Fairy tales and stories for children by grandfather Irenaeus. Can you prove that this is an artistic speech and not scientific information? The modern child and the fairy tale: problems of dialogue - V.F. Odoevsky

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V.F. Odoevsky. Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus

“Write, write and write!” - with this appeal Belinsky ends his article on the fairy tales of V.F. Odoevsky, published in Otechestvennye zapiski, one of the most famous magazines of the last century. Soon they were published under the title “Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus” separate publication, and again V. Belinsky responded to them.
How did Prince V.F. Odoevsky turn into grandfather Irenaeus? When a writer, scientist, public figure V. F. Odoevsky wrote for children, then signed with this pseudonym. Perhaps it seemed to him that children would feel more trust in their grandfather than just in a writer.
V. G. Belinsky liked these fairy tales. Having devoted two entire articles to them, he considered them in a broad pedagogical context. His thoughts on education and children's reading and today they amaze with the wisdom of their insights. As you read it, each time you discover something new, something that has not been previously perceived with due depth, and you are amazed at how much was said more than 150 years ago.
Belinsky paid special attention to the selection of books for the little ones. There is nothing more harmful and dangerous, the critic notes, than unnatural and untimely development human spirit: “Art is valid for everyone to the extent that everyone finds in it an interpretation of what lives within him as a feeling, what is familiar to him as the need of his soul.”
The perception of art always begins with a feeling, and it is important for the teacher not to extinguish or suppress this feeling.
From the very early years, Belinsky believed, should develop in children “a sense of grace as one of the primary elements of humanity.” Belinsky closely connects the moral feeling - humanity - with the aesthetic sense, the sense of grace. We can say that without awakening an aesthetic sense, we will not be able to touch the child’s soul and we will not receive a pedagogical effect. Highly appreciating the poetry of V. Odoevsky’s fairy tales, Belinsky noted: “Russian children have in Grandfather Irenaeus such a writer who the children of all nations would envy.” Most of all, critics were attracted by Odoevsky’s ability to “entice the imagination, irritate curiosity, arouse attention” with the simplest stories. “What a wonderful old man,” Belinsky exclaims, “what a young, noble soul he has! What warmth and life emanates from his stories.” “Dear and respectable grandfather! - he turns to the writer. “Who should write for children if not people to whom God has given everything they need for this: talent, a living soul, poetic imagination, and knowledge of the matter?”
Let’s re-read together two of Odoevsky’s fairy tales: “The Town in the Snuff Box” and “Moroz Ivanovich.” (They were especially noted by V.G. Belinsky.) Let's start with the last one - the simpler one.
"Moroz Ivanovich"
What kind of fairy tales did people come up with about Frost, no matter how they called him! And Frost-Red Nose, and Frost-Blue Nose, and Treskun-Frost. And how many storytellers were fascinated by this image! A. N. Afanasyev called him Morozko, V. F. Odoevsky called him Moroz Ivanovich - after all, each author had his own idea about this image.
Why did he attract so many different storytellers? A mysterious and mysterious power over all living things in the world. A. N. Afanasyev saw in him a cruel and merciless force. In the fairy tale “Morozko,” the stepmother forces her husband to take her stepdaughter into the forest in winter to certain death: “Take, take, old man, her... to the open field to Treskun-Moroz!” Addressing his fairy tales to “very young children,” V. F. Odoevsky strove for kindness rather than cruelty, beauty rather than ugly ugliness to be found in them. And together with the children he admires the ice house of Moroz Ivanovich, especially beautiful when the walls decorated with snow stars sparkled and shone, illuminated by the sun.
Everything in this fairy tale is based on opposition: the names and actions of the heroes, their actions, speech - their whole life. We're facing this artistic device from the first lines: “Two girls lived in the same house - the Needlewoman and Lenivitsa, and with them there was a nanny.” Odoevsky gives his heroines common names, and names similar to nicknames. By contrasting them, it immediately sets readers in a certain mood and concentrates attention on the characters. Odoevsky abandons many traditional motifs for such a plot, replacing the stepmother with a nanny, avoids the motif family relations, the theme of orphanhood and the cruelty associated with it.
Before us are just children with different characters- The Needlewoman and the Sloth. Well, how was it possible not to give a name and nickname to Lenivitsa, when while the Needlewoman gets up early in the morning, heats the stove, kneads the dough, washes the hut, feeds the rooster, goes to the water - Lenivitsa is still stretching in bed, rolling from side to side, and If she gets ready to get up, she will ask her to put on her stockings and tie her shoes. And as soon as he eats, he sits down by the window to count the flies, and when he counts them all, he doesn’t really know what to do: “She should go to bed, but she doesn’t want to sleep; She would like to eat, but she doesn’t feel like eating; She should count flies at the window - and even then she’s tired.” She is too lazy to even watch how the Needlewoman knits stockings, cuts shirts and sews, too lazy to listen to the Needlewoman’s song being sung - “the poor woman sits and cries and complains to everyone that she is bored, as if it were others’ fault.”
But here (according to the laws of the genre) chance invades the girls’ lives. One day the Needlewoman went to the well for water, but the rope broke. And the girls’ nanny was strict. “You caused the trouble yourself,” he says, “and fix it yourself; You drowned the bucket yourself, get it out yourself.” What was left to do? The Needlewoman went down the rope to the bottom of the well, she thought she would find the bucket... and there in front of her wonderful world opened. How was it possible not to examine the curiosity? First, there was a stove on the way, and the pie was sitting in it, looking at it and saying: “I’m completely ready, browned, fried with sugar and raisins; whoever takes me from the stove will go with me!” Is it possible to refuse such a request? Then I saw a garden, and in it a tree with golden apples. The apples rustle their leaves and say to themselves: “We are fresh, ripe apples, we ate the roots of the tree, we washed ourselves with the chilly dew; whoever shakes us off the tree will take us for himself.” As soon as the girl managed to collect the apples, she suddenly saw: a gray-haired old man sitting on an ice bench and eating snowballs. He shakes his head - frost falls from his hair, he dies of spirit - thick steam comes out. This is how the meeting of the Needlewoman with Moroz Ivanovich took place. Together they had breakfast with a pie and snacked on golden apples. But Moroz Ivanovich agreed to return the bucket for which the girl came for three days of service. First, the old man asked to fluff up the feather bed for him, and instead of the feather bed, the Needlewoman saw fluffy snow. And she began to whip up this snow so diligently that even her fingers turned white and numb. While Moroz Ivanovich was resting, the Needlewoman cleaned everything in the house, prepared dinner, and fixed the linen. The old man thanked the girl for her work, and three days later he rewarded her and sent her home. The first to see her was the rooster, which she always fed, was delighted and shouted:
, crows!
The Needlewoman has nickels in her bucket!
Having heard the girl’s story about how she met Moroz Ivanovich, and seeing the reward, the nanny began to send Lenivitsa to him, maybe she would bring something to the house.
To see how the principle develops artistic opposition, Lenivitsa and I will have to once again make the whole journey to Moroz Ivanovich and spend three days with him.
