Ivan the Bogaty grieved, - so they put you and me on an equal footing, and we have the same rights, and we pay equal tribute, and yet there is no benefit for you in sight - why?
I myself think: “Why?” - Ivan Bedny responded sadly.
Ivan the Rich began to think wildly and, of course, found the reason. Because, they say, it turns out that we have neither public nor private initiative. Society is indifferent; private people - everyone looks out for themselves; The rulers, although they strain their strength, do so in vain. Therefore, first of all, society needs to be encouraged.
No sooner said than done. Ivan Semenych the Rich gathered a gathering in the village and, in the presence of all the householders, gave a brilliant speech about the benefits of public and private initiatives... He spoke at length, loosely and intelligibly, like throwing pearls before swine; proved with examples that only those societies represent the guarantee of prosperity and vitality that know how to provide for themselves; those who allow events to take place without public participation, doom themselves in advance to gradual extinction and ultimate destruction. In a word, everything that I read in the ABC-kopek, I laid it all out in front of my listeners.
The result exceeded all expectations. The townspeople not only saw the light, but also became imbued with self-awareness. They had never experienced such a hot influx of diverse sensations. It seemed as if a long-desired, but somehow lingering wave of life had suddenly crept up on them, lifting these dark people high, high. The crowd cheered, enjoying their epiphany; Ivan the Bogaty was honored and called a hero. And in conclusion, the verdict was unanimously decided: 1) to close the tavern forever; 2) lay the foundation for self-help by establishing the Voluntary Penny Society.
On the same day, according to the number of souls assigned to the village, two thousand twenty-three kopecks arrived at the society’s cash desk, and Ivan Bogaty, in addition, donated one hundred copies of the Alphabet-Kopek to the poor, saying: “Read, friends! Everything you need is here!”
Again Ivan the Rich left for the warm waters, and again Ivan the Poor remained with useful labors, which this time, thanks to the new conditions of self-help and the assistance of the Alphabet-Kopeyka, would undoubtedly bear fruit a hundredfold.
A year passed, another passed. Whether during this time Ivan Bogaty ate Westphalian ham in Westphalia, or Strasbourg pies in Strasbourg, I cannot say for sure. But I know that when he returned home at the end of his term, he was stupefied in the full sense of the word.
Ivan Poor was sitting in a crumbling shack, thin and emaciated; On the table there was a cup with tury, into which Marya Ivanovna, on the occasion of the holiday, added a spoonful of hemp oil for flavor. The children sat around the table and hurried to eat, as if fearing that a stranger might come and demand the orphan’s share.
Why did it happen? - Ivan Bogaty exclaimed with bitterness, almost with hopelessness.
And I say: “Why would that be?” - Ivan Bedny responded out of habit.
Pre-holiday interviews began again on a bench in front of Ivan the Rich’s mansion; but no matter how comprehensively the interlocutors examined the question that depressed them, nothing came of these considerations. At first Ivan Bogaty thought that this was happening because we had not matured; but, having reasoned, I became convinced that eating a pie with filling is not at all such a difficult science that a matriculation certificate is necessary for it. He tried to dig deeper, but from the very first abtsug such scarecrows jumped out of the depths that he immediately made a vow to himself - never to get to the bottom of anything. Finally, they decided on the last resort: to seek clarification from the local sage and philosopher Ivan the Simpleton.
The simpleton was a native villager, a lame-legged hunchback, who, due to poverty, did not produce any valuables, but lived on the fact that he was left in pieces all year round. But in the village they said about him that he was as smart as priest Semyon, and he fully justified this reputation. No one knew better than him how to breed beans and show miracles in a sieve. The dupe promises a red rooster - lo and behold, the rooster is already flapping its wings somewhere on the roof; It promises hail the size of a pigeon's egg - and lo and behold, the hail makes a maddened herd run from the field. Everyone was afraid of him, and when the sound of his beggar’s stick was heard under the window, the hostess-cook hurried to serve him the best piece as quickly as possible.
