Ushinsky's children's fairy tales. K.Ushinsky Stories about animals (read online, download)

Chastooshkas are comic works of Russian folklore, which at all times had a special meaning for the people. Although during the years most families were not at all up to fun, all the soldiers and home front workers performed perky ditties, since they helped the Soviet people in difficult moment and contributed to the creation of a positive attitude.

Today, military-themed ditties are also very popular. They are used to educate children of different ages with the events of past years and are very often included in the program of matinees and other events dedicated to the celebration

In this article, we bring to your attention several military ditties for children, which can be performed at the holiday timed to May 9.

Children's ditties by May 9

Chastooshkas about the war and the May 9 holiday for children should be, first of all, funny. Although the Great Patriotic War brought a huge amount of grief to the Soviet people, today Victory Day is celebrated with a smile on their face, remembering the great feat of ordinary people.

Kids can perform both long and short ditties, however, for the smallest children it is better to choose comic quatrains so that boys and girls can grasp the meaning of this work and not lose the thread of the information provided.

To celebrate Great Victory at school or kindergarten the following ditties are perfect, which must be performed one after another:

Put your ears on top of your head

Listen carefully!

About Victory to you ditties

We will sing diligently!

I'll sit on my grandfather's knees,

I will whisper to him quietly:

- Tell me, dear grandfather

About the Victory, about the war!

I want to hear about the war,

How you fought with us

About your military friends

I will listen to your story.

Smiled at grandfather's grandson

And he pressed it to his chest.

I told about the Victory Day,

And nothing about battles.

Our boys are playing

Often with pistols.

They read about the war

And they are proud of their grandfathers.

Well, why do the peoples need a war?

The enemy will always be defeated.

Peace on the whole planet is needed

Let our world sleep peacefully!

Our grandparents,

Veterans here and there

Celebrate your Victory Day,

All flowers bloom for you!

Our grandparents!

The gray hair suits you so well!

Your Favorite Victory Day

Brought the war to an end!

Of course, such works are difficult for kids to learn early age... In this case, it is better to give preference to short funny ditties for children, which can be performed at a holiday dedicated to May 9, for example:

Oh, what good fellows,

Still, our pilots!

Asked such a pepper

Enemy raiders.

Oh girls, oh girlfriends

I love the military man.

But while I am a pilot Masha,

I hammer the Fritz out of the sky.

Hitler decided in reality:

"I'll take Moscow by winter!"

He got a fist in the tooth,

They hit it this way and that way!

Nurse! Nurse!

Don't look that is small.

Under fire on the battlefield

I saved ten wounded!

As the fascists heard

Our loud "Hurray!"

Only the heels sparkled

Nemchura ran!

Finally, do not forget that comic ditties for any holiday, including May 9, can be composed independently. Connect your imagination and imagination, and you are sure to get a funny children's song, which you can perform at a party at school or kindergarten.

One day the Sun and the angry North Wind started an argument about which of them is stronger. They argued for a long time and, at last, decided to measure their strength over the traveler, who at that very time was riding on horseback along the high road.

Look, - said the Wind, - how I will fly on him: in an instant I will rip off his cloak.

He said, - and began to blow what was urine. But the harder the Wind tried, the tighter the traveler wrapped himself in his cloak: he grumbled about the bad weather, but rode farther and farther. The wind was angry, fierce, showered the poor traveler with rain and snow; cursing the Wind, the traveler put on his cloak in his sleeves and tied himself with a belt. At this point, the Wind made sure himself that he could not pull off his cloak.

The sun, seeing the impotence of its rival, smiled, looked out from behind the clouds, warmed and dried the earth, and at the same time the poor half-frozen traveler. Feeling the warmth of the sun's rays, he cheered up, blessed the Sun, he took off his cloak, rolled it up and tied it to the saddle.

You see, - then the meek Sun said to the angry Wind, - caress and kindness can be done much more than anger.

Viper

Around our farm, in ravines and wet places, there were many snakes.

I'm not talking about snakes: we are so used to a harmless one that they don't even call him a snake. He has small sharp teeth in his mouth, he catches mice and even birds and, perhaps, can bite through the skin; but there is no poison in these teeth, and a snake bite is completely harmless.

We had a lot of snakes; especially in the heaps of straw that lay near the threshing floor: as the sun warms up, so they will crawl out of there; They hiss when you approach, they show their tongue or sting, but they don't bite with a sting. Even in the kitchen under the floor there were snakes, and as it happened, children, sitting on the floor, sipping milk, so crawls out and pulls his head to the cup, and the children with a spoon on his forehead.

But not only snakes were found among us: there was also a poisonous snake, black, large, without those yellow stripes that are visible at the snake near the head. We call such a snake a viper. The viper often bit livestock, and if they didn’t have time, it happened, to call from the village old grandfather Ohrim, who knew some kind of medicine against the bite of poisonous snakes, then the cattle would certainly fall - it would swell it, poor as a mountain.

One boy with us died from a viper. She bit him near the shoulder, and before Ohrim came, the tumor spread from the hand to the neck and chest: the child began to rave, rush about, and two days later died. As a child, I had heard a lot about vipers and was terribly afraid of them, as if I felt that I would have to meet a dangerous reptile.

They were mowing behind our garden, in a dry ravine, where a stream runs every spring in the spring, and in summer it is only damp and tall thick grass grows. Any mowing was a holiday for me, especially how the hay was raked into heaps. Here, it used to be, and you would start running around the hayfield and throw yourself at the heaps with all his might and wallow in the fragrant hay until the women were chased away so as not to break the heaps.

That's how this time I ran and tumbled: there were no women, the mowers went far, and only our black big dog Brovko lay on the heap and gnawed a bone.

I tumbled into one shock, turned in it twice and suddenly jumped up in horror. Something cold and slippery waved my hand. The thought of a viper flashed through my head - and what then? The huge viper, which I disturbed, crawled out of the hay and, climbing on its tail, was ready to rush at me.

Instead of running, I stand petrified, as if the reptile has enchanted me with its ageless, unblinking eyes. Another minute - and I was lost; but Brovko, like an arrow, flew off the heap, rushed at the snake, and a mortal struggle ensued between them.

The dog tore at the snake with its teeth, stomped on it with its paws; the snake bit the dog in the face, chest and stomach. But after a minute, only the scraps of the viper lay on the ground, and Brovko rushed to run and disappeared.

But the strangest thing of all is that from that day Brovko disappeared and wandered about who knows where.

Only two weeks later did he return home: thin, skinny, but healthy. My father told me that dogs know the grass with which they are treated for a viper bite.

Children in the grove

Two children, brother and sister, went to school. They had to pass by a beautiful shady grove. It was hot and dusty on the road, but cool and fun in the grove.

Do you know what? - said the brother to his sister. - We still have time for school. The school is now stuffy and boring, but the grove must be very fun. Hear how the birds are screaming there! And the squirrel, how much squirrel jumps along the branches! Shouldn't we go there, sister?

The sister liked her brother's proposal. The children threw the alphabet into the grass, held hands and hid between the green bushes, under the curly birches. In the grove, for sure, it was fun and noisy. The birds flapped incessantly, sang and screamed; squirrels jumped on branches; insects scurried about in the grass.

First of all, the children saw the golden bug.

Come play with us, the children said to the beetle.

I would love to, - answered the beetle, - but I have no time: I have to get myself some lunch.

Play with us, ”the children said to the yellow hairy bee.

I have no time to play with you, - answered the bee, - I need to collect honey.

Will you play with us? the children asked the ant.

But the ant had no time to listen to them: he dragged a straw three times his size and was in a hurry to build his cunning dwelling.

The children turned to the squirrel, suggesting that she also play with them; but the squirrel waved its bushy tail and replied that it must stock up on nuts for the winter.

The dove said:

Building a nest for my little kids.

A gray bunny ran to the stream to wash its face. The white strawberry flower also had no time to take care of the children. He took advantage of the fine weather and was in a hurry to prepare his juicy, tasty berry in time.

The children got bored that everyone is busy with their own business and no one wants to play with them. They ran to the stream. Murmuring over the stones, a stream ran through the grove.

You really have nothing to do? the children told him. - Play with us!

How! I have nothing to do? - the brook rumbled angrily. - Oh, you lazy children! Look at me: I work day and night and do not know a moment's rest. Aren't I singing people and animals? Who but me washes clothes, turns mill wheels, carries boats and puts out fires? Oh, I have so much work that my head is spinning! - added the brook and began to murmur over the stones.

