Read "star boy" online. "Star Boy (Star Boy)": Oscar Wilde Star Boy time of writing

Star Boy (P.V. Sergeev and G. Nuzhdin)

Walking heavily, two woodcutters were returning home through the pine forest. The winter night was especially cold. Snow thickly covered the ground and hung in large caps on the winds of the trees. Even the thin twigs were frozen by frost. And the forest around was motionless. A small river running down from the mountains froze and became like stone when the breath of the Ice Prince touched it.

It was so cold that even animals and birds were frozen and could not warm themselves up.

- Ugh! - the Wolf grumbled, hobbling through the bowl. His tail, like that of a beaten dog, hung limply from below. Where is the Government looking?

- Fuck. fuck! - the mottled Linnet squealed. “The old woman died, and they covered her with a white shroud.

“The earth is preparing for the wedding, and is trying on its wedding attire,” the doves began to purr.”

Their little pink paws turned almost blue from the cold, but they felt that some secret was hidden here.

- Nonsense! - the Wolf snapped. “I told you, it’s all the Government’s fault.” And if anyone doesn’t believe me, I’ll eat him.

The wolf was very practical, and never went into his pocket for a word.

- As for me. - said the Woodpecker, and he was a born philosopher. - then all explanations are unnecessary. Life is what it is. And now she is terribly cold.

Indeed, life in the forest has become terribly cold. The baby squirrels, who lived in the hollow of a tall spruce tree, rubbed their noses against each other so as not to freeze at all. And the Hares lay curled up in their hole, and did not even dare to look out. Only the Owls were delighted. Their feathers were frosted and stuck out in all directions, but the Owls didn’t care at all. They rolled their big yellow eyes and shouted loudly to each other:

- Wow! Ho-ho-ho! Wonderful weather!

The woodcutters stubbornly continued on their way. They stopped, blew on their cold fingers for a long time, danced with their heavy boots on the hardened crust, trying to warm their feet, and again walked forward. Once they fell into a deep bergschrundt, and white men came out of there, like a miller who had shouldered an untied sack of flour. Another time they slipped on a frozen swamp, and all the brushwood scattered across the ice. I had to collect it and tie it up again in armfuls. One day it seemed to them that they had lost their way, and an icy fear seized them. The woodcutters knew how cruel Snow is to those who fall asleep in his arms. But they trusted Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who helps all travelers, retraced their steps, and carefully moved on.

Finally, they got out of the forest. Far below, in the valley, they saw the lights of their native village. The woodcutters laughed with joy. “That’s where our home is!” - they repeated, and clumsily patted each other on the shoulders.

But then they remembered what awaited them at home, and they became sad.

“This is no fun,” said one of them. “Life is designed for the rich, not for poor people like us.” It would be better if we froze in the forest, or the connecting rod would lift us up.

“You’re right,” answered the second, “some have everything, others have nothing.” There is only a lie around, and everything except grief is divided unfairly.

While they were lamenting this way, something extraordinary happened in the dark sky. A bright, beautiful Star fell from its place and rolled to the ground.

With their mouths open, the woodcutters watched as it flew past the moon, past other stars, and, crossing the Milky Way, landed right in their forest. It seemed that she fell very close - there, behind the old willows.

“It must be a noble piece of gold,” they decided. - A good gift for whoever finds it.

And the woodcutters ran with all their might towards the fallen star. They really wanted to get at least a little gold.

The one who ran first fought his way through the thickets and ran out into the clearing. Well well! Something really sparkled in the snow. In two steps the woodcutter was nearby and, bending down, looked intently down. There lay a cloak folded several times. It was made of expensive golden silk, with embroidered stars.

- Found it, found it! - he shouted to his friend. When he arrived, they took the bundle in their hands and began to carefully unwrap it - after all, there was gold that still needed to be divided. Alas! There was no gold, no silver, no precious stones. In the cloak lay a tiny child, sleeping peacefully.

“And we thought...” one of them said bitterly. - What good is this baby? Let's leave it here and move on. We are so poor that we cannot feed our children either.

“No,” said the other. We can't leave him here to die from the cold. Although I am a poor man, and there is never enough porridge in our pot for everyone, I will take it with me, and my wife will take care of it.

He carefully took the child in his arms and wrapped him in a cloak so that the cruel Cold would not breathe on his face.

“What a slobber,” the second woodcutter cursed to himself as they descended into the valley. Just before the village he said:

- Listen, we need to fairly divide the find. If you have already taken this baby, at least leave me a cloak.

“I can’t,” answered the good woodcutter. - This cloak is not mine and not yours. Let him stay with the child.

And the woodcutter went to his house.

- My dear! - his wife shouted with joy and rushed into his arms, - I was so worried about you. Terrible frost!

She immediately picked up a bundle of brushwood and brushed off the snow from his boots.

But the woodcutter did not cross the threshold.

“I found something in the forest,” he said quietly, and I want you to take care of it.

- Amazing! - answered the wife. “We are missing so much in the house.”

The husband unfolded his cloak and showed her the sleeping child.

- Oh my God! - she said. “Are our children not enough for you that you brought this foundling?” And who will look after him?

And his wife looked at him angrily.

“This is a star boy,” the husband answered, and told her the strange story of his discovery. But the wife only became even more upset.

“Don’t you know that our children don’t have enough bread, and you want us to feed someone else?” Who will feed us?

“The one who feeds the little birds will not leave us.”

- Small birds! What, are you making a fuss! Have you not met in the forest numb sparrows lying breathless on the ground, hares killed by wolves?

But the husband was silent and still did not cross the threshold. At this time, a gust of harsh wind rushed through the open door, and the wife shuddered.

“Are you going to keep the door open until the whole house freezes?”

“There will never be warmth in a house with an icy heart,” he answered.

The wife remained silent and only moved closer to the fireplace.

When she turned to her husband again, her eyes were full of tears. And then he entered the house, and his wife tenderly took the child in her arms, kissed him and put him in the crib with their youngest son. In the morning, the woodcutter carefully folded the golden cloak and put it away at the very bottom of the old chest. Looking at him, the wife took the amber necklace that was around the boy's neck and also put it in their only chest.

So the Star Boy began to live in the family of a kind woodcutter. He grew up with his children, they sat at the dinner table together and played outside together.

“They are all simple hillbillies, and I am the son of a star,” he used to say.

In children's games, Star Boy became the king and called the others his servants. There was not a drop of pity in him for the poor, the blind and the wretched. He threw stones at them and drove them back onto the main road. So no one begging came to their village twice. Star Boy adored beauty and hated the lame and crippled. As soon as they appeared on the street, he began to imitate and loudly ridicule them.

“What freaks they are,” he said, “and how beautiful I am.”

On windless summer days, he would lie down on the shore of a small church pond and spend hours admiring his reflection. Star Boy liked this activity so much that he laughed with pleasure.

And more than once the good woodcutter and his wife reproached him:

“Did we do this when we found you?” Why do you offend those who are left completely alone and have no one to help them? Why are you so cruel to those who need compassion?

The old village priest often sent for Star Boy and tried again and again to teach him to love.

“The smallest insect was made by the same one who created you.” All animals and even butterflies in the meadow are our brothers. And the birds in the forest are created free. Don't set snares for fun. The mole and the gray mouse are God's creations and live where the Lord commanded them. Who are you that you bring suffering into the world of God? Every breath in the forest, in the sky, and in the river glorifies its Creator, but you insult Him.

Star Boy silently listened to what was said to him and returned to the street again. His friends obeyed him. And how could one not imitate him? - He was handsome and smart. He could dance wonderfully and played the flute very well. The village boys ran to where he was going and did what he told them. They found it funny when he pierced the blind eyes of a helpless mole with a sharp reed, and they rejoiced with him when the Star Boy threw stones at a leprosy patient. They liked everything he did, and their hearts became as stony as his.

