Year of writing:
1877
Reading time:
Description of the work:
Wide famous poem To whom in Russia to live well was written in 1877 by the Russian writer Nikolai Nekrasov. It took many years to create it - Nekrasov worked on the poem from 1863-1877. It is interesting that some ideas and thoughts arose from Nekrasov back in the 50s. He thought to capture in the poem Whom in Russia to live well as much as possible everything that he knew about the people and heard from the lips of people.
Read below summary poems To whom it is good to live in Russia.
One day, seven men converge on the high road - recent serfs, and now temporarily liable "from adjacent villages - Zaplatova, Dyryavin, Razutov, Znobishina, Gorelova, Neyolova, Neurozhayka, too." Instead of going their own way, the peasants start a dispute about who in Russia lives happily and freely. Each of them judges in his own way who is the main lucky man in Russia: a landowner, an official, a priest, a merchant, a noble boyar, a minister of sovereigns or a tsar.
During the argument, they do not notice that they gave a detour of thirty miles. Seeing that it is too late to return home, the men make a fire and continue to argue over vodka - which, of course, little by little turns into a fight. But even a fight does not help to resolve the issue that worries the men.
The solution is found unexpectedly: one of the men, Pahom, catches a warbler chick, and in order to free the chick, the warbler tells the men where they can find a self-assembled tablecloth. Now the peasants are provided with bread, vodka, cucumbers, kvass, tea - in a word, everything they need for a long journey. And besides, the self-assembled tablecloth will repair and wash their clothes! Having received all these benefits, the peasants give a vow to find out "who lives happily, freely in Russia."
The first possible "lucky man" they met along the way is a priest. (It was not for the oncoming soldiers and beggars to ask about happiness!) But the priest's answer to the question of whether his life is sweet disappoints the peasants. They agree with the priest that happiness lies in peace, wealth and honor. But the pop does not possess any of these benefits. In haymaking, in stubble, in a dead autumn night, in severe frost, he must go where there are sick, dying and being born. And every time his soul hurts at the sight of grave sobs and orphan sorrow - so that his hand does not rise to take copper nickels - a miserable reward for the demand. The landlords, who formerly lived in family estates and got married here, baptized children, buried the dead, are now scattered not only in Russia, but also in distant foreign land; there is no hope for their reward. Well, the peasants themselves know what honor the priest is: they feel embarrassed when the priest blames obscene songs and insults against priests.
Realizing that the Russian pop is not among the lucky ones, the peasants go to the festive fair in the trading village of Kuzminskoye to ask the people there about happiness. In a rich and dirty village there are two churches, a tightly boarded-up house with the inscription "school", a paramedic's hut, a dirty hotel. But most of all in the village of drinking establishments, in each of which they barely manage to cope with the thirsty. Old man Vavila cannot buy his granddaughter goat's shoes, because he drank himself to a penny. It’s good that Pavlusha Veretennikov, a lover of Russian songs, whom everyone calls “master” for some reason, buys a treasured gift for him.
Wandering peasants watch the farcical Petrushka, watch how the officers pick up book goods - but by no means Belinsky and Gogol, but portraits of fat generals unknown to anyone and works about "my lord stupid." They also see how a busy trading day ends: rampant drunkenness, fights on the way home. However, the peasants are indignant at Pavlusha Veretennikov's attempt to measure the peasant by the master's measure. In their opinion, it is impossible for a sober person to live in Russia: he will not endure either overwork or peasant misfortune; without drinking, bloody rain would have poured out of the angry peasant soul. These words are confirmed by Yakim Nagoi from the village of Bosovo - one of those who "work to death, drink half to death." Yakim believes that only pigs walk the earth and do not see the sky for a century. During a fire, he himself did not save money accumulated over a lifetime, but useless and beloved pictures that hung in the hut; he is sure that with the cessation of drunkenness, great sadness will come to Russia.
Wandering men do not lose hope of finding people who live well in Russia. But even for the promise to give water to the lucky ones for free, they fail to find those. For the sake of a gratuitous drink, both an overworked worker, and a former courtyard stricken with paralysis, who for forty years licked the master's plates with the best French truffle, and even ragged beggars are ready to declare themselves lucky.
Finally, someone tells them the story of Ermil Girin, a steward in the estate of Prince Yurlov, who has earned universal respect for his justice and honesty. When Girin needed money to buy the mill, the peasants lent it to him without even asking for a receipt. But Yermil is now unhappy: after the peasant revolt, he is in jail.
About the misfortune that befell the nobles after the peasant reform, the ruddy sixty-year-old landowner Gavrila Obolt-Obolduev tells the peasant wanderers. He recalls how in the old days everything amused the master: villages, forests, fields, serf actors, musicians, hunters, who belonged undividedly to him. Obolt-Obolduev tells with emotion how, on the twelfth holidays, he invited his serfs to pray in manor house- despite the fact that after that it was necessary to drive women from all over the estate to wash the floors.
And although the peasants themselves know that life in serf times was far from the idyll drawn by Obolduev, they nevertheless understand: the great chain of serfdom, having broken, hit both the master, who at once lost his usual way of life, and the peasant.
Desperate to find a happy man among the men, the wanderers decide to ask the women. The surrounding peasants remember that Matrena Timofeevna Korchagina lives in the village of Klin, whom everyone considers lucky. But Matrona herself thinks otherwise. In confirmation, she tells the wanderers the story of her life.
Before her marriage, Matryona lived in a non-drinking and prosperous peasant family. She married Philip Korchagin, a stove-maker from a foreign village. But the only happy night for her was that night when the groom persuaded Matryona to marry him; then the usual hopeless life of a village woman began. True, her husband loved her and beat her only once, but soon he went to work in St. Petersburg, and Matryona was forced to endure insults in her father-in-law's family. The only one who felt sorry for Matryona was grandfather Saveliy, who lived out his life in the family after hard labor, where he ended up for the murder of the hated German manager. Savely told Matryona what Russian heroism is: a peasant cannot be defeated, because he "bends, but does not break."
The birth of the first-born Demushka brightened up the life of Matryona. But soon her mother-in-law forbade her to take the child into the field, and old grandfather Savely did not follow the baby and fed him to the pigs. In front of Matryona, the judges who arrived from the city performed an autopsy of her child. Matryona could not forget her first child, although after she had five sons. One of them, the shepherd Fedot, once allowed a she-wolf to carry away a sheep. Matrena took upon herself the punishment assigned to her son. Then, being pregnant with her son Liodor, she was forced to go to the city to seek justice: her husband, bypassing the laws, was taken to the soldiers. Matryona was then helped by the governor Elena Alexandrovna, for whom the whole family is now praying.
By all peasant standards, the life of Matryona Korchagina can be considered happy. But it is impossible to tell about the invisible spiritual storm that passed through this woman - just like about unrequited mortal insults, and about the blood of the firstborn. Matrena Timofeevna is convinced that a Russian peasant woman cannot be happy at all, because the keys to her happiness and free will are lost from God himself.
In the midst of haymaking, wanderers come to the Volga. Here they witness a strange scene. A noble family swims up to the shore in three boats. The mowers, who have just sat down to rest, immediately jump up to show the old master their zeal. It turns out that the peasants of the village of Vakhlachina help the heirs to hide the abolition of serfdom from the landowner Utyatin, who has lost his mind. For this, the relatives of the Last Duck-Duck promise the peasants floodplain meadows. But after the long-awaited death of the Afterlife, the heirs forget their promises, and the whole peasant performance turns out to be in vain.
Here, near the village of Vakhlachin, wanderers listen to peasant songs - corvée, hungry, soldier's, salty - and stories about serf times. One of these stories is about the serf of the exemplary Jacob the faithful. Yakov's only joy was to please his master, the petty landowner Polivanov. Samodur Polivanov, in gratitude, beat Yakov in the teeth with his heel, which aroused even greater love in the lackey's soul. By old age, Polivanov lost his legs, and Yakov began to follow him as if he were a child. But when Yakov's nephew, Grisha, decided to marry the serf beauty Arisha, out of jealousy, Polivanov sent the guy to the recruits. Yakov began to drink, but soon returned to the master. And yet he managed to take revenge on Polivanov - the only way available to him, in a lackey way. Having brought the master into the forest, Yakov hanged himself right above him on a pine tree. Polivanov spent the night under the corpse of his faithful serf, driving away birds and wolves with groans of horror.
Another story - about two great sinners - is told to the peasants by God's wanderer Iona Lyapushkin. The Lord awakened the conscience of the ataman of the robbers Kudeyar. The robber prayed for sins for a long time, but all of them were released to him only after he killed the cruel Pan Glukhovsky in a surge of anger.
The wandering men also listen to the story of another sinner - Gleb the elder, who hid the last will of the late widower admiral for money, who decided to free his peasants.
But not only wandering peasants think about the happiness of the people. The son of a sacristan, seminarian Grisha Dobrosklonov, lives in Vakhlachin. In his heart, love for the deceased mother merged with love for the whole of Vahlachina. For fifteen years, Grisha knew for sure whom he was ready to give his life, for whom he was ready to die. He thinks of all mysterious Russia as a miserable, abundant, powerful and powerless mother, and expects that the indestructible strength that he feels in his own soul will still be reflected in her. Such strong souls, like those of Grisha Dobrosklonov, the angel of mercy himself calls for an honest path. Fate prepares Grisha "a glorious path, a loud name of the people's intercessor, consumption and Siberia."
If the wandering men knew what was happening in the soul of Grisha Dobrosklonov, they would surely understand that they could already return to their native roof, because the goal of their journey had been achieved.
Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov's poem "Who Lives Well in Russia" has its own unique feature. All the names of the villages and the names of the heroes clearly reflect the essence of what is happening. In the first chapter, the reader can get acquainted with seven men from the villages of Zaplatovo, Dyryaevo, Razutovo, Znobishino, Gorelovo, Neyolovo, and Neurozhayko, who are arguing about who lives well in Russia, and in no way cannot come to an agreement. No one is even going to yield to another ... So unusually begins the work that Nikolai Nekrasov conceived in order, as he writes, "to present in a coherent story everything that he knows about the people, everything that happened to be heard from his lips ..."
