Russian folk tale about a smart granddaughter Dunya, who helped her grandfather take his foal from a cunning rich man.
There lived an old man and an old woman, and their granddaughter Dunya lived with them. And Dunya was not so beautiful, as fairy tales say, she was only smart and willing to do homework.
Once upon a time, old people gather for a market in a large village and think: what should they do? Who will cook cabbage soup and porridge for them, who will water and milk the cow, who will give millet to the chickens and drive them to roost?
And Dunya tells them:
- Who else if not me! I’ll cook cabbage soup and steam porridge, I’ll meet a cow from the herd and dress her up for the night, I’ll calm down the chickens, I’ll clean up the hut, I’ll turn the hay while the bucket is in the yard.
“You’re still young, granddaughter,” the grandmother tells her, “you only have seven years to live!”
- Seven is not two, grandma, seven is a lot. I can handle it!
Grandfather and grandmother went to the market and returned in the evening. They see, and it’s true: the hut is tidy, the food is prepared, the yard is in order, the cattle and poultry are well-fed, the hay is dried, the fence is repaired (grandfather had been planning to fix it for two summers), sand has been sprinkled around the well frame - so much work has been done that it’s as if there were four.
An old man and an old woman look at their granddaughter and think: now they can live and be happy!
However, the grandmother did not have to rejoice over her granddaughter for long: the grandmother fell ill and died. The old man was left alone with Dunya. It was difficult for grandfather to remain alone in his old age. Here they live alone, without their grandmother. Dunya pleases her grandfather and does all the work on the farm alone; Even though she was small, she was diligent.
Grandfather happened to go to the city, the need came. On the way, he overtook a rich neighbor, who was also heading to the city. They went together. We drove and drove, and night came. A rich neighbor and poor Dunin's grandfather saw a light in a roadside hut and knocked on the gate. They stopped for the night, unharnessed the horses; Dunya’s grandfather had a mare, and the rich man had a gelding.
At night, my grandfather's horse gave birth to a foal, and the foolish foal fell away from its mother and found itself under the cart of that rich man.
A fairy tale about the Kindest Grandmother in the world. A fairy tale as a gift)))
The other day I decided to publish my fairy tales for children on the blog. These are just mother's educational tales for modern kids - short and simple. I usually composed them for my son or daughter before bed, and then wrote them down and drew illustrations. Fairy tales with pictures helped the child to comprehend one or another problem that had not reached him in any other way.
The first one on the blog is New Year’s Lelya (a New Year’s story about kindness, gratitude and, of course, the attitude of modern children towards gifts)
And now it’s the turn of the Fairy Tale about the Kindest Grandmother in the World. Here again about gifts. Relevant before the New Year, however.
A fairy tale about the Kindest Grandmother in the world.
All grandmothers, of course, are kind. And everyone loves their grandchildren. And our fairy tale is about the Kindest Grandmother in the world. She adored her grandson and did everything he wanted. So that he doesn't get upset. And the grandson kept wanting more and more new toys. And my grandmother bought them for him all the time. She spent all her money on new toys. At first she really, really liked it, and then not so much, and then not at all, but she couldn’t stop. And I bought everything, and bought, and bought.
And the grandson also got used to it and could no longer stop. When he saw his grandmother, he wanted to tell her something, but he still ended up asking for a new toy. He didn’t even want to, but it still happened that way. Of course, out of habit. That's how they lived. And there were more and more toys in the house. They filled the entire children's room, then the entire grandmother's apartment, then the entire entrance, the entire apartment building, and even filled up the entire yard, so that even the swings and slides were no longer visible. Some toys of grandma's grandson. Cars, construction sets, soldiers, robots, balls, bicycles, cartoon characters and so on and so forth. In order not to lose her grandson among the toys, the grandmother put on him a special helmet with reflective stripes.
And then one day my grandmother went to the store. For milk. She came and couldn’t find her grandson. His helmet does not sparkle. But he got too carried away and lost her. And he himself got lost in his toys. And the grandmother rushes about and cries. And the grandson is rushing about and crying. And they can't find each other. There are only colorful toys all around.
