About the fairy tale

Russian folk tale "Shemyakin court"

Russian folk tale about Shemyakin's court - this is an example of the so-called folk satire. Summary its like this: in the center of the plot is a poor man who at first glance seems to be a simpleton and a fool. As events unfold, fairy tales are constantly unlucky for him. It all started with a lack of firewood. The poor man went to his rich brother to ask for a horse to bring firewood from the forest. Begged with great difficulty, the very rich man did not want to give it and, as it turned out, not in vain. The poor brother had forgotten about the harness, so he decided to tie the cart of firewood to the horse's tail. As a result, this tail was torn off. The rich brother went to law with him because of this. The poor man was frightened that he would be sued, and he fell off the bridge on the way. And it would be fine if he just fell, and he also fell into the merchant sleigh, in which the merchant was carrying his sick father. The man killed that old man. At this point, the merchant decided to sue him. What a poor man to do - two rich men will certainly sue. But the man decided not to give up just like that: he picked up a heavier stone, wrapped it in a rag and carried it with him - in which case he threatened the judge with murder. There is nothing to lose.

The trial began. As it came to the defendant's turn, he immediately showed a stone to the judge. Hungry for gold, the judge decided that the man was offering him a bribe, and a huge ingot was wrapped in a rag. Therefore, the servant of the law made a very unexpected decision, more beneficial to the poor man than to the rich man and the merchant. Having heard such a verdict, the plaintiffs themselves were frightened and decided to pay off the poor man with money. And he is happy with this turn of the matter - of course he took the money. As a result, the curious sentence was never carried out.

The judge tried to get a well-deserved bribe from the man. Then the poor man unrolled a rag and showed a cobblestone, with which he was ready to kill the judge if something happened. About which he immediately told him. The cowardly judge was glad that he had escaped such an unenviable fate. What such a greedy hook-maker ordered a rich man and a merchant to do with a poor man in the text of the tale. This is how fabulous justice was unexpectedly and amusingly restored. The unlucky poor man did not wish anyone harm, did not intentionally harm anyone. However, he was threatened with severe reprisals. But the judge unexpectedly outwitted himself, which helped the poor brother not only get out of the water no matter what, but also improve his financial affairs.

All the characters in this fairy tale for children and their actions are shown in an exaggerated funny way. The construction of the plot is very similar to an anecdote. The total bad luck of all the heroes and the greed of a rich brother and the greed of a judge are ridiculed here. But the fairy tale is not just a satirical, it is from the "unbelievable" series. Absolutely unreal things happen in it, impossible in everyday life. The book about the Shemyakin court clearly reflects the dream of the ordinary Russian people about indestructible justice: when a seemingly weak hero wins and an unfair court verdict is in his favor. Here something that scares the common man in the ordinary is laughed at: the court and the judges. The text is written in a convenient large print. Enjoy your reading!

There were two brothers. One was poor and the other rich. The poor brother had no more firewood. There is nothing to heat the stove with. It's cold in the hut. He went into the forest, chopped wood, but the horse was gone. How to bring firewood?

I’ll go to my brother and ask for a horse.

His rich brother received him unkindly.

Take a horse, but look at the big cart, don't put your trust in me ahead: give it today, give it tomorrow, and then go around the world yourself.

The poor man brought the horse home and remembered:

Oh, I don't have a clamp! I didn’t ask right away, but now there’s nothing to walk — my brother won’t let me.

Somehow he tied the lumber tighter to the tail of the brother's horse and rode off.

On the way back, the logs caught on a stump, but the poor man did not notice, he whipped up the horse. The horse was hot, dashed and tore off its tail. When the rich brother saw that the horse had no tail, he swore and shouted:

Ruined a horse! I will not leave this business like that!

And he filed a lawsuit against the poor man.

How much or how little time has passed, the brothers are summoned to the city for trial. They walk, they walk. The poor man thinks: “I myself have not been to court, but I have heard the proverb: the weak do not fight the strong, and the poor do not sue the rich. They will sue me. "

They walked just across the bridge. There were no railings. The poor man slipped and fell off the bridge. And at that time a merchant was driving down the ice, taking his old father to the doctor. The poor man fell down and hit the sledge and bruised the old man to death, but he himself remained alive and unharmed.

