Once the non-children's writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin said that the purest and most honest creatures in the world are children and animals. These are the main characters of sad, but bright stories " white poodle», « Miraculous doctor”,“ Elephant ”, included in this collection.
Kuprin tenderly, with deep sympathy, treats those of his heroes who do their job well. These are the little acrobat Seryozha ("White Poodle") and the great doctor Pirogov ("Wonderful Doctor"). But, according to the writer, the cruel aspects of life - poverty, illness, humiliation - are overcome only by faith in a miracle and the ability to create it with one's own hands.
Brave and dexterous Serezha miraculously saves his faithful friend Arto the poodle from trouble. The miracle of a chance meeting with the merciful doctor Pirogov completely changes the life of the Mertsalov family, seemingly doomed to slow extinction. The girl Nadia from the story "Elephant" is sick with apathy, does not drink, does not eat. But she wants an elephant. They bring a toy - she indifferently moves away. And then her father negotiates with the owner of the menagerie and brings a real elephant to her daughter. To do this, the house has to break a number of walls. The huge animal is led through town and lured into the house with a pistachio cake. The elephant greets the girl, drinks tea with her, plays. The next day - that's it, a miracle! Nadia wakes up healthy.
“The main thing is never lose heart,” said Dr. Pirogov to the Mertsalov family at parting. Perhaps this is the most the main idea in all the works of Kuprin, written by him about children and for children.
Stories by A.I. Kuprin are written in excellent Russian and are good for family reading.
The book is published for the first time with illustrations by the artist Anatoly Slepkov.

On Sunday morning Father Olympius was getting ready for the service. He gargled with boric acid, breathed over the steam. The deacon's wife, a thin plain woman, brought him a glass of vodka in honor of the day off

Barbos and Zhulka

Life is impossible without friendship. Friendship is a mutual disposition towards each other. Barbos is a dog, and even more so the most ordinary dog ​​that has no pedigree, and breed, just in a word, Barbos is a mongrel

white poodle

chief actor is a white poodle named Arto. He was distinguished by exceptional intelligence and training. This dog was part of the roaming corpse of circus performers, which, besides him, was also the old organ grinder Martyn and the acrobat boy Seryozha

In the bowels of the earth

The story of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin tells about a boy named Vanka. He is short and very thin. Vanka works in a coal mine, away from his family

At the circus

The circus wrestler Arbuzov felt unwell and went to the doctor. The doctor examined him and said that he must take care of his health and give up training and performances for a while, otherwise it could end badly. Arbuzov said that he had signed a contract

in the dark

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Moscow railway station, the farewell scene of three young people who were impatiently waiting for the train to depart dragged on. When one of them, Alarin Alexander Yegorovich, was in the car, he tried not to draw attention to himself.

Gambrinus

The most important initial events unfold in an ordinary pub called Gambrinus. A very unusual name for a beer bar, but nonetheless. This place got it alternative name not without reason.

Garnet bracelet

This work begins with the fact that Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, who is the wife of the leader of the nobility, lives in the country, as their apartment, which is located in the city, is being renovated.

Garnet bracelet by chapters

1 chapter. The story begins with a description of the bad weather that came at the end of summer on the Black Sea coast. The bulk of the inhabitants began to move to the city in a hurry, leaving the gardens. Princess Vera

Zavirayka

In early spring, two hunters went to the snowy forest to hunt hares, and took with them hunting dog Zavirayka. The hunters were followed by a large and noisy pack of village dogs.

Star of Solomon

The amazing and mysterious genre of mysticism has attracted connoisseurs at all times. fiction. The work of A. I. Kuprin "The Star of Solomon" is no exception and captures the reader

golden rooster

The story "The Golden Rooster" is like a symphony, there is so much sound here. He is like a beautiful picture - there is so much light here! The story is about a small miracle. The question is just this: was it a common thing

Emerald

The Emerald story is one of the best works Alexandra Kuprin in which animals play the main roles. The story reveals the theme of the injustice of the world around, filled with envy and cruel attitude.

Wheel of Time

Main character the story "The Wheel of Time" - Mikhail, a former military man who, after serving, ended up in France, where he works at a factory with other emigrants from Russia. Very often Michael and his friends come

lilac bush

A young and poor officer named "Almazov" came home from a speech at the Academy of General. headquarters and sat down in his office without taking off his clothes. The wife immediately realized that a misfortune had happened

Listrigons

The book tells about the fishermen - listrigons, who were the descendants of the Greek colonists. October has come to Balaklava. All summer residents left the city, and the inhabitants of Balaklava concentrated on fishing.

My flight

Being in the city of Odessa, the writer Kuprin observes outlandish flights on a plywood airplane. His friend Zaikin, having already made several successful laps, invites the writer to fly with him.

Moloch

The action in the story "Moloch" takes place at a steel plant where engineer Andrey Ilyich Bobrov works. He suffers from insomnia due to morphine, which he cannot refuse. Bobrov cannot be called happy, as he feels disgust

At a turning point (cadets)

Misha Bulanin, a child who grew up in a wonderful house, was distinguished by good manners and a trusting character. The parents decided to send the boy to study in cadet school in which cruel and barbaric rules were tacitly established.