The history of the creation of the poem
Nikolai Nekrasov began working on his work in the early 1860s and finished the first part five years later. The prologue was published in the January issue of the Sovremennik magazine for 1866. Then painstaking work began on the second part, which was called "Last Child" and was published in 1972. The third part, entitled "Peasant Woman", was released in 1973, and the fourth, "A Feast for the Whole World" - in the fall of 1976, that is, three years later. It is a pity that the author of the legendary epic did not manage to fully complete his plan - the writing of the poem was interrupted by an untimely death - in 1877. However, even after 140 years, this work remains important for people, it is read and studied by both children and adults. The poem "To whom it is good to live in Russia" is included in the compulsory school curriculum.
Part 1. Prologue: who is the happiest in Russia
So, the prologue tells how seven men meet on a high road, and then go on a journey to find a happy man. Who in Russia lives freely, happily and cheerfully - this is the main question of curious travelers. Each, arguing with the other, believes that he is right. Roman screams that the most good life with the landowner, Demyan claims that the official lives wonderfully, Luka proves that after all the priest, the rest also express their opinion: “to the noble boyar”, “fat-bellied merchant”, “the minister of the sovereign” or the tsar.
Such a disagreement leads to a ridiculous fight, which is observed by birds and animals. It is interesting to read how the author displays their surprise at what is happening. Even the cow “came to the fire, stared at the peasants, listened to crazy speeches and began, cordially, to moo, moo, moo! ..”
At last, having kneaded each other's sides, the peasants came to their senses. They saw a tiny warbler chick flying up to the fire, and Pahom took it in his hands. The travelers began to envy the little bird that could fly wherever it wanted. They talked about what everyone wants, when suddenly ... the bird spoke in a human voice, asking to release the chick and promising a large ransom for it.
The bird showed the peasants the way to where the real tablecloth was buried. Blimey! Now you can definitely live, not grieve. But the quick-witted wanderers also asked that their clothes not wear out. “And this will be done by a self-assembled tablecloth,” said the warbler. And she kept her promise.
The life of the peasants began to be full and cheerful. But they have not yet resolved the main question: who still lives well in Russia. And friends decided not to return to their families until they find the answer to it.
Chapter 1. Pop
On the way, the peasants met the priest and, bowing low, asked him to answer “in conscience, without laughter and without cunning,” whether he really lives well in Russia. What the pop said dispelled the ideas of the seven curious about his happy life. No matter how severe the circumstances are - a dead autumn night, or a severe frost, or a spring flood - the priest has to go where he is called, without arguing or contradicting. The work is not easy, besides, the groans of people leaving for another world, the weeping of orphans and the sobs of widows completely upset the peace of the priest's soul. And only outwardly it seems that pop is held in high esteem. In fact, he is often the target of ridicule by the common people.
Chapter 2
Further, the road leads purposeful wanderers to other villages, which for some reason turn out to be empty. The reason is that all the people are at the fair, in the village of Kuzminskoe. And it was decided to go there to ask people about happiness.
The life of the village evoked not very pleasant feelings among the peasants: there were a lot of drunks around, everywhere it was dirty, dull, uncomfortable. Books are also sold at the fair, but low-quality books, Belinsky and Gogol are not to be found here.
By evening, everyone becomes so drunk that it seems that even the church with the bell tower is shaking.
Chapter 3
At night, the men are on their way again. They hear the conversations of drunk people. Suddenly, attention is attracted by Pavlush Veretennikov, who makes notes in a notebook. He collects peasant songs and sayings, as well as their stories. After everything that has been said is captured on paper, Veretennikov begins to reproach the assembled people for drunkenness, to which he hears objections: “The peasant drinks mainly because he is in grief, and therefore it is impossible, even a sin, to reproach for it.
Chapter 4
Men do not deviate from their goal - by all means to find a happy person. They promise to reward with a bucket of vodka the one who tells that it is he who lives freely and cheerfully in Russia. Drinkers peck at such a "tempting" offer. But no matter how hard they try to colorfully paint the gloomy everyday life of those who want to get drunk for free, nothing comes out of them. Stories of an old woman who has born up to a thousand turnips, a sexton rejoicing when they pour him a pigtail; the paralyzed former courtyard, who for forty years licked the master's plates with the best French truffle, does not impress the stubborn seekers of happiness on Russian soil.
Chapter 5
Maybe luck will smile on them here - the searchers assumed a happy Russian person, having met the landowner Gavrila Afanasich Obolt-Obolduev on the road. At first he was frightened, thinking that he saw the robbers, but after learning about the unusual desire of the seven men who blocked his path, he calmed down, laughed and told his story.
Maybe before the landowner considered himself happy, but not now. Indeed, in the old days, Gavriil Afanasyevich was the owner of the entire district, a whole regiment of servants and arranged holidays with theatrical performances and dances. Even the peasants did not hesitate to invite the peasants to pray in the manor house on holidays. Now everything has changed: the family estate of Obolt-Obolduev was sold for debts, because, left without peasants who knew how to cultivate the land, the landowner, who was not used to working, suffered heavy losses, which led to a deplorable outcome.
Part 2
The next day, the travelers went to the banks of the Volga, where they saw a large hay meadow. Before they could talk to local residents, as noticed at the pier three boats. It turns out that this is a noble family: two gentlemen with their wives, their children, servants and a gray-haired old gentleman named Utyatin. Everything in this family, to the surprise of travelers, occurs according to such a scenario, as if there was no abolition of serfdom. It turns out that Utyatin was very angry when he found out that the peasants were given freedom and came down with a stroke, threatening to deprive his sons of their inheritance. To prevent this from happening, they came up with a cunning plan: they persuaded the peasants to play along with the landowner, posing as serfs. As a reward, they promised the best meadows after the death of the master.
Utyatin, hearing that the peasants were staying with him, perked up, and the comedy began. Some even liked the role of serfs, but Agap Petrov could not come to terms with the shameful fate and told the landowner everything to his face. For this, the prince sentenced him to flogging. The peasants also played a role here: they took the “rebellious” to the stable, put wine in front of him and asked him to shout louder, for appearances. Alas, Agap could not bear such humiliation, got very drunk and died the same night.
Further, the Last (Prince Utyatin) arranges a feast, where, barely moving his tongue, he delivers a speech about the advantages and benefits of serfdom. After that, he lies down in the boat and gives up the spirit. Everyone is glad that they finally got rid of the old tyrant, however, the heirs are not even going to fulfill their promise to those who played the role of serfs. The hopes of the peasants were not justified: no one gave them meadows.
Part 3. Peasant woman.
No longer hoping to find a happy man among the men, the wanderers decided to ask the women. And from the lips of a peasant woman named Korchagina Matryona Timofeevna they hear a very sad and, one might say, terrible story. Only in her parents' house was she happy, and then, when she married Philip, ruddy and strong guy began a hard life. Love did not last long, because the husband went to work, leaving his young wife with his family. Matryona works tirelessly and sees no support from anyone except old Savely, who lives a century after hard labor, which lasted twenty years. Only one joy appears in her difficult fate - the son of Demushka. But suddenly a terrible misfortune befell the woman: it is impossible to even imagine what happened to the child because the mother-in-law did not allow her daughter-in-law to take him into the field with her. Due to an oversight of the boy's grandfather, the pigs eat him. What grief for a mother! She mourns Demushka all the time, although other children were born in the family. For their sake, a woman sacrifices herself, for example, she takes upon herself the punishment when they want to flog her son Fedot for a sheep that was carried away by wolves. When Matryona was carrying another son, Lidor, in her womb, her husband was unfairly taken into the army, and his wife had to go to the city to look for the truth. It’s good that the governor’s wife, Elena Alexandrovna, helped her then. By the way, in the waiting room Matryona gave birth to a son.
Yes, the life of the one who was called “lucky” in the village was not easy: she constantly had to fight for herself, for her children, and for her husband.
Part 4. A feast for the whole world.
At the end of the village of Valakhchina, a feast was held, where everyone was gathered: the wandering peasants, and Vlas the headman, and Klim Yakovlevich. Among the celebrating - two seminarians, simple, kind guys - Savvushka and Grisha Dobrosklonov. They sing funny songs and tell different stories. They do it because ordinary people ask for it. From the age of fifteen, Grisha knows for sure that he will devote his life to the happiness of the Russian people. He sings a song about a great and mighty country called Russia. Isn't this the lucky one that the travelers were so stubbornly looking for? After all, he clearly sees the purpose of his life - in serving the disadvantaged people. Unfortunately, Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov died untimely, before he had time to finish the poem (according to the author's plan, the men were to go to St. Petersburg). But the reflections of the seven wanderers coincide with the thought of Dobrosklonov, who thinks that every peasant should live freely and cheerfully in Russia. This was the main intention of the author.
The poem by Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov became legendary, a symbol of the struggle for the happy everyday life of ordinary people, as well as the result of the author's reflections on the fate of the peasantry.
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Subtitles
History of creation
N. A. Nekrasov began work on the poem “Who Lives Well in Russia” in the first half of the 60s of the XIX century. The mention of the exiled Poles in the first part, in the chapter "The Landowner", suggests that work on the poem was started no earlier than 1863. But the sketches of the work could have appeared earlier, since Nekrasov for a long time collected material. The manuscript of the first part of the poem is marked 1865, however, it is possible that this is the date when work on this part was completed.
Shortly after finishing work on the first part, the prologue of the poem was published in the January issue of the Sovremennik magazine for 1866. Printing stretched for four years and was accompanied, like all of Nekrasov's publishing activities, by censorship persecution.
The writer began to continue working on the poem only in the 1870s, writing three more parts of the work: "Last Child" (1872), "Peasant Woman" (1873), "Feast - for the whole world" (1876). The poet was not going to limit himself to the written chapters, three or four more parts were conceived. However, the developing disease interfered with the ideas of the author. Nekrasov, feeling the approach of death, tried to give some "completion" to the last part, "Feast - for the whole world."
