A combination of folklore, fantasy and real crucian idealist. M

As in other fairy tales by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, the hero of the work “idealist crucian carp” has a social connotation. The image reflected the worldview of the writer himself and, in general, the progressive honor of the Russian intelligentsia of that time, who believed that happiness for everyone is not a utopia, but a really achievable and natural state of the social order. Idealist M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin names the crucian carp because he is convinced of the effectiveness of the propaganda of socialist views. It is no coincidence that the writer emphasizes that the monks love crucian carp, thereby seeing kinship between Christian and socialist views: both ideologies preach universal equality. In Christianity it appears under the so-called category of conciliarity.

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin so skillfully switches the reader’s attention from an allegorical socio-political plan to an everyday one, that we understand that by fishing the writer means social repression: “It [crucian carp] lies mostly at the very bottom of a river backwater (where it’s quieter) or a pond burrows into the silt and selects microscopic shells for its food. Well, naturally, he’ll lie there and lie there and come up with something. Sometimes even very free. But since the crucian carp neither submit their thoughts to the censor nor are they registered at the police station, no one suspects them of political unreliability. If sometimes we see that from time to time there is a round-up of crucian carp, it is not at all because of freethinking, but because they are tasty.”

It is symbolic that crucian carp easily responds to the hype in society (“removed from the bottom”), thereby contributing to its capture. To strengthen the vocabulary denoting fish species (crucian carp, ruffe, roach), and the names of social class groups and positions (nobility, governors), as well as simply politically charged vocabulary.

At the center of the plot of the tale is a dispute between crucian carp and ruff, which gradually becomes necessary for them: the fish develop a taste and even begin to make dates for each other.

Karas develops his liberal views in polemics and talks about the possibility of achieving universal happiness. And the skeptical ruff sneers at his theory and recalls the grievances he has accumulated. Considering the crucian carp to be blessed, he at the same time believes that he can waste his soul with him.

In the work, an antithesis arises that is traditional in its symbolism: darkness (social evil) - light (the desired future).

The stumbling block in this dispute becomes the question of pikes, by which we mean the mighty of the world this.

The statements of the crucian carp are aphoristic and at first glance seem to be truisms: “Evil is so, it was allowed through a misunderstanding, but the main life force is still confined to good,” “Evil strangled, crushed, devastated, put to the sword and fire, and the building force was only good,” “History is a story of liberation, it is a story about the triumph of good and reason over evil and madness.”

However, a pike suddenly appears on the event horizon and finds out that crucian carp are found in the area. Having learned about this, the ruff invites the crucian carp to climb into the pike’s mouth itself. The crucian carp wants to talk to the pike first.

One of the means of typifying images is the author’s appeal to language folk proverbs and a saying (“Don’t pronounce every word that comes into your mind!”, “With you, apparently, having eaten too many peas, you need to speak!”).

Ruff tries to stop the crucian carp, because in his heart he feels sorry for him. The hero points out to his interlocutor a clear and long-established social hierarchy in society: “The crucian carp feast on shells, and the pike eat crucian carp.” The crucian carp sets the task of appealing to the voice of truth and wants to persuade the pike to change. At the same time, the arguments in the upcoming conversation with the pike should, according to the idealist, only be words about virtue and duties towards loved ones. The essence of this reasoning comes down to the fact that fish should not eat fish. For food there are other types: flies, worms, spiders, water fleas, etc.

Finally, the long-awaited meeting with the pike took place. At first, she really showed interest in the crucian carp, but as soon as the pike realizes that then she will have to work, she immediately calls his speech rebellious. The pike did not immediately swallow the crucian carp. Obviously, she was full from yesterday's gluttony, as the author subtly notes. When he expressed his most cherished word “virtue”, which, in the opinion of the crucian carp, was supposed to produce a magical effect and re-educate the pike, she opened her mouth in surprise and swallowed it completely by accident, to which the author sarcastically remarks that, obviously, she did not I knew this word completely. The behavior of the other fish observing this scene is symbolic: they servilely rush to find out whether the pike has had a good dinner, thereby showing their social and class loyalty.

The moral of this tale is the author’s desire to convey to the reader the idea of the futility of moralizing conversations and debates of the liberal intelligentsia, for each category of society has its own truth and virtue higher spheres not characteristic of power.

Analysis of a fairy tale Saltykova-Shchedrin"Crucian idealist."

