One of the folklorists who introduced the Russian public to all the wealth of Russian fairy tales was Alexander Nikolaevich Afanasyev.
In three varieties, he published a work that circulated among the people as oral creativity - “Sivko-burko”. In parentheses, it must be said that the version that everyone knows as the tale "Sivka-burka" does not have the author, but the writer A.N. Tolstoy.
The work of Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy
He set himself a colossal task: to retell Russian fairy tales mainly for children. That would be the beginning of tremendous work. A.N. Tolstoy approached work very responsibly. He gathered several versions of the same tale. He took the best as a basis, from others he added details. So after processing appeared "Sivka-burka". The fairy tale recreated by A. N. Tolstoy is known to many generations of children.
But the basic version is a folk work that has been listened to for centuries and recorded by folklorists. Great enthusiasts worked in this area and bit by bit collected a huge amount of material. And for the readers of our time, a fairy tale “Sivka-burka” was written by an author named Alexei Tolstoy. All of his works on artistic performance and penetration into the recreated era (for example, "Peter the Great") are magnificent. In the same row is Sivka Burka
(fairy tale
for
children).
The cause of the tale
The tale begins with a description of the peasant's family. He has two successful sons, and the third - more and more sits on the stove and goes to the forest mushrooms. Does nothing else, necessary. The old man before his death instructs his sons to go to his grave three nights in a row, to bring bread.
You need to go to the cemetery, because according to popular belief it was believed that if the deceased person remained hungry, it would become a ghost that would come to life and return to the white light. Such a beginning in the fairy tale "Sivka-burka", a brief summary of which will be given, will tell readers what the old man had sons. But at night the cemetery is scary, and the eldest son asks the silly brother to go in his place and feed his father. So did Vanyusha. The same story was repeated with the middle son - he did not go, but sent Vanya. Ivan fed his father bread and returned home by morning. And on the third night - it's his turn to go. The youngest one went, fed his father, said that everything was calm in Russia, and his father praised him for not being scared alone, came to calm and feed him, and taught his younger son how and why to call a horse named Sivka-burka. A summary of the tale will show that the horse turned out to be magical and served Ivan well.
Not a simple horse
The horse, according to Slavic beliefs, was the link between the world of the living and the kingdom of the dead. He appears unusually. The earth trembles at the same time, everything sparkles with fire, smoke is around.
And the horse’s color is unusual. Gray - means white, burka - dark red, brown - chestnut. And he is prophetic, that is, he knows how to guess what will happen next.
Call of the king
The king wanted to marry his daughter to a daredevil, who jumped on a horse to the top window of the tower, where the princess of incomparable beauty would sit, and kiss the girl. For this, he will give his daughter, and half the kingdom as a dowry. Elder brothers gathered, they didn’t want to take the younger one. Left alone. And Ivan took the reins that he received from his father, went out into the field and called, as the priest taught, his horse. There is here Sivka-burka. The summary shows the reader how the horse demands directions, how impatiently digs the ground with his hoof, how instantly magically transforms Ivanushka from his peasant son into a handsome painted man. The horse runs so that the earth begins to tremble, with its tail it sweeps mountains and dales.
In the royal court
A great crowd gathered. Someone just stare, someone jump on a horse to the twelfth crown, where the princess sits at a height near the window. And they all started to jump, but barely barely jumped to the middle. The difficult test gave the king well done. Then Ivan dispersed the horse and flew past the window the third time, kissed the princess, and she put a stamp on his forehead.
And he instantly disappeared, as had never happened. He was carried away by Ivan Sivka-burka. The summary will show what secret our main character will hide. The print in the forehead shines, it must be carefully hidden for the time being. And in appearance he is again familiar Vanyusha, who only knows how to sit behind the stove. But he was not afraid to go to his father’s grave, which means that somewhere his reward awaits.
At the feast of the king
All the people, both rich and poor, began to gather for the king. Older brothers, too, but didn’t take Vanya. But he went on foot, came and sat in a far corner. The princess bypasses everyone - looks at who has the seal. I got to Vanya, and he is all soot, his hair is disheveled and his forehead is tied. The princess unleashed a rag - and a seal shines under it: a bright light spread across all the royal chambers. The princess recognized her betrothed.
The tsar did not like the future son-in-law - very scary. But Ivan asked permission to wash. In the courtyard Sivka-burka clicked, which made our hero such a fine fellow, for whom the royal daughter is not ashamed to give. It was then that the brothers realized what it was like to not be afraid and go to their father’s grave, what a reward could await them. Yes, and the people gathered in the yard, gasped and gasped. Never seen such miracles.
But what is there to talk long conversations. It is necessary to prepare a cheerful feast and play a wedding.
In this tale, as in many others, human characters are briefly and succinctly depicted - lazy and swaggering older brothers, active and kind Ivanushka. These are the main fairy-tale characters. Sivka-burka, who brought victory to Ivanushka, is also a hero, and a very active, real heroic horse. Thus ends the tale, with confidence and hope that the king will notice the brave man, and happiness and luck will be accessible to the common man.