But the grandson was a resourceful boy. And he found a signal flare in the mountain of his toys. It was bought by my grandmother just in case. And this occasion has just arrived. The boy climbed to the very top of his toys and launched the rocket. She'll burst into flames. And the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees immediately saw her. And they quickly rushed to help. They flew out in a special helicopter and lowered a rope ladder for the boy. Then they saw the crying grandmother and also lowered the stairs for her. In the cabin of the helicopter, the grandmother and grandson met and began hugging and kissing. And the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees took them away from this yard littered with toys. And the most important employee proposed an operation to save the grandmother’s house and yard, he advised never to buy toys again, but to invite more children, and let everyone take what they want. And call this whole thing a charity event. And he also said that they could give grandma a medal for this. But the grandmother became embarrassed and told the Emergencies Ministry employee that the most important thing for her was that her beloved grandson had been found. But she doesn't need a medal. Let the kids come and take what they want. There is enough for everyone and there will be some left for the grandson.
To everyone - faith in miracles that must certainly happen to us!
And you know, I’m talking about gifts again))) I decided to take part in the big competition “The best gift for the New Year 2017” and I will be very glad to see your votes for my doll Winter's Tale
Sincerely, Milena Mikhaleva (painted dolls)
author's illustration
I woke up rich this morning.
“Look, neighbor,” he says to the old man, “my gelding gave birth to a foal at night!”
“How can you!” says grandfather. “They don’t sow millet into stone, and geldings don’t give birth to foals!” My mare brought this.
And the rich neighbor:
“No,” he says, “this is my foal!” If your mare had given birth, the foal would have been next to her! And look where - under my cart!
They argued, but there was no end to the dispute: the poor have the truth, and the rich have the benefit, one is not inferior to the other.
They arrived in the city. In that city at that time the king lived. And that king was the richest man in the whole kingdom, he considered himself the smartest man and loved to judge and discipline his subjects.
So the rich and the poor came to the king-judge. Dunin’s grandfather complains to the king:
“The rich man won’t give me the foal, he says the gelding gave birth to a foal!”
And to the king-judge, what does it matter to the truth: he could judge this way and that, but at first he wanted to have fun.
And he said:
- Here are four riddles for you - whoever solves it will receive a foal: “What is the strongest and fastest thing in the world?”, “What is the fattest thing in the world?”, and also “What is the softest and the cutest?”
The king gave them a period of three days, and on the fourth day there would be an answer.
In the meantime, while the trial is underway, the king ordered that grandfather’s horse with a foal and a cart and the rich man’s gelding be left in his yard: let both the poor and the rich live on foot until the king judges them.
Let the rich and the poor go home. The rich man thinks: it’s empty, they say, the king made a wish, I know the answer. But the poor man grieves: he doesn’t know the answer.
Dunya met her grandfather and asked:
- Who do you miss, grandpa? About grandma? So I stayed with you!
The grandfather told his granddaughter how it had happened and began to cry: he felt sorry for the foal.
“And also,” grandfather says, “the king asked a riddle, but I don’t know the answer.” Where can I guess them!
- Tell me, grandfather, what are the riddles? They are no smarter than the mind.
Grandfather said riddles. Dunya listened and said in response:
- You will go to the king and say: the wind is stronger and faster than anything else in the world; The fattest thing is the earth: whatever grows on it, whatever lives on it, it feeds everyone; and the softest thing in the world is hands, grandfather: no matter what a person lies on, he still puts his hand under his head; and there is nothing sweeter in the world than sleep, grandfather.
Three days later, grandfather and his rich neighbor came to the king-judge Dunin.
TOP 15 children's books about grandparents
On October 28, Russia celebrates Grandparents' Day, a worthy addition to the series of family holidays. Mother's Day already has glorious traditions of celebration, after which Father's Day, Brothers and Sisters' Day, Daughter's Day and Sons' Day entered the calendar of Russian holidays (albeit unofficially). And the day of October 28 is dedicated to two more family members - people who occupy a special place in it - grandparents.
Grandparents are very important people in every person's life. They are the best in the world at telling wonderful stories, baking incredibly delicious pies, being compassionate and supportive, coming up with fun games and adventures, and giving wise advice. Only next to them can fully grown adults return to childhood for a short time and feel like beloved grandchildren.
