Nastenka's birthday was approaching. Grandma Ira and Grandpa Pasha thought and wondered what to give their granddaughter, but they couldn’t come up with anything. I wanted my grandparents to give Nastenka not just a useful little thing, but one that would be remembered by her granddaughter for a long time and would make her happy every hour.
And then one day, in search of a gift, my grandparents went into the city and on one quiet street they came across an unfamiliar store. Above its entrance hung a sign with a strange name: “Prince Forget-Me-Not,” and the store itself sold gifts.
Wow! Yes it new shop gifts! – Grandfather was delighted, opening the door slightly and sticking his head inside.
Our store is already one hundred and twelve years old,” the seller objected. important man with gray sideburns. He stood near the display case with gifts and looked at the customers with a mysterious look.
Wow! – Grandfather chuckled in surprise. And then, unable to resist, he joked: “I’m not young either, you know, but I’ve never been to your store.”
Because before it wasn’t time for you to come here, that’s why you weren’t in our store,” the seller explained quite seriously.
Is now the time? - Grandfather grinned. But this time the seller did not answer anything, only bowed his head politely. Then grandmother called grandfather; she stood in another part of the store and chose gifts.
“Look,” she said, pointing to a square wooden box with a round convex lid; On top of the lid there was a curved handle, like a meat grinder. – Such a nice mill, and there’s a discount on it.
“It’s magical, that’s why there’s a discount on it,” the seller spoke again.
Let me! If the mill is truly magical, then, on the contrary, it should be expensive. Is not it? - Grandfather remarked in surprise. However, the seller again did not answer him, only silently shrugged his shoulders.
Where should I put the grains? - Grandma asked, turning the mill in her hands, in bewilderment.
Nowhere. Not provided,” the seller muttered. - This mill does not grind grain.
Why then is such a mill needed?! – Grandma and Grandpa exclaimed in one voice and looked at each other with an incomprehensible look.
That’s what everyone says,” the seller smiled sadly. - That's why we had to make a discount.
A discount is, of course, good,” grandfather nodded approvingly. - But, be honest, does the mill even grind anything?
Of course... Impressions, - the mysterious seller said quietly.
What?.. What did you say? - Grandfather was taken aback by surprise, and grandmother, having heard the seller’s answer, cautiously returned the mill to its place.
Yes, yes, you heard right: the mill grinds impressions,” the salesman smiled for the first time. - Put it at home and... don’t pay attention to it. Continue to live your normal life. Well, maybe try to be more happy and please your loved ones. Meet guests, give each other gifts, read good books, listen to fun music and dance...
Wait, dear, have you forgotten about the mill? - Grandmother politely reminded. - What will the mill do at this time?
She will watch you carefully and... - the seller paused for a moment, picking up the right words, - grind your impressions into flour.
What should we do with this flour then? – the grandmother continued to ask.
Like what? You can knead the dough and bake a pie from it. Or make dumplings and dumplings.
Can I have some pizza? With hunting sausages? – Grandfather asked dreamily.
Of course you can,” the seller smiled again. - But you’ll have to buy sausages. After all, this is not a meat grinder, but a mill. She can only grind flour. She does not know how to cook other foods and dishes.
It’s a pity,” the grandmother sighed. A little later she wisely reasoned: “On the other hand, it’s good that she doesn’t grind everything.”
And grandfather said thoughtfully:
It seems that the inventor of this magic mill is leading healthy image life, since his device cannot cook sausages and other not very healthy delicacies.
So the magic mill isn't for you? – the seller asked disappointedly.
Against! - Grandfather objected joyfully. - That is why such a mill - best gift for our granddaughter!
With these words, without further hesitation, grandfather bought the mill and, satisfied with the purchase, left the store.
However, on the street the grandmother unexpectedly told him:
You know, this mill doesn’t inspire confidence in me.
How? You liked her! - Grandfather was surprised.
I liked it, but who knows what kind of flour it grinds,” the grandmother shook her head doubtfully. And then she suggested: - Let's buy a cake? We can't go wrong with the cake.
Exactly. Cake is reliable and, most importantly, delicious! - Grandfather agreed. And they bought a “Chocolate Peacock” cake at a nearby confectionery and headed home to Nastya in high spirits.
And there are guests in Nastya’s house! Bunny, Hedgehog, Hoka and Babayka came from the forest. For a whole year they dreamed of attending Nastya’s birthday, and finally, their dream came true. Hurray, the day has come!
Early in the morning, the forest dwellers rushed in with armfuls of gifts and gifts. Bunny and Hedgehog brought Nastenka vitamin and tasty gifts: carrot jam and dried porcini mushrooms. In order not to break the jars of jam on the road, the friends carefully wrapped them in a piece of old, but still very strong fabric. Bunny and Hedgehog found this fabric in the attic of their house and were very happy about it. After all, if it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t have anything to wrap their gifts in.
But what Hoka and Babayka prepared as a gift remained a mystery for a long time. When Papa Anton asked them about the gift, the forest brownies smiled mysteriously, muttered something incomprehensible in response, but stubbornly refused to name the gift.
You’re kind of strange,” Sasha’s mother shrugged her shoulders in bewilderment. – Who hides gifts?
