Legends of Leonardo da Vinci humorous stories. Leonardo da Vinci

Everyone knows that Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant inventor, but few know that he left his mark on literature.

Parables and Tales of Leonardo da Vinci:

Fig tree

One could not bear fruit for a long time. Everyone passed by the tree without even looking at it. But one day figs finally appeared on the branches. However, the joy of the tree was short-lived. As soon as the fruits were ripe, people bent the tree and broke off all the branches.

Flea and sheepskin

One flea settled somehow on. She lived, did not grieve, until the dog lay down to rest on the sheep's skin. Bloch, seeing the thick sheep's wool, was unable to hide her delight:

What a wonderful long pile! she exclaimed. - You can easily hide in it. I'm so fed up with dog teeth and claws trying to hurt me! And sheep skin is certainly much softer and tastier than dog skin!

Without thinking twice, the flea jumped onto the bedding. But sheepskin It turned out to be so thick that the flea could not reach the skin for a long time. When, after working hard, she was finally at the target, she could not bite through the skin. Sheepskin was so hard.

Angry, the flea decided to go back. But the dog was no longer on the bed. And the flea itself soon died of starvation.

Flint and flint

One day the flint and flint hit the flint painfully in the side.
- Why are you fighting? asked the flint and flint. “I don't harm anyone. Leave me alone!
- Be patient a little, - answered the tinderbox. Give me some time and you will see a real miracle.
The flint began to patiently endure the blows of the steel. A few minutes later a fire broke out.

moon and oyster

One was head over heels in love with the moon. As soon as night fell, the moon appeared in the dark sky, the oyster did not take his eyes off her. Opening the doors of her shell, she stared up in fascination. One day a crab noticed an oyster in love and decided to eat it. Taking advantage of the indiscretion of the oyster, he threw a pebble inside the shell. The lover could no longer close the doors, and her fate was sealed. The same fate awaits everyone who does not know how to control himself and keep his feelings secret.

Miller and donkey

Once, a rich and noble man began to prove to his friends that he remembers all his past lives on earth. None of his comrades could object to him. And only one friend interrupted him all the time. To offend an impatient friend, the man said:
How dare you argue with me? Moreover, I remember exactly that in a past life you were a simple miller.
“But I don’t argue with you,” the comrade said humbly. - I also remember well that in a past life you were a donkey who carried grain to my mill.

Donkey on ice

Once a donkey walked in the field until nightfall. Tired, he decided to return home. The way was long, and the donkey lay down to rest. It was a frosty winter. And it so happened that the donkey did not notice that under the snow it was not a road at all, but a frozen lake. Out of nowhere, a sparrow appeared.
- Get up, donkey! - shouted the sparrow. - You will fail!
But the donkey only waved its hoof. From the heat that came from the breath of the donkey, the ice on the lake melted, and the donkey fell through and drowned.
A similar fate awaits all who neglect good advice.

About the monk

Two monks wandering the world wandered into an inn. The owner had nothing to offer them but fried chicken. The monks sat down at the table and were about to share the carcass when a merchant approached them.
- If I'm not mistaken, today there is a post. And you can’t eat chicken during fasting, ”said the merchant. - Give it to me better.
The monks meekly agreed.

The merchant, having dined with chicken, and two hungry monks set off. They walked and walked until the river blocked their way. The merchant, fearing to wet his expensive boots, asked one of his companions to carry him to the other side. That monk, who was stronger, put the merchant on his shoulders and walked along the water. Before reaching the middle, he suddenly stopped and asked his burden:
- Listen, merchant, do you have money in your pockets?
- Of course have! exclaimed the merchant.
The monk immediately threw the merchant into the water.
- What happened? the merchant shouted.
- And according to the charter, we are not supposed to have money with us! the monk replied.

chagrin

One man met his old friend during a walk and immediately began to question him about everything:
- What's wrong with your face? You are pale and your eyes are sunken. Haven't you fallen ill? Contact my doctor, he will cure you instantly.
He chatted for a long time, not giving his interlocutor a word to insert. Finally the man asked:
- How often do you suffer from this illness?
- Every time, - the friend answered, - when I see you!

poplar and vine

Once a poplar fell in love with. His comrades dissuaded him from this connection, but the poplar did not want to listen to anything. Surprisingly, the vine responded to him in return, and they began to live together. The vine clambered up the trunk of the tree that served as a support for it. Soon a peasant noticed them. He immediately cut the poplar branches so that they would not interfere with the growth of the vine.

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Leonardo da Vinci
Tales, legends, parables

"I remember one day I woke up in my cradle.

It seemed to me that a large bird opened

winged my mouth and stroked my lips with feathers.

Leonardo da Vinci

PAPER AND INK

A pile of identical sheets of blank paper lay on the desk. But once one of them turned out to be completely covered with hooks, dashes, curls, dots ... Apparently, someone took a pen and, having dipped it in ink, wrote the sheet with words and painted it with drawings.

“Why did you have to subject me to such an unheard-of humiliation?” the saddened sheet asked in an annoyance at the inkwell standing on the table. “Your indelible ink stained my whiteness and ruined the paper forever!” Who will need me now?

“Don’t grieve!” the inkwell answered kindly. And now you are no longer a simple piece of paper, but a written message. From now on, you keep the thought of a person, and this is your direct purpose and great value.

The good inkwell was right. While cleaning up somehow on the desk, the man saw randomly scattered leaves yellowed from time to time. He collected them and was about to throw them into the burning fireplace, when he suddenly noticed the very "stained" sheet. Throwing away the dusty papers as unnecessary, the man carefully put the scribbled sheet in a drawer in order to keep it as a message of reason.

Flint and flint

Having once received a strong blow from the flint, the flint indignantly asked the offender:

"Why are you so mad at me?" I don't know you. You seem to be confusing me with someone else. Please leave my sides alone. I don't harm anyone.

“Don’t be angry for nothing, neighbor,” the flint and fire pit said with a smile in response. “If you have a little patience, you will soon see what a miracle I will extract from you.” At these words, the flint calmed down and began to patiently endure the blows of the tinderbox. And finally, a fire was hewn out of it, capable of creating genuine miracles. Thus the flint's patience was justly rewarded.

The tale is told for those who are initially timid in their studies. But if you stock up on patience and show diligence, then the seeds of knowledge sown will certainly give good shoots. The root of learning is bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

TONGUE AND TEETH

Once upon a time there was a boy in the world who suffered from a serious illness, to which even adults are sometimes subject - he constantly talked, without knowing the measure.

- What kind of punishment is this tongue, - grumbled teeth. - When will he calm down and be silent for a while?

“What do you care about me?” the tongue replied impudently. “Chew to your health and keep quiet. That's the whole story for you! There is nothing in common between us. I will not allow anyone to interfere in my personal affairs, and even more so to meddle with stupid advice!

And the boy continued to chat incessantly, by the way and inappropriately. The tongue was at the height of bliss, pronouncing ever new tricky words, although it did not have time to properly grasp their meaning.

But one day the boy was so carried away by the chatter that, without knowing it, he got into a mess. In order to somehow get out of trouble, he allowed the tongue to tell a deliberate lie. Then the teeth could not stand it - their patience snapped. They closed at once and painfully bit the lying liar.

His tongue turned purple with blood, and the boy cried out in shame and pain.

Since then, the tongue has behaved with apprehension and caution, and the boy will think twice before uttering a word.

RAZOR

One barber had a razor of extraordinary beauty, and she had no equal in work. Once, when there were no visitors in the shop, and the owner went away somewhere, the razor decided to look at the world and show himself. Releasing the sharp blade from its rim like a sword from its scabbard, and proudly akimbo, she went for a walk on a fine spring day.

Before the razor had time to step over the threshold, the bright sun played on the polished steel blade, and merrily jumped on the walls of the houses sunbeams. Blinded by this unprecedented spectacle, the razor was so indescribably delighted that she immediately became unreasonably proud.

“After all this splendor, should I return to the barbershop?” exclaimed the razor. “Not for anything in the world!” It would be sheer folly of me to ruin my life by scrubbing the soapy cheeks and chins of uncouth bums. Is my delicate blade a place at the barber's? Not at all! I'll hide from him in a secluded place. Since then, her trace has vanished.

Months passed. The rainy autumn has arrived. Having missed being alone, the fugitive decided to leave her voluntary seclusion and get some fresh air. She carefully released the blade from its rim and looked around proudly.

But, oh horror! What happened? The blade, once soft, had hardened like a rusty saw and no longer reflected the rays of the sun.

“Why did I succumb to temptation?” the razor wept bitterly. “How the good barber cherished and groomed me! How happy and proud he was of my work! And now, oh God, what happened to me: the blade darkened, serrated and covered with disgusting rust. I am lost and there is no salvation for me!

A sad fate awaits anyone who is endowed with talent, but instead of developing and improving their abilities, they exalt themselves excessively and indulge in idleness and self-admiration. Like this unfortunate razor, such a person gradually loses the clarity and sharpness of the mind, becomes inert, lazy and overgrown with rust of ignorance, corroding the flesh and soul.

FLAME

Work was in full swing in the glass-blowing workshop, and in the huge furnace the fire did not subside day or night. Many beautiful products were created by craftsmen who, with their breath, gave a bizarre shape to the mass of molten glass.

Once, a fire raging in the furnace noticed a burning candle left by one of the apprentices, set in a massive bronze candlestick. He was immediately seized by an irresistible desire to devour the weak flame of the candle.

And then a blue flame burst out from under the firebrand with a hiss. Having recoiled aside from the draft in the chimney and contrived, it broke through the narrow gap of the stove barrier, spread to a nearby candle and began to devour it greedily.

The insatiable flame swallowed the fragile candle in an instant.

However, not wanting to die with her, it tried to return to its native element. But no matter how much the flame cried out for help to its fellows in the burning furnace, no matter how it wriggled and writhed in its death throes, it never managed to escape from the tenacious embrace of melted wax.

Screaming, crying and hissing viciously, the flames eventually choked, turning into acrid smoke. And in the oven for a long time the logs crackled merrily, shooting multi-colored sparks, and the red tongues of fire danced together.

MOON AND OYSTER

Oyster was head over heels in love with the moon. As if spellbound, she looked for hours with loving eyes at the night luminary.

A gluttonous crab, sitting in ambush, noticed that every time the moon emerges from behind the clouds, an open oyster opens the shell flaps, forgetting about everything in the world. And he decided to eat it.

One night, as soon as the moon rose and the oyster, as usual, stared at her, mouth open, the crab picked up a pebble with a claw and, having contrived, threw it into the shell. The moonlight lover tried to slam the doors of the mother-of-pearl dwelling, but it was too late - the thrown pebble prevented the poor thing.

A similar fate awaits everyone who does not know how to keep secret feelings in secret. Eyes and ears, hungry for other people's secrets, will always be found.

SPIDER IN THE KEYHOLE

Having examined the whole house inside and out, the spider has chosen a place for itself in the keyhole.

What a comfortable and safe haven! No one can find a spider here. And he, leaning out of the shelter, will calmly observe everything that happens, without exposing himself to any risk.

“I’ll stretch a web for flies at the stone threshold,” the satisfied spider began to argue. “There will be another, stronger one on the stairs, for fat caterpillars, and between the door leaves I’ll arrange a cunning trap for mosquitoes ...

The spider was beside himself with happiness and bright hopes. The keyhole, all lined with iron, seemed to him an impregnable fortress, and he had never seen a safer haven in his life.

While the spider indulged in dreams and made tempting plans for the future, his delicate ear picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. Being cautious by nature, he immediately crawled into the depths of his shelter.

The owner, who returned home, jingled a bunch of keys, inserted one of them into the keyhole and ... crushed the dreamer.

WATER

The water splashed merrily in the native sea element. But one day she got into her head a crazy idea to get to the very sky.

She turned to the fire for help. With his burning flame, he turned water into tiny droplets of warm vapor, which turned out to be much lighter than air.

The steam immediately rushed upward, rising into the highest and coldest layers of the air.

Once in the transcendental heights, the droplets of steam became so numb that their teeth did not fall from the cold. In order to somehow warm themselves, they pressed closer to each other, but, becoming much heavier than air, they immediately fell to the ground in the form of ordinary rain.

Sick with vanity, the water ascended to heaven, but was expelled from there. The thirsty earth swallowed up the rain to a single drop. And the water had to serve its sentence in the soil for a long time before it could return to the sea.

MOLE

The mole liked to wander through the cool underground passages that his parents and grandfathers had dug and cleaned out. He climbed the upper galleries and descended, where there were storerooms with stocks of food for the future.

Examining his possessions and wealth, he once discovered an unfamiliar hole and decided to find out where it leads.

- Stop! - I heard a warning voice. - This path is dangerous!

But driven by curiosity, the mole crawled higher and higher, and, finally, scattering the ground with its paws, he saw a blue-blue abyss that opened before him. But that was the last thing the poor man saw in his life. A bright ray of sun hit the blinded slit eyes and blinded the mole.

In the same way, a lie can live happily ever after, only buried in a shelter. As soon as she is born, she immediately dies, blinded by the truth.

CATERPILLAR

Clinging to a leaf, the caterpillar watched with interest as the insects sang, jumped, galloped, raced, flew... Everything around was in constant motion. And only she, poor thing, was denied her voice and was not allowed to run or fly.

With great difficulty, she could only crawl. And while the caterpillar clumsily moved from one leaf to another, it seemed to her that she was making a trip around the world.

And yet she did not complain about fate and did not envy anyone, realizing that everyone should mind their own business. So she, the caterpillar, had to learn how to weave thin silk threads in order to weave a strong cocoon house out of them.

Without further ado, the caterpillar diligently set to work and by the right time was wrapped from head to toe in a warm cocoon.

“Everything in its turn!” she heard in response. “Have a little patience, and you'll see.”

When the time came and she woke up, she was no longer the former clumsy caterpillar. Deftly freeing herself from the cocoon, she was surprised to notice that she had grown light wings, generously painted in bright colors. Cheerfully waving them, she, like fluff, fluttered from the leaf and flew away, dissolving in a blue haze.

JUSTICE

There is no justice in the world!” the mouse squeaked plaintively, miraculously escaping from the claws of affection.

“How long can you tolerate a lie!” the weasel shouted indignantly, barely managing to hide in a narrow hollow from the cat.

“There is no life from arbitrariness!” the cat meowed, jumping onto a high fence and cautiously looking at the yard dog lurking below.

- Calm down, friends! - said the wise owl, sitting in a cage in a peasant yard. - There is some truth in your lamentations about life. But does justice belong by right to one of you?

At these words, the mouse looked out of the hole, the weasel stuck its nose out of the hollow, the cat settled comfortably on the fence, and the dog sat down on its hind legs.

“Justice,” the owl continued, “is the highest law of nature, according to which a reasonable agreement is established between all those living on earth. That's why wise law all animals, birds, fish and even insects live. See how a swarm of bees lives and works together.

The owl was indeed right. Anyone who has ever seen a hive knows that the queen bee reigns supreme there, managing everything and everyone with the greatest mind and fairly distributing duties among members of a large bee family. For some bees, the main concern is collecting nectar from flowers, for others it is work in the combs; some guard the hive, driving away annoying wasps and bumblebees, others take care of maintaining cleanliness. There are bees who should take care of the queen without leaving her a single step. When the mistress grows old, the strongest bees carefully carry her on themselves, and the most experienced and knowledgeable heal with all sorts of potions. And if at least one bee violates its duty, inevitable punishment awaits it.

In nature, everything is wise and thought out, everyone should mind their own business, and in this wisdom is the highest justice of life.

MOTH AND FLAME

Fluttering in the evening twilight and enjoying the coolness, an elegant moth suddenly noticed a light flickering in the distance. He immediately went to the illuminated place, and when he was near, he began to fly around the night lamp burning on the window, looking at it with surprise. How handsome is this stranger!

Having admired enough, the moth decided to get to know the bright light better and play with it, as it usually amused itself in the garden with flowers, swinging on their corollas, as if on a swing. Flying a little to the side, he made a sharp turn and flew by, almost touching the yellow tongue of flame and as if inviting him to play.

But something painfully pricked him and threw him up. Sitting on the windowsill by the night light, the moth was amazed to find that it had lost one leg and burned the edges of its wings.

“How could this happen?” the moth asked himself in bewilderment and could not find an answer. He could not allow such a marvelous harmless light to harm him. Recovering a little from the shock, the moth again spread its wings and fluttered.

Having made several circles over the burning night lamp, he calmly flew right into the flame, wanting to swing on it, but immediately fell into the oil, which fed the insidious light.

- How cruel you are, - said the moth, losing strength. - I hoped to find a friend in you, but I found death. Too late I realized how angry and dangerous you are! My naivety cost me dearly...

“Poor moth!” answered the saddened nightlight. “Is it my fault that I am not a flower, but a flame.” You didn't heed my warning and started playing with me.

LILY

On the green bank of the Ticino River, which flows through the fields and meadows of Lombardy, a beautiful lily has grown. All the other wild flowers bowed respectfully, trying not even to touch her splendor with a shadow. And she, slenderly soaring up and joyfully swaying in the wind, tirelessly admired her own reflection in the water. Fascinated by the marvelous beauty, the waves decided to take possession of the flower.

Soon the whole river boiled and frothed with passion. The waves became more and more restless, driven by an irresistible desire. And the lily, splashed, impregnable and proud, continued to show off on its strong flexible stem. Then the waves began to hit the shore even harder, overflowing and undermining it, until it collapsed into the boiling abyss, dragging the lonely beauty with it.

NUT AND BELL TOWER

Having got hold of a nut somewhere, a satisfied crow flew to the bell tower. Sitting there comfortably and holding the prey with her paw, she began to peck furiously with her beak to get to the tidbit. But either the blow turned out to be too strong, or the crow blundered, the nut suddenly slipped out of its paw, rolled down and disappeared into the crevice of the wall.

“Oh, good intercessor wall!” the walnut wailed tearfully, still not recovering from the cruel blows of the crow’s beak. “Don’t let me die, take pity on me!” You are so strong and majestic, you have such a beautiful bell tower. Don't chase me!

The bells hummed dully and disapprovingly, warning the wall not to trust the treacherous nut, as it might prove dangerous to it.

- Do not leave me, an orphan, in trouble! - the walnut continued to lament, trying to shout over the angry rumble of bells. Once in the beak of a voracious crow, I made a vow to myself: if I managed to avoid death, I would spend the rest of my days quietly and calmly in some hole.

The walnut's fiery speeches moved the old wall to tears. Despite the warning of the bells, she decided to give the nut hospitality and leave it in the crack where it rolled.

Especially got the wall from the roots. Tenacious and assertive, they grew more and more, crushing and loosening the old masonry, and ruthlessly pushing bricks and stones away.

Too late, the wall realized how insidious the unprepossessing pitiful nut turned out to be with its oath assurances to live quieter than water and lower than grass. She now had no choice but to reproach herself for her gullibility and bitterly regret that in her time she had not heeded the voice of the wise bells.

The hazel tree continued to grow with proud indifference, and the bell tower was more and more destroyed.

FIRE AND POT

A barely perceptible ember still smoldered in the warm ashes. With great care and prudence, he expended the last of his strength, so as not to completely fade away and not suffocate in the gray ash.

It was time for supper, and an armful of firewood and dry deadwood was thrown into the cooling stove. The almost extinguished ember came to life, and soon a flame rose among the firewood, on top of which a cast-iron pot with brew was hung.

Rejoicing at the dry firewood, the fire began to gradually flare up, expelling stagnant air from the furnace. Flirting with logs and playfully jumping out from above, then from below, the fire grew more and more intense.

Persistently breaking through the logs, flames crackled and threw out whole handfuls of sparks. The dark shadows that filled the kitchen danced merrily and scattered around the corners, and the prankster fire snorted mischievously and joyfully, trying to break out through the stove barrier. Soon the stove hummed and sang in every way, now whistling briskly, now plaintively howling. The kitchen is warmer and more spacious.

Seeing that the firewood was already entirely in his power, the fire became obstinate and impudent. He was bursting with conceit and arrogance, and he was already cramped in the furnace.

The fire began hissing and crackling menacingly and firing sparks all over the firebox. Having directed upward the tongues of flame, he set out to reach the skies, but landed ... in the bottom of the cauldron sooty from soot.

STOLEN EGG

Once a partridge, having chosen a place for itself on a cypress, looked at a neighbor who settled on an olive tree, and, not finding her at home, stole an egg from her nest.

Time passed, and now, as expected, chicks hatched in both nests. When the noisy and gluttonous offspring grew up and got stronger, a significant day came - departure from their native nest. The first to fly were the chicks that lived on the olive tree. After making a few circles over the garden, they returned home. The turn came for the chicks that lived on the cypress. Having completed the flight, happy and contented, they returned to their nest. And only one chick, hatched from a stolen egg, obeying an inner call, returned to its mother, who had built a nest in an olive tree.

POPLAR

It is known that poplar grows faster than many trees. Right before our eyes, its shoots stretch upward, overtaking all other plants in the area in growth. Once a young poplar came up with the idea to acquire a girlfriend of life. He stopped his choice on the vine that he liked.