Sloth went down into the well, saw first the stove, then a tree with golden apples, but did not take the pie out of the stove: “They say, he wants it and will jump out on his own.” And she didn’t want to bother collecting golden apples. She came to Moroz Ivanovich empty-handed, but in order to receive gifts, she did not refuse work. True, she didn’t fluff up the snow feather bed, deciding that the old man wouldn’t notice and would fall asleep. She prepared such a dinner that she didn’t eat it herself, and left the old man hungry. She began to sew, but only pricked her finger. But when three days passed, Sloth began to ask to go home and demand rewards. Moroz Ivanovich put a large silver bar in one hand and a large diamond in the other.
Crow, crow,
Sloth has an ice icicle in her hands!
- the rooster crowed so that everyone would know what gifts Sloth returned with.
No wonder Moroz Ivanovich said to her at parting: “Such is the work, such is the reward.” Laziness was punished publicly so that everyone could see that only work creates true values.
In Odoevsky’s fairy tale there are no miracles when palaces and cities grow overnight. He strove for children to see: everything in life is created by human hands, everyday labor, and laziness, side by side with boredom, appears as a destructive force.
Having delved into the semantic essence of the fairy tale, we will see that before us is a test of humanity. And laziness coexists not only with boredom, but also with a soulless attitude towards others. When only one’s own person occupies, then the one who is nearby does not occupy at all - be it the Needlewoman who works for two, Moroz Ivanovich, who was left without lunch, or the pie and golden apples, which are no longer destined to please people.
Noteworthy is the special, purely cognitive layer of the fairy tale, for the development storyline optional. It describes in detail how the Needlewoman purifies well water so that it becomes clear, as if crystal. The girl kept asking Moroz Ivanovich all sorts of questions. While fluffing up the snow feather bed, the Needlewoman saw young green grass under it, she felt sorry for the grass, thought that it would freeze under the snow, and asked: “You say that you are a good old man, but why are you keeping green grass under the snow feather bed, for the light of day?” won’t you let me out?” It turned out that he was trying to protect her from cold winter and so on.
Why are these purely educational elements in a fairy tale? At such moments, Odoevsky the scientist takes precedence over Odoevsky the writer. But only when Odoevsky the artist wins in this dispute with himself does the fairy tale acquire artistic integrity, pushing aside excessive edification.
The tale ends with a long appeal to the readers: “And you, children, think and guess what is true here and what is not true; what is said really, what is said sideways; some as a joke, some as an instruction...", etc.
Much in Odoevsky’s fairy tales pleased Belinsky: his ability to speak with small children in clear, beautiful language, “simple and natural miracles,” plots “cleverly adapted to children’s imagination.” But Belinsky could not accept such an edifying ending; he was sure that the children would not like it either: “Oh, just think, old age: he can’t resist moral maxims...”
And then he exclaims: “No, moral maxims are not only disgusting and sterile in themselves, but also spoil even beautiful and full of life writings, if they creep into them!.. You have a moral thought - great; Don’t reprimand it to your children, but let them feel it, don’t draw a conclusion from it at the end of your story, but let them deduce it themselves...”
How to build pedagogical work so that the teaching “passes on to children not as a concept, but as a feeling”? Just following the author and relying on the technique of artistic opposition is the basic principle of the storyteller himself. Children early develop a “spontaneous” idea of this technique. The fairy tale “Moroz Ivanovich” makes it possible, moving towards greater meaningfulness, to promote artistic development.
Where is the best place to start? Co sounding word. Isn't it the human voice that can often tell us what kind of person is in front of us - angry or simple-minded, striving for communication or withdrawn and muttering words through clenched teeth?
To hear the voice of the Needlewoman and Sloth, everyone will have to choose a short episode from a fairy tale and tell it from the perspective of one of the girls. While one is talking, the rest of the guys try to guess whose voice they hear. For example, a calm, melodic voice is the voice of the Needlewoman, and a sharp, noisy, unpleasant voice is the voice of the Sloth. Or. The needlewoman pronounces the words clearly, but the Sloth chatters, etc.
From live human voice, from the sound of the text itself, children will begin to comprehend art space fairy tales.
This creative task will set the stage for the first dramatization game, which we called “Morning of the Sloth.” If it’s better to just remember and talk about the morning of the Needlewoman, then you can fully experience Odoevsky’s humor if “The Morning of the Sloth” is played out in full. This episode will bring true pleasure to both participants and spectators if it is funny:
how Sloth stretched in bed and rolled from side to side;
how she held out her legs to the nanny so that she could pull on her stockings and tie her shoes;
how I ate a bun for breakfast;
how, sitting by the window, she counted flies;
how she cried and complained that she was bored, as if it was others’ fault.
When the Needlewoman sewed, cut and darned, a handicraft song often sounded in the house. What kind of song is this? Is she sad or happy? Maybe someone will sing a familiar song that a Needlewoman could hum at work? Then everyone will hear her voice again - as if the voice of Odoevsky’s fairy tale itself, because it is known that every fairy tale has its own voice.
Finally, the children will have to go to Moroz Ivanovich and act out:
how the Needlewoman met the pie, and how the Sloth (“Yes, it’s not like that! I have to tire myself out - lifting a spatula and reaching into the stove...!);
how the Needlewoman talked to the apple tree, and how the Sloth (“Yes, it’s not like that! I have to tire myself out - lifting my arms, pulling on branches...”);
how the Needlewoman met Moroz Ivanovich, and how the Sloth (how she fluffed the feather bed, cooked dinner, sewed).
Children will have to decide what voice the pie has and what the apple tree has, where to find a long, long fur coat, and how to turn into a gray-haired old man. And hardly anyone will doubt that Moroz Ivanovich was remembered by the girls in different ways. But how do you know about this? In that creative task The nanny will help us. Let's imagine that she asked the girls to draw Moroz Ivanovich, and when she looked at the drawings, she discovered that different Frosts. If everyone (whoever they want) looks at Moroz Ivanovich through the eyes of the Needlewoman or through the eyes of the Lenivitsa, and then draws him, then, for sure, we will see different portraits. On some, Moroz Ivanovich is good-natured, looking at us friendly, and on others, he is angry, looking from under his brows, suspicious. True, in all the drawings he is wearing a long fur coat, but in some drawings it is light blue, trimmed with white fur, and in others it has no fur at all and is also kind of grey, his beard is unkempt, his hat is pulled down completely over his forehead, etc. d.
This task will not only take children away from the stereotypical image of the usual Santa Claus, but will also allow them to own creativity turn to the principle of opposition. When the drawings are hung on the board, everyone will see how differently one and the same person can be remembered. It all depends on who is watching.
It is worth asking the children to remember the questions that the Needlewoman asked Moroz Ivanovich, and then ask which ones they could answer themselves and how exactly.
Important role A rooster plays in a fairy tale. From him we learn how Moroz Ivanovich rewarded the girls. And in what and how the rooster crows, there is an obvious author's assessment. How the rooster greeted the Needlewoman and how the Sloth met her is definitely worth playing out.
So, the acquaintance with the Needlewoman and the Sloth took place. And you can think about how they treated each other. Why is this not even mentioned in the fairy tale? And why did the nanny never set the Needlewoman as an example, did she teach the Sloth?
While acting out “Morning of the Sloth,” the children saw: as soon as a person begins to be overcome by laziness, then boredom appears. Ask the children to draw Laziness with Boredom? How do they look? What color is Boredom? And Lenya? Is it possible to defeat them? Win, expel from your life? Maybe the author of the fairy tale, V.F. Odoevsky, tried to help us all with this? Did you help? He definitely needs to inform him about this - write a letter to grandfather Irenaeus. Don't be lazy, please the old man!