And this time the Simpleton fully justified his reputation as a seer. As soon as Ivan Bogaty laid out the circumstances of the case before him and then asked the question: “Why?” - The simpleton immediately, without thinking at all, answered:
Because it says so in the plan.
Ivan Bedny, apparently, immediately understood the Simpleton's speech and hopelessly shook his head. But Rich Ivan was decidedly perplexed.
There is such a plant,” explained the Simpleton, clearly pronouncing each word and as if enjoying his own insight, “and in it the plant says: Ivan the Poor lives on the crossroads, and his dwelling is either a hut or a sieve full of holes. It’s the wealth that keeps flowing past and through, so it doesn’t see any delay. And you. Rich Ivan, you live right next to the drain, where streams run from all sides. Your mansions are spacious, well-appointed, and there are strong palisades all around. Streams of wealth will flow to your residence and they will get stuck here. And if you, for example, gave away half of your estate yesterday, then today as many as three quarters have come your way. You are from money, and money comes to you. Whatever bush you look under, there is wealth everywhere. This is what this plant is like. And no matter how much you scribble among yourself, no matter how much you scatter your mind, you won’t come up with anything, as long as that’s what it says in the plan.
Fairy tale neighbors read the plot
In the village next door lived Ivan and Ivan, one Rich, the other Poor. Ivan the Rich was respected by many, because he was in charge of wealth. All Ivan Bedny did all his life was work.
Sometimes neighbors got together and thought together how it would be possible for them to live equally. The rich man sometimes sent his neighbor some gifts to the table. Poor had nothing to his name, although he was not lazy and worked very hard. The rich man did not consider what and to whom he distributed his wealth.
And so Ivan the Bogaty came up with the idea that it was necessary to ask the Tsar to create equal living conditions for them and their neighbor. The king was pleasantly surprised at how his subjects lived together and helped each other. Then the tsar ordered that the Ivans be treated equally and taxes collected from them in equal amounts.
The rich man shared his joy with the poor man and went abroad. He hoped that now everything would be all right with his neighbor. And when he returned, he saw that the way Poor lived in poverty, nothing had changed.
The Rich Man then began to look for reasons why the Poor Man could not live. And I realized that society is to blame for this. Then he decided to establish the Voluntary Penny Society in the village.
When the Rich Man returned from another trip, he again saw that the Poor Man had begun to live even worse. Then he went to the wise Simpleton for advice. He told him that he would always live like this, because it was written in his family.
Some interesting materials
- Chekhov - Joy
Exactly at midnight, a disheveled Mitya Kuldarov flew in to his parents, who were already getting ready for bed. Running in, he began to run around with amazed cries and look into all the rooms.
- Pushkin - Mermaid
The well-known drama tells us about the love story of the little mermaid for a man. A beautiful girl appears before us, the daughter of a miller who was waiting for her lover
- Turgenev
Works of Turgenev
- Chernyshevsky
Chernyshevsky's creativity
- Chekhov - Kanitel
The story takes place in a church. An elderly woman who came to the temple wanted to order a prayer service for the health and peace of her family and friends.
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin
In a certain village lived two neighbors: Ivan the Rich and Ivan the Poor. The rich man was called “sir” and “Semyonich”, and the poor man was simply called Ivan, and sometimes Ivashka. Both were good people, and Ivan Bogaty was even excellent. As is a philanthropist in every form. He did not produce any valuables himself, but he thought very nobly about the distribution of wealth. “This, he says, is a contribution on my part. The other one, he says, doesn’t produce any value, and even thinks ignoblely – this is truly disgusting. But I’m still okay.” And Ivan Bedny did not think at all about the distribution of wealth (he had no time for it), but in return he produced valuables. And he also said: this is a contribution on my part.
They will gather in the evening on holiday, when both the poor and the rich - everyone is at leisure, they will sit on a bench in front of the mansion of Ivan the Rich and begin to scribble.
- What do you have with cabbage soup tomorrow? – Ivan Bogaty will ask.