The poem “To whom it is good to live in Russia” was published in the following sequence: “Prologue. Part One”, “Last Child”, “Peasant Woman”.
The plot and structure of the poem
It was supposed that the poem would have 7 or 8 parts, but the author managed to write only 4, which, perhaps, did not follow one after another.
The poem is written in iambic trimeter.
Part one
The only part that doesn't have a title. It was written shortly after the abolition of serfdom (). According to the first quatrain of the poem, it can be said that Nekrasov initially tried to anonymously characterize all the problems of Russia at that time.
Prologue
In what year - count
In what land - guess
On the pillar path
Seven men got together.
They got into an argument:
Who has fun
Feel free in Russia?
They gave 6 answers to this question:
- Roman: to a landowner;
- Demyan: to an official;
- Gubin brothers - Ivan and Mitrodor: merchant;
- Pakhom (old man): minister, boyar;
The peasants decide not to return home until they find the right answer. In the prologue, they also find a self-assembled tablecloth to feed them, and set off on their journey.
Chapter I. Pop
Chapter II. Village fair.
Chapter III. Drunk night.
Chapter IV. Happy.
Chapter V. Landowner.
Last (from the second part)
In the midst of haymaking, wanderers come to the Volga. Here they become witnesses of a strange scene: a noble family swims up to the shore in three boats. The mowers, who have just sat down to rest, immediately jump up to show the old master their zeal. It turns out that the peasants of the village of Vakhlachina help the heirs to hide the abolition of serfdom from the landowner Utyatin, who has lost his mind. For this, the relatives of the last-born Utyatin promise the peasants floodplain meadows. But after the long-awaited death of the Afterlife, the heirs forget their promises, and the whole peasant performance turns out to be in vain.
Peasant woman (from the third part)
In this part, the wanderers decide to continue their search for someone who can “live happily, freely in Russia” among women. In the village of Nagotino, the women told the peasants that there was a “governor” Matryona Timofeevna in Klin: “there is no wiser and smoother woman.” There, seven men find this woman and convince her to tell her story, at the end of which she reassures the men of her happiness and of women's happiness in Russia in general:
Keys to female happiness
From our free will
abandoned, lost
God himself!
- Prologue
- Chapter I. Before Marriage
- Chapter II. Songs
- Chapter III. Savely, hero, Holy Russian
- Chapter IV. Dyomushka
- Chapter V. She-wolf
- Chapter VI. Difficult year
- Chapter VII. Governor
- Chapter VIII. woman's parable
Feast - for the whole world (from the fourth part)
This part is a logical continuation of the second part ("Last Child"). It describes the feast that the peasants threw after the death of the old man, the Last. The wanderers' adventures do not end in this part, but at the end one of the feasters - Grisha Dobrosklonov, the priest's son, the next morning after the feast, walking along the river bank, finds the secret of Russian happiness, and expresses it in a short song "Rus", by the way, used by V. I. Lenin in the article "The main task of our days." The work ends with the words:
To be our wanderers
Under the native roof
If they could know
What happened to Grisha.
He heard in his chest
Forces are immeasurable
Sweetened his ears
blessed sounds,
Sounds radiant
Noble hymn -
He sang the incarnation
Happiness of the people! ..
Such an unexpected ending arose because the author was aware of his imminent death, and, wanting to complete the work, logically completed the poem in the fourth part, although at the beginning N. A. Nekrasov conceived 8 parts.
List of heroes
Temporarily liable peasants who went to look for someone who lives happily, freely in Russia:
Ivan and Mitrodor Gubin,
Old Pahom,
Peasants and serfs:
- Artem Demin,
- Yakim Nagoi,
- Sidor,
- Egorka Shutov,
- Klim Lavin,
- Vlas,
- Agap Petrov,
- Ipat is a sensitive slave,
- Jacob is a faithful servant,
- Gleb,
- Proshka,
- Matryona Timofeevna Korchagina,
- Savely Korchagin,
- Ermil Girin.
Landlords:
- Obolt-Obolduev,
- Prince Utyatin (late son),
- Vogel (Little information on this landowner)
- Shalashnikov.
Other heroes
- Elena Alexandrovna - the governor who took the birth of Matryona,
- Altynnikov - merchant, possible buyer of Ermila Girin's mill,
- Grisha Dobrosklonov.
PROLOGUE
In what year - count
In what land - guess
On the pillar path
Seven men came together:
Seven temporarily liable,
tightened province,
County Terpigorev,
empty parish,
From adjacent villages:
Zaplatova, Dyryavina,
Razutova, Znobishina,
Gorelova, Neelova -
Crop failure, too,
Agreed - and argued:
Who has fun
Feel free in Russia?
Roman said: to the landowner,
Demyan said: to the official,
Luke said: ass.
Fat-bellied merchant! -
Gubin brothers said
Ivan and Mitrodor.
Old man Pahom pushed
And he said, looking at the ground:
noble boyar,
Minister of the State.
And Prov said: to the king...
Man what a bull: vtemyashitsya
In the head what a whim -
Stake her from there
You won’t knock out: they rest,
Everyone is on their own!
Is there such a dispute?
What do passers-by think?
To know that the children found the treasure
And they share...
To each his own
Left the house before noon:
That path led to the forge,
He went to the village of Ivankovo
Call Father Prokofy
Baptize the child.
Pahom honeycombs
Carried to the market in the Great,
And two brothers Gubina
So simple with a halter
Catching a stubborn horse
They went to their own herd.
It's high time for everyone
Return your way -
They are walking side by side!
They walk like they're running
Behind them are gray wolves,
What is farther is faster.
They go - perekorya!
They shout - they will not come to their senses!
And time does not wait.
They didn't notice the controversy
As the red sun set
How the evening came.
Probably b, whole night
So they went - where not knowing,
When they meet a woman,
Crooked Durandiha,
She did not shout: “Venerable!
Where are you looking at night
Have you thought about going?..”
Asked, laughed
Whipped, witch, gelding
And jumped off...
"Where? .." - looked at each other
Here are our men
They stand, they are silent, they look down...
The night has long gone
Frequent stars lit up
In high skies
The moon surfaced, the shadows are black
The road was cut
Zealous walkers.
Oh shadows! black shadows!
Who won't you chase?
Who won't you overtake?
Only you, black shadows,
Can't be caught!
To the forest, to the path
He looked, was silent Pahom,
I looked - I scattered my mind
And he said at last:
"Well! goblin glorious joke
He played a trick on us!
After all, we are without a little
Thirty miles away!
Home now toss and turn -
We're tired - we won't get there
Sit down, there's nothing to do
Let's rest until the sun! .. "
Having dumped the trouble on the devil,
Under the forest along the path
The men sat down.
They lit a fire, formed,
Two ran away for vodka,
And the rest for a while
The glass is made
I pulled the birch bark.
Vodka soon ripened
Ripe and snack -
The men are feasting!
Kosushki drank three,
Ate - and argued
Again: who has fun to live,
Feel free in Russia?
Roman shouts: to the landowner,
Demyan shouts: to the official,
Luke yells: ass;
Fat-bellied merchant, -
The Gubin brothers are screaming,
Ivan and Mitrodor;
Pahom shouts: to the brightest
noble boyar,
Minister of the State,
And Prov shouts: to the king!
Taken more than ever
perky men,
Cursing swearing,
No wonder they get stuck
In each other's hair...
Look - they've got it!
Roman hits Pakhomushka,
Demyan hits Luka.
And two brothers Gubina
They iron Provo hefty -
And everyone screams!
A booming echo woke up
Went for a walk, a walk,
It went screaming, shouting,
As if to tease
Stubborn men.
King! - heard to the right
Left responds:
Butt! ass! ass!
The whole forest was in turmoil
With flying birds
By swift-footed beasts
And creeping reptiles, -
And a groan, and a roar, and a rumble!
First of all, a gray bunny
From a neighboring bush
Suddenly jumped out like a disheveled
And off he went!
Behind him are small jackdaws
At the top of the birches raised
Nasty, sharp squeak.
And here at the foam
With fright, a tiny chick
Fell from the nest;
Chirping, crying chiffchaff,
Where is the chick? - will not find!
Then the old cuckoo
I woke up and thought
Someone to cuckoo;
Taken ten times
Yes, it crashed every time
And started again...
Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!
Bread will sting
You choke on an ear -
You won't poop!
Seven owls flocked,
Admire the carnage
From seven big trees
The night owls are crying!
And their eyes are yellow
They burn like burning wax
Fourteen candles!
And the raven, the smart bird,
Ripe, sitting on a tree
By the fire itself
Sitting and praying to hell
To be slammed to death
Someone!
Cow with a bell
What has strayed since the evening
From the herd, I heard a little
human voices -
Came to the fire, tired
Eyes on men
I listened to crazy speeches
And began, my heart,
Moo, moo, moo!
Silly cow mooing
Small jackdaws squeak,
The boys are screaming,
And the echo echoes everything.
He has one concern -
To tease honest people
Scare guys and women!
Nobody saw him
And everyone has heard
Without a body - but it lives,
Screams without a tongue!
wide path,
lined with birches,
stretched far,
Sandy and deaf.
Along the side of the path
The hills are coming
With fields, hayfields,
And more often with inconvenience,
abandoned land;
There are old villages
There are new villages
By the rivers, by the ponds...
Forests, floodplain meadows,
Russian streams and rivers
Good in spring.
But you, spring fields!
On your seedlings are poor
It's not fun to watch!
"No wonder in the long winter
(Our wanderers interpret)
It snowed every day.
Spring has come - the snow has affected!
He is humble for the time being:
Flies - is silent, lies - is silent,
When he dies, then he roars.
Water - wherever you look!
The fields are completely flooded
To carry manure - there is no road,
And the time is not early -
The month of May is coming!
Dislike and old,
It hurts more than that for new
Trees for them to look at.
Oh huts, new huts!
