The folk tale about the Ryaba chicken is known to everyone from early childhood. She is easy to remember, her children are very fond of.
What is this fairy tale talking about?
She tells how one day a chicken, who lived with her grandfather and woman, suddenly laid a golden testicle. The grandfather and the woman did not succeed in breaking it, in spite of many attempts. But the mouse was able to do this by accident. She only had to wave her tail. But instead of being happy, the grandfather and the woman for some reason were very upset. The chicken reassured them and said that they would have a new testicle, ordinary, not golden.
However, this story has several options. In some of them, new characters appear: pop and hit.
The meaning of the tale
Here is such a simple story at first glance. But what is the meaning of the fairy tale about Ryaba chicken? This question is interesting to many. Some believe that a fairy tale does not make sense at all. Most people are unlikely to agree with this statement. Fairy tales have long been told not only for interest, but also in order to teach something good. The meaning of this tale remains to be understood.
The main contradiction of the tale is that the grandfather and grandmother cry because the golden egg broke. But they really wanted that! Perhaps the egg was empty, and the grandmother and grandfather were disappointed. Maybe they just wanted to eat, and the egg, broken by a mouse accidentally, spread on the floor? It is possible that it was not golden, but simply with a golden shell, while the old people thought it was especially tasty.
Hidden meanings
Some researchers of the fairy tale have devoted many years to find its connection with mythology. Often a fairy tale is associated with ancient myths about the World Egg, from which either the entire Universe, or part of the world, or one of the gods is born. The image of the mouse is also symbolic. Myths of many nations say that this animal was born from the earth. Thus, the tale is associated with myths about the creation and end of the world.
In some more complete versions of the tale, after the egg broke, any unfortunate happened to everyone who found out about it.
There is an opinion that in the fairy tale there is a connection with pagan rites. In this case, the egg is compared with the moon or the sun. The golden egg is the sun. The image of a gray mouse is evening. Broken Golden Egg - Sunset. A simple egg is the moon.
An interesting interpretation of the tale by M.E. Wigdorchik. He believes that the golden egg is a symbol of the child. Attempts to break an egg is a symbol of raising a child. But the grandfather and the grandmother did not succeed, but the mouse did. The mouse is a symbol of a frivolous daughter-in-law, who for her husband's parents seems to be a rival in some way. They are offended that she managed to raise a child, but they do not.
Proponents of psychoanalysis (for example, S.Z. Agranovich) believe that the egg in the fairy tale plays the role of a savior, it is a symbol of life. Gold symbolizes death. Therefore, the old people tried so hard to break it. But when the mouse did this, they got scared, because they did not know what to expect next. The mouse is a mediator between the world of the living and the world of the dead, it can perform both good and bad deeds. At your discretion. And when the chicken says that it will lay an ordinary testicle, everyone is happy, as the future has become clear. Life has won.
The relevance of a fairy tale in our time
Children's stories are a collection of folk wisdom, albeit not in the form of teachings. The tale of Ryaba chicken is no exception. However, times are changing, new realities are appearing. Many authors try in their own way to tell a legend known to everyone. A very interesting fairy tale about Ryaba chicken in a new way Olga Akhmetova. In her interpretation, the mouse, when she saw the egg, wanted to steal it, she envied that her grandfather and grandmother would become rich, and even she was worthy of a million. Those, in turn, thought for too long what to do with the wealth that fell on their heads. As a result, the egg broke and did not go to anyone. The meaning of this tale is that everyone in life can have a happy chance, but you need to dispose of it wisely.
Another fairy tale about Ryaba chicken tells that the testicle was not golden, but just a kinder surprise. In the story of Igor Shandra Ryaba laid the Faberge egg. He was taken to the bank for storage, so that he probably would not have crashed. But even in this version, grandfather and grandmother were waiting for tears. But the computer mouse was to blame: “waved its tail”, and the whole bank disappeared. And Ryaba was comforted by the fact that the fake disappeared, and the real egg was safe and sound.
These are interesting stories, and this is only a small part. Everything suggests that in our time, the fairy tale about the Ryaba chicken is of interest not only to children, but also to adults.
Disputes about the moral of a fairy tale
Serious studies of the tale are respected, but it is unlikely that an ordinary person will look for hidden meanings. But what does this story still teach? What is the moral of the fairy tale about Ryaba chicken?
Everyone can understand it in their own way. It is believed that the egg is a symbol of love that grandfather and grandmother could not save. The pockmarked chicken is a symbol of the Higher Mind, therefore it is black and white, as it combines both good and evil. The mouse is some kind of gossip. If you break love for a long time, then the relationship may come to an end due to some little things like gossip. A simple egg is not love, but a habit that has emerged over time. Morality - you need to value relationships, protect love.
Someone believes that the tale says that you do not have to be stupid and envious. After all, the grandfather and grandmother did not even understand why they wanted to break the egg, and when the mouse did it, they simply envied her. Morality - you need to think about your actions and not be jealous.
Perhaps the golden egg is a symbol of wealth, which you do not need to strive so desperately for. Grandfather and grandmother struggled for a long time in order to achieve material wealth, but then a mouse (chance) showed them, breaking an egg, that there was nothing special in it. The simple egg, which the chicken later promised, is a symbol of eternal values. Morality - you can be happy without striving for the accumulation of wealth.
There is also a version that the tale teaches not to plan life to the smallest detail. There is always room for chance.
Is the child able to understand this tale?
It is not just said that truth speaks through the mouth of an infant . Despite many interpretations, the Ryabu chicken story is still a children's work.
Grandfather and woman, according to many kids, cry because they themselves could not break a golden egg. That's where so many experiences come from.
Of course, subsequently, parents can offer their child their own version of what this fairy tale teaches. A good educational conversation will work.