Olesya

The narrator comes to a remote village for six months and, out of boredom, communicates and works with the peasants, hunts. Once on a hunt, the main character goes astray and ends up in the house where the witch Mainulikha and her granddaughter Olesya live.

Olesya chapter by chapter

Chapter 1. By the will of fate, the young master was abandoned in a remote village for half a year. Going there, the novice writer did not suspect how dreary life is in this godforsaken land. He was going to

Pirate

This is a sad story about a poor old man and his dog Pirate. The old man was not always poor and drunk. He had a family, and a house, and money. But, one day, his wife ran away with the clerk, and the old man started drinking with grief.

Duel

The sixth company is finishing its classes and the officers, junior in rank, are trying to compete who is the most dexterous in cutting down a stuffed animal from clay. Lieutenant Grigory Romashov starts. He does not know the business well, so he does not succeed.

peregrine falcon

The story begins with the introduction of the narrator, whose name is Peregrine Thirty-Six, and, as we learn later, is a dog. At the very beginning, the dog talks about his noble ancestors

holy lies

The protagonist of the story "The Holy Lie" is Ivan Ivanovich Semenyuta, not a bad person, but he can rightly be called a typical loser. Because of his timidity, indecision, shyness, Semenyuta could not stand up for himself since school

Blue Star

In the story "Blue Star" Kuprin asks readers a real riddle. The king of a country hidden in the mountains leaves a message on the wall before his death, but no one can decipher it.

Starlings

The story about starlings begins with a general remark that animals and birds feel nature well. They can, for example, predict earthquakes, and a person, by their restless behavior, himself guesses about the impending disaster.

Elephant

The story "The Elephant" shows the miraculous recovery of a little girl who dreamed only of an elephant. The six-year-old girl Nadia does not eat, does not drink, turns pale and loses weight, does not play and does not laugh. What is the disease? Doctors shrug ... But one of them suggests

dog happiness

It happened in September. Dog pointer Jack went with the cook Anna to the market. He knew the way, walking not for the first time. It was for this reason that he ran ahead of his companion, sniffing the pavement. Periodically stopped to see where the cook was going

Shulamith

At the beginning, the author tells about the time of Solomon's reign, about his life. The forty-five-year-old king of Persia was unusually wise and handsome, generous and rich. Solomon had many women, only seven hundred wives in the harem. And more concubines

Ballroom pianist

Kuprin's story "Taper" shows the bright personality of a talented boy. A taper is a pianist who plays at balls. It's important, but not so tricky. The talent of the protagonist, the poor young man Yuri, cannot even unfold at full power at these dances.

Brave Runaways

Three boys lived in a boarding house for children. When a new cool lady appeared in the group, she began to find fault with one named Nelgin for his pranks. When it was time to walk

four beggars

Juncker

The end of August has come. Alyosha Alexandrov recently graduated from the cadet corps. Alyosha was enrolled in the cadet infantry school named after Emperor Alexander II. He went to visit the Sinelnikovs to see young Julia

Pit

The entertainment establishment of Anna Markovna is located in the so-called Pit (Yamskaya Sloboda), it does not belong to the refined and chic places, but it does not belong to the lowest. Various men come here in search of pleasure.

about the author

Kuprin did not grow up in a wealthy family, since his father died early from cholera. After the death of the breadwinner, he ended up in an orphanage, then studied at the cadet corps in Moscow, in the city where his mother was born.

From the age of six, Kuprin began early work on military theme associated with army everyday life, aimlessness of spending time in the army and petty-bourgeois limitations.

In 1905, the author finishes work on the story "Duel", which becomes the object of noise and discussion, as society perceives the work very negatively. Therefore, the army service ended in resignation, but before that Kuprin managed to capture stories in magazines.

Since Kuprin improved his qualifications in the field of journalism, this helped him develop literary activity in such works as "Breguet", "Overnight", "The Miraculous Doctor" and others, which brought him popularity and became his best creations.

In 1896, Moloch was published, which tells about capitalism and the revolt of workers, when the intelligentsia helps with artistic and literary support, and helps the author to get acquainted with M. Gorky, A. Chekhov and other writers.

Chekhov experienced many wanderings in his life, and each journey in his life gives him new works that tell about his environment and the life of that time.

It was after returning from France that he became very ill, since emigration is detrimental to him, since far from his homeland causes deep-seated diseases in a vulnerable nature, when a return to Moscow ends with the death of the writer.

However, there were also bright days in Kuprin's life, when in 1908-19011, revolutionary love stories "Garnet Bracelet" and "Shulamith" were created.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26, 1870 in the county town of Narovchat, Penza province. His father, a collegiate registrar, died at thirty-seven of cholera. The mother, left alone with three children and practically without a livelihood, went to Moscow. There she managed to arrange for her daughters in a boarding house "on a state budget", and her son settled with his mother in the Widow's House on Presnya. (The widows of military and civilians who had served for the good of the Fatherland for at least ten years were accepted here.) military school, and after that he was sent to the 46th Dnieper regiment. Thus, the young years of the writer passed in a state-owned environment, the strictest discipline and drill.

