Little mermaid gray star. Zakhoder Boris - gray star

“So,” said Papa Przhik, “this fairy tale is called “ Gray Star“, just by the title you’ll never guess who this fairy tale is about. Therefore, listen carefully and do not interrupt. All questions later.

Are there really gray stars? - asked the Hedgehog.

If you interrupt me again, I won’t tell you,” Przhik answered, but, noticing that his little son was about to cry, he softened: “Actually, they don’t exist, although, in my opinion, this is strange: after all, grey colour the most beautiful. But there was one Gray Star.

So, once upon a time there lived a toad - clumsy, ugly, in addition it smelled of garlic, and instead of thorns it had - can you imagine! - warts. Brr!

Fortunately, she did not know that she was so ugly, nor that she was a toad. Firstly, because she was very small and knew little at all, and secondly, because no one called her that. She lived in a garden where Trees, Bushes and Flowers grew, and you should know that Trees, Bushes and Flowers only talk to those whom they really, really love. But you wouldn’t call someone you really, really love a toad?

The hedgehog snorted in agreement.

Well, the Trees, Bushes and Flowers loved the toad very much and therefore called it the most affectionate names. Especially Flowers.

Why did they love her so much? - Hedgehog asked quietly.

The father frowned, and the Hedgehog immediately curled up.

If you keep quiet, you’ll soon find out,” Przyk said sternly. He continued: “When the toad appeared in the garden, the Flowers asked what its name was, and when she answered that she did not know, they were very happy.

“Oh, how great! - said Pansies (they were the first to see her). “Then we’ll come up with a name for you ourselves!” Do you want us to call you... will we call you Anyuta?”

“It’s better than Margarita,” said the Daisies. “This name is much more beautiful!”

Then the Roses intervened - they suggested calling her Beauty; The bells demanded that she be called Tinkerbell (this was the only word they knew how to speak), and the flower, named Ivan da Marya, suggested that she be called “Vanechka-Manechka.”

The Hedgehog snorted and glanced sideways at his father in fear, but the Hedgehog was not angry, because the Hedgehog snorted at the right time. He continued calmly:

In a word, there would be no end to the controversy if it were not for Asters. And if it weren’t for the Scientist Starling.

“Let her be called Astra,” said the Asters.

“Or, better yet, Little Star,” said the Scientist Starling. - This means the same thing as Astra, only much clearer. Besides, she really does resemble a star. Just look how radiant her eyes are! And since she's gray, you can call her Gray Star. Then there will be no confusion! Seems clear?

And everyone agreed with the Scientist Starling, because he was very smart, knew how to speak a few real human words and whistle almost to the end a piece of music called, it seems... “Pzhik-Pyzhik” or something like that. For this, people built him a house on a poplar tree.

Since then, everyone began to call the toad Gray Star. Everyone except Bells, they still called her Tinker Bell, but that was the only word they knew how to say.

“There’s nothing to say, little star,” hissed the fat old Slug. He crawled onto the rose bush and approached the tender young leaves. - Nice “star”! After all, this is the most ordinary gray..."

He wanted to say “toad,” but he didn’t have time, because at that very moment the Gray Star looked at him with her radiant eyes - and the Slug disappeared.

“Thank you, dear Star,” said Rose, turning pale with fear. “You saved me from a terrible enemy!”

But you need to know,” Przhik explained, “that Flowers, Trees and Bushes, although they do no harm to anyone, on the contrary, do only good! - there are also enemies. A lot of them! Good thing these enemies are pretty tasty!

So, Starlet ate that fat Slug? - asked the Hedgehog, licking his lips.

Most likely, yes,” Przyk said. - True, you can’t guarantee. No one saw how the little star ate Slugs, Voracious Beetles and Harmful Caterpillars. But all the enemies of the Flowers disappeared as soon as the Gray Star looked at them with her radiant eyes. Disappeared forever. And since the Gray Star settled in the garden, the Trees, Flowers and Bushes began to live much better. Especially Flowers. Because the Bushes and Trees protected the Birds from enemies, but there was no one to protect the Flowers - they are too short for Birds.