- What a strange whim! - dissuaded his brothers. - With this beautiful vine you will sip grief. What is she to you? Our job is to grow up, and we have no other choice. But the stubborn poplar insisted on its own. The ardent lover united with the young vine and allowed her to hug him tighter, for which he was inexpressibly glad. Having received a strong support, the vine began to grow rapidly and bear fruit.

Seeing that the vine had taken root well, tenaciously twisting around the trunk, the quick-witted peasant began to cut poplar branches in the spring so that they would not pull the vine up with them, and it would be more convenient for him to collect bunches of ripe grapes in autumn.

Where did the former stateliness of the poplar go? He rounded up, lost his former ardor and resigned himself to fate. It stands for itself stubby, with pruned branches, serving as a prop for its prolific girlfriend. And his brothers, having thrown up dense crowns, carelessly rustle the leaves.

ANT AND WHEAT GRAIN

The wheat grain left in the field after the harvest was impatiently waiting for the rain to dig deeper into the damp earth in anticipation of the coming cold weather. An ant passing by noticed him. Delighted by the find, he, without hesitation, heaved the heavy prey onto his back and crawled with difficulty to the anthill. In order to catch up to the house before dark, the ant crawls without stopping, and the load weighs more and more heavily on his overworked back.

- Why are you yelling? Leave me here!” the grain of wheat pleaded.

“If I leave you,” answered the ant, breathing heavily, “we will be left without food for the winter.” There are many of us, and everyone is obliged to hunt in order to increase the reserves in the anthill. Then the grain thought and said:

“I understand your concerns as an honest worker, but you, too, understand my position. Listen to me carefully, smart ant!

Satisfied that he could take a breath, the ant dropped the heavy burden from his back and sat down to rest.

- So know, - said the grain, - I have a great life-giving power, and my purpose is to give birth new life.

Let's make a treaty with you amicably. - What kind of contract?

- But what. If you don’t drag me into the anthill and leave me here in my native field,” the grain explained, “then exactly in a year I will reward you.” The surprised ant shook his head in disbelief. “Believe me, dear ant, I am telling the absolute truth! If you now refuse me and wait, then later I will reward your patience a hundredfold and your anthill will not be for nothing. In exchange for one, you will receive a hundred of the same grains.

The ant thought, scratching his head: "A hundred grains in exchange for one. Yes, such miracles only happen in fairy tales."

“How are you going to do it?” he asked, bursting with curiosity, but still not believing.

- Rely on me! - answered the grain. - This is the great secret of life. Now dig a little hole, bury me, and come back again in the summer.

At the appointed time, the ant returned to the field. The wheat grain kept its promise.

BEE AND DRONES

“You have no control, you bastards!” - somehow the working bee could not stand it, reasoning with the drones flying in vain around the hive. - You just don’t have to work. Would be ashamed! Everywhere you look, everyone is working, making reserves for the future. Take, for example, a tiny ant. Mal, yes removed. All summer he works hard, trying not to miss a single day. After all, winter is not far off.

- I found someone to set as an example! snarled one of the drones, bored with the instructions of the bee. “Yes, your vaunted ant destroys the seeds of every crop. This little miner drags every little thing into his anthill.

Do not feed the loafer with bread, but let him reason, and you will not refuse him the ability to denigrate others. He is always ready to find an excuse for his own worthlessness.

CEDAR

A cedar grew in one garden. Every year he matured and became taller and more beautiful. Its lush crown is a regal shadow. But the more it grew and stretched upward, the more exorbitant arrogance grew in it. Looking down at everyone with contempt, one day he commandingly shouted:

“Take away this miserable hazel tree!” And the tree was cut down at the root.

“Free me from the neighborhood of the obnoxious fig tree!” She bothers me with her stupid appearance, - ordered another time the capricious cedar, - and the fig tree suffered the same fate.

Satisfied with himself, proudly shaking the branches, the arrogant handsome man did not let up:

- Clear the place around me from old pears and apple trees! - And the trees went to firewood.

So the restless cedar ordered to destroy all the trees one by one, becoming the sovereign master in the garden, from the former beauty of which only stumps remained.

But one day a strong hurricane broke out. The arrogant cedar resisted him with all his strength, holding tightly to the ground with powerful roots. And the wind, not meeting other trees on its way, freely pounced on the lonely standing handsome man, mercilessly breaking, crushing and bending him down. Finally, the tormented cedar could not withstand the furious blows, cracked and fell to the ground.

GOLDFINCH

Holding the worm in its beak, the goldfinch flew up to its nest, but there were no chicks inside. While he was on the hunt, the intruders stole them.

Screaming and crying, the goldfinch began to look for the missing chicks. The whole forest resounded with his plaintive groans and calls, but there was no answer.

The next morning, the unfortunate parent met a finch, who told that he had seen goldfinches yesterday in a peasant house.

Overjoyed, the goldfinch flew at full speed towards the village and soon found himself at the house pointed out by the kind chaffinch.

Goldfinch sat down on the ridge of the roof, looked around, but saw no one. He flew to the threshing floor - and there was not a soul there. When the poor father looked up, he noticed a cage hanging outside by the window. In it sat his goldfinches-prisoners. Goldfinch rushed towards them.

Seeing their father, the chicks began to chirp plaintively in chorus, begging to be released from captivity as soon as possible. Using its paws and beak, the goldfinch made a desperate effort to push the iron bars of the cage apart. But all his efforts were in vain. Then, crying out loud, he flew away.

The next day, the goldfinch, distraught with grief, reappeared at the cage where the unfortunate goldfinches languished. He looked at them with tenderness for a long time, and then quietly pecked at each chick in his gaping mouth.

The parent brought poisonous grass in its beak, and all the goldfinches stretched out their paws at once ...

“It’s better to die than toil in captivity,” the proud goldfinch said sadly and flew off into the forest.

Loach and Lizard

Lushly overgrown loach lifted up its delicate emerald foliage, sparkling in the sun. Admiring his own beauty, he became so proud that he could hardly bear the proximity of other plants. The old, withered trunk, which stood nearby, especially annoyed him with its equanimity.

“Listen, old fellow!” the loach addressed him one day. “Why are you sticking out under my feet? It's time to be honored to know. Get out of my sight!

The old trunk pretended not to hear the rude man, and was silent, thinking about his own. Then the restless loach turned to the thorn bush, whose dense thickets stood around like a solid wall.

- Hey you, how are you, blackthorn! Life, brother, is gone from your nasty thorns - it ripples in your eyes. Can't you imagine that with your branches you will block the light for me? Turn them aside!

But the blackthorn, busy with his own business, did not even consider it necessary to answer such words, passing them past his ears.

The old lizard, basking in the sun, could not stand it and said reproachfully:

- How stupid you are, braggart loach, how I look at you! 'Cause the old trunk makes you grow straight and reach up

clinging to him. Do you really not know that, if it were not for the thorny thickets of thorns, you, little bugger, would have been trampled on by uninvited guests long ago?

The indignant loach wanted to object, but the lizard did not let him open his mouth.

"My eyes wouldn't look at you!" Rather than puff up and stretch upwards in vain, it would be better if the neighbors gained intelligence.

STONE AND ROAD

Once upon a time there was a big beautiful stone in the world. The stream flowing past polished its sides to a shine, which sparkled in the sun. But over time, the stream dried up, and the stone continued to lie on a hillock. All around him there was expanse for tall grasses and bright wildflowers.

From above, the stone could clearly see the paved road running below, along the side of which pebbles and cobblestones were piled up.

Left alone without the usual murmur of a cheerful stream, the stone more and more often began to look longingly down the road, where there was always a revival. Once he became so sad that he could not stand it and exclaimed:

- Not a century for me to live alone! What is the use of herbs and flowers? Much wiser to live side by side with my brethren on the road, where life is in full swing.

Having said this, he moved from his accustomed place and rolled down headlong, until he found himself on the road among stones like him.

Who just did not pass and did not drive along the road! And the wheels of carts with iron rims, and the hooves of horses, cows, sheep, goats, and smart boots with over the knee boots, and strong peasant shoes lined with nails.

The stone ended up in a traffic jam, where it was roughly thrown aside, trampled on, crushed, doused with streams of mud, and sometimes it was stained up to the ears with cow dung.

Where did his beauty go? Now he looked sadly up at the hillock, where he once lay peacefully among fragrant flowers and herbs. He had no choice but to dream in vain about the return of the lost calm. It is not in vain that they say: "What we have - we do not store, having lost - we cry."

So people sometimes thoughtlessly leave the remote rural corners, rushing to noisy crowded cities, where they immediately find themselves in the grip of vanity, unquenchable thirst and endless difficulties and anxieties.

HAZEL

By chance, a hazel tree wormed its way into this friendly working family, which soon grew violently and imagined itself.

- Why should I hang around in the garden behind the fence? - He grumbled displeasedly. Let my branches be thrown over the fence into the street, so that the whole neighborhood will know what marvelous nuts I have!

And the hazel began to persistently overcome the high fence in order to appear in all its glory in front of the passers-by.

When the time came and its branches were completely strewn with nuts, everyone who was not too lazy began to cut them off. And if the hands did not reach, sticks and stones were used.

Soon, the beaten and broken hazel lost not only the fruits, but also the leaves. Like lashes, its crippled branches hung lifelessly over the fence, and in the dense greenery of the garden flaunted apples, pears, peaches poured with juice ...

STREAM

One frivolous stream forgot that it owes its birth to rain. Once, after a heavy downpour, he swelled so excessively that, having lost his modesty, he set out to become a full-flowing river.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Tales, legends, parables

Translation and foreword by A. Makhov. Publishing house of A.P. Vyrodov, 2002.

Orders for this and other books are accepted by[email protected] or [email protected]

LEONARDO - STORYTELLER

(foreword)

From the school bench, we pronounce with the greatest respect the name of Leonardo da Vinci, which has become legendary. Many centuries separate us from the time in which the great Italian lived and worked. We judge him by books and films dedicated to his life, and, of course, by the few immortal creations that have come down to us that can be counted on the fingers, as well as museums that store these priceless treasures, which are the property and pride of all mankind. Someone once said that it is especially easy to breathe in front of Leonard's paintings. And with these words, each of us who has ever been lucky enough to visit the Hermitage and silently stand in a spacious hall in front of two Leonard's Madonnas will agree. These small-sized paintings, painted on a religious subject, amaze with their radiant worldview and deep human content.

But what about fairy tales? Any reader who picks up this book has the right to ask such a perplexed question. If such a book had appeared during Leonardo's lifetime, it would not have caused any surprise among his contemporaries, for they knew well that the famous artist could be childishly selflessly carried away by fiction, was an inexhaustible dreamer and an entertaining storyteller. The parables and fairy tales he composed brought him no less fame during his lifetime than his paintings. He was a welcome guest and an interesting conversationalist for both commoners and the nobility. People eagerly caught every word, and the entertaining stories they told were passed from mouth to mouth and passed down from father to son, from grandfather to grandson. Until now, in Italian villages, some fairy tales that have long become folk are in use, and many are unaware that they were once composed by Leonardo da Vinci himself.

The world learned about all this relatively recently. And although time was cruel to the memory of the great creator, not even leaving to his descendants the place of his burial, priceless Leonard manuscripts miraculously survived in the fire of endless wars and conflagrations. By now, the richest manuscript heritage of Leonardo, scattered all over the world, has been brought together. By the way, we note that one of the first collectors and publishers of Leonard's manuscripts was the wonderful Russian book lover F.V. Sabashnikov, whom the grateful countrymen of the great Italian elected an honorary citizen of the city of Vinci.

Leonardo's handwritten legacy includes over seven thousand sheets, written in small, compact handwriting. Now we know for certain that the illustrious master kept records all his life. No, it was not a diary in the usual sense of the word, especially since the author hardly talks about himself. The manuscripts that have come down to us are most likely a reflection of the colossal work done by an inquisitive mind that never knew peace. “As iron rusts, not finding a use for itself,” we read in these records, “as stagnant water rots, so the human mind languishes from laziness and inaction.”

Leonardo da Vinci zealously guarded his thoughts, observations and notes from prying eyes, and apparently he had good reasons for that, which one can only guess about. He even came up with a special system of cryptography, often inscribing one line into another and widely using intricate graphic signs and symbols. As a rule, he wrote from right to left, so that what he wrote can only be read with the help of a mirror. More than one generation of researchers painstakingly analyzes and carefully reads the encrypted manuscripts, revealing all the new aspects of the multifaceted and truly fantastic in terms of the breadth of interests of this genius. No wonder Engels called Leonardo one of the first titans of the Renaissance with its indefatigable thirst for knowledge and conscious mastery of the world. The very name of Leonardo da Vinci has become synonymous with the universality of human genius.

At the age of 10-11, he moved with his father to Florence, which at that time was famous not only for its rapidly developing industry, crafts, banking and trade, but was also one of the foremost centers of world culture. This glorious city, spread freely on the green hills on both banks of the Arno, struck the young Leonardo with its austere beauty, the grandeur of palaces and temples, the noise of many-voiced squares, the shady greenery of gardens and parks. Before his astonished gaze, a world of creativity and a daring flight of thought opened up. He will forever retain a tender affection for Florence and will proudly sign his works: "Leonardo, Florentine", as if emphasizing the continuity and loyalty to the traditions of the great Florentine culture.

The father attached the boy to study with his friend Verrocchio, a famous painter and sculptor. His workshop was rightfully considered the best art school in the city, from where many gifted masters came from. famous artist highly appreciated the outstanding abilities of the student and once even instructed him to complete his painting "The Baptism of Christ", now stored in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The young artist depicted on the left foreground kneeling golden-haired young man in the form of an angel. Already in this figure, something new is guessed that, over time, Leonardo will bring to the world of painting - poetry and harmony. According to biographers, when Verrocchio saw the work of a student, he was so shocked by the perfection of performance that he vowed never to take up a brush.

But not only painting owned the thoughts and heart of Leonardo, although already in 1480 he had his own workshop and there was no end to the customers. During these years he became close friends with many Florentine scholars. A particularly close friendship connected him with the mathematician and mechanic Dal Pozzo Toscanelli, who, on the eve of the first expedition of Columbus, wrote to him, setting out his views and scientific calculations, confirming the existence of unknown lands in the West.

Having won universal recognition for his art and having gained an enviable independence, Leonardo plunged headlong into science. He rejected as unacceptable the centuries-old experience of medieval scientists who had lost faith in the real, tangible world, and went his own, non-torn, path. It is difficult to enumerate the natural and exact sciences, the history of which would not be associated with his name, wherever he said a new word or expressed bold guesses, later confirmed by other outstanding minds. Mathematics and mechanics, physics and astronomy, chemistry and geology, geography and botany, anatomy and physiology - all this interested his piercing mind equally. He dreamed of creating a grandiose encyclopedic system of "Things of Nature", which would cover the entire universe. However, this task turned out to be unbearable even for such a titan as Leonardo da Vinci, although he himself admitted that "no work could tire me, because nature itself created me as such." During his lifetime, he managed to systematize the richest material only in certain areas of knowledge.

Leonardo da Vinci tried his hand at architecture, developing bold urban plans; he worked on improving the spinning wheel, lathe and other mechanisms. While in Venice, he became interested in the idea of creating a submarine and was close to its implementation. However, he refused to make his project public, fearing that the invention could be used to harm people.

This greatest mind was not limited to the boundaries of the earth, he was attracted by the expanses of the Universe. Leonardo carefully studied the laws of bird flight, wrote a special treatise on this and left drawings of the aeronautical apparatus he invented. It is no coincidence that the majestic figure of Leonardo da Vinci rises in front of the building of Rome's Fiumicino International Airport - the first inventor who began to put into practice man's age-old dream of flying.

True, Leonardo himself sometimes rather modestly assessed the significance of his searches: “... I am likened to someone who, due to his poverty, was the last to come to the fair, when all the best has already been sorted out, and the remaining goods have been tried by everyone and rejected as unnecessary. But I will collect these crumbs, put them in a knapsack and go wandering around the poor villages. Over the years, his "knapsack" was replenished with new treasures, and he persistently continued on his way with an overwhelming burden on his shoulders, dreaming of making a person free and happy.

No matter how great was his fame as a painter, creator and erudite, Leonardo stubbornly improved his knowledge and could not imagine life without constant search, believing that “everyone who takes up a business without proper knowledge is like a sailor setting sail without a rudder and a compass.”

Contemporaries disapproved of his scientific studies, considering them a whim, and reproached the master for "forgetting" the interests of painting. But this was not an apostasy, but a deeply conscious need to believe "harmony by algebra" in order to breathe new life into art and enrich it with more perfect means of expression. So, studying optics and the laws of reflection and refraction of light, Leonardo mastered a soft painting style based on the juxtaposition of muted tones, developed the method of the so-called “smoky chiaroscuro”, which gave unique poetry and harmony to such of his masterpieces as “La Gioconda” and “Madonna in the Rocks”. ". "Science of painting" he called his work, thereby emphasizing the objective nature of the reproduction of reality in his paintings.

But for contemporaries, much in this man remained incomprehensible and mysterious, like the mysterious smile on the lips of his Mona Lisa, which became a sign of the times. Let us add that this smile, which gave rise to many conjectures and assumptions, surprisingly resembles his own smile in a Turin self-portrait of the late period. Like no one else, Leonardo was able to notice and appreciate in life what others did not see, and in his artistic creations he conveyed such a variety of mental states that even the most daring imagination often became stumped before his riddles.

Leonardo himself never suppressed those around him with the superiority of his mind and willingly shared his experience and knowledge, being generous and magnanimous by nature. He was surprisingly tactful and gentle in handling, tolerant of shortcomings and knew how to forgive insults, although at times he suffered from them. Like a sorcerer and wizard, people were drawn to him, amazed and delighted by the greatness and beauty of his spirit. He himself was truly handsome - stately, tall; a face with regular features was framed by a curly blond beard. As soon as he appeared on the street, accompanied by an unchanging retinue of students and admirers, people poured out of their houses to take a closer look at the great man. He was the subject of such worship that many imitated the cut of his dress, gait, manner of speaking. By nature, Leonardo was endowed with heroic strength and easily bent horseshoes and iron bars. He had no equal in swordsmanship, and as a rider he could subdue any skittish horse. He played the lute excellently and, among friends, he liked to improvise, choosing music for his sonnets and madrigals, which, unfortunately, have not been preserved. As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent at once, listening to his charming voice. Apparently, it was not without reason that he was called the sweet-voiced Orpheus. The inspired lines composed by his younger contemporary and fellow artist Michelangelo Buonarroti are quite applicable to him:

He was released by nature with a vengeance.

With just one glance, the whole neighborhood is striking,

Leaving a trace of admiration behind.

He was completely released by fate.

His wondrous face eclipses the sun,

And laughter and singing sound so pure,

That all the surroundings freeze in delight.

Salvation from the troubles that flooded the country, Leonardo saw in the unity of the people's forces. He enthusiastically expressed his conviction and faith in the people as the arbiter of his own destiny in the famous fresco painting "The Last Supper", created in the refectory at the Milan church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Contrary to the traditional interpretation of this scene as pious humility, the great creator and realist angrily branded betrayal in it. He was alien to the idea of humble forgiveness in a time of severe trials and national disasters, when corrupt rulers betrayed national interests for thirty pieces of silver.

The ideals of Leonardo da Vinci were born on the crest of the great social and cultural upsurge experienced by Italy during the Renaissance. He sought to use science and art to create human happiness, and he was destined to witness the collapse of his brightest hopes. Full of despair and pain, he was forced to wander the world in vain attempts to find understanding and support for his grandiose plans, and at the end of his life he found refuge in a foreign land at the court of the French king Francis 1.

But wherever fate threw him, Leonardo everywhere remained true to himself. Sometimes it even seems that he did not serve the powers that be with his art and knowledge, but that they all served the great creator, trying to enlist his favor. No matter how generous they were, Leonardo suffocated in the noxious atmosphere of palace intrigues, gossip, envy, servility. When he was especially uneasy, he retired, splashing out bitterness on the pages of his notebooks.

For his great works, Leonardo did not amass wealth, although he lived comfortably. Above all, he valued his freedom and a clear conscience. The memory of past years was dear to him; he appreciated his drawings and manuscripts, was very attached to the painting "Gioconda", which he did not part with almost until his death, continuing to work on it in an effort to achieve classical completeness and perfection. From the recently discovered Madrid manuscripts, we learned that Leonardo greatly appreciated and loved his library, which numbered more than a hundred volumes, which he carried with him everywhere, rereading especially revered authors in his leisure hours. He was indifferent to fame and fortune and spoke with disdain about money, which often turns a blind eye to the true values of life. “No matter how famous the rich man is during his lifetime,” he wrote, “all this will disappear without a trace with his death. Much more glory is brought to a person by intelligence and valor than the treasures accumulated by him ... How many philosophers have rejected despicable gold so as not to stain themselves with it.

As a great seer, Leonardo, at the dawn of the 16th century, understood what innumerable disasters and sufferings the world of pure and naked calculation brings to people. In his “fantastic predictions”, which now sound so modern and relevant, he stigmatizes the power of gold, and it appears to him in the form of a cruel monster that is “capable of any crime, atrocity and treachery. It will set people against each other, sowing discord, envy and cruelty among them. Oh monstrous beast!

