Stories about the Hugo children. Stories by Victor Hugo about the legendary Gavroche Short works by Victor Hugo for children

Maria Bershadskaya

Artist Sasha Ivoilova
Publishing house "CompassGuide", 2018

The girl Zhenya, the heroine of Maria Bershadskaya's books, is somewhat reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking: she was unusually strong and loved stories (listening and making up stories). And the girl Zhenya, at six or seven years old, is as tall as a tall basketball player and also loves to listen and make up stories. But the girl’s tall height, although it distinguishes her from the rest, still fits into reality. Basketball players are real people, right? And the fact that a girl of this height is called a bigot on occasion is also very realistic. But the big guy’s best friend turns out to be the “pea” - a small boy. And it is very important how the big man and the pea are able to come to an agreement with each other, how they are able to understand each other. This contradiction lies at the heart of the plot of Maria Bershadskaya’s first book in the “Big Little Girl” series. It turns out that there is a fundamental kinship between the very tall and the very short - a feeling of some deviation from the average statistical norm and, as a result, a little greater vulnerability and spiritual subtlety. A slightly shifted perception of reality, making the characters interesting.
In her stories, Zhenya describes not only events, but also experiences - in detail, noting shifts in mood, explaining them. Such a smart, “verbal” girl. Internally filled. The girl's voice is completely believable, without a hint of false intonation. The language of the book is simple, energetic, modern - and at the same time impeccable from a literary point of view. Therefore, the child reader will most likely believe the girl narrator and will treat with interest and understanding what is happening to her, with her “big little experiences.”

Christine Nöstlinger

Artist Katya Tolstaya
Publishing house "CompassGuide", 2017

Franz, the hero of the Austrian writer Christine Nöstlinger, is six years old. And he has a hard time in this life. Here it is almost impossible to take an unambiguous action. It seems to you that you came up with and thought through everything very well. For example, with your heart beating, you present your mother with a homemade hat on a holiday, and those around you fall under the table laughing. And mom is ashamed to wear this hat for a walk.
It turns out that everything external - actions, words - can be misleading. And the only criterion of truth is feelings - what stands behind words and actions. This is the complex language that little Franz is trying to master. This is the language that the writer is trying to teach the reader.
Everything important in Christine Nöstlinger's book happens inside Franz. Inner life appears incredibly dynamic and effective. This impression is achieved due to the constant flow of events from the “external” plane to the “internal” and due to the transparent and very precise, collected language. This effectiveness holds the attention of the little reader: it turns out that it is just as interesting to follow experiences as actions.
Each story from Franz's life records disappointment, a discrepancy between plans and results. If expressed in the language of psychology, these are very accurate stories of childhood frustrations and the experience of overcoming them. Optimism turns out to be an achievement. An optimistic attitude towards life, it turns out, is the result of internal work.

You can read more about the book “Stories about Franz” in the article.
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Narine Abgaryan

Artist Victoria Kirdiy
Publishing house "Malysh", 2019

This book is most reminiscent of a children's photo album, where the simplest, everyday, and therefore incredibly expensive and touching pictures are usually placed: children are playing, digging in the sand, jumping, hugging, and most importantly, smiling.
Semyon Andreich’s “album” is divided into eight parts: birthday, kindergarten, ski trip with mom, dad and his new wife, congratulations to his grandmother on March 8, meeting cows and colorful chickens, finding an adult friend who may become his a new dad... And each chapter certainly ends with a smile - if not the five-year-old boy Semyon himself, then certainly the smile of the reader
The book “Semyon Andreich” has a subtitle: “A Chronicle in Doodles”: at the end of each chapter, the boy, as it were, “sums up” what is happening, leaving a note in his sketchbook. Children's scribbles carry a deep psychological meaning: they are windows into the child's inner world, a kind of “pre-diary”. Thus, in a children’s photo album, not only adult statements about children appear, reflecting the parents’ view of the baby, but also a unique “handwritten” testimony of a growing person about his own childhood.