“We don’t hide,” Babayka shook her head. “We want to give Nastenka a surprise.”
Well, if it’s a surprise, then we forgive you,” dad said jokingly.
But grandfather Pasha and grandmother Ira did not hide their gift and joyfully declared right from the doorway:
And we want to give Nastya a cake!
However, dad and mom were not at all happy about this gift. Seeing the box with the cake, they were unanimously indignant:
Cake?! What are you talking about?! Is it possible to feed a small child cake?
Well, at least a piece,” the grandfather asked for his granddaughter, but the mother was adamant: “Nastya is too young to eat cake.”
Let’s talk about this later,” grandmother Marina peacefully suggested. - In the meantime, let's go have fun.
Good idea! – Aunt Dasha supported. She gave her niece a dress with sparkles and strawberry scent. Because Nastya really loved strawberries.
What is this thing that she needs to know how we spend our time? – Dad asked sternly, wary.
A! Then we’ll tell you,” Grandma Ira said, smiling. - Let's go dance.
And everyone went together next room where the TV was. Dad turned on the music channel, and everyone began dancing happily to dance videos. Meanwhile, Grandfather Pasha placed the magic mill, unnoticed by everyone, on the cabinet in the room, and also went to dance.
Less than ten minutes had passed before the guests and owners of the house dispersed so much, dancing one dance after another that it was impossible to calm them down. The Bunny and the Hedgehog especially tried.
Look how rock and roll we can dance. Pine! – the Hedgehog boasted and, curled up in a ball, spun like a spinning top on the floor.
Why pine? - Grandfather didn’t understand.
Yes, yes, pine rock and roll! - repeated Bunny. - Because that's what we called it.
With these words, Bunny began to deftly dance, first on his hind legs, then on his front legs.
Well done! – the adults sincerely praised the forest dancers, and Nastya also praised them.
But soon Bunny and Hedgehog became very thirsty. No wonder, because they danced so diligently. After exchanging glances, the friends stealthily slipped out of the room and tiptoed to the festive table, on which there were carafes of juice, compote and other tasty and healthy drinks.
Imagine the surprise of Bunny and Hedgehog when they saw Hoku and Babayka at the table. The forest brownies sat in front of the cake that grandparents brought and licked their lips.
Look, Hedgehog, Babayka and Hoka opened the cake,” Bunny remarked displeasedly.
Ugliness! - the Hedgehog was indignant and, menacingly bristling with thorns, stepped towards the forest brownies. “Did you happen to eat it here?”
What are you doing? – Babayka hesitated, taken by surprise. – We were just fantasizing.
What, what? – Bunny asked in surprise.
I’m telling you, we fantasized about how we would eat the cake,” Hoka explained in an embarrassed voice.
I feel like there’s something you’re not saying, you dreamers. I should have... - the Hedgehog began, resolutely approaching Hoka, but then people entered the room.
Oh, Hoka and Babayka are eating cake! – Nastya exclaimed, laughing.
We didn’t eat, we fantasized,” Hoka repeated, shaking his head. And Babayka hastily added: “Yes, yes, we were only fantasizing about how delicious this cake is.”
I wonder what you dreamed up there,” said mom, looking suspiciously at the forest brownies. – My heart feels that you are here for a reason.
“I agree,” Grandma Ira nodded. – Sitting next to the cake and not eating a single piece... It’s all strange.
“But I feel sorry for them,” grandmother Marina suddenly felt sorry for Hoku and Babayka. - Poor things.
Poor things,” Nastya repeated with an amusing sigh.
But then dad said almost sternly: “Stop feeling sorry for them!” Better cut them a large piece of cake. And so do we all.
Exactly! - Grandfather supported. – Big piece better than any fantasy!
With these words, grandfather took the plate and handed it to his mother so that she could put him a piece of cake. The others also grabbed their plates and began to vying with each other. But mom decided not to rush. Taking on an important look, she began to slowly cut the cake, but lo and behold! – the knife suddenly slipped through the cake without touching it at all.
Oh! – Mom screamed in surprise.
What kind of tricks are these?! - Dad was indignant.
“Hee-hee-hee, these are not tricks, but a mirage,” Hoka chuckled contentedly. And Babayka, also bursting with laughter, boasted: “We made this mirage especially for Nastya.”
I don't understand anything. There was a cake, but it became a mirage,” grandfather frowned.
Where did the cake go then? – Dasha asked.
Well, don’t you understand! – Babayka snorted mockingly. – We wanted to give Nastya a camera of miracles, which first photographs all sorts of interesting things, and then creates a mirage.
He makes a mirage out of a photograph,” Hoka repeated importantly and took out a camera of miracles from under the table. It looked like a child's accordion: a photographic lens was attached to one end, and a release ring to the other. soap bubbles.
Is this thing really making a mirage? – Mom asked incredulously.
Otherwise! – Hoka answered proudly. He pressed some button on the camera of miracles, immediately a shiny transparent bubble came off the ring, flew up to the cake, which was actually a mirage, and in the next moment the deceptive cake changed beyond recognition. From chocolate it suddenly turned into fruit and berry.
