The title of the fairy tale where Ivan the Fool. Ivan the Fool - fairy-tale character
SA KR AL bH Y Y ABOUT B R AZ DU RA CA
V R US SK THEIR WITH TO A Z TO OH
Is it possible to imagine a modern superhero as a fool? Hardly. But here is the most common beginning of Russian folk tales: “Once upon a time there were three brothers - two smart ones and Ivan the Fool” - that’s exactly it. Have we ever wondered why the fairy-tale hero often turns out to be a fool? What is he like, this Ivan, and why is he actually a fool? Surely many will answer - “because he is narrow-minded, simple-minded, slow,” etc. Then why is he a hero? folk wisdom is he lazy and a fool? Why would higher and lower powers and various magicians help him? And he lies on the stove and is in no hurry.
But in fact, why? Why are there Fools in our Russian folklore? When did they appear? What does the image of the Fool express? And why not an idiot, not a fool, not a moron, but precisely a Fool? Why is it that in fairy tales all the sympathies of not only the heroines - Elena the Beautiful and Vasilis the Wise, the simple-minded hero, princesses and princesses, but also the narrator himself - the creator of the fairy tale - are entirely on the side of such?
First you need to decide what kind of fools you are talking about we're talking about. They can be different. And not only in the sense of different levels of position on the scale of stupidity... but, for example, from the point of view of the meaning of the word itself. In our opinion, without knowledge of the history of origin, this image cannot be correctly understood by the reader
Opening explanatory dictionaries and searching the Internet, we found that the word "fool" has changed its meaning several times. As concepts emerge:
1.Historian Kostomarov N.I., describing the way of life ancient Russia, mentions that “fool” was the name given to the whip with which a husband punished his wife (obsolete);
2. Since the 14th century, it has been used in Russian as a Slavic non-ecclesiastical name-amulet (Dur, Duras, Durak). Before the adoption of Christianity in Rus', children were called: Pervak, Vtorak, Tretyak, as well as Drugak, that is, “other,” next or different. It was the most popular, meaning, in most cases, youngest child, naturally, since the youngest is the most inexperienced and unintelligent, as a result it became a household name and was simplified to “Fool.”
3. In church documents of the XIV−XVII centuries. the word "fool" appears as a name. And these names are not slaves, but quite respectable people: Prince Fyodor Semenovich DurakKemsky, Prince Ivan Ivanovich the Bearded Fool Zasekin, Moscow clerk Durak Mishurin. From the same time, countless “stupid” surnames began - Durov, Durakov, Durnovo... How many famous people had surnames with the root “dur”! This includes the gentleman-maiden Nadezhda Durova and the entire circus dynasty of the Durovs.
4. Since the 16th century, according to written sources, fairy tales have appeared in folklore and in them main character, as a rule, Ivan the Fool.
5. Since the 17th century, jesters and fools appeared at the court of the monarch (obsolete). At the same time, it begins to acquire a modern meaning - a stupid person.
6. In the 18th century, the word “fool” became an offensive, offensive statement denoting a mentally retarded person;
7. Since the 19th century card game"fool" becomes popular among the common people.
And the most interesting interpretation we found in an article by writer Radiy Pogodin:
Du is two.
Ra is the sun.
Du Ra - two suns.
The image of Ivan the fool in Russian folk tales
Almost every Russian fairy tale has a “fool” who stands out from the rest of the heroes.
In fairy tales the name "fool" is different names: Ivan, Emelya, Martynka, Balda, and just the Fool.
The social status of a "fool" is usually low: he peasant son or simply the son of an old man and an old woman, or an old widow, sometimes he is a royal son, but “stupid” or just a fool, sometimes a merchant’s son. He is almost always the third or youngest of the peasant sons. His poverty is often emphasized, because he does not get anything or the most unnecessary things in the household from his parental inheritance. Everyone despises a fool, everyone laughs at him, everyone scolds him, and sometimes even beats him. IN family of origin he is an outcast being.
His older brothers, engaged in farming, trading, arable farming, are smart and practical, have families. Our hero is single, lies on the stove all day long, catches flies, spits on the ceiling or blows his nose. His appearance is negative and ugly: “the dress he’s wearing is thin, covered in soot, his hair is on end,” “drool and snot are running down his face.” In general, lazy and unattractive.
But for some reason in fairy tales, for example by P. Ershov or “Ivan Tsarevich and Gray wolf“It is the older brothers who, going to carry out the assignment, do it extremely unscrupulously, hide and let the thief go. And even more often, with requests and promises to buy him red clothes, boots, give him gold, feed him to the full, they shift their responsibilities to Ivanushka, the fool, who watches for three days and three nights, while they themselves stay at home and sleep... Ivan the Fool correctly fulfills the assigned task, and eventually receives a reward: Sivku-Burku prophetic kaurka, Little Humpbacked Horse with two graceful horses, a spear, a battle club, a treasure sword, a wonderful pipe, etc.
Acquiring a wonderful horse is the first success. It is he who opens the path to fame, wealth and success. This fabulous episode reveals another significant character trait that was so far invisible to others - cunning. Having received the horse, he prudently conceals this event from his brothers. Sometimes he simply keeps silent or gets off with meager explanations like “he didn’t see anything.” And in the fairy tale “The Little Humpbacked Horse,” Ivanushka gets the most unprepossessing foal, which, nevertheless, is endowed with many wonderful qualities.
The behavior of a fool is sometimes absurd, which naturally evokes contempt and condemnation among others. He brings trouble upon himself, he simply attracts it to himself. His actions seem meaningless and useless. And he behaves unforgivably stupid by modern standards, but in a strange way, this same stupidity and impracticality helps him out of various troubles.
To study the image, it is important to pay attention to the question of what does main character and how he does it. Emelya releases the pike back into the water, Martynka, instead of the things needed in the household, buys a cat and a dog for a lot of money. The Fool is capable of love, mercy and kindness when other characters arrange their material world. The fairy tale rewards the main character for such qualities. He is not interested in practical matters, he does not notice hunger and cold, he is overcome by laziness when it comes to household things. Money has no value to a fool.
In the fairy tale “Sivka-Burka” the hero completes a difficult task and disappears away, unrecognized by anyone. He does not boast of his victory, but hides it from his brothers. And going to the feast with the Tsar, Ivan the Fool does not transform, preferring to appear before future wife in its true form. But it is he, contrary to logic and common sense, who turns out to be the luckiest of all. three brothers. It is he who, with the help of magical means, successfully passes all the tests: he defeats the enemy, marries the royal daughter, receives wealth, fame, and becomes Ivan Tsarevich.
The strength of the fool in Russian folk tales is his kindness and responsiveness, his willingness to help those in trouble, and his lack of greed. A fool does things without thinking about the benefits and consequences. Such people are attractive even today. Ivanushka is always helped to accomplish feats by miraculous forces - grateful animals: pike, cat and dog, Little Humpbacked Horse, Sivka-Burka.