His dream of a free life came true only in 1894, when, after his resignation, he arrived in Kyiv. Here, having no civilian profession, but feeling a literary talent in himself (as a cadet he published the story "The Last Debut"), Kuprin got a job as a reporter in several local newspapers.

The work was easy for him, he wrote, by his own admission, "on the run, on the fly." Life, as if in compensation for the boredom and monotony of youth, now did not skimp on impressions. In the next few years, Kuprin repeatedly changes his place of residence and occupation. Volyn, Odessa, Sumy, Taganrog, Zaraysk, Kolomna ... Whatever he does: he becomes a prompter and actor in a theater troupe, a psalmist, a forest ranger, a proofreader and an estate manager; even studying to be a dental technician and flying an airplane.

In 1901, Kuprin moved to St. Petersburg, and here begins his new, literary life. Very soon he becomes a regular contributor to well-known St. Petersburg magazines - “ Russian wealth”,“ The World of God ”,“ Magazine for All. One after another, stories and novels are published: "Swamp", "Horse Thieves", "White Poodle", "Duel", "Gambrinus", "Shulamith" and an unusually subtle, lyrical work about love - "Garnet Bracelet".

The story "Garnet Bracelet" was written by Kuprin in the heyday of Silver Age in Russian literature, which was distinguished by an egocentric attitude. Writers and poets then wrote a lot about love, but for them it was more a passion than the highest pure love. Kuprin, despite these new trends, continues the tradition of Russian literature XIX century and writes a story about a completely disinterested, high and pure, true love which does not go “directly” from person to person, but through love for God. This whole story is a wonderful illustration of the hymn of love of the Apostle Paul: “Love endures long, is kind, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, is not irritated, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. ; covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything. Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished. What does the hero of the story Zheltkov need from his love? He does not look for anything in her, he is happy only because she is. Kuprin himself noted in one letter, speaking about this story: "I have not written anything more chaste yet."

Kuprin’s love is generally chaste and sacrificial: the hero of the later story “Inna”, being rejected and excommunicated from home for a reason he does not understand, does not try to take revenge, forget his beloved as soon as possible and find solace in the arms of another woman. He continues to love her all the same selflessly and humbly, and all he needs is just to see the girl, even from a distance. Even having finally received an explanation, and at the same time learning that Inna belongs to another, he does not fall into despair and indignation, but, on the contrary, finds peace and tranquility.

In the story "Holy Love" - ​​all the same sublime feeling, the object of which is an unworthy woman, a cynical and prudent Elena. But the hero does not see her sinfulness, all his thoughts are so pure and innocent that he is simply not able to suspect the evil.

In less than ten years, Kuprin becomes one of the most widely read authors in Russia, and in 1909 he receives the academic Pushkin Prize. In 1912, his collected works were published in nine volumes as an appendix to the Niva magazine. Real glory came, and with it stability and confidence in tomorrow. However, this prosperity did not last long: the First World War. Kuprin arranges an infirmary for 10 beds in his house, his wife Elizaveta Moritsovna, a former sister of mercy, takes care of the wounded.

Kuprin could not accept the October Revolution of 1917. He took the defeat of the White Army as a personal tragedy. “I ... bow my head respectfully before the heroes of all volunteer armies and detachments, who disinterestedly and selflessly believed their souls for their friends,” he would later say in his work “The Dome of St. Isaac of Dalmatia.” But the worst thing for him is the changes that happened to people overnight. People "bruised" before our eyes, lost their human appearance. In many of his works (“The Dome of St. Isaac of Dalmatia”, “Search”, “Interrogation”, “Pinto Horses. Apocrypha”, etc.), Kuprin describes these terrible changes in human souls that took place in the post-revolutionary years.

In 1918 Kuprin met with Lenin. “For the first and probably the last time in my life I went to a man with the sole purpose of looking at him,” he admits in the story “Lenin. Instant photo. The one he saw was far from the image that Soviet propaganda imposed. “At night, already in bed, without fire, I again turned my memory to Lenin, called up his image with extraordinary clarity and ... was frightened. It seemed to me that for a moment I seemed to have entered into it, I felt like it. “In essence,” I thought, “this man, so simple, polite and healthy, is much more terrible than Nero, Tiberius, Ivan the Terrible. Those, with all their spiritual ugliness, were still people accessible to the whims of the day and fluctuations in character. This one is something like a stone, like a cliff, which has broken away from the mountain range and is rapidly rolling down, destroying everything in its path. And besides - think! - a stone, by virtue of some kind of magic, - thinking! He has no feelings, no desires, no instincts. One sharp, dry, invincible thought: falling, I destroy.