Irmgard Coyne

Translation from German by T. Stupnikova
Artist Evgeniya Dvoskina
Publishing house "Makhaon", 2013

There are situations in every child’s life when he behaves badly and adults are unhappy with him. But the life of the heroine of the story seems to consist only of them.
Although, perhaps, many children think of themselves this way. After all, we cannot look into their souls. And we know very little about their experiences. And Irmgard Coyne’s book allows you to do just that. It is similar to a diary, only the events are not recorded, but are “spoken out” by the heroine - for herself. And what from the outside seems like absolutely bad actions - she skipped school, provoked the teacher’s anger with her questions, covered the walls of her rented apartment with decals, ran in a race for manure with the sons of the night watchman while her father was receiving important guests at home; brought a dog into the house without asking - it turns out that she has a very powerful internal argument. From the standpoint of childish logic, such behavior is completely justified. Moreover: it was impossible to do otherwise!
But the logic of adults and the logic of children do not coincide. This discrepancy gives the whole narrative a touch of tragedy, since it seems insoluble: the misunderstanding between the little heroine and those around her is somehow total and irresistible.
The only consolation is that the description of such “catastrophes” and the heroine’s constant readiness to die as a result of each of them consists of her entire life and the entire narrative. And since life continues every time, the inevitable death as a result of the next incident is perceived as some exaggeration.
In addition, the tragedy of the situations is balanced by the author’s subtle humor: the girl’s tricks and misdeeds are told very funny.
It is very useful for a reader of eight or nine years old to identify with the main character of the story. It's not just a mirror in which you see yourself as funny. This is a mirror that obviously forgives you for everything you have done, because you are a child with a future.

Mira Lobe

Artist Ekaterina Muratova
Publishing house "Makhaon", 2015

Despite all the high-speed means of communication, modern man is desperately lonely. Fantasy and imagination often become a refuge for those who, for some reason, cannot cope with reality. Eight-year-old Andi, the hero of Mira Lobe’s story “Grandma on the Apple Tree,” also suffers from loneliness: mom and dad don’t have time to play with him, his brother and sister are too big for him. That's why he's alone all the time. Andi really needs a grandmother. And his soul, tired of loneliness, begins its usual work - replenishment, replacement, creation of what does not yet exist...
Andi’s experiences captivate the little reader from the first pages of the story, because they are consonant with his own experiences: after all, he probably had to play alone more than once. And at some point the reader discovers that one can find another way out of this painful state other than fantasies: you just need to carefully look around - and you will begin to notice the people around you.
There is no straightforward morality in Mira Lobe's story. No didacticism or unambiguous artistic instructions about correct behavior. But the heart of the child reader trembles with concern for Andi, and therefore the story can take him to a new level of understanding of the world. It turns out that both fantasy and real participation in the life of another person can be equally healing for each of us.

Anne-Katharina Westley

Illustrations by Natalia Kucherenko
Translation by L. Gorlina
Publishing house "Makhaon", 2016

Anne-Katharina Westli is one of the most famous children's writers in Norway, her fame is often compared to that of Astrid Lindgren.
The story “Dad, Mom, Grandma, Eight Children and a Truck” was first published in 1957 and has been republished many times since then. In our country - already three times in the last five years.
The action takes place in the capital of Norway, Oslo, in an era that is quite difficult to imagine for a modern city child - at that time there were no televisions, no computers, or even washing machines. The heroes of the story live a truly difficult life. But these eight children from the book are always cheerful and inventive in their games, despite the outward poverty of their lives.
Even the youngest readers, those who are still just listening, are unable to tear themselves away from the fascinating text.
Here is one of the secrets of this family’s happiness: adults and children strive for each other, they feel good together. Adults know how and love to play with their children, and children are not separated from the daily worries of their parents. Little readers very quickly notice the spiritual generosity of the adult heroes of the book, who easily share their time and energy, without being excused by fatigue or lack of leisure, although they work tirelessly all day.
If your children suddenly feel that the book ended too quickly, invite them to read its continuation, entitled “Anton’s Little Gift.”