You are smart, let it build you
Not an extra penny
And the blood trouble! ..,
Wanderers met in the morning
Everything more people small:
His brother is a peasant-bast worker,
Artisans, beggars,
Soldiers, coachmen.
Beggars, soldiers
Strangers didn't ask
How are they - is it easy, is it difficult
Lives in Russia?
Soldiers shave with an awl
Soldiers warm themselves with smoke, -
What happiness is here?
The day was already drawing to a close,
They go the way,
The pop is coming towards.
The peasants took off their hats,
bow low,
Lined up in a row
And gelding savrasoma
Blocked the way.
The priest raised his head
He looked and asked with his eyes:
What do they want?
“No way! we are not robbers!” -
Luka said to the priest.
(Luke is a squat man,
With a wide beard
Stubborn, verbose and stupid.
Luka looks like a mill:
One is not a bird mill,
What, no matter how it flaps its wings,
Probably won't fly.)
"We are men of power,
Of the temporary
tightened province,
County Terpigorev,
empty parish,
Roundabout villages:
Zaplatova, Dyryavina,
Razutova, Znobishina,
Gorelova, Neelova -
Crop failure too.
Let's go on something important:
We have a concern
Is it such a concern
What got out of the house
With work unfriended us,
Got off food.
You give us the right word
To our peasant speech
Without laughter and without cunning,
According to conscience, according to reason,
Answer truthfully
Not so with your care
We will go to another ... "
I give you the right word:
When you ask a thing
Without laughter and without cunning,
In truth and reason
How should you answer
Amen! .. -
"Thank you. Listen!
Walking the path,
We got together casually
They agreed and argued:
Who has fun
Feel free in Russia?
Roman said: to the landowner,
Demyan said: to the official,
And I said: ass.
Fat-bellied merchant, -
Gubin brothers said
Ivan and Mitrodor.
Pahom said: to the brightest,
noble boyar,
Minister of the State,
And Prov said: to the king...
Man what a bull: vtemyashitsya
In the head what a whim -
Stake her from there
You won’t knock out: no matter how they argued,
We did not agree!
Argued - quarreled,
Quarreled - fought,
Podravshis - dressed up:
Don't go apart
Do not toss and turn in the houses,
Don't see your wives
Not with the little guys
Not with old old people,
As long as our dispute
We won't find a solution
Until we get it
Whatever it is - for sure:
Who wants to live happily
Feel free in Russia?
Tell us in a divine way:
Is the priest's life sweet?
You are like - at ease, happily
Do you live, honest father? .. "
Downcast, thinking
Sitting in a cart, pop
And he said: - Orthodox!
It's a sin to grumble at God
Bear my cross with patience
I live ... but how? Listen!
I'll tell you the truth, the truth
And you are a peasant mind
Dare! -
"Begin!"
What is happiness, in your opinion?
Peace, wealth, honor -
Isn't that right, dear ones?
They said yes...
Now let's see brothers
What is the ass peace of mind?
Start, confess, it would be necessary
Almost from birth
How to get a diploma
Popov's son
At what cost popovich
The priesthood is bought
Let's better shut up!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our roads are difficult
We have a large income.
Sick, dying
Born into the world
Do not choose time:
In stubble and haymaking,
In the dead of autumn night
In winter, in severe frosts,
And in the spring flood -
Go where you are called!
You go unconditionally.
And let only the bones
One broke,
Not! every time it gets wet,
The soul will hurt.
Do not believe, Orthodox,
There is a limit to habit.
No heart to endure
Without some trepidation
death rattle,
grave sob,
Orphan sorrow!
Amen!.. Now think
What is the peace of the ass?..
The peasants thought little.
Letting the priest rest
They said with a bow:
"What else can you tell us?"
Now let's see brothers
What an honor to the priest!
A tricky task
Wouldn't it make you angry?
Say, Orthodox
Who do you call
A foal breed?
Chur! respond to demand!
The peasants hesitated
They are silent - and the pop is silent ...
Who are you afraid to meet?
Walking the way?
Chur! respond to demand!
They groan, shift,
Silent!
- Who are you talking about?
You are fairy tales,
And obscene songs
And all the bullshit? ..
Mother will fall sedate,
Popov's innocent daughter
Seminarian of any -
How do you honor?
Who is after, like a gelding,
Shout: ho-ho-ho? ..
The kids got down
They are silent - and the pop is silent ...
The peasants thought
And pop with a big hat
Waving in my face
Yes, I looked at the sky.
In the spring, that the grandchildren are small,
With the ruddy sun-grandfather
Clouds are playing
Here is the right side
One continuous cloud
Covered - clouded
She froze and cried:
Rows of gray threads
They hung to the ground.
And closer, above the peasants,
From small, torn,
Merry clouds
Laughing red sun
Like a girl from sheaves.
But the cloud has moved
Pop hat is covered -
Be heavy rain.
And the right side
Already bright and joyful
There the rain stops.
Not rain, there is a miracle of God:
There with golden threads
Skeins scattered...
“Not by themselves ... by parents
We are so ... ”- Gubin brothers
They finally said.
And the others agreed:
“Not by themselves, by their parents!”
And the priest said: - Amen!
Sorry Orthodox!
Not in condemnation of the neighbor,
And at your request
I told you the truth.
Such is the honor of the priest
in the peasantry. And the landowners...
“You are past them, the landowners!
We know them!"
Now let's see brothers
Otkudova wealth
Popovskoe is coming?..
During the near
Russian Empire
Noble estates
It was full.
And the landowners lived there,
eminent owners,
Which are no longer there!
Be fruitful and multiply
And they let us live.
What weddings were played there,
What babies were born
On free bread!
Though often cool,
However, well-meaning
Those were the gentlemen
The parish was not alienated:
They got married with us
Our children were baptized
They came to us to repent,
We buried them.
And if it happened
That the landowner lived in the city,
So probably die
He came to the village.
When he dies by accident
And then punish firmly
Bury in the parish.
You look to the rural temple
On the funeral chariot
In six horses heirs
The deceased is being transported -
The ass is a good amendment,
For the laity, a holiday is a holiday ...
And now it's not like that!
Like a Jewish tribe
The landowners scattered
Through a distant foreign land
And in native Russia.
No more pride now
Lie in native possession
Next to fathers, with grandfathers,
And many possessions
They went to the barryshniks.
oh damn bones
Russian, nobility!
Where are you not buried?
What land are you not in?
Then an article ... schismatics ...
I'm not sinful, I didn't live
Nothing from the schismatics.
Luckily, there was no need
In my parish is
Living in Orthodoxy
two-thirds of the parishioners.
And there are such volosts
Where almost entirely schismatics,
So how to be an ass?
Everything in the world is changeable
The world itself will pass...
Laws, formerly strict
To the dissenters softened,[ ]
And with them and priestly
Income mat came.
The landlords moved
They don't live in estates.
And die of old age
They don't come to us anymore.
Wealthy landowners
devout old ladies,
who died out
who settled down
Close to monasteries.
Nobody is now a cassock
Don't give a pop!
No one will embroider the air ...
Live from the same peasants
Collect worldly hryvnias,
Yes pies on holidays
Yes eggs oh Saint.
The peasant himself needs
And I would be glad to give, but there is nothing ...
And that's not for everyone
And sweet peasant penny.
Our favors are meager,
Sands, swamps, mosses,
The cattle walks from hand to mouth,
Bread itself will be born,
And if it gets good
Cheese land-breadwinner,
So a new problem:
Nowhere to go with bread!
Lock in need, sell it
For a real trifle
And there - crop failure!
Then pay exorbitant prices
Sell the cattle.
Pray Orthodox!
Great disaster threatens
And this year:
Winter was fierce
Spring is rainy
It would be necessary to sow for a long time,
And on the fields - water!
Have mercy, Lord!
Send a cool rainbow
To our heaven!
(Taking off his hat, the shepherd is baptized,
And listeners too.)
Our poor villages
And in them the peasants are sick
Yes, sad women
Nurses, drinkers,
Slaves, pilgrims
And eternal workers
Lord give them strength!
With such works pennies
Life is hard!
It happens to the sick
You will come: not dying,
Terrible peasant family
At the moment when she has to
Lose the breadwinner!
You admonish the deceased
And support in the rest
You try your best
The spirit is awake! And here to you
The old woman, the mother of the deceased,
Look, stretching with a bony,
Callused hand.
The soul will turn
How they tinkle in this hand
Two copper coins!
Of course, it's clean
For demanding retribution,
Do not take - so there is nothing to live,
Yes, a word of comfort
Freeze on the tongue
And as if offended
Go home... Amen...
Finished the speech - and the gelding
Pop lightly slapped.
The peasants parted
bow low,
The horse moved slowly.
And six comrades
As if they were talking
Attacked with reproaches
With selected big swearing
On poor Luke:
- What did you take? stubborn head!
Rustic club!
That's where the argument gets in! -
"Nobles bell -
Priests live like princes.
They go under the sky
Popov's tower,
The priest's patrimony is buzzing -
loud bells -
To the whole world of God.
Three years I, robots,
Lived with the priest in the workers,
Raspberry - not life!
Popova porridge - with butter,
Popov pie - with filling,
Priest cabbage soup - with smelt!
Popov's wife is fat,
Popov's daughter is white,
Popov's horse is fat,
Popov's bee is full,
How the bell tolls!
- Well, here's your praise
Pop's life!
Why was he yelling, swaggering?
Get into a fight, anathema?
Didn't you think to take
What is a beard with a shovel?
So with a goat beard
Walked the world before
than the forefather Adam,
And it's considered a fool
And now the goat! ..
Luke stood silent,
I was afraid they wouldn't slap
Comrades on the side.
It would be like this
Yes, fortunately for the peasant,
The road bent
The priest's face is strict
Appeared on the hill...
Pity the poor peasant
And more sorry for the cattle;
Feeding scarce supplies,
The owner of the twig
Chased her into the meadows
What is there to take? Chernekhonko!
Only on Nicholas of the spring
The weather turned up
Green fresh grass
The cattle enjoyed.
