The motive of the loss of the shadow in the fairy tale by G.Kh. Andersen's "Shadow" and Chamisso's fairy tale "The Amazing Adventures of Peter Schlemel"

This is where the sun shines - in hot countries! People sunbathe there until their skin becomes the color of mahogany, and in the hottest days it becomes black, like that of blacks.

But for now we will only talk about hot countries: one scientist came here from cold ones. He was thinking about running around the city, just like at home, but he soon lost the habit and, as everyone smart people, began to sit at home all day with the shutters and doors closed. One would think that the whole house was asleep or that no one was home. Narrow street, built up tall buildings, was located in such a way that it was roasting in the sun from morning to evening, and I simply did not have the strength to endure this heat! To the scientist who came from cold countries - he was a smart man and still young - it seemed as if he was sitting in a hot furnace. The heat greatly affected his health. He lost weight, and even his shadow somehow shrank and became much smaller than it was at home: the heat affected it too. Both of them - the scientist and the shadow - came to life only with the onset of evening.

And really, it was a pleasure to look at them! As soon as a candle was brought into the room, the shadow stretched across the entire wall, even capturing part of the ceiling - after all, she needed to stretch well in order to gain strength again.

The scientist went out onto the balcony and also stretched, and as soon as the stars lit up in the clear evening sky, he felt that he was being reborn to life again. People also went out onto all the other balconies - and in hot countries there is a balcony in front of every window: Fresh air necessary even for those who don’t care about being mahogany-colored!

Liveliness reigned both below - on the street and above - on the balconies. Shoemakers, tailors and other working people all poured out into the street, carried tables and chairs onto the sidewalks and lit candles. There were hundreds of them; these candles, and people - some sang, some talked, some just walked. Carriages rolled along the pavement and donkeys trotted along. Ding-ding-ding! - they jingled their bells. Passed here singing funeral procession, there street boys blew up firecrackers on the pavement and the bells rang.

Yes, there was excitement everywhere. It was quiet in only one house, which stood just opposite the one where the scientist lived. And yet this house was not empty: there were flowers on the balcony in the very sun; without watering they could not have bloomed so magnificently; someone had to water them! Therefore, someone lived in the house. The door to the balcony was opened in the evenings, but the rooms themselves were always dark, at least the one facing the street. And somewhere in the depths of the house music sounded. The scientist heard something marvelously beautiful in it, but perhaps it only seemed so to him: in his opinion, here, in hot countries, everything was beautiful; one problem - the sun! The owner of the house where the scientist settled also did not know who lived in the house opposite: not a soul was ever shown there, and as for the music, he found it terribly boring.

“It’s like someone sits and hammers away at the same play, and nothing works out for him, but he keeps hammering away: they say, I’ll achieve my goal, and still nothing works out, no matter how much he plays.”

One night the scientist woke up; the door to the balcony stood wide open, the wind moved the curtains, and it seemed to him that the balcony of the house opposite was illuminated by some amazing radiance; the flowers glowed with the most wonderful colors, and between the flowers stood a slender, lovely girl who seemed to also glow. All this blinded him so much that the scientist opened his eyes even wider and then finally woke up. He jumped up, quietly walked to the door and stood behind the curtain, but the girl disappeared, the light and shine disappeared, and the flowers no longer glowed, but simply stood there, beautiful, as always. The door to the balcony was ajar, and from the depths of the house one could hear gentle, enchanting sounds of music that could carry anyone into the world of sweet dreams.

It all looked like witchcraft. Who lived there? Where exactly was the entrance to the house? The entire lower floor was occupied by shops - residents couldn’t constantly enter through them!

One evening the scientist was sitting on his balcony. A candle was burning in the room behind him, and quite naturally, his shadow fell on the wall of the house opposite. Furthermore, she even settled down between the flowers on the balcony, and as soon as the scientist moved, the shadow moved too - that’s just her property.

- Really, my shadow is the only thing Living being in that house,” the scientist said. - Look how cleverly she settled between the flowers. But the door is ajar. If only the shadow could figure out how to enter the house, look around, and then come back and tell me what she saw there. Yes, you would serve me well,” the scientist said as if jokingly. - Be kind, go in there! Well, are you coming?

And he nodded to the shadow, and the shadow answered him with a nod.

- Well, go, just make sure you don’t get lost there! With these words, the scientist stood up, and so did his shadow on the balcony opposite. The scientist turned - the shadow also turned, and if anyone had carefully watched them at that moment, they would have seen how the shadow slid into the half-open balcony door of the house opposite just at the moment when the scientist left the balcony into the room and lowered the with a curtain.

The next morning, the scientist went out to the pastry shop to drink coffee and read newspapers.

- What's happened? - he said, stepping out into the sun. – I don’t have a shadow! Therefore, she really left last night and did not return. What a shame!

He felt unpleasant, not so much because the shadow was gone, but because he remembered the story about a man without a shadow, known to everyone in his homeland, in cold countries. If he returned home now and told what happened to him, everyone would say that he embarked on an imitation, but he had no need for it. That's why he decided not to even mention the incident with the shadow and did it smartly.

In the evening, he again went out onto the balcony and placed the candle right behind him, knowing that the shadow always tries to shield its owner from the light. But he failed to lure his shadow out in this way. He sat down and straightened up - there was no shadow, the shadow did not appear. He chuckled - what's the point?

It was a shame, but in hot countries everything grows unusually quickly, and a week later the scientist, going out into the sun, to his great pleasure, noticed that his feet began to grow new shadow- the roots of the old one must have remained. Three weeks later he already had a tolerable shadow, and during the scientist’s return trip to his homeland it grew even larger and in the end it became so big and long that it was even shorter.

So, the scientist returned home and began to write books about truth, goodness and beauty. Days passed, years passed... Many years passed.

And he was sitting at home one evening when suddenly he heard a quiet knock on the door.

- Come in! - he said, but no one entered. Then he opened the door himself and saw an unusually skinny man in front of him, so that he even felt somehow strange. However, he was dressed very elegantly, like a gentleman. – Who do I have the honor of speaking to? - asks the scientist.

Philosophical and deep tale about how the shadow left its owner, the professor, and began to live its own life. And then she completely got rid of the owner. Recommended for children over 9 years old.

Shadow read

That's where the sun burns - it's in hot countries! People sunbathe there until they become red-skinned, and in the hottest countries - black, like blacks. But for now we will only talk about hot countries; A scientist came here from cold countries. He was thinking about running around the city, like in his homeland, but he soon weaned himself from this and, like all prudent people, began to sit at home all day with the shutters and doors tightly closed. One would think that the whole house was asleep or that no one was home. The narrow street, lined with tall houses, was roasted in the sun from morning to evening; I just didn’t have the strength to endure this heat! To the scientist who came from cold countries - he was a smart man and still young - it seemed as if he was sitting in a hot stove. The heat greatly affected his health; he grew thin, and even his shadow somehow shrank, became much smaller than it was in cold countries; the heat affected her. Both of them - the scientist and the shadow - came to life only with the onset of evening.

And, really, it was nice to look at them! As soon as candles were brought into the room, the shadow stretched across the entire wall, even capturing part of the ceiling - after all, she had to stretch thoroughly in order to straighten her limbs and gain strength again. The scientist went out onto the balcony and also stretched to stretch, admired the clear evening sky, in which golden stars were lit, and felt that he was being reborn to life again. On all the other balconies - and in hot countries there is a balcony in front of every window - people could also be seen; It is still necessary to breathe air - even for those whom the sun has made red-skinned. Liveliness reigned both below, on the sidewalks of the street, and above, on the balconies. Shoemakers, tailors and other working people all poured out into the street, carried tables and chairs there and lit candles. Life was in full swing everywhere; the streets were illuminated with thousands of lights, people - some were singing, some were talking to their neighbors, a mass of people were moving along the sidewalks, carriages were rolling along the pavement, pack donkeys were making their way here, jingling their bells, there was a funeral procession stretching out, singing psalms, the crackling of firecrackers being thrown was heard the street boys hit the pavement, the ringing of bells was heard... Yes, life was in full swing everywhere! It was quiet only in one house, which stood just opposite the one where the scientist lived. The house, however, was not uninhabited: there were wonderful flowers on the balcony; Without watering, they could not have bloomed so luxuriantly; someone watered them, which means someone lived in the house. The door leading to the balcony also opened in the evenings, but the rooms themselves were always dark, at least in the first one. Music could be heard from the back rooms. The scientist found her marvelously beautiful, but it may turn out that it only seemed so to him: in his opinion, here, in hot countries, everything was beautiful; one problem - the sun! The owner of the house where the scientist lived said that he also did not know who lived in the neighboring house: not a single living soul had ever appeared there; As for music, he found it terribly boring.

It’s as if someone sits and hammers away at the same play over and over again. Things are not going well; and he continues, they say, “I’ll achieve my goal!” In vain, however, he tries, nothing comes of it!

One night the scientist woke up; the door to the balcony stood open, and the wind threw open the curtains; the scientist looked at the opposite house, and it seemed to him that the balcony was illuminated by some strange radiance; the flowers glowed with wonderful multi-colored lights, and between the flowers stood a slender, lovely girl, who also seemed to be surrounded by radiance. All this sparkle and light hurt the scientist’s eyes, wide open from sleep. He jumped up and quietly approached the door, but the girl had already disappeared, the shine and light too. The flowers no longer glowed with lights, but stood calmly, as always. The door from the front room to the balcony was half open, and from the depths of the house came gentle, enchanting sounds of music that could carry anyone into the kingdom of sweet dreams and daydreams!..