Odoevsky Vladimir Fedorovich

Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus

Poor Gnedko

Look, look, my friends, what an angry cab driver, how he beats the horse!.. In fact, it runs very poorly... Why is this? Oh, poor Gnedko, he’s limping...

- Cab driver, cab driver! Shame on you: you will completely ruin your horse; you will kill her to death...

“Whatever you need,” the cab driver answers. “It’s either me or her to die!” Today is a holiday.

“That’s what it’s like to celebrate, my dear: you were out for a walk and didn’t even notice that the horse had lost its shoes: that’s why it slipped, tripped and hurt its leg.” What's so special about her not being able to run? She, poor thing, if she takes a step, it hurts: you can’t run here. And you know that you will have to pay for her treatment, for horseshoes, and even the owner will scold you. So you want to get money at any cost, to bring it in, as you say; Now, fortunately, it’s a holiday, there’s a lot of riding, they pay dearly... But what’s the poor horse’s fault? It's your fault, stupid boy: why didn't you look after her, why didn't you see her when she lost her horseshoe?

But he doesn’t listen to us, he’s already far away. There he is on the Neva and he keeps urging the poor horse on, but the horse keeps stumbling, and when it steps, it hurts. Poor horse! What torment for her!

And the kids run after the sleigh and laugh at both the horse and the cab driver. And he gets even more angry and takes out his anger on the horse.

But tell me, do me a favor, shame on this fat gentleman sitting in the sleigh! How can he not stop the cab driver from torturing the poor horse! This fat gentleman wrapped himself in a fur coat, pulled his hat down over his eyes and sat there as if nothing had happened.

“What do I care,” the fat gentleman mutters to himself, “I’m in a hurry for lunch.” Let the driver kill his horse; not my horse, what do I care.

What do you think about this, my friends? As if, because it is not his horse, he should look indifferently at its torment?

But in these conversations we walked almost the entire embankment... Look, look: what are these people crowded there!.. Let's go. Ah, this is our poor Gnedko! Look: he fell and can no longer get up; passers-by help the cabman lift it; they will raise him, he will fall again. How his leg is swollen! The driver himself is now crying bitterly. “Serves him right,” you say; no, don’t say that: he already sees his guilt himself and has already been sufficiently punished. How will he appear to the owner? And what to do now with the horse? You can't leave her outside; she cannot walk on her own; we need to hire another horse and sleigh and put poor Gnedok on the sleigh. But this requires money, and the driver doesn’t have it: the fat gentleman got angry because the horse fell, and didn’t pay anything... Poor Gnedko! He cannot move, he has buried his head in the snow, he is breathing heavily and moving his eyes, as if demanding help. Poor thing, he can't even scream, because horses don't scream, no matter how cruelly they suffer. "Evil cab driver! Why did you torment poor Gnedok so much?" “But let’s stop reproaching him, although he is to blame a lot, but rather let’s give him money, let him hire a friend to take Gnedok to his apartment, and add some advice: in advance, don’t ride a lame horse and don’t demand from a sick horse that it run like a healthy one.” One of these days we will send to find out if our horse is better.

In general, my friends, it is a sin to torture poor animals that serve us for our benefit or pleasure. Whoever tortures animals without any need is a bad person. He who tortures a horse or a dog is capable of torturing a person. And sometimes it can be very dangerous. You have seen how sometimes bad children tease dogs and cats on the street, beat them, tie sticks to their tails; listen to what once happened to such children, how they were cruelly punished for their evil hunt.

A few years ago, here in St. Petersburg, on the square, a small, quiet dog, Charlot, fell behind its owner: she got scared, pressed herself against the wall and didn’t know what to do. Then the children surrounded her; Well, tease her, well, beat her, throw stones, drag her by the tail. They got the poor dog out of patience, she rushed at them and bit some of them. What happened? The dog remained healthy, and the children?.. Do you know what happens to a person when he is bitten by a rabid dog? He gets an aversion to water, a desire to bite and dies in the most terrible torments: it’s scary to think about! Will you believe it? The same thing happened to the children who were bitten: they went berserk. Yes, my friends, this case was new proof that when a dog is teased for a long time and, angry, bites, its bite can be as dangerous as the bite of a rabid dog. Do not torture any animal, my friends, because it is sinful and shows an evil heart, and do not torture dogs, even as a joke, because it is both bad and dangerous.