“To no avail,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
- And I have a problem with slaughter.
Ivan the Rich will yawn, cross his mouth, look at Poor Ivan, and feel sorry for him.
“It’s a wonderful thing in the world,” he says, “that a person is constantly in labor and has empty cabbage soup on the table on holidays; and who spends useful leisure time - he also has cabbage soup with slaughter on weekdays. Why did it happen? j
– And I’ve been thinking for a long time: why would that be? Yes, I don’t have time to think about it. As soon as I start to think, I need to go to the forest for firewood; I brought firewood - you see, it’s time to move out with manure or with a plow. So, in the meantime, thoughts go away.
- However, we need to judge this matter:
- And I say: it would be necessary.
Ivan Bedny, for his part, will yawn, cross his mouth, go to bed, and in his dreams see tomorrow’s empty cabbage soup. And the next day he wakes up and sees that Ivan the Rich has prepared a surprise for him: he has sent slaughter in cabbage soup for the sake of the holiday.
On the next pre-holiday eve, the neighbors will come together again and again begin to take up the old matter.
“Do you believe it,” says Ivan Bogaty, “both in reality and in dreams I see only one thing: how much you are offended against me!”
“And thanks for that,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
“Even though I bring considerable benefit to society with my noble thoughts, you... if you hadn’t come out on time with the plow, you probably would have had to live without bread.” Is that what I'm saying?
- That's true. But I can’t not leave, because in this case I’ll be the first to starve.
– Your truth: this mechanics is cleverly designed. However, don’t think that I approve of her - not my God! I only worry about one thing: “Lord! How can we do this so that Ivan Poor would feel good?! So that I have my portion, and he has his portion.”
- And with that, sir, thank you for your concern. It’s true that if it weren’t for your virtue, I would have been sitting on my own for the holiday...
- What you! what you! Is that what I mean! Forget about it, but here’s what I’m talking about. How many times have I decided: I’ll go and give the polymenium to the poor! And he gave it away. And what! Today I gave the polymenium, and the next day I wake up - instead of the lost half, three quarters have appeared again.
- So, with a percentage...
- Nothing can be done, brother. I am from money, and money comes to me. I’ll give the poor man a handful, but instead of one, I don’t know where from two. What a miracle!
They will talk and start yawning. And between the conversation, Ivan Bogaty still thinks: what can be done so that tomorrow Ivan Poor will have cabbage soup with slaughter? He thinks and thinks and comes up with ideas.
End of introductory fragment.
Text provided by LitRes LLC.
You can safely pay for the book with a Visa, MasterCard, Maestro bank card, from a mobile phone account, from a payment terminal, in an MTS or Svyaznoy store, via PayPal, WebMoney, Yandex.Money, QIWI Wallet, bonus cards or another method convenient for you.
In a certain village lived two neighbors: Ivan the Rich and Ivan the Poor. The rich man was called “sir” and “Semyonich”, and the poor man was simply called Ivan, and sometimes Ivashka. Both were good people, and Ivan Bogaty was even excellent. As is a philanthropist in every form. He did not produce any valuables himself, but he thought very nobly about the distribution of wealth. “This, he says, is a contribution on my part. The other, he says, doesn’t produce any value, and even thinks ignoblely—that’s disgusting. But I’m still okay.” And Ivan Bedny did not think at all about the distribution of wealth (he had no time for it), but, in return, he produced valuables. And he also said: “This is a contribution from my side.”
They will gather in the evening on holiday, when both the poor and the rich are all at leisure, they will sit on a bench in front of the mansion of Ivan the Rich and begin to scribble.
- What do you have cabbage soup with tomorrow? - Ivan Bogaty will ask.
“To no purpose,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
- And I have a problem with slaughter.
Ivan the Rich will yawn, cross his mouth, look at Poor Ivan, and feel sorry for him.
“It’s a wonderful thing in the world,” he says, “that a person is constantly at work and has empty cabbage soup on the table on holidays; and who spends useful leisure time - he also has cabbage soup with slaughter on weekdays. Why did it happen?