One day a poor beggar woman passed through their village. She was wearing old, torn clothes, and her bare feet were bloody from sharp stones that were lying on the road. She looked pitiful. She could barely walk from fatigue, and when she reached an old chestnut tree she sat down to rest.

But then Star Boy saw her.

- Look! - he shouted to his friends. “Some dirty beggar woman sat down under this noble chestnut tree.” Let's go, let's get her out of here - she's ruining such a magnificent view.

And he began throwing stones at her and loudly mocking her. But the beggar woman just looked at him and seemed to freeze, unable to take her eyes off him. There was horror in her eyes.

At this time, a kind woodcutter was chopping wood with a huge ax near his house. Seeing what Star Boy was doing, he ran up to him and gave him a good slap in the face.

- You obviously have no heart at all! What did this unfortunate woman do to you?

Star Boy blushed with anger, stamped his foot and shouted:

“Who are you that I should answer to you?” I am not your son, and I do not want to obey you!

“You’re right,” said the Woodcutter. “But I felt sorry for you when I found you in the forest.”

Hearing this, the beggar woman screamed and fell unconscious to the ground. The Good Woodcutter picked her up and carried her home. His wife immediately realized what had happened. She put a wet towel on the unfortunate woman’s head, and when she woke up, they placed in front of her all the food that was found in their house. But the beggar woman didn’t even touch the food.

“Tell me,” she asked, “you said that you found this boy in the forest.” Wasn't this ten years ago?

“Yes, it’s been ten years since I found the boy in the forest, and we took him in.”

— Was there nothing with him? Maybe there were still amber beads on his neck? Perhaps he was wrapped in a gilded cloak with embroidered stars?

- It’s true, that’s how it was.

And the Good Woodman, after rummaging around in the chest for a while, took out a cloak and beads. Seeing them, the beggar woman screamed with joy.

- This is my son, whom I lost in the forest. I beg you, call him here quickly. For ten years I have been looking for him all over the world.

The joyful Woodcutter and his wife ran out of the house and called the Star Boy:

- Hurry up, hurry up and go home! We found your mother and she is waiting for you.

Containing his joy, Star Boy went to the house, wondering who he would see there.

- Well, where is my mother? - he asked. “There’s no one here except this ragged woman.”

“I am your mother,” said the beggar woman.

- You're just crazy! - the boy exclaimed angrily. - I am no son of yours. You're just an ugly scarecrow dressed in some rags. Get out of here quickly, I hate even to look at your ugly face.

- But you really are my son! The robbers attacked me in the forest and stole you, and then left you alone to die. I recognized you right away, and here are the things that stayed with you. Come with me, because I went around the whole world looking for you. Let's go, I need your love so bad.

But Star Boy did not move a single step from his place. He closed the doors of his heart and did not utter a word. Only the sobs of the unfortunate mother could be heard in the house.

Finally, he spoke, and the cruel words hurt his mother.

“Even if it’s true, it would be better if you never came here.” I am the son of a star, and you tell me that I am the son of a beggar. I already told you, get out of here so I never see you again.

- Woe is me! - she said. “But at least kiss your mother before I go.” I suffered so much to find you.

“No,” said Star Boy. “I hate even to look at you.” I'd rather kiss a viper or a toad than kiss you.

The beggar woman got up and, weeping bitterly, walked along the road leading into the forest. Star Boy looked after her. When she was completely out of sight, he happily ran back to his friends. But as soon as the boys saw him, they started making faces at him, pointing their fingers at him, and laughing.

- Look, look - disgusting, like a toad! - his former friends shouted. - Yes, he is slimy, like a viper! Get out in a good way - in a healthy way!

And they drove him out of the garden.

- Why have they all gone crazy? - and Star Boy smiled contemptuously. “I’d better go and admire my reflection.” He walked to the old pond and looked down.

What is this! His face became disgusting, like that of a frog, and his skin shone like the scales of a snake. Sobbing, Star Boy fell onto the grass, clutching his hair with his hands and buried his face in the ground. “It’s my own fault! - he thought. “I disowned my mother and kicked her out of the house.” How cruel I was to her! I'll go looking for her all over the world. And there will be no peace for me until I find my mother, until she forgives me.”

The woodcutter's youngest daughter quietly approached from behind and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t cry,” she said. - Stay and live with us. I will never laugh at you.

“I can’t,” answered Star Boy. “I was cruel to my mother and deserved this punishment.” I'm leaving. I'll go wander and look for her. Only she can give me forgiveness.

And he ran along the road into the forest and began to scream and beg his mother to come back. But the voice was lost among the ancient trees, and there was no answer to it. The boy called her all day, and only when the sun set did he lie down on a bed of withered leaves. Animals and birds fled from him - they knew the Star Boy too well. Only a huge green toad watched him closely, and a poisonous snake, hissing, slithered near his very face.

Early in the morning he got up, tasted the bitter berries from the bushes that grew nearby, and walked further along the road through the dark, scary forest. The Star Boy walked and cried bitterly.

-Have you met my mother? - he asked everyone. But his heart became heavier and heavier.

“Tell me, dear mole,” he said, “you live underground.” Did you see my mom there?

“You gouged out my eyes,” he answered. - How can I know now?

- Maybe you, linnet, saw her? You fly high above the forest and see everything around.

“You cut my wings for fun.” How can I fly now?

The boy asked a lonely squirrel who lived on a tall pine tree:

-You don’t know where my mother is?

But the squirrel cried:

-You killed all my children. Now you want to kill her?

- Lord, forgive me, ugly one! - the boy repeated, and, sobbing, he walked on. On the third day he left the forest and walked along the valley.

As he passed the village, the boys teased him and threw stones at him. And the peasants did not even allow him to spend the night in the barn, so that he would not bring damage to the cows or to the harvested grain - his appearance was so disgusting. There was no one to feel sorry for him, and no one saw that beggar woman. For three years now he had been wandering around the world, and more than once it seemed to him that she was over there, ahead. And he ran with all his might, and the sharp pebbles on the road tormented his legs until they bled. But his mother was not there, and those who always sit on the sidelines did not see any beggar. But they were not averse to having fun with Star Boy.

He spent three years wandering the roads, but did not meet any love, mercy or even kindness. He saw only the world that he himself invented while living with the Woodcutter.

It was late evening when Star Boy saw the fortress walls of a city ahead. Exhausted and barefoot, he approached the gate, but the guards lowered their halberds in front of him. -Who are you and what do you want in our city? - they asked without ceremony.

- I'm looking for my mother. Please allow me to pass. “She may be in the city,” Star Boy asked.

- Ha-ha-ha! - they cackled.

And one guard, with a black beard shaking with laughter, leaned on his shield and barely said: - Oh, I can’t! Do you think she will be happy when she sees you? You are as beautiful as a swamp toad or a vile viper. Go, get out of here. Your mother can't be here.

Another guard, who was holding a yellow banner, asked the boy:

-Who is she, your mother? Why aren't you together and you're looking for her?

- She is as poor as I am. But I harmed her, I was proud and cruel to her. I beg you to let me through. Suddenly she's here. Only she can forgive me.

- No, there are no such people in our city, no. Get out of here,” and they began to push him out with their sharp peaks.

When the Star Boy had already walked, sobbing, from the city gates, a man with gilded flowers on his armor and a winged lion on his helmet approached the guards.

- Who wanted to come to us? - he asked.

“Yes, nothing,” they said. - A poor son of a poor mother. We drove him away.

- Well, bring him back here! We'd rather sell it. The red price for this monster is a bottle of red wine.

Out of nowhere, an old man with a devilish expression on his face jumped up to them.

“I buy it for this price,” he intervened, and, having paid the price, grabbed the boy’s hand with an iron grip.

