What is the name of the den inhabitant? Bear education: a brown bear and her offspring. Tales of the Wolf

Surgutsky district, Lyantor, MBOU "LSOSH No. 3", 3rd grade

Introduction

Since ancient times, the forest owner, the bear, has lived next to man. He was imprinted with his clumsy appearance in many folk tales, each of which reflects folk beliefs, life, culture and, what is important for our research, the relationship of man to the bear. How do the Khanty people portray the owner of the forest? How is he presented in Russian fairy tales?

The choice of the topic “The image of a bear in Khanty and Russian folk tales” is explained by the fact that we live in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, and when we got acquainted with the local oral folk art, we became interested in how similar Russian and Khanty fairy tales about the bear are, how its clumsy appearance can be traced in many folk tales, each of which reflects folk beliefs, life, and culture. For our research, it is important to identify a person’s attitude towards a bear and trace how this is reflected in fairy tales. We decided to compare works in which the main character is a bear. The purpose of the work was to characterize the image of the bear in Russian and Khanty folk tales and compare the attitude of the Khanty and Russians to the bear. The object of the study is Khanty and Russian fairy tales, the subject of the study is the bear as a fairy-tale character. During the study, a comparative analysis of fairy tales was carried out and similarities and differences in the depiction of the fairytale bear were revealed. The material we have collected will contribute to a better understanding of the works and characters of the heroes, expanding knowledge about the traditions of the Russian and Khanty peoples.

Bear in the mythology of the ancient Slavs and Khanty

Among the Slavs, like all inhabitants of the forest belt, the bear was surrounded by exceptional reverence. His strength, far superior to that of any forest dweller, his dexterous climbing of trees aroused the admiration of ancient hunters, and the cases of walking on his hind legs made him look like people. It was believed that if you remove the skin from a bear, it will look like a person: The male is like a man, and the female bear has breasts like a woman. He has human feet and fingers, he washes himself, loves his children, rejoices and grieves like a man, understands human speech and sometimes speaks himself, and also fasts throughout the Nativity Fast (sucks his paw). Hunters noticed that a dog barks at a bear in the same way as at a person. All this was explained by our ancestors in no other way than family connection with bears, which is why the bear was the most revered animal among the ancient Slavs.

The bear is the only animal that does not have own name In russian language . This is due to taboo, the prohibition to say the name of a sacred animal. Medved - one who knows (knows) honey. In Russian fairy tales, he is called respectfully “Master” (fairy tale “Daughter and Stepdaughter”), or mockingly: “You crush everyone,” “Opress everyone” (fairy tale “Teremok”), “There is a log at the den,” “Forest oppression” (fairy tale “Teremok”). Tower of the Flies"), "Bear-Father" (fairy tale "The Man and the Bear"), "Clubfooted" (fairy tale "Kolobok"), and even more often - by first name, patronymic and last name: "Mikhailo Potapychem" (fairy tale "Three Bears" ), “Mikhailo Ivanovich” (fairy tale “The Cat and the Fox”, “Winter Hut of Animals”) and, affectionately, “Misha” (fairy tale “Shabarsha”).

It was believed that the bear was intimately acquainted with evil spirits, that he brother or subject to him as master. At the same time, the devil is afraid of the bear; a bear can defeat a merman and remove the spell if he is led through a house that has been damaged.

Residents of the Far North also have a special attitude towards the bear: The bear, in the Khanty’s understanding, is not only a forest animal, but also an exalted being. When he lived in heaven as a child, he was irresistibly drawn to the earth. His father, the supreme god Torum, yielded to his son’s requests and lowered him to the ground in a cradle, instructing him to maintain order and justice here, and not to harm people. However, the Bear violates some of his father’s instructions, and the hunters kill him and, as prescribed by God, organize a ritual holiday in honor of the Heavenly Beast. By the way, northern residents always deny that they killed the Bear. The bear is not killed, but “brought down” from the forest to the village. Such faith in the totem, its power over the world, although it was a fantasy, it always seemed like some kind of real power. The bear was and remains a sacred creature for the Khanty, and even when dead they treat it with great respect. Indeed, due to his unearthly origin, he can not only die, but also be resurrected again. His name is also not mentioned out loud, calling him “He”, “Himself”, “Master”, “Beast”, “Guest”, “Old Man of the Forest” or “Old Prince” “Iki” - a male, “Imi” - a female ; bear skin - “soft clothing made by the mother” It is no coincidence that in the center of the Lyantor coat of arms, against the background of a silver hemisphere, a bear is depicted - a symbol of strength, power and justice. [29]

The image of a bear in Russian folk tales

In Russian fairy tales about animals, a bear often encounters a person: “The Bear is a Lime Leg”, “The Man and the Bear”, “Masha and the Bear”. The fairy tale “The Bear is a Lime Leg” is the oldest of Russian fairy tales about a bear. It tells how a man, in a fight with the “owner,” cuts off a bear’s paw and for this the animal takes revenge on him: it finds him and eats him. Here the Bear appears to be a terrible, cruel, vengeful beast who never forgives an insult: he takes revenge according to the rules of the tribal law: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The old man and the old woman are going to eat his meat, and he eats them, although among the Slavs the bear itself does not attack a person, and it poses a danger only when the person himself disturbs him: he pursues, injures, threatens his family. The bear in this fairy tale appears as a prophetic creature. The fairy tale teaches us to honor the beast.

In later fairy tales, the bear appears to be a stupid and gullible “neighbor” of a person, completely unfamiliar with peasant life: you can come to an agreement with him, you can outwit him. For example, “Masha and the Bear” or “The Man and the Bear,” where the bear plays the role of a landowner. He is the owner of the forest, has great strength and a rich fur coat, which is obviously why he was assigned such a role. These tales describe the life of captivity of the Russian people, the period of serfdom. Then the peasants paid quitrent (half a field of wheat) and worked corvée (worked in a bear’s house, sometimes it lasted 6 days). The bear decided when to let Masha go and how much to rip off the man. In this regard, it becomes clear not only the difficult life of the once free Russian people, but also why they constantly tried to outwit the bear, and even hunt it down with dogs. Most often in Russian fairy tales, the landowner is always stupider than the peasant; the image of the landowner, the bear, is also endowed with the same intelligence. However, in fairy tales“The Frog Princess”, “Daughter and Stepdaughter”, “Shabarsha” we observe that the bear manifests itself as a kind animal character, acts as a person’s assistant: it advises, helps to pass tests, etc. So in the fairy tale “Daughter and Stepdaughter” the bear releases a hard-working girl with gifts, thereby acting as a symbol good forces natures that value hard work and honesty.

In fairy tales about forest inhabitants, the bear is represented as a “forest commander”, “master of the forest”. He has strength, power, but at the same time we see his frivolity, simplicity, limited horizons, and anger. All animals fear him, but most often he is deceived by them. We can see the gullibility of the bear in the fairy tale “Beasts in the Pit”, the bear believed the fox that she was slowly eating her entrails, ripping open her stomach, then he ripped open his stomach and died. But this might not have happened if he knew that he should not eat himself. The fairy tale “The Fox Midwife” shows the stupidity and gullibility of the bear. The resourceful fox deceived the bear: she ate the entire supply of honey, and even forced the owner himself to admit to something that he did not do.

The image of a bear in Khanty folk tales

In Khanty fairy tales it is said: “The Bear was the elder brother of people, the Elk was the middle one, and the Crane and Swan were the younger ones,” therefore in the fairy tales of the northern peoples he is presented as good-natured, hardworking, attentive to his younger brother- to a person. In the fairy tale and legend “Kompolen - the swamp spirit”, a bear lives in friendship with a person, takes care of him: he catches taimen for him, knocks off cones from a cedar, goes to visit, and in a difficult year gives him his fur coat. The spirits of Evil cannot come to terms with this and deceitfully turn the Bear against the hunter: the swamp spirit Kompolen quarreled them, but wise people They say that the time will come, and the Bear will again be their brother, but this will happen when everyone forever drives out anger from their hearts.