It is worth noting that this holiday is celebrated not only in the Russian Federation, but also in more than 30 countries around the world. The initiative to hold the event belongs to the Flower Bureau of Holland. In Russia it was first celebrated in 2009. The choice of date is not accidental. In ancient times, it was on October 28 that the Slavs celebrated a holiday honoring the family. The main idea of this day is to show the older generation that the younger generation really needs them, their presence in life, their advice and experience is important, that they are loved and respected, protected and cared for.
We offer you the most heartfelt works of fiction about our respected, wonderful, beloved, kind grandmothers and grandfathers.
Fredrik Backman “Grandmother told me to bow and tell her that she asks for forgiveness” (16+)
The girl Elsa is almost eight, and her grandmother is almost seventy-eight. Some call the grandmother eccentric, others - a “cheerful old lady”, others believe that she has simply gone crazy. But for Elsa, her grandmother is a superhero and her best friend. Because she always protects her granddaughter, regardless of the circumstances. And because he understands her like no one else.
When her grandmother dies, she leaves behind letters that Elsa must deliver to the recipients. Fulfilling her grandmother's instructions, she will learn a lot about the extraordinary life of her superhero, fight real, not fairy-tale evil, and make real friends.
Anna-Katrina Westley “Dad, Mom, Grandma, Eight Children and a Truck (collection)” (0+)
There are books that you need to read as a child. Among them are books by the famous Norwegian writer Anne-Katrina Westley. In her homeland, her name is known to everyone, and her popularity can only be compared with the popularity of Astrid Lindgren. Fortunately, Westley's books are well known in our country.
“Once upon a time there lived a big, big family: dad, mom and eight children... And with them lived a small truck, which they all loved very much. I couldn’t help but love it – after all, the truck fed the whole family!” This is how the writer introduces her characters. It talks about the life of a large family in which parents always find a common language with their children. The author does not hide that she loves her characters, and her love is passed on to the readers.
“Dad, Mom, Grandma, Eight Children and a Truck” is a book for family reading, in which life lessons are taught to the young reader without moralizing or edification, but with humor.
Gudrun Mebs "Grandma! – Frieder shouts” (6+)
Cunning and witty stories about a restless five-year-old boy Frieder and his tireless grandmother. How much they go through together! Sometimes they laugh, sometimes they quarrel and often test each other’s strength, finding out, for example, what will happen if they switch roles: grandma goes to the nursery to build houses, and Frieder goes to the kitchen to cook rice porridge.
And we, readers of different ages, from grandchildren to grandparents, peeking at them through the keyhole, learn a lesson in spiritual sensitivity and the ability to listen and hear each other.
Masha Traub “My grandmother is Lermontov” (16+)
Who loves and pampers the most? Grandmother! Who tells the most interesting bedtime stories? Granny! Who cooks the most delicious pies? You know!
Although, wait... The heroine’s grandmother, living in a small Ossetian village, did not spend any effort on preparing food, and distributed almost all her dishes to neighbors and friends. The fact is that the editor of the regional newspaper, extremely dependent on his work, simply had no time to think about such trifles. “So many women who cook! There are so few women who are Lermontov!” – the employees spoke with respect about their hectic editor-in-chief.
All in creativity, in the problems of fellow villagers, rebellious, homeless - this is how little Masha remembered her grandmother. And this is exactly how she was portrayed on the pages of the book - with humor, admiration and sincere love.
Narine Abgaryan “All about Manyun (collection)” (12+)
“Manyunya” is a bright, saturated with the sun and the smells of a southern bazaar and a stunningly funny story about childhood, about two girl friends Nara and Manyunya, about the formidable and kind Ba - Manyuni’s grandmother, and about a bunch of their relatives who constantly find themselves in incidental situations. This is that warm, mischievous and full of fun adventures childhood that makes a person happy for the rest of his life.
Anastasia Zurabova “Grandma knows best. Dishes of my childhood" (16+)
In her new book, Anastasia Zurabova has collected the most favorite and cozy recipes of our childhood, the same ones that were written down by my grandmother in a common notebook and without which the holiday would not have been a holiday. You start cooking, and your head is dizzy from the aroma: shortbread rings with nuts, your favorite cottage cheese casserole, baked peaches, red-sided stuffed peppers and the most delicious chicken cutlets in the world. These recipes are designed to make us happy.