Leonardo was over sixty when he settled in the castle of Cloux, near the French city of Amboise, where one of the royal residences was. Judging by a late self-portrait, he looked much older than his years - years of wandering and bitterness left their mark. But his eyes still shone with clarity and wise calmness. Although his right hand was paralyzed and inactive, he continued to create.

As in past years, this great worker got up at the first rays of the sun and went to his desk in a spacious hall with a gilded ceiling, a large fireplace and high windows, beyond which the park extended and the measured muttering of the Loire could be heard.

He died on a clear spring day on May 2, 1519. According to eyewitnesses, "with all his appearance he was a true personification of the nobility of knowledge." Leonardo met the last hour courageously and majestically, as if confirming one of the last entries in his notebooks: “Just as a reasonably and efficiently spent day gives us a serene sleep, so an honestly lived life gives us a calm death.” And we will once again recall these words of a great man, reading his heartfelt and full of light sadness legend “The Swan”.

About ten years ago, Leonard's fairy tales and legends first saw the light of day. separate edition, which included more than a hundred different works. It is noteworthy that such a valuable undertaking was carried out by the oldest Florentine publishing house Giunti, which at one time used the services of the notary office of Leonardo's father, Messer Piero da Vinci. Today, our reader has the opportunity to get acquainted with these works.

The fairy tales, legends and funny stories included in this book are not equal. In some of them, the author's thought is expressed with the utmost clarity and completeness, while others are sketches from nature, as if being sketches for a future "picture", and we get a happy opportunity to look into the laboratory of the great creator. In general, the book gives a complete picture of the originality of Leonardo da Vinci as a storyteller and storyteller.

His appeal to the world of fairy tales was not accidental. It is justified by the entire course of his thoughts, observations and the focus of his interests.

“I remember how one day I woke up in my cradle,” he writes in his notes. “It seemed to me that a large bird opened my mouth with its wing and stroked my lips with feathers.” If this short note by Leonardo were not the first memory of early childhood, it could be read as a sing-along to a fairy tale. But in our book, we almost never meet miracles and magic, and it has in common with traditional fairy tales only that the characters acting in it - animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, stones and other inanimate objects - are endowed with the gift of speech and the ability to evaluate their and other people's actions, which are no different from the actions of people.

Although Leonardo saw a lot of evil, ugliness, cruelty and injustice in the surrounding reality, he does not transfer his bitterness to the animal world. In his tales, even predatory animals and birds show indulgence towards the weak and disadvantaged. All his sympathies are invariably on the side of those who are honest, modest and hardworking, and there is no mercy from him for liars, braggarts and parasites.

Talking about animals and birds, Leonardo describes their habits so accurately that he could rightfully be considered one of the founders of ethology, the science that studies the behavior of animals. And this is not accidental either. There were legends about his tender affection for animals and especially about his love for birds during his lifetime. For example, a certain Andrea Corsali in a letter to the ruler of Florence wrote in 1515 from India: "... the inhabitants of this distant fairy-tale country, like our famous Leonardo, do not allow any evil to be done to animals." Florentine boys heard about this well, who carried stray dogs, wounded birds, and outlandish butterflies to the artist's workshop, knowing that they would always be generously rewarded. And the local birders were waiting, like a holiday, for the appearance of Leonardo at the bird market. Without bargaining, he paid for the captives he had chosen, languishing in cages, and immediately set them free, admiring how the birds joyfully soared in the sky, having gained unexpected freedom.

He valued freedom above all blessings in the world and was ready to pay a dear price for it, as his tale tells about the proud unfortunate goldfinch or the fish that declared war on the net.

Being a tireless naturalist, Leonardo perceived man and the surrounding world as a single, indissoluble whole. All his life he had a dialogue with nature, never ceasing to admire its wise structure, expediency and beauty of all life on earth. With the inquisitive eye of a naturalist and thinker, he tried to reveal and convey in his works "the harmony of heterogeneous", as the ancients said. And this idea underlies many of his fairy tales. He was opposed to any violence against nature, realizing how disastrous and deplorable the consequences of such arbitrariness can be for the person himself. Such concern is especially pronounced in the fairy tales "The Vine and the Peasant", "The Cedar" and others. Believing in the high purpose of man, Leonardo considered him responsible for maintaining the harmony that exists in nature. These thoughts of the great creator are especially close, understandable and dear to us, and we perceive him as a faithful ally in our common efforts to protect and preserve the environment.

Speaking of Leonardo the storyteller, it is impossible not to refer to one of his remarkable and precious revelations for us. So, recalling the years of his youth, he writes: “One day, wandering among the dark rocks, driven by a greedy desire to see a great mixture of various bizarre forms generated by nature, I came across the entrance to a huge gloomy cave, in front of which I stopped dead in my tracks ... I leaned forward, to look inside, but saw nothing but pitch darkness. Then two conflicting feelings took possession of me at once: a great dumbfoundedness in front of the gaping abyss and an irresistible desire to discover some miracle in its bottomless womb.

We see how the inquisitiveness of the mind and curiosity are combined in Leonardo with a sense of the incomprehensibility of some of the mysteries of the universe, and then nature appears to his imagination in fantastic fairy-tale images. Such an attitude to the surrounding world inspired him not only when writing fairy tales, legends and "fantastic predictions". It also manifests itself in his numerous drawings, which are a kind of graphic conversation with nature. Along with the images of beautiful young men and women in these drawings, one can see a whole string of ugly faces, disfigured by grimaces, winged dragons and monsters. Sometimes Leonardo makes fun of his own horrors, as, say, in the fairy tales “The Terrible Beast”, “The Lion and the Shepherd”, and sometimes his fantasy gives rise to images of the cruel Basilisk, the immortal Phoenix or the faithful and affectionate Unicorn. By the way, Rafael, in all likelihood, heard this legend from the lips of Leonardo. In the Borghese Gallery in Rome, a marvelous portrait of a girl painted by him is kept, holding a small unicorn on her lap as a symbol of chastity and purity.

Fairy tales attracted Leonardo with their folk wisdom, amusing and democratic nature. They served him as a faithful help in the tireless search for the cherished key in order to penetrate the mysterious "cave", illuminate it with the light of reason and reveal the secrets kept by nature.

Leonardo da Vinci occupies a special place in Italian literature, and his fairy tales and legends are a vivid phenomenon in the culture of the Renaissance. He himself never sought literary laurels, modestly considering himself a man "ignorant of literature." However, for many years he worked on compiling an explanatory dictionary of the living colloquial Tuscan dialect, which served as the basis of the Italian literary language. Leonardo did not resort to learned Latin to express his own thoughts, as was customary among the erudite at that time. He highly appreciated the figurative peasant speech and, regardless of spelling, lovingly wrote down well-aimed words and phrases.

Leonardo drew his fairy tales from life - "this great teacher, from whom even writers have something to learn."

A. Makhov

Paper and ink

The good inkwell was right. While cleaning up somehow on the desk, the man saw randomly scattered leaves yellowed from time to time. He collected them and was about to throw them into the burning fireplace, when he suddenly noticed the very “stained” sheet. Throwing away the dusty papers as unnecessary, the man carefully put the scribbled sheet in a drawer in order to keep it as a message of reason.

Flint and flint

Having once received a strong blow from the flint, the flint indignantly asked the offender:

"Why are you so mad at me?" I don't know you. You seem to be confusing me with someone else. Please leave my sides alone. I don't harm anyone.

tongue and teeth

Once upon a time there was a boy in the world who suffered from a serious ailment, to which even adults are sometimes subject - he constantly talked, without knowing the measure.

- What kind of punishment is this tongue, - grumbled teeth. - When will he calm down and be silent for a while?

His tongue turned purple with blood, and the boy cried out in shame and pain.

Since then, the tongue has behaved with apprehension and caution, and the boy will think twice before uttering a word.

Razor

Before the razor had time to step over the threshold, the bright sun played on the polished steel blade, and sunbeams merrily jumped along the walls of the houses. Blinded by this unprecedented spectacle, the razor was so indescribably delighted that she immediately became unreasonably proud.

But, oh horror! What happened? The blade, once soft, had hardened like a rusty saw and no longer reflected the rays of the sun.

Flame

The insatiable flame swallowed the fragile candle in an instant.

moon and oyster

U stritsa was head over heels in love with the moon. As if spellbound, she looked for hours with loving eyes at the night luminary.

A similar fate awaits everyone who does not know how to keep secret feelings in secret. Eyes and ears, hungry for other people's secrets, will always be found.

Spider in the keyhole

Having examined the whole house inside and out, the spider has chosen a place for itself in the keyhole.

What a comfortable and safe haven! No one can find a spider here. And he, leaning out of the shelter, will calmly observe everything that happens, without exposing himself to any risk.

The spider was beside himself with happiness and bright hopes. The keyhole, all lined with iron, seemed to him an impregnable fortress, and he had never seen a safer haven in his life.

The owner, who returned home, jingled a bunch of keys, inserted one of them into the keyhole and ... crushed the dreamer.

Water

The ode splashed merrily in the native sea element. But one day she got into her head a crazy idea to get to the very sky.

She turned to the fire for help. With his burning flame, he turned water into tiny droplets of warm vapor, which turned out to be much lighter than air.

The steam immediately rushed upward, rising into the highest and coldest layers of the air.

Mole

Roth liked to wander through the cool underground passages that his parents and grandfathers had dug and cleaned out. He climbed the upper galleries and descended, where there were storerooms with stocks of food for the future.

Examining his possessions and wealth, he once discovered an unfamiliar hole and decided to find out where it leads.

- Stop! - I heard a warning voice. - This path is dangerous!

But driven by curiosity, the mole crawled higher and higher, and finally, scattering the earth with its paws, he saw a blue-blue abyss that opened before him. But that was the last thing the poor man saw in his life. A bright ray of sun hit the blinded slit eyes and blinded the mole.

In the same way, a lie can live happily ever after, only buried in a shelter. As soon as she is born, she immediately dies, blinded by the truth.

Caterpillar

Clinging to the leaf, the caterpillar watched with interest as the insects sang, jumped, galloped, raced, flew... Everything around was in constant motion. And only she, poor thing, was denied her voice and was not allowed to run or fly.

With great difficulty, she could only crawl. And while the caterpillar clumsily moved from one leaf to another, it seemed to her that she was making a trip around the world.

Without further ado, the caterpillar diligently set to work and by the right time was wrapped from head to toe in a warm cocoon.

“Everything in its turn!” she heard in response. “Have a little patience, and you'll see.”

Justice

There is no justice in the world! - the mouse squeaked plaintively, miraculously escaping from the claws of affection.

“How long can you tolerate a lie!” the weasel shouted indignantly, barely managing to hide in a narrow hollow from the cat.

“There is no life from arbitrariness!” the cat meowed, jumping onto a high fence and cautiously looking at the yard dog lurking below.

- Calm down, friends! - said the wise owl, sitting in a cage in a peasant yard. - There is some truth in your lamentations about life. But does justice belong by right to one of you?

At these words, the mouse looked out of the hole, the weasel stuck its nose out of the hollow, the cat settled comfortably on the fence, and the dog sat down on its hind legs.

“Justice,” the owl continued, “is the highest law of nature, according to which a reasonable agreement is established between all those living on earth. According to this wise law, all animals, birds, fish and even insects live. See how a swarm of bees lives and works together.

In nature, everything is wise and thought out, everyone should mind their own business, and in this wisdom is the highest justice of life.

Moth and flame

Fluttering in the evening twilight and enjoying the coolness, a smart moth suddenly noticed a light flickering in the distance. He immediately went to the illuminated place, and when he was near, he began to fly around the night lamp burning on the window, looking at it with surprise. How handsome is this stranger!

But something painfully pricked him and threw him up. Sitting on the windowsill by the night light, the moth was amazed to find that it had lost one leg and burned the edges of its wings.

Having made several circles over the burning night lamp, he calmly flew right into the flame, wanting to swing on it, but immediately fell into the oil, which fed the insidious light.

- How cruel you are, - said the moth, losing strength. - I hoped to find a friend in you, but I found death. Too late I realized how angry and dangerous you are! My naivety cost me dearly...

“Poor moth!” answered the saddened nightlight. “Is it my fault that I am not a flower, but a flame.” You didn't heed my warning and started playing with me.

Lily

Walnut and bell tower

Having got a nut somewhere, the satisfied crow flew to the bell tower. Sitting there comfortably and holding the prey with her paw, she began to peck furiously with her beak to get to the tidbit. But either the blow turned out to be too strong, or the crow blundered, the nut suddenly slipped out of its paw, rolled down and disappeared into the crevice of the wall.

The bells hummed dully and disapprovingly, warning the wall not to trust the treacherous nut, as it might prove dangerous to it.

The walnut's fiery speeches moved the old wall to tears. Despite the warning of the bells, she decided to give the nut hospitality and leave it in the crack where it rolled.

Especially got the wall from the roots. Tenacious and assertive, they grew more and more, crushing and loosening the old masonry, and ruthlessly pushing bricks and stones away.

The hazel tree continued to grow with proud indifference, and the bell tower was more and more destroyed.

Fire and kettle

A barely perceptible ember still smoldered in the warm ashes. With great care and prudence, he expended the last of his strength, so as not to completely fade away and not suffocate in the gray ash.

Seeing that the firewood was already entirely in his power, the fire became obstinate and impudent. He was bursting with conceit and arrogance, and he was already cramped in the furnace.

stolen egg

Somehow, a partridge, having chosen a place for itself on a cypress, looked at a neighbor who settled on an olive tree, and, not finding her at home, stole an egg from her nest.

Time passed, and now, as expected, chicks hatched in both nests. When the noisy and gluttonous offspring grew up and got stronger, a significant day came - departure from their native nest.

The first to fly were the chicks that lived on the olive tree. After making a few circles over the garden, they returned home. The turn came for the chicks that lived on the cypress. Having completed the flight, happy and contented, they returned to their nest. And only one chick, hatched from a stolen egg, obeying an inner call, returned to its mother, who had built a nest in an olive tree.

Poplar

And it is known that poplar grows faster than many trees. Right before our eyes, its shoots stretch upward, overtaking all other plants in the area in growth. Once a young poplar came up with the idea to acquire a girlfriend of life. He stopped his choice on the vine that he liked.

Ant and wheat grain

Oh, the grain of wheat left in the field after the harvest was impatiently waiting for the rain to dig deeper into the damp earth in anticipation of the coming cold weather. An ant passing by noticed him. Delighted by the find, he, without hesitation, heaved the heavy prey onto his back and crawled with difficulty to the anthill. In order to catch up to the house before dark, the ant crawls without stopping, and the load weighs more and more heavily on his overworked back.

- Why are you yelling? Leave me here!” the grain of wheat pleaded.

“I understand your concerns as an honest worker, but you, too, understand my position. Listen to me carefully, smart ant!

Satisfied that he could take a breath, the ant dropped the heavy burden from his back and sat down to rest.

- So know, - said the grain, - I have a great life-giving force, and my purpose is to give birth to new life. Let's make a treaty with you amicably. - What kind of contract?

The ant thought as he scratched his head, “A hundred grains in exchange for one. Yes, such miracles only happen in fairy tales.

“How are you going to do it?” he asked, bursting with curiosity, but still not believing.

- Rely on me! - answered the grain. - This is the great secret of life. Now dig a little hole, bury me, and come back again in the summer.

At the appointed time, the ant returned to the field. The wheat grain kept its promise.

bee and drones

You have no right, loafers! - somehow the working bee could not stand it, reasoning with the drones flying in vain around the hive. - You just don’t have to work. Would be ashamed! Everywhere you look, everyone is working, making reserves for the future. Take, for example, a tiny ant. Mal, yes removed. All summer he works hard, trying not to miss a single day. After all, winter is not far off.

Do not feed the loafer with bread, but let him reason, and you will not refuse him the ability to denigrate others. He is always ready to find an excuse for his own worthlessness.

Cedar

A cedar grew in one garden. Every year he matured and became taller and more beautiful. Its magnificent crown rose regally above the rest of the trees and cast a thick shadow on them. But the more it grew and stretched upward, the more exorbitant arrogance grew in it. Looking down at everyone with contempt, one day he commandingly shouted:

“Take away this miserable hazel tree!” And the tree was cut down at the root.

“Free me from the neighborhood of the obnoxious fig tree!” She bothers me with her stupid appearance, - ordered another time the capricious cedar, - and the fig tree suffered the same fate.

Satisfied with himself, proudly shaking the branches, the arrogant handsome man did not let up:

- Clear the place around me from old pears and apple trees! - And the trees went to firewood.

So the restless cedar ordered to destroy all the trees one by one, becoming the sovereign master in the garden, from the former beauty of which only stumps remained.

Goldfinch

Holding the worm in its beak, the goldfinch flew up to its nest, but there were no chicks inside. While he was on the hunt, the intruders stole them.

Screaming and crying, the goldfinch began to look for the missing chicks. The whole forest resounded with his plaintive groans and calls, but there was no answer.

The next morning, the unfortunate parent met a finch, who told that he had seen goldfinches yesterday in a peasant house.

Overjoyed, the goldfinch flew at full speed towards the village and soon found himself at the house pointed out by the kind chaffinch.

The parent brought poisonous grass in its beak, and all the goldfinches stretched out their paws at once ...

“It’s better to die than toil in captivity,” the proud goldfinch said sadly and flew off into the forest.

Loach and lizard

The luxuriantly overgrown loach lifted up its delicate emerald foliage, sparkling in the sun. Admiring his own beauty, he became so proud that he could hardly bear the proximity of other plants. The old, withered trunk, which stood nearby, especially annoyed him with its equanimity.

“Listen, old fellow!” the loach addressed him one day. “Why are you sticking out under my feet? It's time to be honored to know. Get out of my sight!

The old trunk pretended not to hear the rude man, and was silent, thinking of his own. Then the restless loach turned to the thorn bush, whose dense thickets stood around like a solid wall.

But the blackthorn, busy with his own business, did not even consider it necessary to answer such words, passing them past his ears.

The old lizard, basking in the sun, could not stand it and said reproachfully:

- How stupid you are, braggart loach, how I look at you! Indeed, thanks to the old trunk, you grow straight and reach up, clinging to it. Do you really not know that, if it were not for the thorny thickets of thorns, you, little bugger, would have been trampled on by uninvited guests long ago?

The indignant loach wanted to object, but the lizard did not let him open his mouth.

"My eyes wouldn't look at you!" Rather than puff up and stretch upwards in vain, it would be better if the neighbors gained intelligence.

stone and road

From above, the stone could clearly see the paved road running below, along the side of which pebbles and cobblestones were piled up.

- Not a century for me to live alone! What is the use of herbs and flowers? Much wiser to live side by side with my brethren on the road, where life is in full swing.

Having said this, he moved from his accustomed place and rolled down headlong, until he found himself on the road among stones like him.

The stone ended up in a traffic jam, where it was roughly thrown aside, trampled on, crushed, doused with streams of mud, and sometimes it was stained up to the ears with cow dung.

Where did his beauty go? Now he looked sadly up at the hillock, where he once lay peacefully among fragrant flowers and herbs. He had no choice but to dream in vain about the return of the lost calm. It is not in vain that they say: “What we have, we do not store; if we lose it, we cry.”

Hazel

By chance, a hazel tree wormed its way into this friendly working family, which soon grew violently and imagined itself.

And the hazel began to persistently overcome the high fence in order to appear in all its glory in front of the passers-by.

When the time came and its branches were completely strewn with nuts, everyone who was not too lazy began to cut them off. And if the hands did not reach, sticks and stones were used.

Stream

One frivolous stream forgot that it owes its birth to rain. Once, after a heavy downpour, he swelled so excessively that, having lost his modesty, he set out to become a full-flowing river.

To expand the channel, the raging stream began to undermine the bank, washing away the ground and bringing down stones.

But then the wind dispersed the clouds and the bright sun came out again. Without knowing it, the obstinate stream was a prisoner of the dam built by him. In order not to turn into a dirty puddle and not dry out in the sun, he had to sweat a lot, straying among the scattered stones, before he could go down to the valley and give his waters to their rightful mistress - the river.

Peach tree

In one garden, a peach tree grew next to a hazel tree. Every now and then it glanced with envy at the neighbor's branches, generously strewn with nuts.

“Why does he have so many fruits, and I have so little?” the foolish tree did not stop grumbling. “Is this fair? May I have the same number of peaches! Why am I worse than him?

“Don’t worry about someone else’s!” once an old plum tree growing nearby said to him.

“Can’t you see what a strong trunk and flexible branches the hazel tree has? Rather than grumble in vain and envy, try to grow good juicy peaches better.

But blinded by black envy, the peach tree did not want to listen to good advice plums, and no arguments worked on him. It immediately commanded its roots to dig deeper into the ground and extract more life-giving juices and moisture. It ordered the branches not to skimp on the ovary, and the flowers to turn into fruits.

When the time of flowering passed, the tree turned out to be hung with ripening fruits to the very top.