“Follow me,” the old man said and dragged the boy into the city. They rushed past street vendors, past the palace, past the temple; They went down to the narrow dirty streets, where two people could hardly pass each other, and began to wander along them until they found themselves in front of a low door. The door was right in the wall, and on the street side it was covered by a large pomegranate tree. The old man touched the door with a jasper ring, and it immediately opened. Five copper steps led to a garden where black poppies grew and there were several meager jugs. The old man pulled a painted strip of Chinese silk from his turban and blindfolded the boy with it. Now he stood behind the boy and only showed him the way by pushing him in the back. When Star Boy's eyes were untied, they were in the dungeon. Only dim torches on the walls slightly illuminated the place.

The old man threw a piece of moldy bread onto the board in front of the boy.

“Eat,” he said.

“Drink,” he muttered, putting down a mug of rotten water.

When Star Boy chewed the bread and drank the water, the old man left, locking the door from the outside with an iron bolt.

The old man was the last of the Egyptian magicians, and he learned his art from a sorcerer who spent his life in a damp crypt on the banks of the Nile. However, he soon surpassed his teacher, and it is unlikely that there would have been a warlock on earth more cunning than this old man.

As soon as the sun appeared, the old man went down to the basement to the Star Boy.

- Hey, you! - he muttered through his teeth. - Stop lying around, it's time to get to work. Go to the forest at the western city gate. There are three precious bars hidden there - white, yellow and red gold. Today you will bring me a white ingot. Be careful not to get confused. And if you don't do this, I'll give you a hundred sticks. At sunset I will wait for you at the door to the garden. Remember that you are my slave - I already paid more for you than you are worth.

The old man again blindfolded the boy and took him out of the house. They walked through the poppy garden, climbed five bronze steps, and the old man opened the door with a jasper ring.

“Let’s live it up,” he said and pushed the boy out into the street.

Star Boy went out through the western gate and went into the forest, as the evil old man told him. Outside, the forest was so beautiful that it seemed as if it consisted of delicate birch trees, birdsong and lovely flowers. But when the boy entered the thicket, no trace remained of this splendor. The thorny bushes of rose hips and hawthorn did not allow him passage, the nettles lashed painfully at his bare feet, and the thistles seemed to dig into the exhausted body of the Star Boy like steel needles. Where are these ingots that the old man spoke about? The sun was just rising when the boy began to search, and now it was already getting dark. It was time to return. Quietly sobbing, Star Boy went home, imagining how the old man would greet him. Already leaving the forest, the boy heard a thin squeak from somewhere in the thicket. Forgetting about his grief, he rushed in that direction. There the boy saw a small hare caught in a hunter's trap.

“Poor thing,” said Star Boy, releasing the hare. “Even though I’m a slave now, I can help you.”

“You gave me freedom,” answered the Hare, “how can I thank you?”

Star Boy didn’t even have time to be surprised.

“I’ve been looking for a white gold bar all day, but I haven’t found it.” My master promised me a hundred strokes of the cane if I returned empty-handed.

“Come with me,” the Hare was happy. - I know where it is hidden. And now I even know why he is there.

The boy followed the Hare, and oh, miracle! Apparently lightning cut a huge oak tree in two, and in the black crack lay that same ingot!

- Thank you, good Hare. You repaid me in full for that. that I released you, and for my kindness returned you sevenfold.

- This is nonsense! - answered the Hare. - I just did the same thing as you.

And he galloped off into the forest.

When the happy boy approached the city, he saw a leper sitting at the gate. A gray hood covered his entire face, except for his red eyes, like smoldering coals. visible through narrow slits. When the leper noticed the Star Boy, he held out an empty begging cup to him.

“Help me,” he croaked. - I am starving. In this city no one took pity on me, and they threw me out of the gates.

“But I can’t,” the boy cried. “I have only one ingot, which I must return to my master.” I am a slave, and I will be beaten if I give the gold to you.

“I’m dying of hunger,” the leper repeated barely audibly.

Star Boy thrust a white ingot into his hands and, closing his eyes, ran into the city gates.

The sorcerer was already waiting for him at the small door. Letting him into the garden, he asked:

- Where is my gold?

“I have nothing,” answered Star Boy.

The enraged old man rushed at him with his fists. After beating the boy, he threw an empty bowl in front of him.

- Eat! - he said.

Then he placed an empty mug in front of him.

And the sorcerer dragged him into the same dungeon.

The next morning the sorcerer came again for the Star Boy.

“If you don’t bring me a piece of yellow gold, you will forever remain my slave, and I will give you three hundred sticks.” Now get moving!

Star Boy wandered into the forest again. He spent the whole day looking for the yellow ingot, but could not find it anywhere. When the sun set below the horizon, the boy sat down on a rotten stump and cried. When he was so sad, the Hare, whom he had pulled out of the trap yesterday, galloped up.

- Why are you crying? And what are you looking for in the forest?

— I'm looking for a yellow gold bar. If I don't find him, I will remain a slave forever.

“Let’s go,” said the Hare and galloped through the forest to a small pond. At the bottom of it lay a yellow ingot.

- What should I do for you? - asked Star Boy. “This is the second time you’ve saved me from trouble.”

“You’re on your own again,” answered the Hare. “You were the first to feel sorry for me.”

And he disappeared behind the bushes.

Star Boy took the ingot from the pond, put it in his knapsack and hurried to the city. The leper, noticing him from afar, limped towards him, holding out his ugly hands.

“Gold, gold,” he groaned. - Give me at least a few coins, or I will die of hunger.

“But I only have one ingot,” said the boy. “If I don’t bring it, I’ll never be free again.”

“And I will die of hunger,” said the leper.

Star Boy handed him his knapsack.

When he returned, the old man simply dragged him through the door.

- Where, where is the yellow ingot? - he shouted.

“I don’t have one,” the boy answered.

- Oh, is that so? - and the sorcerer grabbed a stick and beat him half to death. Then he chained his hands and dragged him back to the dungeon.

In the morning the old man opened the iron bolt and said:

- If you bring me a red ingot, I will let you go. If there is no gold in the evening, you will not see the next sunrise.

And again, all day long, the barely alive Star Boy was looking for a red ingot, and could not find it anywhere. At the end of the day he came to the same stump and, crying, sat down on it. The boy was almost not surprised when the little Hare ran up to him.

- Silly you! - he said. — The red ingot lies behind you in the ditch. Take it and stop crying.

The boy climbed into the ditch and found red gold at the far end.

- How will I repay you? - he asked the Hare.

“Twenty-five again,” the Hare got angry. - You pulled me out of the trap!

And he quietly jumped somewhere into the forest. And Star Boy went into town as quickly as he could.

The leper was already standing in the middle of the road. Seeing the boy, he spread out his rags and prayed:

- Give me red gold, or I will die.

“Well, take him,” Star Boy took pity. - You need it more.

And sighing heavily, he entered the city gates.

But what is it? When the guards saw Star Boy, they jumped to attention and saluted him. Passers-by, staring at the boy, forgot about everything they were doing, and the merchants abandoned their goods and ran towards him.

- How handsome our young Prince is! - the people exclaimed.

“I know, they’re laughing at me again,” thought Star Boy, and tears appeared in his eyes. “My misfortune only amuses them.”

A whole crowd gathered around the boy, preventing him from turning towards the door in the wall, and he obediently walked along the narrow corridor among the people. So he ended up on Palace Square. The doors of the Palace opened wide, and the Bishop with the City Eparch, with all the city nobility, came out to meet him.

“You are our sovereign,” said the Bishop, and the people knelt down. “You are the son of our King, we have been waiting for you for many years.”

“I am not the son of the King, but of a poor beggar woman.” Why do you call me beautiful when I know how ugly I am?

Then the warrior with gilded flowers on his armor and a winged lion on his helmet raised his sparkling shield in front of the Star Boy and asked him:

“Isn’t our master wonderful?”

And in this shield, as in a mirror, the boy saw his face, beautiful as before. The boy saw his eyes and did not recognize them.

Then even the Eparch knelt down before him, and the Bishop said:

— An ancient prophecy says that our Sovereign will come on this day. You must accept the crown and scepter from my hands. Be our King, merciful and just.