And he can be called a hero because he finds non-standard solutions difficult questions. He does not accept cliché decisions, which is why, at first glance, he is a fool. But as a result of the contradiction between ignorance and the search for a solution, new knowledge and new opportunities open up for him. And this is the quality of a hero. And one more thing: Ivan is a fool - the only one in the fairy tale who speaks, makes and guesses riddles, he is a poet and musician and a speaker of special speech.
Ivan's main advantages:
Firstly, he is not at all vain and never demands recognition and glory for his exploits.
Secondly, Ivan is unselfish, nowhere and never does anything for the sake of self-interest.
Thirdly, there is not even any hint in him of an inclination to kill or torment others
Fool does not mean stupid at all. Just Fools - people who look at things from a different angle compared to ordinary people. And it is still unknown who perceives the world more correctly... A fool is not a vice in Rus'. Moreover, in Russian fairy tales, it is the Fools who turn out to be smarter than everyone else in the end!
Let's try to analyze the word "fool" from the position of semiotics, the science of signs, which considers various kinds phenomena of nature and human culture as interaction (the first to raise this topic was the ancient Greek scientist Cratilus (5th century BC), a student of Heraclitus:
D - something giving, facilitating, helping.
U - doubt, mistrust, something incomprehensible.
P is a masculine property, an energy-satisfying property, but also a suppressive, aggressive property.
A - despair, anxiety, alarm.
K - small separate part something.
Taken together, the meaning of letters and sounds can be interpreted as follows: a fool is individual, possessing courage incomprehensible to others, which is aimed at contrary to the general idea. It evokes doubt, mistrust, but at the same time despair and anxiety. All of the listed properties give something, contribute to something, help this person. This conclusion is fully confirmed by fairy tales, proverbs and sayings:
Fools are lucky! There is no law for fools. Work loves fools.
The collective image of the Fool can be imagined as follows:
The Fool is a hero of many Russian fairy tales, unlike others. He is the youngest son in the family and no one takes him seriously. The neighbors don’t really know him, and they only talk about him by hearsay, that he always lies on the stove and snores, instead of helping around the house. He is stupid, but brave, honest, mysterious, cheerful, kind, affectionate, sympathetic, simple-minded, savvy. Inside a lazy and unkempt man lies a wise and handsome guy. The Fool has a broad, noble, open Russian soul. He is the master of his life and at the same time the darling of fate, but at the same time he is happy with a piece of bread, does not strive for glory, does not like to command, does not strive to rule. Thanks to his out-of-the-box thinking, extracted useful knowledge and unpredictable actions, passes all fabulous tests. The fool himself figures out how to get out of difficult situations, thereby outwitting his enemies and helping his friends out of trouble. As a result, he is the smartest and luckiest character, who emerges as a hero from all the vicissitudes, at the same time helping the good and the evil, and in return receives help from magical powers and as a result receives a reward. And all this happens because he knows how to get along and find mutual language with other characters.
“Why does Ivan the fool win?”
“He defeats his enemies by virtue of his natural behavior. Everything that is light and good helps Ivan, and his mother is the damp earth, and forests, and rivers, and little brothers, to small animals and insects. They help because he himself is bright and kind, and not just close to light and good.”
A. Sinyavsky’s reasoning about the behavior of the hero-fool is interesting. The critic points out that the phrase “God loves fools” can be explained for two reasons. Firstly, the Fool simply has no one else to help, he is so unhappy and incapable of even doing anything himself; secondly, in this case the Fool is incredibly trusting of higher powers, because he does not use the advice of his elders, nor his own mind and experience.
Conclusion:
Ivan the Fool is not at all stupid! Yes, he is naive and gullible. But at the same time he is smart with all the wisdom of the Russian people.
1. People love fools not because they are stupid, but because they are smart: smart higher mind, which is not contained in the cunning and deception of others, but in wisdom, which knows the true price of all falsehood, seeing the value in doing good by others.
2. The Russian people treated and still treat fools with great respect, people who have their own point of view that differs from the generally accepted one. This is evidenced by the fact that in fairy tales, Ivan the Fool always remains the winner.
3.Very for a long time the word fool was not offensive... Following folklore traditions Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin in his work “The Fool” gives the following description of his fool Ivanushka, the son of smart parents: “He’s not a fool at all, but he just doesn’t have mean thoughts - that’s why he can’t adapt to life...”
In modern fairy-tale literature, the image of a fool is represented by many other characters, for example, the Scarecrow, Pinocchio, Dunno.
“So who is he, this ever-laughing Fool? Not giving a penny about what others usually cling to, trying to preserve their dignity, their status, themselves?
A fool does not care about honor and glory, but it is about him that epics are composed and fairy tales are told; he is always happy with a little and is full of crackers, but for some reason he is the one who has an abundant self-assembled tablecloth; wealth and money do not matter to him, but again - only he gets all the treasures and, as a rule, half the kingdom in addition; he does not seek to command, but there are always a bunch of assistants around him, vying with each other to offer their services; He makes all decisions not according to intelligence and calculation, but according to INSPIRATION and inner impulse, and it is they who turn out to be the only correct ones and lead him to success.
….And it turns out that the qualities expressed by the Fool are always somehow attractive and close to us; it turns out that they are deeply, literally inherently embedded in us, in our culture, in our worldview.
A fool is the Master of his life. This is the playing Master. This is always a joyful and loving owner, this is a laughing owner. A fool is laughter. The owner's laughter.
By touching the concept of “Fool,” we reveal a stunning layer of possibilities that opens up before us.
Instead of endless reasoning and cleverness about the Fool, finally remember this forgotten quality, return your Fool to his rightful Divine status.
Believe me - it is quite possible, try it - it is not at all difficult, and do it while playing, because the Fool is a continuous adventure. This is our further path, our Divine game, this is the possibility of true awakening and real, not illusory existence.
Everything you hear is a lie.
Everything you see is a lie.
Everything you say is a lie
Everything you know is a lie.
You are absent. You are another's dream.
Surrounds you a dead world woven by you from the lies of others.
This means that by acting contrary to knowledge, you awaken.
By talking less and laughing more, you manifest yourself in this World.
By perceiving not words and concepts, but sensations, you come to life.
By observing without analyzing, you gain insight.
The absurd is your mind. Laughter is your voice.
Fool is your name.
Wake up, the living World is waiting for you.
CODE OF THE FOOL
1. Look for the Fool and you will find it.
2. Evolution developed from the smart to the fool. A smart person can discover the Fool in himself. A fool will never agree to become smart again; a fool with a small letter is a dead-end branch of evolution.
3. A fool is so simple that people refuse to believe in him.
4. “The law is not written to a fool,” the Fool laughs. - therefore he is doomed to be free.