Filled with juice, the peaches grew heavier day by day, and the branches were unable to hold them on weight.

And then one day the tree groaned from the effort, the trunk cracked with a crack, and ripe peaches fell to the ground, where they soon rotted at the foot of the imperturbable hazel.

Flea and sheepskin

Having settled in the shaggy skin of a good-natured yard dog, the flea lived happily ever after and did not grieve about anything.

But one day she smelled the captivating smell of good clean wool.

“What could it be?” she asked, and after making several jumps, she found that her faithful dog was sleeping sweetly, stretched out over a shaggy sheepskin. “Oh, how I dreamed of such a magnificent coat!” the flea exclaimed admiringly, unable to tear look from the sheepskin. - How thick, silky and elegant, and most importantly, reliable. On it, you don’t have to be afraid of dog teeth and claws. My dog has become unbearable. Having lost all decency, he scratches himself every now and then and looks for me. How sick of the eternal game of hide and seek! Surely, sheep skin is much softer and sweeter than dog skin.

Without thinking any more and trying not to miss a happy opportunity, the flea tensed up and flew from the dog's skin to the sheep's in one fell swoop.

However, contrary to hopes and expectations, the sheepskin turned out to be so thick and dense that the flea had to work hard, tearing one hair from another with its paws and making its way through the impenetrable thicket. After overcoming many obstacles, she finally reached her desired goal. But, alas, the tanned sheepskin was as hard as stone. No matter how hard the flea struggled, no matter how dodged, this tidbit turned out to be too tough for her.

Completely exhausted, sweating from the effort and annoyed, the flea decided to abandon its idea and set off on its way back. She could no longer wait to return to her usual dog skin and live her old life again. Look, the dogs are gone!

For days on end, the poor thing was killed and reproached herself for unforgivable recklessness, until she died of anguish and hunger, completely lost in a thick sheepskin.

Spider and swift

Three times the spider was forced to stretch its silvery web between the trees, and each time, flying at low level, the mocking swift tore its web with its wing.

“Why are you interfering with my work?” the spider asked indignantly. “Am I a hindrance to you?

- Yes, you are the very embodiment of deceit! - the swift chirped in response. - And your invisible web is a deadly trap for insects.

- Do you, brother, say such words? - the spider marveled. - Why are you better than me? For days on end you run around with your beak open and grab right and left the same insects that you are now so worried about. For you, this activity is like fun. I work with all my might, weaving thin threads and weaving them into lace. As a reward for zeal and honest work, I receive booty when it falls into the net. Each is willing to judge the other, looking at the world from his bell tower.

Fig and Elm

And njir proudly swayed its branches, completely strewn with unripe fruits.

Looking up, he was surprised to find that a tree with a dense crown had grown nearby, on the branches of which there was nothing but leaves.

“Who gave you the right to close the sun and prevent my fruits from gaining strength?” the fig asked menacingly at the stranger. “Who are you?” Answer!

“I am an elm,” the neighbor answered timidly and politely.

“Oh, you are up to your ears in the leaves of an elm!” the displeased fig mimicked him. “And where are your fruits?” I would be ashamed to grow uselessly and interfere with others. Here you go! Soon my fruits will ripen, fall on damp ground and germinate. Then we will bring you down to the light at once.

And indeed, the fruits of figs were a success - everything is like a selection. But one day soldiers passed by. Seeing a fig, they eagerly attacked it, plucked the fruit and broke off the branches.

The compassionate elm looked sympathetically at the subdued neighbor.

“Poor fig!” In vain did you prophesy death to me, not knowing that a sad fate awaits you yourself. And I am doubly sorry for you, because you suffered because of your own fruits.

The figs still lamented for a long time, healing their wounds, and the good elm continued to grow, envying no one and not wishing the worst.

sons gratitude

Towards one morning two old hoopoes, a male and a female, felt that this time they could not fly out of the nest. A thick veil covered their eyes, although the sky was cloudless and the day promised to be sunny. But both of them saw only a cloudy haze and could no longer distinguish anything around. The birds were old and feeble. The feathers on the wings and tail were dull and broken like old branches. Forces were running out.

The old hoopoes decided not to leave the nest anymore and together wait for the last hour, which would not be slow to come.

But they were wrong - their children appeared. At first, one of the sons appeared, accidentally flying past. He noticed that the old parents were unwell and had a hard time alone, and flew off to notify the rest of the brothers and sisters.

When all the young hoopoes were gathered near their father's house, one of them said:

- From our parents, we received the greatest and priceless gift - life. They nurtured and nurtured us, sparing neither strength nor love. And now, when both are blind, sick and no longer able to feed themselves, it is our sacred duty to cure and leave them!

After these words, everyone set to work together. Some immediately set about building a new, warmer nest, others went to catch insects and worms, and the rest flew into the forest.

Finally, the rest of the hoopoes returned from the forest, bringing grass in their beaks that heals from blindness. Everyone began to heal the sick with the juice of miraculous grass. But the treatment went slowly, and I had to be patient, replacing each other and not leaving my parents alone for a minute.

And then a joyful day came when the father and mother opened their eyes, looked around and recognized all their children. So the sons' gratitude and love healed their parents, restoring their sight and strength.

warmth of the heart

The two young ostriches were beside themselves with grief. Every time the female began to incubate the eggs, they burst under the weight of her body.

Desperate to get their way, they decided to go for advice to a smart, experienced ostrich who lived on the other side of the desert.

They had to run for many days and nights until they reached their goal.

“Help us!” both of them pleaded. No matter how hard we tried, we never managed to get offspring.

After carefully listening to their sad story, the smart ostrich said in response:

- This is a multi-faceted matter. In addition to desire and effort, something else is needed here.

- What? - both ostriches exclaimed at once. - We agree on everything!

- And if so, listen and remember! The most important thing is the warmth of the heart. You must treat the laid egg with love, constantly taking care of it, as the most valuable thing for you. Only the warmth of your hearts can breathe life into it.

Inspired by hope, the ostriches set off on their way back.

When the egg was laid, the female and the male began to carefully care for him, never taking his eyes off him, full of love and tenderness.

So many days passed. Both ostriches could barely stand from constant vigil. But their faith, patience and efforts were rewarded. Once something trembled in the egg, it cracked and split, and the fluffy head of a tiny ostrich peeked out of the shell.

a lion

The babies haven't opened their eyes yet. They are still helplessly crawling between the paws of the lioness mother and poking their blind muzzles into the warm mother's belly in search of delicious milk, remaining deaf to any other call.

Trying not to interfere with his girlfriend taking care of the sucklings, the proud lion stood aside and carefully watched his family.

Suddenly, he shook his regal mane and let out a powerful rolling roar.

The cubs immediately received their sight, and all the other inhabitants of the savannah fled in horror.

Like a fearsome lion's roar that awakens lion cubs to life, the just praise or blasphemy of reasonable parents helps to reveal the virtues in our children. Thus, adults encourage children to study and rejoice, weaning them from the ugly and bad.

Vine and peasant

Loza could not get enough of seeing how in the spring the peasant carefully dug up the earth around her, trying not to touch the delicate roots with a spade, how he lovingly looked after her, tied them up, put strong supports so that she could grow freely.

In gratitude for such care, the vine decided to give the person juicy fragrant clusters at all costs.

When the time came for the grape harvest, the vine was completely hung with large tassels. The zealous owner cut them all off one by one and carefully placed them in a basket. Then, thinking, he dug out stakes and props and put them on firewood.

And the poor vine had nothing left but to grieve from an undeserved insult and freeze all winter on bare ground. But the next year she was no longer so generous, and the short-sighted peasant paid dearly for his greed.

Ermine

About one day, when the fox was busy eating, an ermine in his magnificent attire ran past.

Would you like some, buddy? Do not be shy! - the fox, satiated and pampered, suggested to him.

“I humbly thank you,” the ermine answered with dignity, “but I have already had dinner.”

“Ha, ha, ha!” she laughed. “There are no animals on earth more modest than you ermines. What kind of cleaners are you! You just wonder. Eat once a day and prefer to starve, so as not to get your fur coat dirty.

Suddenly, the hunters appeared out of nowhere. The redhead disappeared with lightning speed - only they saw her, and the ermine rushed headlong to his shelter.

But the midday sun had time to melt the snow, and the ermine mink, so neat and well-groomed in the morning, swam with mud. The snow-white animal hesitated a little, trying not to get his coat dirty, and it was then that the hunters struck him down on the spot.

Moderation serves as a reliable defense against vices. The proud ermine prefers to die rather than stain its purity with dirt.

Spider and grapes

While observing the flight of midges for several days in a row, the spider noticed that most often it hovered over the vineyard in clouds.

“Now the midges don’t get well!” the spider grinned and crawled up the vine. He extended a strong net to one of the largest fragrant brushes, and he himself hid in a depression between cool grapes.

From his hiding place, the cunning robber surreptitiously attacked careless midges, attracted by the tart smell of ripening grapes and unaware of the danger that awaited them. The gluttonous spider strangled a lot of midges, and the trick got away with it.

But now it's time for the grape harvest. The harvest turned out to be rich, and the peasant had to work hard in his vineyard. Deftly wielding a knife, he cut off one brush after another. He also got the one in which the spider lurked. She immediately landed in a large basket, where she was littered with other large clusters.

So the grapes turned out to be a trap for the treacherous spider. He slyly weaved nets for others, but he himself became entangled in them and was crushed.

Bird cherry and thrushes

The bird cherry has lost all patience. From the time when its tart berries ripened, life did not become from impudent importunate thrushes. From morning to evening they circled in flocks over it, mercilessly peeling off all the branches with their beak and claws.

“Please, I beg you!” she pleaded, addressing the most annoying thrush. “I know that my berries are your favorite treat. Eat them to your health, I don't mind. But leave my leaves alone. Don't rip them off! Under their shadow, I escape from the scorching sun. And do not torment me with sharp claws, do not rip off the skin!

Thrush was the first bully in the flock, and the words of the bird cherry did not suit his taste.

- Shut up, if you are not asked! By nature itself it is so established that you bear fruit for my pleasure. What's the matter with you, you stoerosova club, to interpret! In winter you go for firewood.

Hearing such an answer, the bird cherry became even more saddened and silently wept.

But the mischievous thrush that foretold her death fell into a snare set by a peasant. In order to build a cage for a caught bird, a man pulled wattle rods and broke several flexible branches of a bird cherry tree.

So the bird cherry again met with her offender, who now sat dejectedly in a cage and was quieter than water, lower than grass. But she kept silent, remembering the words she heard in her youth: as warm clothes save from the cold, so endurance protects from resentment. Increase patience and peace of mind, and resentment, no matter how bitter it may be, will not touch you.

Oyster and mouse

Somehow, an oyster got into the net and, together with a rich catch, ended up in a fishing hut.

“Here, inevitable death awaits all of us,” she thought sadly, seeing how her brothers in misfortune were suffocating without water in the heap dumped on the floor and struggling in their death throes.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a mouse appeared.

“Listen, good mouse!” the oyster pleaded. “Do me a favor, take me to the sea!”

The mouse looked at her with a knowing look: the oyster was extremely large and beautiful, and its meat must have been juicy and tasty.

“Good,” the mouse answered readily, deciding to profit from easy prey, which, as they say, went into her own hands. “But first you must open the doors of your shell so that it would be more convenient for me to carry you to the sea. Otherwise, I can't deal with you.

The cheat spoke so convincingly and penetratingly that the oyster, delighted with her consent, did not smell the trick and trustfully opened up. With its narrow muzzle, the mouse immediately poked its way inside the shell in order to grab the meat with its teeth more firmly. But in a hurry, she forgot about discretion, and the oyster, sensing something was wrong, managed to slam its shutters, holding tightly, tightly, like a trap, the head of a rodent. The mouse squealed loudly in pain, and the nearby cat heard the squeak, overtook the liar with one jump and grabbed it.

As they say, cunning, cunning, but take care of the tail.

Seine

And once again the net brought a rich catch. The fishermen's baskets were filled to the brim with heads, carps, tenches, pikes, eels and many other victuals. Entire fish families, with children and households, were taken to the market stalls and prepared to end their existence, writhing in agony in hot pans and boiling cauldrons.

The fish remaining in the river, confused and seized with fear, not daring even to swim, dug deeper into the silt. How to live on? One cannot cope with the seine alone. It is thrown daily in the most unexpected places. He mercilessly kills the fish, and in the end the whole river will be devastated.

“We must think about the fate of our children. No one, except us, will take care of them and save them from a terrible delusion, - the minnows, who had gathered for advice under a large snag, reasoned.

“But what can we do?” the tench asked timidly, listening to the speeches of the daredevils.

- Destroy the net! – minnows answered in unison.

On the same day, the omniscient nimble eels spread the news of the bold decision taken along the river. All fish, young and old, were invited to gather tomorrow at dawn in a deep, quiet pool, protected by spreading willows.

Thousands of fish of all colors and ages sailed to the appointed place to declare war on the seine.

- Listen carefully! - said the carp, which more than once managed to gnaw through the nets and escape from captivity. - A net as wide as our river. To keep it upright under water, lead sinkers are attached to its lower knots. I order all the fish to divide into two flocks. The first must lift the sinkers from the bottom to the surface, and the second flock will firmly hold the upper nodes of the network. Pike are instructed to gnaw through the ropes with which the seine is attached to both banks.

With bated breath, the fish listened to every word of the leader.

“I order the eels to immediately go on reconnaissance!” continued the carp. “They must establish where the net has been thrown.

The eels went on a mission, and the fish schools huddled along the shore in agonizing expectation. Minnows, meanwhile, tried to encourage the most timid and advised not to panic, even if someone fell into the net: after all, the fishermen would still not be able to pull him ashore.

Finally the eels returned and reported that the net had already been abandoned about a mile down the river.

And now a huge armada of fish flocks swam to the goal, led by a wise carp.

“Swim carefully!” the leader warned. Work with might and main fins and slow down in time!

A seine appeared ahead, gray and ominous. Seized with a fit of anger, the fish boldly rushed to the attack.

Soon the net was raised from the bottom, the ropes holding it were cut by sharp pike teeth, and the knots were torn. But the angry fish did not calm down and continued to pounce on the hated enemy. Grasping the crippled leaky seine with their teeth and working hard with their fins and tails, they dragged it in different directions and tore it into small pieces. The water in the river seemed to boil.

The fishermen talked for a long time, scratching their heads, about the mysterious disappearance of the seine, and the fish still proudly tell this story to their children.

Bat and swallow

Clinging to the wall of the shed under the canopy, the bat covered its head with membranous wings so as not to see the sunlight. So she spent the whole day until sunset.

As the sun sank below the horizon and the sky darkened, she poked her head out from under her wing and carefully looked around.

“At last, that disgusting light has gone out!” she said. “Oh, how my poor paws are numb! Now I'll stretch them and fly to my heart's content in the nighttime freedom.

Just at this time, a belated swallow was returning home, tired after the day's worries. She almost collided with a bat, which flew stealthily, like a thief, from its hiding place under a canopy.

- So that it was empty for you! - the swallow said in her hearts. - You, like an evil obsession, cannot live openly and honestly.

The swallow was right. There is no need for good to hide and no one to fear, for it bestows warmth and joy on everyone, like a sunny day. But the bat, afraid of going blind, avoids and runs from the light, like a lie from the truth.

Donkey on ice

Having wandered through the fields until dusk, the donkey was so tired that he was unable to drag himself to his stall. Winter that year was severe - all the roads were icy.

- No more urine. I'll rest a little here, - said the completely exhausted donkey and stretched out on the ice.

Out of nowhere, a nimble sparrow flew up and chirped in his ear:

- Donkey, wake up! You are not on the road, but on a frozen pond. But the donkey was so sleepy that he could no longer hear anything. Yawning sweetly, he fell fast asleep, and soon steam poured out of his nostrils. Under the influence of heat, the ice began to melt little by little, until it broke off with a crash.

Once in the icy water, the donkey immediately woke up and began to call for help. But it was too late, and the poor fellow choked.

You should never disdain good advice, especially when you are in an unfamiliar place.

Falcon and goldfinches

Returning from hunting, the falcon, to the greatest surprise, found in its own nest two goldfinches sitting side by side with its fledglings.

He was not in a good mood, because the hunt on that rainy day was not successful: one carrion came across. And falcons, as you know, are more likely to die of hunger, but they will never eat carrion.

At the sight of the uninvited guests, he became even more angry and wanted to take out his annoyance on them and tear them to shreds, but changed his mind in time. Even in anger, it is not worthwhile for a falcon to offend defenseless birds.

“Where did you come from here?” the owner of the nest asked menacingly.

“We got lost in the forest during the rain,” one of the goldfinches barely squeaked.

The predator glared at him. He was filled with anger and tormented by hunger.

Trembling with fear, the two goldfinches clung to each other and did not dare to breathe or utter a word.

Both were fat and well-fed, but so helpless and pathetic that the proud falcon was unable to pounce on them. He just closed his eyes and turned away to resist the temptation.

“Get out of here!” the predator ordered loudly. “May your spirit not be here!”

And when they flew headlong away, the falcon turned to his hungry chicks and said:

“Our lot is big booty. It is better to die of hunger than to allow yourself to profit from an innocent bird.

Owl and hare

From going to the bough, two owls watched the hare, which rushed along the autumn stubble, as if a pack of greyhounds were chasing it.

“Poor hare!” said one of the eagle owls. “He doesn't even have the courage to hide in a hole.

“Why?” asked another.

- Because it's scary.

- Weird. Why should he be afraid in his own house?

“All hares are like that,” answered the first owl. “They live in eternal fear, and fear has big eyes.” Especially now, when the leaf fall has begun, the hares rush like mad at the sight of a multi-colored rain of falling leaves. They are afraid of any change in nature.

- So, then, hares are cowards!

- Of course. So this hare jumps without looking back across the bare field until it falls into a trap or hits the fly of a well-aimed hunter.

Truly they say: he who lives in fear, he perishes from fear.

Generosity

Poking his head out of the nest, the eaglet saw many birds flying below among the rocks.

“Mom, what are these birds?” he asked.

“Our friends,” the eagle replied to her son. “The eagle lives alone—that is his fate. But he also sometimes needs an environment. Otherwise, what kind of king of birds is he? Everyone you see below is our true friends.

Satisfied with his mother's explanation, the eaglet continued to observe the flight of birds with interest, considering them from now on as his own. true friends. Suddenly he shouted:

“Ay-ay, they stole our food!”

Camel and owner

O pershis on bent knees, the camel patiently waited for the owner to load it. He had already put one bale on his back, then another, a third, a fourth...

“It’s time for him to stop,” the camel thought sadly, not daring to argue with the owner.

Finally, the man finished his business and commandingly cracked the whip. The camel struggled to his feet.

- Went! - ordered the owner and pulled the bridle. But the animal did not budge. - What happened? Get moving! - the man shouted menacingly and pulled the bridle with all his might.

And the camel rested its feet on the ground and continued to stand rooted to the spot.

“Oh, you are stubborn,” the owner guessed, and with a sigh he dropped two bales from the back of the animal.

“Now, it seems, I can do it,” the camel muttered to himself and obediently moved on.

So they walked all day under the scorching sun, and the man thought that it would be good to get to the nearest village before dark. As if figuring out his thoughts, the camel suddenly stopped.

“My legs are buzzing, and today I have worked hard enough. It’s time for the owner to know the honor, ”the camel reasoned to himself and stretched out on the sand.

And although the man was bursting with vexation, he still had to unpack the animal and settle down for the night in the desert under the open sky.

Thinking only about self-interest, the owner, you see, forgot the good old-fashioned proverb that two skins cannot be pulled from one camel.

Lion and lamb

One day, a hungry lion was thrown into a cage with a live lamb. The kid was so naive and good-natured that he was not at all timid at the sight of the king of beasts. Mistaking him, apparently, for his mother, the fool went up to the formidable furry beast, bleated affectionately and stared at him with wide-open clear eyes, full of boundless love, meekness and admiration.

The lion was disarmed by such credulity and did not dare to tear the lamb to pieces. Grumbling with displeasure, he fell asleep that time hungry.

Lioness

Armed with javelins and sharp lances, the hunters silently crept closer and closer. The lioness, who was feeding suckling babies, suddenly smelled an unfamiliar smell and immediately realized that danger was close. But it was too late. The hunters have already surrounded the lair.

At the sight of people with weapons in their hands, the lioness was dumbfounded. She wanted to flee, but immediately changed her mind: after all, then her cubs would become easy prey for hunters.

The mother decided to protect the kids at the cost of her own life. Bending her head low so as not to see the sharp peaks aimed at her, she rushed at the people in a desperate leap and put them to flight.

The helpless cubs were saved.

scary beast

For some time now, all the inhabitants of the forest, even the most desperate daredevils and rogues, could not understand why incredible misfortunes happened, as soon as one of them was near an old thick-crowned tree?

Rumors spread, one worse than the other. It was rumored that a monster had started up in the forest, from which the end of all the forest brethren would soon come.

Having gathered for a big council, the animals thought and turned to the fox:

- You are with us, little fox, the most cunning and agile. Do me a favor, my dear, find out what's the matter? Find out what kind of animal settled on an old tree?