Fleeing from the devastation and hunger that engulfed post-revolutionary Russia, the Kuprins leave for Finland. Here the writer is actively working in the emigrant press. But in 1920, he and his family had to move again. “It is not my will that fate itself fills the sails of our ship with wind and drives it to Europe. The newspaper will be out soon. I have a Finnish passport until June 1, and after this period they will only be allowed to live on homeopathic doses. There are three roads: Berlin, Paris and Prague ... But I, a Russian illiterate knight, do not understand well, turn my head and scratch my head, ”he wrote to Repin. Bunin's letter from Paris helped to resolve the issue of choosing a country, and in July 1920 Kuprin and his family moved to Paris.

However, neither the long-awaited peace nor well-being comes. Here they are strangers to everyone, without housing, without work, in a word - refugees. Kuprin is engaged in literary day labor. There is a lot of work, but it is paid low, money is sorely lacking. He tells his old friend Zaikin: "... he was left naked and poor, like a stray dog." But even more than need, he is exhausted by homesickness. In 1921, he wrote to the writer Gushchik in Tallinn: “... there is not a day that I do not remember Gatchina, why I left. It is better to starve and get cold at home than to live out of the mercy of a neighbor under a bench. I want to go home ... ”Kuprin dreams of returning to Russia, but is afraid that he will be met there as a traitor to the Motherland.

Gradually, life got better, but nostalgia remained, only “lost its sharpness and became chronic,” Kuprin wrote in the essay “Motherland”. “You live in a beautiful country, among smart and good people, among the monuments greatest culture... But everything is just for fun, as if the film of cinematography is unfolding. And all the silent, dull grief that you no longer cry in your sleep and see in your dream neither Znamenskaya Square, nor Arbat, nor Povarskaya, nor Moscow, nor Russia, but only a black hole. Longing for the lost happy life is heard in the story “At the Trinity-Sergius”: “But what can I do with myself if the past lives in me with all the feelings, sounds, songs, cries, images, smells and tastes, and the present life stretches out before me like a daily one, never changeable, boring, battered film. And do we not live in the past sharper, but deeper, sadder, but sweeter than in the present?

Kuprin A.I. is a famous Russian writer. The heroes of his works are ordinary people who, despite social order and injustice, do not lose faith in goodness. For those who wish to introduce the child to the writer's work, below is a list of Kuprin's works for children with a brief description.

Anathema

The story "Anathema" reveals the theme of the opposition of the church against Leo Tolstoy. At the end of his life he often wrote on the subject of religion. The ministers of the church did not like what Tolstoy expounded, and they decided to anathematize the writer. The case was entrusted to Archdeacon Olympius. But the protodeacon was an admirer of Lev Nikolaevich's work. The day before he read the author's story, he was so delighted with the bark that he even cried. As a result, instead of anathema, Olympius wished Tolstoy "Many years!".

white poodle

In the story "White Poodle" the author describes the history of a wandering troupe. The old organ grinder, together with the boy Seryozha and the poodle Arto, earned money by performing numbers in front of the public. After a whole day of unsuccessful walking around the local dachas, luck nevertheless smiled at them: in the last house there were spectators who wanted to see the performance. It was a spoiled and capricious boy named Trilly. Seeing the dog, he wished it for himself. However, his mother received a categorical refusal, because friends are not sold. Then she stole the dog with the help of a janitor. That same night Serezha brought his friend back.

Swamp

Kuprin's work "Swamp" tells how the land surveyor Zhmakin, together with his student assistant, returned after shooting. Since the way home is long, they had to go to sleep with the forester - Stepan. During the journey, student Nikolai Nikolaevich entertained Zhmakin with a conversation, which only irritated the old man. When they had to go through the swamp, both were afraid of the bog. If not for Stepan, it is not known whether they would have got out. Staying with him for the night, the student saw the meager life of a forester.

The story "In the Circus" tells about the cruel fate of the circus strongman - Arbuzov. He will have to fight in the arena with an American. Reber is perhaps inferior to him in strength and dexterity. But today Arbuzov is not able to show all his skill and skill. He is seriously ill and cannot fight on an equal footing. Unfortunately, this is noticed only by the doctor, who considered the wrestler's appearance on the stage dangerous for the athlete's health. The rest need only a spectacle. As a result, Arbuzov is defeated.

Inquiry

"Inquest" is one of the author's first stories. It tells about the investigation of the theft, in which a Tatar soldier is accused. The inquiry is conducted by Lieutenant Kozlovsky. There was no serious evidence of a thief. Therefore, Kozlovsky decides to get a confession from the suspect with a cordial attitude. The method was successful, and the Tatar confessed to the theft. However, the second lieutenant began to doubt the justice of his act in relation to the accused. On this basis, Kozlovsky had a quarrel with another officer.

Emerald

The work "Emerald" tells about human cruelty. The protagonist is a four-year-old stallion participating in the races, whose feelings and emotions are described in the story. The reader knows what he is thinking, what feelings he is experiencing. In the stable where he is kept, there is no harmony between brothers. Emerald's already savory life gets worse when he wins the races. People accuse horse owners of cheating. And after long examinations and trials, the Emerald is simply poisoned to death.

lilac bush

In the story "The Lilac Bush" the author describes the relationship of a married couple. Husband - Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov, studies at the Academy of the General Staff. Drawing up a plan of the area, he made a blot, which he covered over, depicting bushes in that place. Since in reality there was no vegetation there, the professor did not believe Almazov and rejected the work. His wife Vera not only reassured her husband, but also corrected the situation. She did not spare her jewelry, paying with them for the purchase and planting of a lilac bush in that very ill-fated place.