"Crucian Idealist", written in 1824, is organically included in the series of so-called “zoological” tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. The name itself includes it in this series, indicating, firstly, the type of animal, and, secondly, its inherent quality. in Shchedrin's fairy tales, animal images are endowed with the qualities that are assigned to them folklore tradition(the hare is stupid, the fox is cunning, etc.). in this tale, the author needed to find an image of an idealist, and Shchedrin chooses the karas, and this choice is not accidental, it is determined by the goal that the author set for himself, namely, to portray a socialist intellectual who does not measure his thoughts and actions with requirements imposed on him by the surrounding reality Shchedrin achieves an absolutely unique mixture of two heterogeneous layers - zoological and real, The mixture of zoological and real layers can be shown by the example of the description of the ruff, the opponent of the crucian carp: “As for the ruffs, this is a fish already touched by skepticism and, moreover, prickly.” Here two qualities - human (skepticism) and fish (prickly) - not only complement each other, but depend on each other, due to which a complete image is created.

The idealistic crucian carp is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. Living in a quiet backwater, he is content and cherishes dreams of the triumph of good over evil and even the opportunity to reason with Pike, who, from birth, has seen that she has no right to eat others. He eats shells, justifying himself by saying that “they just crawl into his mouth” and they “don’t have a soul, but steam.”
Crucian carp does not know life, it “lies at the very bottom of a river backwater (where it is quieter) or a pond, buried in the silt.” Since he is inactive, a wide variety of thoughts begin to come into his head (“Well, naturally, he’ll lie down and lie down and come up with something. Sometimes even very free.
. And so the crucian carp develops its socialist utopias in front of the pike. Twice he manages to talk with the predator, escaping with minor injuries. The third time the inevitable happens: the pike swallows the crucian carp. question of the idealist crucian: “What is virtue?” - makes the predator open its mouth in surprise, automatically draw water into itself, and with it also automatically swallow the crucian carp.
The beginning of the fairy tale is based on the example of the beginning folk tale about animals, it sets a certain situation, based on which further action develops. “The crucian carp was arguing with the ruff.” the tale begins and ends with an argument. Two disputes - with a ruff and with a pike - form a single structure of a fairy tale, in which two main oppositions can be distinguished: crucian carp - ruff, crucian carp - pike. The first part of the fairy tale is based on the first opposition, the second - on the second. The first opposition consists of the opposition between the idealist and the skeptic, and in essence - the knowledge of life and its ignorance. Idealism, according to Shchedrin, is generated by ignorance . Karas believes in the harmonious development and in the future happiness of society (“... I am convinced that happiness is not an idle fantasy of dreamy minds”, “the darkness in which we swim is the product of a bitter historical accident”, “good plays a leading role in life”), but such a position is due to the fact that he knows nothing but his speculative truths (he is surprised when the ruff tells him about the existence of pikes or about the ear). The skepticism of the ruff is generated, on the contrary, by knowledge of life (“It boiled in her heart... ah, it boiled! It hasn’t reached the point of hatred yet, but there is no trace of faith and naivety”).
In the second part of the tale - in the “dispute” between pike and crucian carp - it turns out that the ideas of the idealist actually have nothing to do with real life not connected. The crucian carp tried to influence the pike (representing power here) with his talk about virtue, but she, not even knowing such a word, swallowed the crucian carp out of surprise in the same way that the crucian carp itself swallowed shells (“She mechanically drew water and, not at all wanting to swallow the crucian carp , swallowed it"). The traditional fairytale ending is reimagined. The function of the narrator in it is actually taken over by the ruff. Instead of “and I was there...” we read: “Here they are, our disputes, what they are!” The author accuses and denounces not individual person, but that's all social order generally.
“The crucian carp neither submit their thoughts to the censor nor register them at the police station,” and therefore they are not suspected of “political unreliability.” The author accuses the “crucian carp” (and, accordingly, those who stand behind this image) primarily of non-participation in real political life.
The fairy tale "Crucian the Idealist" reveals the misconceptions of the Russian intelligentsia. Using Aesopian language, Shchedrin ridicules liberals who consider social evil a simple delusion of minds. It seems to the idealistic crucian carp that even pikes are not deaf to good. He believes in achieving social harmony through moral regeneration, re-education of pikes
In this tiny tragedy, Shchedrin presented what is characteristic of every society and every organization, what constitutes the natural and natural law of their development: there are strong who eat, and there are weak who are eaten. And social progress is the usual process of devouring some by others. With this detail, Saltykov-Shchedrin emphasizes that the point is not in “evil” and unreasonable pikes: the very nature of predators is such that they swallow crucian carp involuntarily - they have a “tricky build.” "The world of ordinary people in modern society, cowardice, self-interest, slave psychology, idle daydreaming - all these phenomena are alive, moreover, tenacious, calmly migrate from century to century, and are still neighbors with us.

