"The Old Horse" is the story of the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. This is one of the works he wrote for the younger generation. This very short story aims to nurture the best qualities in young people.
Storyline
"The Old Horse" is a very short story, but it has a lot of inner meaning. Therefore, this work is perfect for in-depth analysis in the lesson; on its example, you can analyze in detail what the old person feels at the sunset of life, what responsibility and a sense of duty are.
In the center of the story "Tolstoy's Old Horse" is the youngest son in a rich and prosperous family. He, along with his older brothers, loves riding, cannot imagine his life without horses. The family had many horses, but due to the fact that all the boys are still very few years old, they were forbidden to ride young and fast horses. At their disposal was only an old horse named Voronok.
Once, the mother allowed the brothers to ride the Funnel again. First, the eldest brother sits on a horse. He goes to the field, where adults work, slowly circling the garden. Soon, the brothers offer him a gallop to demonstrate what he is capable of in the saddle. A young and hot rider begins to lash an old horse with a whip and knees. The funnel is gaining maximum speed.
Following him in the saddle is the middle brother, who also decides to make the horse ride at full speed. By the end of this test, Voronok was already quite tired, breathing heavily and barely rearranging his hooves.
Younger brother
The culmination of the story "The Old Horse" comes when the youngest brother climbs onto the Funnel. He also wants to gallop, to demonstrate to his brothers how much he can do in the saddle, despite his young age. However, this time the horse refuses to obey. She just does not budge. The boy fiercely hits her with a whip. So hard that the whip breaks. Then he demands from the uncle, who at this time is looking after his older brothers, to bring a new whip.
The uncle begins to reassure the boy, trying to appease him. He explains that his horse does not obey only because he is very tired. It’s not at all that he doesn’t know something in the saddle, just the Funnel for many years. And so many trials have fallen to his lot today. The older brothers had already run into him enough.
Pimen Timofeevich
When the uncle sees that the boy does not understand these explanations, he begins to give examples from surrounding life for clarity. In the story "The Old Horse" by Tolstoy, a brief summary of which is in this article, details about the old man Pimen Timofeevich. He lives in the neighborhood. The whole district knows him, because he is already 90 years old. And everyone respects his age and wisdom. Treat him with reverence.
Pimen Timofeevich is so old that he moves with great difficulty. He can walk only by leaning on a stick. The uncle clearly explains to his younger brother that by horse standards Voronok lived no less than Pimen Timofeevich. They are equally old. It is equally difficult for them to even move around. Not that jumping, what the heroes of the story require from the Funnel.
Only then does the boy finally understand that he was tormenting the old horse in vain. He has pity for the animal. He apologizes to him.
This story is deeply embedded in the head of the protagonist. He was remembered for a lifetime. Even as an adult, he still remembered Voronk and Pimen Timofeevich very well. And he respected both the elderly and the old horses and other animals. Always pitied them and guarded.
The main idea of the story
Such is the brief retelling of the story "Tolstoy's Old Horse". Analysis of the work allows us to better understand the essence of this story.
The main idea is that people often don’t realize how cruel they are to others. Be it other people or animals. Therefore, the task of others is to point out to cruel people their inappropriate behavior.
The story "Tolstoy's Old Horse", an analysis of which is presented in this article, teaches us that we need to be careful and attentive to everyone around us. Take care of your loved ones. And especially domestic animals whose life and existence directly depend on their owners.
The right approach
Despite the fact that the protagonist of the story is formally the younger of the brothers, the uncle plays a key role in the story. His job is to keep an eye on the kids. Protect them from unreasonable pranks and injuries, help in any situation. He is both an educator and tutor, who also manages to explain to them the basic ethical and moral principles that will guide him in this life.
The main thing is that he manages to find the exact words with which he explains to the capricious child why the horse on which he wanted to ride refuses to obey. A successful comparison of an old horse with an elderly man helped the boy understand the fallacy of his act.
Count Tolstoy
The author of this story is, of course, better known for his other works, which brought him world fame. This is the epic "War and Peace", the novels "Sunday", "Anna Karenina." Tolstoy had a tremendous influence on the development of not only Russian but also all European literature. His works were repeatedly staged on the stages of theaters around the world, filmed. This is the most published writer in Russia. The total circulation of all his books is approaching half a billion.
But he also devoted a large place in his work to children. The creation of separate stories and fairy tales for them, one of which is the analyzed "Old Horse".
On his estate in Yasnaya Polyana, Count Tolstoy even founded a special school for all the kids who want to learn science. He himself wrote for them the ABCs and small works that not only helped them learn to read, but also learn more about the world around them, become kind, sincere and honest people. Learn to sympathize with your neighbor, to understand what is good and what is bad. Tolstoy attached no less importance to these small works for children than to epoch-making works.