There are tales known to us from childhood. Usually, they are read to the kids by their mother, grandmother or nanny before bedtime or while resting. Vivid images and simple plots are remembered for a lifetime, the morality expressed in the works is latently hidden on a subconscious level. Unobtrusive teaching of the child takes place on the basic laws of life that determine what is good and what is bad, what can be done and what cannot.
Laziness and cunning, greed and anger in simple images of animals, plants and mythical characters are contrasted in fairy tales for the smallest courage and good-naturedness, honesty and kindness. So children begin to realize the essence and rules of the reality surrounding them. The folk tale "Spikelet" also belongs to similar works, remembered from young nails, listened and read by children. It can and should be put in a row to the little books for preschool and primary school age.
Fairy tale "Spikelet"
There are author's tales that are invented and composed by writers and poets (for example, fairy tales in the verses of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin). In such works, the text once created does not change. It is published in the author's performance in subsequent editions.
Ukrainian tale "Spikelet" refers to the folk. Its authors are people, and it was transmitted (at least earlier) by word of mouth. Of course, then it was written down on paper and published in books. And now the fairy tale “Spikelet” appears before us in the form we know from these publications. Let's read it together again.
Heroes
The main characters of a folk work: the mouse is the Twist and the Twirl and the Cockerel. The names of the mice are speaking. They are the embodiment of restlessness and irresponsible fun, unwillingness to participate in social work. But we should not forget that this is a mouse, and therefore not yet fully adult members of society. Therefore, at the end of the tale they are brought up and scolded. And, it seems, the mice understand that they did something wrong. At least, they feel ashamed: they quietly squeak and get up from the table.
The cockerel, on the contrary, is the personification of industriousness. And they called him the Voiced Neck for the fact that he also wakes everyone up in the morning, and only then starts his work.
Summary
Actually, the whole tale "Spikelet" can fit on several small sheets of paper. The cockerel does everything: finds a spikelet, threshes it, grinds flour, kneads the dough, drowns the oven and bakes pies. The mice do nothing: they just sing, have fun, play leapfrog. And as soon as the question of who will work, they immediately squeak: "Not me, not me!".
When the pies are ready, the mouse is right there: they are also ready to use the results of someone else's work, without giving anything in return and not participating in the process. But it was not there! The cockerel begins the educational process: asking questions and getting adequate answers from the mice, gradually brings them to the main idea expressed in the fairy tale: in order to get something, you have to work.
Morality
The tale "Spikelet" is a folk work of morality. There is no veiled subtext and subtle meanings. In the simple plot and simple actions of the heroes (both the Cockerel and the mice), the idea is traced that we need to work harder and help each other, less to mess around. The mice, almost expelled by the Cockerel from the table, personify the inevitability of punishment for their actions (they are not given delicacies, because there is nothing to treat such idlers and lazy people with pies). But they themselves realize at the end of the tale their behavior and understand why they were punished. So, we can say that the tale "Spikelet" does not have pronounced negative characters, because awareness of the offense is already a step towards correction.