Tinatina Mzhavanadze “Summer, Grandma and Me” (12+)
This book is nineteen years of one girl’s childhood and adolescence, in which her grandmother played the main role. A strict, kind and caring Georgian grandmother, with all the ensuing consequences. The book is woven from individual true stories from life: funny, touching, poignant and joyful.
And even though the girl ultimately grew up not exactly the way her grandmother wanted her to be, she was confident that the most important thing in life was great love, reckless and all-consuming.
This book is a tribute to all the wonderful grandmothers, whose memory squeezes our throats and makes us miss them even when we ourselves become mothers and grandmothers.
Asya Petrova “Does our cat have a grandmother?” (0+)
The main character's grandmother is not at all like ordinary grandmothers; she paints her nails with green polish, does not know how to bake pies and tell fairy tales. It is not for nothing that the boy suspects that she came from some distant star. However, this does not stop them from loving each other.
Funny and interesting stories about good family relationships are understandable to both adults and children.
Anastasia Lastochkina “My beloved grandmother!” (0+)
Who is the most caring, affectionate and kind? Who has the most wonderful fairy tales and fun ideas? Who bakes the best pies in the world and masterfully sculpts a snowman? My beloved grandmother! Dedicated to all the grandmothers of the world.
At the end of the book there are questions compiled by a children's teacher-psychologist. Discuss them with your child.
The book is recommended for parents, educators, teachers.
Useful fairy tales educate without shouting and punishment!
Narine Abgaryan, Valentin Postnikov “Chocolate Grandfather” (6+)
A completely ordinary Norwegian family lives in the Norwegian city of Bergen: mom, dad, six-year-old Martin and his older sister Matilda. But everything changes, and life is suddenly filled with adventures when Grandpa Oscar, whom the children have never seen before, comes to stay with them. It’s not for nothing that Oscar was nicknamed the Chocolate Grandfather, because he has a terrible sweet tooth and cannot live without sweets and chocolate. And he, believe it or not, can walk on the ceiling, such an unusual grandfather! At the same time as Oscar, the Paulsen sisters arrive in Bergen, three rather mischievous ladies who, on the contrary, cannot stand sweets and dream that all the cakes and pastries in the city will become bitter or salty. Why do they need this and will they be able to disrupt the annual city sweets fair, or will someone interfere with their insidious plans? How did this exciting detective story end? Read the book and you will find out.
Angela Nanetti “My grandfather was a cherry” (6+)
Old man Ottaviano planted a cherry tree, which became his grandson's best friend. And so a story was born about an unusual grandfather who knew how to listen to plants and believed that “a person does not die as long as the cherry trees continue to live for him.”
The book “My Grandfather Was a Cherry” was included in the list of outstanding books for children “White Crows” compiled by the International Munich Youth Library. It won awards in Italy, Germany and France, and its author, Angela Nanetti, was nominated for the main prize in children's literature - the H.H. Andersen Prize.
Masha Rupasova “Grandfather, where are you, grandfather?” (0+)
Moms and dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters - all those who surround the baby and give him their love and warmth. This collection of poems by the popular contemporary poet Masha Rupasova is about them.
Eric Veilleux “Supergranny” (6+)
Funny, poetic, bright and full of tenderness...
Try to draw a portrait of your grandmother from this book and you will see how much space she occupies in your life. What kind of unusual creatures are grandmothers?
Where to look for them? How do they spend their free time? What are they thinking about? Why do they have folds on their skin?
Forget the myth that all grandmothers are boring and harmful. How much they manage to do: knit, argue with girlfriends, travel and play sports!
Author Eric Veilleux studied applied art in Paris. One day, one sunny spring day, he decided to try his hand at creating books for children.
"Supergranny" is a smart, crazy and very caring book about our favorite grannies.
For older preschool age.