5. Failures follow everyone. But they cannot catch up with the Fools.
6. A fool never spits against the wind, since his wind is always fair.
7. The mind is the Devil's trap. A fool is a way out of it, given by God.
8. A fool is a wonderful player: he never wins.
9. But the Fool is invincible because he never fights.
10. “Why indulge in the sin of despondency,” the Fool laughs, “When there are other sins?”
11. A fool never gets into trouble. “I’m not so smart,” he laughs, “to find this place.”
12. A fool always walks with his mouth open - that’s why he is always full.
13. When a smart person wakes up, becoming a Fool, the world disappears. Then the Fool, laughing, builds it up again.
14. “Most smart people,” the Fool laughs, “die without having time to break out.”
15. “Know yourself,” the Fool laughs, “before others know you.”
16. A fool does not believe in miracles. He uses them.
17. “Love the Fool in your neighbor,” the Fool suggests.
18. All people are from God, but only a fool approaches God.
19. Have you done everything to become a Fool?
20. Laughter is the shortest way from smart to foolish.
21. A fool never looks for anything, because he knows that if he finds it, it will be only himself.
22. A fool is always nearby. When the smart one finally finds it, he laughs for a long time, remembering his search.
23. A fool joyfully laughs in himself at what a smart person wants to change in another.
24. What a Fool eats is what he is, and he eats everything.
25. The smart one fights Satan. The fool only laughs when he hears this name.
26. Look for the Fool in your heart.
27. When Nietzsche said: God is dead! - He hurried. After all, the Fool remained.
28. The end of the world will not come as long as there is at least one Fool.
29. A smart person measures himself from the ground to his head, and a Fool from his head to the Sky.
30. It was not the world that created the Fool, but the Fool the world.
31. Make the Fool pray to God - such laughter will be heard from above.
32. A fool is always in love.
33. “What you own, owns you,” the Fool laughs, looking into his empty pocket. “If you don’t own anything, then you have everything,” he continues, taking out a sandwich from there.
34. The Fool’s pocket is always full because it’s full of holes.
35. A fool blinks and the world is different.
36. “A good God,” the Fool laughs, “is the God about whom jokes are told.”
37. God and the Fool play hide and seek. A fool doesn't look. But he finds it all the time.
38. Everything that a smart person can imagine, a Fool can create.
39. A fool can do anything. But he only wants what he has.
40. “In the world of those who sleep,” the Fool laughs, “the smart one is the King.” But to the one who woke up. The King is not needed.
41. “Just as a blind person does not understand a mirror,” adds the Fool, “so a sleeping person does not understand the Fool.”
42. - When people agree with me, I always want to apologize.
43. “The Fool’s Code is a mirror,” the Fool laughs, “if a donkey reads it, then he sees it...
44. “The louder the laughter, the closer to God,” the Fool laughs.
45. - Ask me. - the Fool smiles, - and I will lie.
46. “Being smart is the funniest of habits,” the Fool laughs.
47. “Many people play the Fool,” the Fool laughs, “but only a few decide to play the Fool with him.”
48. “Troubles come and go,” the Fool laughs, “but their creators remain.”
49. - And you try - laugh with clever expression faces, - suggests the Fool.
50. “Go to the mirror,” the Fool laughs, “and you will see the world in which you live.”
51. “Throw away the mirror,” the Fool laughs, “and maybe you will see yourself.”
52. - Do you always control yourself? - the Fool is surprised. - How will anything fit into them?
53. “Life,” the Fool laughs. - this is one day spent visiting yourself.
54. “There are two tragedies in a person’s life,” the Fool recalls, “this is when he cannot get what he wants and when he finally gets it.
55. “Laughter is a wonderful way to conduct a conversation,” the Fool laughs.
5 B. “Next to me you can learn only one thing,” the Fool laughs, “to forget.”
57 “Forgetting,” he smiles slyly, “means remembering.”
58. - A fool never argues. Who to argue with? - he laughs.
59. - Are you at a dead end? - the Fool laughs, - that’s nice, I can see better from there.
60. “Smart,” the Fool laughs, “this is a candle for those sleeping.”
61. “Free cheese can only be found in a mousetrap,” the Fool declares authoritatively, cutting himself another piece.
62. “To lose,” says the Fool, “is to find.”
63. A fool is the key to doors with nothing behind them.
64. A fool is the key to the door behind which there is everything.
65. “It doesn’t matter what you do,” the Fool laughs, “it’s important what you do.”
66. “But don’t do what you don’t have to do,” he adds.
67. - Do you want to be free? - asks the Fool, - then forget this word.
68. “Laugh and bow more often,” says the Fool, “otherwise you will be mistaken for smart.”
69. - Do they praise you? - the Fool smiles, - forgive them.
70. “If you don’t understand my laughter,” the Fool laughs, “how can you understand my words?”
71. - Good? - the Fool asks in surprise, - oh, yes!... This is what with fists... - he laughs.
72. “If you think,” the Fool laughs, “it means you’re not even a Fool.”
73. “How much intelligence does it take not to seem like a Fool,” he adds, laughing.
74. “You’re very smart,” the Fool laughs, “that’s why you’re the same...
75. “A man always pursues a shining creature, fleeing from a black creature,” says the Fool, sneezing, such dust was raised while running around me...
76. “The less the desire to speak,” the Fool laughs, “the more you manage to say.”
77. “We are not slaves, we are not slaves,” the Fool reads, barely holding back laughter, “but what about pleasures?”
78. “I really don’t mean anything,” the Fool laughs. But how much did I have to study for this.
79. - Fill yourself with knowledge. Pump it up! - the Fool laughs, - after all, you have to vomit something before cleansing.
80. “Do you know the way?” the Fool laughs, “and do you even have a map?” - he laughs, - none other than from a marked deck.
81. “You try,” the Fool suggests, feel your fall as a jump.
82. - Do you want to fool the world? Tell him the truth,” the Fool laughs.
83. “Truth hides in its absence,” he adds, smiling
84. “You don’t have to look for happiness,” the Fool laughs, “you have to live for it.”
85. “A smart person is a suicide,” says the Fool.
86. - Why should I think? - the Fool is surprised, - I know!
87. “How does the wind know,” he laughs, “which way to blow?”
88. “It goes in one ear, out the other,” the Fool laughs, “and so on all day long.” You can go crazy!
89. The Round Fool, with the perfection of its form, reflects the perfection of the universe.
90. “I, too, can get a fly in my soup,” the Fool assures, smiling joyfully.
91. - Do you want to see? - The Fool laughs. - Close eyes.
92. - Do you want to understand the speaker? - he is having fun, - stop listening to him.
93. “There will be no weather vane,” the Fool laughs, “the wind will disappear.”
94. - Looking at the moon, the Fool turns it on like a light bulb.
95. “The mind is a shovel,” the Fool laughs, “the sharper it is, the deeper the grave.”
96. “In the beginning there was a word,” recalls the Fool, “and then words, words, words...