The children became even more bored, and they thought that it would be better for them to go first to school, and then, on their way from school, to go into the grove. But at that very moment the boy noticed a tiny beautiful robin on a green branch. She seemed to be sitting very calmly, and from having nothing to do she whistled a gleeful song.

Hey you, funny sang! the boy shouted at the robin. - You really, it seems, has absolutely nothing to do; play with us.

How, - the offended robin whistled, - I have nothing to do? Haven't I been catching midges all day to feed my little ones? I am so tired that I cannot raise my wings; and even now I am lulling my lovely children with a song. What were you doing today, you little sloths? They didn’t go to school, they didn’t learn anything, you run around the grove, and even prevent others from doing business. Better go where you were sent, and remember that it is only pleasant for him to relax and play, who has worked and did everything that was obliged to do.

The children felt ashamed: they went to school and although they came late, they studied diligently.

Bunny complaints

A little gray hare burst into tears, burst into tears, sitting under a bush; cries, says:

"There is no share in the world worse than mine, gray bunny! And who else does not grind teeth on me? Hunters, dogs, wolves, foxes and predatory bird; bow-nosed hawk, goggle-eyed owl; even a stupid crow carries with its crooked paws my lovely little children - gray hares. Trouble threatens me from everywhere; but there is nothing to defend with: I cannot climb a tree like a squirrel; I don't know how to dig holes like a rabbit. True, my teeth regularly gnaw cabbage and gnaw bark, but I don't have enough courage to bite. I am a master at running, and I jump well; but it’s good if you have to run on a flat field or uphill, but as if downhill, then you’ll go somersault over your head: your front legs are not mature enough.

You could still live in the world if it were not for useless cowardice. You hear a rustle - your ears will rise, your heart will beat, you will not see the light, you will spit out of the bush - and you will find yourself right in the snare or at the hunter's feet.

Oh, bad for me, gray bunny! You are cunning, you are hiding in the bushes, you wander around by the bumps, you confuse traces; and sooner or later, trouble is inevitable: the cook will drag me into the kitchen by the long ears.

The only consolation I have is that the tail is short: the dog has nothing to grab. If I had such a tail like a fox, where would I go with it? Then, it seems, I would have gone and drowned myself. "

The story of one apple tree

A wild apple tree grew in the forest; fell from her in the fall sour apple... The birds ate the apple, and ate the grains.

Only one seed hid in the ground and remained.

In winter, a grain lay under the snow, and in spring, when the sun warmed the wet earth, the grain began to germinate: it let down the root, and drove the first two leaves up. A stalk with a bud ran out between the leaves, and green leaves emerged from the bud at the top. Bud by bud, leaf by leaf, twig by twig - and five years later, a pretty apple tree stood where the seed fell.

A gardener came into the forest with a spade, saw an apple tree and said: "Here is a good tree, it will come in handy for me."

The apple tree trembled when the gardener began to dig it up, and thinks: "I am completely gone!" But the gardener dug out the apple tree carefully, did not damage the roots, transferred it to the garden and planted it in good soil.

The apple tree in the garden was proud: “I must be a rare tree,” she thinks, “when they carried me from the forest to the garden,” and looks down from above at the ugly stumps tied with rags; she did not know that she was in school.

The next year the gardener came with a crooked knife and began to cut the apple tree.

The apple tree trembled and thinks: "Well, now I am completely lost."

The gardener cut off the entire green top of the tree, left one stump, and even split it from above; the gardener stuck a young shoot from a good apple tree into the crack; put putty over the wound, tied it with a rag, pegged a new clothespin and left.

The apple tree fell ill; but she was young and strong, soon recovered and merged with someone else's twig.

The twig drinks the juices of a strong apple tree and grows quickly: it throws out bud by bud, leaf by leaf, expels shoot after shoot, twig by twig, and three years later the tree bloomed with white-pink fragrant flowers.

White-pink petals fell off, and a green ovary appeared in their place, and by autumn the ovary had become apples; yes, not wild sour, but big, ruddy, sweet, crumbly!

And such and such a pretty apple tree succeeded that people came from other gardens to take shoots from it for clothespins.

Ladybug

The cow is ugly, but it gives milk. Her forehead is wide, her ears to the side; there is a shortage of teeth in the mouth, but the faces are large; the ridge - with a point, the tail - with a broom, bulged sides, double hooves. She tears up grass, chews gum, drinks swill, hums and roars, the hostess calls: "Come out, hostess; take out the milker, clean scrubber! I brought milk to the kids, thick cream."

Lisa Patrikeevna

The fox gossip has sharp teeth, a thin stigma, ears on the top of the head, a tail on departure, a warm fur coat.

The godfather is well dressed: the wool is fluffy, golden; a vest on the chest, and a white tie on the neck.

The fox walks quietly, bends down to the ground, as if bowing; he wears his fluffy tail carefully, looks affectionately, smiles, shows white teeth.

Digs holes, clever, deep; there are many entrances and exits, there are storage rooms, there are also bedrooms, the floors are lined with soft grass. The fox would be good for everyone, but the fox robber is cunning: she loves chickens, loves ducks, she will break the neck of a fat goose, and will not have mercy on a rabbit.

Fox and goat

The fox ran, gape at the raven, and fell into the well. There was not much water in the well: you couldn't drown, and you couldn't jump out either. The fox is sitting, grieving. There is a goat, a clever head; he walks, shakes his beard, shakes his mugs; I looked in, having nothing to do, into the well, saw a fox there and asked:

What are you doing there, little fox?

Resting, my dear, - the fox answers. - It's hot up there, so I got here. How cool and good here! Cold voditsa - as much as you want.

And the goat wants to drink for a long time.

Is the water good? the goat asks.

Excellent! - the fox answers. - Clean, cold! Jump here if you want; there will be a place for both of us.

A goat foolishly jumped, almost crushed the fox, and she told him:

Eh, bearded fool! And he didn't know how to jump - he sprayed everything. "

The fox jumped onto the back of the goat, from the back to the horns, and out of the well.

A goat almost disappeared from hunger in the well; they found him forcibly and dragged him out by the horns.

Bear and log

A bear walks through the forest and sniffs out: is it possible to eat something to eat? He smells honey! Mishka lifted his face up and sees a beehive on a pine tree, under the beehive a smooth log hangs on a rope, but Misha doesn't care about the log. The bear climbed onto a pine tree, climbed up to the log, you can't climb higher - the log gets in the way. Misha pushed the log off with his paw; the log was gently pumped back - and the beat of the bear on the head. Misha pushed the log harder - the log hit Misha harder. Misha got angry and grabbed the log with all his might; the log was pumped two fathoms back - and it was enough for Misha that he almost fell off the tree. The bear got angry, forgot about honey, I want to finish the log for him: well, play it, that there is strength, and never was left without surrender. Misha fought with a log until all the beaten fell from the tree; there were pegs stuck under the tree - and the bear paid for his insane anger with his warm skin.

Mouse

Mice gathered at their mink, old and small. Their eyes are black, their paws are small, sharp little teeth, gray fur coats, their ears stick out upward, their tails are dragging along the ground. Mice gathered, underground thieves, they think a little dummy, they hold advice: "How can we, mice, drag a biscuit into the hole?" Oh, watch out for the mouse! Your friend, Vasya, is not far away. He loves you very much, will nip you with his paw; your ponytail will remember, your fur coats will tear you.

Cock yes dog

An old man lived with an old woman, and they lived in great poverty. All their bellies were only that of a rooster and a dog, and even those they fed poorly. Here is the dog and says to the rooster:

Come on, brother Petka, let's go to the forest: our life here is bad.

Let's go, - says the rooster, - it won't get any worse.

So they went wherever they looked. Went through the whole day; it was getting dark - it was time to pester me for the night. They got off the road into the forest and chose a large hollow tree. The rooster took off on a branch, the dog climbed into the hollow and fell asleep.

In the morning, just as dawn began to break, the rooster cried out: "Ku-ku-re-ku!" The fox heard the rooster; she wanted to feast on rooster meat. So she went to the tree and began to praise the rooster:

Here is a cock so cock! I have never seen such a bird: what beautiful feathers, how red the comb, and what a sonorous voice! Fly to me, handsome.