Yulia Kuznetsova “House P” (0+)
Yulia Kuznetsova’s story “House P” is a story about a very ordinary family, with a mother, father, two daughters and grandmother. Dad Seryozha and mom Tanya went to work, Vika went to school, Tina went to kindergarten. And grandmother Zhenya was sitting at home. She was very kind, caring, and more than anything else she was afraid of upsetting her son, the girls’ dad, and, of course, the rest of the family. For example, in order not to scare anyone, she did not say that she actually didn’t watch TV series, but was involved in boxing. One day, dad met his classmate, and he told him that he was now the director of a wonderful place where old men and women could take a break from their worries. Dad had his doubts, but then he still sent grandma Zhenya to a nursing home, or house P - he somehow couldn’t pronounce the phrase completely. Grandma Zhenya really didn’t want to go there, because she was not at all tired of taking care of her loved ones, but she didn’t want to upset her son even more - so she went. This story is about what happens when we don't tell each other how we really feel. And also about how important it is to be close to the one you really love.
The author of the story “House P”, Yulia Kuznetsova, is a laureate of the Cherished Dream awards (2009, 2011), the V.P. Krapivin International Children’s Literary Prize (2011) and the Kniguru award (2012–2013).
Natalya Markelova “Such different grandmothers” (6+)
As children, we dream of becoming doctors, sailors or astronauts. But Lenochka dreams of becoming a grandmother, because her grandmother is a real good fairy! What other grandmothers are there and what kind of magic they keep in their pockets - in Natalya Markelova’s book “Such Different Grandmothers.”
Warm and sunny illustrations by Maria Korotaeva.
Sources:
1. Grandparents Day in Russia
2. liters library
The rich man says to the king:
“Although your riddles are wise, our sovereign judge, I guessed them right away: the strongest and fastest of all is the brown mare from your stable: if you hit her with a whip, she will catch up with the hare.” And the fattest of all is also your pockmarked hog: he has become so fat that he has not risen to his feet for a long time. And the softest thing is your feather bed on which you rest. And the cutest of all is your son Nikitushka!
The king-judge listened - and to the poor old man:
- What do you think? Did you bring the answer or not?
The old man answers as his granddaughter taught him. He answers, but he himself is afraid: he must be guessing wrong; The rich neighbor must have said it right.
The king-judge listened and asked:
“Did you come up with the answer yourself or did someone teach you?”
The old man speaks the truth:
- But where am I, Tsar-Judge! I have a granddaughter, she is so smart and skillful, she taught me.
The king became curious and funny, but he still had nothing to do.
“If your granddaughter is smart,” says the king-judge, “and skilled at work, take her this silk thread.” Let her weave me a patterned towel and have it ready by morning. Have you heard or not?
“I hear, I hear!” the grandfather answers the king. “But I’m so stupid!”
He hid the thread in his bosom and went home. He walks, but he himself is timid: even Dunyushka won’t be able to weave a whole towel from one thread... And by morning, even with patterns!
Dunya listened to her grandfather and spoke.
- Don’t worry, grandfather, it’s not a problem yet!
She took a broom, broke off a twig, gave it to her grandfather and said:
“Go to this king-judge and tell him: let him find a craftsman who will make beds out of this twig so that I have something to weave a towel on.”
The old man went again to the king. He goes, and he himself is waiting for another misfortune, another task, for which Dunyushka is not even smart enough.
That's how it happened.
The king gave the old man one and a half hundred eggs and ordered the old man’s granddaughter to hatch one and a half hundred chickens by tomorrow.
Grandfather returned to the court.
“One trouble did not go away,” he says, “another appeared.”
And he told his granddaughter the new royal task.
And Dunya answered him:
- And that’s not a problem, grandfather!
She took the eggs, baked them and served them for dinner.
The next day he says:
- Go, grandfather, again to the king. Tell him to send one-day-old millet to feed the chickens; Let them plow the field in one day, sow it with millet, let it ripen, and then cut it down, thresh it, winnow it and harrow it. Tell the king: the chickens won’t eat any other millet, they’ll soon die.
And the grandfather went again. The king-judge listened to him and said:
“Your granddaughter is cunning, and I’m not simple either.” Let your granddaughter come to me in the morning - neither on foot, nor on horseback, neither naked, nor clothed, nor with a gift, and not without a gift!
Grandfather went home. “What a whim!” he thinks.
When Dunya learned the new riddle, she began to feel sad, but then became cheerful and said:
- Go, grandfather, to the forest to the hunters and buy me a live hare and a live quail... But no, don’t go, you’re old, you’re tired of walking, you rest. I’ll go myself - I’m little, the hunters will give me a hare and a quail for free, but we have nothing to buy them with.