Erich Kaestner

Artist Evgeniya Dvoskina
Translation from German by Liliana Lungina
Publishing house "Makhaon", 2016

The story of the boy Emil is somewhat reminiscent of Gaidar’s “Timur and his team”: the main active force in the narrative is the boy’s solidarity, common effort, collective pursuit of the “enemy” and victory over him.
And this unification of children in the name of the triumph of justice, the effectiveness of common actions is incredibly inspiring. The need to experience similar feelings - participation in something common and unconditionally fair - is typical for most children.
But the main character of the book, Emil, according to the author, does not differ in any special heroic traits. He is just a very good boy: he studies well, helps his mother around the house and at work, and does not demand gifts for himself. And he never lies. However, this list of unconditional virtues does not at all turn him into a mannequin for demonstrating virtues. Erich Kästner did something almost impossible for children's literature: he described a “living” child, created an image in the reality of which you absolutely believe, but the attractiveness of this child lies not in his incredible “tricks and mischief,” but in his unfictional, natural human positivity.
"Emil and the Detectives" is the most famous children's book by Erich Kästner, written in 1929. Since then, it has been translated into 59 languages ​​and filmed more than once.
In 2011, the book was published as a separate edition with very interesting and psychologically subtle drawings by Evgenia Dvoskina.
The plot of the book is quite complex, so children aged six to seven years can understand it by ear. And at nine years old, a child with good reading technique will be able to read it himself.

Victor Hugo

Illustrations by Anatoly Itkin
Translation from French by N.S. Cher
(adapted from the novel Les Misérables)
Labyrinth Publishing House, 2018

"Labyrinth" republished the story about little Cosette. Once upon a time, in the 1960s, it was published in the form of a thin book with a paper cover and on yellowish paper. Now a hardcover book, printed on fine white paper, with large print and full-color page illustrations, it's just the thing for the beginning reader.
The text of "Cosette" is an excerpt from Victor Hugo's best novel, Les Misérables. More precisely, not an excerpt, but a compilation of several excerpts, resulting in a completely new children's work, very reminiscent of a fairy tale. A poor orphan who is oppressed by her mistress (stepmother) and offended by her mistress (stepmother's) daughter; the appearance of a kind stranger (magical patron), comforting the poor woman and endowing her with gifts of impossible generosity; the happy transformation of the dirty woman, associated with changing into new clothes (“many did not recognize Cosette - she was no longer wearing her rags”) - doesn’t the plot of the fairy tale about Cinderella emerge through all this?
And the story about Cinderella was and remains one of the most beloved by children.
The feeling of “I’m dirty” (read “I’m ugly”) is quite typical for a teenage girl going through her bodily transformation, so this book will be “just right” for a child on the verge of adolescence.
Even children six or seven years old have reasons to identify with the poor “stepdaughter”. At the beginning of school life, parents' demands on them increase sharply; Parents have significantly more reasons to be dissatisfied with their child than before. As the psychoanalyst and fairy tale researcher Bruno Bettelheim wrote, a child from time to time feels that his own mother has turned into a stepmother.
The fact that the evil owners do not allow Cosette to play and that she has no toys at all is perceived by today's children as something beyond the pale. And the fact that there are other children living next to Cosette who have toys, but she is not allowed to touch these toys, seems incredibly cruel. But then a stranger appears who protects Cosette, gifts her and takes her with him - obviously to another, better life.
The story about Cosette satisfies the child's desire for justice and the need for a happy ending in the most complete and understandable way.
Children from five and a half to six years old can listen to this story.
And at eight or nine they will be happy to read it on their own.

Arkady Gaidar

Artist Anatoly Slepkov
Publishing house "Melik-Pashayev", 2016

This short story is a brilliantly told story of growing up, a kind of children's Odyssey. One day, as a result of a stupid boyish quarrel, an unstoppable chain of events is launched that takes the heroes of the story from a small, protected family world into a difficult journey across a huge country. The little reader discovers that even seemingly insignificant actions and deeds can have serious consequences and change not only your life, but also the lives of adults.
“Chuka and Gek” can be read to a child from the age of five. But encountering this book invariably affects the feelings of adults.

Victor Dragunsky

Artist Sergey Bordyug
Labyrinth Publishing House, 2019

In any collection of “Deniska’s stories” there are two types of stories - “terribly funny” and “a little sad”. In all stories, the action begins in familiar everyday conditions. But at some point the plot suddenly takes a turn - and the action becomes eccentric, almost circus-like.
Remembering the “terribly funny” stories, we then laugh for a long time at the situations and “tricks” described in them. In “sad” stories, the hero, unexpectedly for himself and for the reader, falls out of an eccentric situation, and he is overcome by some acute feeling that we never experience in the circus: pity, tender admiration, sympathy. In the era of “building communism,” these simple human feelings, which became the subject of literature, produced a shocking impression.
For modern children they are no less important.
Children from the age of five can read Deniska's Stories.
Once children learn to read, they will enjoy reading the book themselves.