Lenochka

The work "Helen" is a story about a meeting of old acquaintances. Colonel Voznitsyn, heading to the Crimea on a ship, met a woman whom he knew in his youth. Then her name was Lenochka, and Voznitsyn had tender feelings for her. They were swirled in a whirlpool of memories of youth, reckless deeds and a kiss at the gate. After meeting many years later, they barely recognized each other. Seeing the daughter of Elena, who was very similar to her young, Voznitsyn felt sadness.

moonlit night

“Moonlight Night” is a work that tells about one event. On a warm June night, two acquaintances, as usual, were returning from guests. One of them is the narrator of the story, the other is a certain Gamov. Returning home after visiting the evening at Elena Alexandrovna's dacha, the heroes walked along the road. The usually silent Gamow was surprisingly talkative on this warm June night. He told about the murder of the girl. His interlocutor realized that Gamow himself was the culprit of the incident.

Moloch

The hero of the work "Moloch" is an engineer of a steel plant Andrei Ilyich Bobrov. He was disgusted with his work. Because of this, he began to take morphine, as a result of which he suffered from insomnia. The only bright moment in his life was Nina, one of the daughters of the warehouse manager at the plant. However, all his attempts to get close to the girl ended in nothing. And after the arrival in the city of the owner of the plant, Kvashin, Nina was married to another. Svezhevsky became the girl's fiancé and the new manager.

Olesya

The hero of the work "Olesya" is a young man who talks about his stay in the village of Perebrod. In such a remote area there is not much entertainment. In order not to get bored at all, the hero, together with the servant Yarmola, goes hunting. One of those days they got lost and found a hut. An old witch lived in it, about whom Yarmola had previously told. A romance breaks out between the hero and the old woman's daughter Olesya. However, dislike local residents separates the heroes.

Duel

The story "Duel" is about Lieutenant Romashov and his affair with Raisa Alexandrovna Peterson. Soon he decided to terminate the relationship with a married woman. The offended lady promised to take revenge on the second lieutenant. It is not known from whom, but the deceived husband found out about his wife's affair with Romashov. Over time, a scandal broke out between the second lieutenant and Nikolaev, whom he visited, which resulted in a duel. As a result of the duel, Romashov dies.

Elephant

The work "Elephant" tells about the girl Nadia. Once she fell ill, and a doctor, Mikhail Petrovich, was called to her. After examining the girl, the doctor said that Nadya had "indifference to life." To heal the child, the doctor advised to cheer her up. Therefore, when Nadia asked to bring an elephant, her father did everything possible to fulfill her desire. After the joint tea party of the girl with the elephant, she went to bed, and the next morning she got up completely healthy.

Miraculous doctor

The speech in the story "The Wonderful Doctor" is about the Mertsalov family, which began to be haunted by trouble. First, my father fell ill and lost his job. All the family's savings went to the treatment. Because of this, they had to move to a damp basement. Then the children started getting sick. One girl died. His father's attempts to find funds came to nothing until he met Dr. Pirogov. Thanks to him, the lives of the remaining children were saved.

Pit

The story "Yama" about life women lung behavior. All of them are kept in an institution run by Anna Markovna. One of the visitors - Lichonin - decides to take one of the girls into his care. Thus, he wanted to save the unfortunate Lyuba. However, this decision led to many problems. As a result, Lyubka returned to the institution. When Anna Markovna was replaced by Emma Eduardovna, a series of troubles began. In the end, the institution was looted by soldiers.

On capercaillie

In the work "On the Capercaillie" the story is told in the first person. Panych tells how he went on a capercaillie hunt. As his companion, he took the state forester - Trofim Shcherbaty, who knows the forest well. The hunters spent the first day on the road, and in the evening they made a halt. The next morning, before dawn, Trofimych led the master through the forest in search of capercaillie. Only with the help of the forester and his knowledge of the habits of birds, the main character managed to shoot the capercaillie.

Accommodation

The main character of the work "Overnight" is lieutenant Avilov. He, along with the regiment, went on big maneuvers. On the way, he felt bored and indulged in dreams. At a halt, he was provided with an overnight stay in the house of a clerk. Falling asleep, Avilov witnessed the conversation between the owner and his wife. It was clear that even in her youth the girl was dishonored by a young man. Because of this, the owner beats his wife every evening. When Avilov realizes that it was he who ruined the woman's life, he becomes ashamed.

Autumn flowers

The story "Autumn Flowers" is a letter from a woman to her former lover. Once they were happy together. They were bound by tender feelings. Having met again after many years, the lovers realized that their love had died. After the man offered to visit his ex-lover, she decided to leave. In order not to be influenced by sensuality and not to discredit past memories. So she wrote a letter and got on the train.

