Yuri Koval is a famous children's writer. Many films have been made based on his works, including the novel “The Scarlet”, which talks about real friendship between a man and a dog. This story has become one of the most beloved not only for kids, but also for adults.
About the writer
The author of the story "Scarlet" - Y. Koval - was born on February 9, 1938 in Moscow. There he graduated from high school and the philological faculty of the pedagogical institute. He was fond of the author's song, drawing, the art of sculpture, frescoes and painting. He illustrated his books and participated in art exhibitions. He started publishing at the institute.
After studying, he taught history, drawing, the Russian language and literature in the village of Emelyanovo of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Three years later he returned to Moscow, worked in an evening school for youth and in a children's magazine. His poems and stories for children were published in “Change”, “Murzilka”, “Twinkle”, “Pioneer”.
About creativity
Yuri Iosifovich lived for a long time in the countryside in the Vologda Oblast. The writer’s favorite genre was prose miniatures about the village and its inhabitants, nature and animals. During the life of Koval, more than thirty of his books were published. The most famous works of Koval:
- “Scarlet” - a story published in 1968.
- "The Adventures of Vasya Kurolesov" - the story was published in 1971.
- The story "Cap with crucian carp" - was included in the collection "Clean Yard", published in 1970.
- The story "Under Sand" - was published in 1974.
- The story "Five Abducted Monks" - published in 1976.
- The story "Wormwood Tales" - was published in 1978.
According to the scripts of the writer, more than ten animated films and two feature films, including those based on the story “Scarlet”, were shot. Yuri Koval was awarded the Gaidar Prize in 1983, the IBBY Diploma in 1986, and won the All-Union Competition in 1972 and 1987. In 1996, the last book, Suer Vyer, published after the death of Yu. I. Koval, was awarded the “Wanderer” prize. The children's writer died on August 2, 1995.
Confession
Fame came to him after the book "Scarlet". Koval in an interview said that he wrote three stories and “Visor”, but all this is not that - weaker than “Scarlet”. The work was published in 1968, and it received support in magazines.
Features of the story "Scarlet"
Koval Yu. I. depicted in this work the animal as a full-fledged literary character, with its own character. The story is narrated on behalf of the author, he is attentive to both heroes - to the dog Alom, and to ordinary Koshkin. The reader was hooked by the equivalence of these characters. The thoughts, mood and internal state of both are revealed, which sometimes makes us forget when it comes to a dog, and when to a person.
Scarlet Feelings
This is emphasized in the plot: “Koshkin began to teach Scarlet”, “the instructor taught Koshkin”. The dog is not just amenable to training, but independently and consciously learns, like Koshkin: “the puppy began to listen”, “Scarlet grew up, began to understand a lot.”
In the soul of a dog, feelings mature: "Scarlet grew up and began to obey because he loved Koshkin," and he "loved Scarlet very much." They even began to think the same way: ran through a jackal, the dog thought: “Run, jackal, run”, and the fighter thought: “It’s good that Scarlet is a border dog, otherwise I wouldn’t leave a stone on a stone ...”.
Equally
As the plot unfolds, the dog acquires other qualities, one can say “human”: sometimes it is smarter than Koshkin, calmly accepts the orders of the instructor and does not bite, although he wants to, because he understands that this cannot be done.
Out of context, it is difficult to understand who Koval is talking about - about Al or about Koshkin, about an animal or about a person. In an episode of capturing a spy, only certain words and phrases, such as the word “paws,” remind you that this is still a dog.
When Scarlet died, he felt sorry not for himself, but for Koshkin.
This scene describes the feelings of both heroes who convince that the animal is not lower than a person, sometimes even higher. Not everyone can think about others, and not about himself. To do this, you need to have feelings, soul and talent.
The author throughout the story reveals a world where the animal and man are equal. This is one of the main thoughts of many works of Yuri Iosifovich, which can be seen by reading the summary of Koval's story “Scarlet”.
Acquaintance
A cheerful and ruddy guy came to serve on the border. The commander asked him what his last name was, he replied that Koshkin, "Christmas trees, sticks." The captain told him that the trees had nothing to do with it, but the dogs - yes. And the young fighter went to the dog instructor school. They gave him a puppy, ordered to come up with a name with the letter “A” and make him a real dog. “Why exactly this letter?” Thought Koshkin. They explained to him that it would be easier to find out the dog’s birth year.
Koshkin brought the puppy to the barracks, where he first “arranged” a puddle, for which the owner immediately poked him with his nose, and then he wondered: what was the name of the dog? For a long time he went over the words to “A”, and not only to this letter. Out of curiosity, the puppy stuck out his tongue, and then the soldier dawned: Scarlet!
Koshkin began to teach Scarlet, throws a stick and shouts: “Aport!” The puppy does not even think of running after her, why? Another thing is if the sausage or bone. In a word, he was a bummer.
Instructor School
We continue the retelling of the work of Yuri Koval "Scarlet". The summary of the story cannot convey all the difficulties that Aloma had to endure at school. But the instructor looked at the achievements of Scarlet and ordered Koshkin to be more persistent.
And the fighter tried. Threw a stick and asked Scarlet to bring. The puppy got up and ran in the opposite direction, Koshkin followed. He could not catch the fugitive and threatened him with his fist. But Scarlet knew: he wouldn’t do it, because to beat dogs is the last thing, and this “good man” is this Koshkin.