97 - Are you writing? - The Fool laughs. - Write. But don't forget - the cleaner the paper, the cleaner the ass.
98. “Break the stick, break it,” the Fool laughs, “maybe you’ll get one end.”
99. “Aim well,” suggests the Fool, “and if you’re lucky, you’ll miss.”
100. - Did you hit the target? - The Fool laughs. - Look for a hole in your own body.
101. - Do you want to be happy? - the Fool laughs. - Want it!
102. “If you are an honest person,” says the Fool, “that means you always lie.”
103. “The closer to the truth,” he laughs, “the further into the forest.”
104. “Every statement is false,” the Fool laughs, “this too.”
105. “If you know where you are going, you are brave,” the Fool laughs, “after all, you can really get there.”
106. “Circumstances,” the Fool puffs out his cheeks importantly, “it’s me.”
107 - Do you really want to live? - The Fool laughs. - Well, then try to die. Laughing.
108. “You’re just dreaming,” the Fool laughs.
109. - Impossible? - The Fool laughs. - Exactly. Just like that. What do you need.
110. “God is a great joker,” says the Fool. - But he laughs only after I open my mouth.
111 “Hope,” the Fool laughs, “is a lollipop with which you are trying to rape God.”
112. - Experience - the Fool laughs - it’s an enema. Try. Compare. So how? What came out of you besides the usual crap?
113. “You’re talking about how to become better,” the Fool laughs, “and I’m talking about how to become a Fool.”
114. - One and Perfect? - the Fool laughs. - That's it, I'm talking about the same thing. - And coquettishly adjusts his cap.
115. “It was in the beginning,” the Fool recalls, “it will be in the end... But where are you going to go?” - he laughs. - After all, your Fool is still nearby.
Researchers have not come to a clear conclusion about the origin of the image. E. M. Meletinsky believes that the image of a persecuted hero was borrowed by a fairy tale from mythological legends, since individual motifs that make up the plots of fairy tales about Ivan are common in the mythology of different nations.
Ivan is the third and youngest of the brothers. He is born in peasant family, but most often he does not engage in any useful work, unlike his older brothers - prudent, home-loving owners. However, Ivan's brothers never achieve their goal, while he, on the contrary, gains wealth and happiness.
Ivan the Fool, or Ivanushka the Fool, is one of the main characters in Russian fairy tales. As a rule, it social status low - a peasant's son or the son of an old man and an old woman. In the family he was often the third, youngest son. Not married. According to some versions, the name Ivan the Fool is a talismanic name that prevents the evil eye. As you know, fairy tales took shape during pagan times, and many heroes were representatives of Good and Evil. Ivan the Fool is one of the positive heroes.
With the help of magical means and especially thanks to his “not smart”, Ivan the Fool successfully passes all the tests and achieves the highest values: he defeats the enemy, marries the Tsar’s daughter, receives both wealth and fame. Perhaps Ivan the Fool achieves all this due to the fact that, according to the literary scholar J. Dumezil, he embodies a magical function associated not so much with deeds as with words, with the duties of a priest. Ivan the Fool is the only one of the brothers who speaks in the fairy tale. Ivan the Fool makes and guesses riddles, that is, he does what a priest does in many traditions during a ritual dedicated to the main annual holiday. Ivan the Fool - poet and musician; fairy tales emphasize his singing, his ability to play a wonderful pipe or samogud harp, making the herd dance. Ivan the Fool is the bearer of a special speech, in which, in addition to riddles, jokes, and jokes, there are fragments where either the phonetic or semantic principles of ordinary speech are violated, or even something resembling abstruseness; compare “nonsense”, “absurdities”, linguistic paradoxes based, in particular, on the play of homonymy and synonymy, polysemy and multi-referentiality of words, etc. (for example, Ivan the Fool describes killing a snake with a spear as a meeting with evil, which he is evil and hit, “evil died from evil”). Ivan the Fool is connected in the plot with a certain critical situation, culminating in a celebration (victory over the enemy and marriage), in which he is the main participant.
3. The image of Ivan the Fool in Russian folk tales
Russian fools and holy fools did not so much testify to their own stupidity as reveal someone else's, and especially that of the boyars and the tsar. It seems that “father” Ivan the Terrible himself was jealous of the glory of Ivan the Fool and played the fool with all his might. And he married endlessly, and divided the kingdom in two in order to remain with half the kingdom, and started the oprichnina court in Alexandrovsky with all sorts of buffoonery. He even renounced the kingdom, put the Monomakh cap on the Kasimov prince Simeon Bekbulatovich, and himself
And the buffoons and holy fools performed a feat - that feat that made them almost saints, and often saints. Fools were often declared saints by popular rumor, and buffoons too. Remember the most wonderful Novgorod epic"Vavilo the buffoon." And buffoons are not simple people - buffoons are holy people.
But people never show much tenderness for stupidity. But it’s common to think well of the fairy-tale fool: he looks like that, but in reality he’s crazy. But there are different types of fools.
Fool-ignorant
“You can’t drag it!” - such Ivan the Fool shouts at the funeral. And he wishes the wedding train the kingdom of heaven and eternal peace. He is ignorant and does everything inappropriately. The fairy tale laughs at such a fool.
Lazy fool
Such a fool lies on the stove all day long. But he is incredibly lucky. If he goes for water, he will pull out the magic pike from the ice hole. If he starts lashing the stump, gold will fall out from under the stump. And then he unexpectedly receives everything he wants: a red caftan, beauty, good looks, and even the king’s daughter with half a kingdom in addition. Good principles are hidden in such a fool. When the time comes, he looks and acts like a great guy. One sets the pike free, the other, guarding the wheat, shows dexterity, courage, and ingenuity.
Executive fool
There are executive fools. “Force a fool to pray to God, he will even bruise his forehead” - this is said about such people. Such a worker is such a fool that he guards the door separately from the house, and drives a bear into the cattle instead of a cow.
Just a fool
There are such fools in every nation. No wonder they say: “They don’t sow fools, they don’t reap them - they are born.” Both storytellers and listeners always make fun of them to their heart's content, feeling very smart.
4. History of the name
The hero of fairy tales, Ivan the Fool, is not a fool at all, modern meaning this word. Before the adoption of Christianity and for a long time after, there was a tradition of not calling children by “adult” names, so that they would not be kidnapped by “devils” while they were helpless. The child received an “adult”, “real” name at initiation at the age of 10-13, and before that he had a fake, childish one. Children's names derived from numerals were widespread - Pervak, Vtorak, Tretyak. And also Drugak, that is, “other,” next. Since it was the most popular, denoting, in most cases, the youngest child, it eventually became a common noun and was simplified to “Fool.” The name "Fool" appears in church documents until the 14th and 15th centuries. From the 17th century it began to mean what it means now - stupid man. Naturally, the youngest is the most inexperienced and stupid. Therefore, the famous Ivan the Fool from Russian fairy tales is not a fool at all, but simply the youngest of three sons.