Pirate

The work "Pirate" is named after a dog that was a friend to a poor old man. Together they gave performances in taverns, which earned them a living. Sometimes the "artists" left with nothing and remained hungry. One day the merchant, seeing the performance, wished to buy Piratka. Starkey resisted for a long time, but could not resist and sold a friend for 13 rubles. After that, he longed for a long time, tried to steal a dog and eventually hanged himself out of grief.

river of life

The story "River of Life" describes the way of life in furnished rooms. The author tells about the hostess of the institution - Anna Friedrichovna, her fiancé and children. Once in this "realm of vulgarity" an emergency occurs. An unfamiliar student rents a room and closes himself there to write a letter. Being a member of the revolutionary movement, he gets interrogated. The student got scared and betrayed his comrades. Because of this, he could not continue to live and committed suicide.

The work "Starlings" tells about migratory birds, which are the first to return to their native lands after winter. It tells about the difficulties encountered on the way of wanderers. For the return of birds to Russia, people prepare birdhouses for them, which are quickly occupied by sparrows. Therefore, upon arrival, starlings have to evict uninvited guests. Then the new tenants move in. After living a certain period, the birds fly south again.

Nightingale

The narration in the work "The Nightingale" is conducted in the first person. After finding the old photo, the hero was flooded with memories. Then he lived in Salzo Maggiore, a resort located in northern Italy. One evening he dined with a table d'hot company. Among them were four Italian singers. When a nightingale sang not far from the company, they admired its sound. At the end, the company got so excited that everyone sang a song.

From the street

The work "From the Street" is a confession of a criminal about how he turned into what he is now. His parents drank heavily and beat the boy. The apprentice Yushka was engaged in the upbringing of the former criminal. Under his influence, the hero learned to drink, smoke, play and steal. He failed to graduate from the gymnasium, and he went to serve as a soldier. There he roamed and roamed. After the hero seduced the lieutenant colonel's wife, Marya Nikolaevna, he was expelled from the regiment. At the end, the hero tells how he killed a man with a friend and surrendered to the police.

Garnet bracelet

The work "Garnet Bracelet" describes secret love a certain Zheltkov to a married woman. One day he gives Vera Nikolaevna Garnet bracelet for her birthday. Her husband and brother visit the unfortunate lover. After an unexpected visit, Zhelkov commits suicide, since his life consisted only in the woman he loved. Vera Nikolaevna understands that such a feeling is very rare.

Kuprin's works are imbued with deep respect and sympathy.
to the surrounding world. In his creations, the author provides detailed, realistic descriptions of nature. The theme of love for the motherland continues
in the descriptions of her places. Describing the landscapes of Russia, Kuprin admires them, shows the reader their amazing features and memorable images, tries to tell as much and better as possible about the magnificent and beautiful country with its landscapes. Being in exile outside Russia,
the author does not stop writing about her, already remembering the works he wrote
and separate pictures of places, he creates new works. He also gives descriptions of the paintings of the places he visited outside his homeland.
These descriptions, in their realism, respect and sympathy, are nothing
do not differ from the descriptions of the nature of Russia. For example, in his essays "Cote d'Azur" and in the story "The Wheel of Time" Kuprin
describes Marseille as a city " … noisy, colorful and colorful
to decorative...» .

Topic nature in the work of Kuprin is very common. Quite often it is found in works in the background, where colorful descriptions emphasize the image of the created theme, complement it. One of these works was the story "Olesya", where the mood and state of mind of the main characters are conveyed through descriptions of nature. The feeling ripening in the soul of the hero is shown against the background of the coming spring, the romantic atmosphere of a declaration of love is created by the image of a moonlit night. The last date ends with the pre-storm tension of nature, and the finale is a terrible hail that beat the inhabitants of the city, who offended the heroine.

However, the theme of nature in the work of Kuprin was not always in second place. Kuprin loved and admired nature. He wrote not only about the life of ordinary people, he was greatly interested in the interests and life of representatives of the surrounding world. He was convinced that animals also deserve the attention of people, as well as respect and understanding. Among the works of Kuprin there are many stories that tell about the life of animals. In them, Kuprin looks at the characters as significant individuals for society, equates them to people in terms of their abilities. Talking about animals, Kuprin does not try to show their insignificance, limited by their capabilities, but rather, against this contrasting background of limitations, he tries to show their advantages, their emotions.
and experiences. Creating vivid images of pets or stray animals, the author emphasizes the importance of these animals through descriptions.
them distinguishing features character and appearance, demeanor and communication
with people, as well as through their actions, allowing us to call them heroes. Kuprin talks about animals in their natural environment: in the owner's house, in the circus, on the street and other places where they stay.

The realism of the images of the characters and landscapes, the emotionality of the characters, as well as the simplicity of the language and style - all this attracts the attention of readers-children, whose interests include learning about the world around them.

In his works about animals, Kuprin united his love
for children and deep respect for the world around us, the world of nature. Turning to the life difficulties of the heroes of the works and showing how they overcome them, how they help their fellows or people, Kuprin gives the young reader such life lessons as the ability to be faithful, to help, to love the world around him - he refers to the inner world of the child, changing it, developing in it the necessary features of spirituality, morality, morality, compassion, love and respect for the whole world around.