Wow! Incredible! – Grandma Ira was amazed.
Wow trick! Well done! – grandmother Marina praised.
Everyone applauded. One grandfather was in no hurry to admire and praise the forest brownies.
“Well, okay, we’ve dealt with the mirage,” he said thoughtfully. - Where did the cake go?
Hoka and Babayka hesitated and fell silent. And they even stopped putting on airs and wondering.
Really, where's the cake? - Mom remembered the cake.
The forest brownies continued to shift from paw to paw in confusion. Finally, guiltily lowering her eyes, Babayka suddenly admitted:
So we... ate it.
How did you eat it?! – people and animals cried out in unison. As if she couldn’t believe her ears, mom touched the cake with the knife again - and again the knife passed through the cake without a trace.
What's wrong with that? - Hoka muttered. “We decided that we deserved a reward.”
And they thought: “The cake is what we need!” Hoka giggled.
And... we ate the cake,” Babayka joyfully admitted. But, looking at mom and dad, and then at sad Nastya, she again lowered her gaze in shame.
There was a silent pause. People and animals were completely bewildered by such an act of the forest brownies. And they, as if nothing had happened, quietly whispered to each other.
Finally, Dad was the first to find the power of speech.
Well, you give it! - he said sternly and threatened the brownies.
“They deceived us,” Bunny sniffed offendedly.
“This won’t be in vain for you,” the Hedgehog promised menacingly.
The brownies immediately became alarmed and began to hastily collect their things.
So we went,” Babayka suddenly said, backing towards the door.
Yeah. “You don’t have anything tasty anymore anyway,” Hoka said, looking around the festive table.
Wait! - Grandfather unexpectedly blocked the way for the brownies. - Nobody is going anywhere. After all, we still have a magic mill.
Exactly! – Grandma Ira supported my grandfather, smiling. – When we danced, the mill was grinding flour. I heard it crackle slightly.
“I heard it too,” Nastya confirmed. “That’s how she chattered: “Tr, tr.”
“The mill has probably already ground a lot of flour,” my mother suggested, laughing.
“We’ll see now,” said the grandfather. And he asked dad: “Bring the mill here.”
Dad went into the next room and soon returned with a magic mill. He carefully pulled out the drawer from below - and it was full of white powder!
Flour! – Grandfather rubbed his hands contentedly. – It turns out that the seller did not deceive us.
Mom brought the box to her face and sniffed it suspiciously:
Hmm, is the flour at least edible? – she doubted.
Grandma Marina tried a pinch of the mysterious powder on her tongue and immediately calmed everyone down:
Flour is like flour.
Hooray! - Dad was happy. - Let's make dumplings.
With carrot jam,” suggested Bunny. – I love dumplings with carrot jam!
“I love it with mushrooms,” admitted the Hedgehog. – You just need to boil the mushrooms first.
We'll definitely boil it. And also potatoes,” added Grandma Ira. – Dumplings are also very tasty with potatoes.
Then we’ll make dumplings here,” my mother suggested, pointing to the festive table. - Because we can’t all fit in the kitchen. You will only free up space on the table.
Grandma Marina and Grandma Ira began to make room on the festive table, moving plates and glasses to the side, and mother brought a saucepan from the kitchen in which she was going to knead the dough.
Let `s start? - Mom said cheerfully.
However, neither with mushrooms, nor with carrot jam, nor with potatoes did the dumplings turn out. And all because my mother barely had time to knead the dough from the magic flour and divide it into many small lumps, when these lumps suddenly... came to life. Yes, yes, they suddenly turned into unknown creatures - cheerful and mischievous! The tormented little men and animals began to grimace, run back and forth on the table and dance, and then even began to sing. And everyone immediately recognized the famous pop stars.
They're doing great! - Bunny praised. – I wonder where they learned to sing like that?
Where where. We saw it on TV,” Hedgehog immediately guessed.
Like on TV? - Mom didn’t understand. – When did they have time to watch it?
“But the Hedgehog is right,” Dad supported the prickly one. – When you and I were dancing and having fun, different clips were played on TV. The magic mill remembered how we danced, and it also remembered the clips.
The mill remembered our impressions,” grandfather continued. “And then she turned the impressions into magical flour.”
And we made dumplings from flour, and now they show us how funny we are,” said Aunt Dasha, laughing.
We are not funny, but happy and cheerful,” Grandma Ira corrected.
How does this work out? - Grandma Marina exclaimed. - Are dumplings parodying us?
Both us and those singers who were shown on TV,” grandfather nodded.
Wow! “It has never happened that anyone parodied me,” my mother admitted.
Hee hee, I wonder who is parodying me? - Babayka asked and began to carefully look at the flour fidgets - they continued, as if nothing had happened, jumping and rushing around the table.
And then dad suggested:
Let's play a game: let everyone guess the dumpling that looks like them.
Great idea! - Grandfather supported.
And everyone began to guess their dumplings. However, this turned out to be not an easy task, because the flour creatures imitated in turn first their father, now their mother, now their grandfather, now their aunt Dasha, now their grandmother Ira, now their grandmother Marina. They even imitated Nastya, and Bunny, and Hedgehog, and Hoku, and Babayka. That was a laugh!
