Favorite children's activity is to listen to stories. They can be read or told from memory, but it is necessary to explain the meaning to the child. The fact is that fairy tales contain the wisdom of generations of ancestors. Perhaps it is well hidden in some works, but it is always present. There are a few various kinds fairy tales. This article will focus on household items.

What is a household story?

A household fairy tale is simply a storehouse of knowledge, because, first of all, it contains a description folk life where its name comes from. Since these works are created for children, household folk tales contain a lot of humor and exciting adventures. The hero of a household fairy tale is not a hero, but a common person, for example, a soldier, a peasant, or a blacksmith. He does not commit feats of arms and has no magical talents, but overcomes all difficulties with the help of his ingenuity and dexterity. Also often the main motive is love theme- wedding, wedding or life after marriage.

This kind of fairy tales appeared not so long ago. Household fairy tales children are best absorbed between the ages of 2 and 7, so it is worth reading them more often during this period. You should also pay attention to the fact that certain types of fairy tales are suitable for a certain age.

What are the types of fairy tales?

It should be noted that everyday fairy tales can be the result of both folk art and individual authors. So, for example, Charles Perrault or Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote many fairy tales in the everyday genre.

Fairy tales are divided into 3 subgroups, which allow you to more accurately determine what a household fairy tale is:

• social and household ("Chatty old woman", "Shemyakin court"),
• satirical-household ("The Man and the Pope", "The Master and the Man"),
• magic-household ("Morozko", "Cinderella").

However, it is worth noting that fairy tales can only be divided conditionally, because the same work can contain different elements: satire, magic, and just everyday life.

What do fairy tales teach?

Everyday fairy tales were and are being told to children in order to show them right direction in life, teach them to make the right choice. After all, what is a household fairy tale, if not a lesson and instruction for future generations? She teaches us the kindest and best, because good always triumphs over evil, people who are ready to help do not get lost in trouble, and our heroes are always ready to defend their homeland.

Everyday fairy tales usually carry the idea that one must be industrious and skillful. Such people succeed in everything. And the inept and lazy in these tales are usually ridiculed, and they are left with nothing. So, in everyday fairy tales, gentlemen and priests are treated negatively. They are usually presented as greedy and lazy, and these qualities are always unpleasant to people. Moreover, we can say that heroes are clearly visible in everyday fairy tales. Moreover, people of the lower classes have much more nobility and kindness than the richer ones. The role of the everyday fairy tale is to expose lies and show exactly the social difficulties and problems that exist in society.

Magic household tales

Often genres of fairy tales can be mixed, as in fairy tales. They usually contain 2 worlds, one of which is real, and the second is fictional. So, the famous beginning "In a certain kingdom ..." is the main indicator of a fairy tale. Also besides fantasy world there are also those endowed with special powers, such as Koschey or Baba Yaga.

Magical everyday tales can tell about heroes ("Vasilisa the Beautiful"), lost children ("Twelve Months"), or about people with certain abilities ("Mary the Artisan"). They always begin with the elders leaving the younger, or the strong leaving the weak alone, who, in turn, violate a strictly established prohibition. This form of presentation is the most memorable for children.

In such fairy tales, there is always a kind magical helper or object, with the help of which the victory over the villain is won.

Perhaps fairy tales about animals about animals are very interesting for children. In Russian fairy tales, villains often have pets, for example, Baba Yaga. Usually it's cats that help positive characters be saved. It is not surprising, because the owners practically do not feed the animals, and even more so they do not caress.

Household fairy tales about animals

Among other varieties of fairy tales, there are fairy tales about animals. They can tell both about simple creatures that live in the forest ("Wolf and seven kids", "Fox and Hare" and others), and about the magical "Humpbacked Horse"). A household tale about animals necessarily implies the ability of these creatures to talk and think like people. In household tales about animals, they often have quite human problems and emotions, as well as living conditions. In fact, we are talking really about people.

A distinctive feature of Russian fairy tales about animals is that all animals are endowed with special, characteristic features. So, everyone knows from childhood that the fox is cunning, the hare is hardworking, and the wolf is cruel.

Household fairy tales of the peoples of Russia

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of everyday fairy tales. So, every nation, not only ours big Russia, but the whole world knows what a household fairy tale is, and tells it to children. Each nation has its own tales, but their plot is often repeated. However, thanks to them, we can learn more about the culture of another people and better understand it. This is very important in such as Russia. When children listen to the tales of their people in early age, they perceive them much better than foreign works.

The Tale of the Bogatyr Naznay

The genres of fairy tales are very diverse, so sometimes a household fairy tale can be perfect for describing a hero. Bogatyr Recognize and his actions refer to just such a case.

In this tale, we are talking about a hero who himself did not know how to do anything, but was able to become a king. The fact is that he was very lucky, and he dealt with his enemies simply by chance. The hero was so unlucky that his But he guessed to write on the sword that he killed 500 people with one blow (although in fact he killed only 500 flies). The king found out about this, invited the hero and married him to his daughter. In fact, the hero did not perform feats, but he was very lucky, and he dealt with enemies. So, he killed a snake simply by falling on it from a tree in a dream, and he defeated three evil heroes by quarreling them: they themselves killed each other.