The day is hot. Under the birches
The peasants are making their way
They chat among themselves:
"We're going through one village,
Let's go another - empty!
And today is a holiday.
Where did the people disappear to? .. "
They go through the village - on the street
Some guys are small
In the houses - old women,
And even locked up
Castle gates.
The castle is a faithful dog:
Doesn't bark, doesn't bite
He won't let you in the house!
Passed the village, saw
Mirror in green frame
With the edges of a full pond.
Swallows soar over the pond;
Some mosquitoes
Agile and skinny
Hopping, as if on dry land,
They walk on the water.
Along the banks, in the broom,
Corncrakes hide.
On a long, rickety raft
With a roll, the priest is thick
It stands like a plucked haystack,
Tucking the hem.
On the same raft
Sleeping duck with ducklings...
Chu! horse snore!
The peasants looked at once
And they saw over the water
Two heads: male,
Curly and swarthy
With an earring (the sun blinked
On that white earring)
Another - horse
With a rope, fathoms at five.
The man takes the rope in his mouth,
The man swims - and the horse swims,
The man neighed, and the horse neighed.
Float, scream! Under the grandmother
Under the little ducks
The raft is moving.
I caught up with the horse - grab it by the withers!
I jumped up and went to the meadow
Child: the body is white,
And the neck is like pitch;
Water flows in streams
From horse and rider.
“And what do you have in the village
Neither old nor small
How did the whole nation die?
- They went to the village of Kuzminskoe,
Today there is a fair
And a temple feast. -
“How far is Kuzminskoe?”
Yes, there will be three miles.
"Let's go to the village of Kuzminskoye,
Let's watch the holiday-fair!
The men decided
And they thought to themselves:
Isn't that where he hides?
Who lives happily? .. "
Kuzminsky rich,
And what's more, it's dirty.
Trading village.
It stretches along the slope,
Then it descends into the ravine,
And there again on the hill -
How can there not be dirt here?
Two churches in it are old,
One old believer
Another Orthodox
House with the inscription: school,
Empty, packed tightly
Hut in one window
With the image of a paramedic,
Bleeding.
There is a dirty hotel
Decorated with a sign
(With a big nosed teapot
Tray in the hands of the carrier,
And small cups
Like a goose with goslings,
That kettle is surrounded)
There are permanent shops
Like a county
Gostiny Dvor...!
Wanderers came to the square:
A lot of goods
And apparently invisible
To the people! Isn't it fun?
It seems that there is no way of the cross,
And, as if before the icons,
Men without hats.
Such a sidekick!
Look where they go
Peasant hats:
In addition to the wine warehouse,
Taverns, restaurants,
A dozen damask shops,
Three inns,
Yes, "Rensky cellar",
Yes, a couple of zucchini
Eleven zucchini
Set for the holiday
Village tents.
With each five trays;
Carriers - youngsters
Trained, poignant,
And they can't keep up with everything
Can't handle surrender!
Look what stretched out
Peasant hands with hats
With scarves, with mittens.
Oh, Orthodox thirst,
How big are you!
Just to douse the darling,
And there they will get hats,
How will the market go?
By drunken heads
The sun is playing...
Hmelly, loudly, festively,
Variegated, red all around!
The pants on the guys are plush,
striped vests,
Shirts of all colors;
The women are wearing red dresses,
The girls have braids with ribbons,
They float with winches!
And there are still tricks
Dressed in the capital -
And expands and pouts
Hem on hoops!
If you step in - they will undress!
At ease, new fashionistas,
You fishing tackle
Wear under skirts!
Looking at elegant women,
Furious Old Believer
Tovarke says:
"Be hungry! be hungry!
Marvel that the seedlings are wet,
What spring flood
Worth to Petrov!
Ever since the women started
Dress up in red chintzes, -
Forests do not rise
But at least not this bread!
Why are the chintzes red
Did you do something wrong here, mother?
I won't put my mind to it!
“And those French chintzes -
Painted with dog blood!
Well… understand now?…”
Wanderers went to the shops:
Love handkerchiefs,
Ivanovo chintz,
Harnesses, new shoes,
The product of the Kimryaks.
At that shoe store
The strangers laugh again:
Here are the goat's shoes
Grandfather traded for granddaughter
Asked about the price five times
He turned in his hands, looked around:
First class product!
"Well, uncle! Two kopecks
Pay, or get lost!" -
The merchant told him.
- And you wait! - Admire
An old man with a tiny boot
This is how he speaks:
- My son-in-law does not care, and my daughter will be silent
, Wife - do not care, let him grumble!
Sorry granddaughter! hung herself
On the neck, fidget:
"Buy a hotel, grandfather,
Buy it! - silk head
The face tickles, caresses,
Kisses the old man.
Wait, barefoot crawler!
Wait, yule! gantry
Buy boots...
Vavilushka boasted,
Both old and small
Promised gifts,
And he drank himself to a penny!
How I shameless eyes
Will I show my family?
My son-in-law does not care, and my daughter will be silent,
Wife - do not care, let him grumble!
And sorry for the granddaughter! .. - Went again
About granddaughter! Killed!..
The people gathered, listening,
Do not laugh, pity;
Happen, work, bread
He would have been helped
And take out two two-kopeck pieces,
So you will be left with nothing.
Yes, there was a man
Pavlusha Veretennikov.
(What kind of title,
The men did not know
However, they were called "master".
He was much more of a baluster,
He wore a red shirt
Cloth undershirt,
Lubricated boots;
He sang Russian songs smoothly
And I loved listening to them.
It was taken down by many
In the inns,
In taverns, in taverns.)
So he rescued Vavila -
I bought him shoes.
Vavilo grabbed them
And he was! - For joy
Thanks even to the bar
Forgot to say old man
But other peasants
So they were disappointed
So happy, like everyone
He gave the ruble!
There was also a shop
With pictures and books
Ofeny stocked up
With your goods in it.
"Do you need generals?" -
The merchant-burner asked them.
- And give the generals!
Yes, only you in conscience,
To be real -
Thicker, more ominous.
“Wonderful! how you look! -
The merchant said with a smile. -
It's not about the complexion ... "
- And in what? kidding, friend!
Rubbish, or what, it is desirable to sell?
Where are we going with her?
You're naughty! Before the peasant
All generals are equal
Like cones on a fir tree:
To sell the shabby one,
You need to get to the dock
And fat and formidable
I'll give it to everyone...
Come on big, portly,
Chest uphill, bulging eyes,
Yes, more stars!
“But you don’t want civilians?”
- Well, here's another with civilians! -
(However, they took it - cheap! -
some dignitary
For the belly with a barrel of wine
And for seventeen stars.)
Merchant - with all due respect,
Whatever, that will regale
(From Lubyanka - the first thief!) -
Dropped a hundred Blucher,
Archimandrite Photius,
Robber Sipko,
Sold the book: "Jester Balakirev"
And the "English milord" ...
Put in a box of books
Let's go for a walk portraits
By the kingdom of all Russia,
Until they settle down
In a peasant's summer goreka,
On a low wall...
God knows what for!
Eh! eh! will the time come
When (come, welcome! ..)
Let the peasant understand
What is a portrait of a portrait,
What is a book a book?
When a man is not Blucher
And not my lord stupid -
Belinsky and Gogol
Will you carry it from the market?
Oh people, Russian people!
Orthodox peasants!
Have you ever heard
Are you these names?
Those are great names
Worn them, glorified
Protectors of the people!
Here you would have their portraits
Hang in your boots,
Read their books...
“And I would be glad to heaven, but where is the door?” -
Such speech breaks
In the shop unexpectedly.
- Which door do you want? -
“Yes, to the booth. Chu! music!.."
- Come on, I'll show you!
Hearing about the farce
Come and our wanderers
Listen, stare.
Comedy with Petrushka,
With a goat with a drummer
And not with a simple hurdy-gurdy,
And with real music
They looked here.
Comedy is not smart
However, not stupid
Wishful, quarterly
Not in the eyebrow, but right in the eye!
The hut is full-full,
People crack nuts
And then two or three peasants
Spread a word -
Look, vodka has appeared:
Look and drink!
Laugh, comfort
And often in a speech to Petrushkin
Insert a well-aimed word
What you can't imagine
At least swallow a pen!
There are such lovers -
How does the comedy end?
They will go for screens,
Kissing, fraternizing
Chatting with musicians:
"From where, well done?"
- And we were gentlemen,
Played for the landowner
Now we are free people
Who will bring, treat,
He is our master!
“And the thing, dear friends,
Pretty bar you amused,
Cheer up the men!
Hey! small! sweet vodka!
Pouring! tea! half a beer!
Tsimlyansky - live! .. "
And the flooded sea
It will go, more generous than the master's
The kids will be fed.
He winds blow violent,
Not mother earth sways -
Noise, sing, swear,
sways, rolls,
Fighting and kissing
Holiday people!
The peasants seemed
How did you get to the hillock,
That the whole village is shaking
That even the old church
With a tall bell tower
It shook once or twice! -
Here sober, that naked,
Embarrassing... Our wanderers
Walked across the square
And left in the evening
Busy village...
"Step aside, people!"
(Excise officials
With bells, with plaques
They swept from the market.)
“And I’m to that now:
And the broom is rubbish, Ivan Ilyich,
And walk on the floor
Wherever it sprays!
"God forbid, Parashenka,
You don't go to St. Petersburg!
There are such officials
You are their cook for a day,
And their night is sudarkoy -
So don't care!"
"Where are you jumping, Savvushka?"
(The priest shouts to the sotsky
On horseback, with a government badge.)
- I jump to Kuzminskoye
Behind the station. Opportunity:
There ahead of the peasant
Killed ... - "Eh! ., sins! .."
“You have become thin, Daryushka!”
- Not a spindle, friend!
That's what spins more
It's getting fatter
And I'm like a day-to-day ...
"Hey boy, stupid boy,
tattered, lousy,
Hey love me!
Me, simple-haired,
A drunken woman, an old one,
Zaaa-paaaa-chkanny! .. "
Our peasants are sober,
Looking, listening
They go their own way.