Many Khanty tales explain various phenomena. This is how the fairy tale “Mos Woman” explains the origin of the constellation Ursa Major(The motif of the deceased mother bear, who turned into a constellation together with her cubs, is widespread among the Khanty and Mansi. The Khanty in some cases speak of seven stars, of which the seventh is a bear, and on the sides there are two cubs) in this tale the Bear is the embodiment of maternal dedication , love, caring for your children. In the fairy tale “Grandma’s Grandson,” an explanation is given of where mosquitoes came from in the taiga. It was the boy who outwitted the evil bear Menk-iki; instead of jumping from a tree into its open mouth, he poured coals into it and burned the bear. The bear, burning, curses: “Let my ashes suck people’s blood.” His ashes, scattering in the wind, turned into mosquitoes.

The bear in the fairy tale “Island of the Seven Bears” is a sacred animal, the youngest son supreme god Num Turama turns out to be the object of man's revenge against the Sun, Moon and Wind. “... and the old man’s grief was so great that he killed seven bears with his shohar knife, one after another - each one - with the first blow! This is how the Island of the Seven Bears appeared.

In the fairy tale about animals “How the Chipmunk’s Back Became Striped,” Bear is told as the chipmunk’s older brother. “They lived very amicably, ate the same food, lived in the same hole.” The bear fed the chipmunk and did all the hard work, but pride and the desire to appear smarter than the other quarreled, and now the chipmunk has bear claw marks on his back.

For the Khanty, the bear is the owner of the taiga, and in fairy tales he does not tolerate noise in his domain, punishes those who create this noise, and, despite the fact that he has no enmity with people, he collects the children making noise in the forest in a bag and carries them to his den (fairy tale “The Bear and the Guys”).

Sometimes in fairy tales people took the form of a Bear in order to restore justice in the family of the “Make-Dead Nephew.”

Among the Khanty and Russian there are fairy tales with similar plots. For example, in the Russian folk tale “The Cat and the Fox” and the Khanty fairy tale “The Cat” main character His appearance in the forest created a big commotion. The bear, the owner of the forest, sends his charges to find out what kind of extraordinary guest has appeared in these places. In a Russian fairy tale, a wolf and a hare go “on reconnaissance,” and in a Khanty fairy tale, a wolf and wolverine go “on reconnaissance.” As a result, the bear had to pay for his innocence and cowardice: fearing that the cat would eat him, the bear climbs a tree and falls from there.

Unlike the Slavic bear, the Khanty bear is depicted in folk tales without irony: it is endowed with good qualities: gentle, hardworking, honest, and if it commits any wrongdoing, it cruelly pays for them (in the fairy tale “The Bear and the Guys” it dies out of fear of being killed by people, in the fairy tale “Kompolen - the swamp spirit” he was wounded by a man for believing evil rumors). In fact, this was the case among the Khanty: people hunted bears only as a last resort, when they began to destroy livestock. The fact is that only a sick or wounded animal could attack livestock, that is, one that could not get food for itself. And it became dangerous not only for domestic animals, but also for humans. In this case, hunting such an animal was simply necessary.

Conclusion

We came to the conclusion that in Russian folk tales the Bear most often plays the role of an imperious but stupid landowner or a greedy but simple-minded forest owner who is easy to deceive, and in Khanty folk tales the Bear has more positive qualities: hard work, maternal love, honesty, friendship. Many natural phenomena are associated with his image. It is obvious that the Khanty love, honor, and treat the Bear with a feeling of deep respect.

Difficulty in identifying relationships modern man To fairy bear it seems that the Russians folk tales, where the main character is the Bear, few have read, and modern readers are practically unfamiliar with Khanty tales about the Master. During the study, we conducted a survey among students of class 3 “A” of Lyantor school No. 3. (see Appendix No. 1)

24 out of 25 students coped with the task of listing the names of Russian fairy tales about the bear. Only 9 people were able to name Khanty fairy tales about the bear, but only 4% of the students were able to complete the scope of the task total number students (see Appendix No. 2)

The survey results showed that lately we have not thought about the character of the heroes and their meaning, but every fairy tale, every image carries within itself folk wisdom, which we do not always see and understand.

Literature

1. Grandmother's grandson. Tales of the Khanty people. / Comp., . – St. Petersburg: “Alphabet”, 1995.

2. Daughter and stepdaughter. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

3. Woman Mos. Myths, legends, fairy tales of the Khanty. – St. Petersburg, 1990

4. Animals in the pit. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

5. Winter quarters for animals. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

6. Kolobok. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

7. Kompolen - swamp spirit. Myths, legends, fairy tales of the Khanty. – St. Petersburg, 1990

8. Korinfsky A. People's Rus'. – M.: White City, 2007.

9. Cat. Tales of the peoples of the North / Comp. . – St. Petersburg: “Alphabet”, 1995.

10. Cat and fox. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

11. Fox midwife. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

12. Masha and the bear. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

13. Bear and guys. Tales of the Khanty people. / Comp., . – St. Petersburg: “Alphabet”, 1995

14. Bear – fake leg. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

15. Mythological Dictionary / Ch. ed. - M.: Soviet encyclopedia, 1990.

16. Myths, legends, fairy tales of the Khanty. http://*****/books/item/f00/s00/z0000038/st034.shtml

17. The supposedly dead nephew. http://*****/author/varvara_zelenec/varvara_i_zolotaya_baba/read_online. html? page=7

18. Man and bear. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

19. Island of the Seven Bears. Myths, legends, fairy tales of the Khanty. – St. Petersburg, 1990

20. Fishermen of the ancient Slavs. – M.: Russian word, 1997.

21. Tales of the peoples of the North / Comp. . – St. Petersburg: “Alphabet”, 1995.

22. Tower of flies. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

23. Teremok. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

24. Three bears. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

25. The princess is a frog. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

26. Shabarsha. Russian fairy tales: From the collection. . – M.: Artist. lit., 1987

27. Shansky etymological dictionary Russian language. Origin of words/ , . - 7th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2004.

28. http://*****/books/item/f00/s00/z0000038/st034.shtml

29. http://www. *****/russia/subjects/towns/lantor. htm.

Application

Questionnaire “Tales of the Bear”

1) Name the Russian folk tales you know, where the main character is a bear.

2) List the positive and negative qualities bear in Russian fairy tales.

3) Name the Khanty folk tales you know, where the main character is a bear.

4) List the positive and negative qualities of the bear in Khanty fairy tales.

The bear is a very famous animal. His image has been with us since early childhood in the form of a plush toy and the hero of many folk tales, cartoons, and proverbs. It is very popular in Slavic culture.

Despite his apparent clumsiness, he is very strong, runs quite quickly, deftly climbs trees and catches fish from reservoirs. It is an omnivore that feeds on fruits, berries, insects, rodents and even carrion. But it is known precisely for its passion for honey, which to some extent explains why the bear was called a bear. Many believe that this owner of the forest got his name because he eats honey. Whether this is true or not, we will find out in the article about the origin of the name of the bear.

Versions of the origin of the name

Why was the bear called a bear? There are several options to explain the name. And some of them indicate the obvious composition of the word. Its first part - “honey” - does not require decoding, and the second - “after all” - comes from the word “to know”, that is, “to know”. This combination occurs in different peoples and in various variations. For example, among the Ukrainians, they call the bear “witch”.