Saltykov-Shchedrin is a writer who, with the help of his works of art, written in the fairy tale genre, raised such topics as the theme of power and people. In his works, truth-seekers very often appear who believe in the tendency of cruel rulers to virtue, and ultimately die. This is confirmed by the fairy tale Karas the Idealist that we studied.

The idealistic crucian carp on the brifley gives us the opportunity to study Saltykov-Shchedrin's tale in. The plot introduces us to Karas, full of idealistic views. He is pure in soul and believes: evil will not rule the world, it is not main force, as it depletes life. Good is another matter. It creates the future.

Immersed in his ideological beliefs, the hero completely forgets, forgets that he himself lives in a world of evil. But it is Ruff, whom we also meet on the pages of the fairy tale, who looks at life realistically and sees the real reality. He simply laughs at the beliefs of the hero, whose reasoning boiled down to the fact that fish should not eat fish. Ruff says that he doesn’t know life. In a word, we see a kind of dispute between a realist and an idealist. And here main character decides to show his philosophy in action, trying to reason with Pike, entering into an argument with her. At the same time, he sees a pike for the first time. The hero talked in a conversation with Pike about life, which is filled with happiness, about equality between all fish, about laws prohibiting pike from eating crucian carp. The conversation took place three times. The first time the Pike called the hero drunk, inviting him to sleep it off, the second time the crucian carp was bitten by a perch, and at the third meeting, he was accidentally eaten by the pike, which, in surprise at the word virtue, opened its mouth and sucked the hero.

Crucian idealist analysis

By analyzing the Saltykov-Shchedrin fairy tale, we see the interactions of higher and lower circles. The author here also touches on issues such as arrogance and intelligence.
My satirical tale the writer wrote in 1824. The idealist crucian carp has joined a number of zoological works, where the author chooses the crucian carp as his hero, wanting to portray a socialist intellectual who cannot measure his strengths and actions with the reality that surrounded him.

The writer's tale begins and ends with an argument. In the first part the hero argues with the ruff, and at the end the crucian carp argues with the pike. In the first case, an idealist and a skeptic are contrasted, where one does not knowledgeable of life, and the second has already seen life and is familiar with its reality. In the second part of the work, a pike, which personifies power, and crucian carp participate in the dispute. And here we see that our idealist is far from reality.

Fairy tale characters and their characteristics

Looking at the work of Karas the Idealist, we get acquainted with its heroes, and a detailed study of the work allows us to create heroes.

The main character of the tale is Crucian carp. We see a hero with his own beliefs. He is smart, but very stubborn and arrogant. His policy is wonderful, because he wants to protect the rights of other fish. However, not knowing life, he does not understand that with his statements he is bringing disaster upon himself. People like him would be crushed, and in any case destroyed. This is what happened in the writer’s fairy tale.

We also meet the skeptic Ersh, who is touched by his opponent’s idealism. He is familiar with life, knows its laws, but is a coward, which is why he tells the crucian carp not to open his mouth, and if he wants to say something, he must do it in a whisper.

Analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s fairy tale “Crucian idealist.”

Shchedrin achieves an absolutely unique mixture of two heterogeneous layers - zoological and real, The mixture of zoological and real layers can be shown by the example of the description of the ruff, the opponent of the crucian carp: “As for the ruffs, this is a fish already touched by skepticism and, moreover, prickly.” Here two qualities - human (skepticism) and fish (prickly) - not only complement each other, but depend on each other, due to which a complete image is created.

The idealistic crucian carp is the hero of the fairy tale of the same name. Living in a quiet backwater, he is complacent and cherishes dreams of the triumph of good over evil and even the opportunity to reason with Pike, whom he has seen since birth that she has no right to eat others. He eats shells, justifying himself by saying that “they just crawl into his mouth” and they “don’t have a soul, but steam.”