“And I’ve been thinking for a long time: “Why would that be?” - Yes, I don’t have time to think about it. As soon as I start to think, I need to go to the forest for firewood; I brought firewood - look, it’s time to move out with manure or with a plow. So, in the meantime, thoughts go away.
“However, we need to judge this matter.”
- And I say: it would be necessary.
Ivan Bedny, for his part, will yawn, cross his mouth, go to bed, and in his dreams see tomorrow’s empty cabbage soup. And the next day he wakes up and sees that Ivan the Rich has prepared a surprise for him: for the sake of the holiday, he sent slaughter in cabbage soup.
On the next pre-holiday eve, the neighbors will come together again and again begin to take up the old matter.
“Do you believe it,” says Ivan Bogaty, “both in reality and in dreams I see only one thing: how much you are offended against me!”
“And thanks for that,” Ivan Bedny will answer.
“Even though I bring considerable benefit to society with my noble thoughts, you... if you hadn’t come out on time with the plow, you probably would have had to live without bread.” Is that what I'm saying?
- That's true. But I can’t not leave, because in this case I’ll be the first to starve.
— Your truth: this mechanics is cleverly designed. However, don’t think that I approve of her - not my God! I only worry about one thing: “Lord! How can we do this so that Ivan Poor would feel good?! So that I have my portion, and he has his portion.”
- And with that, sir, thank you for your concern. It’s true that if it weren’t for your virtue, I’d have to sit on my own for the holiday...
- What you! what you! Is that what I mean! Forget about it, but here’s what I’m talking about. How many times have I decided: “I’ll go and give half of my property to the poor!” And he gave it away. And what! Today I gave away half of my estate, and the next day I wake up - instead of the lost half, a whole three quarters have appeared again.
- So, with a percentage...
- Nothing can be done, brother. I come from money, and money comes to me. I give the poor a handful, but instead of one, I, from nowhere, got two. What a miracle!
They will talk and start yawning. And between the conversation, Ivan Bogaty still thinks: “What could be done so that tomorrow Ivan Poor would have cabbage soup with slaughter?” He thinks and thinks, and even comes up with ideas.
- Listen, my dear! - he will say, - now it’s not long until nightfall, go to my garden and dig up a bed. You jokingly dig around with a shovel for an hour, and I will reward you, to the best of my ability, as if you were really working.
And indeed, Ivan Poor will play with a shovel for an hour or two, and tomorrow he will be happy, as if he had “really worked.”
Whether for a long time or for a short time, the neighbors scribbled in this manner, only in the end Ivan the Rich’s heart boiled so much that he truly became unbearable. I’ll go, he says, to the Greatest One, fall down before him and say: “You are our king’s eye! Here you decide and bind, punish and show mercy! They took Ivan Bedny and me one mile away to catch up. So that from him a recruit - and from me a recruit, from his cart - and from me a cart, from his tithe a penny - and from my tithe a penny. And so that both his and mine souls would be equally free from excise tax!”
And as he said, so he did. He came to the Great One, fell down before him and explained his grief. And the Great One praised Ivan the Rich for this. He said to him: “You, good fellow, should be punished for not forgetting your neighbor, Ivashka the Poor. There is nothing more pleasant for the authorities than if the sovereign’s subjects live in good harmony and in mutual zeal, and there is no more evil than if they spend their time in quarrels, hatred and denunciations of each other!” The Great One said this and, at his own peril, ordered his assistants so that, as an experiment, both Ivans would have an equal trial and equal tribute, and it would be as before: one bears the burden, and the other sings songs - so that in future it will not be .
Ivan the Rich returned to his village, unable to hear the ground beneath him for joy.
“Here, my dear friend,” he says to Ivan the Poor, “by the mercy of the boss, I have lifted a heavy stone from my soul!” Now I won’t have any advantage against you in the form of experience. From you a recruit - and from me a recruit, from you a cart - and from me a cart, from your tithe a penny - and from mine a penny. Before you even have time to look back, this one little cabbage soup will kill you every day!