For a long time there was a belief among people that a bear in the forest always follows the scent of a person. People in the forest very often find hollows with honey from wild bees, such finds are usually accidental, so people leave them to return tomorrow with the right tools. But when they returned the next day, they found nothing, since the bear that followed them immediately plundered the hive and feasted on the honey. This is where the name comes from, that this is an animal that knows where the honey is.

According to the second version, "bear" is a distortion of more early name animal - "honey badger". They called him that so as not to pronounce his real nickname, which for many peoples was taboo and was not even allowed to be mentioned. For example, the Slavs had a belief that animals, if you called them by name, would hear and definitely come, which is why the names of dangerous animals were forbidden to be pronounced out loud. Because of this, by the way, many animals have lost their original names, and now we know them only those that were substitutes for the real ones.

There is an assumption that the most ancient name bears - “orktos”, which was borrowed from the Greeks. But we are unlikely to be able to find out how true this version is.

IN foreign languages it is called “bar” or “ber”, and in Russian the animal’s home is called den, ber’s lair. Apparently, this is exactly what our ancestors called it, but in colloquial speech used the word substitute "bear". Because of superstitions, hunters even now in the forest do not pronounce his name, but call him the owner of the forest.

In search of the truth, why the bear was called a bear

The word itself appeared in Rus' around the 11th century, but in fact it is one of the many nicknames for the clubfoot. Many peoples who live in the areas inhabited by this predator treat it with great respect, sometimes even as a deity. The ban on naming this animal out loud took place back in the Vedic tradition and was passed down from generation to generation, so “bear” has a lot of substitution words.

For example, in Dahl’s dictionary there are 37 of them: lomaka, forester, chiropractor, shaggy, Toptygin, clubfoot bear, mikush, Potapych and many others. It is interesting that the people called the bear mother, uterus, or called her by the human names Aksinya, Matryona.

Linguists are still trying to figure out the real name of the bear. They turn to Latin and Sanskrit. Thus, in Sanskrit the bear was called “bhruka,” where “bhr” means “to scold or grumble.” In foreign languages, the name has not changed much and the root “ber” has been preserved. It should be noted that in the Russian language, some researchers consider the connection of the word “den” with the pro-Germanic “bero”, which means “brown”.

Scientist Afanasyev A.N., as a result of his research, came to the conclusion that the name of this animal is associated with the attitude towards it. For example, in Latin there is the word “ursus”, from which the French “ours” and Italian “orso” were formed, and in the Old Russian language there is “urs”. All these roots mean "destructive powers."

Many linguists are confident that the most ancient name for the bear was “rus”, which arose when the syllables “urs” were rearranged and replaced, that is, it was modified into “rus”; this phenomenon can be observed even at a later stage of language development, for example, bear - witch. From “rus” came the name of the country - Rus', in which the bear was worshiped. But this is all just a hypothesis, one of many.

National symbol

The bear in our country, especially in Siberia, is more than an animal, it is a national symbol. The ancient tribes that lived in Siberia called it the Great Kam. In Korean, by the way, a bear is called “kom”. From the Tungusic language “kam” is translated as “shaman” or “spirit”, and among the Ainu it is believed that a hunter is hidden under the skin of a bear.

Before the spread of Christianity, all Vedic peoples celebrated a day dedicated to the Great Kam. It's the spring holiday when he wakes up after hibernation and leaves the den. In order to appease him, they brought pancakes for him. This is where the saying “first pancake comes to Kamu” came from, but over time it took on a different meaning.

Kamov's day, although it was pagan, became a prototype Christian holiday- Maslenitsa.

For the Eastern Slavs, the holiday “awakening the bear” is also typical; it was celebrated on March 24. They celebrated it by dancing in skins or sheepskin coats.

What was the name of a bear in Rus'?

From time immemorial, the bear in Rus' had many names: ber, bersek, owner, knight, Mikhail Potapych, bear, witch, Kam. And on many ancient European maps The northern part of Rus' is called Biarmia. “Biar” is a bear, “ma” is land, therefore, Biarmia is Bear land.

The bear was a symbol of strength, it was a totem animal of many Slavic tribes, it was the hero of many fairy tales and folk epics. His image is found on many coats of arms of ancient Russian cities.

Anthropologists believe that the cult of the bear was widespread from the Urals to the Elbe. In Northern European culture, he is the king of beasts.

Children are named after him, for example, Mikhail. In ancient times, children were also named Bear (hence the origin of the surname Medvedev).

Polar bear names

What do they call polar bear in the north? Local peoples called it a very unusual name - oshkuy. In Chukotka it was common to call it “umka”, and the famous cartoon has quite ethnographic roots.

Instead of a conclusion

So why was the bear called a bear? There are a huge number of names for this amazing and majestic animal, which was greatly revered in ancient times. Slavic tribes, and which still remains a symbol of the nation. The bear knows where the honey is. It is with this image of a sweet tooth that we all associate this animal since childhood.

Who spends the winter how?

Who winters like this: educational stories in pictures and tasks for children of preschool and primary school age.

In this article, children will get acquainted with the life of nature in winter and find out who spends the winter how:

Who spends the winter like this?

Who winters how: how do wild animals winter?

In winter many wild animals sleep - go into hibernation. During hibernation, they do not eat anything, do not grow, and do not respond to sounds.

Before hibernation in the fall, animals accumulate fat. Fat helps them maintain body temperature during long hibernation - it “warms” them from the inside like a stove.

Most of all, animals suffer in winter not from cold, but from hunger. It is food that animals need to maintain a constant body temperature and not die.

How do moose winter?

Believe it if you want. Or don't believe it.
There is an elk animal in the forest.
Like hangers of horns,
Very formidable for the enemy.
Noise in the forest. What happened there?
Then a huge one runs...( Elk).

Elk- This is a forest giant, and he needs a lot of food. In winter, moose live together, gnaw the bark of trees, rubbing it with powerful and strong teeth. Moose love the bark of young aspen trees. They also eat the shoots of young pine trees; for them these shoots are like medicine.

Moose rest in winter, buried in the snow, in snow pits. In a snowstorm, moose gather in a herd and go to a secluded place, hide on the ground - climb under a snow coat. Snow falls on top of them, sometimes covering the elk almost completely. It turns out to be a warm snow blanket.

IN last month Winter - February - is a difficult time for moose. A crust appears in the forest - a crust on the snow. Moose fall through the snow, cut their legs with infusion, and cannot run fast. Wolves take advantage of this. Moose defend themselves from wolves with their antlers and hooves.

Ask the children who is easier to run in the snow - a mouse or a moose? Why? Read the dialogue between the moose and the mouse, the moose and the magpie from the stories of E. Shim. These dialogues can be acted out in a toy theater or in a picture theater.

E. Shim. Moose and mouse

- Why are you out of breath, moose?
“It’s hard for me to run, I’m falling into the snow...
- Fi, how clumsy you moose are! They've grown so big, but you can't run properly.
- Why?
“Just judge for yourself: you are running light, empty, and failing at every step.” And I run with heavy weight, carrying a whole nut in my teeth, and not a single paw gets stuck. I would like to learn!

E. Shim. Elk and magpie

Moose: - No luck, no luck!
Magpie: - Why are you unlucky, Elk?
“I thought I’d pile up the snow higher in the forest, I’d reach the pine trees and bite the tops of their heads...”
- And the snow was piled high!
- What's the point if I fall into it?!

There is a wonderful the tale of the moose V. Zotova. Listen to it with your children. You will also find this fairy tale and other tales about animals for children in our VKontakte group “Child development from birth to school” (see audio recordings of the group, album “Forest ABC”)

Ask your child what he thinks is a moose afraid of someone? After all, the elk is a “forest giant”? Probably, on the contrary, everyone in the forest is afraid of him? And read the story about the moose and their winter enemy - the wolf, the story about how the boy Mitya helped the moose escape from the wolves in winter.