It all looked like some kind of witchcraft! Who lived there? Where exactly was the entrance to the house? The entire lower floor was occupied by shops - residents weren’t constantly walking through them!

One evening the scientist was sitting on his balcony; a candle was burning in the room behind him, and it was quite natural that his shadow was located on the wall of the opposite house; it even fit on the balcony itself, right between the flowers; As soon as the scientist moved, the shadow moved too - she can do this.

With these words, the scientist stood up, and so did his shadow, sitting on the opposite balcony; the scientist turned - the shadow also turned, and if anyone had watched them carefully at that time, they would have seen how the shadow slid into the half-open balcony door mysterious house when the scientist left the balcony into the room and pulled the curtain behind him.

In the morning, the scientist went to the pastry shop to drink coffee and read newspapers.

What does it mean? - he said, stepping out into the sun. - I don't have a shadow! So she really left last night and didn't come back? Quite an unpleasant story!

And he got angry, not so much because the shadow had gone, but because he remembered famous story about a man without a shadow, which everyone knew in his homeland, in cold countries: if he now returned there and told his story, everyone would say that he set out to imitate others, but he did not need it at all. Therefore, he decided not to even mention the incident with the shadow and did it smartly.

In the evening he again went out onto the balcony and put a candle behind him, knowing that the shadow always tries to shield its master from the light; However, he failed to lure out the shadow with this maneuver. He sat down and straightened up to his full height - the shadow still did not appear. He chuckled thoughtfully, but that didn't help either.

It was a shame, but, fortunately, in hot countries everything grows and ripens unusually quickly, and a week later the scientist, going out into the sun, noticed to his great pleasure that a new shadow began to grow from his feet - it must be roots remained old. After three weeks, he already had a fairly tolerable shadow, which, during the scientist’s return trip to his homeland, grew even larger and in the end became so large and long that it was even shorter.

The scientist returned home and began to write books that talked about truth, goodness and beauty. So days and years passed, many years passed.

One evening, when he was sitting at home, he heard a quiet knock on the door.

Sign in! - he said, but no one came in; then he opened the door himself - an incredibly thin man stood in front of him; He was dressed, however, very elegantly, like a noble gentleman.

Who do I have the honor of speaking to? - asked the scientist.

“I thought so,” said the elegant gentleman, “that you wouldn’t recognize me!” I gained physicality, acquired flesh and a dress! Of course, you never expected to meet me so prosperously. But do you still not recognize your former shadow? Yes, you probably thought that I wouldn’t come back again? I have been very lucky since I left you. In all respects I have won a strong position in the world and can buy myself out of service whenever I wish!

At these words, he jingled a whole bunch of expensive key rings hanging on a watch chain, and then began to play with his thick gold chain which he wore around his neck. His fingers sparkled with diamond rings! And the gold and stones were real, not fake!

I just can’t come to my senses from surprise! - said the scientist. - What it is?

Yes, this phenomenon is not entirely ordinary, it’s true! - said the shadow. - But you yourself are not one of the ordinary people, and as you know, I have followed in your footsteps since childhood. As soon as you found that I was mature enough to live on my own, I went my own way and achieved. as you can see, complete well-being, but something was sad for you, I wanted to see you before you died - you must die! - and by the way, take another look at these lands. You always retain love for your homeland!.. I know that you now have a new shadow; tell me, don’t I owe her or you anything? Just say the word and I'll pay.

No, is it really you?! - the scientist cried. - What a miracle, so wonderful! I would never have believed that my old shadow would return to me, and as a human being at that!

Tell me, don't I owe you? - the shadow asked again. - I wouldn’t want to be in anyone’s debt!

What kind of talk! - said the scientist. - What a debt! You are completely free! I am incredibly happy about your happiness! Sit down, old friend, and tell me how it all happened and what you saw in that house opposite?

I'll tell you now! - said the shadow and sat down. - But on the condition that you give me your word not to tell anyone here in the city - wherever you meet me - that I was once your shadow! I'm going to get married! I am able to support more than one family!

Stay calm! - said the scientist. - No one will know who you really are! Here's my hand! I give you my word! But the word is a person...

The word is a shadow! - the shadow finished - she couldn’t express herself any other way.

In general, the scientist could only be amazed at how much human there was in her, starting with the dress itself: a black pair of thin cloth, patent leather boots on her feet, and in her hands a cylinder that could be folded, so that only the bottom and the brim remained of it; We have already talked about key chains, a gold chain and diamond rings. Yes, the shadow was dressed perfectly, and this, in fact, gave it the appearance of a real person.

Now I'll tell you! - said the shadow and pressed his feet in patent leather boots on the sleeve of the scientist’s new shadow, which, like a dog, lay at his feet.

Why she did this, whether out of arrogance, or perhaps in the hope of gluing it to her feet, is unknown. The shadow lying on the floor did not even move, turning entirely into hearing: she really wanted to know how she could achieve freedom and become her own master.

Do you know who lived in that house? - asked former shadow. - Something most beautiful in the world is Poetry itself! I spent three weeks there, and it’s the same as living in the world for three thousand years and reading everything that was composed and written by poets - I assure you! I have seen everything and know everything - and this is the absolute truth!

Poetry! - the scientist cried. - Yes Yes! She often lives as a hermit in big cities! Poetry! I only saw her briefly, and even then I was still sleepy! She stood on the balcony and sparkled like the northern lights! Tell me, tell me! You were on the balcony, walked through the door and...?

And he got to the front! - picked up the shadow. - You always sat and looked at the front. It was not illuminated, and there was some kind of twilight in it, but through the open door a whole suite of illuminated chambers could be seen. This light would have completely destroyed me if I had immediately entered the maiden, but I was prudent and bided my time. This is how you should always do it!

And what did you see there? - asked the scientist.

Everything, and I will tell you about everything, but... You see, I’m not out of pride, but... in view of the freedom and knowledge that I have, not to mention my position in the world... I would very much like you to contact me on you.

Ah, please excuse me! - said the scientist. - This is me out of old habit!.. You are absolutely right! And I'll try to remember that! But tell me what you saw there?!

All! - answered the shadow. - I saw everything and know everything!

What did these inner chambers resemble? - asked the scientist. - Is the green forest fresh? Or a holy temple? Or did it open to your gaze starry sky, visible only from mountain heights?

Everything was there! - said the shadow. - I, however, did not enter the chamber itself, I remained in the hallway, in the twilight, but there I felt great, I saw everything, and I know everything! I spent so much time in the hallway at the Court of Poetry.

But what did you see there? Majestic processions of the ancient gods? The struggle of the heroes of hoary antiquity? Games of cute children babbling about their wonderful dreams?..

I'm telling you, I was there, therefore, I saw everything that could be seen! If you had appeared there, you would not have become a man, but I became one! I learned there my own nature, my natural affinity with poetry. Yes, in those days when I was with you, I still didn’t think about anything like that. But just remember how amazingly I always grew at sunrise and sunset! In the moonlight I was almost more noticeable than you! But then I still didn’t understand my nature; it only dawned on me in the hallway! There I became a man, fully matured. But you were no longer in hot countries; meanwhile, I, as a person, was already embarrassed to show myself in my previous form: I needed boots, a decent dress, in a word, I needed all this external human gloss by which one is recognized as a person. And so I found refuge for myself... Yes, I confess this to you, you won’t print it: I found refuge for myself under the skirt of a sweets seller! The woman had no idea what she was hiding! I only went out in the evenings, ran around moonlight along the streets, stretched out at full length on the walls - it tickles your back so nicely! He ran up the walls, ran down, looked into the windows of the highest floors, looked into the halls and attics, looked into places where no one could look, saw what no one should have seen! And I learned how low the light really is! Really, I wouldn’t even want to be human, if only it weren’t once and for all accepted to consider this something special! I noticed the most incredible things in women, in men, in parents, even in sweet, incomparable children. “I saw something,” the shadow added, “that no one should have, but that everyone so wanted to see—the secret vices and sins of people.” If I had written in the newspapers, they would have read me! But I wrote directly to the interested parties themselves and instilled such fear in everyone and everywhere I went! Everyone was so afraid of me and loved me so much! The professors recognized me as their colleague, the tailors dressed me - I now have plenty of dresses - the miners minted coins for me, and the women admired my beauty! And so I became what I am. And now I will say goodbye to you; here's my card. I live on the sunny side and in rainy weather I’m always at home!

With these words the shadow left.

How strange it is! - said the scientist.

Days and years passed; suddenly the shadow again appeared to the scientist.

Well how are you? - she asked.

Alas! - answered the scientist. “I write about truth, goodness and beauty, but no one cares about that.” I'm just desperate; This makes me so sad!

But I’m not there! - said the shadow. - That’s why I’m getting fatter, and this is the most important thing! Yes, you don’t know how to live in the world! You'll probably get sick again. You need to travel a little. I'm just planning to take a short trip this summer - would you like to come with me? I need company on the road, so won’t you go... as my shadow? Really, your company would give me great pleasure; I will, of course, bear all the costs!

No, that's too much! - the scientist got angry.

But how can you look at the matter! - said the shadow. - The trip would bring you great benefit! And as soon as you agree to be my shadow, you will go with everything ready!

This is out of hand! - the scientist cried.

Such is the light, said the shadow. - He will remain that way!