Ivan the Rich said this, and he himself, in the hope of glory and goodness, left for warm waters, where for two years in a row he spent useful leisure.
I was in Westphalia - I ate Westphalian ham; I was in Strasbourg - I ate Strasbourg pies; I was in Bordeaux - I drank Bordeaux wine; finally arrived in Paris - he drank and ate everything. In a word, I had so much fun that I literally lost my life. And all the time I thought about Ivan Bedny: “Now, after an equal match, he pees on both cheeks!”
Meanwhile, Ivan Bedny lived in labor. Today he will plow the strip, and tomorrow he will harrow it; Today he mows the octopus, and tomorrow, if God gives him a bucket, he starts drying the hay. He forgot the way to the tavern, because he knows that the tavern is his death. And his wife, Marya Ivanovna, works with him: she reaps, and harrows, and shakes hay, and chops wood. And their kids have grown up - and they are just eager to work as much as possible. In a word, the whole family seems to be boiling in a cauldron from morning to night, and yet empty cabbage soup does not leave her table. And since Ivan Bogaty left the village, Ivan Bedny doesn’t see any surprises even on holidays.
“It’s bad luck for us,” the poor man says to his wife, “so they compared me, in the form of experience, in hardships with Ivan the Rich, and we all remain with the same interest.” We live richly, the yard is sloping; no matter what, let everyone go public.
Ivan the Rich gasped when he saw his neighbor in his former poverty. To be honest, his first thought was that Ivashka was taking his profits to the tavern. “Is he really that entrenched? is he really incorrigible? - he exclaimed in deep distress. However, Ivan Bedny had no difficulty in proving that he did not always have enough income not only for wine, but also for salt. And that he was not a spendthrift, not a spendthrift, but a diligent owner, the evidence of this was obvious. Ivan Poor showed his household equipment, and everything turned out to be intact, in the same form as it was before the rich neighbor left for warm waters. Crippled bay horse - 1; brown cow with tan - 1; sheep - 1; cart, plow, harrow. Even the old firewood stands leaning against the fence, although, in summer time, there is no need for them and, therefore, it would be possible, without damage to the economy, to put them in the tavern. Then they examined the hut - and everything was there, only the straw had been pulled out from the roof in places; but this also happened because the spring before last there was not enough feed, so they prepared cuttings for livestock from rotten straw.
In a word, there was not a single fact that would accuse Ivan Bedny of debauchery or extravagance. He was a native, oppressed Russian peasant who strained every effort to realize his full right to life, but, due to some bitter misunderstanding, he exercised it only to the most insufficient extent.
- God! why is that so? - Ivan the Rich grieved, - so they put you and me on an equal footing, and we have the same rights, and we pay equal tribute, and yet no benefit is foreseen for you - why?
“I myself think: “Why?” - Ivan Bedny responded sadly.
Ivan the Rich began to think wildly and, of course, found the reason. Because, they say, it turns out that we have neither public nor private initiative. Society is indifferent; private people - everyone looks out for themselves; The rulers, although they strain their strength, do so in vain. Therefore, first of all, society needs to be encouraged.
No sooner said than done. Ivan Semenych the Rich gathered a gathering in the village and, in the presence of all the householders, gave a brilliant speech about the benefits of public and private initiatives... He spoke at length, loosely and intelligibly, like throwing pearls before swine; proved with examples that only those societies represent the guarantee of prosperity and vitality that know how to provide for themselves; those who allow events to take place without public participation, doom themselves in advance to gradual extinction and ultimate destruction. In a word, everything that I read in the ABC-kopek, I laid it all out in front of my listeners.