First published: Odoevsky V.F., “Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus”, 1841.

Town in a snuffbox

Papa put the snuff box on the table.

“Come here, Misha, look,” he said.

Misha was an obedient boy, he immediately left his toys and went up to daddy. Yes, there was something to see! What a wonderful snuff box! Mottled, from a turtle. What's on the lid? Gates, turrets, a house, another, a third, a fourth, and it is impossible to count, and all are small and small, and all are golden; and the trees are also golden, and the leaves on them are silver; and behind the trees the sun rises, and from it pink rays spread throughout the sky.

-What kind of town is this? – Misha asked.

“This is the town of Tinkerbell,” answered daddy and touched the spring... So what? suddenly, out of nowhere, music started playing. Misha could not understand where this music was coming from; he also walked to the door - was it from another room? And to the clock - isn't it in the clock? both to the bureau and to the slide; listened here and there; He also looked under the table... Finally, Misha was convinced that the music was definitely playing in the snuffbox. He approached her, looked, and the sun came out from behind the trees, quietly creeping across the sky, and the sky and the town became brighter and brighter; the windows burn with a bright fire and there is a kind of radiance from the turrets. Then the sun crossed the sky to the other side, lower and lower, and finally disappeared completely behind the hillock, and the town darkened, the shutters closed, and the turrets faded, but not for long. Here a star began to warm up, here another, and then the horned moon peeked out from behind the trees, and the city became lighter again, the windows turned silver, and bluish rays streamed from the turrets.

- Daddy! daddy, is it possible to enter this town? I wish I could!

- Wise, my friend. This town is not your size.

- It’s okay, daddy, I’m so small. Just let me in there, I’d really like to know what’s going on there...

“Really, my friend, it’s cramped there even without you.”

- Who lives there?

- Who lives there? Bluebells live there.

With these words, daddy lifted the lid on the snuffbox, and what did Misha see? And bells, and hammers, and a roller, and wheels. Misha was surprised.

– Why are these bells? Why hammers? Why a roller with hooks? - Misha asked daddy.

And daddy answered:

- I won’t tell you, Misha. Take a closer look and think: maybe you’ll guess it. Just don’t touch this spring, otherwise everything will break.

Papa went out, and Misha remained over the snuffbox. So he sat over her, looked, looked, thought, thought: why are the bells ringing?

Meanwhile, the music plays and plays; It’s getting quieter and quieter, as if something is clinging to every note, as if something is pushing one sound away from another. Here Misha looks: at the bottom of the snuffbox the door opens and a boy with a golden head and a steel skirt runs out of the door, stops on the threshold and beckons Misha to him.

Check out the titles of "Fairy Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus": "Silver Ruble", "Organ Grinder", "Broken Jug", "Town in a Snuffbox", "Anecdotes about Ants", "Poor Gnedko", "Carpenter", "Moroz Ivanovich", " About four deaf people", "Worm", "Inhabitant of Mount Athos", "Orphan", "Excerpts from Masha's journal", "Two trees". Which of these fairy tales are you familiar with? Which ones can you tell from the title that they are fairy tales? To answer this question absolutely correctly, you need to read them.

Most often you name the fairy tales “Moroz Ivanovich” and “Town in a Snuffbox”. But “Anecdotes about Ants” and many other works from this collection can also be considered fairy tales. What matters is what the author himself gave them common name"Fairy tales". And while reading them, it’s worth thinking about why the author called the most diverse stories that way. He probably thought that each of these tales contains fiction and is the result of the author’s imagination.

Read an excerpt from "Anecdotes about Ants":

As you know, the main occupation of ants is to store food for the winter during the summer. I think all my readers know that ants hide the grains they collect in the ground at night, and during the day they take them out to dry in the sun. If you've ever paid attention to an anthill, you've probably noticed small piles of grains around it. I knew their custom and therefore was extremely surprised to notice that my guests did the completely opposite: they kept their grains underground for the whole day, despite the sunshine, and, on the contrary, took them out at night; one would have thought that they carried their grains to Moonlight, but I was mistaken - my ants had an important reason to act this way and not otherwise.

A short distance from the window there was a dovecote; pigeons constantly sat on the window and ate the grains that caught their eye; Consequently, my ants acted very wisely in hiding their treasure and not trusting its thieves.

Can you prove what's in front of you artistic speech, but not scientific information?

Before us, of course, piece of art, which conveys the observations of an inquisitive person about insects that accidentally came into his field of vision. He makes a conclusion about their prudence, which a scientist would never do. The researcher will never see human thoughts and feelings in insects, since he knows exactly the characteristics of each living creature. In works of folklore or literature created by any nation, not only living beings, but also natural phenomena and even objects are often humanized. A scientist is always precise in his definitions and characteristics.

The author of this story about ants is your age. Can you remember your own attempt? observe nature and the life of living creatures near you? If this did not happen, how can you explain it?

Students often talk about their observations of animals and various insects during summer holidays. Some students feed birds and squirrels in winter, and funny things happen to them. Thus, one sixth grader was very proud that he had attached a bird feeder to his window, which the crows could not “rob”: he positioned it so skillfully that the crows’ wings prevented them from flying up to this feeder.

How to download a free essay? . And a link to this essay; Questions and answers to “Anecdotes about Ants” by V. F. Odoevsky already in your bookmarks.

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Address to the reader

DEAR READER!

In your hands is a book that contains works created more than 150 years ago, back in the 19th century. Grandfather Iriney is one of the many pseudonyms of the writer Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky (1804–1869).

He belonged to the ancient Russian family of Rurikovich. Since childhood, Vladimir was inquisitive, read a lot, enthusiastically. He studied diligently at the Noble boarding school of Moscow University, founded by the brilliant Russian scientist and poet Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. Successfully completed his “Preparatory Encyclopedic Program” and tirelessly studied additionally. Already in childhood he became known as an encyclopedist, that is, widely educated person. Vladimir Odoevsky graduated from the boarding house with a gold medal.

During his student years, V. Odoevsky was passionate about various sciences and arts: philosophy and chemistry, mathematics and music, history and museum affairs... His idol was Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. “This man is my ideal. He is a type of Slavic all-encompassing spirit,” admitted Vladimir Odoevsky. But most of all Odoevsky was attracted to literature: Russian speech, Russian poetry, literary creativity, which became his life’s work. However, having become famous writer, he often changed professional occupations. “A person should not ... give up the activity to which the circumstances of his life call him,” said the writer. And Odoevsky’s life was interesting, emotional, and intellectually rich.