And the shadow left. The scientist felt bad, and grief and worries still haunted him: he wrote about truth, goodness and beauty, and people understood as much about all this as cows in roses. Finally he became completely ill.

You are unrecognizable, you have become just a shadow! - people said to the scientist, and a shiver ran through his body from the thought that came to his mind at these words.

You should go somewhere on the water! - said the shadow, which turned towards him again. - There is nothing else left for you! I am ready to take you with me for the sake of an old acquaintance. I will cover all travel expenses, and you will describe our trip and pleasantly entertain me along the way. I'm going to the waters; my beard doesn’t grow as it should, and this is a kind of disease - you have to have a beard! Well, be wise and accept my offer; After all, we will go as comrades.

And off they went. The shadow became the master, and the master became the shadow. They were inseparable: they rode, talked, and always walked together - sometimes side by side, sometimes a shadow in front of the scientist, sometimes behind, depending on the position of the sun. But the shadow perfectly knew how to behave like a master, and the scientist, out of the kindness of his heart, did not even notice it. He was generally so nice warm-hearted man, and one day just say to the shadow:

We are comrades now, and we grew up together - let’s have a drink, it will be like friends!

There really is a lot of sincere goodwill in your words! - said the shadow - now, in fact, she was the master. - And I also want to be frank with you. You, as a scientist, probably know what oddities human nature has! Some, for example, find it unpleasant to touch gray paper, others shudder with their whole body if they run a nail across the glass. This same feeling takes over me when you tell me you. I feel completely depressed, as if reduced to my previous position. You see that this is just a painful feeling, and not pride on my part. I cannot allow you to tell me you, but I myself will willingly tell you you; in this way, your wish will be fulfilled at least half.

And so the shadow began to say to its former master, you.

“This, however, is out of the question,” thought the scientist. “I have to address him informally, but he pokes me.” But there was nothing to do.

Finally they arrived at the waters. There was a large gathering of foreigners at the waters. Among the visitors was a beautiful princess who suffered from an overly keen eye, and this is no joke, even if it frightens anyone.

She immediately noticed that the newly arrived foreigner was not at all like all the other people.

Although they say that he came here to grow a beard, you can’t fool me: I see that he simply cannot cast shadows!

Her curiosity was piqued, and without hesitation, she approached the stranger on a walk and entered into a conversation with him. As a princess, she, without further ado, told him:

Your illness is that you cannot cast shadows from yourself!

And Your Royal Highness must be close to recovery! - said the shadow. - I know that you suffered from too keen an eye - now, as you can see, you have been healed of your illness! I just have a very unusual shadow. Or have you not noticed the person who constantly follows me? All other people have ordinary shadows, but in general I am the enemy of everything ordinary, and just as others dress their servants in liveries made of finer cloth than they wear themselves, so I dressed up my shadow as a real person and even attached, as you see, a shadow to it ! All this, of course, costs me a lot, but in such cases I’m not responsible for the expenses!

“That's it! - thought the princess. - So I really recovered? Yes, these waters are the best in the world! It must be admitted that in our time waters truly have amazing power. But I won’t leave yet - now it will be even more interesting here. I really like this foreigner. Just don’t let his beard grow, otherwise he’ll leave!”

In the evening there was a ball, and the princess danced with a shadow. The princess danced easily, but the shadow danced even easier; The princess had never met such a dancer. She told him which country she came from, and it turned out that he knew that country and had even been there, but the princess was leaving at that time. He looked into windows everywhere, saw something and therefore could answer all the princess’s questions and even make such hints, from which she was completely amazed and began to consider him the smartest person in the world. His knowledge simply amazed her, and she was imbued with the deepest respect for him. Having danced with him again, she completely fell in love with him, and the shadow noticed this very well: the princess pierced her gentleman with her gaze. Having danced with the shadow again, the princess was ready to confess her love to her, but reason still prevailed, she thought about her country, state and people, which she had to govern. “He’s smart,” she said to herself, “and that’s wonderful; He dances amazingly, and that’s also good, but does he have thorough knowledge, which is also very important! We need to examine him."

And she again started a conversation with him and asked him the most difficult questions, which she herself could not answer.

The shadow made a surprised expression.

So you can't answer me! - said the princess.

I learned all this as a child! - answered the shadow. “I think even my shadow, which stands at the door, will be able to answer you.”

Your shadow?! - the princess was surprised. - It would be simply amazing!

“You see, I don’t say so,” said the shadow, “but I think that she can, - after all, she has been inseparable from me for so many years and has heard a lot from me! But, Your Royal Highness, let me draw your attention to one thing. My shadow is very proud to be considered a human, and if you do not want to put it in a bad mood, you should treat it like a human! Otherwise, she probably won’t be able to answer properly!

Well, I like it! - answered the princess and, going up to the scientist standing at the door, she spoke to him about the sun, about the moon, about external and internal sides and properties of human nature.

The scientist answered all her questions well and intelligently.

“What kind of person must this be,” thought the princess, “if even his shadow is so smart! It will be a real blessing for my people and state if I choose him as my wife. Yes, I will do that!”

And soon they resolved this issue among themselves. No one, however, was supposed to know anything until the princess returned home to her state.

No one, no one, not even my own shadow! - insisted the shadow, which had its own reasons.

At last they arrived in the country which the princess ruled when she was at home.

Listen, buddy! - the shadow said to the scientist. - Now I have achieved the highest happiness and human power and I want to do something for you too! You will stay with me, live in my palace, ride with me in the royal carriage and receive one hundred thousand riksdalers a year. But for that you must allow everyone to call you a shadow. You shouldn't even stutter that you were ever human! And once a year, on a sunny day, when I sit on the balcony in front of all the people, you will have to lie at my feet, as befits a shadow. I must tell you that I am marrying a princess; The wedding is tonight.

No, that's out of the question! - the scientist cried. - I don’t want this and I won’t do it! This would mean deceiving the whole country and the princess! I'll tell you everything! I’ll say that I’m a man, and you’re just a shadow in disguise - I’ll say everything, I’ll say everything!

Nobody will believe you! - said the shadow. - Well, be reasonable, otherwise I’ll call the guard!

I'll go straight to the princess! - said the scientist.

Well, I’ll get to her before you! - said the shadow. - And you will go under arrest.

And so it happened: the guards obeyed the one whom everyone knew the princess was marrying.

You're shaking! - said the princess when the shadow came to her. - Something happened? Don't get sick, look! After all, our wedding is tonight!

Oh, I just went through the most terrible moment! - said the shadow. - Think... How much, in essence, does the brains of some unfortunate shadow need!.. Think about it, my shadow has gone crazy, imagined itself as a man, and calls me - just think - its shadow!

Horrible! - said the princess. - I hope it was locked?

Of course, but I'm afraid she'll never come to her senses!

Information for parents: The shadow is magical and cautionary tale Hans Christian Andersen. It tells about a shadow and its owner, who switched places. The tale is recommended for reading to children aged 8 to 11 years. The text of the fairy tale “Shadow” is written in a fascinating way. Happy reading to you and your little ones.

Read the fairy tale Shadow

That's where the sun burns - it's in hot countries! People sunbathe there until they become red-skinned, and in the hottest countries - black, like blacks. But for now we will only talk about hot countries. A scientist came here from cold countries. At first he thought of running around the city, as in his homeland, but he soon weaned himself from this and, like all prudent people, began to sit at home all day with the shutters and doors tightly closed. One would think that the whole house was asleep or that no one was there. The narrow street, lined with tall houses, was roasted in the sun from morning to evening; I just didn’t have the strength to endure this heat! To the scientist who came from cold countries - he was a smart man and still young - it seemed as if he was sitting in a hot stove. The heat greatly affected his health; he grew thin, and even his shadow somehow shrank, became much smaller than it was in cold countries; the heat affected her. Both of them - the scientist and the shadow - came to life only with the onset of evening.

And, really, it was nice to look at them! As soon as candles were brought into the room, the shadow stretched across the entire wall, even capturing part of the ceiling - after all, it had to stretch well in order to straighten out and gain strength again. The scientist went out onto the balcony and also stretched to stretch, admired the clear evening sky, in which golden stars were lit, and felt that he was being reborn to life again. On all the other balconies - and in hot countries there is a balcony in front of every window - people could also be seen; It is still necessary to breathe air - even for those whom the sun has made red-skinned.

Liveliness reigned both below, on the sidewalks of the street, and above, on the balconies. Shoemakers, tailors and other working people all poured out into the street, carried tables and chairs there and lit candles. Life was in full swing everywhere; the streets were illuminated by thousands of lights, people - some were singing, some were talking to their neighbors, a mass of people were moving along the sidewalks, carriages were rolling along the pavement, pack donkeys were making their way here, ringing bells, there was a funeral procession singing psalms, the crackling of firecrackers thrown on the pavement could be heard street boys, the sound of bells was heard... Yes, life was in full swing everywhere! It was quiet only in one house, which stood just opposite the one where the scientist lived. The house, however, was not uninhabited: there were wonderful flowers on the balcony; Without watering, they could not have bloomed so luxuriantly; someone watered them, which means someone lived in the house. The door leading to the balcony also opened in the evenings, but the rooms themselves were always dark, at least in the first one. Music could be heard from the back rooms. The scientist found her marvelously beautiful, but it may turn out that it only seemed so to him: in his opinion, here, in hot countries, everything was beautiful; one problem - the sun! The owner of the house where the scientist lived said that he also did not know who lived in the neighboring house: not a single living soul had ever appeared there; As for music, he found it terribly boring.