That's why the Flowers fell in love with the Gray Star so much. They blossomed with joy every morning when she came to the garden. All you could hear was: “Star, come to us!”, “No, come to us first!” To us!.."

The flowers told her the most sweet words, and they thanked and praised her in every way, but the Gray Star was modestly silent - after all, she was very, very modest - and only her eyes were shining.

One Magpie, who loved to eavesdrop on human conversations, once even asked if it was true that she had something hidden in her head. gem and that's why her eyes shine so much.

“I don’t know,” Gray Star said embarrassedly. - In my opinion, no...”

“Well, Soroka! What a blabbermouth! - said the Scientist Starling. - Not a stone, but confusion, and not in Asterisk’s head, but in yours! Gray Star has radiant eyes because she has a clear conscience - after all, she is doing a Useful Deed! Seems clear?

Dad, can I ask a question? - asked the Hedgehog.

All questions later.

Well, please, daddy, just one!

One - well, so be it.

Dad, are we... are we useful?

Very much,” said Przyk. - Rest assured. But listen to what happened next.

So, as I already said, the Flowers knew that Gray Star was kind, good and useful. The Birds knew this too. People knew, of course, too, understandably - Smart people. And only the enemies of the Flowers did not agree with this. “Vile, harmful little bitch!” - they hissed, of course, when Zvezdochka was not around. "Freak! It's disgusting! - the voracious Beetles creaked. “We must deal with her! - the Caterpillars echoed them. “There’s simply no life for her!”

True, no one paid attention to their abuse and threats, and besides, there were fewer and fewer enemies, but, unfortunately, the closest relative of the Caterpillars, the Nettle Butterfly, intervened in the matter. She looked completely harmless and even pretty, but in reality she was terribly harmful. This happens sometimes.

Yes, I forgot to tell you that Gray Star never touched the Butterflies.

Why? - asked the Hedgehog. -Are they tasteless?

That's not why, stupid. Most likely, because Butterflies look like Flowers, and Little Star loved Flowers so much! And she probably didn’t know that Butterflies and Caterpillars are one and the same. After all, Caterpillars turn into Butterflies, and Butterflies lay eggs, and new Caterpillars hatch from them...

So, the cunning Nettle came up with a cunning plan - how to destroy Gray Star.

“I will soon save you from this vile toad!” - she said to her sisters Caterpillars, her friends Beetles and Slugs. And she flew away from the garden.

And when she returned, a Very Stupid Boy was running after her. He had a skullcap in his hand, he was waving it in the air and thought that he was about to catch the pretty Nettle. Skullcap.

And the cunning Nettle pretended that she was about to get caught: she would sit on a flower, pretend not to notice the Very Stupid Boy, and then suddenly flutter in front of his very nose and fly to the next flowerbed.

And so she lured the Very Stupid Boy into the very depths of the garden, onto the path where the Gray Star sat and talked with the Learned Starling.

The nettle was immediately punished for her vile act: the Scientist Starling flew off the branch like lightning and grabbed her with his beak. But it was too late: the Very Stupid Boy noticed the Gray Star.

Gray Star at first did not understand that he was talking about her - after all, no one had ever called her a toad. She did not move even when the Very Stupid Boy swung a stone at her.

At that same moment, a heavy stone fell to the ground next to Gray Star. Fortunately, the Very Stupid Boy missed, and Gray Star managed to jump to the side. Flowers and Grass hid her from view. But the Very Stupid Boy did not stop. He picked up a few more stones and continued throwing them towards where the Grass and Flowers were moving.

"Toad! Poisonous toad! - he shouted. - Beat the ugly one!”

“Dur-ra-chok! Dur-ra-chok! - the Scientist Starling shouted to him. - What kind of confusion is in your head? After all, she is useful! Seems clear?

But the Very Stupid Boy grabbed a stick and climbed straight into the Rose Bush - where, as it seemed to him, the Gray Star was hiding.

The Rose Bush pricked him with all its might with its sharp thorns. And the Very Stupid Boy ran out of the garden roaring.

Hurray! - Hedgehog shouted.