One of the dumplings was especially popular among the dumplings: he had a large white head and a small beard. This dumpling man sang and danced a great rap: “E, e! I am a dumpling, fast as an electric broom!” Nastya really liked the dumpling.
Who are you? – the girl asked him.
“I’m dumpling Valerik,” the flour man introduced himself.
“Let’s be friends,” Nastya suggested.
“Come on,” Valerik immediately agreed.
“Oh, I also want to make friends with someone,” my mother exclaimed and began to carefully examine the live dumplings, as if she was seeing them for the first time. The rest also rushed to look for friends among the amusing flour creatures.
Only the Hedgehog was in no hurry to make friends with anyone. A dumpling that looked like a bear came up to him and suggested:
Let's be friends, Hedgehog.
No,” the Hedgehog shook his prickly head. - If I’m friends with you, how can I eat you then, dumpling? After all, they don't eat friends.
Why eat me? - the dumpling Mishka was surprised and, just in case, took three tiny steps away from the Hedgehog.
“I’m very hungry, so I need to eat something,” the Hedgehog explained.
“Ah,” Mishka nodded understandingly and walked away.
Hearing what the Hedgehog and the dumplings were talking about, the forest brownies immediately flew up to them.
By the way, we didn’t eat anything either,” Hoka said. And Babayka, modestly lowering her gaze, quietly added: “Except for the cake.” But that was so long ago!
Suddenly, another dumpling, similar to a white lizard, intervened in their conversation.
Is the food in the kitchen not enough for you? - Lizard remarked reproachfully. He was very nimble and curious, this dumpling. He was interested in everything, so he crawled around the whole house and even visited the kitchen.
What's there in the kitchen? - Mom asked suspiciously.
“Feast,” the Lizard dumpling simply answered. And he happily waved his floury tail.
Feast? What other feast? - Dad asked again and, without waiting for explanations, he was the first to rush into the kitchen.
And there really is a feast! On kitchen table an unfamiliar tablecloth appeared out of nowhere. She was old, faded and shabby in places, but still very beautiful. But the main thing that was on it was that the mysterious tablecloth was thickly covered with delicious dishes, drinks and a variety of treats.
Wow! – Grandma Marina could not restrain herself, exclaimed.
Just think, it’s just a mirage,” the grandfather said knowingly. And he glanced sideways at the forest brownies. “You won’t fool me with these tricks anymore.”
No, no, we have nothing to do with it,” Hoka and Babayka waved their paws.
Bunny unexpectedly stood up for the brownies.
“It doesn’t look like a mirage,” he decided after tasting the cabbage salad.
Yeah, somehow it looks too much like the truth,” Aunt Dasha agreed and began to crush the carrots on both cheeks in Korean.
But the Hedgehog didn’t say anything at first. Approaching the amazing tablecloth, he silently examined it from all sides and finally even smelled it. Then suddenly he shouts joyfully:
Honey, this is the old tablecloth in which we wrapped jars of jam and a bag of dried mushrooms when we were going to Nastya’s!
Can't be! – Bunny was amazed, crunching the cabbage.
Why are you talking about her so disrespectfully: “good riddance”? - Grandmother Ira jokingly shook her finger at the Hedgehog. And Grandma Marina, smiling, added: “We need to be more polite with her.” After all, this is a self-assembled tablecloth.
Yah?! Is it really a self-assembly? - another time Bunny was amazed. Turning his muzzle towards the Hedgehog, he grumbled: “And you said: “A rag, a rag. We must throw it away!”
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. But the fun didn't end there. Not even a minute had passed before people and animals began to laugh again. This time Valerik's dumpling made everyone laugh. He said:
It’s good that you now have a self-assembled tablecloth. So you won't eat us, right?
We will not! We will not! - people and animals promised cheerfully.
Hedgehog, then there’s nothing stopping you from making friends with me,” said the Mishka dumpling, going up to the Hedgehog and pulling his paw.
What are you guys doing? - Hedgehog laughed. - I don’t eat friends, I take care of my friends!
So three magical things appeared in Nastya’s house at once: a mill, a chamber of miracles and a self-assembled tablecloth. But the main thing is that Nastya found new friends among the amazing dumplings: Valerik, Mishka, Lizard and their comrades.
Dumplings turned out to be very restless and inquisitive creatures. A month later they asked to visit Bunny and Hedgehog.
Let’s make a circus,” Valerik unexpectedly suggested dumplings to his friends. - We'll drive around the forest and show tricks.
It won’t be a circus,” the Hedgehog doubted. - We have nothing for tricks.
Eat! - Valerik exclaimed joyfully and showed a magic mill, a chamber of miracles and a self-assembled tablecloth. Noticing the surprise in the looks of the Bunny and the Hedgehog, the dumpling explained: “Don’t worry, Nastya gave them to me.” For a while. So that we can amuse the forest inhabitants.
Then we need to call Hoku and Babayka,” said the Hedgehog.
Soon, bright, colorful posters appeared on the trees in the forest, which were invented and printed by Nastya’s dad and mom. These posters announced performances of the new circus.