The result exceeded all expectations. The townspeople not only saw the light, but also became imbued with self-awareness. They had never experienced such a hot influx of diverse sensations. It seemed as if a long-desired, but somehow lingering wave of life had suddenly crept up on them, lifting these dark people high, high. The crowd cheered, enjoying their epiphany; Ivan the Bogaty was honored and called a hero. And in conclusion, the verdict was unanimously decided: 1) to close the tavern forever; 2) lay the foundation for self-help by establishing the Voluntary Penny Society.
On the same day, according to the number of souls assigned to the village, two thousand twenty-three kopecks arrived at the society’s cash desk, and Ivan Bogaty, in addition, donated one hundred copies of the Alphabet-Kopek to the poor, saying: “Read, friends! Everything you need is here!”
Again Ivan the Rich left for the warm waters, and again Ivan the Poor remained with useful labors, which this time, thanks to the new conditions of self-help and the assistance of the Alphabet-Kopeyka, would undoubtedly bear fruit a hundredfold.
A year passed, another passed. Whether during this time Ivan Bogaty ate Westphalian ham in Westphalia, or Strasbourg pies in Strasbourg, I cannot say for sure. But I know that when he returned home at the end of his term, he was stupefied in the full sense of the word.
Ivan Poor was sitting in a crumbling shack, thin and emaciated; On the table there was a cup with tury, into which Marya Ivanovna, on the occasion of the holiday, added a spoonful of hemp oil for flavor. The children sat around the table and hurried to eat, as if fearing that a stranger might come and demand the orphan’s share.
- Why did it happen? - Ivan Bogaty exclaimed with bitterness, almost with hopelessness.
- And I say: “Why would that be?” - Ivan Bedny responded out of habit.
Pre-holiday interviews began again on a bench in front of Ivan the Rich’s mansion; but no matter how comprehensively the interlocutors examined the question that depressed them, nothing came of these considerations. At first Ivan Bogaty thought that this was happening because we had not matured; but, having reasoned, I became convinced that eating a pie with filling is not at all such a difficult science that a matriculation certificate is necessary for it. He tried to dig deeper, but from the very first abtsug such scarecrows jumped out of the depths that he immediately made a vow to himself - never to get to the bottom of anything. Finally, they decided on the last resort: to seek clarification from the local sage and philosopher Ivan the Simpleton.
The simpleton was a native villager, a lame-legged hunchback, who, due to poverty, did not produce any valuables, but lived on the fact that he was left in pieces all year round. But in the village they said about him that he was as smart as priest Semyon, and he fully justified this reputation. No one knew better than him how to breed beans and show miracles in a sieve. The Simpleton promises a red rooster - lo and behold, the rooster is already flapping its wings somewhere on the roof; It promises hail the size of a pigeon's egg - and lo and behold, the hail makes a maddened herd run from the field. Everyone was afraid of him, and when the sound of his beggar’s stick was heard under the window, the hostess-cook hurried to serve him the best piece as quickly as possible.
And this time the Simpleton fully justified his reputation as a seer. As soon as Ivan Bogaty laid out the circumstances of the case before him and then asked the question: “Why?” “The simpleton immediately, without thinking at all, answered:
- Because it says so in the plan.
Ivan Bedny, apparently, immediately understood the Simpleton's speech and hopelessly shook his head. But Rich Ivan was decidedly perplexed.
“There is such a plant,” explained the Simpleton, clearly pronouncing each word and as if enjoying his own insight, “and in it the plant says: Ivan the Poor lives on the crossroads, and his dwelling is either a hut or a sieve full of holes.” It’s the wealth that keeps flowing past and through, so it doesn’t see any delay. And you. Rich Ivan, you live right next to the drain, where streams run from all sides. Your mansions are spacious, well-appointed, and there are strong palisades all around. Streams of wealth will flow to your residence and they will get stuck here. And if you, for example, gave away half of your estate yesterday, then today as many as three quarters have come your way. You are from money, and money comes to you. Whatever bush you look under, there is wealth everywhere. This is what this plant is like. And no matter how much you scribble among yourself, no matter how much you scatter your mind, you won’t come up with anything as long as that’s what it says in the plan.