“But I’m not worthy,” said the young Prince. “I have renounced my mother, and there will be no forgiveness or peace for me until I find her.” Neither crown nor scepter will keep me here. I have to go.

Star Boy turned to the city gates, and in the crowd, which the guards had already managed to push back, he saw a familiar face. It was the same beggar woman!

- Mother! - the Prince shouted and rushed towards her. He fell at her feet and kissed them. He wet her wounds with his tears, and lowering his face to the ground, said:

- Forgive me, mommy! I betrayed you when I was happy, forgive me when I felt bad. You have only seen evil from me, show me your love. I have renounced you - accept me to you.

The beggar didn’t say a word.

Then the Star Boy stretched out his hands and grabbed the legs of the one standing next to him, white from leprosy. - Three times I took pity on you, take pity on me too - ask my mother to forgive me.

But the leper was also silent.

The unfortunate Star Boy began to sob:

“Mom, I can’t stand this anymore!” Forgive me and I will go back to the forest.

- Get up! - said the beggar and put her hand on his head.

- Get up! - said the leper and put his hand on top.

Star Boy rose to his feet and saw the King and Queen in front of him.

“The one you helped is your father,” said the Queen.

“The one whose feet you kissed is your mother,” said the King.

They hugged and kissed him, led him into the palace and placed a crown on his head, and handed him a scepter. Star Boy was a kind and fair King.

But then another one came

Star Boy (S. G. Zaimovsky)

It happened that two poor woodcutters were making their way home through a dense pine forest. It was a cold winter night. Snow lay in a deep layer on the ground and on the branches of trees. The frost passed along the path, breaking off branches on the right and left, and when the Woodcutters approached the mountain stream, they saw that it was hanging motionless in the air, for the Ice King had bound it with his kiss.

The cold was such that even animals and birds did not know what to do.

“Brr...” grumbled the Wolf, hobbling with his tail between his legs through the dead wood, “what terrible weather!” And what is the government looking at!

- Vit! wow! wow! - the green Linnets chirped. - The old woman-Earth died, and she was clothed in a white shroud!

“She’s not dead, but she’s getting married, and this is her wedding dress,” the Little Doves whispered to each other.

Their pink paws were stung by the frost, but they considered it their duty to look at the matter from a romantic point of view.

- What nonsense! - the Wolf growled. “They tell you that the government is to blame for everything, and if you don’t believe me, then I will eat you right away.”

The Wolf had a purely practical view of things, and any argument was always ready.

“As for me,” said the Woodpecker, apparently a born philosopher, “I have no need for atomic theories.” What is, is what it is, but now it’s bitterly cold.

And indeed, the cold was terrible. The squirrels, who lived in the hollow of a tall pine tree, rubbed their faces against each other to keep warm, and the Rabbits curled up in their holes and did not dare stick their noses out. Only the big eared Owls seemed to like the cold. Their feathers were completely frosted, but this did not bother them at all, they rolled their yellow eyes and called out to each other through the forest:

- Too-it! hoo-hoo! tuu-it! hoo-hoo! What amazing weather!

The woodcutters continued on their way, fiercely blowing on their fingers and stamping their huge, shod boots on the hard snow crust. Once they happened to fall into a snowdrift, and they came out of there white, like millers when they work the millstones; another time they slipped on the smooth surface of the ice, where the swamp was frozen, they lost their fagots, and they had to collect them again; somehow it seemed to them that they were lost, and horror attacked them; they knew that Snow is merciless to those who fall asleep in his arms. But they entrusted themselves to the good Saint Martin, the patron saint of travelers, returned to the old trail and walked carefully again; Finally they came to the edge and far below, in the valley, they saw the lights of the village in which their huts were located.

Rejoicing at being free from danger, they laughed loudly, and the earth seemed to them like a silver flower, and the moon like a golden flower.

But when they laughed enough, they became sad - they remembered their poverty, and one of them said to the other:

- How could we laugh, how could we forget that life is for the rich, and not for people like us? It would have been better for us to freeze in the forest or die in the teeth of some wild animal!

“It’s true,” replied his companion. - Some are given a lot, while others are given almost nothing. Falsehood divided the world, and only grief was equally divided.

But while they were mourning their poverty, something miraculous happened. A very bright and beautiful star fell from the sky. She rolled along the edge of the heavens, passed other stars, and the Woodcutters thought that she fell not far away, near a small sheepfold behind the willows, within the distance of a thrown stone.

- Yeah, here’s a jug of gold for whoever manages to find it! - they exclaimed and started to run - they wanted gold so much.

One of them was faster than the other, overtook him, ran to the willow grove, ran out of it, and - lo! — there really is something golden lying on the white snow. He hurried to the find and, bending over it, felt it with his hands. Before him was a cloak of gold brocade, beautifully woven with stars and folded several times. The woodcutter shouted to his companion that he had found a treasure that had fallen from the sky, and when he approached, they sat down in the snow and began to unwind the cloak to divide the gold coins among themselves. But - alas! - there was no gold or silver in the cloak, and there was no treasure there, but just a tiny, sleeping child. And one of them said to the other:

- What a sad outcome for our hopes! You and I are unlucky. What benefit do we have in this child? Let's leave him here and go our own way. After all, we are poor people, we ourselves have children, and we have no right to give their bread to another.

But the companion answered him:

- No, you can’t leave a child to die in the snow. Although I am as poor as you, and I have a lot of mouths to feed, and food is tight, I will take the child with me, and my wife will look after him.

And he tenderly took the child, wrapped him in a cloak to protect him from the bitter cold, and went down to the village, while his companion marveled at his recklessness and the kindness of his heart.

And when they came to the village, his comrade said to him:

- No, the cloak is not yours and not mine, it belongs to the child.

And, having said goodbye to his comrade, he went up to his hut and knocked.

When the wife opened the door and saw her husband unharmed, she threw her arms around his neck and, kissing him, took a bundle of brushwood from his back, swept the snow from his shoes and invited him to enter the hut.

But he told her:

“I found something in the forest and brought it to you for you to take into your care,” but I myself did not leave the threshold.

- What is this? - she cried. “Show me, because our house is empty, there’s a lot missing!”

And he threw back his cloak, showing her the sleeping child.

“Oh, my dear,” she muttered, “or don’t we have children of our own, that you decided to drag a foundling to our hearth?” And who knows whether he will bring trouble upon us? And how can we feed him?

And she was angry with her husband.

“After all, this is the Star Boy,” answered the husband; and he told his wife how amazingly he had found the child.

But the wife did not calm down at all. She taunted her husband, shouted angry words and shouted:

“Our own children don’t have enough bread, so how are we going to feed someone else’s child?” And who will take care of us, who will feed us?

“The Lord takes care of sparrows too.” The Lord also feeds the sparrows.

- Don’t sparrows die of hunger in winter? - she objected. “And isn’t it winter now?”

And the husband did not answer, but still did not move from the threshold.

A cold wind from the forest rushed through the open door.

The wife was shaking from the cold and said to her husband:

- Why don’t you close the doors? After all, a cold breeze is blowing into the house, and I’m chilly.

“Doesn’t the wind always blow into a house where a cruel heart reigns?” - he asked.

And the woman did not answer him, but moved closer to the fire.

After a short time, she turned around and looked at her husband, and her eyes were full of tears. He quickly entered the hut, put the child in her arms, and she kissed the child and put it in the cradle where her youngest son lay. And in the morning the Woodcutter took off his elegant cloak of gold brocade and locked it in a large chest. And the wife took the amber chain from the child’s neck and also hid it in the chest.

In this way, the Star Boy began to grow up with the Woodcutter's children, sat with them at the same table and shared their games. Every year he became more and more charming, so that all the villagers marveled at his beauty; they were all dark and black-haired, but he was white and tender as ivory, and his curls were like the curls of a golden flower. His lips were like the petals of a red flower, and his eyes were like violets by a transparent river, but his body was white, like daffodils in a field forgotten by mowers.