Crucian carp does not know life, he “lies<…>at the very bottom of a river backwater (where it’s quieter) or a pond, buried in the silt.” Since he is inactive, a wide variety of thoughts begin to come into his head (“Well, naturally, he’ll lie down and lie down and come up with something. Sometimes even very free.

And so the crucian carp develops its socialist utopias in front of the pike. Twice he manages to talk with the predator, escaping with minor injuries. The third time the inevitable happens: the pike swallows the crucian carp. question of the idealist crucian: “What is virtue?” - makes the predator open its mouth in surprise, automatically draw water into itself, and with it also automatically swallow the crucian carp.

The beginning of the fairy tale is built on the example of the beginning of a folk tale about animals; it sets a certain situation, based on which further action develops. “The crucian carp was arguing with the ruff.”

the tale begins and ends with an argument. Two disputes - with a ruff and with a pike - form a single structure of a fairy tale, in which two main oppositions can be distinguished: crucian carp - ruff, crucian carp - pike.

The first part of the tale is based on the first opposition, the second - on the second. The first opposition consists of the opposition between the idealist and the skeptic, and in essence - the knowledge of life and its ignorance. Idealism, according to Shchedrin, is generated by ignorance . Karas believes in the harmonious development and in the future happiness of society (“... I am convinced that happiness is not an idle fantasy of dreamy minds”, “the darkness in which we swim is the product of a bitter historical accident”, “good plays a leading role in life”), but such a position is due to the fact that he knows nothing but his speculative truths (he is surprised when the ruff tells him about the existence of pikes or about the ear). The skepticism of the ruff is generated, on the contrary, by knowledge of life (“It boiled in her heart... ah, it boiled! It hasn’t reached the point of hatred yet, but there is no trace of faith and naivety”).

In the second part of the tale - in the “dispute” between pike and crucian carp - it turns out that the ideas of the idealist are in fact in no way connected with real life. The crucian carp tried to influence the pike (representing power here) with his talk about virtue, but she, not even knowing such a word, swallowed the crucian carp out of surprise in the same way that the crucian carp itself swallowed shells (“She mechanically drew water and, not at all wanting to swallow the crucian carp , swallowed it").

The traditional fairytale ending is reimagined. The function of the narrator in it is actually taken over by the ruff. Instead of “and I was there...” we read: “Here they are, our disputes, what they are!”

“The crucian carp neither submit their thoughts to the censor nor register them at the police station,” and therefore they are not suspected of “political unreliability.” The author accuses the “crucian carp” (and, accordingly, those who stand behind this image) primarily of non-participation in real political life.

The fairy tale “Crucian the Idealist” reveals the misconceptions of the Russian intelligentsia. Using Aesopian language, Shchedrin ridicules liberals who consider social evil a simple delusion of minds. It seems to the idealistic crucian carp that even pikes are not deaf to good. He believes in achieving social harmony through moral regeneration, re-education of pikes

In this tiny tragedy, Shchedrin presented what is characteristic of every society and every organization, what constitutes the natural and natural law of their development: there are strong who eat, and there are weak who are eaten. And social progress is the usual process of devouring some by others. With this detail, Saltykov-Shchedrin emphasizes that the point is not in “evil” and unreasonable pikes: the very nature of predators is such that they swallow crucian carp involuntarily - they have a “tricky build.”

“The world of ordinary people in modern society, cowardice, self-interest, slavish psychology, idle daydreaming - all these phenomena are alive, moreover, tenacious, quietly migrate from century to century, and are still neighbors with us.

The crucian carp was arguing with the ruff. The crucian carp said that you can live in the world by truth alone, and the ruff argued that you can’t do without it so as not to lie. What exactly the ruff meant by the expression “cunning” is unknown, but every time he uttered these words, the crucian carp exclaimed indignantly:

But this is meanness!

To which the ruff objected:

You'll see!

Crucian carp is a quiet fish and prone to idealism: it’s not for nothing that monks love it. It lies more at the very bottom of a river backwater (where it is quieter) or a pond, buried in the silt, and selects microscopic shells from there for its food. Well, naturally, he’ll lie there and lie there and come up with something. Sometimes even very free. But since the crucian carp neither submit their thoughts to the censor nor are they registered at the police station, no one suspects them of political unreliability. If sometimes we see that from time to time there is a round-up of crucian carp, it is not at all because of freethinking, but because they are tasty.

