Gauf's Tale "Frozen," a summary of which is given in this article, is a work of the famous German writer, which was written in 1827. This is a story about poor coal miner Peter Munch, who has to endure the test of money and fame. The plot of this book, its main ideas are given in this article.
Poor coal miner
The protagonist of Gauf’s fairy tale "Frozen," which you are currently reading a summary of, is coal miner Peter Munch. He works, but earns quite a bit, and over time begins to be heavily burdened by his poverty. In addition, the craft that he inherited from his father, considers not honorable.
He has a lot of ideas on how to make a lot of money, but Peter doesn't like any of them. The protagonist of Gauf’s fairy tale "Frozen" (to a brief summary will help you quickly recall the main events of this book) is trying to call Glass Man, remembering the old tradition, but can not remember the last two lines of the spell. When he comes to the lumberjack village, they tell him the legend of Michel the Giant, who gives wealth, demanding in return only a symbolic reward.
Finally, Peter recalls the whole text to call the Glass Man, and then he meets Michel, who first promises him wealth, and when the main character tries to escape, throws his boat hook at him. Munch manages to reach the border of his households, the hook breaks, one of the slivers flying from him turns into a snake, but here Peter is lucky, a huge capercaillie kills her.
Meeting with the Glass Man
A summary of Wilhelm Hauf's Frozen Heart will help to better understand the main ideas of this work, what the author wanted to say. In particular, it turns out that the capercaillie, who saved Peter from the snake, actually turns out to be a Glass Man.
He appeared at the call of Munch, now he is ready to fulfill his three wishes. Peter wants to learn how to dance, always carry as much money as the richest person in the city, as well as his own glass factory. Glass Man is disappointed with Munk's so mundane third desire, advises leaving it “for later”, but gives money to open a factory.
The hero of Gauf's book Frozen starts his own factory, but spends all his free time at the gaming table. Once it turns out that the richest man in the city, whose name is Tolstoy Ezekiel, does not find himself in the pocket of money, respectively, Peter is left with nothing.
Then he turns to Michel the Giant, who gives him a lot of money, but takes his heart in return. A stone heart is inserted into Munch’s chest, and the present is now stored on the shelves of the Giant, along with the hearts of the other rich.
Is money happy?
Having become rich, Peter does not feel happy. In Gauf's fairy tale "Frozen," a brief summary will help you refresh this work before a seminar or exam; Munch becomes even worse. First, he beats his wife Lisbeth because she serves bread and a cup of wine to a passerby old man. And it turns out to be the Glass Man. After that, she leaves Munch.
Meanwhile, the time comes for the third desire, which remains with Peter. He asks to return to him his living warm heart. Glass Man readily tells him how to do this. Peter goes to Michel, claiming that he does not believe that he took his hearts from him, demanding that he be inserted back for verification. The brave Munch did not become afraid of the Giant, even when he began to send various elements to him: water, fire and others. As a result, an unknown force nevertheless threw Peter out of Michel’s possessions, and the Giant himself turned into a small worm.
In the finale of the tale, Munk meets the Glass Man, wanting to die in order to put an end to his so unfortunate life once and for all. But he, instead of the ax, which Peter asked for, brings him a wife and mother. Meanwhile, the huge and rich house in which he lived burned down, wealth was dissolved, but in place of his father's old house was a small, but new house. Soon, a son is born to Munk, to whom the Glass Man presents his last gift. These are the bumps that Peter once picked up in the forest. They turn into brand new thalers. This is the summary of Gauf's Frozen.
Soviet film adaptation
Gauf's work was filmed in the Soviet Union. In 1981, it became one of the parts of the television movie Irma Rausch "A Tale Told at Night."
The role of the coal miner Peter Munch was played by Alexander Galibin, the Dutchman Michel was played by Alexander Kalyagin, the wife of Peter - Maya Kirse, the owner of the forest (Glass Man in the Gauf fairy tale) - Yuri Yarvet, and the rich man Klaus, who sold his soul for the opportunity to always win in the bones, Leonid Yarmolnik .
main idea
Wilhelm Gauf's fairy tale "Frozen", in fact, is a kind of parable. It is noteworthy that even the final words of the protagonist that it is better to be content with little than possess wealth and a cold heart have something in common with lines from the Gospel.
The main idea of the fairy tale “Frozen” by Gauf is aimed at explaining, first of all, to inexperienced young people that even the presence of wealth does not mean that you can immediately realize all your dreams. In fact, for happiness you don’t need to have everything you want, because the result of an excessive state is the lack of motivation for life activity and the desire for self-improvement.
As a rule, people mistakenly believe that, having received enough money, they will be grateful to their fate and happy. But Peter Munk refutes this judgment. Indeed, for working as a coal miner, he had everything that was needed, dexterity and skill, and when he began to manage a glass factory, it turned out that he was not smart enough.
Stone heart
The key to this work is the image of a cold or stony heart. With its help, the author metaphorically characterizes people who, in their well-being, lose their human appearance.
In order to become such a person, it is not at all necessary to meet the Giant Michel in real life. It is enough to make money your main priority, to forget about everything else, your heart will immediately become blackened.
This tale also teaches that Peter nevertheless managed to return to the true path, when after meeting with bad people on his life path he was able to discern those who actually wish him well and happiness.
Success tales
The success of Gauf's tale was ensured by the characteristics of the language in which it was written. He is as simple and elegant as possible, which is why the ideas embodied in his works are perceived without tension and easily.
The translators of his works into Russian managed to do the same. This was done by Tamara Gabbe and Alexandra Lyubarskaya, and Samuel Marshak translated the poems.