Yes, brother, thorns are a good thing! - continued the Hedgehog. - If Gray Star had thorns, then perhaps she would not have had to cry so bitterly that day. But, as you know, she had no thorns, and so she sat under the roots of the Rose Bush and wept bitterly.

“He called me a toad,” she sobbed, “ugly! That's what the Man said, but people know everything! So, I’m a toad, a toad!..”

Everyone consoled her as best they could: Pansy said that she would always remain their sweet Gray Star; The roses told her that beauty is not the most important thing in life (this was no small sacrifice on their part). “Don’t cry, Vanechka-Manechka,” Ivan-da-Marya repeated, and the Bells whispered: “Ding-Ding, Ting-Ding,” and this also sounded very comforting.

But Gray Star cried so loudly that she did not hear any consolation. This always happens when people start consoling too early.

The flowers did not know this, but the Scientist Starling knew it very well. He let Gray Star cry as much as she could, and then said:

“I won’t console you, darling. I'll tell you only one thing: it's not about the name. And, in any case, it doesn’t matter at all what some Stupid Boy, who has nothing but confusion in his head, says about you! For all your friends, you were and will be a sweet Gray Star. Seems clear?

And he whistled a piece of music about... about Pzhik-Pyzhik to cheer up Gray Star and show that he considered the conversation over.

Gray Star stopped crying.

“You’re right, of course, Skvorushka,” she said. “Of course, it’s not the name... But still... still, I probably won’t come to the garden during the day anymore, so... so as not to meet someone stupid...”

And since then, Gray Star - and not only she, but all her brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren come to the garden and do their useful work only at night.

Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder

GRAY STAR

Well, so,” said Papa Hedgehog, “this fairy tale is called “The Gray Star,” but from the title you would never guess who this fairy tale is about. Therefore, listen carefully and do not interrupt. All questions later.

Are there really gray stars? - asked the Hedgehog.

If you interrupt me again, I won’t tell you,” Hedgehog answered, but, noticing that his son was about to cry, he softened: “Actually, it doesn’t happen, although, in my opinion, it’s strange - after all, gray is the most beautiful color.” But there was only one Gray Star.

So, once upon a time there lived a toad - clumsy, ugly, in addition it smelled of garlic, and instead of thorns it had - can you imagine! - warts. Brr!

Fortunately, she did not know that she was so ugly, nor that she was a toad. Firstly, because she was very small and didn’t know much at all, and secondly, because no one called her that. She lived in a garden where Trees, Bushes and Flowers grew, and you should know that Trees, Bushes and Flowers only talk to those whom they really, really love. But you wouldn’t call someone you really, really love a toad?

The hedgehog snorted in agreement.

Well, the Trees, Bushes and Flowers loved the toad very much and therefore called it by the most affectionate names. Especially Flowers.

Why did they love her so much? - Hedgehog asked quietly.

The father frowned, and the Hedgehog immediately curled up.

If you keep quiet, you’ll soon find out,” Hedgehog said sternly. He continued: “When the toad appeared in the garden, the Flowers asked what its name was, and when she answered that she did not know, they were very happy.”

“Oh, how great! - said Pansies (they were the first to see her). “Then we’ll come up with a name for you ourselves!” Do you want us to call you... will we call you Anyuta?”

“It’s better than Margarita,” said the Daisies. “This name is much more beautiful!”

Then the Roses intervened - they suggested calling her Beauty; The bells demanded that she be called Tinker Bell (this was the only word they knew how to speak), and the flower, named Ivan da Marya, suggested that she be called Vanechka-Manechka.

The Hedgehog snorted and glanced sideways at his father in fear, but the Hedgehog did not get angry, because the Hedgehog snorted at the right time. He continued calmly:

In a word, there would be no end to the controversy if it were not for Asters. And if it weren’t for the Scientist Starling.

“Let her be called Astra,” said the Asters.

“Or, even better, with a star,” said the Scientist Starling. - This means the same thing as Astra, only much clearer. Besides, she really resembles a star - just look at how radiant her eyes are! And since she is gray, you can call her Gray Star - then there will be no confusion! Seems clear?