But beauty was his detriment, for he grew up to be a proud, cruel and selfish child. He despised the Woodcutter's children, and other village children as well. He said that they were of low origin, and he was of noble origin, since he came from a star. He bossed them around and called them his servants. He had no pity for the poor, the blind, the crippled and others offended by fate; he threw stones at them and drove them onto the high road, and they went for alms to other places; and no one, except perhaps the most outcasts, came to this village again for alms. As if he was in love with beauty, he mocked weak and ugly people and teased them; he loved only himself and in the summer, in calm weather, he lay over the well in the priest’s garden, looked at the beautiful reflection of his face and laughed with pleasure.

The woodcutter and his wife often scolded the child and said to him:

“We did not treat you the way you treat those who are helpless and offended by fate.” Why are you so ruthless with everyone who needs compassion?

The old priest repeatedly called him to himself and tried to instill in him a love for living creatures. He told him:

- The fly is your sister, you must not harm her. Wild birds fluttering through the forest need freedom. Don't snare them for fun. God created both the worm and the mole and assigned each its place. Why are you sowing suffering in God's world? Even the cattle in the fields glorify Him.

But Star Boy did not pay attention to their words. He frowned and bared his teeth, ran to his comrades and commanded them. And his comrades obeyed him, for he was beautiful, agile in running, and knew how to dance, and whistle, and sing. Wherever the Star Boy leads them, they obey him, and whatever the Star Boy commands them to do, they will do. And when he pierced the mole’s dull eyes with a sharp stick, they only laughed. And when he threw stones at the leper, they too only crumpled. He was their guide in everything, and like him, they became cruel.

A poor beggar woman happened to pass through the village. Her dress was all in tatters, her legs were bloody, she had walked for a long time along the rocky road and was very exhausted. Tired from walking, she sat down to rest under a chestnut tree.

But when the Star Boy saw her, he said to his comrades:

- Look, what an ugly beggar woman, and she dares to sit under such a beautiful green tree. Let's get her out of here! After all, she is so ugly and pathetic!

And so he approached her, began throwing stones at her, mocked her, and she looked at him, and there was fear in her eyes. and she did not take her eyes off him. And when the Woodcutter, who was chopping wood on the threshing floor nearby, saw what Star Boy was doing, he ran up, scolded him and said:

- How cruel you are, you have no pity. What harm has this poor woman done to you that you treat her like this?

Star Boy blushed with anger, stamped his feet and said:

- How dare you ask me such questions? I am not your son to carry out your orders.

“What you say is fair,” answered the Woodcutter, “but I showed you mercy when I found you in the forest.”

And hearing these words, the woman let out a loud cry and fainted. The woodcutter took her to his house, and his wife began to look after her. When she woke up from fainting, they placed food and drink in front of her and asked her to refresh herself.

But she did not want to eat or drink, but only said to the Woodcutter:

“Didn’t you just say that this child was found in the forest?” And didn’t this happen exactly ten years ago?

And the Woodcutter answered:

- Yes, I found him in the forest, and it happened exactly ten years ago.

- What signs did you find on it? - she exclaimed. “Didn’t he have an amber chain around his neck?” Was he not wearing a cloak of gold brocade embroidered with stars?

“That’s right,” he replied. Woodcutter, everything was as you say.

And he took out a cloak and an amber chain from the chest and showed it to this woman.

Seeing these things, the old woman cried with joy and said:

- This is my little son, whom I lost in the forest. I ask you to go after him quickly, because I went all over the world in search of him.

And the Woodcutter and his wife went out the door, and they called the Star Boy and said to him:

- Go into the house! You will find your mother waiting for you.

Full of amazement and joy, the boy ran into the room. But when he saw the one who was waiting for him, he laughed insultingly and said:

- Where is my mother? I don't see anyone except this disgusting beggar woman.

And the woman answered him:

- I'm your mother!

- You're crazy! - Star Boy shouted angrily. - I'm not your son at all! You're a beggar, you're disgusting, you're all in rags. Get out of here and don't show me your disgusting face again!

- No, you really are my son, whom I gave birth to in the forest!

She fell to her knees and extended her hands to him.

“The robbers stole you and left you to die,” she muttered, “but I recognized you as soon as I saw you, and I recognized your signs - a cloak of gold brocade and an amber chain.” I pray you, come with me, for I have gone all over the world looking for you. Come with me, my son, because I need your love.

But Star Boy did not move. He slammed the doors of his heart in front of her, and not a sound was heard except the voice of a woman crying with grief.

“If you really are my mother,” he said, “then it would be better for you to stay on the road, and not come here and shame me in front of everyone; I thought that I was the son of a star, and not the son of a beggar, as you say. Get out of here, I don't want to see you!

“Oh, my son,” she cried, “won’t you kiss me goodbye?” I suffered so much looking for you!

“No,” answered the Star Boy, “you are too ugly, it’s scary to look at you; and I would sooner agree to kiss an echidna or a toad than you!

The woman got up and, crying bitterly, wandered towards the forest. And when the Star Boy saw that she was gone, he ran cheerfully to his comrades to continue playing.

But the children, noticing his approach, began to mock him and said:

- Ugh! You have become as disgusting as a toad and disgusting as a viper! Get out of here, we won't let you play with us!

And they kicked him out of the garden.

Star Boy frowned and said to himself:

-What do they mean? Let me go to the well and look into it, and then he will tell me the truth about my beauty.

And he went to the well and looked in, and - oh, miracle! — his face became like the face of a toad, and his body was covered in scales, like that of an echidna. He threw himself on the grass, cried and said to himself:

- Yes, this is a punishment for my sins, for I denied my mother, drove her away and in my pride was cruel to her. I will go looking for her all over the world and will not rest until I find her!

And then the Woodcutter’s little daughter came up to him. She put her hand on his shoulder and said:

- What does it matter if you lose your beauty? Stay with us, I won't make fun of you!

But he told her:

“No, I treated my mother cruelly, and this misfortune was sent to me as punishment.” I must leave here and travel around the world until I find her and she forgives me.

And he ran into the forest and began to call his mother, convincing her to return; but didn't receive any response. All day long he called to her and, when the sun set, he lay down on a pile of leaves, and birds and animals ran away from him: they remembered his cruelty. And he was left alone, and with him there was only a toad that was guarding him, and an echidna that slowly crawled past.

In the morning he woke up, hastily picked bitter berries from the tree, ate them and, crying bitterly, wandered through the dense forest. Whoever he met on the way, he asked if his mother had seen him.

He asked the Mole:

“You always walk underground, tell me, is my mother there?”

And the Mole answered him:

“You gouged out my eyes, how can I know that?”

He asked the green Linnet:

“You fly higher than the tallest trees, you can see the whole world.” Tell me, have you seen my mother?

And Konoplyanka answered:

“You cut my wings for fun, how can I fly now?”

He also turned to little Belka, who lived alone on a pine tree:

-Where is my mother?

And Belka answered:

- You killed my mother; Well, do you want to kill yours too?

Star Boy began to cry and hang his head; in vain he asked for help from all living creatures and wandered through the forest, looking for a beggar woman. On the third day he came to the other edge of the forest and came out onto the plain.

When he passed through villages, children mocked him, threw stones at him, and the peasants did not allow him to sleep even in barns, so that he would not rot the grain - he was so ugly. And their farmhands drove him away, and not a single soul was found to take pity on him. In the same way, he learned nothing about the beggar woman, about his mother. For three whole years he wandered around the world. He often thought he saw her ahead on the road. He called out to her and ran after her until his legs began to bleed from the sharp stones. But he could not catch up with her, and the people who lived along the way assured that they had not seen either her or a woman similar to her, and laughed at his grief.

For three whole years he wandered around the world, and in the whole world there was no love, no mercy, no pity for him - the world was exactly as he had created it for himself in the days of his great pride.

One evening he came to the gates of a fortified city that stood by the river, and although he was very tired and could hardly move his legs, he tried to enter this city. But the soldiers standing guard placed their halberds across the entrance and rudely said to him:

- Why do you need to go to the city?