Crucian carp are caught mainly with a net or seine; but for fishing to be successful, you must have skill. Experienced fishermen choose the time for this now after the rain, when the water is cloudy, and then, starting the net, they begin to slap the water with a rope, sticks and generally make noise. Hearing the noise and thinking that it heralds the triumph of free ideas, the crucian carp is removed from the bottom and begins to inquire whether it is possible for him to somehow join in the celebration. This is where he ends up in many shambles, only to later become a victim of human gluttony. For, I repeat, crucian carp are such a delicious dish (especially fried in sour cream) that the leaders of the nobility willingly treat even governors to them.

As for the ruff, this is a fish already touched by skepticism and, moreover, prickly. When boiled in the ear, it produces an incomparable broth.

How it happened that the crucian carp and the ruff got along, I don’t know; I only know that once they got together, they immediately started arguing. We argued once, argued again, and then we got the hang of it and started making dates for each other. They will float down somewhere under the water burdock and begin to talk intelligently. And the white-bellied roach frolics around them and gains intelligence.

The crucian carp was always the first to attack.

“I don’t believe,” he said, “that struggle and quarrel are a normal law, under the influence of which everything living on earth is supposedly destined to develop. I believe in bloodless prosperity, I believe in harmony and I am deeply convinced that happiness is not an idle fantasy of dreamy minds, but sooner or later it will become a common property!

Wait! - ruff sneered.

Ruff argued abruptly and restlessly. This is a nervous fish, which, apparently, remembers a lot of grievances. It boiled in her heart... oh, it boiled! It has not yet reached the point of hatred, but there is no trace of faith and naivety. Instead of a peaceful life, she sees strife everywhere; instead of progress - general savagery. And he claims that anyone who has aspirations to live must take all this into account. He considers Karas to be “blessed,” although at the same time he realizes that he is the only one who can “take his soul away” with him.

And I'll wait! - the crucian carp responded, - and I’m not the only one, everyone will wait. The darkness in which we swim is the product of a bitter historical accident; but since now, thanks to the latest research, this accident can be dismantled to its bones, the reasons that gave rise to it can no longer be considered irremovable. Darkness is an accomplished fact, and light is a hoped-for future. And there will be light, there will be!

So, in your opinion, the time will come when there will be no more pikes?

What kind of pike? - the crucian was surprised, who was so naive that when they said in front of him: “That’s why the pike is in the sea, so that the crucian doesn’t sleep,” he thought that it was something like those nyxes and mermaids with which they scare small children, and , of course, I wasn’t the least bit afraid.

Oh, you fofan, you fofan! You want to solve world problems, but you have no idea about pikes!

Ruff contemptuously moved his swimming feathers and swam away; but, after a short time, the interlocutors are again somewhere in secluded place They swam away (it’s boring in the water) and started arguing again.

In life, good plays the leading role,” the crucian carp ranted, “evil is so, it was allowed to happen through a misunderstanding, but the main life force is still confined to good.”

Keep your pocket!

Oh, ruff, what incongruous expressions you use! "Keep your pocket"! is this the answer?

Yes, you really shouldn’t answer at all. You're stupid - that's the whole story for you!

No, listen to what I tell you. That evil has never been a fundamental force - history testifies to this. Evil suffocated, crushed, devastated, betrayed to the sword and fire, and only good was the building force. It rushed to the aid of the oppressed, it freed them from chains and shackles, it awakened fruitful feelings in their hearts, it gave rise to soaring minds. Without this truly fundamental factor in life, there would be no history. Because, in essence, what is history? History is a story of liberation, a story about the triumph of goodness and reason over evil and madness.

And you, apparently, know for certain that evil and madness are put to shame? - the ruff teased.

They have not yet been put to shame, but they will be put to shame - I tell you this correctly. And again I will refer to history. Compare what once was with what is, and you will easily agree that not only the external methods of evil have softened, but its very amount has noticeably decreased. Take our fish species, for example. Before, we were caught at all times, and mainly during the “move”, when we, like crazy people, climb right into the net; and now it is precisely during the “move” that it is recognized as harmful to catch us. Before, one might say, we were exterminated in the most barbaric ways - in the Urals, they say, during the purple season, the water stood red for many miles with fish blood, and now it’s a Sabbath. Nets, and fishermen, and fishing rods - no more! And they are still discussing this in committees: what kind of nets? on what occasion? for what subject?