5. The mystery of the image of Ivan the Fool
Ivan the Fool is an inherently unclear, if not mysterious, character. Being the main character of the fairy tale, he, in accordance with the laws of the genre, successfully overcomes all the obstacles placed in his path by fate and achieves prosperity, usually symbolized by marrying the king’s daughter. In this, Ivan the Fool is not much different from Ivan Tsarevich and others fairy-tale heroes, with which listeners can sympathize and identify, but if in others fairy tales luck ultimately rewards heroes for their intelligence, cunning, loyalty, kindness, courage, then, considering this type fairy tales, we have to conclude that Ivan the Fool is rewarded for his stupidity. Without possessing any special merits that would at least balance out his stupidity, he nevertheless comes to the same ending as obviously worthy heroes. Moreover, in the fairy tale, in addition to Ivan the Fool, there are often his brothers, who differ from him only in their intelligence and who also try to win luck, but of the three brothers, fate turns out to be favorable to the fool, confirming the conclusion about the reward for stupidity.
The moral straight-forwardly derived from these fairy tales says that a person does not particularly need intelligence, it is not at all required to achieve success in life (and even interferes with its achievement); if it is written in your family to become the king’s son-in-law, then even if you are a fool, this will not prevent you from becoming one, and if it is not written, then you should not try. From here, a rather offensive conclusion is sometimes made for us Russians, that the people, whose favorite folk hero may be a fool and a slacker, do not value intelligence, hard work, calculation and perseverance in achieving a goal, but are inclined, lying on the stove, to hope for a miracle that will lift him from rags to riches without any hassle. But this conclusion - in addition to the fact that it clearly unrealistically describes the scale of national values - is in clear contradiction with the fact that in other fairy tales - created by the same people - the natural intelligence of the heroes, their education, prudence, wit, cunning serve as the basis of their life success and receive very high marks.
Ershov in his famous “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, using folklore story about Ivan the Fool, follows this generally accepted path. In the beginning, however, he follows the folk tale, saying:
“He had three sons.
The eldest was a smart kid,
The middle one was this way and that,
The younger one was completely stupid. ”
However, later on the motive of the main character’s “stupidity” completely disappears; he remains a “fool” only in name, but neither his actions nor the opinion of those around him in any way correspond to this nickname. Rather, he compares favorably with his brothers, whose laziness, cowardice and disobedience to their parents’ will block their opportunity to meet the magic mare and, consequently, the path to success in life. Thus, Ivan the Fool is interpreted by Ershov as a hero who is considered stupid only due to a misunderstanding and whose merits are for the time being hidden under an inconspicuous appearance. In Russian fairy tales there is a similar plot, in which the main character, occupying a low social status(man, soldier) and only because of this, regarded by others as an obvious fool and ignorant, puts others to shame - highly exalted in public opinion- characters thanks to the natural peasant intelligence and cunning, but this is the plot of other fairy tales, clearly different from the fairy tales about Ivan the Fool. By “editing” the plot and replacing one motive with another, taken from another fairy tale, Ershov follows ordinary common sense, confident that if a person whom we considered a fool has achieved extraordinary success in life, then he is probably not such a fool. he’s already a fool, and maybe even smarter than others. This makes the fairy tale more “correct” and logical, but at the same time originality and true meaning plot.
In order to correctly understand the meaning of a fairy tale and find out why the main character is a fool, what is the functional role of his stupidity in the development of the plot, you need to move away from your usual ideas and try to take the point of view of the subject of folklore,
A person’s personal fate, which appears in the form of his personal life circumstances (the environment in which he is forced to act and which he cannot choose at will), constantly complicates his progress towards the goal and deviates him away from it. Everyone’s task is to correct deviations, eliminate or bypass obstacles and return to the right path, and to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible, without wasting unnecessary time and energy. It is in solving such problems that a person’s personal merits are revealed, here his intelligence, ingenuity, perseverance, and other qualities necessary for life’s struggle are tested, and the greater the obstacles, the further from the goal fate took a person, the more honor there is for those who managed to overcome difficulties and reach the goal.
Many fairy tales are built exactly according to this model: someone puts in front of the hero difficult tasks, and he is forced, if he does not want to lose his life and happiness, to overcome all obstacles. (But the hero himself cannot, for no apparent reason, come into his head to go on heroic deeds; any feats not related to his life's path, have no meaning for him). At the same time, the main thing he strives for is the restoration of the original state, and not the conquest of some new heights. Even if a reward awaits him at the end, like marrying the Tsar’s daughter, then this is only honorary title, confirming his valor and success, but not the goal he was striving for.
The plot of Ivan the Fool is similar to this type of fairy tale, and the same elements are used in it: there are also difficult tasks that surpass human capabilities, there are magical assistants who solve insoluble problems for the hero, and at the end the same brilliant ending awaits the hero. The cubes from which the fairy tale is built are the same, but the fairy tale is different. In it, a person is placed in a boundary situation, which obviously excludes the possibility of happiness for him. In the fairy tale, people are looking for an answer to the question of what a person should do if fate puts him in a position from which there is no return. life path, leading to the goal. It is precisely this kind of person that is symbolized by the image of Ivan the Fool. If you take this point of view, it immediately becomes clear why the hero should be a fool not in appearance, but in essence.
Ivan’s stupidity is not proven by anything in the fairy tale; he is a fool by definition. Obviously, his stupidity is so undeniable that there is no need to prove it; he is a well-known village fool, to whom God did not give reason.
In fairy tales about Ivan the Fool, there is a contradiction that is removed by the development of the plot (thesis: “A fool cannot reach his goal because he acts foolishly”; antithesis: “A fool can reach his goal only if he acts foolishly”) , is usually quite clearly expressed, and, apparently, is easily “read” from the plot by those to whom the fairy tale is, in fact, addressed. So, in one of the versions of this tale, the plot unfolds as follows. When dividing property between brothers, the younger brother, the fool, asks his father to also give him a part, and although the old father doubts whether it is worth doing this - no property will help the fool, his case is hopeless - he still, out of justice and pity, gives the fool a hundred rubles The fool goes outside, and there the boys are torturing a kitten and a puppy. The fool asks to give them to him and in return gives his hundred rubles. Subsequently, the dog and cat grow up and, naturally, turn out to be wonderful helpers for the fool, bringing him good luck and a happy ending to the fairy tale. From this it is clear that success for a fool is brought by the correct (in his situation) choice of path: after it has been made, bringing the plot to a happy end turns out to be a matter of fairy-tale technique