G. Skrebitsky. Mitya's friends

In winter, in the December cold, a moose cow and her calf spent the night in a dense aspen forest. It's starting to get light. The sky turned pink, and the forest, covered with snow, stood all white, silent. Fine shiny frost settled on the branches and on the backs of the moose. The moose were dozing.

Suddenly, somewhere very close, the crunch of snow was heard. The moose became wary. Something gray flashed among snow-covered trees. One moment - and the moose were already rushing away, breaking the icy crust of the crust and getting stuck knee-deep in deep snow. The wolves were chasing them. They were lighter than moose and galloped across the crust without falling through. With every second the animals are getting closer and closer.

The moose could no longer run. The elk calf stayed close to its mother. A little more - and the gray robbers will catch up and tear both of them apart.
Ahead is a clearing, a fence near the forest guardhouse, and a wide open gate.

The moose stopped: where to go? But behind, very close, the crunch of snow was heard - the wolves were overtaking. Then the moose cow, having gathered the rest of her strength, rushed straight into the gate, the elk calf followed her.

The forester's son Mitya was shoveling snow in the yard. He barely jumped to the side - the moose almost knocked him down.
Moose!.. What's wrong with them, where are they from?
Mitya ran up to the gate and involuntarily stepped back: there were wolves at the very gate.

A shiver ran down the boy’s back, but he immediately swung his shovel and shouted:
- Here I am!
The animals scurried away.
“Atu, atu!” Mitya shouted after them, jumping out of the gate.
Having driven away the wolves, the boy looked into the yard.
A moose cow and a calf stood huddled in the far corner of the barn.
“Look, they were so scared, they’re all trembling...” Mitya said affectionately. “Don’t be afraid.” Now it won't be touched.
And he, carefully moving away from the gate, ran home - to tell what guests had rushed into their yard.

And the moose stood in the yard, recovered from their fright and went back into the forest. Since then, they stayed in the forest near the lodge all winter.

In the morning, walking on the way to school, Mitya often saw moose from afar on the forest edge.

Having noticed the boy, they did not rush away, but only watched him closely, pricking up their huge ears.
Mitya cheerfully nodded his head at them, like old friends, and ran further into the village.

I. Sokolov-Mikitov. On a forest road

Heavy vehicles loaded with logs are walking along the winter road one after another. An elk ran out of the forest.
Boldly runs across a wide, well-trodden road.
The driver stopped the car and admired the strong, beautiful elk.
There are many moose in our forests. Whole herds of them wander through snow-covered swamps, hide in bushes, large forests.
People don’t touch or harm moose.

Only hungry wolves sometimes decide to attack moose. Strong moose use their horns and hooves to defend themselves from evil wolves.

Moose in the forest are not afraid of anyone. They boldly wander through forest clearings, cross wide clearings and well-worn roads, and often come close to villages and noisy cities.

I. Sokolov - Mikitov. Moose

Of all the animals that live in our Russian forests, the largest and most strong beast- elk. There is something antediluvian, ancient in the appearance of this large animal. Who knows - perhaps moose roamed the forests back in those distant times when long-extinct mammoths lived on the earth. It is difficult to see a moose standing motionless in the forest - the color of its brown fur blends in with the color of the tree trunks surrounding it.

In pre-revolutionary times, moose in our country were destroyed almost completely. Only in very few, most remote places, these rare animals survived. At Soviet power moose hunting was strictly prohibited. Over the decades of the ban, moose have multiplied almost everywhere. Now they fearlessly approach crowded villages and noisy big cities.

Quite recently, in the center of Leningrad, on Kamenny Island, children going to school in the morning saw two moose wandering under the trees. Apparently, these moose wandered into the city during a quiet night and got lost on the city streets.

Near cities and villages, moose feel safer than in remote places where they are pursued by hunters and poachers. They are not afraid to cross wide asphalt roads along which trucks and cars move in a continuous stream. They often stop right next to the road, and people passing in cars can freely observe them.

Elk is a very strong, watchful and intelligent animal. Captured moose quickly become accustomed to people. In winter, they can be harnessed to a sleigh, just as domestic reindeer are harnessed in the north.

I have often encountered moose in the forest. Hiding behind the shelter, I admired the beauty of the strong animals, their light movements, and the branchy, spreading antlers of the males. Every year, male moose replace their heavy, branching antlers. Shedding old antlers, they rub against the trunks and branches of trees. People often find shed elk antlers in the forest. Every year, an extra shoot is added to the antlers of a male elk, and by the number of shoots you can tell the age of the elk.

Moose love water and often swim across wide rivers. You can catch moose crossing the river in a light boat. Their hook-nosed heads and wide branched horns are visible above the water. Wandering with a gun and a dog through a forest clearing near the Kama River, one day I saw a moose “taking a bath” in a small open swamp. Apparently, the elk was fleeing from the evil gadflies and horse flies that besieged it. I came close to an elk standing in the swamp water, but my gun dog jumped out of the bushes and scared him. The elk came out of the swamp and slowly disappeared into the dense forest.

The most amazing thing is that they are heavy moose They can cross the swampiest swamps, where a person cannot walk. For me, this serves as proof that moose lived back in those old times, when the glaciers that covered the earth retreated, leaving behind vast marshy swamps.

How does a wild boar spend the winter?

In winter, it is difficult for wild boars; it is very difficult for them to walk through deep snow. If you need to walk through the snow, the wild boars walk in single file, one after another. The strongest boar goes first. He paves the way for everyone, and everyone else follows him.

It is especially difficult for a wild boar to walk on crusty crust. The wild boar falls under the crust and cuts its legs with the sharp ice.

At night, wild boars warm themselves in shelters in winter, lying on branches and leaves. If it’s very cold, they lie close to each other and warm each other.

Boars They never bury themselves in the snow, they don’t like it. On the contrary, they try to cover the snow with something - they drag branches under the tree or lie on the reeds.

Wild boars feed during the winter during the day. They eat twigs, dig out acorns, nuts, and grass from under the snow.

If there is no snow, the wild boars are free! They dig up rhizomes and bulbs from the ground, dig into the ground with their snouts, and get beetles, worms, and pupae.

Over the winter, the boar loses a third of its weight! By spring, only “skin and bones” remain.

Listen to how the boar and the hare talked in the last month of winter.

E. Shim. Boar and hare

Hare: - Oh, Boar, you don’t look like yourself! How skinny - just stubble down to the bone... Do such pigs exist?

Boar: “Wild oink-oinks... and there are not like that... It’s bad for us, Hare... The ground is covered with an icy crust, neither a fang nor a snout can take it.” You can’t dig anything these days, you can’t fill your belly with anything... I’m surprised how my legs still walk. One consolation: even a wolf wouldn’t set his sights on someone so skinny and scary...

E. Shim. Pig and Fox

- Oh, oh, you’re completely naked, Pig! The bristles are sparse and even stiff. How are you going to spend the winter?
- How thin you are, Little Fox! One spine, skin and bones. How are you going to spend the winter?
- My fur is thick, my fur coat is warm - I won’t freeze!
- Do you think it’s worse for me? I have fat under my skin. Fat warms you better than any fur coat!

E. Shim. Boar and elk

- Come on, Moose, scratch my side! Tighten up!
- Whoosh, whoosh!.. Well, how?
- Weak. Come on tighter!
- Whoosh, whoosh!.. Well, how?
- I say, be stronger!
- Shuh!!! Whoosh!! Shuh!!. F-f-u-u, is it really weak?
- Of course, weakly. It’s a shame, you understand: I’ve accumulated two inches of fat, and under this fat I’m actually itching!