One day a man attended a circus performance. Despite his important appearance and gray sideburns, he laughed heartily and applauded the resourceful artists. It was a salesman from the Prince Forget-Me-Not store. When the performance was over, he went into the artists' dressing room.
“Hello,” he greeted politely and said: “I want to give you all my gifts and souvenirs.” Give them to your viewers!
The news of a wonderful circus, where they perform magic tricks and give out gifts, spread throughout the fairy-tale forest. Animals and birds happily went to the performances of cheerful circus performers: Bunny, Hedgehog, Hoki, Babayka, Valerik's dumplings, Mishka, Lizard and Nastya's girls. Yes, yes, we were not mistaken when we wrote the name “Nastya”. After all, the girl very soon joined her friends. While performing at the circus, Nastya showed her favorite show - the soap bubble show. Her performance is still a big hit with viewers.
By the way, you can see her wonderful performance yourself if you hurry up and buy tickets to the circus... What? Are you asking what the circus is called? Very simple:
"Nastin's Circus"
April – June 2012
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Summary: The work before you is very famous writer, Andersen's fairy tale The Windmill. This fairy tale tells its story about the ill-mannered, uncultured, spoiled and too arrogant main character of this work. The main character of this fairy tale is a windmill. Her life itself once punished her for her self-confidence and great vanity. In one small village, among the greenery, on large field a windmill was built. Not a single day passed without the mill boasting to everyone how exquisitely it was constructed and how many different parts and screws were made on it. She boasted to everyone that she was the best among other mills. That she is smarter even than her owners, many peasants. So they went day after day. Every day she showed off more and more. But one day an unexpected event happened. Our star mill caught fire. For many hours, many people could not put out the flames, which flared up with more and more force. And the mill itself didn’t really want ordinary peasants to approach His Highness. And so the mill burned down. You can read the fairy tale, The Windmill online here. You can listen in audio recording. Write your reviews and comments about the story you read.
Text of the fairy tale Windmill
The mill stood proudly on the hill; she was still proud. - And I’m not proud at all! - she said. - But I am very enlightened both outside and inside. The sun and the month are at my service for both internal and external use; In addition, I have stearine candles, blubber lamps and tallow candles in stock. I dare say that I am enlightened! I am a thinking being and I am so well constructed that it’s easy. I have an excellent millstone in my chest, and on my head, right under my hat, there are four wings. Birds only have two wings, and they carry them on their backs! I am Dutch by birth - this can be seen from my figure - the “flying Dutchwoman”! The Flying Dutchman, I know, is a supernatural phenomenon, but there is nothing unnatural about me! I have a whole gallery around my stomach, and in the lower part there is a living space. My thoughts live there. The main one, which runs everything, is called the master of the rest of the thoughts. He knows what he wants, he is much higher than cereals and flour, but he also has an equal; they call her mistress. She is the soul of the whole affair; her lip is not stupid at all, she also knows what she wants and knows what she can do; she is gentle as a breath of wind, strong as a storm, and knows how to achieve her goal little by little. She is my sensitive side, but the owner is positive; but both of them are, in essence, one and call each other their half. They also have little ones, small thoughts that can grow over time. These kids sometimes make such a fuss! The other day, when I wisely and judiciously allowed the owner and his henchman to investigate the millstones and wheels in my chest, I felt that something was not right there, but you need to know what is happening in yourself! So, the kids made such a fuss then! And this is not useful if you stand as high as I do! You must remember that you are standing in full view and in full light; human court the same lighting! Yes, what the heck did I want to say? Oh yes - the terrible fuss of kids! The youngest one got to my hat and began to crack his tongue so hard that it tickled me inside. But small thoughts can grow, I have experienced this; Yes, thoughts can also come from outside, and not quite of my kind; No matter how far I look around, I don’t see anything like myself anywhere, no one but myself! But even in wingless houses, where they grind without millstones, with only tongues, thoughts also abound. These thoughts come to mine and marry them, as they call it. Marvelous! Yes, there are many amazing things in the world. Here, for example: something happened to me or in me; something seemed to have changed in the mechanism. The miller seemed to have changed his “half” to a more tender, young, pious one, and therefore he himself became softer in soul; “half” of him seemed to have changed, but in essence remained the same, only softened over the years. And then all the bitterness disappeared, and things went even better. Days go by days, forward and forward, to joy and happiness, and finally - yes, this is what is said and written in books - the day will come when I will be gone, and yet I will remain! I will collapse to rise again in another at its best; I will cease to exist and yet I will continue to exist. I will become different and at the same time remain myself! It is difficult for me to understand this, no matter how enlightened I am by the sun, the moon, stearin, blubber and lard! But I know for sure that my old logs and bricks will rise from the trash. I hope that I will keep my old thoughts: the owner, the mistress, everyone big and small, the whole family, as I call them, the whole thinking company - I can’t do without them! I also hope that I will remain myself, as I am, with a millstone in my chest, wings on my head and a gallery around my stomach, otherwise I won’t recognize myself, and others won’t recognize me and won’t say anymore: “ Here we have a mill standing proudly on our hill, but it itself is not proud at all!” So that's what the mill said; she said and much more, but this is the main thing. And days passed after days, and the last of them was her last. The mill caught fire; the flame flared up, rushed out, in, licked the logs and boards, and then devoured them all. The mill collapsed and all that was left was ash; the fire was still smoking, but the wind soon dispelled the smoke. Nothing happened to the living inhabitants of the mill during this opportunity - they only won. The miller's family - one soul, many heads that made up one whole - acquired a new, wonderful mill, with which they could be completely satisfied. The mill looked exactly the same as the old one, and they also said about it: “There is a mill proudly rising on the hill!” But this one was organized better, more modern - everything is moving forward. The old logs, eaten away by worms, decayed, turned into dust, into ash, and the body of the mill did not rise from the dust, as she thought. She understood everything that was said in the literal sense, but you can’t take everything literally!