The fox, flattered by the attention, did not force herself to beg for a long time. But having graciously agreed to comply with such a request, she was not at all going to risk her own skin for the common good.

After thinking a little, the red-haired cheat decided to send her bosom friend, a curious magpie, to the ill-fated tree.

Flying around the bush, the magpie managed to make out two luminous lights among the dense foliage and heard someone flapping their wings frequently. With this news on her tail, she returned neither alive nor dead from fear.

The fox immediately gathered all the animals and announced:

“A big trouble has come to our forest, friends. A terrible beast, nicknamed Miracle Yudo, wound up. So far, no one has yet seen his fanged mouth and heard a wild roar. But I don’t want to tempt fate, and I don’t advise you either, - and with these words the fox went to live in a neighboring forest. Everyone else followed in silence.

And on an old tree, huddled in the very thick of the branches, a big-eyed owl sat and wondered why all the animals in the forest had suddenly died out?

It's true what they say: fear has big eyes.

tarantula bite

One day, while digging a garden, a peasant saw a large tarantula jump out from under a clod of earth.

“What a vile spider!” the peasant exclaimed, and recoiled in surprise.

“Just touch it and I’ll bite you!” the tarantula hissed menacingly and moved its jaws. Don't come, or it will get worse!

The peasant, however, realized that he was obviously lying, gaining his own worth, since he talked so much. He took a step back, and then with force crushed the eloquent spider with his bare foot, saying:

- In words, you are scary, but what is it really? Let's see if you can send me to the forefathers!

At the last moment, the tarantula still managed to contrive and bit the foot brought above it. Either the peasant was so sure that the threats of the spider were empty bragging, or the skin on his legs was completely coarsened, but, apart from a slight prick, he felt nothing.

Falcon and duck

Each time hunting for ducks, the falcon lost his temper. These fat swindlers constantly tricked him: at the very last moment, when he was ready to stick his claws, they managed to dive under the water and remained there much longer than he could hold out motionless in the air, waiting for their appearance.

That morning, the falcon decided to try his luck again. Having made several hovering circles, the predator assessed the situation and precisely outlined the next victim. He folded his wings and swooped down like a stone from a sling. But right in front of his nose, the duck managed to dive into the water.

“This time you will not do well!” shouted the angry falcon and dived after her.

Seeing a predator under water, the duck deftly recoiled to the side and immediately darted up. Jumping to the surface, she fluttered her wings as if nothing had happened and flew, and the heavy falcon could not get out of the water.

Flying over the unlucky hunter, floundering in the water, the duck cheerfully shouted from above:

- Farewell, cousin! In your sky I feel like in water, and you will choke in my lake! You will be smarter in the future.

Monkey and chick

Jumping from branch to branch, a young monkey somehow found a nest with chicks. She immediately launched her paw into him, but the chicks instantly flew off in different directions. Only the weakest of them, who did not yet know how to fly, was unlucky.

Feeling no legs under her for joy, the monkey returned home with a chick in her arms. He charmed her so much that she began to caress him, smack him, lick him, rock him in her arms and press him tightly to her chest.

The mother looked tenderly at her daughter, but did not scold her for the prank.

“Just look, mom, how cute and funny he is!” the monkey shouted enthusiastically. “Oh, how I love him!”

She continued to kiss and caress the bird until it suffocated in a hot embrace.

Let some parents think about it, unable to stop their children in time, indulging in dangerous amusements that never end well.

Teddy bear and bees

Before the bear had time to leave on business, her restless son, forgetting about his mother's order to stay at home, skipped off into the forest. How much expanse and unfamiliar alluring smells are here! Not like in a cramped stuffy lair. Overjoyed, the bear cub began chasing butterflies until he came across a large hollow, from where it smelled so much of something tasty that it tickled in his nose.

Looking closer, the kid found that the bees are apparently invisible here. Some flew with a menacing buzz around the hollow, like sentries, while others flew in with prey and, darting inside, again flew into the forest.

Bewitched by this sight, the curious bear cub could not resist the temptation. He was eager to quickly find out what was going on inside the hollow. First, he stuck his wet nose in there and sniffed, and then dipped his paw in and felt something warm and sticky. When he pulled the paw out, it was covered in honey.

Before he had time to lick the sweet paw and close his eyes with pleasure, a cloud of ferocious bees swooped down on him, which dug into his nose, ears, mouth ... From unbearable pain, the bear cub howled and began to desperately defend himself, crushing the bees with his paws. But they sting even more. Then he began to roll on the ground, trying to drown out the burning pain, but this did not help either.

Beside himself with fear, the kid took off running towards the house. All bitten, he ran in tears to his mother. The she-bear scolded him for the order of pampering, and then washed the bitten places with icy spring water.

Since then, the bear cub knew for sure that you have to pay bitterly for sweets.

Lion and rooster

Rising at dawn, the king of beasts sweetly stretched and went straight to the river. For order, he powerfully roared, announcing his approach to any small animal that usually gathers at a watering hole and muddies the water. Suddenly he stopped, hearing an unusual noise. Turning around, the lion saw that a heated horse was rushing at him at full speed, followed by an empty bouncer roaring, bouncing on stones.

The lion jumped into the nearest bushes and closed his eyes in fear. Never in his life had he seen such a strange rattling animal.

After sitting in the bushes and recovering a little from fright, the lion came out, looking around, out of the thickets and with a cautious gait again headed for the watering place.

But before he had gone a few steps, his hearing was struck by a piercing cry. Somewhere nearby, a vociferous rooster was bellowing. The lion stopped dead in his tracks, and a small shiver began to beat him. And the rooster, as if mocking him, began to crow even louder with all its tinned throat and, moreover, began to rush around in a circle, belligerently shaking its red comb.

Because of the tall grass, the lion could only see a quivering fiery crest and heard an unfamiliar cry: “ku-ka-re-ku!”. Beside himself with fear and forgetting his thirst, the disgraced king of beasts rushed off into the thicket of the forest.

It looks like sometimes unhappy days stand out for a lion, when everything goes topsy-turvy and misfortunes lie in wait at every step.

Argument

How the doves coo! It's a pleasure to look at them! - the yard dog once said, not taking his eyes off the dovecote. - It seems that all the birds live in good harmony, not like us and the cat.

“Don’t flatter yourself too much about birds, my dear,” the cat sitting on the high fence did not fail to object. “Better listen to what is happening in the chicken coop right now.

From there came a loud cluck and the noise of a skirmish. And soon he jumped out into the yard like a scalded old ruffled rooster and hobbled to the side, leaving a bloody trail behind him. From the chicken coop came the victorious “ku-ka-re-ku!”.

“Again, two roosters didn’t get along,” continued the all-knowing cat. “As long as one of them was a chicken, no matter what, it was calm in the hen house. Before he had time to grow up, he became a terrible fighter and a bully.

The cat was right. Chickens under one roof live in peace and harmony, and two roosters can never get along in one chicken coop - such is their nature.

captive owl

Freedom! Long live freedom! - Shouted the blackbirds, the first to see how the peasant caught the villainous owl, which at night kept the entire forest bird brethren at bay.

Soon the joyful news spread around the district that the owl had been caught and put in a cage in a peasant yard. And the man caught the owl with intent. Having planted it as a bait, he placed snares for curious birds.

- Gotcha, villainess! - the birds made fun, densely sticking around the fence, bushes and trees.

The most desperate and courageous flew up close to the cage, trying painfully to pinch such a formidable enemy yesterday.

"And you've got your hands on it!" Now you will not destroy our nests.

To get a closer look at the captive owl, the birds pushed and pressed on each other until they themselves fell into a trap.

Thirsty Donkey

At the appointed time, the donkey came to the watering hole. But the ducks on the pond quacked and played so much, flapping their wings, that they muddied all the water.

Although the donkey was tormented by unbearable thirst, he did not drink and, stepping aside, began to wait patiently. Finally, the ducks calmed down and, going ashore, went away. The donkey again approached the water, but it was still muddy. And he again walked away with a downcast head.

“Mom, why doesn’t he drink?” the curious frog asked, becoming interested in the behavior of the donkey. “He has come to the pond twice now and leaves with nothing.

- And all because, the mother answered the frog, - that the donkey would rather die of thirst than touch dirty water. He will wait patiently until the water clears and becomes clear.

- Oh, how stubborn he is!

“No, son, he is not so much stubborn as patient,” the frog explained. “The donkey is ready to endure all hardships and sorrows. And everyone calls him stubborn, who himself lacks endurance and patience.

snake machinations

Get here soon! the finch chirped merrily to his friend. “There are such funny creatures here. Sitting on a branch, two chicks admired the spectacle: near the ground, above a leaf, four worms wriggled funny. Apparently, they danced some kind of intricate dance, as if inviting the chicks to take part in the fun.

One of the finches could not resist the temptation and decided to feast on easy prey. The dancing worms were temptingly plump and, in all likelihood, tasty. Having flown off the branch, in two jumps he was nearby and was about to peck, when a terrible snake's mouth opened before him.

The finch on the tree only managed to hear the plaintive squeak of the daredevil, from which only a few feathers in the blood remained.

How could inexperienced chicks know that a very cunning snake is found in the forests. She has two long processes instead of eyebrows above her eyes. Hiding under the deck and hiding her head among the leaves, the villain begins to move her brow horns. Mistaking them for worms, gullible birds fall prey to a voracious predator. That is why an insidious person is called a snake under the well.

Panther

Mother! the panting monkey shouted, jumping onto a branch of a tall tree. “I just met a lioness. How beautiful she is!

The mother monkey parted the branches and looked at the animal, frozen in anticipation of prey.

- This is not a lioness, but a panther, - explained my mother. - Look at the color of her skin.

- Yes, she's just a lovely sight! You can't take your eyes off it, - exclaimed the monkey. - Everything seems to be strewn with black roses. And indeed, from afar it seemed that marvelous terry flowers suddenly blossomed among the grass yellowed from the heat.

“The panther knows how attractive she is, and uses her beauty as a bait,” continued the monkey mother. And beauty sometimes serves for bad deeds.

elephants

On earth there is no animal larger than an elephant. Endowed with incredible strength, he is distinguished by a gentle disposition, extremely honest and fair.

Elephants live in large clans, where the oldest leader reigns supreme. He sets the path and leads others. The most experienced elephant closes the procession.

Babies receive special care and love. They get the most delicious roots and berries. If a river gets in the way, adult elephants enter the water and form a temporary dam with powerful bodies so that there is a ford downstream accessible to the elephants.

Great lovers of water, elephants, however, cannot swim due to their excessive weight. Especially for a long time they splash in the reservoirs on the days of the full moon, as if performing a mysterious ritual of worshiping the night luminary.

A sick elephant is treated with rubbing and medicinal herbs. Sometimes, having picked bunches of grass and flowers, elephants throw them high up, as if offering a sacrifice to heaven and praying for the healing of a sick relative.

Elephants have no enemies, except for tusk hunters who go to any lengths for the sake of coveted prey. Once in the ring, elephants knock down their tusks with a strong blow against tree trunks. Thus, they often manage to escape from the environment and save the life of the young.

When the elephant falls into a trap, cunningly set up by hunters, the entire clan, at the command of the leader, begins to fill the hole with earth, branches and logs until the unfortunate one gets out safely.

Good-natured giants do not remember evil and take care of people who get lost in the jungle maze. Elephants lead them out of the thicket and show them the way to the village.

However, elephants also have their weaknesses. They cannot stand the squeal of pigs and are afraid of mice. It is worth showing up at least one gray mouse in the camp, as the elephants go berserk, randomly rush from side to side, destroying and sweeping away everything in their path and injuring each other.

But as always, after the storm there is a calm, and again the giants peacefully nibbling grass or splashing in the river.

cow and boa constrictor

A boa constrictor visits a pasture from a tal. Silently crawling on the grass, he crept up to the cow, leisurely nibbling the grass. Wriggling, tightly, firmly tripod animal and began to eagerly suck milk.

It is known that snakes are hungry for milk and smell its smell from afar.

Having sated to satiety, the boa crept away, and the frightened cow almost fell down from fatigue.

The poor peasant could not understand in any way why the cow lost milk in the most fertile season of herbs. The cow averted her sad eyes guiltily and lowed plaintively, as if trying to tell her master about her misadventures.

forest lark

An old hermit lived in a deep forest. He loved silence, solitude and made friends with the forest lark. Once, two squires from a neighboring castle came to him and asked him to help their sick owner, who, despite the efforts of famous doctors, was getting worse every hour.

Accompanied by his friend the lark, the old man immediately set off on his journey for the squires, and soon he was brought into the castle.

Four healers gathered at the patient's head. They were having a leisurely conversation among themselves, now and then shaking their heads in concern.

“It’s impossible to help,” one of them said quietly, apparently the most important one.

And the hermit, stopping at the threshold, did not take his eyes off his feathered friend. The lark made several circles under the ceiling, and then, flying up to a high window sill, sat down and began to gaze intently at the patient.

“He will recover!” the old man said affirmatively, watching the bird.

“How dare this dork and ignoramus poke his nose into other people's affairs!” the indignant doctors exclaimed at once.

In the meantime, the dying man opened his eyes slightly and, seeing a bird sitting on the windowsill in front of him, tried to smile.

His cheeks gradually began to turn pink, his strength returned, and, to everyone's surprise, the owner of the castle said in a weak voice:

- I feel a little better.

Several days have passed. Having finally recovered from a serious illness, the noble knight came to the hermit in the forest, wanting to thank his healer.

“Don’t thank me,” the old man told him. “It was the bird that healed you.” The lark is very sensitive to any ailment. If he looks away, being near the patient, there is little hope for recovery, and it is already difficult to do anything to help. If he does not take his eyes off the patient, then he will certainly be able to overcome the disease. With its kind, sympathetic look, the bird brings healing.

And in our life, good, like a sensitive lark, eschews everything unhealthy, ugly and bad, preferring to live side by side with honest, noble thoughts and deeds. Like birds nesting in shady forests and flowering meadows, kindness always dwells in a sensitive, responsive heart.

True love shows itself in unhappiness. Like a light, it shines the brighter, the darker the darkness of the night.

Loyalty

For many years, two doves, a male and a female, lived in perfect harmony in the peasant yard. A caring peasant made an elegant house for them out of wood, where the birds were calm in bad weather.

It was a happy time. The male relentlessly followed his mate, sharing with her the last grain and a sip of water.

In the spring, when the discordant bird brethren began to acquire families and build nests, other males pestered the dove more than once with the most flattering offers. But she rejected boyfriends, remaining faithful to her betrothed. And he entered into fierce battles with arrogant rivals, leaving the battle with his head held high, although he often got hurt.

But the wounds healed, and the faithful couple continued to gently coo and enjoy every fine day.

One morning, the dove noticed that something was wrong with her friend. The feathers fell off on him, his eyes went out, the male could hardly stay on his feet and did not touch either drink or food.

“He, the poor thing, is bad!” the dove said sadly and flew to the nearest forest for the necessary drugs.

When she returned, holding a bunch of medicinal herbs in her beak, their house was empty. Seeing that the male had died, the peasant buried him right there in the yard under the fence.

The dove mourned for a long time the irreparable loss, having made a vow not to leave the house anymore and not to touch food as a sign of mourning.

She kept her vow and soon quietly expired, unable to bear the loneliness.

Eagle's testament

Since the old eagle has long lost count of years, living in splendid isolation among impregnable rocks. But his strength began to change, and he felt that his end was near.

With a mighty cry of invocation, the eagle summoned his sons who lived on the slopes of neighboring mountains. When everyone was assembled, he looked at everyone and said:

– All of you have been fed, nurtured by me and from an early age have been accustomed to boldly look the sun in the eye. I starved to death those of your brothers who could not stand the dazzling radiance. That is why you rightfully fly above all other birds. And woe to anyone who dares to approach your nest! All living things tremble before you. But be generous and do not harm the weak and defenseless. Do not forget the good old truth: you will force yourself to be afraid, but you will not force respect.

The young eagles respectfully listened to the speeches of the parent.

“My days are numbered,” he continued. “But I don’t want to die in the nest. Not! For the last time I will rush to the sky beyond the clouds, where wings can lift me. I will fly towards the sun in order to burn old feathers in its rays, and immediately I will fall into the depths of the sea ...

At these words, such silence reigned that even the mountain echo did not dare to break it.

- But know! - said the father to his sons in the end. - At this very moment a miracle should happen: I will again emerge from the water young and strong to live a new life. And the same fate awaits you. Such is our eagle's lot!

And so, spreading its wings, the old eagle rose to its last flight. Proud and majestic, he made a farewell circle over the rock, where he raised numerous offspring and lived for many years.

In deep silence, his sons watched as the eagle flew boldly towards the sun.

Cranes

Once upon a time there was a good king in the world, but his enemies were apparently invisible. Obedient and loyal to him, the cranes were very worried about his fate. Danger lay in wait for the king at every turn every day, especially at night, when evil enemies could freely surround the palace.

- What should we do? - the cranes thought, having gathered for advice. - After all, the soldiers are of no use. Instead of properly serving and protecting the king, they sleep soundly at night. And the dogs during the day run and run so hard on the hunt that you can’t rely on them either. It remains only for us to guard the palace, so that our good king can rest in peace.

And so the cranes divided into three flocks, entrusting each guard post and establishing a strict procedure for changing the guard.

The most numerous flock of cranes is located in the meadow that extends around the palace; another occupied all the entrances and exits, and the rest of the sentries were placed in the royal bedchamber itself, so as not to take their eyes off the sleeping sovereign for a minute.

“And what if someone overcomes sleep on duty?” asked one young crane.

“And there is one sure remedy against this misfortune,” the leader, wise by life experience, reassured him. If, not even an hour, someone falls asleep, then the stone will immediately fall out of its paw and notify everyone else with its noise.

Since then, the cranes alternately stay awake at night, standing on one leg and changing every two hours. And no one has yet dropped a stone from their paws, remaining faithful to the accepted agreement.

For the nobility of the soul and fidelity to duty, it is not without reason that these cranes are called crowned or royal.

Pelican

As soon as the pelican went in search of food, the viper sitting in ambush immediately crawled, stealthily, to its nest.

Fluffy chicks slept peacefully, not knowing anything. The snake crawled close to them. Her eyes flashed with an ominous gleam - and the massacre began.

Having received a fatal bite, the peacefully sleeping chicks did not wake up.

Satisfied with what she had done, the villainess crawled into the shelter in order to enjoy the grief of the bird from there.

Soon the pelican returned from hunting. At the sight of the brutal massacre inflicted on the chicks, he burst into loud sobs, and all the inhabitants of the forest fell silent, shocked by unheard-of cruelty.

“Without you, there is no life for me now!” the unfortunate father lamented, looking at the dead children. “Let me die with you!”

And he began to tear his chest with his beak at the very heart. Hot blood streams gushed from the open wound, sprinkling the lifeless chicks.

Losing his last strength, the dying pelican cast a farewell glance at the nest with the dead chicks and suddenly shuddered in surprise.

O miracle! His spilled blood and parental love brought dear chicks back to life, snatching them from the clutches of death. And then, happy, he expired.

Swan

Leaning its flexible neck to the mirror of the water, the swan peered at its reflection for a long time. He understood the cause of fatigue and chills, penetrating the whole body, as if in winter cold.

Now he knew for certain that his hour had struck and the inevitable time had come to say goodbye to life.

His feathers were as beautiful and snow-white as in the distant years of his youth. He managed to carry his robe in spotless purity through all life's hardships and trials, through heat and cold.

And now he was ready to end his days calmly and with dignity.

Bending his beautiful neck, he slowly and majestically swam up to the old weeping willow, under whose canopy he liked to wait out the summer heat.

Evening fell, and the sunset painted the calm waters of the lake purple.

In the deep evening silence that reigned around, swan singing was heard. Never before had a swan sung with such heartfelt sincerity and aching melancholy. He sang with inspiration about his love for nature, sky, water, earth...

“The swan sings,” whispered the fish, birds and all other inhabitants of fields, forests and meadows, enchanted by the farewell song. “This is the song of a dying swan.

A gentle sad song echoed around the neighborhood and died away with the last rays of the sun.

Phoenix

Flying high over the boundless desert, the phoenix noticed the distant fire of a campfire. He realized that the hour of the great life test had come and he had to steadfastly obey the dictates of fate.

The phoenix was much larger than all the eagles living in the world, and in terms of beauty and brightness of plumage it could not be compared with them.

It soared majestically in the night sky on spread wings, and then began to descend towards the ground in wide smooth circles.

Once above the fire, he felt the flames greedily lick his feathers and burn his paws. Overcoming the pain and remaining true to duty, the phoenix fearlessly fell into the fire.

The fire hissed, fumed, and began to die out. But soon a tongue of blue flame began to break through from the heap of ashes, fluttering in the wind and stubbornly rising upwards, as if it had wings.

This phoenix was reborn from the ashes to live again for five hundred years in the sky.

Basilisk

In ancient times, lush forests rich in animals and birds grew in northern Africa, and full-flowing rivers teemed with fish.