In the very middle of the path
Some guy is quiet
Dug a big hole.
"What are you doing here?"
- And I'm burying my mother! -
"Fool! what a mother!
Look: a new undershirt
You dug into the ground!
Hurry up and grunt
Lie down in the ditch, drink water!
Perhaps the foolishness will jump off!
"Well, let's stretch!"
Two peasants sit down
Legs rest,
And live, and grieve,
Grunt - stretch on a rolling pin,
Joints are cracking!
Didn't like it on the rock
"Now let's try
Stretch your beard!"
When the order of the beard
Reduced each other
Grabbed cheekbones!
They puff, blush, writhe,
They moo, they squeal, but they stretch!
"Yes, you damned ones!"
Don't spill water!
In the ditch the women quarrel,
One shouts: "Go home
More sickening than hard labor!”
Another: - You're lying, in my house
Better than yours!
My elder brother-in-law broke a rib,
The middle son-in-law stole the ball,
A ball of spit, but the fact is -
Fifty dollars was wrapped in it,
And the younger son-in-law takes everything,
Look at him, he will kill him, he will kill him! ..
“Well, full, full, dear!
Well, don't be angry! - behind the roller
In the distance, one hears
I'm fine...let's go!"
Such a bad night!
Is it right, is it left
Look from the road:
Couples go together
Isn't it right to that grove?
That grove attracts everyone,
In that grove vociferous
Nightingales sing...
The road is crowded
What later is uglier:
More and more often come across
Beaten, crawling
Lying in a layer.
Without swearing, as usual,
Word won't be spoken
Crazy, indecent,
She is the most heard!
The taverns are confused
The leads got mixed up
Frightened horses
They run without riders;
Little children are crying here
Wives and mothers yearn:
Is it easy to drink
Call the men?
At the road post
A familiar voice is heard
Our wanderers are coming
And they see: Veretennikov
(That the goat's shoes
Vavila gave)
Talks with peasants.
Peasants open up
Milyaga likes:
Pavel will praise the song -
They will sing five times, write it down!
Like the proverb -
Write a proverb!
Having recorded enough
Veretennikov told them:
"Smart Russian peasants,
One is not good
What they drink to stupefaction
Falling into ditches, into ditches -
It's a shame to look!"
The peasants listened to that speech,
They agreed with the barin.
Pavlusha something in a book
I wanted to write
Yes, the drunk turned up
Man - he is against the master
Lying on his stomach
looked into his eyes,
Was silent - but suddenly
How to jump! Directly to the barin -
Grab the pencil!
- Wait, empty head!
Crazy news, shameless
Don't talk about us!
What did you envy!
What is the fun of the poor
Peasant soul?
We drink a lot in time
And we work more
We see a lot of drunks
And more sober us.
Did you visit the villages?
Take a bucket of vodka
Let's go to the huts:
In one, in the other they will pile up,
And in the third they will not touch -
We have a drinking family
Non-drinking family!
They don’t drink, but they also toil,
It would be better to drink, stupid,
Yes, conscience is...
It's wonderful to watch how it falls
In such a hut sober
Man's trouble -
And I would not have looked! .. I saw
Russians in the village suffering?
In the pub, what, people?
We have vast fields
And not much generous
Tell me, whose hand
In the spring they will dress
Will they undress in the fall?
Did you meet a man
After work in the evening?
Good mountain on the reaper
Put, ate from a pea:
"Hey! hero! straw
I'll knock you off!"
The peasants noticed
What is not offensive to the master
Yakimov's words
And they agreed
With Yakim: - The word is true:
We need to drink!
We drink - it means we feel the power!
Great sadness will come
How to stop drinking!
Work would not fail
Trouble would not prevail
Hops will not overcome us!
Is not it?
"Yes, God is merciful!"
Well, have a drink with us!
We got vodka and drank.
Yakim Veretennikov
He raised two scales.
Hey sir! didn't get angry
Smart head!
(Yakim told him.)
Reasonable little head
How not to understand the peasant?
And pigs walk on earth -
They do not see the sky for centuries! ..
Suddenly the song burst out in chorus
Deleted, consonant:
A dozen or three youngsters
Khmelnenki, not falling down,
They walk side by side, they sing,
They sing about Mother Volga,
About the prowess of the youth,
About girlish beauty.
The whole road was quiet
That one song is foldable
Wide, freely rolling,
As rye spreads under the wind,
According to the heart of the peasant
Goes with fire-longing! ..
To the song of that remote
Thinking, crying
Youth alone:
“My age is like a day without the sun,
My age is like a night without a month,
And I, baby,
What a greyhound horse on a leash,
What is a swallow without wings!
My old husband, jealous husband,
Drunk drunk, snoring snoring,
Me, baby,
And sleepy guards!
So the young woman cried
Yes, she suddenly jumped off the cart!
"Where?" - shouts the jealous husband,
I got up - and a woman for a braid,
Like a radish for a tuft!
Ouch! night, night drunk!
Not bright, but stellar
Not hot, but with affectionate
Spring breeze!
And our good fellows
You didn't pass for nothing!
They were sad for their wives,
It's true: with his wife
Now it would be more fun!
Ivan shouts: "I want to sleep,"
And Maryushka: - And I'm with you! -
Ivan shouts: "The bed is narrow,"
And Maryushka: - Let's settle down! -
Ivan shouts: "Oh, it's cold,"
And Maryushka: - Let's get warm! -
How do you remember that song?
Without a word - agreed
Try your chest.
One, why God knows
Between field and road
The dense linden has grown.
Wanderers sat under it
And they said carefully:
"Hey! self-assembled tablecloth,
Treat the men!”
And the tablecloth unrolled
Where did they come from
Two hefty hands:
A bucket of wine was placed
Bread was laid on a mountain
And they hid again.
The peasants fortified themselves
A novel for a sentry
Left by the bucket
Others intervened
In the crowd - look for a happy one:
They strongly wanted
Get home soon...
Retelling plan
1. The dispute of the peasants about "who lives happily, freely in Russia."
2. Meeting with the priest.
3. A drunken night after the fair.
4. The story of Yakim Nagogo.
5. The search for a happy man among men. The story of Yermila Girin.
6. The peasants meet the landowner Obolt-Obolduev.
7. The search for a happy man among women. History of Matrena Timofeevna.
8 Meeting with an eccentric landowner.
9. Parable about the exemplary serf - Jacob the faithful.
10. The story of two great sinners - Ataman Kudeyar and Pan Glukhovsky. The story of the "peasant sin".
11. Thoughts of Grisha Dobrosklonov.
12. Grisha Dobrosklonov - "the people's protector."
retelling
Part I
Prologue
The poem begins with the fact that seven men met on a pole path and argued about "who lives happily, freely in Russia." “Roman said: to the landowner, Demyan said: to the official, Luka said: to the priest. Fat-bellied merchant! - said the Gubin brothers, Ivan and Mitrodor. The old man Pakhom puckered up and said, looking at the ground: to the noble boyar, the minister of the sovereign. And Prov said: to the king. They argued all day and did not even notice how night fell. The peasants looked around them, realized that they had gone far from home, and decided to rest before the way back. As soon as they had time to settle down under a tree and drink vodka, they got into an argument with new force, it even came to a fight. But then the peasants saw that a small chick crawled up to the fire, having fallen out of the nest. Pahom caught him, but then a warbler appeared and began to ask the men to let her chick go, and for this she told them where the self-collected tablecloth was hidden. The men found a tablecloth, had dinner and decided that they would not return home until they found out "who lives happily, freely in Russia."
Chapter I. Pop
The next day the men set off. At first they met only peasants, beggars and soldiers, but the peasants did not ask them, “How is it for them - is it easy, is it difficult to live in Russia.” Finally in the evening they met the priest. The peasants explained to him that they had a concern that “had risen from the houses, unfriended us with work, discouraged us from eating”: “Is the priestly life sweet? How do you live freely, happily, honest father? And the pop begins his story.
It turns out that there is no peace, no wealth, no honor in his life. There is no rest, because in a large county "a sick, dying, born into the world does not choose time: in reaping and haymaking, in the dead of autumn night, in winter, in severe frosts and in spring floods." And always the priest must go to fulfill his duty. But the most difficult thing, the priest admits, is to watch how a person dies and how his relatives cry over him. There is no priest and honor, because among the people he is called "a foal breed"; meeting a priest on the road is considered a bad omen; about the priest they compose “joke tales, and obscene songs, and all kinds of blasphemy,” and they make a lot of jokes about the priest’s family. Yes, and it is difficult for a priest to acquire wealth. If in former times, before the abolition of serfdom, there were many landlord estates in the county, in which weddings and christenings were constantly celebrated, now only poor peasants remain who cannot generously pay the priest for his work. Pop himself says that his “soul will turn over” to take money from the poor, but then he will have nothing to feed his family with. With these words, the priest leaves the men.
Chapter 2
The men continued their journey and ended up in the village of Kuzminskoye, at the fair, they decided to look for a lucky one here. “Wanderers went to the shops: they admire handkerchiefs, Ivanovo calicoes, harnesses, new shoes, products of the Kimryaks.” At the shoe shop they meet old man Vavila, who admires the goat's shoes, but does not buy them: he promised his little granddaughter to buy shoes, and other family members - various gifts, but drank all the money. Now he is ashamed to appear in front of his granddaughter. The assembled people listen to him, but cannot help, because no one has extra money. But there was one person, Pavel Veretennikov, who bought Vavila shoes. The old man was so deeply moved that he ran away, forgetting even to thank Veretennikov, “but the other peasants were so comforted, so happy, as if he gave everyone a ruble.” The wanderers go to a booth where they watch a comedy with Petrushka.
Chapter 3
Evening comes, and the travelers leave the “vibrant village”. They walk along the road, and everywhere they meet drunk people who return home after the fair. From all sides, drunken conversations, songs, complaints about the hard life, the cries of the fighting can be heard from the wanderers.