“I’m looking for my mother,” he answered. - Please, let me pass - maybe she is in this city.

But they mocked him, and one of them shook his black beard, hit the ground with his shield and exclaimed:

“Truly, your mother will not be happy when she sees you, for you are uglier than a toad in a swamp or a reptile that creeps in a quagmire!” Get away from here. Go, your mother does not live in this city.

And the other, holding a yellow banner in his hand, said to him:

-Who is your mother, and why are you looking for her here?

And he answered:

“My mother is a beggar just like me.” I treated her badly and I beg you to let me through so that she can forgive me if she is in this city.

But they did not want to miss him and threatened him with their pikes.

And when he turned away weeping, one of the warriors, whose armor was painted with golden flowers and whose helmet had a winged lion resting on it, approached the soldiers and asked who was seeking permission to enter the city.

And they said to him:

- This is a beggar and the son of a beggar. We've already driven him away.

“No,” this warrior cried with a laugh, “we’d rather sell the ugly boy into slavery, and for the money we’ll buy a cup of sweet wine!”

Then an old man with an angry face, who happened to be passing by, stepped forward and said:

- I will buy it for this price.

After paying the money, he took Star Boy by the hand and led him into the city.

After passing through many streets, they came to a gate made in the wall, overshadowed by the branches of a pomegranate tree. The old man touched the gate with a ring of carved jasper, and it opened. They descended five bronze steps into a garden filled with black poppies and green baked clay jugs. The old man took a silk patterned scarf from his turban, blindfolded the Star Boy's eyes with it and drove him in front of him. When the scarf was removed, Star Boy found himself in a dungeon illuminated by a horn lantern.

The old man put moldy bread on a tray in front of him and said: “Eat!”, pushed him a cup of salty water and said: “Drink!” And when he had eaten and drunk, the old man went out, locked the door behind him and hung an iron chain on it.

In the morning, the old man, who was the most skilled magician from Libya and learned his art from one man who lived in the Nile tombs, came to the Star Boy and said sternly:

“In the forest, not far from the gates of this city of infidels, there are three gold coins: one of them is white gold, the other is yellow gold, and the third is red gold. Tomorrow you must bring me a white gold coin, and if you don’t bring it, I will give you a hundred sticks. Get out quickly, and by sunset I will be waiting for you at the garden gate. Be careful, bring me white gold, otherwise it will be bad for you, for you are my slave, and I bought you for a cup of sweet wine!

And he blindfolded the Star Boy with a patterned silk scarf, and led him through the house and through the garden where there were poppies, and up five bronze steps. Opening the gate with his ring, he let him out into the street.

The Star Boy left the city gates and set off into the forest that the wizard had told him about.

From a distance this forest seemed very tempting. It seemed to be full of songbirds and fragrant flowers, and Star Boy merrily went deeper into the thicket. But the beauty of the forest did not do him any good. Wherever he went, tough thorns with prickly thorns grew out of the ground and surrounded him on all sides. The evil nettle burned him, the thistle pricked him with its thorns, causing him severe pain. In the same way, he could not find the white gold coin anywhere that the wizard had told him about, although he searched for it from morning to noon and from noon to sunset. Towards sunset he turned his face towards the house, weeping bitterly, for he knew what fate awaited him.

But when he reached the edge of the forest, he heard a plaintive cry from the thicket. Forgetting his own grief, he ran towards the cry and saw the Bunny caught in a trap set by a hunter.

Star Boy took pity on the Bunny. He released him and said:

“I am an insignificant slave, but I want to give you freedom.”

And the Hare answered him with these words:

- Yes, you gave me freedom, but how will I repay you?

— I'm looking for a white gold coin, but I can't find it anywhere. And if I don’t bring it to the owner, he will beat me.

“Come with me,” said the Hare. “I will lead you to the coin, because I know where it is hidden and why it is hidden.”

And so the Star Boy went with the Hare, and, lo and behold! — in a crack in a huge oak tree he saw a white gold coin, the very one he was looking for. With a grateful feeling he grabbed it and said to the Hare:

“You repaid the service I rendered you in abundance, and you returned my favor to you a hundredfold!”

“No,” answered the Hare, “I just treated you the way you treated me.”

And he quickly ran away, and the Star Boy headed towards the city.

At the city gate sat a man who was a leper. His face was covered with a piece of rough canvas, and in the holes of the mask his eyes glowed like hot coals. Seeing the Star Boy, he struck the wooden cup, rattled his bell, called out to him and said:

-Give me a coin, or I'll starve. I was kicked out of the city, and not a single soul took pity on me.

- Alas! - Star Boy exclaimed. “I have only one coin in my bag, and if I don’t bring it to the owner, he will beat me, because I am his slave.”

But the leper asked him, begged him, until, finally, the Star Boy took pity and gave him a white gold coin.

When he approached the house, the Wizard opened the door for him, led him into the house and said:

—Did you bring a white gold coin?

And the Star Boy replied:

- I have not it!

The wizard rushed at him, began to beat him hard, put an empty tray in front of him and told him: “eat,” put an empty cup and told him “drink!”, and again threw him into the dungeon.

And in the morning the Wizard came in and said to him:

“If you don’t bring me yellow gold coins today, you will remain my slave forever, and I will give you three hundred sticks.”

And the Star Boy went into the forest. He spent the whole day looking for a yellow gold coin, but could not find it anywhere. At sunset he sat down and began to cry, and suddenly a small hare ran up to him, which he freed from the trap.

And the Hare said to him:

-What are you crying about and what are you looking for in the forest?

And the Star Boy answered:

— I'm looking for a yellow gold coin that is hidden here; If I don’t find her, the owner will beat me and leave me in captivity.

- Follow me! - said the Hare.

And they ran through the forest until they came across some kind of puddle. At the bottom of this puddle, a yellow gold coin glittered.

- How can I thank you? - said Star Boy. - Look, this is the second time you’ve saved me!

“But you were the first to take pity on me!” - answered the Hare and hastily ran away.

Star Boy took the yellow gold coin, put it in his bag and hurried into the city. But the leper, seeing him, ran to meet him, fell to his knees and screamed:

- Give me one coin, or I'll starve!

And the Star Boy said to him:

— I have only one yellow gold coin in my bag; and if I do not bring it to the owner, he will beat me and leave me in captivity.

But the leper piteously begged him, so the Star Boy took pity on him and gave him the yellow gold coin.

And when he came to the Wizard's house, the Wizard opened the door for him, led him into the house and said:

- What, do you have a yellow gold coin?

Star Boy answered him:

- I have not it!

The wizard rushed at him, began to beat him, put him in chains and again threw him into prison.

In the morning the Wizard came to him and announced:

“If you bring me a red gold coin today, I will set you free.” If you don’t bring it, then know that I will kill you!

And so the Star Boy trudged into the forest. He spent the whole day looking for a red gold coin, but could not find it anywhere. In the evening he sat down and cried; and the little Hare ran to him.

And the Hare said to him:

“The red gold coin you are looking for is in the cave behind you. Stop crying and rejoice!

- How can I thank you? - Star Boy exclaimed. “This is the third time you have come to my aid.”

“But you were the first to take pity on me!” - said the Hare and quickly ran away.

And Star Boy went to the cave and in the most remote corner he found a red gold coin. He put it in his bag and hurried to the city. The leper, seeing him, stood in the middle of the road and shouted:

- Give me the red gold coin, otherwise I will die!

And the Star Boy again took pity on him and gave him a red gold coin with the words:

- Your need is worse than mine!

But his heart was heavy, for he knew what fate awaited him.

But what a miracle! When he approached the city gates, the guards bent down and bowed to him, saying:

- How wonderful our ruler is!

And he was followed by crowds of citizens who exclaimed:

- Truly there is no one more beautiful in the whole world!

Star Boy began to cry and said to himself:

- They mock me, make fun of my misfortune.

The crowd of people was so great that he got lost and finally ended up in a large square where the royal palace stood.