Then Scarlet felt sorry for him and ran for a stick. Koshkin was happy as a child, and said that as soon as he received the parcel from home, the first thing he would bring to Alom was a piece of sausage. “While you wait, you will stretch your legs from hunger,” thought the dog. But he was not going to stretch his legs, because the dogs were well fed here, and Koshkin did run to the kitchen at all - he begged for bones for Scarlet.
Real dog
We continue the retelling of the story by Yu. Koval "Scarlet." Soon the dog began to obey the owner, because he loved him. When Koshkin received the parcel, he shared with Aly. The dog, of course, immediately ate and thought that if someone had sent him gifts, he would certainly have “rolled off” Koshkin “something more tasty”.
The instructor watched what the dog fighter learned and shouted. All day Koshkin taught Scarlet. The dog knew almost all the teams, but this was not enough for the ordinary - he poked a rag in his nose. Then he called for himself, people in hoodies stood in the yard, and suddenly Scarlet felt the smell - just like the rag that Koshkin poked in his nose. The instructor praised both of them.
Exam
Once the fighter put the dog in the car, Scarlet immediately wanted to bite the instructor, but ... it is impossible, so Koshkin said. They jumped out of the cabin near the forest, and the instructor ordered them to detain the intruder. Scarlet did not immediately understand who to look for. He just ran along the edge of the forest and suddenly felt a strange smell. What the “intruder" just did not do was to sprinkle the trace with tobacco and loop, but Scarlet stubbornly ran forward.
Finally, the dog overtook him. Koshkin let go of the leash, and Scarlet caught up with the offender and was knocked down. A fighter who arrived in time barely pulled the dog. The instructor praised them, they got into the car and drove back to school. Koshkin put an excellent cracker in Alom's mouth, and the dog thought that the instructor would probably also have eaten a cracker with pleasure, but he just didn’t get it.
At the outpost
The day came when the fighter and the dog said goodbye to the school and drove to the border. The captain cordially met them, but was surprised that the name of the dog is Alym. “This is not a school,” said Koshkin, “you see, Scarlet, here they are, mountains.”
Once Koshkin returned from duty, and suddenly anxiety. As if the border guards blew away, only the patrolmen remained at the outpost. Koshkin took Scarlet and they went for the intruder. The dog smelled another smell and followed the trail. He stopped at the apple tree and barked. Koshkin raised his head and saw a man there. He said that he climbed the apples to pick, and he rushed to Koshkin with a knife. The dog was on the alert - knocked out a knife from the hands of a bandit and knocked him to the ground.
Bear tracks
We continue the retelling of the work of Y. Koval "Scarlet". Autumn and winter have passed. Spring has come. So Scarlet and Koshkin served together. The boss often sent them in secret. They hid in the bushes and sat breathlessly - they guarded the border. Somehow, Scarlet and Koshkin walked along the strip and saw bear tracks. But the fighter knew that such marks were left by violators in special shoes. He took the Scarlet Trail and went out to the bear. The beast rushed at the dog and wounded him.
Carried Koshkin Scarlet in his arms to the outpost. The soldier’s thoughts went astray. He walks, listens to the dog’s heavy breathing, hears a dog’s heart pounding furiously. He brought Scarlet to the paramedic. He washed the wounds, sutured for a long, long time. And it hurts. Alom even wanted to bite him. Koshkin sat next to him, stroking Scarlet on the head and whispered, as if reassuring him: "You think, bear." Then he brought the Koshkin dog to the shed where the dogs lived, looked after him, brought tasty bones. When the wounds healed, he began to lead into the courtyard, bask in the sun. Koshkin sits on a bench, plays the guitar. And the dog sits nearby, singing along. Other soldiers came, listened to Scarlet's songs and laughed.
The enemy will not pass
So the summer and autumn passed. Winter came. Koshkin and Aly were on duty and noticed traces. Apparently, the intruder was heavy. They followed the trail and realized that there was not one person walking here, but carrying someone else. They caught one, left the fighter Snegirev to guard him, and they themselves ran after another. I had to look for him. They saw the house, went in, asked the old man if he had seen anyone? Grandfather pointed to the window, Koshkin looked out - the intruder was descending from a steep slope.
The water rumbles over stones, no steps are heard. But Koshkin steps cautiously, afraid to frighten off. The scarlet smells the enemy, is torn, but the soldier holds the leash and whispers that this is not the time yet. The intruder stopped by the stream, the dog shrank into a lump, Koshkin released him from the leash. Scarlet spread out in a jump - and collapsed on the intruder. The weapon flashed, the enemy fired several times. But the dog tore the gun from his hands with his teeth. Koshkin ran up, tied the offender - the second was caught. He looked around at the faithful dog and was dumbfounded: he lay motionless, blood flowing from the wounds, pouring snow.
Parting
We conclude the retelling of the story of Yuri Koval “Scarlet". Summary can not convey the pain of parting ordinary Koshkin with Aly, for this you need to read the original.
In his arms he carried the Scarlet Koshkin to the outpost. The paramedic said that the dog would not survive, - a wound too serious. But Koshkin did not believe him, sat near Scarlet, stroked him, promised that, as the parcel arrived, he would give him the sausage. The dog’s eyes were now cloudy, then enlightened.
Scarlet was pleased to listen to Koshkin, but the dog’s head was spinning, birds swam and his head became heavy. The dog could not hold her and dropped it on its paws, started and died. And Koshkin sat and stroked Scarlet and said: “And sausage, and shortbread, and fat.”