Travelers meet Pavel Veretennikov at the road post, around whom the peasants have gathered. Veretennikov writes down in his little book the songs and proverbs that the peasants sing to him. “The Russian peasants are smart,” says Veretennikov, “one thing is not good, that they drink to the point of stupefaction, fall into ditches, fall into ditches - it’s a shame to look!” After these words, a peasant approaches him, who explains that the peasants drink because of the hard life: “There is no measure for Russian hops. Have you measured our grief? Is there a measure for work? Wine brings down a peasant, but grief does not bring down? Work is not falling? And the peasants drink to forget, to drown their grief in a glass of vodka. But then the man adds: “We have a drinking non-drinking family for our family! They don’t drink, but they also toil, it would be better if they drank, stupid, but such is their conscience. When asked by Veretennikov what his name is, the peasant replies: “Yakim Nagoi lives in the village of Bosovo, he works to death, drinks half to death! ..”, and the rest of the peasants began to tell Veretennikov the story of Yakim Nagoi. He once lived in St. Petersburg, but he was put in prison after he decided to compete with the merchant. He was stripped to the bone, and so he returned to his homeland, where he took up the plow. Since then, for thirty years he has been "fried on a strip under the sun." He bought pictures for his son, which he hung around the hut, and he liked to look at them himself. But one day there was a fire. Yakim, instead of saving the money he had accumulated throughout his life, saved the pictures, which he then hung in a new hut.
Chapter 4
People who called themselves happy began to converge under the linden. A sexton came, whose happiness consisted "not in sables, not in gold", but "in complacency." The pock-marked old woman came. She was happy because she had a large turnip born. Then a soldier came, happy because "he was in twenty battles, and not killed." The bricklayer began to tell that his happiness lies in the hammer with which he earns money. But then another bricklayer came up. He advised not to brag about his strength, otherwise grief could come out of it, which happened to him in his youth: the contractor began to praise him for his strength, but once he put so many bricks on a stretcher that the peasant could not bear such a burden and after that he completely fell ill. The yard man, the footman, also came to the travelers. He declared that his happiness lay in the fact that he had a disease that only noble people suffer from. All sorts of people came to brag about their happiness, and as a result, the wanderers passed their sentence on peasant happiness: “Hey, peasant happiness! Leaky, with patches, humpbacked, with corns, get the hell out of here!”
But then a man approached them, who advised them to ask about happiness from Yermila Girin. When the travelers asked who this Yermila was, the man told them. Yermila worked at a mill that belonged to no one, but the court decided to sell it. Bidding was arranged, in which Yermila began to compete with the merchant Altynnikov. As a result, Yermila won, only they immediately demanded money from him for the mill, and Yermila did not have that kind of money with him. He asked for half an hour, ran to the square and asked the people to help him. Ermila was a respected person among the people, so each peasant gave him as much money as he could. Yermila bought the mill, and a week later he came back to the square and gave back all the money he had lent. And each took as much money as he lent him, no one appropriated too much, even one more ruble remained. The audience began to ask why Ermila Girin was in such high esteem. The narrator said that in his youth Yermila was a clerk in the gendarmerie corps and helped every peasant who turned to him with advice and deed and did not take a penny for it. Then, when a new prince arrived in the patrimony and dispersed the gendarme office, the peasants asked him to elect Yermila as the mayor of the volost, as they trusted him in everything.
But then the priest interrupted the narrator and said that he did not tell the whole truth about Yermila, that he also had a sin: instead of his younger brother, Yermila recruited the only son of the old woman, who was her breadwinner and support. Since then, his conscience haunted him, and one day he almost hanged himself, but instead demanded that he be tried as a criminal in front of all the people. The peasants began to ask the prince to take the old woman's son from the recruits, otherwise Yermila would hang herself out of conscience. In the end, the son was returned to the old woman, and Yermila's brother was sent to recruit. But Yermila's conscience still tormented him, so he resigned his position and began working at the mill. During a riot in the patrimony, Yermila ended up in prison ... Then there was a cry from a lackey, who was flogged for theft, and the priest did not have time to tell the story to the end.
Chapter 5
The next morning we met the landowner Obolt-Obolduev and decided to ask if he lives happily. The landowner began to tell that he was "of an eminent family", his ancestors were known three hundred years ago. This landowner lived in the old days "like in Christ's bosom", he had honor, respect, a lot of land, several times a month he arranged holidays that "any Frenchman" could envy, went hunting. The landowner kept the peasants in strictness: “Whomever I want, I will have mercy, whoever I want, I will execute. The law is my desire! The fist is my police! But then he added that he “punished - loving”, that the peasants loved him, they celebrated Easter together. But the travelers only laughed at his words: “Kolom knocked them down, or what, you pray in the manor’s house? ..” Then the landowner began to sigh that such a carefree life had passed after the abolition of serfdom. Now the peasants no longer work on the landed estates, and the fields have fallen into disrepair. Instead of a hunting horn, the sound of an ax is heard in the forests. Where once there were manor houses, drinking establishments are now being built. After these words, the landowner began to cry. And the travelers thought: "The great chain broke, it broke - it jumped: at one end on the gentleman, on the other at the peasant! .."
peasant woman
Prologue
The travelers decided to look for a happy man among women. In one village they were advised to find Matryona Timofeevna and ask around. The men set off on their journey and soon reached the village of Klin, where “Matryona Timofeevna” lived, a portly woman, wide and thick, about thirty-eight years old. She is beautiful: her hair is gray, her eyes are large, strict, her eyelashes are the richest, she is stern and swarthy. She is wearing a white shirt, and a short sundress, and a sickle over her shoulder. The peasants turned to her: “Tell me in a divine way: what is your happiness?” And Matrena Timofeevna began to tell.
Chapter 1
As a girl, Matrena Timofeevna lived happily in big family where everyone loved her. Nobody woke her up early, they allowed her to sleep and gain strength. From the age of five, she was taken out into the field, she went after the cows, brought breakfast to her father, then she learned how to harvest hay, and got used to work. After work, she sat at the spinning wheel with her friends, sang songs, and went dancing on holidays. Matryona was hiding from the guys, she did not want to fall into captivity from a girl's will. But all the same, she found a groom, Philip, from distant lands. He began to marry her. Matrena did not agree at first, but the guy fell in love with her. Matrena Timofeevna admitted: “While we were bargaining, it must be, so I think, then there was happiness. And hardly ever again!” She married Philip.
Chapter 2. Songs
Matrena Timofeevna sings a song about how the groom's relatives pounce on the daughter-in-law when she arrives at a new house. Nobody likes her, everyone makes her work, and if she doesn't like her work, then they can beat her. This is how it happened with new family Matryona Timofeevna: “The family was huge, grumpy. I got from the girl's will to hell! Only in her husband could she find support, and it happened that he beat her. Matrena Timofeevna sang about a husband who beats his wife, and his relatives do not want to intercede for her, but only order to beat her even more.
Soon Matryona's son Demushka was born, and now it was easier for her to endure the reproaches of her father-in-law and mother-in-law. But here she was again in trouble. The master's steward began to pester her, but she did not know where to escape from him. Only grandfather Savely helped Matryona cope with all the troubles, only he loved her in a new family.
Chapter 3
“With a huge gray mane, tea, not cut for twenty years, with a huge beard, grandfather looked like a bear”, “grandfather’s back is arched”, “he has already turned, according to fairy tales, a hundred years.” “Grandfather lived in a special room, he did not like families, he did not let him into his corner; and she was angry, barked, his own son honored him with “branded, convict”. When the father-in-law began to become very angry with Matryona, she and her son went to Savely and worked there, and Demushka played with his grandfather.
Once Savely told her the story of his life. He lived with other peasants in impenetrable swampy forests, where neither the landowner nor the police could reach. But one day the landowner ordered them to come to him and sent the police after them. The peasants had to obey. The landowner demanded quitrent from them, and when the peasants began to say that they had nothing, he ordered them to be whipped. Again the peasants had to obey, and they gave the landowner their money. Now every year the landowner came to collect dues from them. But then the landowner died, and his heir sent a German manager to the estate. At first, the German lived quietly, became friends with the peasants. Then he began to order them to work. The peasants did not even have time to come to their senses, as they cut a road from their village to the city. Now you can safely drive to them. The German brought his wife and children to the village and began to rob the peasants even worse than the former landowner had robbed. The peasants put up with him for eighteen years. During this time, the German managed to build a factory. Then he ordered to dig a well. He did not like the work, and he began to scold the peasants. And Savely and his comrades dug it in a hole dug for a well. For this he was sent to hard labor, where he spent twenty years. Then he returned home and built a house. The men asked Matrena Timofeevna to continue talking about their woman's life.
Chapter 4
Matrena Timofeevna took her son to work. But the mother-in-law said that she should leave him to grandfather Savely, since you can’t earn much with a child. And so she gave Demushka to her grandfather, and she herself went to work. When she returned home in the evening, it turned out that Savely had dozed off in the sun, did not notice the baby, and the pigs trampled him. Matryona “rolled around in a ball”, “coiled like a worm, called, woke up Demushka - but it was too late to call.” The gendarmes arrived and began to interrogate, “didn’t you kill the child by agreement with the peasant Savely?” Then the doctor came to open the corpse of the child. Matryona began to ask him not to do this, sent curses at everyone, and everyone decided that she had lost her mind.
At night, Matryona came to her son's coffin and saw Savely there. At first she shouted at him, blamed Dema for the death, but then the two of them began to pray.
Chapter 5
After Demushka's death, Matrena Timofeevna did not talk to anyone, Savelia could not see, she did not work. And Savely went to repentance in the Sand Monastery. Then Matrena, together with her husband, went to her parents and set to work. Soon she had more children. So four years passed. Matryona's parents died, and she went to cry at her son's grave. He sees that the grave has been tidied up, there is an icon on it, and Savely lies on the ground. They talked, Matrena forgave the old man, told him about her grief. Soon Savely died, and he was buried next to Dema.