But one day a terrible monster appeared in those parts: a half-bird, half-snake named Basilisk. A spiky fin towered above his ugly head, which humped down his back and turned into a long tail. It had webbed wings, like those of bats.

All animals, large and small, were horrified by such a neighborhood, for even the look of the monster exuded poison.

As soon as the Basilisk looked at an elephant or a hawk, they fell dead, struck by a poisonous look from which there was no escape. Among the animals began a wholesale pestilence.

The surviving animals and birds decided to flee without looking back from these dead places. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, they immediately left their native holes and nests.

The next morning Basilisk went hunting as usual. But no matter how much he scoured the forests, he did not find anyone there. Beside himself with rage, the monster fixed its destructive gaze on the trees, and they immediately withered and died. Then the Basilisk looked angrily at the earth and the stones, and all the grass burned down, and the stones crumbled into sand. He glanced at the rivers, and they immediately became shallow.

So the once flourishing land was turned into a barren desert.

Salamander

As soon as the peasant house caught fire, all the animals, young and old, ran away from the yard.

Frightened chickens, geese, pigeons, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, pigs, horses, cows, along with a yard dog and a cat, watched the fire from afar.

Fiery flames fanned by the wind greedily devoured the old dry logs. The roof has already collapsed and a column of sparks has risen above the conflagration.

Suddenly a salamander crawled out from behind the bushes. She stood a little on her short legs, looked around and immediately darted into the heat.

From surprise, everyone watching the fire screamed in horror and recoiled back.

“Don't worry!” the rooster reassured them. “Fire is a salamander's natural element, and she does not feel any pain from burns.

“But, poor thing, it will burn!” the goose wailed in fright.

“In fire, she changes her skin,” answered the rooster. “And this is only given to her.” The flame makes her skin stronger and thinner, and the salamander emerges from the fire rejuvenated and renewed.

- And from us on the fire it turns out hot.

Lumerpa

From among the desert mountains of Asia lives a miracle bird. She has a gentle melodious voice, and her flight is full of beauty and grandeur. Whether a bird soars in the sky, or rests on a rock, it does not cast a shadow, because its down and feathers sparkle with bright light, like the rays of the sun.

Even after death, she does not disappear without a trace, for her flesh is not subject to decay, and her brilliant plumage continues to radiate light as before.

But if someone tries to master this marvelous radiance by pulling out at least one feather of a bird, the light will instantly fade, and the impudent daredevil will immediately go blind with black envy.

The name of this rarest bird is Lumerpa, which means “radiant”. It is like a true glory, incorruptible living through the ages. No one is able to belittle or appropriate it.

Siren

The wind died down, and the sails drooped lifelessly on the yards of the mast. Everything froze. Even the silvery lunar path will not falter on the water surface.

But suddenly the silence of the night was broken by mysterious sounds. It seemed that the waves were whispering, sharing their impressions of the past day.

Soon, from the depths of the sea, someone's sweet singing began to be heard more and more clearly. The voice was so gentle and the melody so beautiful that it was hard not to be charmed.

Lulled by magical sounds, the sailors fell into a sound sleep.

And then a slight splash of water was heard, and a strange creature appeared with the face and body of a maiden, but with the scaly tail of a fish.

It was a siren. She was feared more than the worst storm on the high seas.

Having swum up to the ship swaying on the waves, the sea beauty inaudibly climbed on board. Flashing her eyes, she touched each of the sailors with her hand, and they, without waking up, lost their lives.

Out of control, the ship sailed aimlessly through the seas until it crashed, hitting the coastal reefs, and carried away the secret of what the siren had done to the bottom.

Unicorn

Comfortably seated in a shady garden, the hunters reminisced about the most incredible adventures that sometimes happen on a hunt. But now the conversation turned to the mysterious unicorn.

- This is not a beast, but a real ghost! exclaimed one of the hunters.

And indeed, lately, all over the district, there was only talk about a small horse with a long horn on its forehead. Many swore and swore that they saw her, but no one has yet managed to catch the outlandish beast.

- Or maybe it's an evil spirit sent from the underworld to watch over us sinners? one of the hunters asked.

- Hardly. The unicorn is too beautiful and harmless to be evil, - objected another. - But to catch him is a tricky business, and special ingenuity is needed here.

A little way away, a pretty girl was sitting at the embroidery frame. As she listened to these speeches, she smiled to herself. Someone, but she was well aware of the character of the mysterious stranger, for she made friends with him, which no one in the neighborhood knew about.

The fact is that the little elusive unicorn, who shunned everything bad and evil, was drawn to kind beautiful girls.

When the hunters dispersed and the garden was empty, a unicorn cautiously stepped out from behind the bushes. Silently stepping on the grass, he approached his girlfriend, lay down in front of her and, putting his muzzle on her knees, stared at the girl with devoted eyes. His gaze was full of tenderness and admiration.

The unicorn has long been attached to this hardworking girl and is used to spending time with her in silence, admiring the deft movements of her hands at work. And his girlfriend appreciated this affection, valued her friendship with the unicorn and sacredly kept her girlish secret.

But can you keep the secret for a long time, if the worldly rumor that the sea wave splashes everything out.

Having tracked down how the unicorn secretly visits his girlfriend, the hunters set up an ambush and caught a fan of girlish beauty.

snake savvy

Sensing danger, the ducks fluttered together over the lake. From a height it was clearly visible that the entire coast was teeming with long-tailed reptiles with a prickly scaly crest on their heads and strong clawed paws. Unlike ordinary dragons, they lacked membranous wings. But they were distinguished by incredible malice and deceit. Such a creature looks at everything - everything around withers, wherever it steps - the grass does not grow.

Hunger drove these reptiles to the shore of the lake, where among the reed thickets all kinds of living creatures are found in abundance. Annoyed that the prey slipped out from under their noses, the creatures decided to cross to the other side.

All of them were much, but they were not taught to swim. How to be? Then one of them came up with a cunning idea: wrap their long tails tightly, tightly, forming a kind of raft.

No sooner said than done. And now the screaming monsters swam, rowing together with their paws and lifting their heads high. It was as if Satan himself had bound them with a rope.

Flying over the floating reptiles, the leader of the duck school shouted:

– Look! This is what can be achieved through unity and ingenuity.

United, evil is capable of all sorts of tricks in order to survive and do their dirty work. It would not hurt the good to act with the same resourcefulness and courage.

Asp and mongoose

There is no other remedy for the bite of an asp, but immediately cut out the affected area with meat. That is why all living things shy away from this dangerous reptile and, seeing him, run away without looking back.

The bug-eyed asp has huge ears, like sails overhead. He does not trust his sight so much as keen hearing, and thanks to his sense of smell he is able to smell prey at great distances.

The bloodthirstiness of asps knows no bounds. In a fit of anger, the female brutally cracks down on the male. But soon a similar fate awaits her. Hurrying to see the white light as soon as possible, her children gnaw through the mother's womb and crawl out, immediately attacking all living things, and sometimes devouring each other.

But asps also have a formidable opponent. This is a mongoose - a large mouse that lives in reed thickets on the banks of the Nile.

Sensing the asp, the mongoose runs to the river and begins to wallow in the coastal mud, and then dries under the scorching rays of the sun. He does this repeatedly until his skin hardens like a shell of baked clay.

Now the animal is not afraid of any bites of a poisonous predator.

Having seized the moment, the animal boldly jumps into the open mouth of the asp and manages to gnaw through its throat.

Outlander

In one provincial Tuscan town, a visiting stranger somehow showed up. In order to give more weight to his person and attract attention, he began to tell stories about his hometown. There were no miracles! And, of course, he did not go to any comparison with the local dullness and wilderness.

A small crowd gathered around the talkative guest. Soon, a smart city dweller revered by everyone in the district approached the audience.

After listening to a passing storyteller for a bit, he politely interrupted him and said:

“If you really were born in those distant places, then everything you told us about is the absolute truth and it’s a sin to argue here.

The stranger, greatly flattered by such words, put his hips on his hips and looked around the audience with a proud look: know, they say, ours!

And the sensible citizen continued:

- That your city, my dear, is full of outlandish miracles, we ourselves saw this with our own eyes. After all, in these parts we have never had to see such a freak as you.

chagrin

Having set off on a fine day to see people and show himself, one signor met his old acquaintance on the street. Rejoicing at a chance meeting and wanting to take his soul away, he began to fervently question his friend:

“Bah, you just don’t recognize you!” There is no face on you and your eyes are completely dull. Hasn't some misfortune befallen?

“Alas,” he replied sadly, looking away, “this happens to me when...

“But how can you talk about it calmly? We need to contact our famous doctor immediately. It is important to forestall any ailment in time,” and the garrulous signor went on talking about illnesses for a long time, not allowing his friend to open his mouth. “Tell me, dear friend, how long have you noticed such strange changes in mood?

“Every time I see your self-satisfied face. From the great chagrin at the meeting with you, the whole wide world becomes unloving to me.

Couch potato and sun

Get up at last, sleepyhead!” the peasant said to his son in an angry voice. “The sun has already risen a long time ago. Aren't you ashamed of lying in bed for so long? Oh, you couch potato!

“Why do you reproach and reproach me with the sun?” the guy was perplexed, yawning sweetly. Here it is in a hurry to get up early. My path around the house is not long, and therefore it does not matter if I take an extra hour of nap.

The charter obliges

And it is known that at certain times of the year, monks must strictly observe fasting. On such days, the monastic charter forbids them to eat meat and any other fatty food. True, when the monks are on the road or hunt for alms, then, as an exception, they are not forbidden to eat everything that fate sends down.

Being somehow on the way on their monastic business, two monks forbade to rest and have a bite to eat from the road to the inn, where chance brought them together with a passing merchant.

The owner of the inn was so poor that he could offer nothing to his guests, except for a miserable, skinny hen no larger than a dove.

When the chicken was ready, the owner took it off the spit and served it whole on the table, hoping that the companions themselves would share it equally among themselves.

Glancing at the fried chicken and immediately realizing that it was barely enough for one eater, the cunning merchant said, addressing the monks:

“It seems to me, holy brethren, that now is the very height of Great Lent. Is not it? I don't want you to break the law because of me. So be it, I will take upon myself the sin and save you from the chicken.

The monks had no choice but to agree with the rascal. They did not go into details and explain to the merchant that some concessions are possible for wandering monks.

Kupchina ate a whole chicken with great pleasure and gnawed all the bones, while his two companions had to be content with a slice of bread and a piece of cheese.

After the meal, all three set out on their journey. The monks walked in poverty, and the merchant because of his stinginess. They waved a lot, until they found themselves in front of a wide river that blocked their path.

According to the custom of the old days, the tallest and youngest of the monks, who was barefoot, put a fat merchant on his back and carried him across the river.

But having reached the middle of the ford, the monk suddenly remembered the strict prescriptions of the monastery charter and stopped in bewilderment. Bending under the weight of the burden, he raised his head and asked the merchant, who was sitting comfortably on the backs with shoes and a traveling bag in his hands:

- Tell me, my dear! Don't you have money with you?

“What a stupid question!” he wondered. “It’s time for you, brother, to know that not a single self-respecting merchant will ever go on a long journey without money.

- I'm really sorry! - said the monk. - But our charter forbids us to carry money with us.

And with these words, he threw the merchant into the water. Wet to the skin, all red with shame and annoyance, the rogue merchant was forced to agree that he got it rightfully from the monks for the old trick with the chicken.

Rich man and poor man

Once upon a time there was a poor craftsman. After working in the workshop, he happened to visit a wealthy gentleman who lived nearby.

The craftsman knocked on the door, entered cautiously, and, finding himself in rich chambers in front of a noble gentleman, took off his hat and bowed respectfully.

“What do you want from me, brother?” the owner of the house once asked him. If you need something, do me a favor, ask, do not be shy!

“Thank you, Your Grace,” the craftsman replied reverently. “I come to you to relieve my soul and see how a rich man lives.” Only we commoners can afford such a luxury. Unfortunately, you, noble gentlemen, are deprived of this grace and you have nowhere to take your soul, for only poor people like me live around you.

Miller and donkey

Somehow, in a circle of friends, one noble signor, who was known as a book reader and an entertaining storyteller, began to prove with fervor that he, they say, had had to live in this world more than once. In order to give more weight to his words, he even referred to the well-known saying of the ancient sage and scientist Pythagoras.

But one of the friends now and then made fun of the narrator, inserting caustic remarks, and prevented him from finishing the story.

Completely angry, the admirer of ancient philosophy decided to reason with the scoffer and declared:

“To prove my innocence, I recall that in that distant time you, ignorant, were a simple miller.

These words obviously hit the friend to the quick, but he was not one of those who need to be pulled by the tongue.

- But who is arguing with you? You, as always, are absolutely right,” he replied.

One hundred for one

On Saturday, the priest went to bless his parishioners and collect donations for the construction of the temple. In the evening he wandered into the house of a local artist.

Rising to his studio, the priest began to swing the sprinkler with holy water with such zeal that he soaked the sheets with drawings for the upcoming fresco paintings.

Seeing that the work was spoiled, the artist was seriously angry. In order to cover up his oversight, the priest began to reassure him:

“Do not be angry, my son, this is the custom! And I do what duty commands me, for I know that by doing so I am doing a good deed. Everyone who acts righteously should hopefully hope in the words of the Almighty: “For every good deed on earth, may heaven reward us a hundredfold!” One hundred for one! Remember these words and do not be angry.

The artist waited until the garrulous preacher left the studio, and then ran to the window.

Seeing that the priest was going out into the street, he poured a whole bucket of water on his head.

“Take it, holy father!” the artist shouted from the window. “Here is your reward a hundredfold from heaven for ruined drawings!” One hundred for one!

Beautiful and eternally young, like spring, the world of a fairy tale equally enchants both children and adults, and in the person of kind wise storytellers we find true friends. We meet one of them for the first time. The glory of him thunders through the ages, although it was not fairy tales that brought him worldwide fame.
From the school bench, we pronounce with the greatest respect the name of Leonardo da Vinci, which has become legendary. Many centuries separate us from the time in which the great Italian lived and worked. We judge him by books and films dedicated to his life, and, of course, by the few immortal creations that have come down to us that can be counted on the fingers, as well as museums that store these priceless treasures, which are the property and pride of all mankind. Someone once said that it is especially easy to breathe in front of Leonard's paintings. And with these words, each of us who has ever been lucky enough to visit the Leningrad Hermitage and silently stand in a spacious hall in front of two Leonard's Madonnas will agree. Although these small-sized paintings are written on a religious subject, they amaze with their radiant worldview and deep human content.
But what about fairy tales? Any reader who picks up this book has the right to ask such a perplexed question. If such a book had appeared during Leonardo's lifetime, it would not have caused any surprise among his contemporaries, for they knew well that the famous artist could be childishly selflessly carried away by fiction, was an inexhaustible dreamer and an entertaining storyteller. The parables and fairy tales he composed brought him no less fame during his lifetime than his paintings. He was a welcome guest and an interesting conversationalist for both commoners and the nobility. People eagerly hung on his every word, and the entertaining stories he told were passed from mouth to mouth and passed down from father to son, from grandfather to grandson. Until now, in Italian villages, some fairy tales that have long become folk are in use, and many are unaware that they were once composed by Leonardo da Vinci himself.
The world learned about all this relatively recently. And although time was cruel to the memory of the great creator, not even leaving to his descendants the place of his burial, priceless Leonard manuscripts miraculously survived in the fire of endless wars and conflagrations. By now, the richest manuscript heritage of Leonardo, scattered all over the world, has been brought together. It has over seven thousand sheets, written in small, compact handwriting. Now we know for certain that the illustrious master kept records all his life. No, it was not a diary in the usual sense of the word, especially since the author hardly talks about himself. The manuscripts that have come down to us are most likely a reflection of the colossal work done by an inquisitive mind that never knew peace. “As iron rusts, not finding a use for itself,” we read in these notes, “as stagnant water rots, so the human mind languishes from laziness and inaction.”
Leonardo da Vinci zealously guarded his thoughts, observations and notes from prying eyes, and apparently he had good reasons for that, which one can only guess about. He even came up with a special system of cryptography, often inscribing one line into another and widely using intricate graphic signs and symbols. As a rule, he wrote from right to left, so that what he wrote can only be read with the help of a mirror. More than one generation of researchers painstakingly analyzes and carefully reads the encrypted manuscripts, revealing all the new aspects of the multifaceted and truly fantastic in terms of the breadth of interests of this genius.
He was the son of his age, harsh and great. It was a time when the solid edifice of feudalism, with its serfdom and slavish dependence on religious prejudices, built up over a millennium, cracked. At that time, the foundations of a new worldview were laid and a great upheaval of world-historical significance was brewing. Leonardo was not only a witness, but also a direct participant in the events that led to progressive changes in public life and gave rise to a turning point in people's minds. No wonder Engels called Leonardo one of the first titans of the Renaissance with its unquenchable thirst for knowledge and conscious mastery of the world. The very name of Leonardo da Vinci has become synonymous with the universality of human genius.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the small Tuscan town of Vinci, lost among the western spurs of the Apennines. His father was a wealthy notary, and his mother was a simple peasant woman. The rare talent of a handsome, big-browed boy, who was fond of drawing, modeling, music, and mathematics, amazed the whole district, and local peasants more than once turned to Messer Piero da Vinci with a request that his son draw something for them.
In Leonardo early awakened craving for nature. Often, forgetting the noisy boyish amusements, he tirelessly wandered through the surrounding meadows and forests, climbed the mountains, listening to the unfamiliar voices of the earth and trying to unravel the mystery of the life of stones, plants and animals. Already from childhood, he realized how steep the steps leading to the truth, and how endless the ladder of knowledge itself is. “Wisdom is the daughter of experience,” he liked to repeat, and later in his notebook, which he never parted with, he made the following entry: “Get in your youth that which, over the years, will compensate you for the damage caused by old age. Remember that the food of old age is wisdom, and while you are young, act so as not to leave your old age hungry.
At the age of 10-11, he moved with his father to Florence, which at that time was famous not only for its rapidly developing industry, crafts, banking and trade, but was also one of the foremost centers of world culture. This glorious city, spread freely on the green hills on both banks of the Arno, struck the young Leonardo with its austere beauty, the grandeur of palaces and temples, the noise of many-voiced squares, the shady greenery of gardens and parks. Before his astonished gaze, a world of creativity and a daring flight of thought opened up. He will forever retain a tender affection for Florence and will proudly sign his works: "Leonardo, Florentine", as if emphasizing the continuity and loyalty to the traditions of the great Florentine culture.
The father attached the boy to study with his friend Verrocchio, a famous painter and sculptor. His workshop was rightfully considered the best art school in the city, from where many gifted masters came from. The famous artist highly appreciated the outstanding abilities of the student and once even instructed him to complete his painting "The Baptism of Christ", now stored in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The young artist depicted on the left in the foreground a kneeling golden-haired young man in the form of an angel. Already in this figure one can guess the new thing that Leonardo will eventually bring to the world of painting - poetry and harmony. According to biographers, when Verrocchio saw the work of a student, he was so shocked by the perfection of performance that he vowed never to take up a brush.
But not only painting owned the thoughts and heart of Leonardo, although already in 1480 he had his own workshop and there was no end to the customers. During these years he became close friends with many Florentine scholars. A particularly close friendship connected him with the mathematician and mechanic Dal Pozzo Toscanelli, who, on the eve of the first expedition of Columbus, wrote to him, outlining his views and scientific calculations, confirming the existence of unknown lands in the West.
Having won universal recognition for his art and having gained an enviable independence, Leonardo plunged headlong into science. He rejected as unacceptable the centuries-old experience of medieval scientists who had lost faith in the real, tangible world, and went his own, non-torn, path. It is difficult to enumerate the natural and exact sciences, the history of which would not be associated with his name, wherever he said a new word or expressed bold guesses, later confirmed by other outstanding minds. Mathematics and mechanics, physics and astronomy, chemistry and geology, geography and botany, anatomy and physiology - all this interested his piercing mind equally. He dreamed of creating a grandiose encyclopedic system of "Things of Nature", which would cover the entire universe. However, this task turned out to be unbearable even for such a titan as Leonardo da Vinci, although he himself admitted that "no work could tire me, because nature itself created me as such." During his lifetime, he managed to systematize the richest material only in certain areas of knowledge.
Leonardo da Vinci tried his hand at architecture, developing bold urban plans; he worked on improving the spinning wheel, lathe and other mechanisms. While in Venice, he became interested in the idea of creating a submarine and was close to its implementation.
This greatest mind was not limited to the boundaries of the earth, he was attracted by the expanses of the Universe. Leonardo carefully studied the laws of bird flight, wrote a special treatise on this and left drawings of the aeronautical apparatus he invented. It is no coincidence that the majestic figure of Leonardo da Vinci rises in front of the building of Rome's Fiumicino International Airport - the first inventor who began to put into practice man's age-old dream of flying.
True, Leonardo himself sometimes rather modestly assessed the significance of his searches: “... I am likened to someone who, due to his poverty, was the last to come to the fair, when all the best has already been sorted out, and the remaining goods have been tried by everyone and rejected as unnecessary. But I will collect these crumbs, put them in a knapsack and go wandering around the poor villages. Over the years, his "knapsack" was replenished with new treasures, and he persistently continued on his way with an overwhelming burden on his shoulders, dreaming of making a person free and happy.
No matter how great was his fame as a painter, creator and erudite, Leonardo stubbornly improved his knowledge and could not imagine life without constant search, believing that “everyone who takes up a business without proper knowledge is like a sailor setting sail without a rudder and a compass.”
Contemporaries disapproved of his scientific studies, considering them a whim, and reproached the master for "forgetting" the interests of painting. But this was not an apostasy, but a deeply conscious need to believe "harmony by algebra" in order to breathe new life into art and enrich it with more perfect means of expression. So, studying optics and the laws of reflection and refraction of light, Leonardo mastered a soft painting style based on the juxtaposition of muted tones, developed the method of the so-called “smoky chiaroscuro”, which gave unique poetry and harmony to such of his masterpieces as “La Gioconda” and “Madonna in the Rocks”. ". "Science of painting" he called his work, thereby emphasizing the objective nature of the reproduction of reality in his paintings.
But for contemporaries, much in this man remained incomprehensible and mysterious, like the mysterious smile on the lips of his Mona Lisa, which became a sign of the times. Let us add that this smile, which gave rise to many conjectures and assumptions, surprisingly resembles his own smile in a Turin self-portrait of the late period. Like no one else, Leonardo was able to notice and appreciate in life what others did not see, and in his artistic creations he conveyed such a variety of mental states that even the most daring imagination often became stumped before his riddles.
Leonardo himself never suppressed those around him with the superiority of his mind and willingly shared his experience and knowledge, being generous and magnanimous by nature. He was surprisingly tactful and gentle in handling, tolerant of shortcomings and knew how to forgive insults, although at times he suffered from them. Like a sorcerer and wizard, people were drawn to him, amazed and delighted by the greatness and beauty of his spirit. He himself was truly handsome - stately, tall; a face with regular features was framed by a curly blond beard. As soon as he appeared on the street, accompanied by an unchanging retinue of students and admirers, people poured out of their houses to take a closer look at the great man. He was the subject of such worship that many imitated the cut of his dress, gait, manner of speaking. By nature, Leonardo was endowed with heroic strength and easily bent horseshoes and iron bars. He had no equal in swordsmanship, and as a rider he could subdue any skittish horse. He played the lute excellently and, among friends, he liked to improvise, choosing music for his sonnets and madrigals, which, unfortunately, have not been preserved. As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent at once, listening to his charming voice. Apparently, it was not without reason that he was called the sweet-voiced Orpheus. The inspired lines composed by his younger contemporary and fellow artist Michelangelo Buonarroti are quite applicable to him:

He was released by nature with a vengeance.
With just one glance, the whole neighborhood is striking,
Leaving a trace of admiration behind.
He was completely released by fate.
His wondrous face eclipses the sun,
And laughter and singing sound so pure,
That all the surroundings freeze in delight.