It’s as if someone sits and hammers away at the same play over and over again. Things are not going well; and he continues, they say, “I’ll achieve my goal!” In vain, however, he tries, nothing comes of it!

One night the scientist woke up; the door to the balcony stood open, and the wind threw open the curtains; the scientist looked at the opposite house, and it seemed to him that the balcony was illuminated by some strange radiance; the flowers glowed with wonderful multi-colored lights, and between the flowers stood a slender, lovely girl, who also seemed surrounded by radiance. All this sparkle and light hurt the scientist’s eyes, which were wide open from sleep. He jumped up and quietly approached the door, but the girl had already disappeared, the shine and light too. The flowers no longer glowed with lights, but stood calmly, as always. The door from the front room to the balcony was half open, and from the depths of the house came gentle, enchanting sounds of music that could carry anyone into the kingdom of sweet dreams and daydreams!..

It all looked like some kind of witchcraft! Who lived there? Where exactly was the entrance to the house? The entire lower floor was occupied by shops - residents weren’t constantly walking through them!

One evening the scientist was sitting on his balcony; a candle was burning in the room behind him, and it was quite natural that his shadow was located on the wall of the opposite house; she even fit on the balcony itself between the flowers; As soon as the scientist moved, the shadow moved too - she can do this.

With these words, the scientist stood up, and so did his shadow, sitting on the opposite balcony. The scientist turned - the shadow also turned, and if anyone had watched them carefully at that time, they would have seen how the shadow slid into the half-open balcony door of the mysterious house, when the scientist left the balcony into the room and pulled the curtain behind him.
In the morning, the scientist went to the pastry shop to drink coffee and read newspapers.

What does it mean? - he said, stepping out into the sun. - I don't have a shadow! So she really left last night and didn't come back? Quite an unpleasant story!

And he became angry not so much because the shadow had gone, but because he remembered the well-known story about a man without a shadow, which everyone knew in his homeland, in cold countries: if he had returned there now and told his story, everyone would have said that he set out to imitate others, but he did not need it at all. Therefore, he decided not to even mention the incident with the shadow and did it smartly.

In the evening he again went out onto the balcony and put a candle behind him, knowing that the shadow always tries to shield its master from the light; However, he failed to lure out the shadow with this maneuver. He sat down and straightened up to his full height - the shadow still did not appear. He chuckled thoughtfully, but that didn't help either.

It was a shame, but, fortunately, in hot countries everything grows and ripens unusually quickly, and a week later the scientist, going out into the sun, noticed to his great pleasure that a new shadow began to grow from his feet - it must be roots remained old. After three weeks, he already had a fairly tolerable shadow, which, during the scientist’s return trip to his homeland, grew even larger and in the end became so large and long that it was even shorter.

The scientist returned home and began to write books that talked about truth, goodness and beauty. So days and years passed, many years passed.

One evening, when he was sitting at home, he heard a quiet knock on the door.

Sign in! - he said, but no one came in; then he opened the door himself - an incredibly thin man stood in front of him; He was dressed, however, very elegantly, like a noble gentleman.

Who do I have the honor of speaking to? - asked the scientist.

“I thought so,” said the elegant gentleman, “that you wouldn’t recognize me!” I gained physicality, acquired flesh and a dress! Of course, you never expected to meet me so prosperously. But do you still not recognize your former shadow? Yes, you probably thought that I wouldn’t come back again? I have been very lucky since I left you. In all respects I have won a strong position in the world and can buy myself out of service whenever I wish!

At these words, he jingled with a whole bunch of expensive key rings hanging on his watch chain, and then began to play with the thick gold chain that he wore around his neck. His fingers sparkled with diamond rings! And the gold and stones were real, not fake!

I just can’t come to my senses from surprise! - said the scientist. - What it is?

Yes, this phenomenon is not entirely ordinary, it’s true! - said the shadow. - But you yourself are not one of the ordinary people, and I, as you know, have followed in your footsteps since childhood. As soon as you found that I was mature enough to live on my own, I went my own way, achieved, as you can see, complete prosperity, but something was sad without you, I wanted to see you before you died - you must die! - and, by the way, take another look at these lands. You always retain love for your homeland!.. I know that you now have a new shadow; tell me, don’t I owe her or you anything? Just say the word and I'll pay.

No, is it really you?! - the scientist cried. - What a miracle, so wonderful! I would never have believed that my old shadow would return to me, and as a human being at that!

Tell me, don't I owe you? - the shadow asked again. - I wouldn’t want to be in anyone’s debt!

What kind of talk! - said the scientist. - What a debt! You are completely free! I am incredibly happy about your happiness! Sit down, old friend, and tell me how it all happened and what you saw in that house opposite?

I'll tell you now! - said the shadow and sat down. - But on the condition that you give me your word not to tell anyone here in the city - wherever you meet me - that I was once your shadow! I'm going to get married! I am able to support more than one family!

Stay calm! - said the scientist. - No one will know who you really are! Here's my hand! I give you my word! But the word is a person...

The word is a shadow! - the shadow finished - she couldn’t express herself any other way.

In general, the scientist could only marvel at how much humanity there was in her, starting with the dress itself: a black pair of thin cloth, patent leather boots on her feet, and in her hands a cylinder that could be folded, so that only the bottom and the brim remained of it; We have already talked about key chains, a gold chain and diamond rings. Yes, the shadow was dressed perfectly, and this, in fact, gave it the appearance of a real person.

Now I'll tell you! - said the shadow and pressed his feet in patent leather boots on the sleeve of the scientist’s new shadow, which, like a dog, lay at his feet.

Why she did this, whether out of arrogance, or perhaps in the hope of gluing it to her feet, is unknown. The shadow lying on the floor did not even move, turning entirely into hearing: she really wanted to know how she could achieve freedom and become her own master.

Do you know who lived in that house? - asked the former shadow. - Something most beautiful in the world is Poetry itself! I spent three weeks there, and it’s the same as living in the world for three thousand years and reading everything that was composed and written by poets - I assure you! I have seen everything and know everything - and this is the absolute truth!

Poetry! - the scientist cried. - Yes Yes! She often lives as a hermit in big cities! Poetry! I only saw her briefly, and even then I was still sleepy! She stood on the balcony and sparkled like the northern lights! Tell me, tell me! You were on the balcony, walked through the door and...?

And he got to the front! - picked up the shadow. - You always sat and looked at the front. It was not illuminated, and there was some kind of twilight in it, but through the open door a whole suite of illuminated chambers could be seen. This light would completely destroy me if I had gone in to the maiden right away, but I was prudent and bided my time. This is how you should always do it!

And what did you see there? - asked the scientist.

Everything, and I will tell you about everything, but... You see, I’m not out of pride, but... in view of the freedom and knowledge that I have, not to mention my position in the world... I would really like you to contact me on you.

Ah, please excuse me! - said the scientist. - This is me out of old habit!.. You are absolutely right! And I'll try to remember that! But tell me what you saw there?!

All! - answered the shadow. - I saw everything and know everything!

What did these inner chambers resemble? - asked the scientist. - Is the green forest fresh? Or a holy temple? Or did your gaze open to the starry sky, visible only from the mountain heights?

Everything was there! - said the shadow. - I, however, did not enter the chamber itself, I remained in the hallway, in the twilight, but there I felt great, I saw everything, and I know everything! I spent so much time in the hallway at the Court of Poetry.

But what did you see there? Majestic processions of the ancient gods? The struggle of the heroes of hoary antiquity? Games of cute children babbling about their wonderful dreams?..

I'm telling you, I was there, therefore, I saw everything that could be seen! If you had appeared there, you would not have become a man, but I became one! I learned there my own nature, my natural affinity with poetry. Yes, in those days when I was with you, I still didn’t think about anything like that. But just remember how amazingly I always grew at sunrise and sunset! In the moonlight I was almost more noticeable than you! But then I still didn’t understand my nature; it only dawned on me in the hallway! There I became a man, fully matured. But you were no longer in hot countries; meanwhile, as a person, I was already embarrassed to show myself in my previous form: I needed boots, a decent dress, in a word, I needed all this external human gloss by which one is recognized as a person. And so I found refuge for myself... Yes, I confess this to you, you won’t print it: I found refuge for myself under the skirt of a sweets seller! The woman had no idea what she was hiding! I only went out in the evenings, ran through the streets in the moonlight, stretched out full length on the walls - it tickled my back so pleasantly! He ran up the walls, ran down, looked into the windows of the highest floors, looked into the halls and attics, looked into places where no one could look, saw what no one should have seen! And I learned how low the light really is! Really, I didn’t even want to be human, if only it weren’t accepted once and for all to consider this something special! I noticed the most incredible things in women, in men, in parents, even in sweet, incomparable children. “I saw something,” the shadow added, “that no one should have, but that everyone so wanted to see—the secret vices and sins of people.” If I had written in the newspapers, they would have read me! But I wrote directly to the interested parties themselves and instilled such fear in everyone and everywhere I went! Everyone was so afraid of me and loved me so much! The professors recognized me as their colleague, the tailors dressed me - I now have plenty of dresses - the miners minted coins for me, and the women admired my beauty! And so I became what I am. And now I will say goodbye to you; here's my card. I live on the sunny side and in rainy weather I’m always at home!

With these words the shadow left.

How strange it is! - said the scientist.

Days and years passed; suddenly the shadow again appeared to the scientist.

Well how are you? - she asked.