At the end of the tale, frightened and starting to undress, Naznay frightened the army of the attackers, because they thought that in front of them, thanks to the victory, he became king. In fact, we have before us a household fairy tale, since there is no heroism in it, only luck. The hero copes with difficulties thanks to her and his ingenuity.

The soldier took time off on vacation, got ready and went on a campaign. He walked and walked, there was no water anywhere, with which he could soak crackers and eat on the way on the road, but his belly was empty for a long time. Nothing to do - dragged on; lo and behold, a brook was running, he went up to this brook, took out three crackers from his satchel and put it in the water. Yes, the soldier also had a violin; in his spare time, he played different songs on it, dispersed boredom. Here the soldier sat down by the stream, took the violin and let's play. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an unclean man comes to him in the form of an old man, with a book in his hands.

Hello mister service!

Hello, good man!

The devil already grimaced as the soldier called him kind person.

Listen, buddy, let's switch: I'll give you my book, and you give me a violin.

Eh, old man, what do I need your book for? I have served the sovereign for at least ten years, but I have never been literate; I didn’t know before, and now it’s too late to learn!

Nothing, officer! I have such a book - whoever looks, everyone will be able to read!

Well, let me try!

Listen, brother, - he says to the soldier, - stay at my place for three days and teach me to play the violin; thank you I'll tell you!

No, old man, - the soldier answers, - I need to go home, and in three days I will go far.

Please, serviceman, if you stay and learn to play the violin, I will deliver you home one day - I will take you on a postal troika.

The soldier sits thinking: to stay or not? And he takes out crackers from the stream - he wants to have a snack.

Eh, brother, serviceman, - says the unclean one, - your food is bad; eat mine!

I untied the bag and took out white bread, fried beef, vodka and all sorts of snacks: eat - I don’t want to!

The soldier ate and got drunk and agreed to stay with that unfamiliar old man and teach him to play the violin. Stayed with him for three days and asks to go home; the devil brings him out of his chorus - a trio of good horses is standing in front of the porch.

Sit down, officer! I'll take you in a moment.

The soldier got into the wagon with the devil; how the horses picked them up, how they carried them - only versts flicker in their eyes! They brought the spirit.

Do you recognize this village? - asks the unclean.

How can you not know! - answers the soldier. “I was born and raised in this village.

Well, goodbye!

The soldier got down from the wagon, came to his relatives, began to greet them and tell about himself when he was released from the regiment and for how long. It seemed to him that he had stayed with the unclean one for only three days, but in fact he had stayed with him for three years; the term of vacation ended a long time ago, and in the regiment, tea, on the run, he is considered.

The soldier is shy, he doesn't know what to do! And the spree does not come to mind! He went out of the village and thinks: “Where to go now? If you go to the regiment, they drive you through the ranks there. Oh, unclean one, you have played a good joke on me.” He just uttered this word, and the unclean one is right there.

Don't freak out, officer! Stay with me - after all, you have an unenviable life in your regiment, they feed you with breadcrumbs and beat you with sticks, and I will make you happy ... Do you want me to make you a merchant?

That's all right: merchants live well, let me try my luck!

The unclean one made him a merchant, gave him a large shop with various expensive goods in the capital city, and says:

Now, brother, farewell! I will leave you for distant lands, in the thirtieth state; the king there has beautiful daughter Mary the princess; I will torment her in every possible way!

Our merchant lives, he does not grieve about anything; happiness itself and brings down the yard; in trade he has such a task that it is impossible to demand better! Other merchants began to envy him. “Come on,” they say, “we’ll ask him: what kind of person is he, and where did he come from, and can he bargain? After all, he recaptured all our trade from us - so that it was empty for him! They came to him, began to interrogate him, and he answered them:

You are my brothers! Now I have a lot of things to do, I have no time to talk with you; come tomorrow - you'll find out everything.

The merchants went home; and the soldier thinks what to do? How to give an answer? I thought and thought and decided to leave my shop and leave the city at night. So he took all the money that was available, and went to the thirtieth state.

Walked, walked and comes to the outpost.

What kind of person? - asks his sentry. He answers:

I am a doctor; I am going to your kingdom because your king's daughter is ill; I want to cure her.

The sentry reported this to the courtiers, the courtiers brought it to the king himself. The king called the soldier:

If you cure my daughter, I will give her in marriage to you.

Your Majesty, order me to give three decks of cards, three bottles of sweet wine and three bottles of hot spirits, three pounds of nuts, three pounds of lead bullets and three bunches of candles for burning wax.

Okay, everything will be ready!

The soldier waited until evening, bought himself a violin and went to the princess; lit candles in her chambers, began to drink, walk, play the violin.

At midnight, the unclean one comes, heard the music and rushed to the soldier:

Hello, brother!

Great!

What do you drink?

I sip kvass.

Give it to me!

Please! - and brought him a full glass of hot alcohol; the devil drank - and rolled his eyes under his forehead:

Oh, it takes hard! Let's have something to eat.

Here are the nuts, take it and have a snack! - says the soldier, and he slips lead bullets. The devil gnawed, gnawed, only broke his teeth. They began to play cards; until this and that - time has passed, the roosters have crowed, and the unclean one has disappeared. The king asks the princess:

What is the night slept like?