In one kingdom-state, in a beautiful clearing, covered with fertile soil, strewn with meadow flowers, there was a mill. For many years she worked hard to benefit people.
Every day she tirelessly rotated her wings, set in motion the millstones, which ground ripe grains into snow-white, aromatic flour.
But times changed, people began to come to the mill with grain less and less, and they needed its work less and less. The mill was sad; it felt lonely to stand in the middle of a flowering field. According to her old habit, she rotated her huge wings, set the millstones in motion, but what was the point - no one needed her work, and the flour she ground was no longer needed.
One day, on a sultry afternoon, three travelers - three sisters - passed by the mill. They got tired on the road, sat down next to her in the shade, untied their bundles, laid out their simple supplies. They ate, drank and began to have a conversation and laugh loudly.
The mill listened to their speeches. And the names of those sisters were Luck, Pleasure and Reward. They traveled a long way and were in a hurry to help in good deeds. Luck rejoiced and was proud of her opportunity to help in the work and bring good luck. Pleasure, the ability to give pleasure from work and not feel tired. Well, the Reward looked forward with pride and joy to the opportunity to generously reward for their work.
The mill could not resist and asked:
- Dear sisters, I heard your conversation, I became curious, what are you talking about? I have been working for many years, but I have never heard of any luck or pleasure, and I have never received a reward for my work. Why didn’t you ever come to visit me, help me and give me a reward?
- And because we come to visit someone who has a dream, some kind of goal. And you have a mill, what is your dream, what are you striving for, what luck do you need? - asked the older sister.
“I don’t have a dream, and what can I dream about?” the mill answered sadly.
- How can it be, haven’t you ever wanted anything, and why did you work so hard? - asked Sister Pleasure.
“There was a job, I did it well, I ground the grain into flour, that’s all.”
“What did you get for your work?” asked the younger sister Reward.
“I don’t know, but I didn’t need anything, I was happy that I was useful to someone, I didn’t need anything more,” answered the mill.
- Yes, apparently you have never met our cousin, whose name is Desire. That's why you don't even have dreams. Well, don’t worry, we’ll meet your brother, we’ll tell you about you, maybe he’ll come see you. And as soon as you have a dream, you strive for some goal, we will immediately show up. “And now it’s time for us to go,” the sisters said and disappeared.
The mill was even more saddened.
- How did I live before, but I didn’t know that you can get pleasure from work, and also be gifted with a reward.
The mill can't even turn its wings. The millstones stopped and it became quiet.
In this silence the mill heard a whisper:
“I heard from my sisters that you don’t have any desires.”
The mill was surprised, there was no one around. She decided that she had heard it. But then again someone whispers:
- Don't try to see me, no one has ever succeeded. Everyone only feels and hears me, but doesn’t see me.
“Why?” asked the mill.
- But because you need to not look for your desires around yourself, but see them within yourself. Come on, look inside yourself, listen to what you really want.
The mill froze, listened, and became thoughtful.
“I don’t feel anything, I don’t hear anything,” said the mill.
- Yes, apparently you need to know my mother. I’ll be with her today, I’ll tell you about you, maybe she’ll come visit you. Now it's time for me.
“Wait, what’s your mother’s name?” asked the mill.
“Love,” the desire whispered barely audibly, and it became quiet again.
The evening had already come, the sun hid behind the forest, and it became dark. The mill became sadder than ever.
Suddenly a light appeared in front of her. He looks at the mill and a woman comes towards her, of extraordinary beauty and all glowing. Eyes blue like the sky. Curls of hair reaching to the ground, like ears of ripe wheat. She spoke, and her voice was gentle and bewitching. The mill became so warm, it was as if something had changed. And the sky seemed like a beautiful blanket, as if embroidered with gold. I felt such a fragrant aroma from the meadow flowers, and everything around the mill seemed so beautiful. The mill wonders what kind of miracle is around. And the woman says:
“My beloved son told me about you, so I came to help you, to give you love, just be careful, love is not something everyone can do,” she said and disappeared.
And the mill can’t get enough of how beautiful everything is around. Surprised:
- How come I didn’t notice any of this before? What silky grass, what colors.
Then the sun began to rise from behind the forest. The mill suffocated with happiness.
“How beautiful you are, honey!” the mill shouted.
- How would I like to touch you?
“What are you, what are you,” answered the sun. - If you managed to do this, in an instant all that would be left of you would be coals.