And everyone agreed with the Scientist Starling, because he was very smart, could speak a few real human words and whistle almost to the end Musical composition, which is called, it seems... “Hedgehog-Pyzhik” or something like that. For this, people built him a house on a poplar tree.

Since then, everyone began to call the toad Gray Star. Everyone except the Bells - they still called her Tinkerbell, but that was the only word they knew how to say.

“There’s nothing to say, little star,” hissed the fat old Slug. He crawled onto the rose bush and approached the tender young leaves. - Nice star! After all, this is the most ordinary gray..."

He wanted to say “toad,” but did not have time, because at that very moment the Gray Star looked at him with her radiant eyes - and the Slug disappeared.

“Thank you, dear Star,” said Rose, turning pale with fear. “You saved me from a terrible enemy!”

But you need to know,” explained the Hedgehog, “that Flowers, Trees and Bushes, although they do no harm to anyone, on the contrary, do only good! - there are also enemies. A lot of them. The good thing is that these enemies are quite tasty!

So, Star ate that fat Slug? - asked the Hedgehog, licking his lips.

Most likely, yes,” said the Hedgehog. - True, you can’t guarantee. No one saw how the Star ate Slugs, Voracious Beetles and Harmful Caterpillars. But all the enemies of the Flowers disappeared as soon as Gray Star looked at them with her radiant eyes. Disappeared forever. And since the Gray Star settled in the garden, the Trees, Flowers and Bushes began to live much better. Especially Flowers. Because the Bushes and Trees protected the Birds from enemies, but there was no one to protect the Flowers - they are too short for Birds.

Annotation

“The Gray Star” - a fairy tale about a little toad - is part of the cycle “Fairy Tales for People” by Boris Zakhoder. This is what the author wrote in the preface to this series: “A strange name, you might say. Aren't all fairy tales for people? That's how it is. But these tales are told by the animals themselves, and they are told to people. To all people - both adults and children. Animals respect people very much, they believe that they are stronger and smarter than everyone else in the world. And they want people to treat them well. To be kinder to them. And they hope that as people get to know them better, they will be kinder to them. It is then that the animals talk about their lives, about their joys and sorrows, about their funny adventures... They do not tell fairy tales, but the pure truth. But there are so many secrets and miracles in their lives that many people true stories may seem like fairy tales."

For preschool age.

Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder

Librs.net

Thank you for using our library

Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder

GRAY STAR

Are there really gray stars? - asked the Hedgehog.

So, once upon a time there lived a toad - clumsy, ugly, in addition it smelled of garlic, and instead of thorns it had - can you imagine! - warts. Brr!

The hedgehog snorted in agreement.

Well, the Trees, Bushes and Flowers loved the toad very much and therefore called it by the most affectionate names. Especially Flowers.

Why did they love her so much? - Hedgehog asked quietly.

The father frowned, and the Hedgehog immediately curled up.

“Oh, how great! - said Pansies (they were the first to see her). “Then we’ll come up with a name for you ourselves!” Do you want us to call you... will we call you Anyuta?”

“It’s better than Margarita,” said the Daisies. “This name is much more beautiful!”

The Hedgehog snorted and glanced sideways at his father in fear, but the Hedgehog did not get angry, because the Hedgehog snorted at the right time. He continued calmly:

In a word, there would be no end to the controversy if it were not for Asters. And if it weren’t for the Scientist Starling.

“Let her be called Astra,” said the Asters.

And everyone agreed with the Scientist Starling, because he was very smart, knew how to speak several real human words and whistle almost to the end of a piece of music, which is called, it seems... “Hedgehog-Pyzhik” or something like that. For this, people built him a house on a poplar tree.

Since then, everyone began to call the toad Gray Star. Everyone except the Bells - they still called her Tinkerbell, but that was the only word they knew how to say.

“There’s nothing to say, little star,” hissed the fat old Slug. He crawled onto the rose bush and approached the tender young leaves. - Nice star! After all, this is the most ordinary gray..."

He wanted to say “toad,” but did not have time, because at that very moment the Gray Star looked at him with her radiant eyes - and the Slug disappeared.

“Thank you, dear Star,” said Rose, turning pale with fear. “You saved me from a terrible enemy!”