6. A world without "scientists".
There is an unconditional border between him and “learned” people: in one of the cycles of fairy tales, Ivan pointedly bears the nickname Dunno, and in another - Talentless. And “scientists” are the only human environment from which fabulous Ivans did not come out, that is, it has no representative in fairy tales. Not a single one! As if “scientists” for the author of fairy tales, the people, do not exist at all, or they are somehow unworthy of representation in Ivanstvo-Ivania. This does not come from self-abasement or from the author’s pride. Simply, simply, the people themselves are learned, without the “scientists” who have broken away from them. In the people's multi-thousand-year universal laboratory, many things were created that scientists only later confirmed. The list is endless: the first ideas about world harmony, matter and energy, force and motion, molecule and atom, the invention of the globe, the creation of a book, etc., etc. Our Mikhailo Lomonosov, having made his way to “scientists,” did just that , which clarified popular ideas. And how many of these ideas are never understood by “scientists”, never developed, and often distorted beyond recognition. But the main thing, I repeat, is the spiritual boundary between the Ivans and the “scientists”. It is no coincidence that Dunno emits light, surprisingly pure and bright. If the “knowledgeable people” emitted such light, maybe the world would be different, and not so terrible. like now. The “scientists”, who had forgotten their kinship, would not have climbed onto Ivan’s hump, would not have sought to drive him, teach him wisdom, would not have destroyed living things.
The line between the Ivans and the “scientists” is a principled, dividing line. The Ivans never forget about their kinship. “Ivans, who do not remember their kinship,” is what is said to emphasize the improbability of such a case. One who does not remember kinship is no longer Ivan.
Who hates Ivan. First of all, Ivan the Fool is completely devoid of three vices, which his enemies consider virtues.
Firstly, he is not at all vain and never demands recognition and glory for his exploits. Moreover, he strives with all his might not to be considered a hero. I would like to call him, as some researchers do, “a hero in disguise.” It’s as if Ivan is wearing a Fool’s mask. But the fact of the matter is that this is not a mask, but a face - an image, an expression of an internal attitude towards the world. The mask can be taken off, but the face cannot be removed, they live with it, they die with it, they appear before God with it, where “they will last ones first"Therefore, we must talk not about a hero in disguise, but about the main features of a certain personal class.
Secondly, Ivan is unselfish, nowhere and never does anything for the sake of self-interest. Thirdly, there is not even any hint in him of a tendency to kill or torment others, and he is cruel only in cases of extreme necessity, and only with evil spirits. From the point of view of his enemies, it is the absence of these three vices, which they consider the most important virtues, that allows them to call Ivan a “fool.” In fairy tales, the enemies, knowing how Ivan will behave, take advantage of this, provoke conditions in which he goes “there, not knowing where,” in order to “bring something, not knowing what,” and for them he gets both fame and wealth.
He is of peasant origin, he cannot be anything else. How could his enemies be different? They are not his enemies on purpose, they are like that, they are just different, they represent a different opposite meaning, personal class. And even their anger at Ivan can be explained by the fact that they cannot be like Ivan. They live by different commandments.
Why does Ivan win? The highest meaning of travel and all of Ivan’s misadventures, even when he goes, not knowing where and not knowing why, is in the fight against evil spirits and in the multiplication of good. He defeats enemies by virtue of his natural, God this behavior. Ivan is helped by everything that is light and good, and his mother is the damp earth, and forests, and rivers, and his little brothers, even to small animals and insects. It helps because he himself is bright and kind, and not just close to light and good. He is an inner man, living with his heart - a prophet. “Here an old lady jumps over the garden bed: Fu-fu-fu, what is this! The Russian spirit came to my forest!” Kingdom of the Dead, Ivan’s main enemies - Koshchei, Baba Yaga, Zmei Gorynych - are opposed by the kingdom of the living. A special country, Ivanstvo-Ivania, is a special civilization. “The Russian spirit is here, it smells like Russia.” This is the Russian civilization. You won't find another like it. “Rus Ivan” was and is called by our western neighbors, “Urus Ivan” by our eastern neighbors.
Moreover, a person of a nasty personal class, opposite to civilization, where, first of all, “favorite” wealth is held in high esteem, that is, an external person, living with a cold mind, considers the Orthodox no longer fabulous, but real fools, and Russia - a wild, uncivilized country of fools. People from this country-civilization who remained Orthodox, that is, you and me, are Ivans - Fools.
Meanwhile, the immortality of Russia lies precisely in the fact that the Ivans, who remember their kinship, lived and worked in it, live and create. The personality of the people's favorite is recognized throughout our culture, both in its creators and in their creations, as, say, in Dostoevsky and Prince Myshkin or Sholokhov and his hero from “The Fate of Man.” In Pushkin and Yurodivy.
Of course, why not Ivan - the Fool, the national pride of Russia - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. After all, even his death for a prudent person is stupidity and cannot be justified in any way. Brilliant poet, revered by the people, he could have not shot himself, lived and lived, and then continued to write. But the fact of the matter is that all of Russia stood behind Pushkin in the duel, from the peasant woman Arina Rodionovna to the heroes of 1812, to her saints. The killer, shooting at Pushkin on the orders of obscurantism, darkness, shot at each of us. And this is the case when “trampling death upon death”, a person wins.
7. Conclusion
The Russian people love fools not because they are stupid, but because they are smart: smart with a higher mind, which is not contained in cunning and deception of others, not in trickery and the successful pursuit of one’s own narrow gain, but in wisdom, which knows the true value of every falsehood, ostentatious beauty, which sees the value in doing good to others, and therefore to oneself as an individual. And the Russian people do not love every fool and eccentric, but only one who cares for an ugly little humpbacked horse, doesn’t offend a dove, doesn’t break a talking tree, and then gives his own to others, saves nature and respects his parents. Such a “fool” will not only get a beauty, but the princess will give her an engagement ring from the window, and with it half a kingdom-state as a dowry.
The Russian folk tale Ivan the Fool says that fools are always lucky. Even though Ivan was a fool, he defeated Dobrynya and married the Tsar’s daughter, and managed to command the Russian heroes Ilya and Fedka. Read an interesting fairy tale about Ivan the Fool.
"Ivan the Fool" Russian folk tale
In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived an old man and an old woman. They had three sons, the third was called Ivan the Fool. The first two are married, and Ivan the Fool is single; two brothers were engaged in business, managing the house, plowing and sowing, but the third did nothing. One day, Ivan’s father and daughters-in-law began sending Ivan out to the field to plow some arable land. The guy drove off, arrived at the arable land, harnessed his horse, rode with the plow once or twice, and saw: there were no more mosquitoes and midges; he grabbed a whip, lashed the horse on the side, killed them without estimate; hit another, killed forty spiders and thinks:
- After all, I killed forty heroes in one swing, but the small fry has no budget!
He took them all, put them in a pile and covered them with horse feces; He didn’t bother to plow himself, he unharnessed the horse and rode home. He comes home and says to his daughters-in-law and mother:
“Give me a canopy and a saddle, and you, father, give me the saber that’s hanging on your wall—it’s rusty.” What kind of a man am I! I have nothing.