A dove with a dove flew past.
“I wish I could fly as easily as you do?” exclaimed the mill.
“What are you, what are you,” said the dove, “you are too big.” You will break all the trees, there will be nowhere for us to build a nest and hatch the chicks.
But desires overwhelmed the mill, she wanted everything, to jump like a grasshopper, and to sing like a nightingale, and to spin and dance like a butterfly. Suddenly she heard a whisper:
- Well, did you feel your desire?
“Yes, there are so many of them that I don’t know what I want more,” answered the mill.
“So these are not your desires, listen to what you want,” the voice whispered.
The mill froze, listened and felt how it wanted to be useful and needed.
How she wants to work with joy and receive a well-deserved reward.
“I would like to be useful, I would like to do something that would bring me joy, and so that gratitude for my work would be generous,” said the mill.
Then Sister Luck appeared in front of her and said:
- Look, are there any grains of wheat left in your bins?
I looked at the mill and found one grain.
- Throw it into the middle of the field, a huge colossus will grow from this grain, the grains in which will never run out. “You will have a job for the rest of your life,” said Luck.
The mill threw a grain of grain into the very middle of the field. At that same moment, the grain sprouted, and an ear grew, so huge, and there were countless grains in it. The mill began to rotate its wings, set the millstones in motion, and grind the grains. But the grains in the ear do not run out. Then Sister Pleasure appeared. The mill began to rotate its wings, but it was not easy to drive the wind and hum a melody. Such joy filled the mill. And then the Reward appeared. People began to come, be surprised, and rejoice at such a miracle. And the mill produced magical flour - it cured illness and drove away sadness.
And whoever tried bread made from this flour, love settled in his heart forever.
And people began to gratefully bring gifts to the mill - some with kind words, some with tender care, and some with gold coins.
And from then on the mill lived happily, because it knew what it wanted. She had dreams, and the sisters Luck, Pleasure and Reward never passed her by.
Farida Krivushenkova, 2011
Information for parents: The Windmill is a short fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The text of the fairy tale “The Windmill” is written in the form of a story from the perspective of a windmill, which talks about its life. The fairy tale will be interesting to children aged 8 to 11 years. Happy reading to you and your children.
Read the fairy tale The Windmill
A windmill stood proudly on the hill; she was proud.
And I'm not proud at all! - she said. - But I am very enlightened both outside and inside. The sun and the month are at my service for both internal and external use; In addition, I have stearine candles, blubber lamps and tallow candles in stock. I dare say that I am enlightened! I am a thinking being and I am so well constructed that it’s easy. I have an excellent millstone in my chest, and on my head, right under my hat, there are four wings. Birds only have two wings, and they carry them on their backs! I am Dutch by birth - this can be seen from my figure - the “flying Dutchwoman”! The Flying Dutchman, I know, is a supernatural phenomenon, but there is nothing unnatural about me!
I have a whole gallery around my stomach, and in the lower part there is a living space. My thoughts live there. The main one, which runs everything, is called the master of the rest of the thoughts. He knows what he wants, he is much higher than cereals and flour, but he also has an equal; they call her mistress. She is the soul of the whole affair; her lip is not stupid at all, she also knows what she wants and knows what she can do; she is gentle as a breath of wind, strong as a storm, and knows how to achieve her goal little by little. She is my sensitive side, but the owner is positive; but both of them are, in essence, one and call each other their half. They also have little ones, small thoughts that can grow over time. These kids sometimes make such a fuss! The other day, when I wisely and judiciously allowed the owner and his henchman to investigate the millstones and wheels in my chest, I felt that something was wrong there, but you need to know what is happening in yourself!
So, the kids made such a fuss then! And this is inappropriate if you stand as high as I do! You must remember that you are standing in full view and in full light; human court the same lighting! Yes, what the heck did I want to say? Oh yes - the terrible fuss of kids! The youngest one got to my hat and began to crack his tongue so hard that it tickled me inside. But small thoughts can grow, I have experienced this; Yes, thoughts can also come from outside, and not quite of my kind; No matter how far I look around, I don’t see anything like myself anywhere, no one but myself! But even in wingless houses, where they grind without millstones, with only tongues, thoughts also abound. These thoughts come to mine and marry them, as they call it.
Marvelous! Yes, there are many amazing things in the world. Here, for example: something happened to me or in me; something seemed to have changed in the mechanism. The miller seemed to have changed his “half” to a more tender, young, pious one, and therefore he himself became softer in soul; “half” of him seemed to have changed, but in essence remained the same, only softened over the years.
And then all the bitterness disappeared, and things went even better. Days go by days, forward and forward, to joy and happiness, and finally - yes, this is what is said and written in books - the day will come when I will be gone, and yet I will remain! I will collapse in order to rise again in an even better form; I will cease to exist and yet I will continue to exist. I will become different and at the same time remain myself! It is difficult for me to understand this, no matter how enlightened I am by the sun, the moon, stearin, blubber and lard! But I know for sure that my old logs and bricks will rise from the trash. I hope that I will keep my old thoughts: the owner, the mistress, everyone big and small, the whole family, as I call them, the whole thinking company - I can’t do without them! I also hope that I will remain myself, as I am, with a millstone in my chest, wings on my head and a gallery around my stomach, otherwise I won’t recognize myself, and others won’t recognize me and won’t say anymore: “ Here we have a mill standing proudly on our hill, but it itself is not proud at all!”