Thank God, calm down!

And the other night passed in the same way; and by the third night the soldiers of the king ask:

Your Majesty! Order fifty pounds of pincers to forge and make three copper rods, three iron rods and three tin rods.

Okay, everything will be done!

At the dead of midnight is unclean.

Hello servant! I came to visit you again.

Hello! Who is not happy with a cheerful friend!

We started drinking and walking. The unclean one saw the ticks and asked:

What is it?

Yes, you see, the king took me into his service and forced the musicians to teach the violin; and they all have crooked fingers - no better than yours, you have to straighten them in pliers.

Ah, brother, - the unclean one began to ask, - can I also straighten my fingers? To this day, I still can't play the violin.

Why not? Put your fingers here.

The devil put both hands into the pincers; the soldier pressed them, squeezed them, then grabbed the rods and let's regale him; beats and says: “Here is the merchant class for you!” The devil prays, the devil asks:

Let go, please! For thirty miles I will not approach the palace.

And he knows scourging. The devil jumped, jumped, twirled, twirled, pulled away by force and said to the soldier:

Even though you marry the princess, you will not escape my hands! As soon as you drive thirty versts from the city, I will immediately capture you!

He said and disappeared.

Here the soldier married the princess and lived with her in love and harmony; and after a few years the king died, and he began to rule the whole kingdom. Came out at the same time new king take a walk in the garden with my wife.

Ah, what a glorious garden! he says.

What a garden this is! the queen answers. - We have another garden outside the city, about thirty miles from here, there is something to admire there!

The king got ready and went there with the queen; as soon as he got out of the carriage, and the unclean one met him:

Why are you? Did you forget what you were told! Well, brother, it's your own fault, now you won't escape from my paws.

What to do! Apparently, this is my destiny! Let me at least say goodbye to my young wife.

Say goodbye and hurry up!..

Household fairy tales

household Fairy tales are different from fairy tales. They are based on the events of everyday life. There are no miracles and fantastic images, there are real heroes: husband, wife, soldier, merchant, master, priest, etc. These are fairy tales about the marriage of heroes and the marriage of heroines, the correction of obstinate wives, inept, lazy housewives, gentlemen and servants, about a fooled master, a rich master, a lady deceived by a cunning master , clever thieves, a cunning and savvy soldier, etc. These are fairy tales on family and everyday topics. They express accusatory orientation; the greed and envy of its representatives are condemned; cruelty, ignorance, rudeness of the bar-serfs.

With sympathy in these tales, an experienced soldier is depicted who knows how to craft and tell tales, cooks soup from an ax, can outwit anyone. He is able to deceive the devil, the master, the stupid old woman. The servant skillfully achieves his goal, despite the absurdity of the situations. And there is irony in this.

Household tales are short. There is usually one episode in the center of the plot, the action develops quickly, there is no repetition of episodes, the events in them can be defined as ridiculous, funny, strange. Comic is widely developed in these tales, which is determined by their satirical, humorous, ironic nature. There are no horrors in them, they are funny, witty, everything is focused on the action and features of the narrative that reveal the images of the characters. “They reflect the way of life of the people, their home life, their moral concepts and this crafty Russian mind, so prone to irony, so simple-hearted in its cunning,” wrote Belinsky.

One of the household tales is a fairy tale"Evidence Wife".

It has all the features of a household fairy tale. It begins with the beginning: "An old man lived with an old woman." The tale tells about ordinary events in the life of peasants. The plot develops quickly. great place in the fairy tale, it is given to dialogues (the conversation of an old woman with an old man, an old woman and a master). Her characters are everyday characters. It reflects family life peasants: the heroes "hook" (i.e., remove) peas in the field, set up fishing gear ("zaezochek"), fishing tackle in the form of a net ("muzzle"). The heroes are surrounded by everyday things: the old man puts the pike in the "pesterek" (birch basket), etc.

At the same time, human vices are condemned in the tale: the talkativeness of the old man's wife, who, having found the treasure, told everyone about it; the cruelty of the master, who ordered a peasant woman to be whipped with rods.

The fairy tale contains elements of the unusual: a pike in the field, a hare in the water. But they are connected with the real actions of the old man, who in a witty way decided to play a trick on the old woman, teach her a lesson, punish her for her talkativeness. "He (the old man - A.F.) took a pike, instead of it he put a hare in the face, and carried the fish into the field and put it in peas." The old woman believed everything.

When the master began to inquire about the treasure, the old man wanted to keep silent, and his talkative old woman told the master about everything. She argued that the pike was in the peas, the hare got in the face, and the devil tore the skin from the master. It is no coincidence that the tale is called "The Proving Wife". And even when she is punished with rods: "they stretched her, the heart, and began to regale; you know, she says the same thing under the rods." The master spat and drove the old man and the old woman away.

The tale punishes and condemns the talkative and stubborn old woman and treats the old man with sympathy, glorifying resourcefulness, intelligence, and ingenuity. The tale reflects the element of folk speech.

Magic tales. Heroes of Russian fairy tales

AT fairy tale before the listener there is a different, than in fairy tales about animals, a special, mysterious world. It has extraordinary fantastic heroes, goodness and truth defeat darkness, evil and lies.