He was a member of the famous society of wise men. Together with the future Decembrist V.K. Kuchelbecker published the almanac Mnemosyne, which was popular in those years. He was bestowed with friendly attention by A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, V. A. Zhukovsky, M. Yu. Lermontov, composer M. I. Glinka, scientist-critic “frantic” Vissarion Belinsky... Vladimir Fedorovich wrote his first book Odoevsky gave the following title: “Motley fairy tales with eloquent words, collected by Irinei Modestovich Gomozeyka, master of philosophy and member of various learned societies, published by V. Bezglasny.”

Literally - a hoax name, but interesting. When you become an adult, my friend, read this book. You will receive great pleasure! One of the fairy tales is named after the mystical hero - “Igosha”. He is from the shishimor, shishig family (these are restless lake spirits). This is exactly what Igosha is like – armless, legless, invisible, mischievous. He is looking for justice. This causes a lot of anxiety. But at the same time it makes you respect yourself.

This fantastic tale by V. Odoevsky echoes the works of Ernest Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, a German writer (1776–1822). The fidgety Igosha and Carlson, who lives on the roof, are related. It was invented by Astrid Lindgren - wonderful Swedish writer, very loved by children in many countries.

V.F. Odoevsky loved children. He studied pedagogical ideas Russian and foreign scientists. He created his own theory of childhood and used it when writing fairy tales for children. The writer saw in the child not only the need for fast movement, for lively play. He appreciated his penchant for reflection, curiosity, and responsiveness. He was very interested in what and how children read: with love or only out of necessity. After all, he himself read a lot and enthusiastically, so he knew the value of books and reading. It is no coincidence that the book “Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus” was published during the years of Odoevsky’s literary maturity, when his talent was fully recognized by both readers and critics.

The first children's fairy tale, “The Town in the Snuffbox,” was published back in 1834. Only six years later, in 1840, the writer prepared a separate book for the publication of “Children's Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus.” But there was a misunderstanding: due to large quantity its typos were not published. It appeared only in 1841, although Vissarion Belinsky had already published in the then popular magazine “Domestic Notes” for 1840 big article about this book.

The tales were republished more than once in both the 19th and 20th centuries. You, my friend, have in your hands a 21st century edition. It includes fourteen works. When you read them, please think: can they all be called fairy tales? For example, “Silver Ruble”, “Poor Gnedko”, “Excerpts from Masha’s Journal” (and maybe some more)? There are quite pictures in them real life. Why does the kind grandfather Irenaeus put these works on a par with those whose very name makes one want to read fairy tales? For example, “Moroz Ivanovich”, “Town in a Snuffbox”... You probably met Moroz Ivanovich when you were reading or listening to Russian folk tales. A snuff box, even if it is large, can hardly accommodate an entire town, even a toy one. In a fairy tale, everything is possible. That's why it's a fairy tale.

Apparently, grandfather Irenaeus wanted to interest, captivate his reader, awaken the imagination, and infect him with fantasy. And at the same time, to encourage you, my friend, to think for yourself, so that you yourself, together with the storyteller Irenaeus, try to get involved in the lives of the heroes, feel the intonation of the story, hear the gentle voice of the narrator. Grandfather Irenaeus wants you to be not an outside observer when reading, but, as it were, actor works. The wise Irenaeus knew that a story becomes fabulously fascinating and unusual if the reader experiences it with the characters. Imagine that you personally hear the ringing of bells, their conversation, while traveling around the city in a snuff box. It is you and Masha who personally learn the secrets of housekeeping. You yourself are offended by the behavior of Masha’s friends, who humiliate one of the girls because she is not from a rich family. This is you overcoming the temptation to spend all your money on something very pleasant and desirable for you, and not on what you need for your home. And of course, you give an “account to yourself in your life”, guided by your voice kind heart and a “hearted” mind.

The main thing when reading is to feel the kindness of the author himself, grandfather Irenaeus. “What a wonderful old man! What a young, gracious soul he has! What warmth and life emanates from his stories and what an extraordinary skill he has in captivating the imagination, irritating curiosity, and arousing attention, sometimes in the most apparently a simple story! We advise, dear children, to get to know Grandfather Irenaeus better... If you go for a walk with him, the greatest pleasure awaits you: you can run, jump, make noise, and meanwhile he will tell you the name of each grass, each butterfly, how they are born , grow and, dying, are resurrected again for a new life” - this is what the great critic V. Belinsky wrote about the book that is in your hands.

Well, my dear reader, travel with the writer further through the pages of his works. Here is the fairy tale “The Worm”. Before publication in the collection of fairy tales of grandfather Irinei, it was published back in 1835 in the “Children's book for Sundays" Just a few pages are devoted to the history of the birth of the worm, his short life, rebirth into a butterfly. A short, sweet sketch. It contains one of the eternal ideas - about the immortality of the soul and about life after death. And how many amazing observations the attentive and wise guide Irenei shared with us. So, together with Misha and Lizanka, we saw a moving worm: “...on a leaf of a flowering bush, under a light transparent blanket, like cotton paper, a worm lay in a thin shell. He had been lying there for a long time, the breeze had been rocking his cradle for a long time, and he was dozing sweetly in his airy bed. The children's conversation awakened the worm; he drilled a window in his shell, looked out into God’s light, looked - it was bright, good, and the sun was warming; our little worm thought.”

This is how the author draws and conveys to us not only the fact of the birth of a worm, but also the movement of his thoughts, his feeling of life: “... it is light, good, and the sun is warming...” Pleasant. But why did you have to appear here? “Is it really possible for me to lie in my bed and look at the curtain for a whole century?” “Maybe I’m good for something else?” This is what we are interested in: what is the worm good for? Just a worm, but how does he reason?! How thoughtfully, if not intelligently, he acts, discovering his possibilities, and in the end, he seems to reflect on his purpose in this personal world. So he even threw a cobweb on the leaf so that the wind wouldn’t take it where it didn’t belong. The worm acts, it is not passive: “It swallowed a leaf, dragged itself to another, and then to a third. Fun for the worm! If the wind smells, it will snuggle up to the cobweb; Whether a cloud comes, his fur coat is not afraid of the rain; Whether the sun is too hot, he’s under a leaf, and he’s laughing at the sun, a mocker!”