So, Star ate that fat Slug? - asked the Hedgehog, licking his lips.

That's why the Flowers fell in love with Gray Star so much. They blossomed with joy every morning when she came to the garden. All you could hear was: “Star, come to us!”, “No, come to us first!” To us!.."

The flowers spoke to her the most kind words, and thanked her, and praised her in every way, but the Gray Star was modestly silent - after all, she was very, very modest - and only her eyes were shining.

One Magpie, who loved to eavesdrop on human conversations, once even asked if it was true that she had a gem hidden in her head and that’s why her eyes sparkled so much.

“I don’t know,” Gray Star said embarrassedly. - In my opinion, no...”

“Well, Soroka! What a blabbermouth! - said the Scientist Starling. - Not a stone, but confusion, and not in the Star's head, but in yours! Gray Star has radiant eyes because she has a clear conscience - after all, she is doing a useful job! Seems clear?

Dad, can I ask a question? - asked the Hedgehog.

All questions later.

Well please, daddy, just one.

One - well, so be it.

Dad, are we... are we useful?

“Very much,” said the Hedgehog, “you can rest assured.” But listen to what happened next.

So, as I already said, the Flowers knew that Gray Star was kind, good and useful. The Birds knew this too. Of course, People knew too, especially Smart People. And only the enemies of the Flowers did not agree with this. “Vile, harmful little bitch!” - they hissed, of course, when Zvezdochka was not around. "Freak! It's disgusting! - the Gluttonous Beetles creaked. “We must deal with her! - the Caterpillars echoed them. “There’s simply no life for her!”

Annotation

“The Gray Star” - a fairy tale about a little toad - is part of the cycle “Fairy Tales for People” by Boris Zakhoder. This is what the author wrote in the preface to this series: “A strange name, you might say. Aren't all fairy tales for people? That's how it is. But these tales are told by the animals themselves, and they are told to people. To all people - both adults and children. Animals respect people very much, they believe that they are stronger and smarter than everyone else in the world. And they want people to treat them well. To be kinder to them. And they hope that as people get to know them better, they will be kinder to them. It is then that the animals talk about their lives, about their joys and sorrows, about their funny adventures... They do not tell fairy tales, but the pure truth. But there are so many secrets and miracles in their lives that these true stories may seem like fairy tales to many people.”

For preschool age.

Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder

Librs.net

Thank you for using our library

Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder

GRAY STAR

Are there really gray stars? - asked the Hedgehog.

So, once upon a time there lived a toad - clumsy, ugly, in addition it smelled of garlic, and instead of thorns it had - can you imagine! - warts. Brr!

The hedgehog snorted in agreement.

Well, the Trees, Bushes and Flowers loved the toad very much and therefore called it by the most affectionate names. Especially Flowers.

Why did they love her so much? - Hedgehog asked quietly.

The father frowned, and the Hedgehog immediately curled up.

“Oh, how great! - said Pansies (they were the first to see her). “Then we’ll come up with a name for you ourselves!” Do you want us to call you... will we call you Anyuta?”

“It’s better than Margarita,” said the Daisies. “This name is much more beautiful!”

The Hedgehog snorted and glanced sideways at his father in fear, but the Hedgehog did not get angry, because the Hedgehog snorted at the right time. He continued calmly:

In a word, there would be no end to the controversy if it were not for Asters. And if it weren’t for the Scientist Starling.

“Let her be called Astra,” said the Asters.

Since then, everyone began to call the toad Gray Star. Everyone except the Bells - they still called her Tinkerbell, but that was the only word they knew how to say.

“There’s nothing to say, little star,” hissed the fat old Slug. He crawled onto the rose bush and approached the tender young leaves. - Nice star! After all, this is the most ordinary gray..."

He wanted to say “toad,” but did not have time, because at that very moment the Gray Star looked at him with her radiant eyes - and the Slug disappeared.

“Thank you, dear Star,” said Rose, turning pale with fear. “You saved me from a terrible enemy!”

So, Star ate that fat Slug? - asked the Hedgehog, licking his lips.