E. Charushin. Boar

This wild pig- boar.
He wanders through the forests, grunting. Picks up oak acorns. It digs in the ground with its long snout. With its crooked fangs it tears out the roots, turns them upside down - looking for something to eat.
It’s not for nothing that a boar is called a cleaver. He will cut down a tree with his fangs, as if with an ax; he will kill a wolf with his fangs, as if he would cut down a saber. Even the bear himself is afraid of him.

How does a wolf winter?

Guess the riddle: “Who wanders around angry and hungry in the cold winter?” Of course it's a wolf! A wolf wanders through the forest in winter, looking for prey.

Wolves are cunning predators and very dangerous for both animals and humans. Wolves see perfectly even in the dark and hear perfectly.
In winter, the wolf almost always goes hungry; he cannot run quickly through the loose snow. But he runs on the crust very quickly! Then you can't run away from the wolf!
You've probably heard the saying “the feet feed the wolf.” This is true. The wolf runs very long distances to find food. They hunt moose, hares, partridges, and black grouse. Yes, even for moose! If the elk stands, the wolf does not rush at him. But if the elk runs, then Wolf Pack can defeat him. Hungry wolves even attack dogs and people in winter.

In winter, wolves grow a thick, warm winter “coat,” and their fur becomes warmer. Wolves live in packs in winter: a wolf, a she-wolf and their grown wolf cubs.

This is what happened to a wolf in the forest one day in winter.

The Tale of the Hare and the Wolf

Fairy tale “According to Zaichishkin’s advice, Volchische went on a diet: Gray meat, no, no, no, even in holidays" You can read this tale and other tales about animals in the book “Why. Because” (authors: G. A. Yurmin, A. K. Dietrich).

“The stupid Wolf caught the wise Hare and rejoiced:
- Yeah, gotcha, oblique! Now I'll kill the worm...
“Y-y-that’s right, I got it,” the Hare shakes. - But, on the other hand, you yourself, Wolf, say: you’ll only kill the worm. Well, if you devour me, your appetite will increase even more... Why would such an attack be made on you, on the Wolf: everyone in the forest is well-fed, you alone are always hungry. Think about it!
The Wolf frowned his gray forehead. Really, why? And says:
- Since you, Hare, are so wise, so smart - reasonable, advise: what should I do, how can I help?
“And you take others as an example,” the hare answers without hesitation. - Take the black grouse, let me show you.
- Look, you cunning one! I'm daydreaming! Perhaps you want to sneak away on the way? What more?!
The Wolf tore the bast from the linden tree, twisted a rope, took the Hare on a leash, and off they went.

They see a black grouse sitting on a birch tree.
“Terenty, answer,” shouts the Hare. - Why are you full all winter?
- There’s food around – eat it, I don’t want it! That's why I'm full. As many kidneys as you like.
- Did you hear, Gray? ... You have all the meat on your mind, and Terenty is talking about birch buds in which green leaves sleep. There are plenty of them all around. Bend a birch tree and taste it, don’t be shy.
The Wolf did as the Hare ordered and spit:
- Ugh, disgusting! No, scythe, I’d rather eat you!
- Do not rush! - the Hare oppresses his. And he dragged the Wolf to the Elk, the giant.

- Uncle Sokhaty! - shouts the Hare. - Tell me, is your life satisfying?\-
“I’ll chew the last twig and that’s it, it’s full, it won’t come any more.”
- Did you see it, Wolf? The elk has been gnawing aspen trees all his life in the winter, and how powerful he has become! That's how you would do it. Look how much aspen the moose tore up remains.
- Salmon? – the Wolf licked his lips. - That's for me.
He pounced on the treat, greedily clanked his teeth, but suddenly fell down - and well, roll around in the snow:
- Oh, I'm dying! Oops, my stomach hurts! Oh, bitterness is poison!!! Well, Hare!

You can act out the dialogues of the animals - how they treated the wolf - in a picture theater or a finger theater.

Tales of the Wolf

E. Shim. Wolf, elk, hare and hazel grouse

- Moose, moose, I'll eat you!
- And I’m from you, Wolf, in pure love, and that’s what I was!
- Hare, hare, I will eat you!
- And I left you, Wolf, in the clear bushes, and was like that!
- Ryabchik, Ryabchik, I will eat you!
- And I left you, Wolf, on a tall tree, and I was like that!
- What should I do, my dears? What to fill your belly with?
- Gnaw your sides, Wolf!

E. Shim. Little Wolf and She-Wolf

- Mom, why do we wolves howl at the moon?
“And because, son, the moon is the wolf’s sun.”
- I don’t understand something!
- Well, of course... Daytime animals and birds love white light, they sing and rejoice in the sun. And we, wolves, are nocturnal miners; the darkness is more capable of us. So we sing under the moon, under the pale night sun...

V. Bianchi. Wolf's tricks

When a wolf walks at a walk or a jog (trot), he carefully steps with his right hind paw in the footprint of his front left paw, so his tracks lie in a straight line, like a string, in one line. You look at this line and read: “A huge wolf passed here.”

But you'll end up in trouble. It would be correct to read: “five wolves passed here,” because here a seasoned and wise she-wolf walked in front, followed by an old wolf and behind them the wolf cubs.

They followed the trail until it never occurred to them that this was the trail of five wolves. This can only be distinguished by very experienced trackers on the white trail (as hunters call tracks in the snow).

N. Sladkov. Magpie and wolf. Conversations in the forest

- Hey, Wolf, why are you so gloomy?
- From hunger.
- And the ribs stick out, stick out?
- From hunger.
- Why are you howling?
- From hunger.
- So talk to you! He got along like a magpie: from hunger, from hunger, from hunger! Why are you so taciturn these days?
- From hunger.

E. Charushin. Wolf

Beware, sheep in the stables, beware, pigs in the pigsties, beware, calves, foals, horses, cows! The robber wolf went hunting. You dogs, bark louder, scare the wolf!
And you, collective farm watchman, load your gun with a bullet!

How does a badger winter?

The badger sleeps in winter, but not very soundly. He can wake up during a thaw, crawl out of the hole for a while, smooth and clean his fur and... go to sleep again. In its winter “pantry” the badger stores food for the winter - seeds, dried frogs, roots, acorns. And in the fall, he accumulates fat - he gorges himself. During hibernation, the badger does not eat anything. And the supplies in the “pantry” are needed during his short winter awakening.

E. Shim. Badger and jay

- A-o-o-o-o-o-o...
- What's wrong with you, Badger?
- A-o-o-o-o-o-o...
—Aren’t you sick already?
- A-u-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...
“Aren’t you already dying?!”
- A-u-s... Leave me alone, get off... I’m not dying, fefela... I’m not dying-a-u-o-s...
- What about you?
- The yawning has overcome. I wanted to sleep until then - I wouldn’t get out of the hole. Looks like I'll soon fall completely asleep... Until spring, on the side-oo-oo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!!.

N. Sladkov. Badger and bear

- What, Bear, are you still sleeping?
- I'm sleeping, Badger, I'm sleeping. That’s it, brother, I’ve gotten into gear – it’s been five months without waking up. All sides rested.
- Or maybe, Bear, it’s time for us to get up?
- It's not time. Sleep some more.
- Won’t you and I sleep through the spring right away?
- Don't be afraid! She, brother, will wake you up.
“Will she knock on our door, sing a song, or maybe tickle our heels?” I, Misha, fear is hard to rise!
- Wow! You'll probably jump up! She, Borya, will give you a bucket of water under your sides - I bet you’ll lay low! Sleep while you're dry.

How do bears winter?

Bear in winter They sleep peacefully in their den, which is lined with pine needles, tree bark, and dry moss. If a bear has not gained a lot of fat in the fall, then he cannot sleep in his den for a long time and walks through the forest in search of food. Such a bear is very dangerous for everyone. It is called a "connecting rod".