Gudrun Möbs

Artist Rotraut Susanne Berner
Translation from German by Vera Komarova
Publishing house "Samokat", 2014

There are only two characters in this book - a grandmother and a five-year-old boy - but it is action-packed. Each chapter begins with the same phrase: “Grandma! - Frieder shouts,” which means that the child is bored or really wants something. Usually adults experience irritation in such a situation. But Frieder’s grandmother is a Supergrandmother, almost a sorceress, although she works her miracles without any magic, but simply with the help of a game. So for parents, this book is a storehouse of life-saving techniques that allow you to get out of difficult situations.
But the main thing is that the child’s actions and sensations are described here with amazing accuracy and detail, which allow an adult to see what he most often does not pay attention to.
And for children five to seven years old, familiarity with this fascinating book full of everyday “miracles” gives an unusual experience of psychological vigilance.

Annie M. Schmidt

Artist Fip Westendorp
Translator I. Trofimova
Publishing house "Zakharov", 2017

This is a kind of encyclopedia of life situations in which children of four to six years old find themselves every day. Each of the five books consists of short stories told with gentle humor.
Avoiding straightforward moralism, the author, nevertheless, clearly and clearly explains to young readers what is good and what is bad.
The book can be read to children aged four and a half years.

Alexander Raskin

Artist Lev Tokmakov
Publishing house "ENAS-KNIGA", 2017

A very funny and at the same time very deep book. It uses a witty move: the main character of the book is “little daddy”. It turns out that dad was not always an adult, and in childhood all sorts of stories happened to him - stupid, funny, and ones for which he was ashamed. Listening or reading this book independently, the child makes an important discovery: there is a lot in common between him and adults. And this is an important step towards understanding others and yourself.
Children from the age of five can read the book.

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“My daughter Varya is 4 years old.

Extraversion is visible to the naked eye. Until a year ago, we didn’t favor strangers, only mom and no one else. But after a year she somehow broke up. And she began to be tolerant of other adults, and then, closer to 2 years old, she began to easily come into contact with everyone, both children and adults. She loves her friends very much, after 2 years she was happy to tell who her friends were. She has a lot of them and they are all her age plus/minus 6 months. Those. I don’t include all the young children of my girlfriends with whom my child communicates there, because the mother is friends with their mothers. She has her own friends, made on the playground, for example, and I am already trying to find contact with my mother so that my child can be friends with him. She is democratic in her communication, behaves kindly with all children, even if the child is younger, plays as an equal, and accepts them into her game.

Sensory. She feels confident in the space around her, does not go near sharp/hot things and has never done this, generally avoids dangerous objects, and is careful. Knows all his things and where they are. When he talks about objects, he describes what they are made of, the color, how they feel to the touch, in general he somehow measures the world with material concepts, he talks about objects, he is very, very earthly.
I don’t know how relevant this is to the matter, but she started relatively late, at one year and one month. Before this, she had not made much attempt to walk on her own. But at 1 year and 1 she went straight away. It’s as if I’ve been walking all my life. It felt like she was putting it off out of caution, when she felt like she could walk with CONFIDENCE, she walked right away.

ETHICAL. There is no logic. I feel it, I don’t know how to explain it)) She does mediocre logical puzzles and other developmental games, but she’s very good at dancing or drawing.
When a child is offended, no words, no persuasion works, the child is emotional, doesn’t want to listen to anything, EVERYTHING - the world has collapsed. In general, explanations work poorly))
Diplomatic, builds different strategies of behavior with different people, easily finds an approach to people, adequate, obedient.

For example,
Varya put the sour cream on the cheesecake, and not on the plate. Varya throws her fork. Leaves. Turns away. Pouted. They ruined her cheesecake with sour cream
Stirlitz girl, 3 years old, asks: Why are you offended? What's happened? And she looks at Varya in bewilderment (i.e. it’s important for her to understand the logical connection of what happened, because everything was fine, but here you go)
Varya begins to freak out even more, tears are already visible from resentment.
And right away it’s better not to touch it at all. Because this will only aggravate the situation, and not an elephant, but a DINOSAUR will grow out of a fly))) After 5 minutes, you can drive up to her with clean cheesecakes, or after 10-15 she will get tired of sulking and she will be able to switch to something herself.
And she has a lot of grievances, she came up with them herself - she herself was offended.