"This is a world where Ivan Tsarevich rushes through a dark forest on a gray wolf, where the deceived Alyonushka suffers, where Vasilisa the Beautiful brings a scorching fire from Baba Yaga, where a brave hero finds the death of Kashchei the Immortal" .. 1

Some of the fairy tales are closely related to mythological representations. Such images as Frost, Water, Sun, Wind are associated with the elemental forces of nature. The most popular of Russian fairy tales are: "Three Kingdoms", " magic ring"," Finist's Feather - Clear Falcon", "The Frog Princess", "Kashchei the Immortal", "Marya Morevna", " sea ​​king and Vasilisa the Wise", "Sivka-Burka", "Morozko", etc.

The hero of a fairy tale is courageous, fearless. He overcomes all obstacles in his path, wins victories, wins his happiness. And if at the beginning of the tale he can act as Ivan the Fool, Emelya the Fool, then at the end he necessarily turns into a handsome and well done Ivan Tsarevich. A.M. drew attention to this at one time. Bitter:

"The hero of folklore -" fool ", despised even by his father and brothers, always turns out to be smarter than them, always the winner of all worldly hardships." 2

A positive hero is always helped by others. fairy tale characters. So, in the fairy tale "Three Kingdoms" the hero gets out on White light with the help of a wonderful bird. In other fairy tales, both Sivka-Burka and Grey Wolf, and Elena the Beautiful. Even such characters as Morozko and Baba Yaga help the heroes for their diligence and good manners. In all this, people's ideas about human morality and morality are expressed.

Always next to the main characters in a fairy tale wonderful helpers: The gray wolf, Sivka-Burka, Obyalilo, Opivalo, Dubynya and Usynya, etc. They possess wonderful means: a flying carpet, walking boots, a self-assembled tablecloth, an invisibility hat. images goodies in fairy tales, helpers and miraculous objects express people's dreams.

Images of female heroines of fairy tales in popular imagination extraordinarily beautiful. They say about them: "Neither in a fairy tale to say, nor to describe with a pen." They are wise, possess magical power, possess remarkable intelligence and resourcefulness (Elena the Beautiful, Vasilisa the Wise, Marya Morevna).

Opponents of positive heroes - dark forces, scary monsters(Kashchei the Deathless, Baba Yaga, famously one-eyed, Serpent Gorynych). They are cruel, treacherous and greedy. This is how the idea of ​​the people about violence and evil is expressed. Their appearance sets off the image of a positive hero, his feat. The storytellers did not spare colors to emphasize the struggle between light and dark beginnings. In terms of content and form fairy tale carries elements of the miraculous, the unusual. The composition of fairy tales is different from the composition of fairy tales about animals. Some fairy tales begin with a saying - a playful joke that is not related to the plot. The purpose of the saying is to grab the attention of the audience. It is followed by the opening that begins the story. It takes listeners to fairy world, indicates the time and place of the action, the situation, actors. The fairy tale ends with an ending. The narrative develops sequentially, the action is given in dynamics. Dramatically tense situations are reproduced in the structure of the tale.

In fairy tales, episodes are repeated three times (with three snakes it beats on Kalinov bridge Ivan Tsarevich, three beautiful princesses rescued by Ivan underworld). They use traditional artistic means expressiveness: epithets (good horse, valiant, green meadow, silk grass, azure flowers, blue sea, dense forests), comparisons, metaphors, words with diminutive suffixes. These features of fairy tales resonate with epics and emphasize the brightness of the narrative.

An example of such a tale is the tale "Two Ivan - soldiers' sons".

Tales about animals.

One of ancient species Russian fairy tales fairy tales about animals. The world of animals in fairy tales is perceived as an allegorical image of the human. Animals represent real carriers human vices in everyday life (greed, stupidity, cowardice, boasting, knavery, cruelty, flattery, hypocrisy, etc.).

Most popular fairy tales about animals are the tales of the fox and the wolf. Image foxes stable. She is portrayed as a deceitful, cunning liar: she deceives a peasant by pretending to be dead ("A fox steals a fish from a sleigh"); deceives the wolf ("The Fox and the Wolf"); deceives the rooster ("Cat, rooster and fox"); kicks a hare out of a bast hut ("The Fox and the Hare"); he changes the goose for a sheep, the sheep for a bull, steals honey ("The Bear and the Fox"). In all fairy tales, she is flattering, vindictive, cunning, prudent.

Another hero that the fox often encounters is wolf. He is stupid, which is expressed in the attitude of the people towards him, devours kids ("Wolf and Goat"), is going to tear a sheep ("Sheep, Fox and Wolf"), fattening a hungry dog ​​to eat it, remains without a tail ("Fox and wolf").

Another hero of fairy tales about animals is bear. He personifies brute force, has power over other animals. In fairy tales, he is often called "everyone's fawn." The bear is also stupid. Persuading the peasant to harvest, each time he is left with nothing ("The Man and the Bear").

Hare, frog, mouse, thrush act in fairy tales as weak. They perform an auxiliary role, often being in the service of "large" animals. Only cat and rooster act as positive characters. They help the offended, are true to friendship.

An allegory is manifested in the characterization of the characters: the depiction of the habits of animals, the peculiarities of their behavior resembles the depiction of human behavior and introduces critical principles into the narrative, which are expressed in the use of various methods of satirical and humorous depiction of reality.