They laughed at him and gave him some kind of split tyurik instead of a saddle; Our guy attached girths to it and put it on the thin little filly. Instead of a canopy, the mother gave some old oakwood; He took that too, and took a saber from his father, went, sharpened it, got ready and went. He reaches Rosstany - and he was still somewhat literate - he wrote on a post: the strong heroes Ilya Muromets and Fyodor Lyzhnikov would come to such and such a state to a strong and mighty hero, who killed forty heroes at one stroke, but the small fry has no budget, and rolled them all over with a stone.
Sure enough, after him the hero Ilya Muromets arrives and sees the inscription on the pillar:
“Bah,” he says, “a strong man passed by, mighty hero: It is not good to disobey.
Let's go, they'll catch up with Vanyukha; didn't get far, took off his hat and bowed:
But Vanyukha doesn’t break his hat, he says:
- Great, Ilyukha!
Let's go together. Not long after, Fyodor Lyzhnikov arrived at the same post, he saw that it was written on the post, it is not good to disobey: Ilya Muromets has passed! - and he went there; I didn’t even get far to Vanyukha - he took off his hat and said:
- Hello, strong, mighty hero!
But Vanyukha doesn’t break his hat.
“Great,” he says, “Fedyunka!”
All three went together; They come to one state and stop at the royal meadows. The heroes set up tents for themselves, and Vanyukha crucified the oak; The two heroes tangled the horses with silk fetters, and Vanyukha tore the rod from the tree, twisted it and tangled his mare. Here they live. The king saw from his tower that his favorite meadows were being poisoned by some people, and they immediately ordered their neighbor to ask what kind of people they were? He arrived at the meadows, approached Ilya Muromets, and asked what kind of people they were and how they dared trample the royal meadows without permission? Ilya Muromets answered:
- It's none of our business! Ask the elder over there - a strong, mighty hero.
The ambassador approached Vanyukha. He shouted at him and didn’t let him say a word:
“Get out, while you’re still alive, and tell the Tsar that a strong, mighty hero has come to his meadows, who killed forty heroes at one stroke, but the small fry has no estimate, and knocked him down with a stone, and Ilya Muromets and Fyodor Lyzhnikov are with him, and demands from The king's daughter is married.
He told this to the king. The Tsar had enough of the records: Ilya Muromets and Fyodor Lyzhnikov are there, but the third, who killed forty heroes at a time, is not in the records. Then the king ordered to gather an army, capture three heroes and bring them to him. Where to grab it? Vanyukha saw how the army began to approach closer; he shouted:
- Ilyukha! Go and drive them away, what kind of people are they? — he lies there, stretched out, and looks at him like an owl.
At those words, Ilya Muromets jumped onto his horse, drove him, not so much beat him with his hands as trampled him with his horse; He killed everyone and left only the pagans to the king. The king heard this misfortune, gathered more strength and sent to catch the heroes. Ivan the Fool shouted:
- Fedyunka! Go ahead and drive this bastard away!
He jumped on his horse, killed everyone, and left only the pagans.
What should the king do? Things are bad, the warriors have beaten the forces; The king became thoughtful and remembered that a strong hero, Dobrynya, lived in his kingdom. He sends him a letter, asking him to come defeat three heroes. Dobrynya has arrived; The Tsar met him on the third balcony, and Dobrynya, on top, rode up to the balcony level with the Tsar: that’s what he was like! We said hello and talked. He went to the royal meadows. Ilya Muromets and Fyodor Lyzhnikov saw that Dobrynya was coming towards them, they got scared, jumped on their horses and got out of there - they drove away. But Vanyukha didn’t have time. While he was picking up his little mare, Dobrynya drove up to him and laughed, what kind of strong, mighty hero is this? Small, skinny! He bent his head towards Vanyukha himself, looking at him and admiring him. Vanyukha somehow didn’t lose heart, he grabbed his saber and cut off his head.
The king saw this and got scared:
“Oh,” he says, “the hero killed Dobrynya; trouble now! Go quickly and call the hero to the palace.
Such honor came for Vanyukha that, father forbid! The carriages are the best, the people are all kind. They planted him and brought him to the king. The king treated him and gave him his daughter; They got married, and now they live and chew bread.
I was here, drinking honey; It flowed down my mustache but didn’t get into my mouth. They gave me a cap and started pushing me; They gave me a caftan, I go home, and the titmouse flies and says:
- Xin is good!
I thought:
- Throw it away and put it down!
He took it, threw it off, and put it down. This is not a fairy tale, but a saying, a fairy tale ahead!
Ivan the Fool appears. At first glance, it seems that some lazy and incompetent villager, by a lucky chance, gets not only the princess as his wife, but also half of the kingdom. If you look more closely, it becomes clear that moral qualities Ivan the Fool is not so simple. In fact, he is only pretending to be a fool, and ingenuity and dexterity are almost his main features.
How the image appeared
It is still not known exactly where the tales about Ivan the Fool came from. Folklorists who are closely engaged in research folk art, they believe that this colorful image came into our fairy tales from ancient myths.
Agree, a successful, but at the same time narrow-minded and funny character is in the legends of almost all peoples of the world, but this image is so popular only in our culture. Any child knows who the hero of fairy tales is - Ivan the Fool.
Why do they love Vanya?
People's love this character is quite easy to explain: why funnier hero, the more his readers love him. And since children are most often captivated by fairy tales, for them Vanya is made even more attractive by the stove that carries him, the buckets that independently walk around the village, and also the baton that distributes blows left and right.
Ivan's magical qualities
Some experts argue that Ivan has some qualities of a priest. He is the youngest of three brothers, the most stupid and lazy, but at the same time only he has the ability to speak in riddles. And not only talk - he also solves them quite successfully.
And why all? Not only does a totem animal (for example, a pike) help Ivan the Fool, but also the stove is not just a means of transportation, but a symbol of family comfort, a hearth in the house, a “portal” to deceased ancestors.
Ivan's character has similar traits to the priests Ancient Rus': he easily communicates with otherworldly forces, they help him quite willingly. Such characters are called tricksters. These are jokers, liars and pranksters who, oddly enough, benefit people. They do a lot of stupid things, but that's what gives them a certain charm.
Why "fool"?
It is very difficult to call Vanya stupid, since he often uses cunning and ingenuity in his actions. From anyone, even the most difficult situation Ivan the Fool emerges victorious, and at the end of the tale he marries the king’s daughter and takes on the title of ruler of the state.
There are several explanations for this offensive nickname.
- By family traditions those times youngest child they did not leave an inheritance, that is, he remained offended and deprived.
- The fool is a kind of amulet. In ancient times, children were given a second, “false” name so that the spirits would not find it. No one will even look for a child with the nickname “fool.”
The most interesting thing is that a person with such offensive nickname most often sings beautifully, speaks musical instruments and makes up rhyming jokes.