Alas! - answered the scientist. “I write about truth, goodness and beauty, but no one cares about that.” I'm just desperate; This makes me so sad!

But I’m not there! - said the shadow. - That’s why I’m getting fatter, and this is the most important thing! Yes, you don’t know how to live in the world! You'll probably get sick again. You need to travel a little. I'm just planning to take a short trip this summer - would you like to come with me? I need company on the road, so won’t you go... as my shadow? Really, your company would give me great pleasure; I will, of course, bear all the costs!

No, that's too much! - the scientist got angry.

But how can you look at the matter! - said the shadow. - The trip would be of great benefit to you! And as soon as you agree to be my shadow, you will go with everything ready!
- This is out of hand! - the scientist cried.

Such is the light, said the shadow. - He will remain that way!

And the shadow left. The scientist felt bad, and grief and worries still haunted him: he wrote about truth, goodness and beauty, and people understood as much about all this as cows in roses. Finally, he became completely ill.

You are unrecognizable, you have become just a shadow! - people said to the scientist, and a shiver ran through his body from the thought that came to his mind at these words.

You should go somewhere on the water! - said the shadow, which turned towards him again. - There is nothing else left for you! I am ready to take you with me for the sake of an old acquaintance. I will cover all travel expenses, and you will describe our trip and pleasantly entertain me along the way. I'm going to the waters; my beard doesn’t grow as it should, and this is a kind of disease - you have to have a beard! Well, be wise and accept my offer; After all, we will go as comrades.

And off they went. The shadow became the master, and the master became the shadow. They were inseparable: they rode, talked, and always walked together - sometimes side by side, sometimes a shadow in front of the scientist, sometimes behind, depending on the position of the sun. But the shadow perfectly knew how to behave like a master, and the scientist, out of the kindness of his heart, did not even notice it. He was generally such a nice, warm-hearted person, and one day just say to the shadow:

We are comrades now, and we grew up together - let’s have a drink, it will be like friends!

There really is a lot of sincere goodwill in your words! - said the shadow - now, in fact, she was the master. - And I also want to be frank with you. You, as a scientist, probably know what oddities human nature has! Some, for example, find it unpleasant to touch gray paper, others shudder with their whole body if they run a nail across the glass. This same feeling takes over me when you tell me you. I feel completely depressed, as if reduced to my previous position. You see that this is just a painful feeling, and not pride on my part. I cannot allow you to tell me you, but I myself will willingly tell you you; in this way, your wish will be fulfilled at least half.

And so the shadow began to say to its former master, you.

“This, however, is out of the question,” thought the scientist. “I have to address him informally, but he pokes me.” But there was nothing to do.

Finally they arrived at the waters. There was a large gathering of foreigners at the waters. Among the visitors there was also one beauty - a princess who suffered from an overly keen eye, and this is not a joke, it will scare anyone.

She immediately noticed that the newly arrived foreigner was completely different from all other people.
- Although they say that he came here to grow a beard, you can’t fool me: I see that he simply cannot cast shadows!

Her curiosity was piqued, and without thinking twice, she approached the stranger on a walk and entered into a conversation with him. As a princess, she, without further ado, told him:

Your illness is that you cannot cast shadows from yourself!

And Your Royal Highness must be close to recovery! - said the shadow. - I know that you suffered from too keen an eye - now, as you can see, you have been healed of your illness! I just have a very unusual shadow. Or have you not noticed the person who constantly follows me? All other people have ordinary shadows, but in general I am the enemy of everything ordinary, and just as others dress their servants in liveries made of finer cloth than they wear themselves, so I dressed up my shadow as a real person and even attached, as you see, a shadow to it ! All this, of course, costs me a lot, but in such cases I’m not responsible for the expenses!

“That's it! - thought the princess. - Am I really recovered? Yes, these waters are the best in the world! It must be admitted that waters have truly amazing powers in our time. But I won’t leave yet - now it will be even more interesting here. I really like this foreigner. Just don’t let his beard grow, otherwise he’ll leave!”

In the evening there was a ball, and the princess danced with a shadow. The princess danced easily, but the shadow danced even easier; The princess had never met such a dancer. She told him which country she came from, and it turned out that he knew that country and had even been there, but the princess was leaving at that time. He looked into windows everywhere, saw something, and therefore could answer all the princess’s questions and even make such hints, from which she was completely amazed and began to consider him the smartest person in the world. His knowledge simply amazed her, and she was imbued with the deepest respect for him. Having danced with him again, she completely fell in love with him, and the shadow noticed this very well: the princess pierced her gentleman with her gaze.
Having danced with the shadow again, the princess was ready to confess her love to her, but reason still prevailed, she thought about her country, state and people, which she had to govern. “He’s smart,” she said to herself, “and that’s wonderful; He dances amazingly, and that’s also good, but does he have thorough knowledge, which is also very important! We need to examine him."

And she again started a conversation with him and asked him the most difficult questions, which she herself could not answer.

The shadow made a surprised expression.

You can't answer me! - said the princess.

I learned all this as a child! - answered the shadow. “I think even my shadow, which stands at the door, will be able to answer you.”

Your shadow?! - the princess was surprised. - It would be simply amazing!

“You see, I don’t say so,” said the shadow, “but I think that she can, - after all, she has been inseparable from me for so many years and has heard a lot from me! But, Your Royal Highness, let me draw your attention to one thing. My shadow is very proud to be considered a human, and if you do not want to put it in a bad mood, you should treat it like a human! Otherwise, she probably won’t be able to answer properly!

Well, I like it! - answered the princess and, approaching the scientist standing at the door, she spoke to him about the sun, about the moon, about the external and internal aspects and properties of human nature.

The scientist answered all her questions well and intelligently.

“What kind of person must this be,” thought the princess, “if even his shadow is so smart! It will be a real blessing for my people and state if I choose him as my wife. Yes, I will do that!”

And soon they resolved this issue among themselves. No one, however, was supposed to know anything until the princess returned home to her state.

No one, no one, not even my own shadow! - insisted the shadow, which had its own reasons.
At last they arrived in the country which the princess ruled when she was at home.

Listen, buddy! - the shadow said to the scientist. - Now I have achieved the highest happiness and human power and I want to do something for you too! You will stay with me, live in my palace, ride with me in the royal carriage and receive one hundred thousand riksdalers a year. But for this you must allow everyone to call you a shadow. You shouldn't even stutter that you were ever human! And once a year, on a sunny day, when I sit on the balcony in front of all the people, you will have to lie at my feet, as befits a shadow. I must tell you that I am marrying a princess; The wedding is tonight.

No, that's out of the question! - the scientist cried. - I don’t want this and I won’t do it! This would mean deceiving the whole country and the princess! I'll tell you everything! I’ll say that I’m a man, and you’re just a shadow in disguise - I’ll say everything, I’ll say everything!

Nobody will believe you! - said the shadow. - Well, be reasonable, otherwise I’ll call the guard!
- I'll go straight to the princess! - said the scientist.

Well, I’ll get to her before you! - said the shadow. - And you will go under arrest.

And so it happened: the guards obeyed the one whom everyone knew the princess was marrying.

You're shaking! - said the princess when the shadow came to her. - Something happened? Don't get sick, look! After all, our wedding is tonight!

Oh, I just went through the most terrible moment! - said the shadow. - Think... How much, in essence, does the brains of some unfortunate shadow need!.. Think, my shadow has gone crazy, imagined itself as a man, and calls me - just think - its shadow!

Horrible! - said the princess. - I hope it was locked?

Of course, but I'm afraid she'll never come to her senses!

Poor shadow! - the princess sighed. - She is very unhappy! It would be a real blessing to rid her of that particle of life that still exists in her. But if you think about it carefully, then, in my opinion, it’s even necessary to end it as quickly and quietly as possible!

It's still cruel! - said the shadow. - She was my faithful servant! - And the shadow feigned a sigh.

You have a noble soul! - said the princess.

In the evening the whole city was illuminated, cannon shots thundered, soldiers saluted with their guns. There was a wedding! And the princess and the shadow went out onto the balcony to show themselves to the people, who once again shouted “hurray” to them.

The scientist did not hear this rejoicing - it was already finished.

Hans Christian Andersen

Shadow

Translation by Anna and Peter Hansen.