Rational.
The hardest thing is to define. It also feels like she is consistent and doesn’t rush around in decisions/actions. If she is very correct, if she knows how to do it correctly, she will certainly insert it into the conversation. If he doesn’t know, then he asks “.., right, mom?”
She can be stubborn and likes everything “to be her way.”
Loves to teach. “Mom, it’s raining. Why didn't you take an umbrella? What, did you forget? Quite a cuckoo?”
Well, she’s not at all like Napoleon, she’s too soft, even children younger than her can push her aside if they’re stronger (for example, a sensory+logician has a stronger will), and she doesn’t defend her interests well.”

I was able to determine the type of my nieces (one at the age of 4, the other at 8 years old). And I didn’t have to do anything special - it just caught my eye.

One is a thin, shy 8-year-old girl Katya. He loves to create a good mood. When my mother and her grandmother are sitting on the sofa and talking calmly, Katya says to me: “Let's go entertain them! Let me read a poem, and you announce me!” I go out to my mother and aunt and announce: “The best poetry reader in the city, Katya, is performing!” Then Katya swims in and starts reading a poem, then another, then a third. Then he will sing a song and dance. And, most importantly, he looks - did the audience have fun?

Once upon a time, many years ago, Paris was full of homeless children, like the forest is full of birds. The birds are called sparrows, the boys are called gamens. Read...

In those days, on the Boulevard Temple one could often meet a boy of eleven or twelve years old, a real gamen. He was wearing long men's pants and a women's jacket. But the pants were not my father’s, and the jacket was not my mother’s. Out of pity, strangers dressed him in these rags. Read...

In Paris, there are often cold days in the spring, when you might think that January has returned. Read...

In those days, there was a strange structure on the Place de la Bastille - a huge wooden elephant, plastered on the outside. On his back was a tower resembling a house; It was once painted green, but rains and bad weather turned it black. Read...

In the spring of 1832, important events unfolded in France. The French people - workers, artisans, all working people could no longer tolerate hunger, poverty and oppression of the government, which consisted of the rich - selfish bankers and factory owners. Riots broke out in different cities of the country. They were suppressed, but they immediately flared up in other places. Paris was also preparing for an uprising. Read...

A detachment of armed workers and students went deeper into the ancient quarter, where the streets were narrow and houses of different sizes and strange constructions stood at random. From the Rue Saint-Denis the detachment turned onto the Rue Chanvrerie. This street ended in a narrow alley, blocked by a row of tall buildings. It seemed to be a dead end, but there were passages on both sides. Read...

Night fell, but the troops did not appear. All that could be heard was a vague hum and, at times, light gunfire, but rare and distant. Read...

Dawn came, but the windows and doors remained closed. Nature woke up, but people showed no signs of life. The troops occupying the end of the Rue Chanvrerie were removed; The surrounding streets were also empty. This desolation seemed especially scary in the bright light of day. Read...

At the barricade they suddenly noticed that Gavroche was standing in the street right under the gunfire.

About the towel: Have you ever wondered where the ordinary towel we hold in our hands every morning comes from?

Miracle berry: In its shape, a pumpkin resembles a watermelon, but its color is different; it can be from light yellow to a greenish tint. Typically, pumpkins weigh between four and nine kilograms.

expanded polystyrene: Expanded polystyrene is the basis of thermal houses and has long been used in construction. It uses PSV-S polystyrene, which does not support combustion. In addition, polystyrene contains additives that rodents will not like...

Furniture : “iSaloni” traditionally enjoys great popularity among buyers and is rightfully considered the most significant event in the world of design. It attracts a huge number of people from all over the world every year.

Furniture maker: This spring, for the 52nd time, the largest furniture exhibition in Europe, iSaloni, took place in Milan, also known as the Salone del Mobile di Milano.

Furniture maker: Expanded polystyrene is the basis of thermal houses and has long been used in construction. It uses PSV-S polystyrene, which does not support combustion.