Another four years have passed. Matrena resigned herself to her life, worked for the whole family, only she did not give her children an offense. A pilgrimage came to them in the village and began to teach them how to live properly, in a divine way. She forbade breastfeeding on fasting days. But Matrena did not listen to her, she decided that it would be better for God to punish her than for her to leave her children hungry. So grief came to her. When her son Fedot was eight years old, his father-in-law gave him to the shepherdess. Once the boy did not look after the sheep, and one of them was stolen by a she-wolf. For this, the village headman wanted to flog him. But Matryona threw herself at the feet of the landowner, and he decided instead of his son to punish his mother. Matryona was carved. In the evening she came to see how her son was sleeping. And the next morning, she didn’t show herself to her husband’s relatives, but went to the river, where she began to cry and call for the protection of her parents.
Chapter 6
Two new troubles came to the village: first, a lean year came, then recruitment. The mother-in-law began to scold Matryona for calling trouble, because on Christmas she put on a clean shirt. And then they also wanted to send her husband to recruits. Matryona did not know where to go. She herself did not eat, she gave everything to her husband's family, and they also scolded her, looked angrily at her children, since they were extra mouths. So Matryona had to "send children around the world" so that they asked for money from strangers. Finally, her husband was taken away, and the pregnant Matryona was left all alone.
Chapter 7
Her husband was recruited at the wrong time, but no one wanted to help him return home. Matryona, which last days bore her child, went to seek help from the governor. She left home at night without telling anyone. Arrived in the city in the early morning. The porter at the governor's palace told her to try to come in two hours, then the governor might receive her. On the square, Matryona saw a monument to Susanin, and he reminded her of Savely. When the carriage drove up to the palace and the governor's wife got out of it, Matryona threw herself at her feet with pleas for intercession. Here she felt unwell. The long road and fatigue affected her health, and she gave birth to a son. The governor helped her, baptized the baby herself and gave him a name. Then she helped save Matrena's husband from recruitment. Matryona brought her husband home, and his family bowed at her feet and obeyed her.
Chapter 8
Since then, they called Matryona Timofeevna the governor. She began to live as before, worked, raised children. One of her sons has already been recruited. Matrena Timofeevna told the travelers: “It’s not a matter of looking for a happy woman among women”: “The keys to female happiness, from our free will, are abandoned, lost from God himself!”
Last
The travelers went to the banks of the Volga and saw how the peasants were working in the hayfield. “We haven’t worked for a long time, let’s mow!” - the wanderers asked the local women. After work, they sat down to rest on a haystack. Suddenly they see: three boats are floating along the river, in which music is playing, beautiful ladies, two mustachioed gentlemen, children and an old man are sitting. As soon as the peasants saw them, they immediately began to work even harder.
The old landowner went ashore, walked around the entire hayfield. "The peasants bowed low, the steward in front of the landowner, like a demon before matins, wriggled." And the landowner scolded them for their work, ordered them to dry the already harvested hay, which was already dry. The travelers were surprised why the old landowner behaved this way with the peasants, because they are now free people and are not under his rule. Old Vlas began to tell them.
“Our landowner is special, wealth is exorbitant, the rank is important, the family is noble, he has been a weirdo, fooled all his life.” But it's been canceled serfdom, but he did not believe, he decided that he was being deceived, he even scolded the governor about this, and by the evening he had a stroke. His sons were afraid that he might deprive them of their inheritance, and they agreed with the peasants to live as before, as if the landowner was still their master. Some peasants happily agreed to continue serving the landowner, but many could not agree. For example, Vlas, who was then a steward, did not know how he would have to carry out the "stupid orders" of the old man. Then another peasant asked to be made a steward, and "the old order went." And the peasants gathered together and laughed at the stupid orders of the master. For example, he ordered a seventy-year-old widow to be married to a six-year-old boy so that he would support her and build her a new house. He ordered the cows not to moo when they pass by the manor house, because they wake up the landowner.
But then there was the peasant Agap, who did not want to obey the master and even reproached other peasants for obedience. Once he was walking with a log, and the master met him. The landowner realized that the log was from his forest, and began to scold Agap for stealing. But the peasant could not stand it and began to laugh at the landowner. The old man had a stroke again, they thought that now he would die, but instead he issued a decree to punish Agap for disobedience. All day long, young landowners, their wives, the new steward and Vlas, went to Agap, persuaded Agap to pretend, and gave him wine to drink all night. The next morning they locked him in the stable and ordered him to scream as if he was being beaten, but in fact he was sitting and drinking vodka. The landowner believed, and he even felt sorry for the peasant. Only Agap, after so much vodka, died in the evening.
Wanderers went to look at the old landowner. And he sits surrounded by sons, daughters-in-law, courtyard peasants and has lunch. He began to ask whether the peasants would soon collect the master's hay. The new steward began to assure him that the hay would be harvested in two days, then he declared that the peasants would not go anywhere from the master, that he was their father and god. The landowner liked this speech, but suddenly he heard that one of the peasants laughed in the crowd, and ordered that the guilty one be found and punished. The steward went, and he himself thinks how he should be. He began to ask the wanderers that one of them would confess: they are strangers, the master could not do anything to them. But the travelers did not agree. Then the steward's godfather, a cunning woman, fell at the master's feet, began to lament, saying that it was her only silly son who laughed, and begged the master not to scold him. Barin took pity. Then he fell asleep and died in his sleep.
Feast - for the whole world
Introduction
The peasants arranged a holiday, to which the whole estate came, they wanted to celebrate their newfound freedom. The peasants sang songs.
I. Bitter time - bitter songs
Funny. The song sings that the master took the cow from the peasant, the zemstvo court took away the chickens, the tsar took the sons into recruits, and the master took the daughters to himself. “It is glorious for the people to live in holy Russia!”
Corvee. The poor peasant Kalinushka has wounds all over his back from beatings, he has nothing to wear, nothing to eat. Everything he earns has to be given to the master. The only joy in life is to come to a tavern and get drunk.
After this song, the peasants began to tell each other how hard it was to be in corvée. One recalled how their mistress Gertrud Alexandrovna ordered them to be beaten mercilessly. And the peasant Vikenty told the following parable.
About the exemplary lackey - Jacob the faithful. There lived a landowner in the world, very stingy, even drove his daughter away when she got married. This master had a faithful servant Yakov, who loved him more than his own life, did everything to please the master. Yakov never asked his master for anything, but his nephew grew up and wanted to marry. Only the master also liked the bride, so he did not allow Yakov's nephew to marry, but gave him as a recruit. Yakov decided to take revenge on his master, only his revenge was as servile as life. The master's legs hurt, and he could not walk. Yakov took him to a dense forest and hanged himself in front of his eyes. The master spent the whole night in the ravine, and in the morning the hunters found him. He did not recover from what he saw: “You, sir, will be an exemplary slave, faithful Jacob, to remember until the day of judgment!”
II. Wanderers and pilgrims
There are different pilgrims in the world. Some of them only hide behind the name of God in order to profit at someone else's expense, since it is customary to receive pilgrims in any home and feed them. Therefore, they most often choose rich houses where you can eat well and steal something. But there are also real pilgrims who bring the word of God to a peasant's house. Such people go to the poorest house so that God's mercy descends on it. Ionushka, who led the story "About two great sinners", also belongs to such pilgrims.
About two great sinners. Ataman Kudeyar was a robber and killed and robbed many people in his life. But his conscience tormented him, so much so that he could neither eat nor sleep, but only remembered his victims. He disbanded the whole gang and went to pray at the tomb of the Lord. He wanders, prays, repents, but it does not get easier for him. The sinner returned to his homeland and began to live under a centuries-old oak tree. One day he hears a voice that tells him to cut down an oak with the same knife with which he before people killed, then all sins will be forgiven him. For several years the old man worked, but could not cut down the oak tree. Once he met Pan Glukhovskoy, about whom they said that he was cruel and evil person. When the pan asked what the elder was doing, the sinner said that he so wanted to atone for his sins. Pan began to laugh and said that his conscience did not torment him at all, although he had ruined many lives. “A miracle happened to the hermit: he felt furious anger, rushed to Pan Glukhovsky, plunged a knife into his heart! Just now, the bloodied pan fell headlong on the saddle, a huge tree collapsed, the echo shook the whole forest. So Kudeyar prayed for his sins.
III. Both old and new
“Great is the sin of the nobility,” the peasants began to say after Jon’s story. But the peasant Ignatius Prokhorov objected: "Great, but he shouldn't be against the sin of the peasant." And he told the following story.
Peasant sin. For courage and courage, the widower admiral received eight thousand souls from the empress. When the time came for the admiral to die, he called the headman to him and handed him a chest in which lay free for all the peasants. After his death, a distant relative came and, promising the headman golden mountains and freedom, begged him for that casket. So eight thousand peasants remained in the lord's bondage, and the headman committed the most serious sin: he betrayed his comrades. “So here it is, the sin of the peasant! Indeed, a terrible sin! the men decided. Then they sang the song "Hungry" and again started talking about the sin of the landowners and peasants. And now Grisha Dobrosklonov, the son of a sexton, said: “The snake will give birth to snakes, and the support is the sins of the landowner, the sin of Jacob the unfortunate, the sin of Gleb gave birth! There is no support - there is no landowner, leading a zealous slave to a noose, there is no support - there is no courtyard, who takes revenge on his villain by suicide, there is no support - there will be no new Gleb in Russia! Everyone liked the boy’s speech, began to wish him wealth and a smart wife, but Grisha replied that he didn’t need wealth, but that “every peasant lived freely, cheerfully in all of holy Russia.”
IV. good times good songs
In the morning the travelers fell asleep. Grisha and his brother took their father home, they sang songs along the way. When the brothers put their father to bed, Grisha went for a walk around the village. Grisha studies at the seminary, where he is poorly fed, so he is thin. But he doesn't think about himself at all. All his thoughts are occupied only by his native village and peasant happiness. "Fate prepared a glorious path for him, a loud name of the people's intercessor, consumption and Siberia." Grisha is happy because he can be an intercessor and take care of ordinary people, of his homeland. Seven men finally found a happy man, but they did not even guess about this happiness.
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