Note: before us is a concrete, visible, clear picture. At the same time, for us, readers, it is a source of useful knowledge about the life of nature. About interaction, about the interdependence of all living things. This is the idea of harmony.

Here our little worm has begun important work In my life". In an effort to “be something better,” he came down from the leaf and began to look for a shady place. The worm was “preparing to die and building his own grave!” “But the worm didn’t sleep for long!” – addressing us, the readers, says Grandfather Irenaeus. Nature is wise, generous, endless in its development. The worm has “big, rainbow wings, he’s alive, he’s free; he proudly rises into the air”... Now the lovely butterfly is happily making its flight.

Thus, communicating with an interesting, widely educated writer, we make many discoveries for ourselves and acquire new knowledge. We make sure that the beautiful is nearby. But in order to experience the joy of discovery, one must not only look, but also be able to see; not only listen, but also hear the voices of the living world around us.

Grandfather Irenaeus convinces: what is beautiful and meaningful is often indivisible for a person. It is no coincidence that after the confessional tale “Worm” there is a small poetic sketch “Inhabitant of Mount Athos”. So called the wise storyteller seen here “ beautiful flower": "...and he is so beautiful, and he smells so much." At the first moment, exhausted by the failures of treating the plague, the pious scientist thought: a flower lives only for its own sake; it is both beautiful and fragrant. Today we would say: he lives without problems. But no. Peering at the flower, the doctor saw: “... inside the flower is a dead bee.” A hardworking insect, collecting flower pollen, died right in the flower. The bee worked “not for itself, but for others.” Nobody thanked her for her loyalty to her work, which was very necessary for others. And the flower does not grow on Mount Athos to show off itself. It was not for nothing that bees flew to him. The flower benefits people. The desperate man understood all this and regained his joy: “And again the doctor began to collect medicinal herbs, and again, until he sweated, he began to walk from hut to hut and help the sick, to console the dying.”

Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky traveled a lot, met with different people. Life convinced him: the main purpose of man is to do good. And not only humans. The writer proves to us that both the sun and people have a common feeling of misfortune and grief. Skill and work always help both yourself and others. This is the source of earthly and cosmic harmony. It was precisely this understanding of his purpose that helped the boy Andrey - a carpenter and the son of a carpenter - to become not just the right person, but even a famous scientist and architect. If you read the story “The Joiner” about him, pay attention to how warmly and respectfully the author speaks about him. When the workers laughed at him for spending his hard-earned money on books and, instead of relaxing at lunchtime, reading them in the evenings and Sundays, the author notes sympathetically: “What was it like for poor Andrei!” Knowing that a face becomes attractive when it is sanctified by a kind mind and an intelligent heart, the writer suggests “noticing that those people who study a lot always have a face that naturally becomes smart and attractive, because everything that he thinks and feels... Our Andrei was a smart, kind boy and loved to study; “It was all printed on his face.” The writer, speaking about Andrei, brings him closer to himself and to us, the readers: "Our Andrey", "our Andrei dared to present his essay to the Academy,” the Academy gave “praise our Andrey."

Grandfather Iriney’s speech contains a lot of warmth, affection, and tenderness. There are many unexpected words for you and me, reader. The writer loved and appreciated folk speech. He knew folk tales, sayings, and sayings very well. Some of his works, for example the fairy tale “Moroz Ivanovich”, are very close to folk tales: they have the same plots, the same characters, events...

However, there is something distinctive in the fairy tale “Moroz Ivanovich” by grandfather Irenaeus. His needlewoman - creative person. Therefore, she is characterized by business ethic, creativity, special observation, and a tendency to think. She came up with the idea that drinking water It would be nice to clean it and make it “crystal”. The girl surprises the smart Moroz Ivanovich with her questions. From their conversation we learn about the benefits of snow, about first aid for frostbite... Many words that we have almost forgotten sound very pleasant in the speech of the heroes: student(well); conscience is not will die…

Now let's return to the question: are all the works in this book fairy tales? After all, the collection is named by the author – “Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus.” This question is interesting for this reason. Does the unusual happen only in fairy tales? Is it only in a fairy tale? small man maybe be stronger than a giant and some Baba Yaga? When you, my friend, were not yet in the world, a song was often heard that began with the words: “We were born to make a fairy tale come true...” Maybe too presumptuously: "make a fairy tale come true..." But many, many things that seemed fabulous became and are becoming reality.

Vasily Fedorovich Odoevsky lived, as you already know, in the first half of the 19th century. He was a dreamer. I wanted all the children to believe in the dream, I hoped that it could become a reality.

Let us remember the fairy tale “The Orphan”. Poor orphan Nastya had a hard life, but she not only survived, but also created a kind of society of grace and joy for many poor children and their parents. The work ends tragically: “And there was no more orphan on earth...” And in the soul there remains warmth, grateful affection for Nastenka’s willpower, perseverance, and compassion for the troubles of others. This is why the work was written.

All the fairy tales of the kind grandfather Irenaeus are a dialogue with us. The writer addresses each reader, even if there is no textual appeal. The writer wants us to feel his concern, to share his faith in goodness, in the unity of all life on earth and even in space. He speaks to us, hoping that we will hear him.

One of the most attractive, in my opinion, fairy tales in this collection is “About the Four Deaf People.” It is written based on Indian folklore. The fairy tale seems funny: how could it be otherwise if people who are deaf are talking, because they each think about their own. At the same time, the tale is deeply ironic. Her conclusion is quite philosophical: “Do yourself a favor, friends, don’t be deaf! We are given ears to listen. One clever man noticed that we have two ears and one tongue and that, therefore, we need to listen more than talk! Listen and understand each other. Let it be so.

Tamara Polozova,
professor, corresponding member
Russian Academy of Education

TALES OF GRANDFATHER IRENEY

Silver ruble

Grandfather Irenei loved little children very much, that is, children who are smart, listen when they are told something, do not yawn around and do not look out the window when their mother shows them a book. Grandfather Irenei especially loves little Lidinka, and when Lidinka is smart, grandfather gives her a doll, candy, and sometimes a penny, a ten-kopeck piece, a five-kopeck piece, a two-kopeck piece, a quarter, a fifty-kopeck piece. You smart kids probably know what kind of money this is?