And apparently you care about how you get into the ear?

What kind of ear? - the crucian carp was surprised.

Oh, take your ashes! It's called crucian carp, but I've never heard of the ear! What right do you have to talk to me after this? After all, in order to conduct disputes and defend opinions, it is necessary, at least, to become familiar with the circumstances of the case in advance. What are you talking about if you don’t even know such a simple truth that every crucian carp has an ear in store for them? Shoot... I'll stab you!

The ruff bristled, and the crucian carp quickly, as quickly as its clumsiness allowed, sank to the bottom. But a day later, the friends-enemies swam again and started a new conversation.

“The other day a pike looked into our backwater,” the ruff announced.

The same one you mentioned the other day?

She. She swam up, looked in, and said: “It seems like it’s too quiet here! There must be water for crucian carp here?” And with that she sailed away.

What should I do now?

To be manufactured - that's all. Oh, when she swims up and stares at you with her eyes, you pick up her scales and feathers more tightly, and straight up get into her hair!

Why am I going to climb? If only I were to blame for something...

You're stupid - that's your fault. And he's fat, too. And the law commands a stupid and fat man to get into trouble!

There cannot be such a law! - the crucian carp was sincerely indignant. - And the pike has no right to swallow in vain, but must first demand an explanation. So I’ll explain it to her, I’ll lay out the whole truth. With the truth, I’ll make her sweat.

I told you that you are a fool, and now I will repeat the same thing: a fool! Fofan! Fofan!

Ruff became completely angry and promised himself that in the future he would refrain from any communication with the crucian carp. But after a few days, you see, the habit took its toll again.

If only all the fish agreed among themselves... - the crucian carp began mysteriously.

But here even the ruff himself was taken aback. “What is this fofan talking about? - he thought, - just look, he’ll lie, and then the golovel is walking nearby. Look, he squinted his eyes to the side, as if it was none of his business, but you know, he’s listening.”

Don’t pronounce every word that comes into your mind! - he convinced the crucian carp, - there is no need to open your mouth for this: you can say what needs to be said in a whisper.

“I don’t want to whisper,” the crucian carp continued calmly, “but I say directly that if all the fish agreed among themselves, then...

But then the ruff rudely interrupted his friend.

With you, apparently, having eaten enough peas, I need to talk! - he shouted at the crucian carp and, having sharpened his skis, swam away from him.

And he was annoyed and felt sorry for the crucian carp. Even though he is stupid, you can still talk to him alone. He won’t babble, he won’t betray - in whom can you find these qualities today? These are weak times, such a time that you can’t rely on your father and mother. Here is a roach, even though you can’t say anything bad about it directly, but still, look at it, without understanding, it will blurt out! And there’s nothing to say about chubs, ides, tenches and other servants! Ready to take an oath under the bells for a worm! Poor crucian carp! He won't disappear between them for a penny!

“Look at yourself,” he said to the crucian carp, “well, what kind of defense can you imagine? Your belly is big, your head is small, you’re not good at making up inventions, your mouth is weird. Even the scales on you are not serious. There is no agility in you, no nimbleness - just like a lump! Anyone who wants to, come to you and eat!

But why eat me if I haven’t done anything wrong? - the crucian carp still persisted.

Listen, you stupid breed! Do they eat “for what”? Is it because they want to execute them that they eat? They eat because they want to eat - that's all. And you, eat tea. It’s not in vain that you dig through the mud with your nose and catch shells. They, shells, want to live, but you, simpleton, stuff mamon with them from morning to evening. Tell me: what kind of wrong have they done to you that you are executing them every minute? Do you remember how you said the other day: “If only all the fish agreed among themselves...” And what if the shells agreed among themselves - would it be sweet for you, simpleton?

The question was posed so directly and so unpleasantly that the crucian carp became embarrassed and blushed slightly.

But shells are... - he muttered embarrassedly.

Shells are shells, and crucian carp are crucian carp. Crucian carp feast on shells, and pike eat crucian carp. And the shells are not guilty of anything, and the crucian carp are not to blame, but both of them must answer. Even if you think about it for a hundred years, you won’t come up with anything else.

After these ruff words the crucian carp hid in the very depths of the mud and began to think at his leisure. I thought and thought and, by the way, ate and ate shells. And the more you eat, the more you want. Finally, however, I thought of it.

