Bonfire
Vanya and Tanya were playing with matches.
Everyone knows the golden rule: “matches are not toys for children!” But the guys were very naughty. They decided to light a fire in the courtyard of a large apartment building. To do this, Vanya and Tanya collected old newspapers, dry sticks and cardboards, made a pyramid out of it and were just about to open the box and get a match, when their neighbor’s grandmother appeared: “What are these brats doing here?!” - she screamed. “Nothing special,” Vanya ran his foot along the ground. - So, let's play. - Oh, you’re playing! Now I’ll call the police and they’ll identify you in an instant! - Grandma screamed.
The guys rushed like a bullet into the entrance, up the steps to the fifth floor, to their apartment. And only when the door slammed behind them did they exhale. They were not afraid of the police, but of mom and dad. Most of all, they didn’t want to spend the entire holiday at home, punished.
When the first excitement passed, Vanya, who was a full five minutes older than his sister, said: “Let’s make a fire right here?” And no one will see.
Tanya really liked this idea, and she skipped into the room to get some old notebooks.
The children rolled up the rug in the living room (so it wouldn’t catch fire) and began laying out a new pyramid for the fire. For some reason Vanya put his school diary at the base, but then he thought about it and put it away anyway. When all the preparations were completed, Tanya brought matches. The children looked at each other solemnly. Another second and the girl’s thin fingers had to remove a thin and such a dangerous match from the box... Surely no one would stop the guys?!
Anne Hogarth. "Muffin is unhappy with his tail"
Donkey Mafin is sad about his unsightly tail, as it seems to him. Sally the seal lent him her spare tail, suitable for swimming. Muffin tries to swim, but sinks to the bottom like a stone; Sally barely manages to pull him to shore. No, that tail doesn't suit him.
The intellectual penguin Peregrine lends Mafin a spare tail: “It will help you think.” “The tail made Mafin think about such complex things that within a minute the donkey had a headache. He tried not to think so as not to tire himself, but the tail did not want that. The tail made the donkey think and be serious.” The donkey returns this tail to its owner.
Oswald the ostrich gives him his ceremonial tail, but no matter how beautiful it is, it doesn’t suit Muffin either - it tickles too much. The little black girl Molly convinces the donkey that there is nothing good in other people's tails, you just need to decorate your own. And ties a beautiful silk bow. And Mafin’s mood immediately improves. The conclusion is simple: you need to love yourself for who you are, value your individuality. And imitation of others does not make either a donkey or a person happy.
6.
match fairy
Tanya opened the box slightly, and suddenly, before the eyes of the astonished children, out came... A match! Only unusual, but alive. With wings on his back. - Wow! - Tanya and Vanya said in unison and fell to the floor in surprise. “I’m a match fairy,” answered the match with wings. - Because you did not listen to your parents and violated the most important rule - you began to play and fool around with matches without adults, I am taking you to the land of Matchboxes for re-education! - and without waiting for an answer, the fairy blew, first on Tanya, then on Vanya.
The guys quickly began to shrink in size. Their entire room instantly turned into a giant unfamiliar world. Now they were the same height as the fairy. Not far from the guys, on the floor lay the same matchbox. Only now it was huge, like a real house.
Following the fairy, the guys approached the box and began to climb inside along its smooth walls. But nothing worked out for them. Then the fairy clapped her hands and Tanya and Vanya floated through the air, like fluff from dandelions and flew straight into an open matchbox.
Giant logs lay under their feet. Of course, these were ordinary matches. Only now they were very large compared to the tiny children. There was a wooden door in one of the walls of the matchbox. The fairy pushed her, and the guys stepped into an extraordinary world.
Denis Makurin. "Ukhtostrovsky gusli and northern lights"
From the collection “New Tales of the North”
A writer from Kholmogory, Denis Makurin, created a whole series of fairy tales about the Russian North. In a fairy-tale form, they tell about traditional Pomeranian crafts, about villages and towns of the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions. These tales, although they were born in the north, are filled with warmth, kindness, and comfort. “In our area, near Kholmogory, there is a remarkable island: five villages and a dozen households - it’s called Ukhostrov. Oh, and the hearing people live there!” - this is how one of the “New Tales of the North” begins. It plays on the unusual geographical name of the place not far from which the great Lomonosov was born. Residents of Ukhostrov have excellent hearing; they even “heard the stars in the sky through the chimney.” And then one day one local resident made such a wonderful harp for himself that in the sky the Little Dipper wanted the same one for herself and began, crying, to ask for a harp from her mother, the Big Dipper. The little man took pity, climbed up the huge snowdrifts to the stars and gave the Little Dipper a harp. And “such wonderful music poured out that each note responded with its own color - so the northern lights began to play in the black sky. The stars staged a wonderful concert...” This is such a poetic and touching description of the northern lights.