One day, grandfather Irenaeus was getting ready to go on the road for a whole month; you know, I tea, how many days are there in a month and how many days in a week? When grandfather Irinei got ready to go on the road, Lidinka cried a lot and counted on her fingers how many days she would not see her grandfather.

Grandfather consoled Lidinka and told her that if she was smart, he would come sooner than she thought.

“And as a keepsake,” said grandfather, “I will leave you a silver ruble and put it here, on the table, in front of the mirror.” If you study well all month and the teachers write in your notebook that you were diligent, then take this ruble - it is yours; until then, let it lie on the table; don’t touch it, just look; and looking at him, remember what I told you.

With these words, grandfather placed a beautiful new ruble on the table in front of the mirror.

Grandfather left; Lidinka cried, grieved, and then, like a smart girl, began to think about how to please her grandfather and study well.

She came up to the table to admire the light silver ruble; She came up, looked and saw that instead of one ruble there were two.

- Oh, what a kind grandfather! - Lidinka said. “He said that he would only put one ruble on the table, but instead he put two.

Lidinka admired her silver rubles for a long time; Then the sun shone through the window directly on the rubles, and they burned as if on fire.

It must be said truthfully that Lidinka studied very well, during her studies she forgot about her rubles, and listened only to what the teacher told her. But when she went to bed in the evening, she could not help but think that she was now very rich, that she had two silver rubles, and as Lidinka diligently learned to count, she immediately realized that she had 20 hryvnias in two rubles ; She had never had such wealth before. What to do with two whole rubles? What to buy with them? Then Lidinka remembered that she had seen a very pretty doll in the shop; only they asked for it very dearly - as much as one and a half silver rubles, that is, a ruble and a half. Yes, she also remembered that she liked the small thimble, for which they asked for 40 kopecks in silver; Yes, she also remembered that she promised the poor lame man who was standing near the church a whole ten-kopeck piece when she had it, because Lidinka, leaving the church, dropped her handkerchief and did not notice it, and the poor lame man picked up the handkerchief and, despite because it was very difficult for him to walk on crutches, he caught up with Lidinka and gave her the handkerchief. But then Lidinka thought that a whole week had passed since she promised the lame man a ten-kopeck piece, and that now it would be very nice to give the lame man two kopecks instead of one for the long wait. But if you give a lame person two kopecks, then there won’t be enough money for a doll and a thimble, and Lidinka really needed the thimble, because she was a great needlewoman and sewed dresses for her dolls herself. After thinking a little, Lidinka decided that her old doll was still very nice, but that she just needed to buy a crib, for which they asked for a silver ruble. Lidinka calculated that if she paid a ruble for a crib, forty kopecks for a thimble, and gave two kopecks to a beggar, then she would have some money left over. How much money will Lidinka have left? Count it, children.

Meanwhile, Lidinka thought and thought and went to sleep, and in her sleep she kept dreaming of a shop with toys, and it seemed to her that the doll lay down in the crib and squatted, thanking Lidinka for such a good crib; and she dreamed that the thimble was running across the table and jumped onto her finger, and that with it the lame man was jumping for joy because Lidinka had given him two kopecks.

In the morning Lidinka woke up and began to ask the maid:

“Darling, my dear, go into the living room, there grandfather put two silver rubles on the table for me.” They are so pretty, brand new, bright. Bring them to me to admire.

Dasha obeyed, went into the living room and brought from there a ruble, which grandfather placed on the table.

Lidinka took the ruble.

“Okay,” she said, “well, where is the other one?” Bring another one too; I want to listen to how they ring against each other.

Dasha replied that there was only one ruble on the table, and that the other one had probably been stolen.

- Who stole it? – Lidinka asked.

Dasha laughed.

“Thieves came at night and stole it,” she answered.

Lidinka burst into tears and ran to her mother to tell her about her grief, how her grandfather put two rubles on the table for her, and how Dasha said that thieves came at night and stole one ruble.

Mama called Dasha. What she was talking about with Dasha, Lidinka could not clearly understand, but, however, she noticed that mamma spoke very sternly and blamed Dasha, as if Dasha herself had taken it. These words made Dasha cry.

Lidinka didn’t know what to come up with.

Meanwhile the teacher arrived. Lidinka had to wipe away her tears and start studying, but she was very sad. Meanwhile, she put the ruble back in the same place where her grandfather put it.

When the lesson was over, Lidinka sadly went to the table to admire her remaining ruble and think about how to stretch it so that it would fit on a thimble, a lame person, and a small heavy pillow on which to pin the work, which was also very necessary for Lidinka.

Lidinka went up to the table and screamed with joy: in front of her were both rubles again.

- Mama, mamma! - she screamed. - It’s not Dasha’s fault, both of my rubles are intact.

Mama approached the table.

“What a stupid girl you are,” she said. “Don’t you see that one ruble is real, and the other you see in the mirror, just like you see yourself, me and everything that is in the room.” You didn’t think about it, but I believed you and blamed Dasha for stealing.

Lidinka burst into tears again, ran quickly to Dasha, threw herself on her neck and told her:

- Dasha, my dear, it’s my fault, forgive me, I’m a stupid girl, I told my mother nonsense and let you get angry. Forgive me, have mercy.

From then on, Lidinka no longer thought about the ruble, but tried to study diligently. When she met Dasha, she blushed with shame.

A month later, grandfather came and asked:

- So, Lidinka, have you earned a ruble?

Lidinka didn’t answer and lowered her eyes, and mummy told grandpa everything that happened with the ruble.

Grandfather said:

– You studied well and earned your ruble, it’s yours, take it; and here is the other one, which you saw in the mirror.

“No,” answered Lidinka, “I’m not worth that ruble; I offended poor Dasha with this ruble.

“It’s all the same,” answered the grandfather, “and this ruble is yours.”

Lidinka thought a little.

“Okay,” she said, stuttering, “if the ruble is mine, then let me...

“What,” said grandfather.

“Give it to Dasha,” answered Lidinka.

Grandfather kissed Lidinka, and she ran headlong to Dasha, gave her a ruble and asked her to change another one so she could take two kopecks for the poor lame man.

Slowly say out loud this word - love-wisdom, that is, admiring wisdom. The society gathered people who knew how and loved to philosophize, reflect, reason, and exchange thoughts.

The book includes the once famous "Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus", which tells about the life of children in the 19th century.

For middle school age.

Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky
A town in a snuffbox. Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus

Address to the reader

DEAR READER!