What business? the rooster asks.

Come visit me: I have a housewarming party today, and a lot of peas have been saved up about you.

Well, - says the rooster, - only I can't go alone: ​​a comrade is with me.

"That's what happiness has come!" Thought the fox. "Instead of one rooster, there will be two."

Where is your comrade? she asks. - I'll invite him to visit.

There, in a hollow he sleeps, - the rooster answers.

The fox rushed into the hollow, and her dog by the muzzle - a tsap! .. Caught and tore the fox.

Cockerel with family

A cockerel walks around the yard: there is a red comb on his head, a red beard under his nose. Petya's nose with a chisel, Petya's tail with a wheel, patterns on the tail, spurs on the legs. Petya rakes a bunch of paws with his paws, calls the chickens with chickens:

Crested hens! Troubled hostesses! Motley, speckled, black and white! Get together with the chickens, with the little children: I have a grain in store for you!

Chickens with chickens gathered, uncoiled; did not share a grain, fought.

Petya the cockerel does not like riots - now he has reconciled his family: the one for the crest, the other for the whirlwind, he ate the grain himself, flew up the fence, flapped his wings, shouted at the top of his throat: "Ku-ka-re-ku!"

Cute cat

Once upon a time there lived a cat, a goat and a ram. They lived together: a tuft of hay and that in half; and if the pitchfork is in the side, so one cat Vaska. He is such a thief and a robber: wherever something is bad, he looks there. Here comes one cat-purly, gray forehead; he walks and cries so pitifully. They ask the cat, the goat and the ram:

Cat-cat, gray pubis! What are you crying about, jumping on three legs?

Vasya answers them:

How can I not cry! The woman beat me, beat me; I pulled out my ears, broke my legs, and even put a stranglehold on me.

And why did such trouble come to you? - ask the goat and the ram.

Eh-eh! For the fact that I accidentally licked the sour cream.

It serves a thief and flour, - says the goat, - do not steal sour cream!

Here is the cat crying again:

The woman beat me, beat me; she beat me and said: my son-in-law will come to me, where will he get sour cream? Inevitably, you will have to slaughter a goat and a ram.

A goat and a ram roared here:

Oh, you gray cat, your stupid forehead! Why did you ruin us?

They began to judge and wonder how they could get rid of the great misfortune (to avoid. Ed.), And decided right there and then: all three of them to flee. They lay in wait, as the mistress did not close the gate, and left.

A cat, a goat and a ram ran for a long time along the valleys, over the mountains, over loose sands; moored and decided to spend the night in the mown meadow; and in that meadow there are haystacks that the cities stand.

The night was dark, cold: where to get the fire? And the purring cat took out the birch bark, wrapped the horns around the goat and told him to bump his foreheads with the ram. A goat and a ram bumped into each other, sparks fell from his eyes: the birch bark was on fire.

Okay, - said the gray cat, - now we will warm up! - Yes, without thinking twice, and lit a whole haystack.

They did not have time to warm up yet, as they favor them uninvited guest little seryachok, Mikhailo Potapych Toptygin.

Let me go, - he says, - brothers, warm up and rest; something is not good for me.

Welcome, little seryachok! - says the cat. - Where are you going from?

I went to the beekeeper, - says the bear, - to visit the bees, but I had a fight with the peasants, that's why I pretended to be sick.

So they all began to while away the night: a goat and a ram by the fire, a purr climbed on a haystack, and a bear huddled under the haystack.

The bear fell asleep; the goat and the ram doze; one purr does not sleep and sees everything. And he sees: there are seven gray wolves, one white - and straight to the fire.

Fu-fu! What kind of people are they! - is talking White Wolf goat and ram. Let's try the strength.

A goat and a ram bleated here with fear; and the cat, the gray forehead, made the following speech:

Oh, you white wolf, the prince over the wolves! Do not anger our elder: he, God have mercy, is angry! How it differs - it is not good for anyone. Al you do not see his beard: it is in it and all the power; he beats all the animals with his beard; he only wipes off his skin with his horns. Better come and ask with honor: we want to play with your little brother, who sleeps under the haystack.

The wolves bowed to that goat; surrounded Misha and flirt well. Here Misha was fastened, fastened, and as long as there was enough for each paw for a wolf, so they sang Lazarus (they complained about fate. - Ed.). The wolves got out from under the haystack, barely alive, and, tails between their legs, - God give feet!

But the goat and the ram, while the bear was straightening out the wolves, grabbed the purr on his back and hurry home: "Enough, they say, to drag without a path, we will not make such a misfortune."

The old man and the old woman were delighted that the goat and the ram had returned home; and the cat-purr was torn out for trickery.

The pranks of the old woman of winter

The old woman winter became angry: she decided to squeeze every breath from the light. First of all, she began to get to the birds: they bothered her with their cry and squeak.

The winter blew cold, plucked leaves from forests and oak trees and scattered them along the roads. The birds have nowhere to go; they began to gather in flocks, think a little thought. They gathered, shouted and flew over the high mountains, over the blue seas, to warm countries. A sparrow remained, and he huddled under the eaves.

Winter sees that she cannot catch up with the birds; pounced on the animals. She covered the fields with snow, covered the forests with snowdrifts, covered the trees with ice bark and sends frost after frost. The frosts are coming each other angrier, jumping from tree to tree, crackling and clicking, scaring the animals. The animals were not afraid; some have warm coats, others hid in deep holes; a squirrel in a hollow gnaws nuts; the bear in the den sucks its paw; bunny, jumping, warming up; and horses, cows, lambs long ago in warm barns chew ready-made hay, drink warm swill.

Winter is even more angry - it gets to the fish; sends frost after frost, one fiercer than another. The frosts are running briskly, tapping loudly with hammers: without wedges, without sub-blades on lakes, along rivers, bridges are being built. Rivers and lakes were frozen, but only from above; and the fish all went deep: under the ice roof it is even warmer.

“Well, wait,” winter thinks, “I’ll catch people,” and it sends frost after frost, one angrier than the other. Frost clouded with patterns of windows in the windows; knocking on walls and doors, so that the logs burst. And people flooded the stoves, bake hot pancakes for themselves and laugh at the winter. It happens that someone goes to the forest for firewood - he will put on a sheepskin coat, felt boots, warm mittens, and as soon as he starts waving an ax, he will even break through the sweat. Carts stretched along the roads, as if to laugh at winter; the horses are blowing steam, the cabbies stomp their feet, pat their mittens, twitch their shoulders, praise the frost.

The most offensive thing in winter seemed that even small children are not afraid of it! They ride themselves on skates and on sleds, play snowballs, mold women, build mountains, water them with water, and even call out frost: "Come help!" Out of anger, winter will pinch one boy by the ear, another by the nose - it will even turn white; and the boy will grab the snow, let's rub it - and his face will flare up like fire.

Winter sees that she cannot take anything, - she cried out of anger. Winter tears dripped from the eaves ... apparently, spring is not far away!

Bees and flies

Late autumn turned out to be a glorious day, which are rare in spring: the leaden clouds dispersed, the wind subsided, the sun came out and looked so affectionately, as if saying goodbye to faded plants. The shaggy bees summoned from the hives by the light and warmth, buzzing merrily, flew from grass to grass, not for honey (there was nowhere to take it), but so-so to have fun and spread their wings.

How stupid you are with your fun! the fly said to them, which was immediately sitting on the grass, sagging and drooping its nose. - Don't you know that the sun is only for a minute and that, probably, the wind, rain, cold will begin today and we will all have to disappear.

Zoom, zoom, zoom! Why disappear? - the cheerful bees answered the fly. - We will have fun while the sun is shining, and when the weather is bad, we will hide in our warm hive, where we have a lot of honey in store over the summer.

Blind horse

Long, very long time ago, when not only us, but also our grandfathers and great-grandfathers were not yet in the world, there was a rich and commercial Slavic city of Vineta on the seashore; and in this city lived a rich merchant Usedom, whose ships, loaded with expensive goods, sailed on distant seas.

Usedom was very rich and lived luxuriously: perhaps, the very nickname Usedom, or Vsedom, he received because in his house was absolutely everything that could be found good and expensive at that time; and the owner himself, his mistress and the children ate only on gold and silver, wore only sables and brocade.