Both this fairy tale and other fairy-tale miniatures from Denis Makurin’s book awaken interest in the Russian North, and encourage people to turn to the culture and history of their own small homeland.
5.
Welcome
Everything here was made from matchboxes: houses, bridges, trees. But much more surprising seemed to be the creatures striding along the paths, driving around in matchbox cars, looking out of the windows of matchbox houses. These were all ordinary matches - thin, with arms and legs; old and young, mother matches and baby matches, dog matches and even sparrow matches.
Tanya and Vanya walked along the paths with their mouths wide open and constantly turning their heads, now in one direction, then in the other. Suddenly Vanya said to his sister: “Listen, where is the fairy?”
The guys stopped. And in fact, the fairy disappeared somewhere. Meanwhile, the matchstick men looked at the guys with strange irritation and even anger. They lined up on both sides of the road and whispered.
Matchstick residents
The further the children walked, the closer the little men came to them. Finally, where the road climbed steeply upward, they were surrounded.
A gray-haired matchstick old man came out of the crowd of matches: “You are not welcome here,” he said loudly. You are very naughty and nasty guys. You should have been sent to the quarries. But at the request of our respected fairy, we allow you to earn your forgiveness! - What did we do? – Tanya asked with a trembling voice.
The old man and everyone else frowned more than ever. “Is this because,” Vanya began, “we were playing around with matches?” - Were you playing around?! They were playing around! - some match-mother intervened in the conversation, - Do you know how many innocent matches are dying for nothing because of such stupid and irresponsible guys like you! Every day some boy or girl plays with matches, breaks them, sets fire to anything! And all for what!
“And this is not to mention their own safety,” said the matchstick guy in large round glasses delicately.
“No, no, all this is empty talk,” the old man spoke again. - The matter is clear. The two of you must take the road of His Majesty King Match XI. This is the only way you can understand for yourself what it means to handle matches properly. And this is the only way you can return home, to your world. - Fair! Fair! – the rest of the matches nodded. “But...” Tanya tried to object, “what if we get lost?” “It’s unlikely,” the bespectacled match stammered, “we have only one road in our country.” And that's exactly what you need.
“It turns out we have no other choice,” Vanya noted. He wanted to ask if they would encounter terrible dangers on the way, but there was no one around. All the matches somehow very quickly returned to their business.
The guys had to go along the only road in the country of Matchboxes, the road of His Majesty King Matchbox XI.
Alexander Sharov. "Baby Arrow - Conqueror of the Oceans"
Fairy tales by Alexander Sharov are a good reason to talk with your child about important ethical topics and at the same time receive educational information about the world around them. For example, about the amazing mangrove forests that grow in the tropics exclusively in the tidal zone - where not a single plant can grow, being immediately washed away by the wave. It is this kind of Queen Wave that reigns in this tale, mercilessly carrying into the ocean depths countless seeds of poplar, willow, birch, pine and spruce cones, oak acorns, as she boasts at the beginning of this story.
But suddenly, right under her nose, on the wet sand there appears a sprout of an unknown tree, which calls itself with a loud name: Baby Arrow - Conqueror of the Oceans. He boldly challenges the Wave, which threatens to deal with the brave man. The next morning, when the Wave rolled onto the shore, she was amazed to discover that the fearless sprout was firmly holding on to its piece of land, or rather, coastal sand. And behind him you can see a whole row of his brothers. To the kind Dolphin, who clearly sympathizes with him, the green baby conveys the words of his mother: “The whole land is occupied by People, Trees, Animals, Herbs and Flowers. I don’t want my children to take over other children’s place in the sun. And the Ocean is occupied by Algae, Fishes and Whales. Only the strip of land that the tide floods is free and dead. You will revive her!
The dolphin is amazed at the wisdom of this baby's mother, who becomes a mighty tree surrounded by grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. And the Wave itself “respectfully takes off its white foam crown in front of those who, without shedding a drop of other people’s blood and without offending anyone, conquered and revived the dead land.”
The tale is poetic and uses memorable images to describe the way of life of mangrove trees. By the way, they bring great benefits to humanity and nature: they protect the coast from hurricanes and tsunamis, and provide shelter for many animals and birds. This fairy tale also teaches that you can achieve what you want peacefully, and that you need to maintain good neighborly relations with others.
2.
Let's hit the road
Just outside the city the forest began. Here the matchbox trees stood so close together that the sun's rays barely penetrated their dark branches. The guys walked holding hands, and they were a little scared. Every now and then some rustling noises were heard from all sides. They were clearly being watched.