The merchant grabbed the poor man:

Let's go to the judge!

And three went into the city: the poor man, the rich brother, and the merchant.

The very poor man sulked: "Now they will surely be sued." Then he saw a weighty stone on the road. He grabbed a stone, wrapped it in a rag and shoved it into his bosom: "Seven troubles - one answer: if the judge does not judge for me, and sues, I will kill and judge."

Came to the judge. To the previous case, a new one was added. The judge began to judge and interrogate.

And the poor brother will look at the judge, take out a stone in a rag from his bosom, and whisper to the judge:

Judge, judge, but look here.

So one time, and another, and a third. The judge saw and thinks: "Isn't the peasant showing gold?"

I looked again - the promise was great. "If there is silver, there is a lot of money."

And he ordered the poor brother to keep the tailless horse until the horse's tail grew.

And he said to the merchant:

For the fact that this man killed your father, let him stand on the ice under the same bridge, and you jump onto him from the bridge and crush him to death, as he crushed your father.

That was the end of the trial.

Rich Brother Says:

Well, okay, so be it, I'll take a tailless horse from you.

What are you, brother, - the poor man answers. - Let it be, as the judge awarded: I will hold your horse until the tail grows.

The rich brother began to persuade:

I'll give you thirty rubles, just give the horse back.

Okay, give me the money.

The rich brother counted out thirty rubles, and on that they got along.

Then the merchant began to ask:

Listen, little man, I forgive you your fault, you still can't turn your parent back.

No, let's go, if the court has awarded, jump on me from the bridge.

I don’t want your death, make peace with me, and I’ll give you a hundred rubles, ”the merchant asks.

The poor man received a hundred rubles from the merchant. And just about to leave, the judge beckons him:

Well, come on as promised.

The poor man took out a bundle from his bosom, unrolled a rag and showed the judge a stone.

That's what he showed you and said: "Judge, judge, but look here." If you had sued me, I would have killed you.

“That's good,” the judge thinks, “that I judged by this peasant, otherwise I would not live to be.”
And the poor man, cheerful, with songs, came home.

There were two brothers. One was poor and the other rich. The poor brother had no more firewood. There is nothing to heat the stove with. It's cold in the hut.

He went into the forest, chopped wood, but the horse was gone. How to bring firewood?

“I’ll go to my brother and ask for a horse.

His rich brother received him unkindly.

- Take a horse, but look at the big cart, do not put your hopes on me forward: today give it, give it tomorrow, and then go around the world yourself.

The poor man brought the horse home and remembered:

- Oh, I don't have a clamp! I didn’t ask right away, but now there’s nothing to walk — my brother won’t let me.

Somehow he tied the lumber tighter to the tail of the brother's horse and rode off.

On the way back, the logs caught on a stump, but the poor man did not notice, he whipped up the horse.

The horse was hot, dashed and tore off its tail.

When the rich brother saw that the horse had no tail, he swore and shouted:

- Ruined the horse! I will not leave this business like that!

And he filed a lawsuit against the poor man.

How much or how little time has passed, the brothers are summoned to the city for trial.

They walk, they walk. The poor man thinks:

I myself have not been to court, but I have heard the proverb: the weak do not fight the strong, and the poor do not sue the rich. They will sue me.

They walked just across the bridge. There were no railings. The poor man slipped and fell off the bridge. And at that time a merchant was driving down the ice, taking his old father to the doctor.

The poor man fell down and hit the sledge and bruised the old man to death, but he himself remained alive and unharmed.

The merchant grabbed the poor man:

- Let's go to the judge!

And three went into the city: the poor man, the rich brother, and the merchant.

The very poor man sulked:

Now they will surely be sued.

Then he saw a weighty stone on the road. He grabbed a stone, wrapped it in a rag and put it in his bosom:

Seven troubles - one answer: if the judge does not judge for me and condemn, I will kill the judge too.

Came to the judge. To the previous case, a new one was added. The judge began to judge and interrogate.