There were many excellent horses in Usadom's stable; but neither in Usedom's stable, nor in all Vineta, was there a horse faster and more beautiful than the Catch-up-Wind - this is how Used called his favorite riding horse for the speed of its legs. No one dared to ride the Dogon-Vetra, except the owner himself, and the owner never rode any other horse.

It happened to the merchant on one of his trips on business, returning to Vineta, to ride on his favorite horse through a large and dark forest... It was late afternoon, the forest was terribly dark and dense, the wind shook the tops of the gloomy pines; the merchant rode alone and at a pace, saving his beloved horse, which was tired of the long journey.

Suddenly from behind the bushes, as if from under the ground, jumped out six broad-shouldered fellows with brutal faces, in shaggy hats, with spears, axes and knives in their hands; three were on horseback, three on foot, and two robbers had already seized the merchant's horse by the bridle.

Rich Usad would not have seen his dear Vineta if there were some other horse under him, and not Catch-Wind. Sensing a stranger's hand on the bridle, the horse rushed forward, with its broad, strong chest knocked two daring villains who were holding him by the bridle to the ground, crushed a third one under his feet, who, waving a spear, ran ahead and wanted to block his path, and rushed like a whirlwind ... The horse robbers set off in pursuit; their horses were also good, but where could they catch up with Usedomov's horse?

Catch-Wind, in spite of its fatigue, sensing the chase, rushed like an arrow shot from a tightly drawn bow, and left the angry villains far behind it.

Half an hour later, Usedom was already driving into his dear Vineta on his good horse, from which the foam fell to the ground in shreds.

Getting off the horse, the sides of which rose high from fatigue, the merchant right there, stroking the Catch-Wind on his lather-up neck, solemnly promised: no matter what happened to him, never sell or give his faithful horse to anyone, not drive him away, as if he did not grow old, and every day, until his death, he sent the horse three measures of the best oats.

But, hurrying to his wife and children, Usedom did not look after the horse himself, and the lazy worker did not lead the exhausted horse properly, did not let it cool down completely and gave it a drink ahead of time.

Since then, Catch-Wind began to fall ill, become sick, weakened to his feet and, finally, went blind. The merchant was very grieved and for six months faithfully kept his promise: the blind horse was still in the stable, and he was given three measures of oats every day.

Then he bought himself another riding horse with Used, and after six months it seemed too imprudent to give the blind, worthless horse three measures of oats each, and he ordered to release two. Another six months passed; the blind horse was still young, he had to feed him for a long time, and they began to let him go at one measure.

Finally, and this seemed hard to the merchant, and he ordered to remove the bridle from the Run-down-Wind and drive him out of the gate, so that he would not take up space in the stable in vain. The workers escorted the blind horse out of the yard with a stick, since it rested and did not go.

Poor blind Catch-Wind, not understanding what they were doing to him, not knowing and not seeing where to go, remained standing outside the gate, bowing his head and sadly moving his ears. Night fell, it snowed, and it was hard and cold for the poor blind horse to sleep on the rocks. For several hours she stood in one place, but finally hunger forced her to look for food. Raising its head, sniffing in the air for any straw from the old, sunken roof, a blind horse wandered around at random and bumped incessantly at the corner of the house, now at the fence.

You need to know that in Vineta, as in all ancient Slavic cities, there was no prince, and the inhabitants of the city ruled by themselves, gathering to the square when it was necessary to solve some important matters. Such a gathering of the people to decide their own affairs, for trial and punishment, was called vechem. In the middle of Vineta, in the square where the veche gathered, a large veche bell hung on four pillars, by the ringing of which the people gathered and which could ring anyone who considered himself offended and demanded judgment and protection from the people. No one, of course, dared to ring the veche bell for trifles, knowing that for this the people would get a lot.

Wandering around the square, a blind, deaf and hungry horse accidentally came across the pillars on which the bell hung, and, thinking, perhaps, to pull a bundle of straw out of the eaves, grabbed the rope tied to the bell's tongue with her teeth and began to pull: the bell rang like this it was strong that the people, despite the fact that it was still early, began to flock to the square in droves, wanting to know who was so loudly demanding his judgment and protection. Everyone in Vineta knew Dogon-Vetra, knew that he had saved the life of his master, knew the owner's promise - and were surprised to see a poor horse in the middle of the square - blind, hungry, trembling from the cold, covered with snow.

Soon it became clear what the matter was, and when the people learned that the rich Usedom had driven out of the house the blind horse that had saved his life, they unanimously decided that the Catch-up Wind had every right to ring the veche bell.

They demanded an ungrateful merchant to the square; despite his excuses, they ordered him to keep the horse as before and feed it until its death. A special person was assigned to oversee the execution of the sentence, and the sentence itself was carved on a stone erected in memory of this event on Veche Square ...

Know how to wait

Once upon a time there was a brother and sister, a cock and a chicken. The cockerel ran into the garden and began to peck at the green currant, and the chicken said to him: "Don't eat, Petya! Wait until the currant ripens." The cockerel did not obey, pecked and pecked, and pecked so that he could hardly get home. "Oh! - the cockerel shouts, - my trouble! It hurts, sister, it hurts!" The chicken gave the cockerel a drink of mint, put a mustard plaster - and it passed.

The cockerel recovered and went into the field: he ran, jumped, flared up, sweated and ran to the stream to drink cold water; and the chicken shouts to him:

Don't drink, Petya, wait until you get a sheet.

The cock did not obey, he got drunk cold water- and then a fever began to beat him: the chicken brought home forcibly. The hen ran after the doctor, doctor Pete prescribed some bitter medicine, and the cockerel lay in bed for a long time.

The cockerel has recovered by winter and sees that the river is covered with ice; the cock wanted to skate; and the chicken says to him: "Oh, wait, Petya! Let the river freeze completely; now the ice is still very thin, you will drown." The sister's cock did not obey: it rolled on the ice; the ice broke, and the cock flopped into the water! Only the cockerel was seen.

Morning rays

The red sun swam up to the sky and began to send out its golden rays everywhere - to wake up the earth.

The first ray flew and hit the lark. The lark fluttered, fluttered out of its nest, rose high, high and sang its silver song: "Oh, how good it is in the fresh morning air! How good! How free!"

The second ray hit the bunny. The bunny twitched its ears and hopped merrily across the dewy meadow: he ran to get himself some juicy grass for breakfast.

The third ray hit the chicken coop. The rooster flapped its wings and sang: "Ku-ka-re-ku!" The chickens flew off the nest, cackled, and began to rake up litter and look for worms.

The fourth ray hit the hive. A bee crawled out of its wax cell, sat on the window, spread its wings and "zoom-zoom-zoom!" - flew to collect honey from fragrant flowers.

The fifth ray hit the nursery on the bed of the little bummer: it cuts him right in the eyes, and he turned on the other side and fell asleep again.

Four wishes

Mitya dashed off on a sled from an icy mountain and on skates on a frozen river, ran home rosy, cheerful and said to his father:

How fun it is in winter! I would like it to be winter all the time.

Write your wish in my pocket book, - said the father.

Mitya wrote it down.

Spring came. Mitya ran to his heart's content for colorful butterflies across the green meadow, picked flowers, ran to his father and said:

What a beauty this spring is! I would like the whole spring to be.

The father again took out the book and ordered Mitya to write down his wish.

Summer has come. Mitya and his father went to haymaking. The boy had fun all the long day: he was fishing, picked berries, tumbled in the fragrant hay, and in the evening he said to his father:

Today I have had a lot of fun! I wish there was no end to the summer.

And this desire of Mitya was recorded in the same book.

Autumn has come. They gathered fruits in the garden - ruddy apples and yellow pears. Mitya was delighted and said to his father:

Autumn is the best of all seasons!

Then the father took out his notebook and showed the boy that he had said the same about spring, and about winter, and about summer.

Someone else's testicle

Early in the morning old woman Daria got up, chose a dark, secluded spot in the chicken coop, put a basket there, where thirteen eggs were laid out on soft hay, and sat the crested hen on them.

It was a little light, and the old woman did not consider that the thirteenth testicle was greenish and larger than the others. The hen sits diligently, warms the testicles, runs off to nibble on the grains, drink some water, and return to its place; even faded, poor thing. And what one became angry, hisses, clucks, even the cockerel does not allow him to approach, but that one really wanted to look into what was going on there in the dark corner. The hen sat for about three weeks, and began to hatch from the eggs of the chick, one after the other: he will bite the shell with his nose, jump out, shake himself off and start running, raking dust with his legs, looking for worms.