Broken matches
Suddenly the trees parted and a little man stepped out onto the road. It was a match without a brown cap on its head. - Good afternoon! – Vanya turned to the stranger. “Nothing good,” the little man responded dully. “No one is allowed to walk in this forest without my knowledge.” - And who are you? – Tanya asked. - I? Who am I? – the little man was clearly not happy with the question. - Come on, brothers, tell these fools who I am! Other similar people began to emerge from behind the trees. There were also no brown caps on their heads.
The guys were seriously excited. - I am the leader of the spoiled matches. We are not allowed to live in the city with others. “With the normal ones,” a thin voice squeaked from the crowd. “Look around,” the little man began his story, “here you will find examples of all kinds of cruelty and injustice.” Some of us were born ugly. Sometimes there is a manufacturing defect, and matches are born without a cap from the incendiary mixture. They are doomed to drag out a miserable, worthless existence. But some, born normal matches, fall into the hands of notorious scoundrels. They burn them as a joke. And then they throw him to the ground. At this moment, their life does not end, but they can no longer return back to their own. Then we receive them here - in the Forest of the Forsaken.
- How sad! – Tanya sobbed. - Sad?! She's sad! Just listen! – the little man seemed to still be angry. – If it weren’t for you people, we would live happily ever after! - But who would have made you then? – Vanya tried to interject. - Take them! – the little man squealed, greatly offended by such a comment.
Matchstick men flew at the guys from all sides. And everything, of course, would have ended badly if the fairy had not appeared. Her presence alone had a strangely calming effect on the little men. They parted in different directions. The fairy turned to the leader of the outcasts: “You shouldn’t get so excited.” After all, these are just children. Plus, you can ask them a question, and if they answer it, you let them go. The leader of the outcasts liked this idea, and he turned to the guys again, softening a little: “Okay.” Answer now - what is a match head made of? You will pay for your mistake with your lives. Tanya and Vanya looked at each other, and the fairy tilted her head to the side. I had to remember. Vanya even got a headache from thoughts and tension, but in the end, he remembered: “From sulfur!” Exactly - from sulfur. “Hmm,” the little man winced. – And this is your final answer? - Well, yes. The fairy intervened again: “Keep in mind that the boys are only seven years old.” - OK. The answer is counted. But, of course, this is far from what I would like to hear. The composition of the match includes Bertol salt, manganese dioxide and sulfur. Sulfur is the main flammable substance in a match. Berthol's salt releases oxygen when burning, and the match does not go out as quickly. To prevent the fire temperature from being too high, manganese dioxide is used. - Wow, so many things in a small match! – the guys said in unison, but remembering who was in front of them, they immediately fell silent. - What did you think? – the little man grinned. The fairy disappeared somewhere again, as suddenly as it had appeared, and the guys safely continued on their way.
At the factory
Soon the forest ended. Endless expanses stretched out. After walking a little more, the guys saw a huge building with its top rising into the sky. Some indistinct sounds could be heard from its open windows. After listening, they realized that it was a child's cry. At that very moment, a matchstick man in a white robe appeared from the door and shouted at the top of his lungs: “Help is urgently needed!” Help! Everyone who has their hands free, respond!
Since Tanya and Vanya had their hands free at that very moment, they hurried to the match in a white robe. He looked at them doubtfully, and then, waving his hand, hastily invited them to follow him: “Just keep in mind, this is a very delicate matter!” - What's the matter? – Tanya asked with interest. “We have a maternity hospital here, young lady,” the match in a white robe frowned, “of course we’re talking about the birth of a new life!” The guys looked at each other in surprise.
There were long rows of cradles in the wards. Each of them contained a tiny match. Only they didn’t have to stay in this infantile state for long. After just ten to fifteen seconds, the little matches quickly jumped to their feet and went to their parents. Adoptive parents, because, as you know, matches are produced on special machines. Every day, one match machine can produce more than ten million matches. That's why Match in a white robe - Doctor Match - was in such a hurry.
Tanya and Vanya were placed in a row, behind the other matchstick men. Their task was simple: to convey newborn matches by conveyor from the maternity ward to the wards. Although this activity was interesting at first, the children soon got tired of it. Their hands hurt. They wanted to ask the Chief for time off, but they were forbidden to move. The matches came in a continuous conveyor belt.
Tanya began to whine, and Vanya became flushed from work and puffed like a locomotive. Suddenly the match fairy appeared. “Guys,” she said, “come on, quickly remember what matches are made of.” - Made of oak! – Vanya blurted out. “The answer is wrong,” said the fairy. “From a birch tree,” Tanya shouted, handing over another matchstick baby. - Past again. — From aspen? – Vanya suggested. - Absolutely right. Aspen is the best material for making matches. It holds the flammable mixture perfectly, does not split when cut and does not produce soot when burning.