And the poor brother will look at the judge, take out a stone in a rag from his bosom, and whisper to the judge:

- Judge, judge, but look here.

So one time, and another, and a third. The judge saw and thinks: Isn't the man showing gold?

I looked again - the promise was great.

If there is silver, there is a lot of money.

And he ordered the poor brother to keep the tailless horse until the horse's tail grew.

And he said to the merchant:

- For the fact that this man killed your father, let him stand on the ice under the same bridge, and you jump onto him from the bridge and crush him to death, as he crushed your father.

That was the end of the trial.

Rich Brother Says:

- Well, okay, so be it, I'll take a tailless horse from you.

- What are you, brother, - the poor man answers. - Let it be, as the judge awarded: I will hold your horse until the tail grows.

The rich brother began to persuade:

- I'll give you thirty rubles, just give the horse back.

- Okay, give me the money.

The rich brother counted out thirty rubles, and on that they got along.

Then the merchant began to ask:

- Listen, little man, I forgive you your fault, you still can't turn your parent back.

- No, let's go, if the court has awarded, jump on me from the bridge.

“I don’t want your death, make peace with me, and I’ll give you a hundred rubles,” the merchant asks.

The poor man received a hundred rubles from the merchant. And just about to leave, the judge beckons him:

- Well, come on as promised.

The poor man took out a bundle from his bosom, unrolled a rag and showed the judge a stone.

- This is what I showed you and told you: Judge, judge, but look here. If you had sued me, I would have killed you.

That's good, - the judge thinks, - that I judged by this peasant, otherwise I would not live to be.

And the poor man, cheerful, with songs, came home.

"Shemyakin's Court" is a fairy tale in which the venality of the court and all those in power is shown in a satirical manner.

Summary of "Shemyakin Court" for the reader's diary

Name: Shemyakin court

Number of pages: 6. "Russian democratic satire of the 17th century." Publishing house "Academy of Sciences of the USSR". 1954 year

genre: Fairy tale

Year of writing: XVII century

Time and place of the plot

The satirical fairy tale takes place in Russia, approximately in the 17th century.

main characters

Poor brother is a man tired of poverty, desperate, having lost all hope of a better life.

A rich brother is a greedy, stingy, calculating man, a well-to-do peasant.

Pop is a rich man's acquaintance, arrogant and arrogant.

Male (third plaintiff)- a random person whose father died under the weight of a poor man.

Plot

There lived two brothers-peasants: a rich and a poor. A rich peasant had lent to his poor brother for many years, but he could not overcome the need. Once a poor man came to his brother with a request to give him a horse to bring firewood from the forest. The rich man reluctantly agreed, but when his brother asked him for a collar, he became angry and refused the request.

The poor man sighed bitterly, and tied the logs to the horse's tail. When he took the wood home, he forgot to put up the driveway, and the horse's tail came off. There was nothing to be done, and the poor man brought his brother a horse without a tail. Seeing such an outrage, the rich man got angry and went to the city to complain about his brother to Judge Shemyaka. The poor man followed him, knowing full well that he would still have to go to court.

The brothers reached a village, and the rich man stayed with his good friend, a rural priest. They sat down to supper at the table, and the poor man lay down hungry on the bed. He gazed at his brother and priest as they ate dinner, and fell onto the cradle in which he slept Small child... The poor man crushed to death the priest's son, and he also went to the city to complain about him.

Passing across the bridge, the poor man decided to end his bitter life, and jumped down. He fell on a sick old man, whom his son was taking in a sleigh to the bathhouse, and killed him by accident. The victim also went to judge Shemyaka.

At the trial, the poor man showed the judge a stone wrapped in a handkerchief. He decided that this was a solid bribe, and conducted the case as he saw fit. He told the poor man to keep his brother's horse until it grew its tail.

Hearing the priest's complaint, Shemyaka, tempted by the poor peasant's solid "bribe", decided to give the poor peasant a hit until she had a child.

When the son of the deceased old man began to complain, the judge decided so - let the plaintiff kill the poor man in the same way, that is, throw himself at him from the bridge.