Image in fairy tales
One can only speculate about the real origin of the character. Experts in this field have not come to a consensus, but the main version, as mentioned above, is this: the authors of fairy tales about Ivan the Fool borrowed the image from ancient mythology.
Vanya is the youngest of three brothers. He was born into a peasant family, and this fact suggests the presence large quantity work, but our hero is usually lazy and does nothing. But his older brothers are homely, hard-working, real masters.
The whole paradox of the fairy tales about Ivan the Fool is that the older brothers remain simple peasants, while the younger one becomes rich and happy.
The first fairy tales began to appear in those distant times when people believed in pagan gods. Back then, each hero represented a dark or light side. Ivan the Fool is undoubtedly a representative of good.
How Ivan is perceived in Russia
In fairy tales, foolish heroes most often ridiculed not their own stupidity, but that of others, especially the lack of intelligence of those in power. From time immemorial, it was the buffoons and holy fools that rumor put on a pedestal. It was the unsightly people who managed to accomplish the feat for which they were canonized. Take, for example, the famous Novgorod epic “Vavilo the buffoon.” It is in this legend that the phrase “But buffoons are not simple people - buffoons are holy people” is found.
But all this does not mean at all that the Russian people have a special love for stupidity. IN real life narrow-minded people are not at all honored, only it is customary to speak well of the fairy-tale fool. It is believed that he only pretends to be stupid for the sake of intrigue.
There are several types of fools.
- Fool-ignorant. “You can’t drag it!” - quote from Ivan the Fool. Only it was said completely out of place - at a funeral. Such a hero is not particularly literate, and his actions, as a rule, only cause laughter.
- Lazy fool. This character does not leave the stove for days on end, does nothing, but he is incredibly lucky. For once, I went into the water and immediately caught a magic pike. And from the stump, which he had foolishly lashed, gold suddenly fell out. From this moment on, Vanya receives all the desired benefits: beauty, wealth, and a smart, beautiful bride. A good beginning is hidden in such a hero. His positive traits They wake up only when the time comes for this.
- An executive fool. They even made up a proverb about such characters. “Force a fool to pray to God, he will break his forehead.” Here the hero immediately comes to mind, who guarded the door, separate from the house.
- An ordinary fool. Every nation has such a character. Against the background of such characters, anyone feels smart enough, so both storytellers and listeners love to laugh at this hero.
The image of Ivan the Fool in fairy tales of the peoples of the world
Of course, the folklore of each nation is original and has its own National character, but if you look closely, then in the legends different countries you can find very similar heroes. The most interesting thing is that in other countries our hero is also called Ivan. The English fool's name is John, the French one is Jean, the Spanish one is Juan, the German one is Hans, the Italian one is Giovanni.
French Jean- simply a standard of hopeless stupidity. He firmly believes that the pig he bought will run home on its own if he shows it the way. Here the fool serves as an example of ordinary human stupidity, which can be laughed at for a long time.
English fairy tales differ in that they are more reminiscent instructive stories. The main features of the hero are decency and kindness, but at the same time he is not particularly savvy. He is very efficient, so he takes orders given as a joke literally, which is why he often finds himself in ridiculous funny situations.
If we take closer foreign countries, that is, the countries of the former Soviet Union, whose fairy tales are similar not only by the same names of the characters, but also by overlapping plot lines.
Once upon a time there lived Ivanushka the Fool, a handsome man, but no matter what he did, everything turned out funny for him - not like with people.
One man hired him as a worker, and he and his wife went to the city; wife and says to Ivanushka:
- You stay with the children, look after them, feed them!
- With what? – asks Ivanushka.
- Take water, flour, potatoes, crumble and cook - there will be a stew!
The man orders:
- Guard the door so that the children don’t run away into the forest!
The man and his wife left; Ivanushka climbed onto the floor, woke up the children, dragged them to the floor, sat down behind them and said:
- Well, here I am, looking after you!
The children sat on the floor for a while and asked for food; Ivanushka dragged a tub of water into the hut, poured half a sack of flour and a measure of potatoes into it, shook it all out with a rocker and thought out loud:
- Who needs to be chopped?
The children heard it and got scared:
- He will probably crush us!
And they quietly ran away from the hut.
Ivanushka looked after them, scratched the back of his head, and thought: “How am I going to look after them now? Moreover, the door must be guarded so that she does not run away!”
He looked into the tub and said:
- Cook, stew, and I’ll go look after the children!
He took the door off its hinges, put it on his shoulders and went into the forest; suddenly the Bear steps towards him - he was surprised and growls:
- Hey, why are you carrying the tree into the forest?
Ivanushka told him what happened to him, - the Bear sat down on hind legs and laughs:
- What a fool you are! I'll eat you for this!
And Ivanushka says:
“You’d better eat the children, so that next time they listen to their father and mother and don’t run into the forest!”
The bear laughs even harder and rolls on the ground laughing!
- I’ve never seen such a stupid thing! Let's go, I'll show you to my wife!
He took him to his den. Ivanushka walks and hits the pine trees with the door.
- Leave her alone! - says the Bear.
- No, I’m true to my word: I promised to keep you safe, so I’ll keep you safe!
We came to the den. The bear says to his wife:
- Look, Masha, what a fool I brought you! Laughter!
And Ivanushka asks the Bear:
- Auntie, have you seen the kids?
- Mine are at home, sleeping.
- Come on, show me, aren’t these mine?
The Bear showed him three cubs; He says:
- Not these, I had two.
Then the Bear sees that he is stupid and laughs too:
- But you had human children!
“Well, yes,” said Ivanushka, “you can figure them out, little ones, which ones are whose!”
- That's funny! - the Bear was surprised and said to her husband: - Mikhailo Potapych, we won’t eat him, let him live among our workers!
“Okay,” agreed the Bear, “even though he’s a person, he’s too harmless!”
The Bear gave Ivanushka a basket and ordered:
- Go pick some wild raspberries, the kids will wake up, I’ll treat them to something delicious!
- Okay, I can do this! - said Ivanushka. - And you guard the door!
Ivanushka went to the forest raspberry patch, picked a basket full of raspberries, ate his fill, went back to the bears and sang at the top of his lungs:
Oh, how awkward
Ladybugs!
Is it the ants?
Or lizards!
He came to the den and shouted:
- Here it is, raspberry!
The cubs ran up to the basket, growled, pushed each other, tumbled, very happy!
And Ivanushka, looking at them, says:
- Ehma, it’s a pity that I’m not a Bear, otherwise I would have children!
The bear and his wife laugh.
- Oh, my fathers! - the Bear growls, - you can’t live with him, you’ll die laughing!
“Tell you what,” says Ivanushka, “you guard the door here, and I’ll go look for the kids, otherwise the owner will give me trouble!”
And the Bear asks her husband:
- Misha, you should help him!
“We need to help,” agreed the Bear, “he’s very funny!”