The humor is based on the reproduction of the ridiculous situations that the characters find themselves in (the wolf lowers its tail into the hole and believes that it will catch the fish).

The language of fairy tales is figurative, reproduces everyday speech, some fairy tales consist entirely of dialogues ("The Fox and the Black Grouse", " bean seed"). In them, dialogues prevail over the narrative. The text includes small songs ("Gingerbread Man", "Koza-Dereza").

The composition of fairy tales is simple, based on the repetition of situations. The plot of fairy tales unfolds rapidly ("The Bean Seed", "The Beasts in the Pit"). Tales about animals are highly artistic, their images are expressive.

He served as a soldier in the royal service. He served faithfully for the prescribed period, received a clean resignation and went home. He walks with a full soldier's gear - an overcoat on his shoulders, a knapsack behind his shoulders, in a knapsack copper nickel, stale cracker and a pinch of tobacco.

He walked and walked and got tired. Sat on a stump.

And then, it happens, a beggar old man is walking along the road. I saw a soldier and said:

- Do not you, a service man, snuff snuff?

The soldier thinks: “To give half is so little, he will still be offended,” and he gave all the tobacco to the old man.

- Would you treat a hungry man with a piece of bread, serviceman?

The soldier thinks: "To divide - so there will be nothing left," - and gave the old man all the cracker.

“Couldn’t you give,” he says, “a serviceman, a penny for poverty?”

The soldier thinks: “Oh, I have one nickel - and if you want, you can’t share it,” and gave the old man his nickel.

Then the old man takes a deck of cards out of his pocket, gives it to the soldier and says:

— Take it, soldier, maybe they will be useful to you. These cards are such that you will never lose.

Well, the soldier is happy with that. He thanked the old man and went on his way.

Walked, walked, comes to the royal capital.

He walks the streets and is amazed: it is quiet everywhere, no one will say a loud word, no one will laugh. You can't hear any noise from the tavern.

So he stopped one old woman in the street and asked:

- What is it, grandmother, everyone walks as if lowered into the water? Has something happened in our kingdom-state? Is everything great?

“I-and, serviceman,” the old woman replies. - What a great place! It looks like you haven't been to our area for a long time! We've got a big problem. An unclean spirit swayed to the royal daughter, to Martha the princess. Every night he torments, does not give rest. Whatever the tsar-father did not do - he called on sorcerers and healers. Yes, no one saved the heart from the raiding devil.

The soldier listened to this and thought: “Well, shouldn’t I go and try my luck? Maybe I'll save the princess from misfortune.

He cleaned his overcoat, rubbed the buttons with chalk, satchel behind his back - and march to the palace.

When the king's servants heard why he was coming, they grabbed him by the arms and brought him to the king himself.

And the king sits on the throne in great sadness, wipes tears from his eyes with a silk handkerchief - now from the right eye, then from the left.

The soldier saluted - he stands, as if he had swallowed a yardstick.

Hello service! the king tells him. - What good can you say? Why did you complain?

“I wish you good health, your royal majesty!” I heard that Princess Marfa is ill with you. So, I can fix it.

The king rejoiced:

- Oh, brother, do me a favor, serve. If you save my daughter from the unclean, you will get her as a wife, and even half the state as a dowry.

“Glad to try,” the soldier says. “Only order, Your Majesty, that they give me everything I need.”

- Say what you need - everything will be.

“But what I need,” the soldier says, “is a measure of cast-iron bullets, a measure of walnuts, and even an iron forehead and an iron likeness of a man so that his arms and legs walk on springs.

“All right, you’ll get it by evening,” the king says.

We made the soldier everything that was required by the deadline.

He walked around the palace, firmly locked all the doors and windows, and he himself was placed in the chambers in front of the princess's bedroom and left the door to those chambers unshuttered.

Then he lit the candles, laid out his cards on the table, poured cast-iron bullets into one pocket, walnuts into the other, put on a browband, and placed the iron man in a dark corner.

Managed everything and stood at the door on the clock.

Standing, waiting for the son of Satan to appear.

At midnight, an unclean spirit flew in.

I bumped into one door, another, back and forth - everywhere is closed, nowhere is there an entrance or an exit. He flew, flew, finally sees an open door.

An unclean man threw himself in, he wants to enter.

And the soldier - a saber unsheathed.

- Who goes?

“Own,” the devil replies.

- Whether it's your own, strangers, but name yourself first!

“Yes, where did you come from?” the devil asks.

“I am a soldier, a servant of the king. And who are you?

- And I am a courtier of the state.

- Where are you, evil spirit, still dragging around?

“Where I was, I’m not there now.” Let go, officer.

- No, brother, where you are not, you will not be there.

And he took out nuts from his pocket and clicks.

“Listen,” the devil says, “let me have some nuts to chew on.”

“There are a lot of you tramps walking around here,” says the soldier. - If you clothe everyone with nuts, then there will be nothing left for yourself.

And damn it says:

- Come on, officer! Well, at least one nut!

“Well, okay, just leave me alone,” the soldier says. And gives him a cast-iron bullet.