So the rich man and the priest had to pay extra to the poor man so that he refused to carry out the judicial decisions, and returned to everyone what was due: the horse to his brother, and I’ll get the horse to his lawful spouse. The third plaintiff also did not want to jump from the bridge, and paid the poor man compensation.

Meanwhile, Shemyaka sent his man to the poor man to give him the promised bribe. In response, the poor man showed a stone wrapped in a scarf, and explained that if the judge had made decisions not in his favor, he would have bruised him with this stone.

Upon learning of this, Shemyaka was very glad that he had so cleverly got out of a difficult situation, and the contented poor man went home.

Conclusion and your opinion

The work is unique, first of all, in that there are no exclusively positive or negative characters in it. Each of them had its own truth, and Judge Shemyaka deftly took advantage of this. He twisted the story for his own selfish purposes, and it was only by a lucky coincidence that his decisions turned out to be acceptable to all the heroes.

the main idea

People in positions of power can interpret the truth as they please.

Author's aphorisms

"... I lent you a lot, but I could not correct ..."

"... And so and so, and you do not have your own clamp ..."

"... Shemyaka, after listening to the petition, says to the poor:" Answer! "..."

"... According to a judicial decree, as he says, her tail will grow, at that time I will give your horse .."

“… I thank and praise God for judging by him. If I didn’t judge by him, he would have hurt me ... "

Interpretation of incomprehensible words

Clamp- the main part of the harness worn on the horse's neck.

Drovni- peasant. sleigh without a body.

Gateway- the space, the gap between the gate and the ground.

Brow- forehead.

Petty- in Russia, up to the third quarter of the 18th century, an individual or collective written petition, in which they were "beaten with the forehead."

Polati- a stove bench, arranged between the wall of the hut and the Russian stove.

Mzda- payment, remuneration, bribe.

New words

Whip- a type of percussion weapon, the main element of which is a long braided rawhide belt, initially with a knot at the end.

Pop- an Orthodox priest.

Booty- the spouse of the priest.

Plaintiff- a person in defense of whose rights a court case has been initiated.

The defendant- a person brought to justice by the court at the claim made by the plaintiff.

Rating of the reader's diary

Average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 17.

There were two brothers. One was poor and the other rich. The poor brother had no more firewood. There is nothing to heat the stove with. It's cold in the hut.

He went into the forest, chopped wood, but the horse was gone. How to bring firewood?

I’ll go to my brother and ask for a horse. His rich brother unkindly received:

Take a horse, but look at the big cart, don't put your trust in me ahead: give it today, give it tomorrow, and then go around the world yourself.

The poor man brought the horse home and remembered:

Oh, I don't have a clamp! I didn’t ask right away, but now there’s nothing to walk — my brother won’t let me.

Somehow he tied the lumber tighter to the tail of the brother's horse and rode off. On the way back, the logs caught on a stump, but the poor man did not notice, he whipped up the horse.

The horse was hot, dashed and tore off its tail.

When the rich brother saw that the horse had no tail, he swore and shouted:

Ruined a horse! I will not leave this business like that! And he filed a lawsuit against the poor man.

How much or how little time has passed, the brothers are summoned to the city for trial.

They walk, they walk. The poor man thinks:

“I myself have not been to court, but I have heard the proverb: the weak do not fight the strong, and the poor do not sue the rich. They will sue me. "

They walked just across the bridge. There were no railings. The poor man slipped and fell off the bridge. And at that time a merchant was driving down the ice, taking his old father to the doctor.

The poor man fell down and hit the sledge and bruised the old man to death, but he himself remained alive and unharmed.

The merchant grabbed the poor man:

Let's go to the judge!

And three went into the city: the poor man, the rich brother, and the merchant.

The very poor man sulked:

"Now they'll probably be sued."

Then he saw a weighty stone on the road. He grabbed a stone, wrapped it in a rag and put it in his bosom.

"Seven troubles - one answer: if the judge does not judge for me, let him condemn, I will kill the judge as well."

Came to the judge. To the previous case, a new one was added. The judge began to judge and interrogate.

And the poor brother will look at the judge, take out a stone in a rag from his bosom, and whisper to the judge:

Judge, judge, but look here.