At that same second, someone loudly shouted “BREAK!”, and the conveyor immediately stopped. The fairy disappeared again, and the guys left the maternity hospital and continued on their way along the road of His Majesty King Match XI.
Palace of His Majesty King Match XI
Some more time passed, and a long brown fence blocked their way. It stretched left and right as far as the eye could see. There was a door in the fence, locked with a large padlock. On both sides of the door stood matches in iron armor with spears. They looked sternly at the guys who approached. “Hello,” Tanya spoke. - Let us pass. Please, we really need it. “You will be able to pass if you answer the question correctly,” said one of the guards.
The guys nodded. - Why does the match burn? – asked the guard. - Well, it's easy! - Tanya waved her hand, - sulfur at its end is a flammable substance. We were already told about this today! “The answer is wrong,” the guard muttered. - How unfaithful?! – Vanya was indignant. - Very true! We strike a match on the box and lo and behold, the match is lit. But the guards did not answer anything to this. And they didn’t let the guys through.
The children sat down by the road and rested their heads on their hands. Will they never be able to complete their journey because of such a stupid and easy question? They were no longer surprised when the match fairy appeared a few minutes later.
On this difficult journey, she was their faithful assistant. And without her, they would hardly have been able to get further than the Forest of the Forsaken. “Guys,” the fairy addressed them, “when you rub a match against a box, it is not the match itself that lights up, but the mixture that is applied to the wall of the box.” It consists of red phosphorus and glue. The combustion reaction moves from the box to the match and it seems to you that you set fire to it. Although in reality they caused a fire on the surface of a matchbox. - Wow! – Tanya and Vanya were very surprised by this. And the guards stepped aside and allowed the guys to pass through the fence. Only now did they notice that it consisted entirely of the brown walls of matchboxes, impregnated with phosphorus and glue.
Behind the fence was a large palace, built of course from matchboxes, like everything else in this country. The guys walked along long, curved corridors and found themselves in a huge hall. In front of them, King Matchstick XI sat on the throne.
As was expected in such cases, the children bowed. The king answered them with a slight nod of his head. “Dear king,” Vanya began, “we walked along your path and overcame all difficulties.” Won't you let us go home? “Well,” the king spoke benevolently, “if that’s the case, then I see no obstacles.”
Vitaly Korzhikov. "Solnyshkin's Merry Voyage"
The first story-tale from the famous “sea” cycle by Vitaly Korzhikov about the adventures of the cabin boy Alyosha Solnyshkin. One day, Vitaly Korzhikov, returning from another round-the-world voyage, began telling his two sons half-real, half-fantastic sea stories about the young sailor Alyosha Solnyshkin, who got into various troubles, but never lost heart. They turned into a fabulous adventure story, which was first published with a sequel by the newspaper “Pionerskaya Pravda”, and then published as a separate book by the publishing house “Children’s Literature”. This was in 1967. Since then, this funny, kind fairy tale filled with sparkling humor and enchanting tricks has delighted readers of all ages.
In the first story, the boy Alyosha Solnyshkin with a dream of oceans and ships comes to the port city of Okeansk, in which Vladivostok is guessed, where Vitaly Korzhikov then lived with his family and from where he went on voyages. This is how Solnyshkin ends up as a cabin boy on the ship “Give!” and sets off on his first voyage to the Arctic. There will be many adventures there, fantastic, funny and dangerous. Solnyshkin will make many friends among the members of the ship's crew. This is the radio operator Perchikov, and the sailors Petkin and Fedkin, and Doctor Chelkashkin, and the cook Borshchik. He will also make enemies: the harmful Stepka the artel worker, and the harmful captain Swim-We-Know himself found fault with Solnyshkin in vain.
What does a fairy tale have to do with it, you ask? Despite the fact that real miracles happen here. Radio operator Perchikov was rescued from a desert island by a whale. The ship's command: "Give it!" has been replenished with two bear-sailors who are dashingly scrubbing the deck and dancing the sailor dance “Apple”. And there is also a real magical object here - an old bronze compass, which was given to Solnyshkin before the voyage by the old retired captain Miron Ivanovich, nicknamed Robinson. “If everything is right in a person’s life, the compass needle points exactly north - keep it up! If not, then she begins to write out pretzels...” On a difficult Arctic voyage, Solnyshkin will find himself in situations where he wants to lie and deceive, but the bronze compass does not allow him to deviate from the right course. And not only the compass, but also the laws of maritime brotherhood, which Solnyshkin firmly learned on this voyage.
“Solnyshkin’s Merry Voyage” was written by a true romantic who traveled through all the oceans of the Earth. And this winged and joyful feeling is conveyed to the reader. “The steamer moved forward, raising its nose to the stars, cutting through the waves. And it seemed to Solnyshkin that the whole world was flying towards him.”
3.