The chick from the greenish testicle hatched later than everyone else. And what a strange he came out: round, fluffy, yellow, with short legs, with a wide nose. "A strange chicken came out for me," the chicken thinks, "it bites, and it doesn't walk in our way; the nose is wide, the legs are short, some kind of clubfoot, waddles from foot to foot." The hen wondered at her chicken, but no one, but all the son. And he loves and protects him, as well as others, and if he sees a hawk, then, fluffing feathers and spreading wide round wings, hides his chickens under him, without discerning which legs.

The hen began to teach the children how to dig worms out of the earth, and took the whole family to the shore of the pond: there are more worms and the earth is softer. As soon as the short-legged chicken saw the water, he rushed straight into it. The chicken screams, flaps its wings, rushes to the water; the chickens are also worried: they run, fuss, squeak; and one cockerel in fright even jumped on a pebble, stretched out his neck and for the first time in his life shouted in a hoarse voice: "Ku-ku-re-ku!" Help, they say, kind people! Brother is drowning! But my brother did not drown, but happily and easily, like a piece of cotton paper, swam on the water, raking the water with his wide, webbed paws. At the cry of the chicken, old Daria ran out of the hut, saw what was being done, and shouted: "Ah, what a sin! Apparently I blindly put a duck egg under the chicken."

And the chicken was rushing to the pond: they could drive away by force, poor one.

One day the Sun and the angry North Wind started an argument about which of them is stronger. They argued for a long time and, at last, decided to measure their strength over the traveler, who at that very time was riding on horseback along the high road.

Look, - said the Wind, - how I will fly on him: in an instant I will rip off his cloak.

He said, - and began to blow what was urine. But the harder the Wind tried, the tighter the traveler wrapped himself in his cloak: he grumbled about the bad weather, but rode farther and farther. The wind was angry, fierce, showered the poor traveler with rain and snow; cursing the Wind, the traveler put on his cloak in his sleeves and tied himself with a belt. At this point, the Wind made sure himself that he could not pull off his cloak.

The sun, seeing the impotence of its rival, smiled, looked out from behind the clouds, warmed and dried the earth, and at the same time the poor half-frozen traveler. Feeling the warmth of the sun's rays, he cheered up, blessed the Sun, he took off his cloak, rolled it up and tied it to the saddle.

You see, - then the meek Sun said to the angry Wind, - caress and kindness can be done much more than anger.

Viper

Around our farm, in ravines and wet places, there were many snakes.

I'm not talking about snakes: we are so used to a harmless one that they don't even call him a snake. He has small sharp teeth in his mouth, he catches mice and even birds and, perhaps, can bite through the skin; but there is no poison in these teeth, and a snake bite is completely harmless.

We had a lot of snakes; especially in the heaps of straw that lay near the threshing floor: as the sun warms up, so they will crawl out of there; They hiss when you approach, they show their tongue or sting, but they don't bite with a sting. Even in the kitchen under the floor there were snakes, and as it happened, children, sitting on the floor, sipping milk, so crawls out and pulls his head to the cup, and the children with a spoon on his forehead.

But not only snakes were found among us: there was also a poisonous snake, black, large, without those yellow stripes that are visible at the snake near the head. We call such a snake a viper. The viper often bit livestock, and if they didn’t have time, it happened, to call from the village old grandfather Ohrim, who knew some kind of medicine against the bite of poisonous snakes, then the cattle would certainly fall - it would swell it, poor as a mountain.

One boy with us died from a viper. She bit him near the shoulder, and before Ohrim came, the tumor spread from the hand to the neck and chest: the child began to rave, rush about, and two days later died. As a child, I had heard a lot about vipers and was terribly afraid of them, as if I felt that I would have to meet a dangerous reptile.

They were mowing behind our garden, in a dry ravine, where a stream runs every spring in the spring, and in summer it is only damp and tall thick grass grows. Any mowing was a holiday for me, especially how the hay was raked into heaps. Here, it used to be, and you would start running around the hayfield and throw yourself at the heaps with all his might and wallow in the fragrant hay until the women were chased away so as not to break the heaps.

This is how I ran and tumbled this time: there were no women, the mowers went far, and only our big black dog Brovko lay on the heap and gnawed a bone.

I tumbled into one shock, turned in it twice and suddenly jumped up in horror. Something cold and slippery waved my hand. The thought of a viper flashed through my head - and what then? The huge viper, which I disturbed, crawled out of the hay and, climbing on its tail, was ready to rush at me.

Instead of running, I stand petrified, as if the reptile has enchanted me with its ageless, unblinking eyes. Another minute - and I was lost; but Brovko, like an arrow, flew off the heap, rushed at the snake, and a mortal struggle ensued between them.

The dog tore at the snake with its teeth, stomped on it with its paws; the snake bit the dog in the face, chest and stomach. But after a minute, only the scraps of the viper lay on the ground, and Brovko rushed to run and disappeared.

But the strangest thing of all is that from that day Brovko disappeared and wandered about who knows where.

Only two weeks later did he return home: thin, skinny, but healthy. My father told me that dogs know the grass with which they are treated for a viper bite.

Children in the grove

Two children, brother and sister, went to school. They had to pass by a beautiful shady grove. It was hot and dusty on the road, but cool and fun in the grove.

Do you know what? - said the brother to his sister. - We still have time for school. The school is now stuffy and boring, but the grove must be very fun. Hear how the birds are screaming there! And the squirrel, how much squirrel jumps along the branches! Shouldn't we go there, sister?

The sister liked her brother's proposal. The children threw the alphabet into the grass, held hands and hid between the green bushes, under the curly birches. In the grove, for sure, it was fun and noisy. The birds flapped incessantly, sang and screamed; squirrels jumped on branches; insects scurried about in the grass.

First of all, the children saw the golden bug.

Come play with us, the children said to the beetle.

I would love to, - answered the beetle, - but I have no time: I have to get myself some lunch.

Play with us, ”the children said to the yellow hairy bee.

I have no time to play with you, - answered the bee, - I need to collect honey.

Will you play with us? the children asked the ant.

But the ant had no time to listen to them: he dragged a straw three times his size and was in a hurry to build his cunning dwelling.

The children turned to the squirrel, suggesting that she also play with them; but the squirrel waved its bushy tail and replied that it must stock up on nuts for the winter.

The dove said:

Building a nest for my little kids.

A gray bunny ran to the stream to wash its face. The white strawberry flower also had no time to take care of the children. He took advantage of the fine weather and was in a hurry to prepare his juicy, tasty berry in time.

The children got bored that everyone is busy with their own business and no one wants to play with them. They ran to the stream. Murmuring over the stones, a stream ran through the grove.

You really have nothing to do? the children told him. - Play with us!

How! I have nothing to do? - the brook rumbled angrily. - Oh, you lazy children! Look at me: I work day and night and do not know a moment's rest. Aren't I singing people and animals? Who but me washes clothes, turns mill wheels, carries boats and puts out fires? Oh, I have so much work that my head is spinning! - added the brook and began to murmur over the stones.

The children became even more bored, and they thought that it would be better for them to go first to school, and then, on their way from school, to go into the grove. But at that very moment the boy noticed a tiny beautiful robin on a green branch. She seemed to be sitting very calmly, and from having nothing to do she whistled a gleeful song.

Hey you, funny sang! the boy shouted at the robin. - You really, it seems, has absolutely nothing to do; play with us.

How, - the offended robin whistled, - I have nothing to do? Haven't I been catching midges all day to feed my little ones? I am so tired that I cannot raise my wings; and even now I am lulling my lovely children with a song. What were you doing today, you little sloths? They didn’t go to school, they didn’t learn anything, you run around the grove, and even prevent others from doing business. Better go where you were sent, and remember that it is only pleasant for him to relax and play, who has worked and did everything that was obliged to do.

The children felt ashamed: they went to school and although they came late, they studied diligently.

Bunny complaints

A little gray hare burst into tears, burst into tears, sitting under a bush; cries, says:

"There is no share in the world worse than mine, a gray bunny! And who else does not grind teeth on me? Hunters, dogs, a wolf, a fox and a bird of prey; a bow-nosed hawk, a goggle-eyed owl; even a stupid crow drags my lovely children with its crooked paws - From everywhere I am in trouble; but I have nothing to defend myself with: I cannot climb a tree like a squirrel; I don’t know how to dig holes like a rabbit. True, my teeth regularly gnaw cabbage and gnaw bark, but I don’t have enough courage to bite I'm a good runner, and I jump well, but it's good if you have to run on a flat field or uphill, and if you go downhill, then you will go somersault over your head: your front legs are not mature enough.