So one time, and another, and a third. The judge saw and thinks: "Isn't the peasant showing gold?" I looked again - the promise was great. "If there is silver, there is a lot of money."

And he ordered the poor brother to keep the tailless horse until the horse's tail grew. And he said to the merchant:

For the fact that this man killed your father, let him stand on the ice under the same bridge, and you jump onto him from the bridge and crush him to death, as he crushed your father.

That was the end of the trial. Rich Brother Says:

Well, okay, so be it, I'll take a tailless horse from you.

What are you, brother, - the poor man replies. - Let it be as the judge awarded: I will hold your horse until the tail grows.

The rich brother began to persuade:

I'll give you thirty rubles, just give the horse back.

Well, okay, give me the money.

The rich brother counted out thirty rubles, and on that they got along. Then the merchant began to ask:

Listen, little man, I forgive you your fault, you still can't turn your parent back.

No, let's go, if the court has awarded, jump on me from the bridge.

I don’t want your death, make peace with me, and I’ll give you a hundred rubles, ”the merchant asks.

The poor man received a hundred rubles from the merchant. And just about to leave, the judge beckons him:

Well, come on as promised.

The poor man took out a bundle from his bosom, unrolled a rag and showed the judge a stone.

That's what he showed you and said: "Judge, judge, but look here." If you had sued me, I would have killed you.

“That's good,” the judge thinks, “that I judged by this peasant, otherwise I would not live to be.”

And the poor man, cheerful, with songs, came home.

Read in 3 minutes

"The judge thought the scroll was full of rubles." Illustration by R. de Rosciszewski

There were two peasant brothers: one rich and the other poor. For many years the rich gave the poor a loan, but he remained the same poor. Once a poor man came to ask a rich horse to bring firewood. He reluctantly gave the horse. Then the poor man asked for a yoke. But my brother got angry and did not give a yoke.

Nothing to do - the poor man tied his logs to the horse's tail. When he was carrying firewood home, he forgot to put out the gateway, and the horse, passing through the gate, tore off its tail.

The poor man brought his brother a horse without a tail. But he did not take the horse, but went to the city to judge Shemyaka to beat his brother with his forehead. The poor man followed him, knowing that he would be forced to appear in court anyway.

They reached one village. The rich man stayed with his friend - a rural priest. The poor man came to the same ass and lay down on the bed. The rich man sat down to eat with the priest, but the poor man was not called. He watched from the rails what they ate, fell down, fell on the cradle and crushed the child. Pop also went to town to complain about the poor man.

They walked across the bridge. And below, along the moat, one man was taking his father to the bathhouse. The poor man, foreseeing his death, decided to commit suicide. He threw himself off the bridge, fell on the old man and killed him. He was caught and brought before the judge. The poor man wondered what to give him to the judge ... He took the stone, wrapped it in a cloth and stood before the judge.

Having heard the complaint of a rich brother, Judge Shemyaka ordered the poor one to answer. He showed the judge a wrapped stone. Shemyaka decided: let the poor not give the horse to the rich until it grows a new tail.

Then he brought a petition pop. And the poor man showed the stone again. The judge decided: let the priest give the poor guy until he “gets” a new child.

Then the son began to complain, whose poor father had run over him. The poor man again showed the judge the stone. The judge decided: let the plaintiff kill the poor in the same way, that is, throw himself at him from the bridge.

After the trial, the rich man began to ask the poor man for a horse, but he refused to give it, referring to the judge's decision. The rich man gave him five rubles so that he could give a horse without a tail.

Then the poor man began to demand from the priest, according to the decision of the judge. The priest gave him ten rubles, only so that he did not take the priest.

Poor asked the third plaintiff to comply with the judge's decision. But he, on reflection, did not want to rush at him from the bridge, but began to make peace and also gave the poor bribe.

And the judge sent his man to the defendant to ask about the three parcels that the poor man showed the judge. The poor man pulled out a stone. Shemyakin's servant was surprised and asked what kind of stone it was. The defendant explained that if the judge did not judge him, he would have bruised him with this stone.

Having learned about the danger that threatened him, the judge was very glad that he had judged that way. And the poor man, rejoicing, went home.

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