Late winter at the bear's 2-3 cubs are born. They are born helpless, lying on their mother’s belly. She feeds them with thick milk, but does not eat herself. Only in the spring do the cubs leave the den.

How do insects overwinter?

At the onset of winter, insects hide deep in the soil, in rotten stumps, in the cracks of trees.

Some insects, without invitation, climb straight into an anthill to wait out the cold season. At this time, ants fall into torpor until spring.

Grasshoppers They hide eggs in the ground in the fall that will overwinter.

U cabbage butterflies pupae overwinter. In summer, the cabbage moth lays its eggs on cabbage. In the fall, caterpillars emerge from these eggs onto tree trunks, fences, walls, tie themselves with a thread and become... pupae! They hang like that until spring. And the rain drips on them, and the blizzard pours snow. Spring will come and young butterflies will emerge from their pupae.

Butterflies – urticaria, mourning butterfly, lemongrass winter as adults. They hide in the bark of trees, in hollows, in sheds, in cracks in attics. They will appear again in the spring.

G. Skrebitsky and V. Chaplina. Where do mosquitoes go in winter?

For the winter, mosquitoes hid in various cracks and old hollows. They winter next to us too. They will climb into the basement or cellar, a lot of them will gather there in the corner. Mosquitoes cling to the ceiling and walls with their long varnishes and sleep all winter.

Tales about who spends the winter how

E. Shim. Crow and tit

- All the animals hid in holes from the cold, all the birds were barely alive from hunger. You alone, Crow, cawed at the top of your lungs!
- Or maybe I’m the worst of all?! Maybe it’s me shouting “karraul”!

E. Shim. Coverings, burials, displays. How do animals and birds greet the first snow?

By evening the stars began to shine, the frost crunched at night, and in the morning the first snow fell on the ground.

The forest inhabitants greeted him differently. The old animals and birds shivered and remembered the last cold winter. And the young people were terribly surprised because they had never seen snow.

Young on the birch Grouse sat, swaying on a thin branch. He sees furry snowflakes falling from the sky.

“What kind of fluff?” muttered Teterev. “White flies fly, circle above the ground, don’t hum, don’t buzz, don’t bite.”
- No, darling, these are not flies! - said old Grouse
-Who is this?
- These are ours covers flying.
- What kind of covers are these?
“They will cover the earth,” answers old Teterev, “it will make a warm blanket.” We will dive under this blanket at night, we will be warm and cozy...
- Look, you! - Young Teterev rejoiced. “I’d better try to see if he sleeps well under the covers!”
And he began to wait for the duvet to spread out on the ground.

Under the birches, in a bush, young Zaychishko whiled away the day. He dozed off with half his eyes, and listened with half an ear. Suddenly he notices furry snowflakes descending from the sky.
- Here you go! - Zaichishko was surprised. “The dandelions have long since faded, they have long since flown around and dispersed, and then look: a whole cloud of dandelion fluff is flying!”
- Stupid, is this flower fluff? - said the old hare.
- What is this?
- These are ours funerals flying.
- What kind of funerals?
“The very ones who will bury you from your enemies, protect you from evil eyes.” Your fur coat has faded and turned white. On black earth You can see her right away! And when the burials fall to the ground, everything will become white and white, no one will see you. You will begin to walk invisible.
- Wow, how interesting! - shouted the Bunny. - Hurry up and try how the choir girls are hiding me!

In the forest, along a bare aspen grove, a young man was running Wolf cub. He ran, looked around with his eyes, looking for food. Suddenly he looks and sees light snowflakes falling from the sky.
- Ay-ay! - said the Little Wolf. - How do geese-swans fly into the sky, dropping fluff and feathers?
- What are you talking about, is this just fluff and feathers! - laughed old wolf.
- What is this?
- This, grandson, is ours. showing off flying.
- I don’t know any show!
- You'll find out soon. They will lie flat and even, covering the entire earth. And they will immediately begin to show where the birds roamed, where which animal galloped. We'll look at the displays - and we'll immediately find out what time
run to the side for the prey...
- Clever! - The Wolf Cub was delighted. “I want to quickly see where my prey ran to!”

As soon as the young animals and birds found out that it was falling from the sky, they just became acquainted with the first snow, when a warm breeze began to blow.

Here the coverings, burials, and displays melted away.

How do crayfish spend the winter?

Do you know where crayfish overwinter? Read V. Bianchi's fairy tale to the children and find out :).

What does the expression “where crayfish spend the winter” mean?

A expression “where crayfish spend the winter” appeared a long time ago. The landowners were very fond of eating crayfish, and it was difficult to catch them in winter. After all, in winter, crayfish hide and spend the winter there. In winter, guilty peasants were sent to catch crayfish. Serfs in cold water They caught crayfish - it was very hard work. They often fell ill after catching crayfish in the winter. After that they began to say: “I’ll show you where the crayfish spend the winter.” And “where crayfish spend the winter” is said in another case - about something very distant, that is located far away, no one knows where.

Where do crayfish spend the winter? V. Bianchi

In the kitchen there was a flat basket on a stool, a saucepan on the stove, and a large white dish on the table. There were crayfish in the basket, there was boiling water with dill and salt in the pan, but there was nothing on the dish.

The hostess came in and began:
once - she lowered her hand into the basket and grabbed the crayfish across the back;
two - threw the crayfish into the pan, waited until it was cooked, and -
three - spooned the crayfish from the pan onto a dish. And it went, and it went!

Once - a black crayfish, grabbed across the back, angrily moved its mustache, opened its claws and flicked its tail;
two - the crayfish was dipped in boiling water, stopped moving and turned red;
three - the red crayfish lay on the dish, lay motionless, and steam came from it.

One-two-three, one-two-three - there were fewer and fewer black crayfish left in the basket, the boiling water in the pan was boiling and gurgling, and a mountain of red crayfish was growing on a white dish.

And now there is one last crayfish left in the basket.

Once - and the mistress grabbed him across the back.

At this time they shouted something to her from the dining room.

- I’m bringing it, I’m bringing it, - the last one! - the hostess answered - I was confused:
two - I threw the black crayfish onto the dish, waited a little, picked up the red crayfish from the dish with a spoon and
three - put it in boiling water.

The red crayfish didn’t care where to lie - in a hot pan or on a cool dish. The black crayfish didn’t want to go into the pan at all; He didn’t want to lie on the platter either. More than anything in the world, he wanted to go where the crayfish spend the winter. And - without hesitation for a long time - he began his journey: backwards, backwards to the backyard.

He came across a mountain of motionless red crayfish and hid under them.

The hostess decorated the dish with dill and served it on the table.

The white dish with red crayfish and green dill was beautiful. The crayfish were delicious. The guests were hungry. The hostess was busy. And no one noticed how the black crayfish rolled from the dish onto the table and crawled backwards, backwards under the plate, backwards, backwards to the very edge of the table.

And under the table there was a kitten sitting and waiting to see if he would get something from the master’s table.

Suddenly - bang! — someone black and mustachioed cracked in front of him.

The kitten didn’t know it was a cancer, he thought it was a big black cockroach, and pushed it with his nose.

Cancer backed away.

The kitten touched him with his paw.

The cancer raised its claw.

The kitten decided that it was not worth dealing with him, turned around and smeared him with its tail.

And grab the cancer! - and pinched the tip of his tail with his claw.

What happened to the kitten? Meow! - He jumped onto the chair. Meow! - from chair to table. Meow! - from the table to the windowsill. Meow! - and jumped out into the yard.

- Hold it, hold it, you madman! - the guests shouted.

But the kitten rushed like a whirlwind across the yard, flew up onto the fence, and rushed across the garden. There was a pond in the garden, and the kitten would probably have fallen into the water if the cancer had not unclenched its claws and let go of its tail.