That's where the sun shines - it's in hot countries! People sunbathe there until their skin becomes the color of mahogany, and in the hottest days it becomes black, like that of blacks. But for now we will only talk about hot countries: one scientist came here from cold ones. He was thinking of running around the city as if he were at home, but he soon lost the habit and, like all sensible people, began to sit at home all day with the shutters and doors closed. One would think that the whole house was asleep or that no one was home. The narrow street, lined with tall houses, was located in such a way that it was roasted in the sun from morning to evening, and there was simply no strength to bear this heat! To the scientist who came from cold countries - he was a smart man and still young - it seemed as if he was sitting in a hot furnace. The heat greatly affected his health. He lost weight, and even his shadow somehow shrank and became much smaller than it was at home: the heat affected it too. Both of them - the scientist and the shadow - came to life only with the onset of evening. And, really, it was nice to look at them! As soon as a candle was brought into the room, the shadow stretched across the entire wall, even capturing part of the ceiling - after all, she needed to stretch well in order to gain strength again. The scientist went out onto the balcony and also stretched, and as soon as the stars lit up in the clear evening sky, he felt that he was being reborn to life again. All the other balconies - and in hot countries there is a balcony in front of every window - people also went out: after all, fresh air is necessary even for those who do not care to be the color of mahogany! Liveliness reigned both below - on the street, and above - on the balconies. Shoemakers, tailors and other working people - everyone poured out into the street, carried tables and chairs onto the sidewalks and lit candles. There were hundreds of them, these candles, and people - some sang, some talked, some just walked. Carriages rolled along the pavement and donkeys trotted along. Ding-ding-ding! - they jingled their bells. Here a funeral procession was passing with singing, there were street boys exploding firecrackers on the pavement, and bells were ringing. Yes, there was excitement everywhere. It was quiet in only one house, which stood just opposite the one where the scientist lived. And yet this house was not empty: on the balcony, in the very sunshine, there were flowers; without watering they could not have bloomed so magnificently; someone had to water them! Therefore, someone lived in the house. The door to the balcony was opened in the evenings, but the rooms themselves were always dark, at least the one facing the street. And somewhere in the depths of the house music sounded. The scientist heard something marvelously beautiful in it, but perhaps it only seemed so to him: in his opinion, here, in hot countries, everything was beautiful; one problem - the sun! The owner of the house where the scientist settled also did not know who lived in the house opposite: not a soul was ever seen there, and as for the music, he found it terribly boring. “It’s like someone sits and hammers away at the same play, and nothing works out for him, but he keeps hammering away: they say, I’ll achieve my goal, and still nothing works out, no matter how much he plays.” One night the scientist woke up; the door to the balcony stood wide open, the wind moved the curtains, and it seemed to him that the balcony of the house opposite was illuminated by some amazing radiance; the flowers glowed with the most wonderful colors, and between the flowers stood a slender, lovely girl who seemed to also glow. All this blinded him so much that the scientist opened his eyes even wider and then finally woke up. He jumped up, quietly walked to the door and stood behind the curtain, but the girl disappeared, the light and shine disappeared, and the flowers no longer glowed, but simply stood there, beautiful, as always. The door to the balcony was ajar, and from the depths of the house one could hear gentle, enchanting sounds of music that could carry anyone into the world of sweet dreams. It all looked like witchcraft. Who lived there? Where exactly was the entrance to the house? The entire lower floor was occupied by shops - residents couldn’t constantly enter through them! One evening the scientist was sitting on his balcony. A candle was burning in the room behind him, and quite naturally, his shadow fell on the wall of the house opposite. Moreover, she even settled down between the flowers on the balcony, and as soon as the scientist moved, the shadow moved too - that’s just her property.