One Magpie, who loved to eavesdrop on human conversations, once even asked if it was true that she had a gem hidden in her head and that’s why her eyes sparkled so much.

“I don’t know,” Gray Star said embarrassedly. - In my opinion, no...”

Dad, can I ask a question? - asked the Hedgehog.

All questions later.

Well please, daddy, just one.

One - well, so be it.

Dad, are we... are we useful?

“Very much,” said the Hedgehog, “you can rest assured.” But listen to what happened next.

“The Gray Star” could rightfully be called ecological fairy tale. Its plot “rehabilitates” the toad, which in fairy tales (with light hand Hans Christian Andersen) has always been assigned the unenviable role of an accomplice of evil spirits.

And then it suddenly turns out that toads are incredibly useful creatures, they protect gardens and vegetable gardens from pests, just like birds. And that they are not poisonous. And that toads (like hedgehogs) are nocturnal. In general, there are many important “biological details” that cannot be forgotten - as they are woven into the exciting plot.

But the “ecological” nature of the tale is not its only advantage. More precisely, environmental ideas would not fall into the child’s field of perception if the fairy tale did not have important psychological clues that force the child to worry about the heroine - a toad named Gray Star - and identify with her. Because every baby sometimes acutely feels like such a creature - accustomed to the love of loved ones, but one day suddenly opening up the possibility of a different, hostile view of himself: for some you are an asterisk, the beloved Gray Asterisk, and for others - a disgusting toad! This discovery is always full of drama.

In the fairy tale, drama is taken to the limit.

Butterfly Nettle, who wants to avenge her relatives (slugs and worms eaten by the Gray Star), lures the Very Stupid Boy into the garden, whose eyes catch the Gray Star.

The Very Stupid Boy not only feels hostility, he wants to kill Gray Star. For what? Yes, because she is a “toad”.
That is, for a certain common generic name, belonging to a certain genus.

To show the injustice and incorrectness of such logic, the author excludes the word “toad” from the system of fairy-tale names. "Gray Star" is the name. It's written with capital letters. And “Scientist Starling” is a name. And “Butterfly Nettle” is the name. Even "Very Stupid Boy" is a name. (This emphasizes its singularity.) But “toad” is not a name. This is "nationality".

But Gray Star does not feel joy as a result of the rescue. (The Rose Bush pricked the Very Stupid Boy with its thorns so much that he ran away with a loud roar.) Gray Star is shocked by the discovery. Gray Star is crying - because she is a toad! “Thus said the Man” - a creature from the outside world.

The reader's heart breaks.

The end of the story can only be called good. The author, following the “laws of the genre” of a children’s fairy tale, reassures both the Gray Starling (through the mouth of the Scientist Starling) and the reader (the fairy tale has a “frame”: the old Hedgehog tells this story to the little Hedgehog, and thanks to this technique the reader’s attention shifts from painful events to funny hedgehog conversation).

But the reader understands that what happened is irreversible. Gray Star will not be able to continue to live as before. If you want, this is a kind of expulsion from paradise (from the Garden of Eden): Gray Star has ceased to be an “innocent creature” who does not know about the existence of good and evil. And therefore “she will no longer come to the garden during the day, so as not to meet someone stupid.”

A child of five to seven years old, who is also experiencing a kind of “expulsion from paradise” - a cozy and safe world for children - very much sympathizes with Gray Star and understands her.

And older children may “recognize” something in the fairy tale metaphor that relates to their personal experience.

The fact that Zakhoderov’s tale was published as a separate book is a very correct publishing decision. The book allows you to create a holistic atmosphere characteristic of this complex and emotionally very strong fairy tale.

Olga Bolovintseva’s illustrations are emphatically childish: understandable, connected with important turning points in the plot. The pictures contain all the main characters of the fairy tale. The kind “little animals” are very cute: the Hedgehog is round, “fluffy” (this is the affectionate word Father Hedgehog uses to address him), and the Gray Star has eyes with eyelashes. Eyelashes are a liberties approach to “naturalistic” truth. But we are reading a fairy tale!
If a toad feels and thinks like a person, then eyelashes are very appropriate.

Marina Aromstam