The fate of Leonardo da Vinci, which at first developed so happily, turned out to be tragic. By the end of the 15th century, thunderclouds hung over Italy, harbingers of future troubles and upheavals. The glorious history of the free cities-communes, which became the cradle of a new worldview and art free from religious fetters, was coming to an end. In place of republican rule, the power of despotic tyrants was established everywhere. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the peaceful development of trade and crafts in the major Italian cities was largely undermined. The final blow, from which they could not recover, came with the discovery of the New World, when the main trade routes moved from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Italy, torn apart by internecine wars, soon became a tasty morsel for foreign invaders.
Salvation from the troubles that flooded the country, Leonardo saw in the unity of the people's forces. He enthusiastically expressed his conviction and faith in the people as the arbiter of his own destiny in the famous fresco painting "The Last Supper", created in the refectory at the Milan church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Contrary to the traditional interpretation of this scene as pious humility, the great creator and realist angrily branded betrayal in it. He was alien to the idea of humble forgiveness in a time of severe trials and national disasters, when corrupt rulers betrayed national interests for thirty pieces of silver.
The ideals of Leonardo da Vinci were born on the crest of the great social and cultural upsurge experienced by Italy during the Renaissance. He sought to use science and art to create human happiness, and he was destined to witness the collapse of his brightest hopes. Full of despair and pain, he was forced to wander the world in vain attempts to find understanding and support for his grandiose plans, and at the end of his life he found refuge in a foreign land at the court of the French king Francis I.
But wherever fate threw him, Leonardo everywhere remained true to himself. Sometimes it even seems that he did not serve the powers that be with his art and knowledge, but that they all served the great creator, trying to enlist his favor. No matter how generous they were, Leonardo suffocated in the pernicious atmosphere of palace intrigues, gossip, envy, servility. When he was especially uneasy, he retired, splashing out bitterness on the pages of his notebooks.
For his great works, Leonardo did not amass wealth, although he lived comfortably. Above all, he valued his freedom and a clear conscience. The memory of past years was dear to him; he appreciated his drawings and manuscripts, was very attached to the painting "Gioconda", which he did not part with almost until his death, continuing to work on it in an effort to achieve classical completeness and perfection. From the recently discovered Madrid manuscripts, we learned that Leonardo greatly appreciated and loved his library, which numbered more than a hundred volumes, which he carried with him everywhere, rereading especially revered authors in his leisure hours. He was indifferent to fame and fortune and spoke with disdain about money, which often turns a blind eye to the true values of life. “No matter how famous the rich man is during his lifetime,” he wrote, “all this will disappear without a trace with his death. Much more glory is brought to a person by intelligence and valor than the treasures accumulated by him ... How many philosophers have rejected despicable gold so as not to stain themselves with it.
As a great seer, Leonardo, at the dawn of the 16th century, understood what innumerable disasters and sufferings the world of pure and naked calculation brings to people. In his “fantastic predictions”, which now sound so modern and relevant, he stigmatizes the power of gold, and it appears to him in the form of a cruel monster that is “capable of any crime, atrocity and treachery. It will set people against each other, sowing discord, envy and cruelty among them. Oh, monstrous beast!
Leonardo was over sixty when he settled in the castle of Cloux, near the French city of Amboise, where one of the royal residences was. Judging by a late self-portrait, he looked much older than his years - years of wandering and bitterness left their mark. But his eyes still shone with clarity and wise calmness. Although his right hand was paralyzed and inactive, he continued to create. As in years gone by, this great worker got up at the first rays of the sun and went to his work table in a spacious hall with a gilded ceiling, a large fireplace and high windows, beyond which the park extended and the measured muttering of the Loire could be heard.
He died on a clear spring day on May 2, 1519. According to eyewitnesses, "with all his appearance he was a true personification of the nobility of knowledge." Leonardo met the last hour courageously and majestically, as if confirming one of the last entries in his notebooks: “Just as a reasonably and efficiently spent day gives us a serene sleep, so an honestly lived life gives us a calm death.” And we will once again recall these words of a great man, reading his heartfelt and full of light sadness legend “The Swan”.
About ten years ago, Leonard's fairy tales and legends first saw the light of day as a separate edition, which included more than a hundred different works. It is noteworthy that such a valuable undertaking was carried out by the oldest Florentine publishing house Giunti, which at one time used the services of the notary office of Leonardo's father, Messer Piero da Vinci. Today, our reader has the opportunity to get acquainted with these works.
The fairy tales, legends and funny stories included in this book are not equal. In some of them, the author's thought is expressed with the utmost clarity and completeness, while others are sketches from nature, as if being sketches for a future "picture", and we get a happy opportunity to look into the laboratory of the great creator. In general, the book gives a complete picture of the originality of Leonardo da Vinci as a storyteller and storyteller.
His appeal to the world of fairy tales was not accidental. It is justified by the entire course of his thoughts, observations and the focus of his interests.
“I remember how one day I woke up in my cradle,” he writes in his notes. “It seemed to me that a large bird opened my mouth with its wing and stroked my lips with feathers.” If this short note by Leonardo were not the first memory of early childhood, it could be read as a sing-along to a fairy tale. But in our book we almost never meet miracles and magic, and it has in common with traditional fairy tales only that the characters acting in it - animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, stones and other inanimate objects - are endowed with the gift of speech and the ability to evaluate their and other people's actions, which are no different from the actions of people.
Although Leonardo saw a lot of evil, ugliness, cruelty and injustice in the surrounding reality, he does not transfer his bitterness to the animal world. In his tales, even predatory animals and birds show indulgence towards the weak and disadvantaged. Genuine nobility emanates from such works as "The Falcon and the Goldfinches", "Generosity", "The Lion and the Lamb". At the same time, the author is full of hostility to insidious spiders, snakes, crabs and other creatures that do not disdain anything, just to satiate their greedy womb. All his sympathies are invariably on the side of those who are honest, modest and hardworking, and there is no mercy from him for liars, braggarts and parasites.
Talking about animals and birds, Leonardo describes their habits so accurately that he could rightfully be considered one of the founders of ethology, the science that studies the behavior of animals. And this is not accidental either. There were legends about his tender affection for animals and especially about his love for birds during his lifetime. For example, a certain Andrea Corsali in a letter to the ruler of Florence wrote in 1515 from India: "... the inhabitants of this distant fairy-tale country, like our famous Leonardo, do not allow any harm to be done to animals." Florentine boys heard about this well, who carried stray dogs, wounded birds, and outlandish butterflies to the artist's workshop, knowing that they would always be generously rewarded. And the local birders were waiting, like a holiday, for the appearance of Leonardo at the bird market. Without bargaining, he paid for the captives he had chosen, languishing in cages, and immediately set them free, admiring how the birds joyfully soared in the sky, having gained unexpected freedom.
He valued freedom above all blessings in the world and was ready to pay a dear price for it, as his tale tells about the proud unfortunate goldfinch or the fish that declared war on the net.
Being a tireless naturalist, Leonardo perceived man and the surrounding world as a single, indissoluble whole. All his life he had a dialogue with nature, never ceasing to admire its wise structure, expediency and beauty of all life on earth. With the inquisitive eye of a naturalist and thinker, he tried to reveal and convey in his works "the harmony of heterogeneous", as the ancients said. And this idea underlies many of his fairy tales. He was opposed to any violence against nature, realizing how disastrous and deplorable the consequences of such arbitrariness can be for the person himself. Such concern is especially pronounced in the fairy tales "The Vine and the Peasant", "The Cedar" and others. Believing in the high purpose of man, Leonardo considered him responsible for maintaining the harmony that exists in nature. These thoughts of the great creator are especially close, understandable and dear to us, and we perceive him as a faithful ally in our common efforts to protect and preserve the environment.
Speaking of Leonardo the storyteller, it is impossible not to refer to one of his remarkable and precious revelations for us. So, recalling the years of his youth, he writes: “One day, wandering among the dark rocks, driven by a greedy desire to see a great mixture of various bizarre forms generated by nature, I came across the entrance to a huge gloomy cave, in front of which I stopped dead in my tracks ... I leaned forward, to look inside, but saw nothing but pitch darkness. Then two conflicting feelings took possession of me at once: a great dumbfoundedness in front of the gaping abyss and an irresistible desire to discover some miracle in its bottomless womb.
We see how the inquisitiveness of the mind and curiosity are combined in Leonardo with a sense of the incomprehensibility of some of the mysteries of the universe, and then nature appears to his imagination in fantastic fairy-tale images. Such an attitude to the surrounding world inspired him not only when writing fairy tales, legends and "fantastic predictions". It also manifests itself in his numerous drawings, which are a kind of graphic conversation with nature. Along with the images of beautiful young men and women in these drawings, one can see a whole string of ugly faces, disfigured by grimaces, winged dragons and monsters. Sometimes Leonardo makes fun of his own horrors, as, say, in the fairy tales “The Terrible Beast”, “The Lion and the Rooster”, and sometimes his fantasy gives rise to images of the cruel Basilisk, the immortal Phoenix or the faithful and affectionate Unicorn. By the way, Rafael, in all likelihood, heard this legend from the lips of Leonardo. In the Borghese Gallery in Rome, a marvelous portrait of a girl painted by him is kept, holding a small unicorn on her lap as a symbol of chastity and purity.
Fairy tales attracted Leonardo with their folk wisdom, amusing and democratic nature. They served him as a faithful help in the tireless search for the cherished key in order to penetrate the mysterious "cave", illuminate it with the light of reason and reveal the secrets kept by nature.
Leonardo da Vinci occupies a special place in Italian literature, and his fairy tales and legends are a vivid phenomenon in the culture of the Renaissance. He himself never sought literary laurels, modestly considering himself a man "ignorant of literature." However, for many years he worked on compiling an explanatory dictionary of the living colloquial Tuscan dialect, which served as the basis of the Italian literary language. Leonardo did not resort to learned Latin to express his own thoughts, as was customary among the erudite at that time. He highly appreciated the figurative peasant speech and, regardless of spelling, lovingly wrote down well-aimed words and phrases.
Leonardo drew his fairy tales from life - "this great teacher, from whom even writers have something to learn."

From the school bench, we pronounce with the greatest respect the name of Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452, Anchiano village, near the town of Vinci, near Florence - May 2, 1519, Clos-Lucet castle, near Amboise, Touraine, France).

He was the embodiment of the universal man. Da Vinci left a memory of himself as one of the greatest personalities in the history of mankind. Physics and astronomy, mathematics and mechanics, anatomy and physiology, geography and botany, chemistry and geology, architecture, painting, drawing - in all these areas Leonardo was an expert and innovator.

But few people know that a learned man could be enthusiastically carried away by fiction in a childish way, he was an inexhaustible dreamer and an entertaining storyteller. The parables and fairy tales he composed brought him no less fame during his lifetime than his paintings. Now his fables are even held in schools.

His parables, which are already more than five centuries old, still have not lost their relevance. Although it is rather problematic to attribute these stories to any one genre of literature: many of his stories resemble a fable or a parable with a clear moral, but there are also everyday humorous sketches, as well as stories about animals and even fantastic narratives.

Until now, in Italian villages, some fairy tales that have long become folk are in use, and many are unaware that they were once composed by Leonardo da Vinci himself.

So, parables from Leonardo da Vinci:

stone and road

From above, the stone could clearly see the paved road running below, along the side of which pebbles and cobblestones were piled up. Left alone without the usual murmur of a cheerful stream, the stone more and more often began to look longingly down the road, where there was always a revival. Once he became so sad that he could not stand it and exclaimed:

- Not a century for me to live alone! What is the use of herbs and flowers? Much wiser to live side by side with my brethren on the road, where life is in full swing.

Having said this, he moved from his accustomed place and rolled down headlong, until he found himself on the road among stones like him. Who just did not pass and did not drive along the road! And the wheels of carts with iron rims, and the hooves of horses, cows, sheep, goats, and smart boots with over the knee boots, and strong peasant shoes lined with nails.

The stone ended up in a traffic jam, where it was roughly thrown aside, trampled on, crushed, doused with streams of mud, and sometimes it was stained up to the ears with cow dung.

Where did his beauty go? Now he looked sadly up at the hillock, where he once lay peacefully among fragrant flowers and herbs. He had no choice but to dream in vain about the return of the lost calm. It is not in vain that they say: “What we have, we do not store; if we lose it, we cry.”

So people sometimes thoughtlessly leave remote rural corners, rushing to noisy crowded cities, where they immediately find themselves in the grip of vanity, unquenchable thirst and endless difficulties and anxieties.

A donkey

At the appointed time, the donkey came to the watering place. But the ducks on the pond quacked and played so much, flapping their wings, that they muddied all the water.

“Mom, why doesn’t he drink?” - asked a curious frog, interested in the behavior of the donkey. - For two times now he has come to the pond and left with nothing.

“And all because,” answered the mother frog, “that the donkey would rather die of thirst than touch dirty water.” He will wait patiently until the water clears and becomes clear.

- Oh, how stubborn he is!

“No, son, he is not so much stubborn as patient,” the frog explained. The donkey is ready to endure all hardships and sorrows. And everyone calls him stubborn, who himself lacks endurance and patience.

Caterpillar

Sticking to the leaf, the caterpillar watched with interest as the insects sang, jumped, galloped, raced, flew ... Everything around was in constant motion. And only she, poor thing, was denied her voice and was not allowed to run or fly. With great difficulty, she could only crawl. And while the caterpillar clumsily moved from one leaf to another, it seemed to her that she was making a trip around the world.

Without further ado, the caterpillar diligently set to work and by the right time was wrapped from head to toe in a warm cocoon.

- Everything in its turn! - she heard in response. Have a little patience and you'll see.

When the time came, and she woke up, she was no longer the former clumsy caterpillar. Deftly freeing herself from the cocoon, she was surprised to notice that she had grown light wings, generously painted in bright colors. Cheerfully waving them, she, like fluff, fluttered from the leaf and flew away, dissolving in a blue haze.

Paper and ink

A pile of identical sheets of blank paper lay on the desk. But one day one of them turned out to be completely dotted with hooks, dashes, curls, dots. Apparently, someone took a pen and, having dipped it in ink, filled the sheet with words and painted it with drawings.

“Why did you have to subject me to such unheard-of humiliation? – in the hearts asked the saddened sheet of ink standing on the table. “Your indelible ink stained my whiteness and ruined the paper forever!” Who will need me now?

- Don't worry! the inkwell replied kindly. “They didn’t want to humiliate you at all and didn’t tarnish you, but only made the necessary record. And now you are no longer a simple piece of paper, but a written message. From now on, you keep the thought of a person, and this is your direct purpose and great value.

The good inkwell was right. While cleaning up somehow on the desk, the man saw randomly scattered leaves yellowed from time to time. He collected them and was about to throw them into the burning fireplace, when he suddenly noticed the very “stained” sheet. Throwing away the dusty papers as unnecessary, the man carefully put the scribbled sheet in a drawer in order to keep it as a message of reason.

Cedar

“Get that wretched hazel away!” And the tree was cut down at the root.

“Free me from the neighborhood of the obnoxious fig tree!” She bothers me with her stupid appearance, - ordered another time the capricious cedar, and the fig tree suffered the same fate.

Satisfied with himself, proudly shaking the branches, the arrogant handsome man did not let up:

- Clear the place around me from old pears and apple trees! - and the trees went to firewood.

So the restless cedar ordered to destroy all the trees one by one, becoming the sovereign master in the garden, from the former beauty of which only stumps remained.

snake savvy

All of them were much, but they were not taught to swim. How to be? Then one of them came up with a cunning idea: wrap their long tails tightly, tightly, forming a kind of raft.

No sooner said than done. And now the screaming monsters swam, rowing together with their paws and lifting their heads high. It was as if Satan himself had bound them with a rope.

Flying over the floating reptiles, the leader of the duck school shouted:

– Look! This is what can be achieved through unity and ingenuity.

United, evil is capable of all sorts of tricks in order to survive and do their dirty work. It would not hurt the good to act with the same resourcefulness and courage.

Flint and flint

Having once received a strong blow from the flint, the flint indignantly asked the offender:

"Why are you so mad at me?" I don't know you. You seem to be confusing me with someone else. Please leave my sides alone. I don't harm anyone.

“Don’t be angry for no reason, neighbor,” said the flint and steel in response with a smile. “If you have a little patience, you will soon see what a miracle I will extract from you.

At these words, the flint calmed down and began to patiently endure the blows of the tinderbox. And, finally, a fire was hewn out of it, capable of performing genuine miracles. Thus the flint's patience was justly rewarded.

The Misadventures of the Lion

Waking up at dawn, the king of beasts sweetly stretched and went straight to the river. For order, he powerfully roared, announcing his approach to any small animal that usually gathers at a watering hole and muddies the water. Suddenly he stopped, hearing an unusual noise. Turning around, the lion saw that a heated horse was rushing at him at full speed, followed by an empty bouncer roaring, bouncing on stones.

The lion jumped into the nearest bushes and closed his eyes in fear. Never in his life had he seen such a strange rattling animal.

After sitting in the bushes and recovering a little from fright, the lion came out, looking around, out of the thickets and with a cautious gait again headed for the watering place.

Because of the tall grass, the lion could only see a quivering fiery crest and heard an unfamiliar cry: “Ku-ka-re-ku!”. Beside himself with fear and forgetting his thirst, the disgraced king of beasts rushed off into the thicket of the forest.

It looks like sometimes unhappy days stand out for a lion, when everything goes topsy-turvy and misfortunes lie in wait at every step.

Vine and peasant

The vine could not get enough of seeing how in the spring the peasant carefully dug up the earth around it, trying not to touch the tender roots with a spade, how he lovingly looked after it, tied it up, put strong supports so that it could grow freely. In gratitude for such care, the vine decided to give the person juicy fragrant clusters at all costs.

When the time came for the grape harvest, the vine was completely hung with large tassels. The zealous owner cut them all off one by one and carefully placed them in a basket. Then, on reflection, he dug up stakes and poles and put them on firewood.

moon and oyster

Oyster was head over heels in love with the moon. As if spellbound, she looked for hours with loving eyes at the night luminary. A gluttonous crab, sitting in ambush, noticed that every time the moon emerges from behind the clouds, an open oyster opens the shell flaps, forgetting about everything in the world. And he decided to eat it.