The devil took a bullet in his mouth, gnawed, gnawed, did not gnaw at all, only crushed it into a cake and broke three of his teeth.

In the meantime, he toiled with a cast-iron bullet, the soldier cracked twenty nuts.

“Oh, serviceman,” the devil says, “and your teeth are strong!”

- Yes, what is it! says the soldier. - It was I who blunted my teeth over crackers, and you would have looked what I was like from a young age! Not for you!

It's a shame to hear such words. Yes, there is nothing to answer.

The devil thinks: “How can I outwit this soldier, get the better of him?”

Suddenly he sees: the cards are on the table.

So he says to the soldier:

- Listen, soldier, let's play cards.

- Let's. And what are we going to play?

- How to what? Known for money.

- Oh, you evil spirit! Yes, judge for yourself what kind of money a soldier can have. He receives a total salary of three copper coins. And he needs soap, and waxes, and chalk, and tobacco, and go to the bathhouse, and shave his beard. No, it won't work for money. Do you want to play clicks?

- Well, perhaps! Yes, so as not to back away.

“All right, look, as if he didn’t back away!”

They sat down to play.

Unclean and plays unclean.

And although the soldier sees his tricks, he does not show his mind. And yes, it lends itself.

He played the devil ten clicks on the soldier.

“Come on,” he says, “I’ll beat you.”

- Bey! - says the soldier, and he exposes his forehead to him.

Damn, let's click it on the forehead.

The headband is buzzing, but at least the soldier would have something!

Counted the hell out ten clicks.

“Well, now I have to win back,” says the soldier. - Was it a game, so, jokes.

Sat down to play again.

Here things went differently. Bad luck - well, damn it.

Played enough soldiers for the unclean ten clicks.

- Well, - he says, - now you turn your forehead. I'll show you what it's like to play clicks with our brother. I'll cut like a soldier. You will order both friend and foe.

Damn scared.

- Yes, you, serviceman, do not beat very much! You're not at full strength!

- What, scared? says the soldier. - How is it for the calculation, so now you are shirking? No, there's no way I can spare you. I am a soldier, and I took an oath in that: to always act faithfully!

The devil prays, the devil asks:

- Take, soldier, money!

- What do I need your money for? I played for clicks - click and pay. Unless this is the case: I have a younger brother Oksen, he will make clicks for you quieter than mine. If you don't want to, let me beat you.

- No, serviceman, take it better to the younger brother.

The soldier pulled the devil to iron man and touched the spring. Here, as the devil clicked on the forehead! Head over heels to another wall flew off.

“Uh, no,” the soldier says, “the agreement was not to back away.

He grabbed the devil by the hand and pulled him back to the iron man.

On another occasion, a soldier touched a spring and treated the devil so much that he rushed to run without looking back.

And the soldier shouts after him:

“Remember, evil spirit, I still have eight clicks left!”

In the morning, the king asks Martha the princess:

- What, my dear daughter, how did you rest?

“Very well, sir, for a long time I have not slept so sweetly as I do today.

The next night, Satan sent another devil to the palace. That one comes. Well, word for word, sat down to play cards. Got it for nuts too! Barely a living leg carried away from the palace.

In thirteen nights, thirteen devils stayed with the soldier - all, as it is, a devil's dozen.

Satan thought about it.

“Let me,” he thinks, “I’ll go myself, I’ll take a look at this soldier, what the hell is this?”

And went.

And the soldier is cunning! He ordered to make for himself ten-pound iron mittens, an iron scratch with five teeth, and to tear off three oxhides with a pipe.

Satan enters the palace at midnight.

- Hello, officer! - He speaks.

And the soldier to him:

- You should get out of here in a good way! And then you will get from my little brother.

Well, the soldier is cunning, and Satan is not simple either.

“What do I care about your little brother,” he says. "You're talking to Satan, not to anyone else!" Come on, let's compete with you. Yes, the agreement is this: whoever wins the upper hand will stay here.

“Well,” says the soldier, “I don't mind. How are we going to measure?

- And on the fists.

- Okay. Well, let's finish up - whose first blow.

They began to horse. Satan got the first blow.

Satan turned around and how it will knock! One, two, three. And everything aims in one place - on the forehead and on the forehead.

Well, although Satan is not simple, and not wise: he does not know that the soldier has an iron forehead.

Satan beats a soldier, and at least that, only chuckles.

- Well, well, hit harder!

“Wait, soldier,” says Satan, “give me a break, you hurt your hand.” You are a hard-nosed people, soldiers!

“Well, rest yourself,” the soldier says, “for now, I will show my strength.

And as soon as he hits Satan with an iron fist, Satan spun right on the spot.

And his soldier again, and more, and more! And he laughs himself:

“You weak people, devils! And it hurts not strong on the head. What else do you want to measure? Or got sick? He was scared to death!

"Aren't you scared yourself?" Satan says. - I give in to you for laughter, and you are glad. No, you can't outsmart me. Let's play leapfrog with you now.

“Well, come on,” the soldier says. - Just play - so seriously, without giveaways.

They began to ride again. Again, the devil got the first to ride a soldier.

Here Satan jumped on him, and with his claws removed the entire skin from the soldier. Satan is at least not simple, but stupid: he thought it was a soldier's skin, but it is an ox!

