The story “A horse with a pink mane” is included in the collection of works by V. P. Astafyev called “The Last Bow”. The author created this cycle of autobiographical stories for several years. Summer, forest, high sky, carelessness, lightness, transparency of the soul and endless freedom that are only in childhood, and those first lessons of life that are firmly preserved by our memory ... They are immensely scary, but thanks to them you grow and feel the world to a new one.
Astafiev V.P., “Horse with a pink mane”: summary
The story is written in the first person - a little orphan boy who lives with his grandparents in the village. Once, having returned from neighbors, the grandmother sends the grandson to the forest for wild strawberries along with the neighboring guys. How not to go? After all, my grandmother promised to sell his teses of berries along with her goods and buy gingerbread with the proceeds. It was not just a carrot, but a horse-shaped carrot: white-white, with a pink tail, mane, hooves and even eyes. He was allowed to go out for a walk. And when you have in your bosom the most treasured and coveted “horse with a pink mane” - you are a truly respected and revered “man” in all games.
The main character went to the ridge with the children of Levontius. The “Leontief” lived in the neighborhood and were distinguished by their exuberant character and carelessness. The house is without a fence, without platbands and shutters, with somewhat glazed windows, but the “settlement”, like a boundless sea, and “nothing” does not oppress the eyes ... True, in the spring the Leontief family dug up the ground, planted something around the house, erected a fence from twigs and old boards. But not for long. In winter, all this "good" gradually disappeared in the Russian stove.
The main goal in life was to get to the neighbor after the pay. On this day, everyone was in some kind of anxiety, fever. In the morning, Vasya’s aunt, the wife of Uncle Levontius, ran home, repaying debts. By evening, a real holiday came in the house. Everything fell out on the table - sweets, gingerbread cookies ... Everyone was treated to, and then they dragged on their favorite song about the miserable "oblizyanka" that the sailor brought from Africa ... Everyone cried, became compassionate, sad, and so good at heart! At night, Levontius asked his main question: “What is jerk ?!”, and everyone understood that they needed to quickly grab the remaining sweets, because the father would fight, beat the remnants of the glasses and curse. The next day Levontiha again ran to the neighbors, borrowed money, potatoes, flour ... It was with the Leontief "eagles" that the main character went to pick strawberries. Collected for a long time, diligently, quietly. Suddenly there was fuss and screams: the eldest saw that the younger ones were picking the berries not in the dishes, but directly in their mouths. The fight began. But after an unequal battle, the older brother was depressed and wilted. He began to collect the scattered delicacy, and to spite everyone - in his mouth, in his mouth ... After unsuccessful efforts for a home, for a family, carefree children ran to the river to sprinkle. It was then that they noticed that our hero of strawberries was full of tueses. Without thinking twice, they also knocked out his "income". Trying to prove that he is not greedy and not afraid of Petrovna’s grandmother, the boy dumps his “booty”. Instantly, the berries disappeared. He got just nothing, a couple of pieces, and those are green.
The day was fun and interesting. And I forgot about the berries, and about the promise given to Katerina Petrovna. And the horse with the pink mane completely flew out of my head. Evening came. And the time has come to return home. Sadness. Yearning. How to be Sanka prompted a way out: to fill a tuyesk with grass, and to scatter a handful of red berries on top. So he did, and came home with a "trick".
Katerina Petrovna did not notice the catch. I praised my grandson, gave me food, and decided not to sprinkle the berries, but to take them to the market early in the morning. The trouble went nearby, but nothing happened, and the main character with a light heart went for a walk on the street. But he could not stand it and boasted of unprecedented success. The cunning Sanka realized what was happening, and demanded one kalach for silence. I had to secretly get into the pantry and bring one kalach, then another, and yet, until he “got drunk”.
The night was hectic. There was no sleep. The peace of "Andelsky" did not condescend. I wanted to go and tell everything: about the berries, and about the Leontief's guys, and about the executioners ... But my grandmother quickly fell asleep. I decided to get up early, and before her departure to repent of their deeds. But overslept. In the morning in an empty hut it became even more unbearable. Hanging around, hanging around, and decided to go back to the Leontief, and they all went fishing together. In the midst of the bite, he sees a boat floating around the corner. In it, among others, sits a grandmother. Seeing her, the boy grabbed the fishing rods and rushed to run. "Wait! ... Wait, the crook! ... Hold him!" she screamed, but he was already far away.
Late in the evening, Aunt Fenya brought him home. He quickly made his way into the cold pantry, buried himself and became silent, listening. Night came down, in the distance heard the barking of dogs, the voices of young people who gather after work, sing and dance. But the grandmother didn’t stop by. It became very quiet, cold and dreary. I remembered how my mother also went to town to sell berries, and once an overloaded boat rolled over, she hit her head and drowned. They searched for her for a long time. Grandmother spent several days near the river, throwing bread into the water to soften the river, to propitiate the Lord ...
The boy woke up from the bright sunlight, which made his way through the muddy dirty windows of the pantry. Grandfather's old short fur coat was thrown over him, and his heart was beating joyfully - grandfather came, he will certainly regret it, will not give offense. I heard the voice of Ekaterina Petrovna. She told someone about the tricks of her grandson. She needed to speak out and ease her heart. Here the grandfather came in, grinned, winked, ordered to go to ask for forgiveness - otherwise it is impossible. Shameful and scary ... And suddenly he saw a sugar-white “horse with a pink mane” galloping along the scalloped kitchen table ...
Since then, a lot of water has flowed. For a long time there are no grandparents. And the main character himself has long grown up, his own "life is about to decline." But he will never forget that day. A horse with a pink mane forever remained in his heart ...