“Pure poetry” is what Prishvin’s stories can be called. Each word written by him is a hint of something that you will not see with a cursory glance. Prishvina needs not only to be read, she needs to enjoy, try to grasp the subtle meaning of seemingly simple phrases. Edification? Here they are useless; the author understands this perfectly. Particular attention to every little thing is what really matters, that's what Prishvin’s stories teach.
The nature of the native land takes first place in the writer's work. The heroes of the stories are not only people, but animals and birds. It is all this that makes up the beauty of life. Incredible kindness and warmth characterize every work of Mikhail Mikhailovich. The secret of such success lies in the connection of creativity with your own observations and impressions.
A subtle understanding and inextricable connection of nature and the homeland permeate all the stories of Prishvin. “Fish - water, bird - air, beast - forest, steppes, mountains. And a man needs a homeland. And to protect nature means to protect the homeland ”- we read and understand how relevant his thoughts are today! Amazing harmony and love for the Earth is noted by Prishvin and Maxim Gorky. The classic writes: "... the world you know is amazingly rich and wide ...".
Prishvin’s stories about nature, which include such eternal works as “Golden Meadow”, “Our Garden”, “A Sip of Milk”, “Dead Tree”, “The First Song of Water” and many, many others since childhood with us. They teach what school teachers do not teach - to appreciate and cherish everything that heaven has given us. The true naturalist was Prishvin. Unrivaled knowledge of forests and swamps, the ability to catch their every movement - all this was in his power. Add to this the masterly possession of the pen - what else does a true word master need? Reading his books, we hear the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves, smell the forest and observe the behavior of the forest inhabitants. But how could it be otherwise if instead of the usual word “plants” we find him with a bloody berry of bone, white mushrooms, blueberries and red lingonberries, rabbit cabbage and cuckoo tears?
Prishvin’s stories about animals deserve special attention. It seems that all the flora and fauna of central Russia is enclosed in them! Only two works - “Guests” and “Lisichkin bread”, and so many names: crow, wagtail, crane, heron, shrew, fox, viper, bumblebee, oatmeal, goose ... But this is not enough for the writer, every inhabitant of the forest and swamps he has has its own special character, its habits and habits, voice and even gait. Animals appear before us as clever and quick-witted things (“Blue Bast”, “Inventor”), they can not only think, but also speak (“Chicken on Pillars”, “Horrible Meeting”). Interestingly, this applies not only to animals, but also to plants: the whisper of the forest is barely noticeable in the story “Whisper in the forest”, in “Golden Meadow” dandelions fall asleep in the evenings and wake up early in the morning, and the mushroom makes its way out from under the foliage in The Strongman.
Often, Prishvin’s stories tell us how indifferent people are to all the beauty that is next to them. The purer and richer a person is spiritually, the more secrets of nature are revealed to him, the more he will be able to see in it. So why do we forget about this simple wisdom today? And when do we realize this? Will it be too late? Who knows…