A similar fate awaits everyone who does not know how to keep secret feelings in secret. Eyes and ears, hungry for other people's secrets, will always be found.

Lumerpa

A miracle bird lives among the desert mountains of Asia. She has a gentle melodious voice, and her flight is full of beauty and grandeur. Whether a bird soars in the sky or rests on a rock, it does not cast a shadow, because its down and feathers sparkle with bright light, like the rays of the sun. Even after death, she does not disappear without a trace, for her flesh is not subject to decay, and her brilliant plumage continues to radiate light, as before.

The name of this rarest bird is Lumerpa, which means “radiant”. It is like a true glory, incorruptible living through the ages. No one is able to belittle or appropriate it.

Teddy bear and bees

Before the bear had time to leave on business, her restless son, forgetting about his mother's order to stay at home, skipped off into the forest. How much expanse and unfamiliar alluring smells are here! Not like in a cramped stuffy lair. Overjoyed, the bear cub began chasing butterflies until he came across a large hollow, from where something tasty smelled so strongly that it tickled in his nose.

Fascinated by this sight, the curious little bear could not resist the temptation. He was eager to quickly find out what was going on inside the hollow. First, he stuck his wet nose in there and sniffed, and then dipped his paw in and felt something warm and sticky. When he pulled the paw out, it was covered in honey. Before he had time to lick his sweet paw and close his eyes with pleasure, a cloud of ferocious bees swooped down on him, which dug into his nose, ears, mouth ... From unbearable pain, the bear cub howled and began to desperately defend himself, crushing the bees with his paws. But they sting even more. Then he began to roll on the ground, trying to drown out the burning pain, but this did not help either.

Since then, the bear cub knew for sure that you have to pay bitterly for sweets.

Miller and donkey

Somehow, in a circle of friends, one noble signor, who was known as a book reader and an entertaining storyteller, began to prove with fervor that he, they say, had had to live in this world more than once before. In order to give more weight to his words, he even referred to the well-known saying of the ancient sage and scientist Pythagoras.

But one of the friends now and then made fun of the narrator, inserting caustic remarks, and prevented him from finishing the story. Completely angry, the admirer of ancient philosophy decided to reason with the scoffer and declared:

“To prove my innocence, I recall that in that distant time you, ignorant, were a simple miller.

These words obviously hit the friend to the quick, but he was not one of those who need to be pulled by the tongue.

- But who is arguing with you? You are absolutely right, as always, he replied. “Shouldn’t I remember that in those days it was you, my friend, who was the same donkey that carried sacks of grain to my mill.

Ant and wheat grain

The wheat grain left in the field after the harvest was impatiently waiting for the rain to dig deeper into the damp earth in anticipation of the coming cold weather. An ant passing by noticed him. Delighted by the find, he, without hesitation, heaved the heavy prey onto his back and crawled with difficulty to the anthill. In order to catch up to the house before dark, the ant crawled without stopping, and the load pressed harder and harder on his overworked back.

- Why are you yelling? Drop me here! the grain of wheat pleaded.

Then the grain thought and said:

“I understand your concerns as an honest worker, but you, too, understand my position. Listen to me carefully, smart ant!

Satisfied that he could take a breath, the ant dropped the heavy burden from his back and sat down to rest.

- So know, - said the grain, - I have a great life-giving power, and my purpose is to give birth to new life. Let's make a treaty with you amicably.

- What kind of contract?

- But what. If you do not drag me into the anthill and leave me here in my native field, - the grain explained, - then exactly in a year I will reward you. The surprised ant shook his head in disbelief. - Trust me, dear ant, I'm telling the absolute truth! If you now refuse me and wait, then later I will reward your patience a hundredfold, and your anthill will not be for nothing. In exchange for one, you will receive a hundred of the same grains.

The ant thought as he scratched his head, “A hundred grains in exchange for one. Yes, such miracles only happen in fairy tales.

– How will you do it? he asked, bursting with curiosity but still not believing.

- Trust me! the grain replied. This is the great secret of life. Now dig a little hole, bury me, and come back again in the summer.

At the appointed time, the ant returned to the field and saw a large ear in place of the grain. The wheat grain kept its promise.

Seine

And once again the net brought a rich catch. The fishermen's baskets were filled to the brim with chubs, carps, tenches, pikes, eels and many other victuals. Entire fish families, with children and households, were taken to the market stalls and prepared to end their existence, writhing in agony in hot pans and boiling cauldrons.

“We must think about the fate of our children. No one but us will take care of them and save them from a terrible obsession, - the minnows, who had gathered for advice under a large snag, reasoned.

“But what can we do? - Tench asked timidly, listening to the speeches of the daredevils.

- Destroy the net! – minnows answered in unison.

Thousands of fish of all colors and ages sailed to the appointed place to declare war on the seine.

- Listen carefully! - said the carp, which more than once managed to gnaw through the nets and escape from captivity. “A net as wide as our river. To keep it upright under water, lead sinkers are attached to its lower knots. I order all the fish to divide into two flocks. The first must lift the sinkers from the bottom to the surface, and the second flock will firmly hold the upper nodes of the network. Pike are instructed to gnaw through the ropes with which the seine is attached to both banks.

With bated breath, the fish listened to every word of the leader.

“I order the eels to go scouting at once!” continued the carp. “They must establish where the seine is thrown.

Finally the eels returned and reported that the net had already been abandoned about a mile down the river. And now a huge armada of fish flocks swam to the goal, led by a wise carp.

- Swim carefully! the leader warned. “Look at both, so that the current does not drag in the net. Work with might and main fins and slow down in time!

A seine appeared ahead, gray and ominous. Seized with a fit of anger, the fish boldly rushed to the attack.

The fishermen talked for a long time, scratching their heads, about the mysterious disappearance of the seine, and the fish still proudly tell this story to their children.

Walnut and bell tower

- Oh, good intercessor wall! wailed the walnut tearfully, still not recovering from the cruel blows of the crow's beak. Don't let me die, have pity on me! You are so strong and majestic, you have such a beautiful bell tower. Don't chase me!

The bells hummed dully and disapprovingly, warning the wall not to trust the treacherous nut, as it might prove dangerous to it.

- Do not leave me, an orphan, in trouble! the walnut continued to lament, trying to shout over the angry hum of the bells. - I was about to leave my native branch and fall on the damp earth, when the villain suddenly appeared. Once in the beak of a voracious crow, I made a vow to myself: if I managed to avoid death, I would spend the rest of my days quietly and calmly in some hole.

The walnut's fiery speeches moved the old wall to tears. Despite the warning of the bells, she decided to give the nut hospitality and leave it in the crack where it rolled.

However, over time, the nut recovered from fright, settled down and took root, and they began to bite into the hospitable wall. Soon, the first sprouts peeped out from the crevice. Together they pulled up and gained strength. A little more time passed, and the young hazel shoots were already proudly towering over the bell tower itself. Especially got the wall from the roots. Tenacious and assertive, they grew more and more, crushing and loosening the old masonry, and ruthlessly pushing bricks and stones away.

Hazel

In a large garden behind a fence, fruit trees grew in good harmony and peace. In the spring they were buried in a milky-pink boil, and by the end of the summer they were bent under the weight of ripe fruits. By chance, a hazel tree wormed its way into this friendly working family, which soon grew violently and imagined itself.

“Why should I hang around in the garden behind the fence?” he grumbled indignantly. “I'm not going to live here as a recluse at all. Let my branches be thrown over the fence into the street, so that the whole neighborhood will know what marvelous nuts I have!

And the hazel began to persistently overcome the high fence in order to appear in all its glory in front of the passers-by.

When the time came and its branches were completely strewn with nuts, anyone who was not lazy began to cut them off. And if the hands did not reach, sticks and stones were used.

Soon, the beaten and broken hazel lost not only the fruits, but also the leaves. Like lashes, its crippled branches hung lifelessly over the fence, and in the dense greenery of the garden apples, pears, and peaches filled with juice flaunted.

Donkey on ice

Having wandered through the fields until dusk, the donkey was so tired that he was unable to drag himself to his stall. Winter that year was severe - all the roads were icy.

- No more urine. I'll rest a little here, - said the completely exhausted donkey and stretched out on the ice.

Out of nowhere, a nimble sparrow flew up and chirped in his ear:

- Donkey, wake up! You are not on the road, but on a frozen pond.

But the donkey was so sleepy that he could no longer hear anything. Yawning sweetly, he fell fast asleep, and soon steam poured out of his nostrils. Under the influence of heat, the ice began to melt little by little, until it broke off with a crash. Once in the icy water, the donkey immediately woke up and began to call for help. But it was too late, and the poor fellow choked.

You should never disdain good advice, especially when you are in an unfamiliar place.

Panther

- Mother! - shouted the out of breath monkey, jumping onto a branch of a tall tree. “I just met a lioness. How beautiful she is!

The mother monkey parted the branches and looked at the animal, frozen in anticipation of prey.

“It's not a lioness, it's a panther,” Mom explained. “Look at the color of her skin.

- Yes, she's just a lovely sight! You can't take your eyes off, - exclaimed the monkey. - All as if strewn with black roses.

And indeed, from afar it seemed that marvelous terry flowers suddenly blossomed among the grass yellowed from the heat.

“The panther knows how attractive she is, and uses her beauty as a bait,” continued the mother monkey. - Seeing the bright attire of a stranger, enchanted animals follow her and become easy prey for a predator. And beauty sometimes serves for bad deeds.

Spider and swift

Three times the spider was forced to stretch its silver web between the trees, and each time, flying at a low level, the mocking swift tore its web with its wing.

Why are you bothering me to work? the spider asked indignantly. - Am I a hindrance to you?

- Yes, you are the very embodiment of deceit! the swift chirped in response. “And your invisible web is a death trap for insects.

- Do you, brother, say such words? the spider wondered. - Why are you better than me? For days on end you run around with your beak open and grab right and left the same insects that you are now so worried about. For you, this activity is like fun. I work with all my might, weaving thin threads and weaving them into lace. As a reward for zeal and honest work, I receive booty when it falls into the net.

Each is willing to judge the other, looking at the world from his bell tower.

Peach tree

In one garden, a peach tree grew next to a hazel tree. Every now and then it glanced with envy at the neighbor's branches, generously strewn with nuts.

- Why does he have so many fruits, and I have so little? – the foolish tree did not stop grumbling. – Is it fair? May I have the same number of peaches! Why am I worse than him?

- Don't worry about someone else's! - an old plum tree growing nearby said to him once. “Can’t you see what a strong trunk and flexible branches the hazel tree has? Rather than grumble in vain and envy, try to grow good juicy peaches better.

But blinded by black envy, the peach tree did not want to heed the good advice of the plum tree, and no arguments had any effect on it. It immediately commanded its roots to dig deeper into the ground and extract more life-giving juices and moisture. It ordered the branches not to skimp on the ovary, and the flowers to turn into fruits. When the time of flowering passed, the tree turned out to be hung with ripening fruits to the very top.

Filled with juice, the peaches grew heavier day by day, and the branches were unable to hold them on weight.

And then one day the tree groaned from the effort, the trunk cracked with a crack, and ripe peaches fell to the ground, where they soon rotted at the foot of the imperturbable hazel.

captive owl

- Freedom! Long live freedom! - the blackbirds shouted, the first to see how the peasant caught the villainous owl, who at night kept the whole forest bird brethren at bay.

"Got it, villain!" - the birds made fun, densely clinging to the fence, bushes and trees.

The most desperate and courageous flew up close to the cage, trying painfully to pinch such a formidable enemy yesterday.

"And you've got your hands on it!" Now you will not destroy our nests.

To get a closer look at the captive owl, the birds pushed and pressed on each other until they themselves fell into a trap.

bee and drones

“You have no control, you bastards!” - somehow the worker bee could not stand it, reasoning with the drones flying in vain around the hive. - You just don't want to work. Would be ashamed! Everywhere you look, everyone is working, making reserves for the future. Take, for example, a tiny ant. Mal, yes removed. All summer he works hard, trying not to miss a single day. After all, winter is not far off.

- Found someone to set as an example! snarled one of the drones, bored with the instructions of the bee. - Yes, your vaunted ant destroys the seeds of every crop. This little miner drags every little thing into his anthill.

Do not feed the loafer with bread, but let him reason, and you will not refuse him the ability to denigrate others. He is always ready to find an excuse for his own worthlessness.

warmth of the heart

The two young ostriches were beside themselves with grief. Every time the female began to incubate the eggs, they burst under the weight of her body.

Desperate to get their way, they decided to go for advice to a smart, experienced ostrich who lived on the other side of the desert. They had to run for many days and nights until they reached their goal.

- Help us! both pleaded. - Explain and teach us, unfortunate, how to hatch eggs! No matter how hard we tried, we never managed to get offspring.

After carefully listening to their sad story, the smart ostrich said in response:

- This is a multi-faceted matter. In addition to desire and effort, something else is needed here.

- What? both ostriches exclaimed at once. - We agree on everything!

Inspired by hope, the ostriches set off on their return journey. When the egg was laid, the female and the male began to carefully care for him, never taking his eyes off him, full of love and tenderness.

Falcon and goldfinches

Returning from hunting, the falcon, to the greatest surprise, found in its own nest two goldfinches sitting side by side with its fledglings. He was not in a good mood, because the hunt on that rainy day was not successful: one carrion came across. And falcons, as you know, are more likely to die of hunger, but they will never eat carrion.

- Where did you come from here? the owner of the nest asked menacingly.

“We got lost in the forest during the rain,” one of the goldfinches barely squeaked.

The predator glared at him. He was filled with anger and tormented by hunger. Trembling with fear, the two goldfinches clung to each other and did not dare to breathe or utter a word. Both were fat and well-fed, but so helpless and pathetic that the proud falcon was unable to pounce on them. He just closed his eyes and turned away to resist the temptation.

- Go away! – Loudly ordered the predator. - So that your spirit is not here!

And when they flew headlong away, the falcon turned to his hungry chicks and said:

“Our lot is big booty. It is better to die of hunger than to allow yourself to profit from an innocent bird.

Justice

- There is no justice in the world! - the mouse squeaked plaintively, miraculously escaping from the claws of affection.

- How long will the lie be tolerated! - the weasel shouted indignantly, barely managing to hide in a narrow hollow from the cat.

- There is no life from arbitrariness! the cat mewed, jumping onto a high fence and looking warily at the yard dog lurking below.

- Calm down, friends! - said the wise owl, sitting in a cage in a peasant yard. There is some truth in your lamentations about life. But does justice belong by right to one of you?

At these words, the mouse looked out of the hole, the weasel stuck its nose out of the hollow, the cat settled comfortably on the fence, and the dog sat down on its hind legs.

“Justice,” the owl continued, “is the highest law of nature, according to which a reasonable agreement is established between all living on earth. According to this wise law, all animals, birds, fish and even insects live. See how a swarm of bees lives and works together.

In nature, everything is wise and thought out, everyone should mind their own business, and in this wisdom is the highest justice of life.

sons gratitude

One morning two old hoopoe, male and female, felt that this time they could not fly out of the nest. A thick veil covered their eyes, although the sky was cloudless and the day promised to be sunny. But both of them saw only a cloudy haze and could no longer distinguish anything around. The birds were old and feeble. The feathers on the wings and tail were dull and broken like old branches. Forces were running out.

The old hoopoes decided not to leave the nest anymore and together wait for the last hour, which would not be slow to come.

When all the young hoopoes were gathered near their father's house, one of them said:

After these words, everyone set to work together. Some immediately set about building a new, warmer nest, others went to catch insects and worms, and the rest flew into the forest.

Soon a new nest was ready, where the children carefully transferred their old parents. To warm them, they covered the old men with their wings, as a mother hen warms her unhatched chicks with her own warmth. Then the parents were given spring water to drink, fed and carefully plucked out the fallen down and old brittle feathers. Finally, the rest of the hoopoes returned from the forest, bringing grass in their beaks that heals from blindness. Everyone began to heal the sick with the juice of miraculous grass. But the treatment went slowly, and I had to be patient, replacing each other and not leaving my parents alone for a minute.

Poplar

It is known that poplar grows faster than many trees. Right before our eyes, its shoots stretch upward, overtaking all other plants in the area in growth.

Once a young poplar came up with the idea to acquire a girlfriend of life. He stopped his choice on the vine that he liked.

- What a strange whim! his brethren answered. - With this beautiful vine you will sip grief. What is she to you? Our job is to grow up, and we have no other choice.

But the stubborn poplar insisted on its own. The ardent lover united with the young vine and allowed her to hug him tighter, for which he was inexpressibly glad. Having received a strong support, the vine began to grow rapidly and bear fruit. Seeing that the vine had taken root well, tenaciously twisting around the trunk, the quick-witted peasant began to cut poplar branches in the spring so that they would not pull the vine up with them, and it would be more convenient for him to collect bunches of ripe grapes in autumn.

The charter obliges

It is known that at certain times of the year, monks must strictly observe fasting. On such days, the monastic charter forbids them to eat meat and any other fatty food. True, when the monks are on the road or hunt for alms, then, as an exception, they are not forbidden to eat everything that fate sends down.

While on their way somehow on their monastic business, two monks wandered off to rest and have a bite to eat from the road to the inn, where chance brought them together with a passing merchant.

The owner of the inn was so poor that he could offer nothing to his guests, except for a miserable, skinny hen no larger than a dove. When the chicken was ready, the owner took it off the spit and served it whole on the table, hoping that the companions themselves would share it equally among themselves.

Glancing at the fried chicken and immediately realizing that it was barely enough for one eater, the cunning merchant said, addressing the monks:

The monks had no choice but to agree with the rascal. They did not go into details and explain to the merchant that some concessions are possible for wandering monks.

Kupchina ate a whole chicken with great pleasure and gnawed all the bones, while his two companions had to be content with a slice of bread and a piece of cheese.

According to the custom of the old days, the tallest and youngest of the monks, who was barefoot, put a fat merchant on his back and carried him across the river.

But, having reached the middle of the ford, the monk suddenly remembered the strict prescriptions of the monastery charter and stopped in bewilderment. Bending under the weight of the burden, he raised his head and asked the merchant, who was sitting comfortably on the backs with shoes and a traveling bag in his hands:

- Tell me, my dear! Don't you have money with you?

- What a stupid question! he wondered. “It’s time for you, brother, to know that no self-respecting merchant will ever go on a long journey without money.

- I'm really sorry! the monk said. “But our charter forbids us to carry money with us.

Oyster and mouse

Somehow, an oyster got into the net and, together with a rich catch, ended up in a fishing hut.

“Here, inevitable death awaits us all,” she thought sadly, seeing how her brothers in misfortune were suffocating without water in the heap dumped on the floor and struggling in their death throes.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a mouse appeared.

- Listen, good mouse! the oyster pleaded. - Do me a favor, take me to the sea!

The mouse looked at her with a knowing look: the oyster was extremely large and beautiful, and its meat must have been juicy and tasty.

“Good,” the mouse answered readily, deciding to profit from easy prey, which, as they say, went into hands on its own. “But first you must open the doors of your shell, so that it will be more convenient for me to carry you to the sea.” Otherwise, I can't deal with you.

The mouse squealed loudly in pain, and the nearby cat heard the squeak, overtook the liar with one jump and grabbed it.

As they say, cunning, cunning, but take care of the tail.

tongue and teeth

Once upon a time there was a boy in the world who suffered from a serious illness, to which even adults are sometimes subject - he constantly talked, without knowing the measure.

“What a punishment this tongue is,” grumbled teeth. When will he calm down and be quiet for a while?

- What do you care about me? - brazenly answered the tongue. - Chew on your health and keep quiet. That's the whole story for you! There is nothing in common between us. I will not allow anyone to interfere in my personal affairs, and even more so to meddle with stupid advice!

Since then, the tongue has behaved with apprehension and caution, and the boy will think twice before uttering a word.

Women's Portal Flero

Fig tree

Flea and sheepskin

Flint and flint

moon and oyster

Miller and donkey

Donkey on ice

About the monk

chagrin

poplar and vine

Leonardo da Vinci Tales, legends, parables

PAPER AND INK

Flint and flint

TONGUE AND TEETH

RAZOR

FLAME

MOON AND OYSTER

SPIDER IN THE KEYHOLE

WATER

MOLE

CATERPILLAR

JUSTICE

MOTH AND FLAME

LILY

NUT AND BELL TOWER

FIRE AND POT

STOLEN EGG

POPLAR

ANT AND WHEAT GRAIN

BEE AND DRONES

CEDAR

GOLDFINCH

Loach and Lizard

STONE AND ROAD

HAZEL

STREAM

stone and road

A donkey

Caterpillar

Paper and ink

Cedar

snake savvy

Flint and flint

The Misadventures of the Lion

Vine and peasant

moon and oyster

Lumerpa

Teddy bear and bees

Miller and donkey

Ant and wheat grain

Seine

Walnut and bell tower

Hazel

Donkey on ice

Panther

Spider and swift

Peach tree

captive owl

bee and drones

warmth of the heart

Falcon and goldfinches

Justice

sons gratitude

Poplar

The charter obliges

Oyster and mouse

tongue and teeth

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