Homeownership: House designs are varied. There are standard and individual ones. A typical project contains drawings, explanatory notes for them and a work plan. An individual design project is developed taking into account the wishes of the customer.

New: Some teachers and psychologists are of the opinion that quiet children are not as good as they seem at first glance.

New: We will talk about NVIDIA GeForce Titan - this is the name that the new gaming video card will most likely receive

New: IT giant Lenovo has decided to follow the largest hardware manufacturer ASUS and refuse to use the Windows RT operating system.

New: Every driver can experience such a life situation as an accident, but not everyone knows what and how to do in such situations.

New publications: Eschscholzia (wormwood) - belongs to the poppy family. Eschscholzia is an annual plant with a tap root.

New publications: The Lec company has a new brainchild: a small, but nevertheless, refrigerator T5029 with a freezer compartment

New publications: If you live where it snows, chances are you've noticed and know what rust is on your car.

New publications: Fan palmette is used primarily to form dwarf trees using permanent supports.

Publications: An original soap in the form of an ice cream on a stick, which you can make with your own hands at home.

Publications: In the 19th century, Norway ceased to be an independent country. This happened because of the union concluded with the Swedes.

Publications: If you have problems with time, but you still want to engage in bodybuilding, then you should reduce your training to three key exercises.

Publications: The basic principles of shaping and pruning a pear are the same as for an apple tree. When forming the crown, it should be taken into account that it has a more pronounced central conductor.

Lobelia: Lobelia (bellflower family) is an annual rhizomatous plant.

Lunnitsa: Lunaria (lunaria) - belongs to the cabbage family. This herbaceous plant is biennial. The stem of the moonflower reaches a height of about seventy centimeters and is erect.

Relationships: The choice of wedding rings for newlyweds is a very important issue. As a rule, a couple in love chooses wedding rings together.

Once upon a time, many years ago, Paris was full of homeless children, like the forest is full of birds. The birds are called sparrows, the guys are called gamens.

These were boys from seven to eleven years old. They usually lived in flocks. Their parents, tortured by poverty and hard work, could not, and sometimes did not want, to take care of them. But the gamemen did not lose heart. They didn’t have lunch every day, but every day, if they wanted, they made their way to the theater. Sometimes they had no shirt on their bodies, no shoes on their feet, and no roof over their heads. They wandered the streets all day and spent the night anywhere. They were dressed in their father's old pants, which dragged on the ground. Their head was covered with someone's old hat, which slid down to the very nose.

To get into the company of Parisian gamens, one had to have considerable merit. One, for example, was held in high esteem because he saw a man fall from a bell tower, another because a stagecoach overturned before his eyes, a third because he knew a soldier who almost gouged out the eyes of someone important gentleman.

Strong fists were highly valued among them. Gamen loved to boast: “Look what a strong man I am, look!” Anyone who happened to be cut very deeply, “to the bone,” was considered a hero. Everyone was very jealous of the left-hander. The cross-eyed man was highly respected.

The gamens had constant clashes with the police, who raided little tramps at night. That’s why the gamen knew all the policemen by sight and name. He studied their habits and chose a nickname for each: “So-and-so is a traitor, so-and-so is a wicked one, that one is a giant, and that one is an eccentric. This one imagines that the New Bridge belongs to him alone, and does not allow a person to walk on the ledge behind the railing of the bridge, and he likes to pull people by the ears ... "

The Parisian gamen could be respectful, but he could also be a daring mocker. He had bad, rotten teeth because he ate poorly and little, and good, clear eyes because he thought a lot.

In those days, on the Boulevard Temple one could often meet a boy of eleven or twelve years old, a real gamen. He was wearing long men's pants and a women's jacket. But the pants were not my father’s, and the jacket was not my mother’s. Out of pity, strangers dressed him in these rags.

And he had both a father and a mother. But his father did not care about him, and his mother did not love him, so he could safely be called an orphan.

He felt at ease only on the street. He was a pale and sickly boy, but agile, dexterous, smart and a great joker.

He was constantly on the move: he wandered the streets, singing songs, rummaged in the gutters, stole little by little, but easily and cheerfully, like cats or sparrows, he laughed when they called him a scoundrel, and got angry when they called him a tramp.