The gates of the palace swung open, and the priests and high dignitaries of the city ran to meet him. They bowed to him and said:

“You are our ruler, whom we are waiting for, you are the son of our King.”

And the Star Boy answered them:

“I am not the son of the King, but the son of a poor beggar.” How can you say that I am beautiful when I know that I am disgusting!

And he, whose armor was strewn with golden flowers, and on whose helmet a winged lion rested, raised his shield and exclaimed:

- Why does my lord say that he is not beautiful!

And the Star Boy looked at the shield, and - oh, miracle! - His face became the same as it was before. His beauty returned to him, and in his eyes he saw something that was not there before.

And the priest and the high dignitaries knelt before him and said to him:

“We were predicted from time immemorial that on this day the one who was appointed to rule us would come to us.” Therefore, may our ruler take this crown and this scepter and reign over us with mercy and justice!

But he told them:

“I am unworthy of this, for I renounced the one who gave birth to me; and I will not rest until I find her and know that she has forgiven me. Therefore let me go; I must travel around the world and I dare not stay here, although you offer me a crown and a scepter.

Saying this, he turned to the street leading to the city gates, and - oh, miracle! - in the crowd surrounding the soldiers, he saw a beggar woman, his mother, and next to her stood the leper, the one who was sitting by the road.

A cry of joy escaped his lips. He ran up to them and, kneeling down, began to kiss the wounds on his mother’s legs and water them with tears. He buried his head in the dust of the earth and, sobbing as if his heart was breaking, said to his mother:

“Mother, I rejected you in the hour of pride, do not reject me in the hour of humility!” Mother, I gave you hatred, give me love! Mother, I pushed you away - now accept your child!

But the beggar woman did not answer a word. And he stretched out his hands and, grasping the bare feet of the leper, said to him:

- Three times I showed you mercy - ask my mother to say a word to me!

But the leper remained silent. And again he began to cry and said:

- Mother, my suffering is beyond my strength! Say a word of forgiveness to me and let me go into the forest!

And the beggar woman put her hand on his head and said to him:

- Get up!

And the leper put his hand on his head and said to him:

- Get up!

And he stood up, and looked at them, and - oh, miracle! — the King and Queen stood in front of him. And the Queen said to him:

“Here is your father, whom you did not abandon in your hour of need.”

And the King said:

- Here is your mother, whose feet you watered with tears!

And they fell on his neck, and began to kiss him, and brought him to the palace, and dressed him in rich clothes, and put a crown on his head, and put a rod in his hand. And he began to rule the city that was near the river. He showed mercy and justice to everyone, and drove away the evil Wizard; He sent many rich gifts to the woodcutter and his wife and showed high honors to their children. He did not allow anyone to treat a bird or an animal cruelly, he taught everyone love, mercy and kindness. He gave bread to the poor, he gave clothing to the naked, and abundance and peace reigned in his country.

But he did not reign for long; his sufferings were so great, the fire of his trial was so burning that three years later he died. And the one who reigned after him ruled that country badly.

It was so cold that even animals and birds were frozen and could not warm themselves up.

Ugh! - the Wolf grumbled, hobbling through the bowl. His tail, like that of a beaten dog, hung limply from below. Where is the Government looking?

Fuck. fuck! - the mottled Linnet squealed. - The old woman died, and she was covered with a white shroud.

The earth is preparing for the wedding, and is trying on its wedding attire,” the doves began to purr.”

Their little pink paws turned almost blue from the cold, but they felt that some secret was hidden here.

Nonsense! - the Wolf snapped. “I told you, it’s all the Government’s fault.” And if anyone doesn’t believe me, I’ll eat him.

The wolf was very practical, and never went into his pocket for a word.

As for me. - said the Woodpecker, and he was a born philosopher. - then all explanations are unnecessary. Life is what it is. And now she is terribly cold.

Wow! Ho-ho-ho! Wonderful weather!

But then they remembered what awaited them at home, and they became sad.

There’s no time for fun here,” said one of them. - Life is designed for the rich, not for poor people like us. It would be better if we froze in the forest, or the connecting rod would lift us up.

“You’re right,” answered the second, “some have everything, others have nothing.” There is only a lie around, and everything except grief is divided unfairly.

While they were lamenting this way, something extraordinary happened in the dark sky. A bright, beautiful Star fell from its place and rolled to the ground.

This must be a noble piece of gold, they decided. - A good gift for whoever finds it.

And the woodcutters ran with all their might towards the fallen star. They really wanted to get at least a little gold.

Found it, found it! - he shouted to his friend. When he arrived, they took the bundle in their hands and began to carefully unwrap it - after all, there was gold that still needed to be divided. Alas! There was no gold, no silver, no precious stones. In the cloak lay a tiny child, sleeping peacefully.

And we thought... - one of them said bitterly. - What's the use of this baby? Let's leave it here and move on. We are so poor that we cannot feed our children either.

No, said the other. We can't leave him here to die from the cold. Although I am a poor man, and there is never enough porridge in our pot for everyone, I will take it with me, and my wife will take care of it.

He carefully took the child in his arms and wrapped him in a cloak so that the cruel Cold would not breathe on his face.

“What a slobber,” the second woodcutter cursed to himself as they descended into the valley. Just before the village he said:

Listen, we need to fairly share the find. If you have already taken this baby, at least leave me a cloak.

“I can’t,” answered the good woodcutter. - This cloak is not mine and not yours. Let him stay with the child.

And the woodcutter went to his house.

My dear! - his wife shouted with joy and rushed into his arms, - I was so worried about you. Terrible frost!

She immediately picked up a bundle of brushwood and brushed off the snow from his boots.

But the woodcutter did not cross the threshold.

“I found something in the forest,” he said quietly, and I want you to take care of it.

Amazing! - the wife answered. - We are missing so much in the house.

The husband unfolded his cloak and showed her the sleeping child.

Oh my God! - she said. - Are our children not enough for you that you brought this foundling? And who will look after him?

And his wife looked at him angrily.

“This is a star boy,” the husband answered, and told her the strange story of his discovery. But the wife only became even more upset.

Don’t you know that our children don’t have enough bread, and you want us to feed someone else? Who will feed us?

He who feeds the little birds will not leave us.

Small birds! What, are you making a fuss! Have you not met in the forest numb sparrows lying breathless on the ground, hares killed by wolves?

But the husband was silent and still did not cross the threshold. At this time, a gust of harsh wind rushed through the open door, and the wife shuddered.

Are you going to keep the door open until the whole house freezes out?

“There will never be warmth in a house with an icy heart,” he answered.

The wife remained silent and only moved closer to the fireplace.

So the Star Boy began to live in the family of a kind woodcutter. He grew up with his children, they sat at the dinner table together and played outside together.

“They are all simple hillbillies, and I am the son of a star,” he used to say.

“What freaks they are,” he said, “and how beautiful I am.”

On windless summer days, he would lie down on the shore of a small church pond and spend hours admiring his reflection. Star Boy liked this activity so much that he laughed with pleasure.

And more than once the good woodcutter and his wife reproached him:

Is this what we did when we found you? Why do you offend those who are left completely alone and have no one to help them? Why are you so cruel to those who need compassion?

The old village priest often sent for Star Boy and tried again and again to teach him to love.

The smallest insect was made by the same one who created you. All animals and even butterflies in the meadow are our brothers. And the birds in the forest are created free. Don't set snares for fun. The mole and the gray mouse are God's creations and live where the Lord commanded them. Who are you that you bring suffering into the world of God? Every breath in the forest, in the sky, and in the river glorifies its Creator, but you insult Him.

But then Star Boy saw her.

Look! - he shouted to his friends. - Some dirty beggar woman sat down under this noble chestnut tree. Let's go, let's get her out of here - she's ruining such a magnificent view.

And he began throwing stones at her and loudly mocking her. But the beggar woman just looked at him and seemed to freeze, unable to take her eyes off him. There was horror in her eyes.