“Really, my shadow is the only living creature in that house,” said the scientist. - Look how cleverly she settled between the flowers. But the door is ajar. I wish the shadow could figure out to enter the house, look around, and then come back and tell me what she saw there. Yes, you would serve me well,” the scientist said as if jokingly. - Be kind, go in there! Well, are you coming? And he nodded to the shadow, and the shadow answered him with a nod. - Well, go, just make sure you don’t get lost there! With these words, the scientist stood up, and so did his shadow on the balcony opposite. The scientist turned - the shadow also turned, and if anyone had carefully watched them at that moment, they would have seen how the shadow slid into the half-open balcony door of the house opposite just at the moment when the scientist left the balcony into the room and lowered behind you the curtain. The next morning, the scientist went out to the pastry shop to drink coffee and read newspapers. -- What's happened? - he said, stepping out into the sun. - I have no shadow! Therefore, she really left last night and did not return. What a shame! He felt unpleasant, not so much because the shadow was gone, but because he remembered the story about a man without a shadow, known to everyone in his homeland, in cold countries. If he returned home now and told what happened to him, everyone would say that he embarked on an imitation, but he had no need for it. That's why he decided not to even mention the incident with the shadow and did it smartly. In the evening, he again went out onto the balcony and placed the candle right behind him, knowing that the shadow always tries to shield its owner from the light. But he failed to lure his shadow out in this way. He sat down and straightened up - there was no shadow, no shadow appeared. He chuckled - what's the point? It was a shame, but in hot countries everything grows unusually quickly, and a week later the scientist, going out into the sun, to his great pleasure, noticed that a new shadow began to grow from his feet - the roots of the old one must have remained. Three weeks later he already had a tolerable shadow, and during the scientist’s return trip to his homeland it grew even larger and in the end it became so big and long that it was even shorter. So, the scientist returned home and began to write books about truth, goodness and beauty. Days passed, years passed... Many years passed. And he was sitting at home one evening when suddenly he heard a quiet knock on the door. - Come in! - he said, but no one entered. Then he opened the door himself and saw an unusually skinny man in front of him, so that he even felt somehow strange. However, he was dressed very elegantly, like a gentleman. -Who do I have the honor of speaking to? - asks the scientist. “I thought you wouldn’t recognize me,” said the elegant gentleman. - I gained physicality, acquired flesh and a dress. Of course, you never expected to meet me so prosperously. Do you still not recognize your former shadow? Yes, perhaps you thought that I would never return. I have been very lucky since I left you. In all respects I have won a strong position in the world and can buy myself out of service whenever I wish! At these words, he began to jingle the many expensive charms hanging on his watch chain, and then began to play with the thick gold chain that he wore around his neck. His fingers sparkled with diamond rings! The jewelry was real, not fake. - I just can’t get over my surprise! - said the scientist. -What does all this mean? “Yes, the phenomenon is not entirely ordinary, it’s true,” said the shadow. “But you yourself are not one of the ordinary people, and I, as you know, have followed in your footsteps since childhood.” As soon as you found that I was mature enough to live on my own, I went my own way and, as you see, achieved complete prosperity; Yes, something was sad for you, I wanted to see you before you died - you must die someday! - and, by the way, take another look at these lands. Love for our homeland, you know, never leaves us. I know that you now have a new shadow. Tell me, do I owe her or you anything? Just say the word and I'll pay. - So is it really you? - exclaimed the scientist. - This is in highest degree Amazing! I would never have believed that my former shadow would return to me, and as a human being at that! - Tell me, don’t I owe you? - the shadow asked again. “I wouldn’t want to be in anyone’s debt!” - What a conversation! - said the scientist. - What a debt! You are completely free! I'm terribly glad that you are happy! Sit down, old man, and tell me how it all happened and what you saw in the house opposite? “If you please,” said the shadow, sitting down. “But promise me not to tell anyone here in the city, wherever you meet me, that I was once your shadow.” I'm going to get married! I am able to support my family, and even quite well!.. - Be calm! - said the scientist. - No one will know who you actually are! Here's my hand! I give you my word! But the word is a man... - The word is a shadow! - the shadow inserted, because she couldn’t say otherwise. And the scientist could only marvel at how much humanity there was in her, starting with the dress itself: a black pair of thin cloth, patent leather boots, a top hat that could be folded so that only the bottom and the brim remained; We have already talked about key chains, a gold chain around the neck and diamond rings. Yes, the shadow was dressed perfectly, and this, in fact, gave it the appearance of a real person. - Well, now to the story! - said the shadow and pressed down with its feet in patent leather boots the hand of the new shadow of the scientist, which, like a poodle, lay at his feet. Why she did this, either out of arrogance, or in the hope of sticking it to her feet, is unknown. And the shadow lying on the floor did not even move, turning entirely into hearing. She must have really wanted to know how she could achieve freedom and become her own master. - Do you know who lived in the house opposite? - the former shadow began. - Something most beautiful in the world is Poetry itself! I spent three weeks there, and it’s like living in the world for three thousand years and reading everything that was composed and written by poets, I assure you! I have seen everything and know everything! - Poetry! - exclaimed the scientist. -- Yes Yes! She often lives as a hermit in big cities. Poetry! I saw her only briefly, and only while I was asleep! She stood on the balcony and shone like the northern lights. Tell me, tell me! You were on the balcony, slipped through the door and... - And ended up in the hallway! - the shadow picked up. - You always sat and looked only at the front. It was not illuminated, twilight reigned in it, but through the open door a whole suite of illuminated chambers could be seen. This light would have completely destroyed me if I had immediately entered the maiden, but I showed prudence and waited for the time. This is how you should always do it! - And what did you see there? - asked the scientist. - I saw everything and will tell you about everything, only... You see, not out of pride, but... in view of the freedom and knowledge that I have, not to mention my exceptional financial and social status... I would really like you to address me as "you". -- I'm sorry! - said the scientist. - An old habit, not so easy to get rid of... You are absolutely right! I'll try to take care of myself... So tell me, what did you see there? -- All! - answered the shadow. - I have seen everything and know everything! -What were these inner chambers like? - asked the scientist. -- Fresh green Forest? Holy temple? Or did your eyes see the starry sky, as it can only be seen from the mountain heights? - Everything was there! - said the shadow. “True, I didn’t go into the actual chambers, but stayed all the time in the hallway, in the twilight, I felt great there, and I saw everything and knew everything!” After all, I was in the hallway at the Court of Poetry. - But what did you see there? Majestic processions of the ancient gods? The struggle of the heroes of hoary antiquity? Games of cute children? “I’m telling you, I was there and, therefore, I saw everything there was to see!” If you had appeared there, you would not have become a man, but I did! And at the same time I recognized my inner essence , everything that is innate in me, my blood affinity with Poetry. Yes, in those days when I was with you, I didn’t even think about anything like that. But just remember how amazingly I always grew at sunrise and sunset. And in the moonlight I was almost more noticeable than you! But then I still did not understand my nature; it dawned on me only in front of Poetry. There I became a man, fully matured. But you were no longer in hot countries. Meanwhile, as a person, I was already embarrassed to show myself in my previous form. I needed shoes, a dress, all that external human gloss by which they recognize you as a person. And so I found refuge for myself... yes, I can admit this to you, you won’t publish this in a book... I found refuge for myself with a sweets seller. She had no idea what she was hiding! I only went out in the evenings, ran through the streets in the moonlight, stretched out full length on the walls - it tickled my back so pleasantly! I ran up the walls, ran down, looked into the windows of the highest floors, into the halls and attics, looked into places where no one else could look, saw what no one else had seen, and should not see! How, in essence, the light is low! Really, I wouldn’t even want to be human, if only it weren’t once and for all accepted to consider this something special! I noticed the most incredible things in women, men, parents and even their sweet, incomparable children. I saw what no one should know, but what everyone so wants to know - the secret vices and sins of people. If I published a newspaper, people would read it! But I wrote directly to those interested and instilled fear in them in all the cities where I happened to be. They feared me so much and loved me so much! Professors recognized me as a colleague, tailors dressed me - now I have plenty of dresses - coin minters minted coins for me, and women admired my beauty! And so I became what I am. And now I will say goodbye to you; here's my card. I live on the sunny side and in rainy weather I’m always at home! With these words the shadow left. - How strange it is! - said the scientist. Days and years passed, and then the shadow appeared to him again. -- Well how are you? she asked. - Alas! - answered the scientist. “I write about truth, goodness and beauty, but no one cares about that.” I'm just desperate, it makes me so sad! -- I am not here, I am out! - said the shadow. “I’m getting fatter, and that’s what we should strive for.” Yes, you don’t know how to live in the world. You'll probably get sick again. You need to travel. I’m just going on a short trip this summer, will you come with me? I need a companion, so will you come as my shadow? Really, your company would give me great pleasure. I bear all costs! - Well, this is too much! - said the scientist. - But how can you look at the matter! - said the shadow. - The trip would be of great benefit to you! As soon as you agree to be my shadow, you will go with everything ready. -- You're crazy! - said the scientist. “But that’s the way of the world,” said the shadow. - He will remain that way! And the shadow left. But the scientist had a hard time, he was consumed by sadness and care. He wrote about truth, goodness and beauty, but people did not understand this at all. Finally he became completely ill. -You are unrecognizable, you have become just a shadow! - people said to the scientist, and he trembled all over from the thought that flashed through his mind at these words. - You should visit the waters! - said the shadow, looking at him again. - There is nothing else left! I'm ready to take you with me for the sake of an old acquaintance. I will bear all the costs of the trip, and you will describe the trip and entertain me along the way. I'm going to the water: for some reason my beard is not growing, and this is a kind of disease - I need a beard! Well, be reasonable and accept my offer. After all, we will go as comrades. And off they went. The shadow became the master, the master became the shadow. They were inseparable: they rode, talked, and always walked together, sometimes side by side, sometimes a shadow in front of the scientist, sometimes behind, depending on the position of the sun. But the shadow perfectly knew how to behave like its owner, and the scientist somehow did not notice this. He was generally a good-natured, nice, warm-hearted person, and just say to the shadow: “We are comrades now, and we grew up together, shouldn’t we have a drink for the brotherhood?” It will be friendly! “There is a lot of sincere goodwill in your words,” said the shadow lord. “And I also want to be frank with you.” You are a scientist and probably know what oddities human nature has. For some, for example, it is unpleasant to touch gray paper; for others, a chill creeps up their skin if they run a nail across the glass. This same feeling takes over me when you say “you” to me. This depresses me, I feel as if relegated to my previous position. You understand, it's just a feeling, there's no pride here. I cannot allow you to speak to me as "you", but I myself will willingly speak to you on "you". Thus, your wish will be at least half fulfilled. And so the shadow began to say “you” to its former owner. “This, however, is no good,” thought the scientist. - I have to address him as “you”, but he “pokes” me. But there was nothing to do. Finally they arrived at the waters. Many foreigners came. Among them was one beautiful princess - her illness was that she had too keen a vision, and this is no joke, it would scare anyone. She immediately noticed that the newly arrived foreigner was completely different from the others. “Even though they say that he came here to grow a beard, you can’t fool me.” I see that he simply cannot cast shadows. Curiosity haunted her, and without thinking twice she approached a stranger on a walk and struck up a conversation with him. Like a princess, she, without ceremony, told him: “Your illness is that you cannot cast shadows!” “And your royal highness must be close to recovery!” - said the shadow. “I know that you suffered from too keen an eye, but now, apparently, you have been cured of your illness!” I just have a very unusual shadow. Or have you not noticed the person who constantly follows me? All other people have ordinary shadows, but in general I am the enemy of everything ordinary, and just as others dress their servants in liveries made of finer cloth than they wear themselves, so I dressed my shadow as a real person and, as you see, even attached a shadow to it. All this, of course, costs me a lot, but in such cases I’m not responsible for the expenses! “That’s it!” thought the princess. “So I’ve really recovered? Yes, there is no better water in the world than these. Water in our time has truly miraculous powers. But I’ll wait a while before leaving - now it will be even more interesting here.” I really like this foreigner. If only his beard doesn’t grow, otherwise he’ll leave!” In the evening there was a ball, and the princess danced with a shadow. The princess danced easily, but the shadow was even easier; the princess had never met such a dancer before. She told him what country she came from, and it turned out that he knew this country and had even been there, only she was away at that time. And he looked into windows everywhere, saw something and therefore could answer all the princess’s questions and even make such hints, from which she was completely amazed and began to consider him the smartest person in the world. His knowledge simply amazed her, and she was imbued with the deepest respect for him. And having danced with him again, she fell in love with him, and the shadow noticed this very well: the princess almost pierced her right through with her gaze. Having danced with the shadow for the third time, the princess was ready to confess her love to her, but reason still prevailed when she thought about her country, state and people that she would have to rule. “He’s smart,” she told herself, “and that’s wonderful. He dances amazingly, and that’s also good, but does he have thorough knowledge, that’s what’s important! We need to examine him.” And she again started a conversation with him and began to ask him such difficult questions that she herself could not answer. The shadow made a surprised face. - So you can’t answer me! - said the princess. - I learned all this as a child! - answered the shadow. “I think even my shadow—there it is standing at the door!” - will be able to answer you. - Your shadow? - asked the princess. - It would be simply amazing! “You see, I don’t say so,” said the shadow, “but I think that she can, after all, she has been inseparable from me for so many years and has heard a lot from me.” But, Your Royal Highness, let me draw your attention to one thing. My shadow is very proud of the fact that it passes for a person, and if you do not want to put it in a bad mood, you should treat it like a person. Otherwise, she may not be able to answer properly. -- I like it! - answered the princess and, going up to the scientist standing at the door, she spoke to him about the sun, about the moon, about the external and internal sides and properties of human nature. The scientist answered all her questions well and intelligently. “What kind of person should be, if even his shadow is so smart!” thought the princess. “It will be a real blessing for the people and the state if I choose him as my wife. Yes, I will do so!” And they - the princess and the shadow - soon agreed on everything among themselves. No one, however, was to know anything until the princess returned to her homeland. - Nobody, not even my own shadow! - the shadow insisted, having its own reasons. At last they arrived in the country which the princess ruled when she was at home. - Listen, old man! - the shadow said to the scientist here. “Now I have reached the pinnacle of human happiness and power and I want to do something for you too!” You will stay with me, live in my palace, ride with me in the royal carriage and receive one hundred thousand riksdalers a year. But for this, let everyone call you a shadow. You shouldn't even stutter that you were once a man! And once a year, on a sunny day, when I sit on the balcony in front of the people, you will have to lie at my feet, as befits a shadow. I have to tell you, I'm marrying a princess. The wedding is tonight. - No, this is too much! - exclaimed the scientist. - I don’t want this and I won’t do it! This would mean deceiving the whole country and the princess! I'll tell you everything! I’ll say that I’m a man, and you’re just a shadow in disguise! - Nobody will believe you! - said the shadow. “Well, be reasonable, or I’ll call the guard!” “I’ll go straight to the princess!” - said the scientist. - Well, I’ll get to her before you! - said the shadow. - And you will go under arrest. And so it happened: the guards obeyed the one whom everyone knew the princess was marrying. -You're shaking all over! - said the princess when the shadow came to her. -- Something happened? Make sure you don’t get sick until the evening, today is our wedding. - Oh, I just experienced the most terrible moment! - said the shadow. - Just think... How much, in essence, does the brain of some unfortunate shadow need! Just think, my shadow has gone crazy, imagined itself as a man, and calls me - just think! - with your shadow! -- Horrible! - said the princess. - I hope they locked her up? “Of course, but I’m afraid she’ll never come to her senses.” - Poor shadow! - the princess sighed. - She is so unhappy! It would be a real blessing to rid her of that particle of life that still exists in her. And if you think about it carefully, then, in my opinion, it’s even necessary to end it as quickly and quietly as possible! - Still, it’s cruel! - said the shadow. “She was my faithful servant!” - and the shadow feigned a sigh. -You have a noble soul! - said the princess. In the evening, the whole city was colored with illumination, cannon shots thundered, and soldiers took their guns on guard. There was a wedding, a wedding! The princess and the shadow came out to the people on the balcony, and the people once again shouted “hurray” to them. The scientist did not hear any of this - they were already done with him.