Through stories about animals, Kuprin gives hope to young readers
on the possibility of overcoming life's difficulties in the future. So, for example, in the story "Elephant" (1907), a seriously ill girl is saved by a day spent with a real live elephant.

The story "Yu-yu" (1927), which tells about the life of a sensitive and affectionate cat, stands out for the wealth of descriptions of nature, gratitude for devotion
and the warmth that communication with an animal brings to a person's life.

No less interesting in its structure and plot is Kuprin's story "Peregrine Falcon" (1921), which is narrated from the perspective of a dog. The image of a powerful, aware of its strength, good-natured and tolerant, as well as a philosophizing dog, is as close as possible to the human image. The heroism of Peregrine Falcon is expressed in his act: he blocks the owner's daughter with his body, saving her from a rabid dog.

In the story "Barbos and Zhulka" (1897), Kuprin tells about the friendship of two dogs with different characters, shows their spiritual closeness, which, according to Kuprin, is necessary for the full moral development of the child.

Nature is contrasting and colorful in the descriptions given in the stories The White Poodle (1904) and In the Bowels of the Earth (1899). In them, the author conveys the affection of children for animals, mutual assistance, the purity of the child's soul and the ability of little people to a feat.

In Kuprin's story "The White Poodle" the trend of children's literature of the early 20th century is fully and completely expressed. The images of the heroes of the story are filled with worldly wisdom, good nature, humor (grandfather Lodyshkin), courage and the boy's feeling of attachment to his four-legged friend, the poodle Arto. The story contrasts two worlds: the lives of itinerant musicians and rich people, their thinking and moral values.

key point The story is about a conflict that arose because of a little poodle, between a rich lady with her son and itinerant artists. This conflict highlights the difference in psychology, in ethical
and moral ideas of representatives of different parties. For the rich, the poodle is a thing that can be bought and sold, and for itinerant artists, the dog is a friend and breadwinner, for the sake of which the boy is ready for a feat.

The dramatic and tense scene of the rescue of the poodle is complemented by descriptions of nature, which emphasize the boy's experiences.
Nature, pleasant and affectionate during the day, becomes disturbing for him.
and reproachful: Everything was frightening, mysterious, fabulously beautiful in the garden, as if filled with fragrant dreams.<…>Slender, dark, fragrant cypress trees slowly nodded their sharp tops with a thoughtful
and reproachful expression". Through the feat of the boy, Kuprin conveys the purity of the moral sense of the child, opposed to the evil of life.

At the end of the story, when the poodle is with the artists, the author, through the speech of the old man, conveys to the readers a lesson in morality, folk morality, the essence of which is that there are values ​​that are not for sale.

No less interesting for the young reader are the actions and habits of the four-legged friend of wandering artists, described by Kuprin with great skill.
In these descriptions, Kuprin resembles such an "expert" in animals as Jack London was.

Tension and dynamic development of the plot, descriptiveness
and heroism, the contrast of humor, the expressiveness and accuracy of the language, the happy ending, which marked the victory of the human, moral principle - all these qualities make the story "White Poodle" an outstanding work of children's literature.

Kuprin's story "In the bowels of the earth" (1899) combines the author's attitude to the theme of a difficult childhood and descriptions of nature. The hero of the story, the boy Vaska, lives with the miners in the barracks. A naive village boy is torn apart by conflicting feelings, what to marvel at - the rough mores of the barracks or the size and complexity of the mine business. In contrast to this background of the severity of the life of a child among the miners and the contradictions of the boy, the beautiful steppe nature is depicted. As in The White Poodle, the hero of the story turns out to be capable of a decisive act and saves a comrade from slaughter. The feat binds comrades with strong bonds. On this note, filled with hope for friendship and understanding, Kuprin ends his story.

In his stories about animals, Kuprin " with fascinating examples
and intricate stories, where each animal character is unique in its portrait and psychological characteristics ", wishes " convince the reader how sometimes unfair people are in their judgments when they,
for example, they say “stupid as a goose” or when they say that “a cat is attached not to a person, but to housing”» .

By their design, simplicity of language, choice of characters and appeal to them, as well as the influence exerted on the reader, Kuprin's stories "Elephant", "Yu-yu", "Peregrine Falcon", "Barbos and Zhulka", "White Poodle"
and "In the bowels of the earth" are suitable for a young reader of the middle age category. However, their importance for children's literature, as well as the interests of readers, increases significantly when they are addressed to children of primary school age.

For young readers of the middle age category, the stories "Emerald", "Ralph" and a number of other works united by the theme of the animal and plant world are of the greatest interest.

Kuprin's story "Emerald", which tells about the life of a racing horse, took one of the first places among the works of Russian classics about animals.