The kitten turned back and galloped home.

The pond was small, all overgrown with grass and mud. Lazy tailed newts, crucian carp, and snails lived in it. Their life was boring - everything was always the same. Newts swam up and down, crucian carp swam back and forth, snails crawled on the grass - one day it crawls up, the next day it goes down.

Suddenly the water splashed, and someone’s black body, blowing bubbles, sank to the bottom.

Now everyone gathered to look at him - newts swam, crucians came running, snails crawled down.

And it’s true, there was something to look at: the black one was covered in armor - from the tips of the mustache to the tip of the tail. Smooth armor covered his chest and back. From under the hard visor, two motionless eyes protruded on thin stalks. Long straight mustaches stuck out forward like peaks. Four pairs of thin legs were like forks, two claws were like two toothy mouths.

None of the pond residents had ever seen a crayfish in their lives, and everyone climbed closer to it out of curiosity. The cancer moved - everyone got scared and moved away. The crayfish raised its front leg, grabbed its eye with a fork, pulled out the stem and started cleaning it.

It was so surprising that everyone again climbed onto the crayfish, and one crucian carp even stumbled upon his mustache.

Raz! - the crayfish grabbed him with its claw, and the stupid crucian carp flew in half.

The fish and crucian carp became alarmed and ran away in all directions. And the hungry cancer calmly began to eat.

The cancer in the pond healed well. All day long he rested in the mud. He wandered around at night, felt the bottom and grass with his mustache, and grabbed slow-moving snails with his claws.

The newts and crucians were now afraid of him and would not let him get close to them. Yes, snails were enough for him: he ate them along with the houses, and his shell only became stronger from such food.

But the water in the pond was rotten and musty. And he was still drawn to where the crayfish spend the winter.

One evening it started to rain. It rained all night, and by morning the water in the pond rose and overflowed its banks. The stream picked up the crayfish and carried it out of the pond, poked it into some stump, picked it up again and threw it into the ditch.

The cancer was delighted, straightened its wide tail, clapped it in the water and swam backwards and backwards, as if crawling.

But the rain stopped, the ditch became shallow - it became uncomfortable to swim. The cancer has crawled.

He crawled for a long time. He rested during the day and set off again at night. The first ditch turned into the second, the second into the third, the third into the fourth, and he still backed away, crawled, crawled - and still could not crawl anywhere, get out of a hundred ditches.

On the tenth day of the journey, he climbed, hungry, under some snag and began to wait to see if a snail would crawl past, if a fish or frog would swim by.

So he sits under a snag and hears: boo-dah! Something heavy fell from the bank into the ditch.

And he sees a cancer: a big-faced animal with a mustache, short legs, and the size of a kitten is swimming towards him.

At another time, the crayfish would have been scared and backed away from such a beast. But hunger is not an issue. You need something to fill your belly.

He let the beast's crab pass by and grab its thick, hairy tail with its claw. I thought it would cut it off like with scissors.

But that was not the case. Beast - and it was water rat- as it explodes - and the crayfish flew out from under the snag, lighter than a bird.

The rat threw its tail in the other direction - crack! — and the crayfish’s claw broke in half.

I found some seaweed and ate it. Then I fell into the mud. Cancer stuck his fork-like paws into it and let’s fumble with them. The left hind paw felt and grabbed a worm in the mud. From paw to paw, from paw to paw, from paw to paw - and sent the worm cancer into his mouth.

The journey through the ditches had already lasted a whole month, it was already the month of September, when the cancer suddenly felt bad, so bad that it could not crawl any further; and he began to stir up and dig in the sand on the shore with his tail.

He had only just dug a hole in the sand when he began to writhe.

The cancer was molting. He fell on his back, his tail either unclenched or contracted, his whiskers twitched. Then he immediately stretched out - his shell burst on his stomach - and a pinkish-brown body climbed out of him. Then the crayfish twitched its tail strongly and jumped out of itself. A dead mustachioed shell fell out of the cave. It was empty and light. A strong current dragged him along the bottom, lifted him, and carried him away.

And in the clay cave there remained a living crayfish - so soft and helpless now that a snail could pierce it with its delicate horns.

Day after day passed, and he still lay motionless. Little by little his body began to harden, again becoming covered with a hard shell. Only now the shell was no longer black, but red-brown.

And here’s a miracle: the claw torn off by the rat quickly began to grow back.

The crayfish crawled out of its hole and, with renewed vigor, set off on its journey to where crayfish spend the winter.

From ditch to ditch, from stream to stream crawled patient cancer. His shell was turning black. The days became shorter, it rained, light golden shuttles floated on the water - leaves flying from the trees. At night the water twitched with fragile ice.

The stream flowed into the stream, the stream ran to the river.

The patient crayfish swam and swam along the streams - and finally found itself in a wide river with clay banks.

In the steep banks under water, several floors high, there are caves, caves, caves - like swallows’ nests above the water, in a cliff. And from every cave the crayfish looks, moves its mustache, threatens with its claw.

A whole crab city.

The traveler crab was delighted. I found a free place on the shore and dug myself a cozy, cozy hole-cave. He ate more and lay down to spend the winter, like a bear in a den.

Russian bear names

In ancient times, the bear in Rus' had many more names: vedmed, ber, biarma, bersek, bear, clubfoot, master, knight, com, Mikhail Potapovich, etc. It was believed that if you call this animal differently each time, it is a very smart and hard-of-hearing bear will not be able to smell the hunters and will have time to hide.

On behalf of the bear - ber The word preserved in the Russian language is den - Ber's lair.

Among the peoples northern countries the name of this beast sounded similar: English - bear, German - bär, Dutch - beer, Swedish - bjrn, Norwegian - bjrn, Danish - bjrn, Icelandic - bjrndyr, bjrn.

In addition, on many old European maps, the northwestern territory of Rus' is called Biarmia:
Bjarmaland - in the Scandinavian sagas.
Bjar (bear) - ma (earth) - land (country).
Beormas - among Anglo-Saxon writers.
Beor (bear) - ma (earth) - s.

That is, the word Biarmia is translated as “Bear Land”.

If we now add the word man to the word Bjar - man, man, people, then we get the Old Scandinavian Bjar-ma(n), which translates as bear-man, bear people.

That is, the Biarmians (Biarmians) and Rus', and even earlier their ancestors Boreans (Hyperboreans), Bergs, are one and the same people, an ethnic group that includes various tribes who in prehistoric times worshiped a single totem, and then a sacred deity bear (Apollo Hyperborean). The famous researcher of the Karelian people D.V. Bubrikh wrote that “Rus is something contemplated from the western and southwestern entrance to the Russian lands, and Biarmia (Bjarmaland / Beormas) is the same thing, contemplated from the side White Sea" That is, the same territory in the North, writers Western Europe and the East was called Russia, while Anglo-Saxon writers and compilers of Icelandic sagas called Biarmia.

For Russians, the bear is a sign of strength. The bear was the totem animal of many Slavic tribes. Russians are compared to bears in their slowness and gentleness, on the one hand, and their ability to stand up for themselves, on the other. The bear was the hero of many fairy tales and myths. The bear played a large role in the symbolism of the northern peoples, and was found in many coats of arms of old Russian cities.

Anthropologists claim that the cult of the Bear was widespread from the Elbe to the Urals.
In the Northern European tradition, it is the bear, and not the lion, that is the king of beasts.

The symbol of the bear is associated with the awakening of the forces of nature, the transformation of male energy, marriage, the transformative force can be in a long hibernation, and then awaken and transform.

Word bear means - honey in charge. The Southern Slavs call the beast - witchbear- in charge of honey. In both cases, it is the one who knows where the honey is.