Studying the motive of the loss of the shadow in the fairy tale by G.Kh. Andersen's "Shadow" and Chamisso's fairy tale " Amazing Adventures Peter Schlemel"

The motive of the loss of the shadow in the fairy tale by G.Kh. Andersen "Shadow"

Even without writing a single fairy tale, Andersen would have been a writer known in his time throughout Europe, a writer who is still read today, at least in Denmark. But fairy tales became the crown of his work. The irony of fate, because the fame-hungry writer at first did not suspect that they would be the ones who would spread his name farthest around the world.

The idea of ​​retelling folk tales and writing in the same genre was in no way original - European writers have been doing this for over a hundred years; in Denmark, for example, his older contemporaries Elenschläger and Ingeman. Why shouldn't an aspiring young writer try the same thing? After all, he always loved this type of folklore. Actually, who could be closer to him than he, a child of the people? He made his first attempt back in 1829 with the fairy tale “The Ghost,” which concludes a collection of poems published in the new year, 1830. “As a child, most of all I loved to listen to fairy tales,” he writes in the form of a preface, “almost still alive in my memory, and some of them are known very little or completely unknown; I retold one, and if it is well received, I will take it and for others and someday I will create a series of children's folk tales"But Molbeck and other reviewers did not recommend that the author continue in the same spirit, and they can be understood, knowing the uncertain style and the quotations from Andersen’s extensive reading circle and references to various literary works that appear every now and then in the course of the story and are poorly suited to the popular race. phenomena.

He wrote for both children and adults. It was creativity on two levels, to put it in Andersen’s way: he retained the language and the fairy-tale setting, but the ideas behind them were intended for the father and mother, who listened with the children. However, this poetic achievement was not entirely new. Already “The Little Mermaid” and “Galoshes of Happiness” are not intended only for children, and in children’s fairy tales here and there there is “food for thought” that is hardly perceived by children. What was new was that after 1843 the writer consciously addressed the adult reader. Children may be amused by “The Snow Queen”, “The Nightingale”, and many other fairy tales, but they are unlikely to understand their depth, and such fairy tales as “The Bell”, “The Story of a Mother” or “The Shadow” are generally inaccessible to children . The simple, pseudo-childish style of storytelling is just a piquant mask, a subtle naivety that emphasizes irony or seriousness.

This original form of fairy-tale storytelling developed gradually in Andersen's work and reached perfection after 1843. All his masterpieces: "Bride and Groom", " ugly duck", "Spruce", "The Little Match Girl", "Collar" and others were created during this period. In 1849, all his fairy tales written by that time were published as a separate large edition, which became a monument to the artistic talent of the writer, who was not yet forty five years.

The fairy tale genre became for Andersen a universal form of aesthetic comprehension of reality. It was he who introduced the fairy tale into the system of “high” genres.

"Tales Told to Children" (1835-1842) is based on a reinterpretation folk motifs(“Flint”, “Wild Swans”, “Swineherd”, etc.), and “Stories Told to Children” (1852) - on rethinking history and modern reality. At the same time, even Arab, Greek, Spanish and other subjects acquired from Andersen the flavor of Danish folk life. The storyteller's fantasy rivals folk fantasy in its richness. Relying on folk stories and images, Andersen did not resort to fantastic fiction too often. In his view, life is full of miracles that you just need to see and hear. Any thing, even a very insignificant one - a darning needle, a barrel - can have its own amazing story.

There are enough reasons for the triumphant march of fairy tales. Many of them have already been named, but one more remains: their universal life wisdom. It was probably she who carried them largely intact through the purgatory of translations and adaptations. In fairy tales, however, there is no consistent and thoughtful philosophy. The few general or abstract ideas that are found there (for example, about faith and knowledge, or about the relation of poetry to science) are not original and are hardly of interest today. It is also rare that any fairy tale expresses a clear and definite moral. "The Red Shoes" is one of the few exceptions that prove the rule. But in the motley variety of fairy-tale events there are hidden thoughts about people, about the world and life in general, which can give food for thought to the modern reader.

Firstly, Andersen persistently repeats which people are worthy of respect and which are not. One who accepts the gifts of life with gratitude and does not try to be or appear to be more than he is is always described with sympathy. The one who has kind heart Those who go through life cheerfully and do not care about formalities ultimately prevail over the calculating person. Loving Gerda freed Kai from the cold palace of the mind Snow Queen, the cheerfully singing nightingale turned out to be stronger than Death at the emperor's bedside, and Hans-Churban received the princess. On the contrary, the well-fed bourgeois, who does not see beyond his nose and complacently judges everything according to his limited experience, is mercilessly made fun of in fairy tales, directly or indirectly; it is impossible to make a mistake in his assessment. The narrow-mindedness of the philistine was worse than the plague for the author.

Secondly, fairy tales contain very precise ideas about the universe and the perception and evaluation of its phenomena. They are not always expressed directly. But it is striking that the heroes of fairy tales perceive the universe differently. Each group of beings lives in its own environment, which is the world for the members of this group. They also do not have a uniform opinion about life and about what is good and what is bad. The same differences exist between people. The Little Match Girl has few thoughts in common with the Princess and the Pea, and children and adults each live in their own world.

The fairy tale "Shadow" is a highly realistic story, only with some fairy-tale features: the shadow is freed from its master and begins own existence; no one is surprised that one can suffer from an annoying disease - an overly quick glance; and that a rich and eccentric gentleman dresses up his shadow as a man is no more surprising than that he undergoes a course of water treatment so that his beard will grow. But the details only outline the course of events in the stunning drama about a brave and benevolent scientist, forced to endure being made helpless by his own shadow, a former servant and companion, who, not disdaining any means, even the most vile, strives to rise in society and achieves his goal. These two characters are uncomfortably believable; the same can be said about the third character, the princess, who is smart, but not smart enough to recognize the deceiver, although he is just a shadow, which she can pierce with her glance, as is ironically said about her when she looks at the shadow with loving eyes. The bitter philosophy of the fairy tale is that smart people strive for good, but their intelligence and kindness do not help them, and shameless people strive for their own benefit, and it is they who win. There are no comforting moments in this tale. “This is the light, this is how it will remain,” says the Shadow.

Anyone who is afraid of the ruthlessness of existence and human meanness will not find solace in this terrible story.

Telling in his autobiography the story of one of the fairy tales he wrote, Andersen wrote: “... Someone else’s plot seemed to enter my blood and flesh, I recreated it and then only released it into the world.”

Betrayal, cynicism, callousness - the sources of any evil - are concentrated in the image of the Shadow. The Shadow could steal his name from the Scientist, appearance, his bride, his works, she could hate him with the keen hatred of an imitator - but for all that, she could not do without the Scientist, and therefore Schwartz’s ending in the play is fundamentally different than in Andersen’s fairy tale. If in Andersen the Shadow defeated the Scientist, then in Schwartz it could not emerge victorious. “The shadow can only win for a while,” he argued.

Andersen's "Shadow" is usually called " a philosophical fairy tale" Andersen's scientist is full of vain trust and sympathy for a person in whose guise his own shadow appears. The scientist and his shadow went traveling together, and one day the scientist said to the shadow: “We are traveling together, and besides, we have known each other since childhood, so shouldn’t we have a drink on a first name basis?” This way we will feel much more free with each other.” “You said this very frankly, wishing us both well,” responded the shadow, which, in essence, was now the master. - And I will answer you just as frankly, wishing you only the best. You, as a scientist, should know: some people cannot stand the touch of rough paper, others shudder when they hear a nail being driven across glass. I experience the same unpleasant feeling when you say “you” to me. It’s as if I’m being pressed to the ground, just like when I occupied my previous position with you.” It turns out that a joint “journey” through life does not in itself make people friends; still nesting in human souls arrogant hostility towards each other, a vain and evil need to dominate, to enjoy privileges, to flaunt their fraudulently acquired superiority. In Andersen's fairy tale, this psychological evil is embodied in the personality of the pompous and mediocre Shadow; it is in no way connected with the social environment and social relations thanks to which the Shadow manages to triumph over the Scientist. And, starting from Andersen’s fairy tale, developing and concretizing its complex psychological conflict, Schwartz changed its ideological and philosophical meaning.

Andersen's short fairy tale is European novel XIX centuries in miniature. Its theme is the career of an arrogant, unprincipled shadow, the story of its path to the top: through blackmail, deception, to the royal throne. The Shadow's attempt to persuade the Scientist to become his shadow is only one of its many ways to the top. The Scientist’s disagreement leads to nothing; it is no coincidence that he was not even allowed anywhere after refusing to serve as a shadow; no one found out about his death. In Schwartz's play, all stages of the scientist's negotiations with the shadow are especially emphasized; they are of fundamental importance, revealing the independence and strength of the scientist.

In Andersen's fairy tale, the shadow is practically invulnerable, it has achieved a lot, it has become itself, it is rich, everyone is afraid of it

In Andersen's work, the Shadow itself strives for power, stepping over a person and taking the royal throne

But even if life, both in fairy tales and in reality, is cruel and unfair and there is usually more sorrow than joy, the reader has no doubt that life is still worth living. You just have to accept life as it is. Grief is difficult, but if we see it as one of the manifestations of life, it also brings us blessings (as they say in the fairy tale “The Last Pearl”). Everything depends on ourselves. If our eyes are open and our minds receptive, we will find that life is bright and beautiful, rich in events large and small; that the world is full of people and other creatures, completely different, original in their own way, and therefore we will not be bored, there would be a desire to watch and listen.