He had no shelter, no bread, no one to warm him and caress him, but he did not grieve. However, no matter how abandoned he was, it still sometimes occurred to him: “I’ll go see my mother.” He parted with his usual places, with noisy squares and boulevards, went down to the embankments, crossed bridges and eventually reached a suburb inhabited by the poor.

There, in a squalid shack, lived the family of a cheerful boy. He came, saw grief and poverty all around, but what is saddest of all is that he did not see a single friendly smile here; the empty hearth was cold, and the hearts were cold.

When he appeared, they asked him: “Where are you from?” He answered: “From the street.”

When he left, they asked him: “Where are you going?” “To the street,” he answered.

And his mother shouted after him: “What did you need here?”

The boy lived without seeing love and care, like colorless grass that grows in cellars. He did not suffer from this and did not blame anyone. He didn't even know exactly what kind of father and mother he should be.

We forgot to say that on the Boulevard Temple this gameman was nicknamed Gavroche.

In Paris, there are often cold days in the spring, when you might think that January has returned.

One chilly April evening, Gavroche stood on a crowded street, in front of the brightly lit window of a large hairdressing salon, and shivered chillily. Around his neck he had a woolen scarf, picked up somewhere unknown. He seemed to watch with rapt curiosity as the waxen female head, intricately combed and decorated with flowers, turned in all directions and smiled at passers-by.

In fact, Gavroche was watching what was happening inside the hairdresser's, hoping to seize a moment and steal a bar of soap from the window, and then sell it for a few sous to a barber in the suburbs. He often happened to earn his lunch this way. He was a cunning man in such matters and called it “the barber’s shave.”

Admiring the wax beauty and aiming at a bar of soap, he muttered to himself:

- On Tuesday... no, not on Tuesday! Or maybe on Tuesday... Yes, that's right, on Tuesday!

He tried to remember the last time he had lunch. It turned out that it was three days ago.

In a bright and warm room, the barber was shaving the next visitor, and he himself glanced sideways at the enemy, at the frozen, impudent boy who stood by the window, with his hands in his pockets, and was clearly plotting some kind of trick.

But suddenly Gavroche saw two boys smaller than him enter the barber shop: one about seven years old, the other about five, both well dressed. It was difficult to make out what they wanted - they both spoke at once. The younger one cried incessantly, and the older one’s teeth were chattering from the cold. The hairdresser turned around angrily, pushed the guys out into the street, not listening to anything, and shouted after them:

“They’re hanging around in vain, they’re just letting in the cold!”

-What are you crying about, kids?

“We have nowhere to spend the night,” answered the eldest.

“Let’s go, sir,” answered the elder.

The children, having stopped crying, trustingly followed Gavroche. As he left, Gavroche looked back at the hairdresser with indignation.

- Heartless brute! - he grumbled. - A real snake! Listen, barber, I'll call a locksmith and have you put a ratchet on your tail.

The barber put him in a fighting mood. Jumping over a puddle, he saw an old woman with a broom in her hands and asked her:

- Madam, have you decided to ride your horse?

And then he threw mud on the patent leather shoes of a passerby.

- Blockhead! – a passer-by shouted angrily.

Gavroche poked his nose out of his handkerchief:

- Who do you want to complain about, sir?

- At you! - a passer-by barked.

– The office is already closed, I don’t accept any more complaints.

Passing by some gates, he noticed a beggar woman, a girl of thirteen or fourteen years old, shivering from the cold.

“Poor thing, she’s completely naked.” Here, take it! - And, taking off his warm woolen scarf, he unfolded it and threw it over the thin shoulders of the beggar woman.

The girl looked at him in surprise and silently accepted the gift. And Gavroche only shrank even more from the cold. Just at this time the rain began to fall again.

- What a disgrace, it’s raining again! - Gavroche cried. – I don’t like this anymore. Well, don't care! – he added, seeing how the beggar woman was wrapping herself in a scarf. “But she will be warm, she’s like wearing a fur coat now.”

Passing by the bakery, Gavroche turned to the guys:

- Kids, did you have lunch today?

“Sir, we haven’t eaten anything since the morning,” answered the eldest.

- Apparently you have neither a father nor a mother? – Gavroche asked in the tone of an adult.

- What are you talking about, sir! We have both mom and dad, but we don’t know where they are. We all walked down the street looking for something to eat and found nothing.