The artistic texture of the story is determined through the feelings of the hero of the work. In his story, Kuprin did not try to reveal the "inner world" of the horse, but showed the reality represented by the hero of the story through his feelings and images. However, the artist endows the Emerald with some "movements of the soul" characteristic of people: fear of an opponent
and maintaining self-esteem. To the flow of sensations of the hero, the author - hardly noticeably - adds characteristics "on his own".

Describing grooms and riders, the author, as it were, “misses”
their characteristics through the senses of the stallion. By the same principle
The story is about nature. The complex phenomena of reality and its diversity “missed” through the hero’s primary sensations in no way create the reader’s impression of implausibility, unnaturalness. On the contrary, the picture of nature, despite the limited visual possibilities, is full of charm, clarity and purity, and has a calming effect.

The main artistic quality of the story "Emerald" is the clarity, purity and "visibility" of the descriptions. The fine detail shows
how masterfully the writer uses the word. Pauses are an example of such a detail.
in the speech of the old man, indicated in the text by dots: “ Look, you greedy beast... But, oh, you'll have time... Oh, fuck you... Poke me in the face some more.
Here I'll poke you hard". The old man's movements are not visible, but his pauses are full of movement.

Kuprin's story "Emerald" ends with the tragic death of a good
and beautiful being. However, such a tragic end is brightened up by the absence of grave hopelessness: the reader is upset by the death of the hero,
but this feeling is smoothed out by the thought that the stallion has lived a full, interesting life.

As early as 1930, Kuprin was concerned that " there are almost no dogs or horses left in literature". The desire of the writer to fill the gap that had formed was reflected in his work. AT last years he conceived a whole book about animals - "Friends of Man". But the writer did not have time to carry out his plan. From the planned cycle, only one story was created - "Ralph".

In his story, Kuprin reveals the uniqueness of a dog named Ralph. The uniqueness of Ralph is revealed through the spaces associated with the hero of the work, through the relationship between Ralph and Balakhnin (the owner of the dog), through the form of Balakhnin's address to Ralph (polite form for "you").

The author of the story emphasizes the unusualness of the dog, telling about how
that Ralph perceives not only black and white, but also a number of other primary colors (blue, green, yellow, red), which makes him exceptional among all dogs. Also, from the author's speech, we learn
that Ralph has a job. Having a job equals a dog
to working people and distinguishes him from his blood brothers, dogs.

However, standing out among his relatives, Ralph does not leave their world, he only stands out as a real, almost human person. The proof that Ralph belongs to the world of dogs is his observance of " immutable laws» their relatives.

Thus, Kuprin's story "Ralph" accurately and fully reflects the author's idea about the book "Friends of Man". The story shows
not the emotions of the characters or their vision of the world, but the dignity and uniqueness of the dog, a representative of the animal world. This story, created by the author in order to show his colleagues the importance of the topic of animals for literature, fully met expectations.

By its design, appeal to the reader, artistic texture, appeal to psychological world heroes and description of nature, Kuprin's stories "Emerald" and "Ralph" are suitable for both children's readers and adult readers.

Among Kuprin's stories about nature, Starlings stand out.
and "In the menagerie".

The story "Starlings" tells about the flights of starlings. In the story, Kuprin describes nature, habitats of birds. The realism of the images is based on the memories of the author. He admires the courage and strength of these little birds, tells about the difficulties of their long journey, writes with delight about returning home, colorfully describes their imitations of other birds, not forgetting to emphasize their own song of starlings. Descriptions of starlings are filled with the author's delight, movements and restlessness of birds. Talking about starlings, A. Kuprin compares them with sparrows. About sparrows, the author writes: “ windy, empty, frivolous bird”, and admires starlings. The story is filled with vivid descriptions, the author writes with special humor about sparrows, about stupid naive children, cunning and fussy.
In the story, the writer addresses readers, advises them to help starlings, appreciate them and protect them. At the end of the story, "sending" the starlings on a long journey, Kuprin says goodbye to them: " Goodbye, dear bastards! Come spring. The nests are waiting for you...» .

In the story “In the menagerie”, Kuprin showed magnificent landscapes of nature against the contrasting background of those horrors, fears, despair and humility.
and the freedom of captive animals. In the story, the author tells about the life of animals imprisoned by people in a cage, their thoughts and dreams, as well as human greed.

Kuprin wrote many stories about animals. He knew the character well
and bird habits. The realism of his stories about animals is connected with his attachment to animals: he trained them, treated and rescued them when they were in mortal danger. The famous tamer Anatoly Durov wrote about Kuprin in his posters dedicated to animals:

Kuprin himself is a writer
We had a friend with us.

Kuprin's stories about animals and flora firmly established
in the children's literature program. This was facilitated by the realism of the descriptions and the emotionality of the characters, the simple and expressive language, the presentation of animals as equal to man, as well as the triumph of goodness. Kuprin's stories about the animal and plant world develop the necessary psychological, ethical and moral traits in the child, teach lessons in life, morality, understanding of values, and give hope for overcoming life's difficulties, creating a difficult childhood in contrast
and hopelessness happy denouement.

3. THE CONCEPT OF PUBLISHING A COLLECTION OF STORIES
ABOUT NATURE A.I. KUPRINA

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