You could still live in the world if it were not for useless cowardice. You hear a rustle - your ears will rise, your heart will beat, you will not see the light, you will spit out of the bush - and you will find yourself right in the snare or at the hunter's feet.

Oh, bad for me, gray bunny! You are cunning, you are hiding in the bushes, you wander around by the bumps, you confuse traces; and sooner or later, trouble is inevitable: the cook will drag me into the kitchen by the long ears.

The only consolation I have is that the tail is short: the dog has nothing to grab. If I had such a tail like a fox, where would I go with it? Then, it seems, I would have gone and drowned myself. "

The story of one apple tree

A wild apple tree grew in the forest; in the fall, a sour apple fell from her. The birds ate the apple, and ate the grains.

Only one seed hid in the ground and remained.

In winter, a grain lay under the snow, and in spring, when the sun warmed the wet earth, the grain began to germinate: it let down the root, and drove the first two leaves up. A stalk with a bud ran out between the leaves, and green leaves emerged from the bud at the top. Bud by bud, leaf by leaf, twig by twig - and five years later, a pretty apple tree stood where the seed fell.

A gardener came into the forest with a spade, saw an apple tree and said: "Here is a good tree, it will come in handy for me."

The apple tree trembled when the gardener began to dig it up, and thinks: "I am completely gone!" But the gardener dug out the apple tree carefully, did not damage the roots, transferred it to the garden and planted it in good soil.

The apple tree in the garden was proud: “I must be a rare tree,” she thinks, “when they carried me from the forest to the garden,” and looks down from above at the ugly stumps tied with rags; she did not know that she was in school.

The next year the gardener came with a crooked knife and began to cut the apple tree.

The apple tree trembled and thinks: "Well, now I am completely lost."

The gardener cut off the entire green top of the tree, left one stump, and even split it from above; the gardener stuck a young shoot from a good apple tree into the crack; put putty over the wound, tied it with a rag, pegged a new clothespin and left.

The apple tree fell ill; but she was young and strong, soon recovered and merged with someone else's twig.

The twig drinks the juices of a strong apple tree and grows quickly: it throws out bud by bud, leaf by leaf, expels shoot after shoot, twig by twig, and three years later the tree bloomed with white-pink fragrant flowers.

White-pink petals fell off, and a green ovary appeared in their place, and by autumn the ovary had become apples; yes, not wild sour, but big, ruddy, sweet, crumbly!

And such and such a pretty apple tree succeeded that people came from other gardens to take shoots from it for clothespins.

Ladybug

The cow is ugly, but it gives milk. Her forehead is wide, her ears to the side; there is a shortage of teeth in the mouth, but the faces are large; the ridge - with a point, the tail - with a broom, bulged sides, double hooves. She tears up grass, chews gum, drinks swill, hums and roars, the hostess calls: "Come out, hostess; take out the milker, clean scrubber! I brought milk to the kids, thick cream."

Lisa Patrikeevna

The fox gossip has sharp teeth, a thin stigma, ears on the top of the head, a tail on departure, a warm fur coat.

The godfather is well dressed: the wool is fluffy, golden; a vest on the chest, and a white tie on the neck.

The fox walks quietly, bends down to the ground, as if bowing; he wears his fluffy tail carefully, looks affectionately, smiles, shows white teeth.

Digs holes, clever, deep; there are many entrances and exits, there are storage rooms, there are also bedrooms, the floors are lined with soft grass. The fox would be good for everyone, but the fox robber is cunning: she loves chickens, loves ducks, she will break the neck of a fat goose, and will not have mercy on a rabbit.

Fox and goat

The fox ran, gape at the raven, and fell into the well. There was not much water in the well: you couldn't drown, and you couldn't jump out either. The fox is sitting, grieving. There is a goat, a clever head; he walks, shakes his beard, shakes his mugs; I looked in, having nothing to do, into the well, saw a fox there and asked:

What are you doing there, little fox?

Resting, my dear, - the fox answers. - It's hot up there, so I got here. How cool and good here! Cold voditsa - as much as you want.

And the goat wants to drink for a long time.

Is the water good? the goat asks.

Excellent! - the fox answers. - Clean, cold! Jump here if you want; there will be a place for both of us.

A goat foolishly jumped, almost crushed the fox, and she told him:

Eh, bearded fool! And he didn't know how to jump - he sprayed everything. "

The fox jumped onto the back of the goat, from the back to the horns, and out of the well.

A goat almost disappeared from hunger in the well; they found him forcibly and dragged him out by the horns.

Bear and log

A bear walks through the forest and sniffs out: is it possible to eat something to eat? He smells honey! Mishka lifted his face up and sees a beehive on a pine tree, under the beehive a smooth log hangs on a rope, but Misha doesn't care about the log. The bear climbed onto a pine tree, climbed up to the log, you can't climb higher - the log gets in the way. Misha pushed the log off with his paw; the log was gently pumped back - and the beat of the bear on the head. Misha pushed the log harder - the log hit Misha harder. Misha got angry and grabbed the log with all his might; the log was pumped two fathoms back - and it was enough for Misha that he almost fell off the tree. The bear got angry, forgot about honey, I want to finish the log for him: well, play it, that there is strength, and never was left without surrender. Misha fought with a log until all the beaten fell from the tree; there were pegs stuck under the tree - and the bear paid for his insane anger with his warm skin.

Mouse

Mice gathered at their mink, old and small. Their eyes are black, their paws are small, sharp little teeth, gray fur coats, their ears stick out upward, their tails are dragging along the ground. Mice gathered, underground thieves, they think a little dummy, they hold advice: "How can we, mice, drag a biscuit into the hole?" Oh, watch out for the mouse! Your friend, Vasya, is not far away. He loves you very much, will nip you with his paw; your ponytail will remember, your fur coats will tear you.

Cock yes dog

An old man lived with an old woman, and they lived in great poverty. All their bellies were only that of a rooster and a dog, and even those they fed poorly. Here is the dog and says to the rooster:

Come on, brother Petka, let's go to the forest: our life here is bad.

Let's go, - says the rooster, - it won't get any worse.

So they went wherever they looked. Went through the whole day; it was getting dark - it was time to pester me for the night. They got off the road into the forest and chose a large hollow tree. The rooster took off on a branch, the dog climbed into the hollow and fell asleep.

In the morning, just as dawn began to break, the rooster cried out: "Ku-ku-re-ku!" The fox heard the rooster; she wanted to feast on rooster meat. So she went to the tree and began to praise the rooster:

Here is a cock so cock! I have never seen such a bird: what beautiful feathers, how red the comb, and what a sonorous voice! Fly to me, handsome.

What business? the rooster asks.

Come visit me: I have a housewarming party today, and a lot of peas have been saved up about you.

Well, - says the rooster, - only I can't go alone: ​​a comrade is with me.

"That's what happiness has come!" Thought the fox. "Instead of one rooster, there will be two."

Where is your comrade? she asks. - I'll invite him to visit.

There, in a hollow he sleeps, - the rooster answers.

The fox rushed into the hollow, and her dog by the muzzle - a tsap! .. Caught and tore the fox.

Cockerel with family

A cockerel walks around the yard: there is a red comb on his head, a red beard under his nose. Petya's nose with a chisel, Petya's tail with a wheel, patterns on the tail, spurs on the legs. Petya rakes a bunch of paws with his paws, calls the chickens with chickens:

Crested hens! Troubled hostesses! Motley, speckled, black and white! Get together with the chickens, with the little children: I have a grain in store for you!

Chickens with chickens gathered, uncoiled; did not share a grain, fought.

Petya the cockerel does not like riots - now he has reconciled his family: the one for the crest, the other for the whirlwind, he ate the grain himself, flew up the fence, flapped his wings, shouted at the top of his throat: "Ku-ka-re-ku!"

Cute cat

Once upon a time there lived a cat, a goat and a ram. They lived together: a tuft of hay and that in half; and if the pitchfork is in the side, so one cat Vaska. He is such a thief and a robber: wherever something is bad, he looks there. Here comes one cat-purly, gray forehead; he walks and cries so pitifully. They ask the cat, the goat and the ram:

Cat-cat, gray pubis! What are you crying about, jumping on three legs?

Vasya answers them:

How can I not cry! The woman beat me, beat me; I pulled out my ears, broke my legs, and even put a stranglehold on me.

And why did such trouble come to you? - ask the goat and the ram.

Eh-eh! For the fact that I accidentally licked the sour cream.

It serves a thief and flour, - says the goat, - do not steal sour cream!

Here is the cat crying again:

The woman beat me, beat me; she beat me and said: my son-in-law will come to me, where will he get sour cream? Inevitably, you will have to slaughter a goat and a ram.

A goat and a ram roared here:

Oh, you gray cat, your stupid forehead! Why did you ruin us?

They began to judge and wonder how they could get rid of the great misfortune (to avoid. Ed.), And decided right there and then: all three of them to flee. They lay in wait, as the mistress did not close the gate, and left.

A cat, a goat and a ram ran for a long time along the valleys, over the mountains, over loose sands; moored and decided to spend the night in the mown meadow; and in that meadow there are haystacks that the cities stand.

The night was dark, cold: where to get the fire? And the purring cat took out the birch bark, wrapped the horns around the goat and told him to bump his foreheads with the ram. A goat and a ram bumped into each other, sparks fell from his eyes: the birch bark was on fire.

Okay, - said the gray cat, - now we will warm up! - Yes, without thinking twice, and lit a whole haystack.

No sooner had they gotten a good warmth than an uninvited guest, a little seryachok, Mikhail Potapych Toptygin, welcomed them.

Let me go, - he says, - brothers, warm up and rest; something is not good for me.

Welcome, little seryachok! - says the cat. - Where are you going from?

I went to the beekeeper, - says the bear, - to visit the bees, but I had a fight with the peasants, that's why I pretended to be sick.

So they all began to while away the night: a goat and a ram by the fire, a purr climbed on a haystack, and a bear huddled under the haystack.

The bear fell asleep; the goat and the ram doze; one purr does not sleep and sees everything. And he sees: there are seven gray wolves, one white - and straight to the fire.

Fu-fu! What kind of people are they! - says the white wolf to the goat and the ram. Let's try the strength.

A goat and a ram bleated here with fear; and the cat, the gray forehead, made the following speech:

Oh, you white wolf, the prince over the wolves! Do not anger our elder: he, God have mercy, is angry! How it differs - it is not good for anyone. Al you do not see his beard: it is in it and all the power; he beats all the animals with his beard; he only wipes off his skin with his horns. Better come and ask with honor: we want to play with your little brother, who sleeps under the haystack.

The wolves bowed to that goat; surrounded Misha and flirt well. Here Misha was fastened, fastened, and as long as there was enough for each paw for a wolf, so they sang Lazarus (they complained about fate. - Ed.). The wolves got out from under the haystack, barely alive, and, tails between their legs, - God give feet!

But the goat and the ram, while the bear was straightening out the wolves, grabbed the purr on his back and hurry home: "Enough, they say, to drag without a path, we will not make such a misfortune."

The old man and the old woman were delighted that the goat and the ram had returned home; and the cat-purr was torn out for trickery.

The pranks of the old woman of winter

The old woman winter became angry: she decided to squeeze every breath from the light. First of all, she began to get to the birds: they bothered her with their cry and squeak.

The winter blew cold, plucked leaves from forests and oak trees and scattered them along the roads. The birds have nowhere to go; they began to gather in flocks, think a little thought. They gathered, shouted and flew over the high mountains, over the blue seas, to warm countries. A sparrow remained, and he huddled under the eaves.

Winter sees that she cannot catch up with the birds; pounced on the animals. She covered the fields with snow, covered the forests with snowdrifts, covered the trees with ice bark and sends frost after frost. The frosts are coming each other angrier, jumping from tree to tree, crackling and clicking, scaring the animals. The animals were not afraid; some have warm coats, others hid in deep holes; a squirrel in a hollow gnaws nuts; the bear in the den sucks its paw; bunny, jumping, warming up; and horses, cows, lambs long ago in warm barns chew ready-made hay, drink warm swill.

Winter is even more angry - it gets to the fish; sends frost after frost, one fiercer than another. The frosts are running briskly, tapping loudly with hammers: without wedges, without sub-blades on lakes, along rivers, bridges are being built. Rivers and lakes were frozen, but only from above; and the fish all went deep: under the ice roof it is even warmer.

“Well, wait,” winter thinks, “I’ll catch people,” and it sends frost after frost, one angrier than the other. Frost clouded with patterns of windows in the windows; knocking on walls and doors, so that the logs burst. And people flooded the stoves, bake hot pancakes for themselves and laugh at the winter. It happens that someone goes to the forest for firewood - he will put on a sheepskin coat, felt boots, warm mittens, and as soon as he starts waving an ax, he will even break through the sweat. Carts stretched along the roads, as if to laugh at winter; the horses are blowing steam, the cabbies stomp their feet, pat their mittens, twitch their shoulders, praise the frost.

The most offensive thing in winter seemed that even small children are not afraid of it! They ride themselves on skates and on sleds, play snowballs, mold women, build mountains, water them with water, and even call out frost: "Come help!" Out of anger, winter will pinch one boy by the ear, another by the nose - it will even turn white; and the boy will grab the snow, let's rub it - and his face will flare up like fire.

Winter sees that she cannot take anything, - she cried out of anger. Winter tears dripped from the eaves ... apparently, spring is not far away!

Bees and flies

Late autumn turned out to be a glorious day, which are rare in spring: the leaden clouds dispersed, the wind subsided, the sun came out and looked so affectionately, as if saying goodbye to faded plants. The shaggy bees summoned from the hives by the light and warmth, buzzing merrily, flew from grass to grass, not for honey (there was nowhere to take it), but so-so to have fun and spread their wings.

How stupid you are with your fun! the fly said to them, which was immediately sitting on the grass, sagging and drooping its nose. - Don't you know that the sun is only for a minute and that, probably, the wind, rain, cold will begin today and we will all have to disappear.

Zoom, zoom, zoom! Why disappear? - the cheerful bees answered the fly. - We will have fun while the sun is shining, and when the weather is bad, we will hide in our warm hive, where we have a lot of honey in store over the summer.

Blind horse

Long, very long time ago, when not only us, but also our grandfathers and great-grandfathers were not yet in the world, there was a rich and commercial Slavic city of Vineta on the seashore; and in this city lived a rich merchant Usedom, whose ships, loaded with expensive goods, sailed on distant seas.

Usedom was very rich and lived luxuriously: perhaps, the very nickname Usedom, or Vsedom, he received because in his house was absolutely everything that could be found good and expensive at that time; and the owner himself, his mistress and the children ate only on gold and silver, wore only sables and brocade.

There were many excellent horses in Usadom's stable; but neither in Usedom's stable, nor in all Vineta, was there a horse faster and more beautiful than the Catch-up-Wind - this is how Used called his favorite riding horse for the speed of its legs. No one dared to ride the Dogon-Vetra, except the owner himself, and the owner never rode any other horse.

It happened to a merchant on one of his trips on trade, returning to Vineta, to ride on his favorite horse through a large and dark forest. It was late afternoon, the forest was terribly dark and dense, the wind shook the tops of the gloomy pines; the merchant rode alone and at a pace, saving his beloved horse, which was tired of the long journey.

Suddenly from behind the bushes, as if from under the ground, jumped out six broad-shouldered fellows with brutal faces, in shaggy hats, with spears, axes and knives in their hands; three were on horseback, three on foot, and two robbers had already seized the merchant's horse by the bridle.

Rich Usad would not have seen his dear Vineta if there were some other horse under him, and not Catch-Wind. Sensing a stranger's hand on the bridle, the horse rushed forward, with its broad, strong chest knocked two daring villains who were holding him by the bridle to the ground, crushed a third one under his feet, who, waving a spear, ran ahead and wanted to block his path, and rushed like a whirlwind ... The horse robbers set off in pursuit; their horses were also good, but where could they catch up with Usedomov's horse?

Catch-Wind, in spite of its fatigue, sensing the chase, rushed like an arrow shot from a tightly drawn bow, and left the angry villains far behind it.

Half an hour later, Usedom was already driving into his dear Vineta on his good horse, from which the foam fell to the ground in shreds.

Getting off the horse, the sides of which rose high from fatigue, the merchant right there, stroking the Catch-Wind on his lather-up neck, solemnly promised: no matter what happened to him, never sell or give his faithful horse to anyone, not drive him away, as if he did not grow old, and every day, until his death, he sent the horse three measures of the best oats.

But, hurrying to his wife and children, Usedom did not look after the horse himself, and the lazy worker did not lead the exhausted horse properly, did not let it cool down completely and gave it a drink ahead of time.

Since then, Catch-Wind began to fall ill, become sick, weakened to his feet and, finally, went blind. The merchant was very grieved and for six months faithfully kept his promise: the blind horse was still in the stable, and he was given three measures of oats every day.

Then he bought himself another riding horse with Used, and after six months it seemed too imprudent to give the blind, worthless horse three measures of oats each, and he ordered to release two. Another six months passed; the blind horse was still young, he had to feed him for a long time, and they began to let him go at one measure.

Finally, and this seemed hard to the merchant, and he ordered to remove the bridle from the Run-down-Wind and drive him out of the gate, so that he would not take up space in the stable in vain. The workers escorted the blind horse out of the yard with a stick, since it rested and did not go.

Poor blind Catch-Wind, not understanding what they were doing to him, not knowing and not seeing where to go, remained standing outside the gate, bowing his head and sadly moving his ears. Night fell, it snowed, and it was hard and cold for the poor blind horse to sleep on the rocks. For several hours she stood in one place, but finally hunger forced her to look for food. Raising its head, sniffing in the air for any straw from the old, sunken roof, a blind horse wandered around at random and bumped incessantly at the corner of the house, now at the fence.

You need to know that in Vineta, as in all ancient Slavic cities, there was no prince, and the inhabitants of the city ruled by themselves, gathering to the square when it was necessary to solve some important matters. Such a gathering of the people to decide their own affairs, for trial and punishment, was called vechem. In the middle of Vineta, in the square where the veche gathered, a large veche bell hung on four pillars, by the ringing of which the people gathered and which could ring anyone who considered himself offended and demanded judgment and protection from the people. No one, of course, dared to ring the veche bell for trifles, knowing that for this the people would get a lot.

Wandering around the square, a blind, deaf and hungry horse accidentally came across the pillars on which the bell hung, and, thinking, perhaps, to pull a bundle of straw out of the eaves, grabbed the rope tied to the bell's tongue with her teeth and began to pull: the bell rang like this it was strong that the people, despite the fact that it was still early, began to flock to the square in droves, wanting to know who was so loudly demanding his judgment and protection. Everyone in Vineta knew Dogon-Vetra, knew that he had saved the life of his master, knew the owner's promise - and were surprised to see a poor horse in the middle of the square - blind, hungry, trembling from the cold, covered with snow.

Soon it became clear what the matter was, and when the people learned that the rich Usedom had driven out of the house the blind horse that had saved his life, they unanimously decided that the Catch-up Wind had every right to ring the veche bell.

They demanded an ungrateful merchant to the square; despite his excuses, they ordered him to keep the horse as before and feed it until its death. A special person was assigned to oversee the execution of the sentence, and the sentence itself was carved on a stone erected in memory of this event on Veche Square ...

Know how to wait

Once upon a time there was a brother and sister, a cock and a chicken. The cockerel ran into the garden and began to peck at the green currant, and the chicken said to him: "Don't eat, Petya! Wait until the currant ripens." The cockerel did not obey, pecked and pecked, and pecked so that he could hardly get home. "Oh! - the cockerel shouts, - my trouble! It hurts, sister, it hurts!" The chicken gave the cockerel a drink of mint, put a mustard plaster - and it passed.

The cockerel recovered and went into the field: he ran, jumped, flared up, sweated and ran to the stream to drink cold water; and the chicken shouts to him:

Don't drink, Petya, wait until you get a sheet.

The cockerel did not obey, he drank cold water - and then a fever began to beat him: the chicken brought him home forcibly. The hen ran after the doctor, doctor Pete prescribed some bitter medicine, and the cockerel lay in bed for a long time.

The cockerel has recovered by winter and sees that the river is covered with ice; the cock wanted to skate; and the chicken says to him: "Oh, wait, Petya! Let the river freeze completely; now the ice is still very thin, you will drown." The sister's cock did not obey: it rolled on the ice; the ice broke, and the cock flopped into the water! Only the cockerel was seen.

Morning rays

The red sun swam up to the sky and began to send out its golden rays everywhere - to wake up the earth.

The first ray flew and hit the lark. The lark fluttered, fluttered out of its nest, rose high, high and sang its silver song: "Oh, how good it is in the fresh morning air! How good! How free!"

The second ray hit the bunny. The bunny twitched its ears and hopped merrily across the dewy meadow: he ran to get himself some juicy grass for breakfast.

The third ray hit the chicken coop. The rooster flapped its wings and sang: "Ku-ka-re-ku!" The chickens flew off the nest, cackled, and began to rake up litter and look for worms.

The fourth ray hit the hive. A bee crawled out of its wax cell, sat on the window, spread its wings and "zoom-zoom-zoom!" - flew to collect honey from fragrant flowers.

The fifth ray hit the nursery on the bed of the little bummer: it cuts him right in the eyes, and he turned on the other side and fell asleep again.

Four wishes

Mitya dashed off on a sled from an icy mountain and on skates on a frozen river, ran home rosy, cheerful and said to his father:

How fun it is in winter! I would like it to be winter all the time.

Write your wish in my pocket book, - said the father.

Mitya wrote it down.

Spring came. Mitya ran to his heart's content for colorful butterflies across the green meadow, picked flowers, ran to his father and said:

What a beauty this spring is! I would like the whole spring to be.

The father again took out the book and ordered Mitya to write down his wish.

Summer has come. Mitya and his father went to haymaking. The boy had fun all the long day: he was fishing, picked berries, tumbled in the fragrant hay, and in the evening he said to his father:

Today I have had a lot of fun! I wish there was no end to the summer.

And this desire of Mitya was recorded in the same book.

Autumn has come. They gathered fruits in the garden - ruddy apples and yellow pears. Mitya was delighted and said to his father:

Autumn is the best of all seasons!

Then the father took out his notebook and showed the boy that he had said the same about spring, and about winter, and about summer.

Someone else's testicle

Early in the morning old woman Daria got up, chose a dark, secluded spot in the chicken coop, put a basket there, where thirteen eggs were laid out on soft hay, and sat the crested hen on them.

It was a little light, and the old woman did not consider that the thirteenth testicle was greenish and larger than the others. The hen sits diligently, warms the testicles, runs off to nibble on the grains, drink some water, and return to its place; even faded, poor thing. And what one became angry, hisses, clucks, even the cockerel does not allow him to approach, but that one really wanted to look into what was going on there in the dark corner. The hen sat for about three weeks, and began to hatch from the eggs of the chick, one after the other: he will bite the shell with his nose, jump out, shake himself off and start running, raking dust with his legs, looking for worms.

The chick from the greenish testicle hatched later than everyone else. And what a strange he came out: round, fluffy, yellow, with short legs, with a wide nose. "A strange chicken came out for me," the chicken thinks, "it bites, and it doesn't walk in our way; the nose is wide, the legs are short, some kind of clubfoot, waddles from foot to foot." The hen wondered at her chicken, but no one, but all the son. And he loves and protects him, as well as others, and if he sees a hawk, then, fluffing feathers and spreading wide round wings, hides his chickens under him, without discerning which legs.

The hen began to teach the children how to dig worms out of the earth, and took the whole family to the shore of the pond: there are more worms and the earth is softer. As soon as the short-legged chicken saw the water, he rushed straight into it. The chicken screams, flaps its wings, rushes to the water; the chickens are also worried: they run, fuss, squeak; and one cockerel in fright even jumped on a pebble, stretched out his neck and for the first time in his life shouted in a hoarse voice: "Ku-ku-re-ku!" Help, they say, kind people! Brother is drowning! But my brother did not drown, but happily and easily, like a piece of cotton paper, swam on the water, raking the water with his wide, webbed paws. At the cry of the chicken, old Daria ran out of the hut, saw what was being done, and shouted: "Ah, what a sin! Apparently I blindly put a duck egg under the chicken."

And the chicken was rushing to the pond: they could drive away by force, poor one.