Our close relatives (by language) Lithuanians have preserved the name of the bear - baggy .

Ber, who woke up in the spring, on Maslenitsa, was called Kom.

If Ber is not just a bear like an animal, but also a spirit - the Master of the Forest, associated with Slavic god Veles, then Com- this is also the SPIRIT OF THE TREE, living below in the thickening of the trunk. That is why the bottom of the trunk is called KOmel. The tree was always cut down only for KOmel, so as not to disturb the spirit itself.

That’s why it was the coma who were treated to the first pancake during Maslenitsa: “the first pancake is for the coma.” The first pancakes were carried into the forest and placed on tree stumps near the bear's den.

The spirit of the tree-Kom, thus, received the demand in the form of the energy, heat and labor of the hostess invested in the pancake, and the pancake itself was intended for Beru-the Master of the forest, so that he would dispose of the treat in a masterly manner: he would treat the ritual pancake to the one who needed it more .

Thus, the ritual action bestowed strength on the awakening Coms, honored the Master of the Forest, Beru, and fed local animals and birds hungry in the spring.

In addition to the name Mikhail, Mishka, the ancient Slavs also gave their children the name Bear. From which, in turn, the surname Medvedev was formed.

In Ancient Greece, the bear was considered the cult animal of the goddess Artemis. Priestesses performed sacred dances in honor of Artemis Bravronia in bearskins. The month of Artemision was dedicated to Artemis - March, the time when bears came out of hibernation. In Ancient Greece the word bear sounds like arcos, and the word Arcturus means “bear star”. The words Arcadia and Arctic mean “countries where bears live.”

The German cities of Bern and Berlin also have bear names.

In the Germanic tradition, the bear is associated with Odin (Wotan). Berserk- “indomitable bear” was the name given to those who showed their bravery by killing a bear with their own hands. They ate the heart of the animal and dressed in bear skins - this gave them the opportunity to take on the image of the animal and fight with the strength and fury of the bear. The berserker could fight without weapons, taking them away from the enemy. According to the description, the berserker jumped 5 meters in military equipment.

A Slavic berserker riding a bear could turn into it himself, receiving strength from the Forest and its Spirit, the power of the Dead and Fallen, the waters and fires of the underground. The Slavs called their berserker warriors differently - knights, screaming warriors. According to one version, the word knight comes from the word “knight”, and not from the German “reiter” - horseman. The most famous Slavic berserkers are Ragdai Udaloy, who went alone against 300 warriors, Olbeg Ratoborich, Demyan Kudenevich, as well as the warriors of Prince Svyatoslav and three hundred warriors of the Temple of Sventovit Arkona.

Below are the blank verse lines of Praved about the northern bear:

10.94. King of the Forest.
In the northern Forest, the sovereign owner is the Bear.
If the Lion eats only meat, then the Bear is omnivorous.
Loves raspberries, honey, digs roots, catches fish in the channels,
and only when there is need, there will be ferocious predator And dangerous enemy, B-ER in his Ber-log.
The bear is a hard worker, does everything himself, and does not lie in the shade, waiting for meat...
Leo is Left, but Bear is Right. And closer to the Right, to the true Top.

10.95.Sar
The North is called the Arctic, Arctida, after the Bear-Arkos.
Here the first two Signs are important to us: AR.
Do you know that it is correct to say not king, but s-AR, hence Caesar?
This is the one who is with the Bear in the North, the lawful Sar!
As you noticed, Sar is a reflection of Ras!

When asked how long ago folk tales appeared, folklorists do not give an exact answer and argue that the historicism of folklore is not equal to a direct reflection of history. Nevertheless, both historians and folklorists are able to approximately determine, based on a number of signs, the time of occurrence of some fairy tales.

Morozko and Baba Yaga

These characters came to Russian folklore almost from primitive times. Experts see signs in Baba Yaga ancient goddess, which combines the features of the mistress of the kingdom of the dead and the mistress of beasts. She has a bone leg. For many Indo-European peoples, such lameness is a sign of belonging both to this world and to the otherworldly kingdom. The image of Baba Yaga is characterized by dualism - she can be both an evil witch and a good helper, which is also a reflection ancient ideas about the spirits of nature.
Visit to the witch young hero(girls-stepdaughters, Ivanushka, etc.) folklorists interpret as echoes the most ancient rite initiation, transition from childhood condition into an adult. Baba Yaga puts the hero on a shovel and threatens to send him into the oven to eat him later. According to the beliefs of many peoples, initiation is the death of a child who must be reborn into an adult. Folklorists, including S. Agranovich, interpret the story about Morozko as an “ice” version of the “fiery” death of a teenager in an oven. The father takes his daughters one by one into the winter forest and leaves them there all night without fire. The girl’s task is to endure the cold ordeal and survive in the forest. The one who succeeds receives a dowry, that is, the opportunity to get married as an adult. The other one, who turns out to be not so persistent, does not receive a dowry. In the most archaic version of the tale, the evil sister dies in the forest.

Subjects related to the bear

Among the most common stories related to the bear is the tale about a girl who found herself in a bear’s den, but managed to outwit the beast, forcing him to carry her home (“Masha and the Bear”). The second famous plot is “The Bear is a Lime Leg.” In many ways, the bear can be interpreted as an ancient totem animal of the Slavs. This is evidenced by the fact that even in ancient times our ancestors were careful not to call the bear by its true name, resorting to the allegory: “knowing honey.” The real name of this beast is probably akin to the German “ber”, hence the word “berloga” - “ber’s lair”. The plot about a girl who finds herself in a den can be seen as echoes of ancient sacrifices to the owner of the forest.
The story of an old man and an old woman is devoid of a happy ending - this is one of the most terrible Russian fairy tales with which our Slavic ancestors used to scare each other on dark nights. The old man was guarding the garden and managed to cut off the paw of a bear who had gotten into the habit of stealing turnips, which he brought home. The old woman began to boil the beast's paw in a cauldron. And the bear made himself a paw from a linden hemp and went to the old people's house. He sings an eerie song about an old woman who “sits on his skin, spins his wool, cooks his meat.” The old man rushes to close the door, but it’s too late - the bear is on the threshold! Folklorists see here a motive for insulting the totem animal and punishing such sacrilege. Totemism, sacrifices - all this takes us back to primitive communal times.

The motif of snake fighting

Our folklore knows a lot of fairy tales, the main plot of which is the motive of a battle with a snake or other monster. These stories also have ancient origins. Linguist Toporov traces the motif of snake fighting, which appears in the fairy tales of many peoples, to the main myth that emerged in that era when the Indo-Europeans were still a single people. The myth tells of the struggle between the thunder hero and the chthonic serpent. Since the division of Indo-Europeans into separate peoples began around III millennium BC, we can date the origins of tales about snake fighters to around this time.
However, another theory dates their plot to a closer time, to the era of the first clashes of the Proto-Slavs with the steppe nomads. Academician Rybakov dates this event to approximately the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. Clashes with the Cimmerians, Sarmatians, Alans, then with the Pechenegs and Cumans gave rise to stories about battles with a snake (sometimes the enemy is called Miracle Yudo). At the same time, dating is simplified by the fact that sometimes the winner of the monster is not a warrior, but a wonderful blacksmith. The appearance of blacksmithing was considered by our ancestors as a kind of witchcraft, and the blacksmiths themselves were considered powerful sorcerers. These ideas date back to the dawn of the development of metallurgy among our ancestors, that is, around the same time. The blacksmith defeats the serpent, throws a yoke on it and plows furrows, which will later receive the name “Serpentine Shafts”. They can be seen in Ukraine even now. If the theory is correct that these ramparts are associated with the name of the Roman emperor Trajan (another name for them is “Trajan’s Ramparts”), then this speaks of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC.