A tale about a smart mouse. "The Tale of a Stupid Mouse": history of creation, plot and film adaptations

There lived a man who loved to brag about both what he knew and what he didn’t.
knew. He once boasted that he could measure the entire earth. And even got beaten
I bet that by morning he will count how many cubits the earth stretches from the sunrise
sun until sunset.
And he came home and couldn’t find a place for himself.
His wife tells him:
- Sit down, we'll have dinner.
And he just shakes his head:
- Don't want. He wrapped himself in a blanket and lay down as if he were sick.
The wife asks:
- What trouble happened to you? Why are you so sad?
He had to admit everything.
“Wife,” he says, “we’re lost.” I bet that tomorrow morning
I will tell you how many cubits the earth stretches from sunrise to sunset. Is it really
can I say this? And if I don’t tell you, then our house and what’s in the house -
everything will be taken from us.
The wife listened to him and said:
- Don't be afraid. I will teach you how to get rid of trouble. Go see them tomorrow
To the people with whom you argued, stick a pole in the ground in front of them and say:
from here it is so many cubits to sunrise, and so many cubits to sunset. Who doesn't
believes, let him count it himself. And if I made a mistake even by one cubit, let it be
They will punish me and take away my house and everything that is in my house.
The husband was happy smart advice wife, immediately recovered and sat down to dinner.
He ate, drank and went to bed.
And the next day he went and did as his wife told him.
Everyone was very surprised at the resourcefulness of this man.
“He’s a big braggart,” people say, “but with his mind he could never
boast.
How did he guess to win the argument so cleverly?
Soon the whole city was talking about him. I heard about him all the way to the negus
glory.
Negus said:
- Bring this man to me.
And when he arrived, the Negus had the following conversation with him:
- Listen, they say about you that you are a narrow-minded person, but you’re not
Anyone smart would have guessed to answer like you. Maybe someone will
taught?
The braggart admitted:
- Well, yes, my wife taught me.
Negus didn't even believe it.
“Is it really possible,” he asks, “that your wife is so smart?”
A braggart is happy to boast. Here he says:
- How smart! And how beautiful! And young!
Negus listened to him and said:
“The one who is so smart, and beautiful, and young, should be the wife of a negus.”
Go and tell your wife about this.
The stupid husband came home and couldn’t say a word.
His wife asks him:
- What trouble happened to you again?
Husband says:
- It’s such a disaster that it couldn’t get any worse. Today the Negus called me to his place and
began to ask if I myself had figured out how to win the argument. I told him that
It was you who taught me. Negus was very surprised that you were so smart, and I told him
He said that you are smart, and young, and beautiful. Let him know which one I have
wife!
And the Negus, as soon as he found out, immediately said that if you are so smart,
both beautiful and young, so you will no longer be my wife, but you will be his
wife. What a disaster it was!
The wife listened to him and said:
“What people say is true: those who have a fast tongue have a slow mind.”
I found someone to brag about! Before the Negus! Well, what to do! We need it now
fix the problem! Go again to the Negus and tell him this: “Those words that you ordered
tell my wife, they brought her great joy. That's why my wife asks
invite you to dinner with her, taste the dishes she has prepared, and
sweet honey drink."
The husband did just that - he went to invite the Negus to dinner. And the wife
Over time she began to take charge. She put a lot of different bowls on the table - and
large, and small, and deeper, and shallower, for fish and for meat, for
sauces and for seasoning, - poured a handful of dust into each bowl and closed
lid.
Then she threw a piece of fabric on each bowl - some brocade, some silk,
where is wool, and where is a simple linen rag. Some shreds are variegated, others
striped, others colorful. Some are new, others are dilapidated, barely holding on.
She cleared the table and went to her half.
Soon the Negus appeared with his entourage. Everyone sat down at the table.
Negus ordered one bowl to be opened. The owner took off a piece of silk,
with which it was closed, lifted the lid, and there was nothing in the bowl - only
a handful of dust.
Negus ordered another bowl to be opened. And it’s the same in her.
The third bowl was opened. And there - nothing.
Negus became very angry.
He said:
- Where is this woman who decided to laugh at us? Call her!
And when she arrived, the Negus asked:
- Are you making fun of me? Are you fooling me? Why did you scatter
these rags on the table? Why did you put gray dust in the bowls?
The woman replied:
- O great negus! You are needlessly angry. I had no idea
laugh at you. But I didn't dare hope that you would want to talk to
me.
Therefore, I decided - if not in words, then at least in hints to tell you about
what I think. Here you see bowls on the table covered with different shreds.
And in the bowls there is dust, the same in all of them. Time will pass, and all the shreds -
beautiful and ugly, silk and linen - they all decay equally
will turn to dust. So are all women - whether they are beautiful or ugly -
will age equally. And the one who was a beauty will lose her beauty over the years
beauty, and the one that was ugly will become in old age no worse than anyone
beauties.
Only a true heart - both in youth and in old age - remains the same
wonderful. That's what I wanted to tell you.
Negus listened to her with great surprise and said:
- I wanted harm to you and your husband, but you made me ashamed of my
desires.
Having said this, he generously presented the owners with gold and left their house.
Then the husband said to his wife:
- Now I know that a good wife is a husband’s adornment. She is the most precious thing
treasure in his house. Who found it good wife, he found a happy life.

Fairy tale "The Tale of a Stupid Husband and a Smart Wife", read the text online on our website for free.

Once upon a time, in very ancient times, an orphan, the boy Badma, lived with an old man. No one knew who Badma’s parents were, but the old man didn’t care. Badma lived and lived and called the old man uncle.

One day Badma was playing with other guys on the road. They built a city and built it out of sticks and stones so that it could not be walked or driven through. And at this time a cart was driving along the road, and a lama was sitting on the cart. The lama saw that the guys were blocking the road with their buildings, he got angry and began shouting:

Hey kids! Why are you playing on the road? Everything was blocked off. Remove it immediately, or I'll rip your ears off!

The children got scared and ran away, but Badma did not run away and was not afraid. Asked the lama:

Does it ever happen that a city gives way to a man? A man travels around the city.

Lama couldn’t find an answer and drove around the children’s building. I drove around, drove on and thought: “How can this be? I, the wise lama, was unable to answer the boy. Now everyone will say: “Our lama is stupider than a child!” Well, wait a minute! Tomorrow I’ll show you how to talk to a lama!” The lama became very angry and the next morning he went to the yurt where Badma lived.

He drove up and saw: the old man and Badma were plowing the land on oxen. The Lama called Badma and asked:

Hey boy! How many times have you walked around your plot with a plow?

Badma thought and replied:

I didn't count. But no more than your horse took steps from home.

And again the lama could not find what to answer the boy and this made him even more angry. And then, as luck would have it, I saw Badma’s uncle chuckling. The lama became completely angry, drove up to the old man and said:

Milk the bull this evening and prepare some curdled milk for me. I'll come tomorrow, give it to me. If you don’t do it, I’ll take the bull.

The old man didn’t know how to tell the lama that he couldn’t milk the bulls, and when he did, the lama had already left. Badma saw that his uncle was sad, approached him and asked:

What's wrong with you, uncle?

The lama told me to milk the bull and make curdled milk from its milk. If I don’t do it, he’ll take the bull away. What should I do?

Don't be sad, uncle! - said Badma. - Tomorrow I will talk to the lama myself.

In the morning the lama arrived at the old man’s yurt. Badma was sitting at the entrance. The Lama strictly ordered him:

Call uncle!

He can’t do it now, wise lama! - Badma answered.

How can this not be done when I order?

We have a bull calving, good lama. His uncle helps him.

Stupid boy! There has never been such a thing before when bulls calved. You're lying!

Holy Lama, but you yourself ordered the bull to be milked and the curdled milk to be made for you. So uncle is trying for you. As soon as the bull calves, his uncle will milk it and make curdled milk.

And once again the lama could not find an answer to Badme, he became even angrier and ordered the old man to come to him immediately. When he arrived, the lama said:

I need ash rope. Remove it from the ashes and bring it to me. I'll give you three rams. If you don’t make a rope, if you don’t bring it to me, I’ll take your yurt.

The old man thought for a long time about how to tell the lama that a rope cannot be made from ashes. Finally I thought of it, I wanted to say it, but the lama was no longer at home - he left.

Badma saw that his uncle returned, very saddened by something, and asked him:

What's wrong with you, uncle?

The lama told me to make a rope out of ash and bring it to him. He will give three sheep. If I don’t bring it, he’ll take the yurt and all the junk. What should I do?

Go to bed, uncle, Badma advised. - And tomorrow you will give the ash rope to the lama.

The old man went to bed, and Badma collected straw and twisted it into a long rope. Early in the morning I woke up the old man and told him:

Take this rope, uncle, and take it to the lama. Spread it near the yurt and set it on fire at both ends. When the straw burns, call the llama to take the rope.

The old man took the rope, went to the lama and did everything as Badma ordered. When the straw was burned, he called the lama and said:

Wise Lama, I have fulfilled your order. Give me three sheep, please, and take the rope. And if you still need ash ropes, I will weave them at a reasonable price.

The Lama quickly gave the old man three sheep and sent him away. And then he prayed for a long time, thanking the gods that he got off so cheaply.

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And translator Samuil Marshak. And although there is a huge selection of children's literature today, this writer's fairy tales continue to capture children's imaginations, just as they did many decades ago when they were written.

“The Tale of a Stupid Mouse”: history of creation

Marshak is the author of many magnificent poetic children's works, which had no analogues in the world at the time of their creation. Among them are “Twelve Months”, “Teremok”, “Cat’s House” and, of course, “The Tale of stupid mouse"(in another version, "The Tale of a Stupid Mouse").

It was written back in 1923. Before this, the author already had experience in writing his own original fairy tales, but this one has a special history of creation. In the summer of that year, the writer’s eldest son, Immanuel, suffered from uremia and urgently needed sanatorium treatment. The writer and his family managed to agree on treatment for a six-year-old boy in Yevpatoria, but for the trip they needed a substantial amount of money, which the Marshak family did not have. To get money, the author undertook to write a children's fairy tale in verse and managed to do it in just one night. This is how “The Tale of the Stupid Mouse” was born. Thanks to her, Marshak actually saved the life of his son, who, when he grew up, achieved significant success in physics and more.

Plot

Late at night, the mother mouse in her cozy hole tried to put her to bed.

However, the stupid mouse was capricious all the time and asked to sing him a lullaby. Mom sang, but the baby was not satisfied, then she began to take turns inviting a variety of animals, birds and even fish to visit him so that they could try to sing her child a lullaby. Unfortunately, no one's singing was to the taste of the demanding and restless mouse. In the end, the exhausted mother asked the cat to sing a lullaby, and she purred so tenderly that the fidget liked her singing. But when the mother mouse returned home, she could not find her child.

“The Tale of a Smart Mouse” - continuation of adventures

Marshak left his work (“The Tale of a Stupid Mouse”) with an open ending, although for most it was obvious, since it is quite logical to assume that the cat swallowed the sleeping stupid mouse.

However, after some time, the author wrote another fairy tale that shed light on the fate of the naughty mouse. This is "The Tale of smart mouse" It turned out that the cunning cat did not eat the baby, but took it with her, wanting to play cat and mouse with him first. But the fidget turned out to be far from stupid and was able to escape from her. But on the way to his native hole, where his worried mother was waiting for him, he had to become a participant in many more dangerous adventures.

“The Tale of a Stupid Mouse”: a play based on it and a film adaptation

Both tales are about the adventures of the restless little mouse very quickly became popular not only among children, but also among adults. Light, memorable rhymes just begged to be shown on the screen. At first, this fairy tale was staged as a performance in professional and amateur theaters. And in 1940, M. Tsekhanovsky created a cartoon based on the first work (“The Tale of a Stupid Mouse”). The text has undergone changes and was supplemented with songs to the music of Dmitry Shostakovich. In addition, the ending of the story became more definite; it turned out to be a classic happy ending.

The next attempt to film this fairy tale was made forty-one years later by I. Sobinova-Kassil. This time it was a puppet cartoon. The ending of the fairy tale was also modified to be happy, but the original text itself remained virtually unchanged.

Nowadays, this fairy tale is often staged as a performance. Most often this is done either in kindergartens or in amateur or professional children's theaters.

In 2012, the puppet theater “Kroshka Art” staged its own based on this fairy tale, “The Story of a Stupid Mouse.” Original text Marshak was replaced, but the plot was more or less canonical. Viewers received this interpretation quite warmly, although some were unhappy with the lack of original text.

Among the huge creative heritage Samuil Marshak's "The Tale of a Stupid Mouse" plays quite well important role. Not only is it an example of the incredible melody of the Russian language, but it also teaches children the basics of how to behave with parents and other people. It’s nice that after many years since it was written, this fairy tale has not lost its appeal and relevance and is still loved by readers.

The cat took the mouse away
And he sings: “Don’t be afraid, baby.”
Let's play for an hour or two
Cat and mouse, dear!

Scared little mouse
He answers her sleepily:
- Our mother's cat and mouse game
She didn't tell us to play.

Well, what do I care?
What didn't she tell you?
Play with me, my light! -
And the mouse answered her:

I'd like to play a little
Just - mind you! - I'll be a cat.
You, cat, at least for an hour
Be a mouse this time!

The cat Murka laughed:
- Oh, you, smoky skin,
Whatever I call you,
A mouse cannot be a cat!

The mouse says to Murka:
- Well then, let's play blind man's buff!
Blindfold your eyes with a scarf
And catch me later.

The cat is blindfolded,
But he looks from under the bandage.
Let the mouse run away
And again the poor thing - grab it!

Laughter for the cat, grief for the mouse...
He found a gap in the fence.
He doesn’t know how he got through.
There was a mouse - but it disappeared.

He rolled down the hill,
He sees: a small mink.
An animal lived in this hole -
A long, narrow ferret.

Sharp-toothed, sharp-eyed,
He was a thief and a thief
And it happened every day
Stole chickens from villages.

The ferret came from hunting.
The guest asks: - Who are you?
Kohl fell into my hole,
Play my game!

Cat and mouse or blind man's buff? -
Says the nimble mouse.

No, not blind man's buff. We ferrets
We prefer “corners”.

Well, let's play, but first
Let's do the math, perhaps.

I am an animal
And you are an animal,
I am a mouse
You are a ferret
You are cunning
And I'm smart
Who is smart
He got out!

Stop! - the ferret shouts to the mouse
And runs after him.

And the mouse goes straight into the forest
And he climbed under an old stump.
The squirrels began to call the mouse:
- Come out and play burners!

“I have,” he says, “
Without playing, your back burns!

At this time along the path
An animal was walking, scarier than a cat.
It looked like a brush.
It was, of course, a hedgehog.

And a hedgehog was walking towards
All covered in needles, like a dressmaker.

The hedgehog shouted to the mouse:
- You can’t escape hedgehogs!

Here comes my mistress,
Play tag with her,
And leapfrog with me.
Come out quickly - I'm waiting!

And the mouse heard it,
Yes, I thought about it and didn’t come out.
- I don’t want to go into leapfrog:
I'll end up on pins and needles!

The hedgehog and the hedgehog waited a long time,
And the mouse is quiet and quiet
Along the path between the bushes
He slipped through - and there he was!

He reached the edge of the forest.
He hears frogs croaking:
- Guard! Trouble! Kwa-kwa!
An owl is flying towards us!

Look, the little mouse is rushing
Either a cat or a bird,
All speckled, crocheted beak,
The feathers are variegated and erect.
And the eyes burn like little bowls,
Twice as much as a cat.

The mouse's spirit froze.
He hid under a burdock.

And the owl is getting closer, closer,
And the owl keeps getting lower and lower
And shouts in the silence of the night:
- Play, my friend, with me!

The mouse squeaked: -
Hide and seek? -
And he set off without looking back,
He disappeared into the mown grass.
An owl won't find it.

The owl searched until the morning.
In the morning I stopped seeing.
The old woman sat down on an oak tree
And the eyes magnify and magnify.

And the mouse washed his snout
He carried some water and no soap
And he went to look for his home,
Where were the mother and father?

He walked, walked, climbed the hill
And below I saw a mink.

The mother mouse is so happy!
Well, hug a mouse.
And sisters and brothers
They play mouse and mouse about him.