He belonged to the ancient Russian family of Rurikovich. Since childhood, Vladimir was inquisitive, read a lot, enthusiastically. He studied diligently at the Noble boarding school of Moscow University, founded by the brilliant Russian scientist and poet Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. He successfully completed his “Preparatory Encyclopedic Program” and tirelessly studied additionally. Already in childhood he became known as an encyclopedist, that is, a widely educated person. Vladimir Odoevsky graduated from the boarding house with a gold medal.

During his student years, V. Odoevsky was passionate about various sciences and arts: philosophy and chemistry, mathematics and music, history and museum work... His idol was Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. “This man is my ideal. He is a type of Slavic all-encompassing spirit,” admitted Vladimir Odoevsky. But most of all, Odoevsky was attracted to literature: Russian speech, Russian poetry, literary creativity, which became his life’s work. However, having become a famous writer, he often changed his professional pursuits. “A person should not ... give up the activity to which the circumstances of his life call him,” said the writer. And Odoevsky’s life was interesting, emotional, and intellectually rich.

He was a member of the famous society of wise men. Together with the future Decembrist V.K. Kuchelbecker published the popular almanac Mnemosyne in those years. He was bestowed with friendly attention by A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, V. A. Zhukovsky, M. Yu. Lermontov, composer M. I. Glinka, scientist-critic “frantic” Vissarion Belinsky... Vladimir Fedorovich wrote his first book Odoevsky gave the following title: “Motley fairy tales with eloquent words, collected by Irinei Modestovich Gomozeyka, master of philosophy and member of various scientific societies, published by V. Bezglasny.”

Literally - a hoax name, but interesting. When you become an adult, my friend, read this book. You will have great fun! One of the fairy tales is named after the mystical hero - “Igosha”. He is from the shishimor, shishig family (these are restless lake spirits). This is exactly what Igosha is like – armless, legless, invisible, mischievous. He is looking for justice. This causes a lot of anxiety. But at the same time it makes you respect yourself.

This fantastic tale by V. Odoevsky echoes the works of Ernest Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, a German writer (1776–1822). The fidgety Igosha and Carlson, who lives on the roof, are related. It was invented by Astrid Lindgren, a wonderful Swedish writer, very beloved by children in many countries.

V.F. Odoevsky loved children. He studied the pedagogical ideas of Russian and foreign scientists. He created his own theory of childhood and used it when writing fairy tales for children. The writer saw in the child not only the need for fast movement, for lively play. He appreciated his penchant for reflection, curiosity, and responsiveness. He was very interested in what and how children read: with love or only out of necessity. After all, he himself read a lot and enthusiastically, so he knew the value of books and reading. It is no coincidence that the book “Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus” was published during the years of Odoevsky’s literary maturity, when his talent was fully recognized by both readers and critics.

The first children's fairy tale, “The Town in the Snuff Box,” was published back in 1834. Only six years later, in 1840, the writer prepared a separate book for the publication of “Children's Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus.” But a misunderstanding occurred: due to a large number of typos, it was not published. It appeared only in 1841, although Vissarion Belinsky had already published a large article about this book in the then popular magazine “Domestic Notes” for 1840.

The tales were republished more than once in both the 19th and 20th centuries. You, my friend, have in your hands a 21st century edition. It includes fourteen works. When you read them, please think: can they all be called fairy tales? For example, “Silver Ruble”, “Poor Gnedko”, “Excerpts from Masha’s Magazine” (and maybe some more)? They contain pictures of very real life. Why does the kind grandfather Irenaeus put these works on a par with those whose very name makes one want to read fairy tales? For example, “Moroz Ivanovich”, “Town in a Snuffbox”... You apparently met Moroz Ivanovich when you read or listened to Russian folk tales. A snuff box, even if it is large, can hardly accommodate an entire town, even a toy one. In a fairy tale, everything is possible. That's why it's a fairy tale.

Apparently, grandfather Irenaeus wanted to interest, captivate his reader, awaken the imagination, and infect him with fantasy. And at the same time, to encourage you, my friend, to think for yourself, so that you yourself, together with the storyteller Irenaeus, try to get involved in the lives of the heroes, feel the intonation of the story, hear the gentle voice of the narrator. Grandfather Irenaeus wants you, when reading, to be not an outside observer, but, as it were, a character in the work. The wise Irenaeus knew that a story becomes fabulously fascinating and unusual if the reader experiences it with the characters. Imagine that you personally hear the ringing of bells, their conversation, while traveling around the city in a snuff box. It is you and Masha who personally learn the secrets of housekeeping. You yourself are offended by the behavior of Masha’s friends, who humiliate one of the girls because she is not from a rich family. This is you overcoming the temptation to spend all your money on something very pleasant and desirable for you, and not on what you need for your home. And of course, you give an “account for yourself in your life,” guided by the voice of a kind heart and a “heartfelt” mind.

The main thing when reading is to feel the kindness of the author himself, grandfather Irenaeus. “And what a wonderful old man! What a young, gracious soul he has! What warmth and life emanates from his stories and what extraordinary skill he has in captivating the imagination, irritating curiosity, and arousing attention sometimes with the most apparently simple story! We advise, dear children , get to know Grandfather Irenaeus better... If you go for a walk with him, the greatest pleasure awaits you: you can run, jump, make noise, and meanwhile he will tell you the name of each grass, each butterfly, how they are born, grow and, dying, they are resurrected again for a new life” - this is what the great critic V. Belinsky wrote about the book that is in your hands.

Well, my dear reader, travel with the writer further through the pages of his works. Here is the fairy tale "The Worm". Before its publication in the collection of fairy tales of grandfather Irenaeus, it was published back in 1835 in the “Children's Book for Sundays.” Just a few pages are devoted to the history of the birth of a worm, its short life, and rebirth into a butterfly. A short, sweet sketch. It contains one of the eternal ideas - about the immortality of the soul and about life after death. And how many amazing observations the attentive and wise guide Irenei shared with us. So, together with Misha and Lizanka, we saw a moving worm: “... on a leaf of a flowering bush, under a light transparent blanket, like cotton paper, in a thin shell lay a worm. It had been lying there for a long time, for a long time the breeze had rocked its cradle, and it sweetly was dozing in his airy bed. The children's conversation awakened the worm; he drilled a window in his shell, looked out into God's light, looked - it was bright, good, and the sun was warming; our little worm began to think."