Dunyushka went to the forest and brought back a hare and a quail. And when morning came, Dunya took off her shirt, put on a fishing net, took a quail in her hands, sat astride a hare and went to the king-judge.
When the king saw her, he was surprised and frightened:
-Where does this monster come from? Such a monster had never been seen before!
And Dunyushka bowed to the king and said:
- Here you go, father, take what you were ordered to bring!
And gives him a quail. The king-judge extended his hand, and the quail—flutter!—and flew away.
The king looked at Dunya.
“You didn’t give up on anything,” he says, “you came as I ordered.” “And what,” he asks, “do you and your grandfather feed on?”
Dunya answers the king:
“And my grandfather catches fish on a dry bank; he doesn’t put nets in the water.” And I carry fish home with my hem and cook fish soup in a handful!
The king-judge became angry:
- What are you saying, stupid! Where does this fish live on a dry shore? Where is fish soup cooked in handfuls?
And Dunya says against him:
-Are you smart? Where have you seen a gelding give birth to a foal? And in your kingdom even a gelding gives birth!
The king-judge was puzzled:
- How could you find out whose foal it was? Maybe a stranger ran in!
Fairy tale Grandma. Andersen G.H.
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Grandma is so old, her face is all wrinkled, her hair is white-white, but her eyes are like your stars - so bright, beautiful and affectionate! And what wonderful stories she knows! And the dress she’s wearing is made of thick silk material with large flowers - it rustles! Grandma knows a lot, a lot; She’s been in the world a long time ago, much longer than mom and dad—really! Grandmother has a psalter, a thick book bound with silver clasps, and she reads it often. Between the sheets of the book lies a flattened, dried rose. She is not at all as beautiful as those roses that stand in grandma’s glass of water, but grandma still smiles most tenderly at this particular rose and looks at it with tears in her eyes. Why does grandma look at the dried rose like that? You know? Every time the grandmother’s tears fall on a flower, its colors are revived again, it again becomes a lush rose, the whole room is filled with fragrance, the walls melt like fog, and the grandmother is in a green, sun-drenched forest! The grandmother herself is no longer a decrepit old woman, but a young, charming girl with golden curls and rosy round cheeks that rival the roses themselves. Her eyes... Yes, you can recognize her by her sweet, gentle eyes! A handsome, courageous young man sits next to her. He gives the girl a rose, and she smiles at him... Well, grandma never smiles like that! Oh no, here he is smiling! He left. Other memories flash by, many images flash by; the young man is no longer there, the rose lies in an old book, and the grandmother herself... sits again on her chair, just as old, and looks at the dried rose. But grandma died! She sat, as always, in her chair and told a long, long, wonderful story, and then said: “Well, that’s the end!” Now let me rest; I'm tired and take a nap. And she leaned back, sighed and fell asleep. But her breathing became quieter and quieter, and her face became so calm and joyful, as if it were illuminated by a clear sun! And then they said that she died. The grandmother was wrapped in a white shroud and placed in a black coffin; She was so beautiful even with her eyes closed! All the wrinkles disappeared, a smile froze on his lips, his silver gray hair inspired respect. It was not at all scary to look at the dead one - it was the same sweet, kind grandmother! The psalter was placed under her head - as she ordered; the rose remained in the book. And so the grandmother was buried. A rose bush was planted on her grave, near the cemetery fence. It was all in bloom: a nightingale sang above it, and from the church came the wonderful sounds of the organ and the melodies of the very psalms that were written in the book on which the head of the deceased rested. The moon stood directly above the grave, but the shadow of the deceased never appeared. Any child could easily go there at night and pick a rose by sticking his little hand through the bars. The dead know more than we living; they know how frightened we would be if we suddenly saw them in front of us. The dead are better than us and therefore do not appear to us. The coffin is buried in the ground and there is also only earth inside it. The sheets of the psalter became dust, and so did the rose with which so many memories were associated. But new roses are blooming over the grave, a nightingale is singing over it, the sounds of an organ are rushing towards it, and the memory of the old grandmother with her sweet, eternally youthful gaze is still alive! The gaze never dies! And someday we will see grandmother as young and beautiful as when she first pressed to her lips a fresh scarlet rose, which has now decayed in the grave.
Someone is currently reading this on the site: Poem Grandmother's Hands
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