“I don’t eat shells because they are to blame - you said the truth,” he explained to the ruff, “but because I eat them because they, these shells, were provided to me by nature itself for food.

Who told you this?

Nobody said it, but I myself, through my own observation, figured it out. The shell does not have a soul, but steam; You eat her, but she doesn’t understand. And it is designed in such a way that it is impossible not to swallow it. Draw up the water with your snout, and your crop is apparently teeming with shells. I don’t even catch them - they just crawl into my mouth. Well, crucian carp is completely different. There are crucian carp, brother, from ten centimeters, so you still need to talk to such an old man before you eat him. He needs to do something serious - well, then, of course...

This is how the pike swallows you, then you will know what you need to do for this. Until then it would be better to remain silent.

No, I will not remain silent. Although I have never seen pikes in my life, I can only judge from the stories that they are not deaf to the voice of truth. Have mercy, tell me: can such a crime happen! The crucian carp lies there, not bothering anyone, and suddenly, no matter what, it ends up in the pike’s belly! I won't believe this for the life of me.

Oddball! Yes, just the other day, before your eyes, a monk pulled out two whole nets of your brother from the creek... What do you think: will he be looking at the crucian carp?

Don't know. Only this grandmother said in two what happened to those crucian carp: some of them were eaten, some of them were put in a planter. And they live there happily on the monastery bread!

Well, live, if so, and you, daredevil!

Days after days passed, and there was no end in sight to the disputes between the crucian carp and the ruff. The place in which they lived was quiet, even slightly covered with green mold, most favorable for disputes. No matter what you scribble about, no matter what your dreams, there is complete impunity. This encouraged the crucian to such an extent that with each session he raised the tone of his excursions into the empyrean region more and more.

The fish must love each other! - he spoke, - so that each for all, and all for each - that’s when real harmony will come true!

I would like to know how you and your love for the pike will approach the pike! - the ruff calmed him down.

I'll come, brother! - the crucian carp stood his ground, - I know such words that any pike will turn into a crucian carp in one minute!

Come on, tell me!

Let me just ask: do you know, pike, what virtue is and what responsibilities it imposes in relation to others?

I was stunned, there is nothing to say! Do you want me to pierce your stomach with a needle for this very question?

Oh no! Do me a favor, don't joke about this!

Only then will we, fish, be aware of our rights when, from an early age, we are raised in civic feelings!

Why the hell do you care? civic feelings needed?

Still...

That's it "after all". Civil feelings only come into play when the space is open to them. What are you going to do with them, lying in the mud?

Not in the mud, but in general...

For example?

For example, a monk will want to boil me in the ear, and I will tell him: “Father, you have no right to subject me to such a terrible punishment without a trial!”

And he, for rudeness, throws you into the frying pan, or into the hot ashes... No, friend, to live in the mud, you must have not civil, but stupid feelings - this is true. Bury yourself somewhere thicker and keep quiet, you dumbass!

Fish shouldn’t eat fish,” the crucian carp raved in reality. - For fish food, nature already has a lot delicious dishes prepared. Shells, flies, worms, spiders, water fleas; finally, crayfish, snakes, frogs. And all this is good, everything is needed.

And for pikes, crucian carp are needed,” the ruff sobered him up.

No, the crucian carp is enough for itself. If nature did not give him defensive means, like you, for example, then this means that a special law must be issued to ensure his personality!

What if that law is not enforced?

Then it is necessary to publish the suggestion: it is better, they say, not to issue laws at all if they are not enforced.

And will it be okay?

I believe that many will be ashamed.

I repeat: days passed after days, and the crucian carp was still delirious. Someone else would have been given at least a punch in the nose for this, but for him - nothing. And he would have torn away Arid’s eyelids in this way if he had been even a little careful. But he dreamed so much about himself that he completely left the calculation. He let it go and let it go, when suddenly a goby came to him with a summons: the next day, they say, the pike deigns to arrive in the creek, so you, crucian carp, look! As soon as it's light, the answer will come!

The crucian carp, however, did not lose money. Firstly, he had heard so many different reviews about the pike that he was curious to get to know it himself; and secondly, he knew what he had magic word there is, which, if you say it, will now turn the fiercest pike into a crucian carp. And I really hoped for this word.