Three times Satan waved at the soldier, all three ox skins were lowered from him.

What about a soldier!

- Well, you are a thick-skinned people, soldiers! Satan says.

The soldier laughs

“And we can’t do it any other way. A soldier does not burn in fire, and does not sink in water. Such is our service! Right, brother Oksen?

Satan looked up. Looks: a man is standing in the corner.

- Is it yours? younger brother?

"He's the best," says the soldier.

"Why is he open-mouthed?" Satan asks.

- He's laughing at you.

Satan offended:

“It’s too young to laugh at me. It would be good to teach him!

- And you study! says the soldier.

Satan approached the iron man, but only touched him - a spring jumped off and clamped Satan like a pincer.

And the soldier took a scratch and let's stroke his back.

Satan yells at the top of his voice, and the soldier only laughs and says:

- You are a frail people, devils! Just touch you - all the skin is off with you.

— Oh, let me go, soldier! Satan screams.

- Am I holding you? says the soldier. - You yourself give in. It was said to play seriously, but you succumb.

Satan pulled out violently. And he ran so hard that he did not remember how he found the way to his swamp. He caught his breath a little and gathered all the devils for advice: how would they survive this soldier from the palace. They thought and thought and decided to pay off with gold. Without delay, they ran to the soldier.

And the soldier saw them from the window and shouted in a loud voice:

— Hey, brother Oksen, come here as soon as possible! Debtors have come, it is necessary to give clicks.

“Enough, enough, serviceman,” the devils say. We have come to you from the world. Take as much gold as you want from us, just leave the palace, please.

“No,” says the soldier, “what is gold to me!” If you want to respect me, here's what you do. I heard that the evil spirit is painfully cunning, even where it fits. Now, if this is true, get into my knapsack, everyone. Climb in - so I will retreat from you forever and, really, I will leave the palace!

The devils rejoiced.

“This is the easiest thing for us,” they say. - Open your bag.

The soldier opened the knapsack, the devils got in there - every single one, and Satan lay down on top.

- You fit more tightly, - the soldier commands, - so that the satchel is fastened on all the buckles. And if it doesn’t fasten, then the agreement doesn’t count.

“Zip it up, button it up,” the devils say. - Not your sadness, how we lie here.

- Well, your happiness, if I fasten it. Otherwise, do not be angry, I will not leave the palace for anything.

The soldier began to tighten the belts - and sure enough, all the buckles were fastened.

The soldier threw his knapsack behind his back and went straight to the king.

“Take it, tsar-father,” he says. - All evil spirit picked it up, it's all here! - And it taps on the satchel, as if beating a drum roll.

- Is it true that everything? the king says.

- All! All! - shout the devils from the knapsack. And Satan is with us!

“Well, if everything,” says the king, “then burn them all in this very knapsack.”

“It’s a pity for the knapsack, father-king,” says the soldier. How long has he served me?

- You go camping, I'll give you a new one! the king answers.

That's what they decided on.

The king's servants dragged an enormous mountain of firewood from the forest, kindled a fire and burned all the devils.

Here the king says to the soldier:

- Here's what, soldier, my royal word is true - take my daughter, Princess Martha, and half the state in addition. And when I die, then govern the entire kingdom-state.

The next day, the king ordered - a merry feast and for the wedding.

Wine poured from the barrels, pies flew from the ovens.

It was a merry feast - for the whole world!

The soldier asked for leave, got ready and went on a campaign. He walked and walked, not to see water anywhere, with which he could soak crackers and eat on the way on the road, but his belly was empty for a long time. Nothing to do - dragged on; lo and behold, a brook was running, he went up to this brook, took out three crackers from his satchel and put it in the water. Yes, the soldier also had a violin; in his spare time, he played different songs on it, dispersed boredom. Here the soldier sat down by the stream, took the violin and let's play. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an unclean man comes to him in the form of an old man, with a book in his hands. "Hello, mister service!" - "Hey, good man!" The devil already winced as the soldier called him a good man. "Listen, buddy, let's change: I'll give you my book, and you give me a violin." “Oh, old man, what do I need your book for? I have served the sovereign for at least ten years, but I have never been literate; I didn’t know before, and now it’s too late to learn!” - “Nothing, soldier! I have such a book - whoever looks, everyone will be able to read! - “Well, let me try!”

The soldier opened the book and began to read, as if he had learned to read and write from an early age, he was delighted and immediately exchanged his violin. The unclean one took the violin, began to move the bow, but the matter does not go well - there is no harmony in his playing. “Listen, brother,” he says to the soldier, “stay at my place for three days and teach me to play the violin; I'll tell you thank you!" “No, old man,” the soldier answers, “I need to go home, and in three days I will go far.” - “Please, serviceman, if you stay and learn to play the violin, I will deliver you home one day - I will take you on a postal troika.” The soldier sits thinking: to stay or not? And he takes out crackers from the stream - he wants to have a snack. “Oh, service brother,” says the unclean one, “your food is bad; eat mine!" He untied the bag and took out white bread, roast beef, vodka and all sorts of snacks: eat - I don’t want to!