So that's what the windmill said; she said and much more, but this is the main thing.
And days passed after days, and the last of them was the last for her.
The mill caught fire; the flame flared up, rushed out, in, licked the logs and boards, and then devoured them all. The mill collapsed and all that was left was ash; the fire was still smoking, but the wind soon dispelled the smoke.
Nothing happened to the living inhabitants of the mill during this opportunity - they only won. The miller's family - one soul, many heads that made up one whole - acquired a new, wonderful mill, with which they could be completely satisfied. The mill looked exactly the same as the old one, and they also said about it: “There is a mill proudly rising on the hill!” But this one was organized better, more modern - everything is moving forward. The old logs, eaten away by worms, decayed, turned into dust, into ash, and the body of the windmill did not rise from the dust, as she thought. She understood everything that was said in the literal sense, but you can’t take everything literally!
The Tale of the Mill
MEET ON THE WAY
A mill lives in Lithuania. Only the wind knows how old she is. The white stones were overgrown with moss, in some places weeds had adapted to grow from the stones, and even a sunflower had established its roots between the stones. For many years now, the inside of the mill has smelled not of flour, but of dust that the wind collected along the roads and carried into the cracks under the roof. But, of course, like everyone else, the mill had its youth. How many different winds it flew by! Every wind brought joy to the mill. There was a slight breeze and the carts creaked along the roads. The whole clearing is crowded with horses, men and women. They swear and laugh. They carry tight bags of warm grain to the mill.
The miller, white with flour, turned his wings, exposed them to the wind - and he raked away the white, fragrant grind - for bread, for beer, for pies. A round stone millstone could not be turned by a hundred people, but the wings turned the millstone. The wind, born of the sea and dying in an unknown place, gave part of its strength to the mill. There was enough for many mills. They stood on the highest hills, and when there was a slight breeze, light wings began to spin. It looked like the mills were waving their arms and inviting each other to visit. And if there was no wind, everything calmed down. The carts did not creak, the large wooden gears did not creak in the mill. The miller went to the village, and only the mice rustled in the darkness, grinding the grains of bread. But a little wind...
And suddenly something happened. There were fewer and fewer carts with sacks, more and more often the miller hung a lock on the door white with flour and went to his farm. And such a day came - strong wind, but no one came. Not a single horse on the hill, not a single man, and not even the miller appeared and opened the door.
And then for many years the wind whistled uselessly in the lattice wings. There were days when the mill thought: have people stopped sowing grain? No, every autumn stripes of barley and wheat turned yellow on the hills. And the travelers, resting in the shade near the mill, took white crumpets out of their knapsacks. One day, in calm weather, when you could hear mosquitoes buzzing and hovering in a column, the mill heard strange things from afar. sounds: “Tobacco-tobacco-tobacco-tobacco...” Behind the village in the ravine the engine was running. At the new mill people were cursing and laughing, and a white river of ground grains was pouring out from under the millstone. That day the old mill realized: there was nothing more to wait for. An old friend, the wind began to gradually break out its wings and peel away the lime between the stones.
Wooden friends - mills disappeared from year to year. One was dismantled for firewood in the winter, the other was accidentally burned by boys in the summer.
Another one burned down during the war. And one tall mill made of white stone remained on the hills. People only called the old tower a mill out of habit. What is a mill if there are no wings!
There were fewer and fewer horses on the roads and more and more carts with motors. One day - the old mill could not believe her eyes - an iron mill was flying over the hills. Often, often she flapped her wings and flew and flew. “Of course, it was a dream, mills cannot fly,” the old mill later decided. How was she supposed to know that people had found something new to do with their wings?
The wings did not spin because of the wind; on the contrary, they themselves were screwed into the tight layers of wind. The new “mill” could hang above the ground and fly in any direction it wanted... But the old mill was becoming decrepit.
And suddenly a thought occurred to one of the people: the hills and the road between the hills will become more boring if the last mill disappears. One day the key creaked in the old lock, and the mill heard the following conversation:
Let's make three floors. Downstairs - come in, drink kvass from the road, bread beer...
We will make a staircase to the second tier. There will be pancakes here. Have lunch, relax.
We will make the floor in a circle. It will be possible to turn like a millstone.
At the very top there are also tables. For those who are not in a hurry. Let's hang an antique lamp...
And now the mill has new wings.
The truck began to transport bricks, and the carpenters built a bridge around the mill. A carpenter and an artist are now busy inside. And soon the hungry traveler will turn off the road to the mill. In summer - cold kvass, apples, cucumbers. In winter - tea. And at any time of the year - pancakes. If you stand on the bridge, you can see the road, hills with stripes of grain, islands of forest. The old mill is part of this ancient land.
If some wind blows you onto the road near the village of Sheduva, you will immediately see the mill. If you drink Lithuanian kvass, raise your mug to the old and new wings, to the health of people who know how to preserve the beauty on earth.