Even the ruff, seeing such faith of his, wondered if he had gone too far in a negative direction. Maybe, in fact, the pike is just waiting to be loved, to be given good advice, to have its mind and heart enlightened? Maybe she's... kind? And the crucian carp, perhaps, is not at all such a simpleton as it seems from the outside, but, on the contrary, is ruining his career with a calculation? Tomorrow he will appear to the pike directly and blurt out to her the very real truth, which she has never heard from anyone in her life. And the pike will take it and say: “Because you, crucian carp, told me the very real truth, I pity you with this backwater; may you be the boss over it!”

The next morning the pike swam in, and it was thirsty. The crucian carp looks at her and is amazed: no matter what gossip they tell him about the pike, but she is a fish like a fish! Only the mouth is up to the ears and it’s so cute that it’s just enough for him, a crucian carp, to get through.

“I heard,” said the pike, “that you, crucian carp, are very smart and a master at ranting. I want to have a debate with you. Get started.

“I think more about happiness,” the crucian answered modestly but with dignity. - So that not just me, but everyone would be happy. So that all fish can swim freely in every water, and if one wants to hide in the mud, then let it lie in the mud.

Hm... and do you think that such a thing can happen?

I not only think about it, but also expect it all the time.

For example: I am swimming, and next to me... is a crucian carp?

So what is it?

It's the first time I've heard it. What if I turn around and eat the crucian carp?

There is no such law, Your Highness; the law says directly: let shells, mosquitoes, flies and midges serve as food for fish. And besides, various later decrees included the following as food: water fleas, spiders, worms, beetles, frogs, crayfish and other aquatic inhabitants. But not fish.

Not enough for me. Golovel! Is there really such a law? - the pike turned to the chub.

In oblivion, your highness! - the head deftly turned out.

I knew that such a law could not exist. Well, what else are you waiting for all the time, crucian carp?

I also expect that justice will prevail. The strong will not oppress the weak, and the rich will not oppress the poor. That a common cause will appear in which all the fish will have their own interest and each will do their share. You, pike, are stronger and more dexterous than everyone else - you will take on a stronger task; and for me, crucian carp, according to my modest abilities, they will show me a modest task. Everyone for everyone, and everything for everyone - that’s how it will be. When we stand for each other, then no one will be able to undercut us. The net will still appear somewhere, and we’re already dragging it! Some under a stone, some at the very bottom in the mud, some in a hole or under a snag. Looks like I'll probably have to give up the fish soup!

Don't know. People don't really like to throw away what they think is tasty. Well, yes, this will happen someday. But here's what: So, in your opinion, I will have to work?

Like others, so are you.

It's the first time I've heard it. Go get some sleep!

Whether he overslept or whether there was a crucian carp, his intelligence, in any case, did not improve. At noon he again appeared at the debate, and not only without any timidity, but even more cheerful than before.

So you think that I will work, and you will feast on my labors? - the pike asked the question directly.

Everything from each other... from common, mutual work...

I understand: “from each other”... and by the way, from me too... hm! It seems, however, that you are saying these shameful things. Golovel! What are such speeches called today?

Sicilism, higher eminence!

That's what I knew. It’s been a while since I’ve heard: “The crucian carp is talking rebellious things!” I just think: “Let me listen to it myself...” Look what you are like!

Having said this, the pike clicked its tail on the water so expressively that no matter how simple the crucian carp was, he, too, guessed it.

“I, Your Highness, nothing,” he muttered in embarrassment, “it’s me in simplicity...

OK. Simplicity is worse than theft, they say. If you give fools free rein, they will drive the smart ones out of the world. They told me a lot about you, and you are like a crucian carp, that’s all. And I don’t talk to you for five minutes, and I’m already sick of you to death.

The pike became thoughtful and somehow looked at the crucian carp so mysteriously that he completely understood. But she must have been full after yesterday’s gluttony, and that’s why she yawned and immediately began snoring.

But this time the crucian carp didn’t fare so well. As soon as the pike fell silent, chubs surrounded him from all sides and took him under guard.

In the evening, before the sun had even set, the crucian carp came to the pike for the third time for a dispute. But he showed up already in custody and, moreover, with some injuries. Namely: the perch, while interrogating him, bit his back and part of his tail.

But he was still invigorated, because he had a magic word in reserve.

Even though you are my opponent,” the first pike began again, “yes, apparently, my grief is like this: I love death and debates!” Be healthy, get started!