The soldier ate and got drunk and agreed to stay with that unfamiliar old man and teach him to play the violin. Stayed with him for three days and asks to go home; the devil leads him out of his chorus - a trio of good horses is standing in front of the porch. "Sit down, officer! I'll take you right away." The soldier got into the wagon with the devil; how the horses picked them up, how they carried them - only versts flicker in their eyes! They brought the spirit. “Do you recognize this village?” - asks the unclean. “How can you not know! - answers the soldier. “I was born and raised in this village.” - "Well, goodbye!" The soldier got down from the wagon, came to his relatives, began to greet them and tell about himself when he was released from the regiment and for how long. It seemed to him that he had stayed with the unclean one for only three days, but in fact he had stayed with him for three years; the term of vacation ended a long time ago, and in the regiment, tea, on the run, he is considered.

The soldier is shy, he doesn't know what to do! And the spree does not come to mind! He went out of the village and thinks: “Where to go now? If you go to the regiment, they drive you through the ranks there. Eh, impure, nicely you played a trick on me. He just uttered this word, and the unclean one is right there. "Don't freak out, officer! Stay with me - after all, your life in the regiment is unenviable, they feed you with breadcrumbs and beat you with sticks, and I will make you happy ... Do you want me to make you a merchant? - “That's okay; merchants live well, let me try my luck!” The unclean one made him a merchant, gave him a large shop in the capital city with various expensive goods, and said: “Now, brother, goodbye! I will leave you for distant lands, in the thirtieth state; the local king has a beautiful daughter Marya the princess; I will torment her in every possible way!

Our merchant lives, does not grieve about anything; happiness itself and brings down the yard; in trade he has such a task that it is impossible to demand better! Other merchants began to envy him. “Come on,” they say, “we’ll ask him: what kind of person is he, and where did he come from, and can he bargain? After all, he recaptured all our trade - so that it was empty for him! They came to him, began to interrogate him, and he answered them: “You are my brothers! Now I have a lot of things to do, I have no time to talk with you; Come tomorrow - you will find out everything. The merchants went home; and the soldier thinks what to do? How to give an answer? I thought and thought and decided to leave my shop and leave the city at night. So he took all the money that was available, and went to the thirtieth state.

Walked, walked and comes to the outpost. "What kind of person?" - asks his sentry. He replies: “I am a doctor; I am going to your kingdom because your king's daughter is ill; I want to heal her." The sentry reported this to the courtiers, the courtiers brought it to the king himself. The king called on the soldier: "If you cure my daughter, I will give her in marriage to you." - "Your Majesty, order me to give three decks of cards, three bottles of sweet wine and three bottles of hot alcohol, three pounds of nuts, three pounds of lead bullets and three bunches of candles for burning wax." - "Okay, everything will be ready!" The soldier waited until evening, bought himself a violin and went to the princess; lit candles in her chambers, began to drink, walk, play the violin.

At midnight, the unclean one comes, heard the music and rushed to the soldier: “Hello, brother!” - "Great!" - "What do you drink?" - "I'm sipping kvass." - "Give it to me!" - "Excuse me!" - and brought him a full glass of hot alcohol; the devil drank - and rolled his eyes under his forehead: “Oh, it takes you hard! Let me have something to eat." - “Here are the nuts, take it and have a snack!” - says the soldier, and he slips lead bullets. The devil gnawed, gnawed, only broke his teeth. They began to play cards; until this and that - time has passed, the roosters crowed, and the unclean one was gone. The king asks the princess: "What was the night like?" - "Thank God, calmly!" And the other night passed in the same way; and by the third night, the soldiers of the king ask: “Your Majesty! Order fifty pounds of pincers to forge and make three copper rods, three iron rods and three tin rods. - "Okay, everything will be done!"

At the dead of midnight is unclean. "Hello, servant! I came to visit you again." - "Hello! Who is not happy with a cheerful comrade! We started drinking and walking. The unclean one saw the ticks and asked: “What is this?” - “Yes, you see, the king took me into his service and forced the musicians to teach the violin; and they all have crooked fingers - no better than yours, you have to straighten them in pliers. “Ah, brother,” the unclean man began to ask, “is it possible for me to straighten my fingers too? I still don't know how to play the violin." - “Why not? Put your fingers here." The devil put both hands into the pincers; the soldier pressed them, squeezed them, then grabbed the rods and let's regale him; beats and says: “Here is the merchant class for you!” The devil prays, the devil asks: “Let go, perhaps! I won’t go to the palace for thirty miles!” And he knows scourging. The devil jumped, jumped, twirled, twirled, pulled away by force and said to the soldier: “Even though you marry the princess, you won’t leave my hands! As soon as you drive thirty miles from the city, I’ll capture you now! ” He said and disappeared.

Here the soldier married the princess and lived with her in love and harmony; and after a few years the king died, and he began to rule the whole kingdom. At one time the new king went out with his wife to the garden for a walk. “Oh, what a glorious garden!” he says. “What a garden! the queen answers. “We have another garden outside the city, about thirty versts from here, there is something to admire there!” The king got ready and went there with the queen; as soon as he got out of the carriage, and the unclean one met him: “Why are you? Did you forget what you were told! Well, brother, it's his own fault; Now you can't get out of my clutches. - "What to do! Apparently, this is my destiny! Let me at least say goodbye to my young wife. - "Goodbye, but hurry up! .."