At this time, a kind woodcutter was chopping wood with a huge ax near his house. Seeing what Star Boy was doing, he ran up to him and gave him a good slap in the face.

You clearly have no heart at all! What did this unfortunate woman do to you?

Star Boy blushed with anger, stamped his foot and shouted:

Who are you that I should answer to you? I am not your son, and I do not want to obey you!

“You’re right,” said the Woodcutter. - But I felt sorry for you when I found you in the forest.

Tell me,” she asked, “you said that you found this boy in the forest.” Wasn't this ten years ago?

Yes, it’s been ten years since I found the boy in the forest, and we took him in with us.

Was there nothing with it? Maybe there were still amber beads on his neck? Perhaps he was wrapped in a gilded cloak with embroidered stars?

Your truth, that’s how it was.

And the Good Woodman, after rummaging around in the chest for a while, took out a cloak and beads. Seeing them, the beggar woman screamed with joy.

This is my son, whom I lost in the forest. I beg you, call him here quickly. For ten years I have been looking for him all over the world.

The joyful Woodcutter and his wife ran out of the house and called the Star Boy:

Hurry, hurry home! We found your mother and she is waiting for you.

Containing his joy, Star Boy went to the house, wondering who he would see there.

So where is my mother? - he asked. - There is no one here except this ragged woman.

“I am your mother,” said the beggar woman.

You're just crazy! - the boy exclaimed angrily. - I am no son to you. You're just an ugly scarecrow dressed in some rags. Get out of here quickly, I hate even to look at your ugly face.

But you are really my son! The robbers attacked me in the forest and stole you, and then left you alone to die. I recognized you right away, and here are the things that stayed with you. Come with me, because I went around the whole world looking for you. Let's go, I need your love so bad.

But Star Boy did not move a single step from his place. He closed the doors of his heart and did not utter a word. Only the sobs of the unfortunate mother could be heard in the house.

Finally, he spoke, and the cruel words hurt his mother.

Even if this is true, it would be better if you never came here. I am the son of a star, and you tell me that I am the son of a beggar. I already told you, get out of here so I never see you again.

Woe is me! - she said. “But at least kiss your mother before I go.” I suffered so much to find you.

No, said Star Boy. - I hate even to look at you. I'd rather kiss a viper or a toad than kiss you.

Look, look - disgusting, like a toad! - his former friends shouted. - Yes, he is slimy, like a viper! Get out in a good way - in a healthy way!

And they drove him out of the garden.

Why have they all gone crazy? - and Star Boy smiled contemptuously. - I’d better go and admire my reflection. He walked to the old pond and looked down.

What is this! His face became disgusting, like that of a frog, and his skin shone like the scales of a snake. Sobbing, Star Boy fell onto the grass, clutching his hair with his hands and buried his face in the ground. “It’s my own fault! - he thought. - I disowned my mother and kicked her out of the house. How cruel I was to her! I'll go looking for her all over the world. And there will be no peace for me until I find my mother, until she forgives me.”

The woodcutter's youngest daughter quietly approached from behind and put her hand on his shoulder.

Don't cry, she said. - Stay and live with us. I will never laugh at you.

“I can’t,” answered Star Boy. - I was cruel to my mother and deserved this punishment. I'm leaving. I'll go wander and look for her. Only she can give me forgiveness.

Early in the morning he got up, tasted the bitter berries from the bushes that grew nearby, and walked further along the road through the dark, scary forest. The Star Boy walked and cried bitterly.

Have you met my mother? - he asked everyone. But his heart became heavier and heavier.

Tell me, dear mole, he said, you live underground. Did you see my mom there?

“You gouged out my eyes,” he answered. - How can I know now?

Maybe you, linnet, have seen her? You fly high above the forest and see everything around.

You cut my wings for fun. How can I fly now?

The boy asked a lonely squirrel who lived on a tall pine tree:

Don't you know where my mom is?

But the squirrel cried:

You killed all my children. Now you want to kill her?

Lord, forgive me, ugly one! - the boy repeated, and, sobbing, walked on. On the third day he left the forest and walked along the valley.

As he passed the village, the boys teased him and threw stones at him. And the peasants did not even allow him to spend the night in the barn, so that he would not bring damage to the cows or to the harvested grain - his appearance was so disgusting. There was no one to feel sorry for him, and no one saw that beggar woman. For three years now he had been wandering around the world, and more than once it seemed to him that she was over there - in front. And he ran with all his might, and the sharp pebbles on the road tormented his legs until they bled. But his mother was not there, and those who always sit on the sidelines did not see any beggar. But they were not averse to having fun with Star Boy.

He spent three years wandering the roads, but did not meet any love, mercy or even kindness. He saw only the world that he himself invented while living with the Woodcutter.

It was late evening when Star Boy saw the fortress walls of a city ahead. Exhausted and barefoot, he approached the gate, but the guards lowered their halberds in front of him. - Who are you and what do you need in our city? - they asked without ceremony.

I'm looking for my mom. Please allow me to pass. “She may be in the city,” Star Boy asked.

Ha ha ha! - they cackled.

And one guard, with a black beard shaking with laughter, leaned on his shield and barely said: - - Oh, I can’t! Do you think she will be happy when she sees you? You are as beautiful as a swamp toad or a vile viper. Go, get out of here. Your mother can't be here.

Another guard, who was holding a yellow banner, asked the boy:

Who is she, your mother? Why aren't you together and you're looking for her?

She is as poor as I am. But I harmed her, I was proud and cruel to her. I beg you to let me through. Suddenly she's here. Only she can forgive me.

No, there are no such people in our city, no. Get out of here,” and they began to push him out with their sharp peaks.

When the Star Boy had already walked, sobbing, from the city gates, a man with gilded flowers on his armor and a winged lion on his helmet approached the guards.

Who wanted to come to us? - he asked.

Yes, nothing, they said. - A poor son of a poor mother. We drove him away.

Come on, bring him back here! We'd rather sell it. The red price for this monster is a bottle of red wine.

Out of nowhere, an old man with a devilish expression on his face jumped up to them.

“I buy it for this price,” he intervened, and, having paid the price, grabbed the boy’s hand with an iron grip.

Follow me,” the old man said and dragged the boy into the city. They rushed past street vendors, past the palace, past the temple; They went down to the narrow dirty streets, where two people could hardly pass each other, and began to wander along them until they found themselves in front of a low door. The door was right in the wall, and on the street side it was covered by a large pomegranate tree. The old man touched the door with a jasper ring, and it immediately opened. Five copper steps led to a garden where black poppies grew and there were several meager jugs. The old man pulled a painted strip of Chinese silk from his turban and blindfolded the boy with it. Now he stood behind the boy and only showed him the way by pushing him in the back. When Star Boy's eyes were untied, they were in the dungeon. Only dim torches on the walls slightly illuminated the place.

The old man threw a piece of moldy bread onto the board in front of the boy.

Eat,” he said.

“Drink,” he muttered, putting down a mug of rotten water.

When Star Boy chewed the bread and drank the water, the old man left, locking the door from the outside with an iron bolt.

As soon as the sun appeared, the old man went down to the basement to the Star Boy.

Hey, you! - he muttered through his teeth. - Stop lying around, it's time to get to work. Go to the forest at the western city gate. There are three precious bars hidden there - white, yellow and red gold. Today you will bring me a white ingot. Be careful not to get confused. And if you don't do this, I'll give you a hundred sticks. At sunset I will wait for you at the door to the garden. Remember that you are my slave - I already paid more for you than you are worth.

The old man again blindfolded the boy and took him out of the house. They walked through the poppy garden, climbed five bronze steps, and the old man opened the door with a jasper ring.

“Let’s live it up,” he said and pushed the boy out into the street.

“Poor thing,” said Star Boy, releasing the hare. - Even though I am a slave now, I can help you.

“You gave me freedom,” answered the Hare, “how can I thank you?”

Star Boy didn’t even have time to be surprised.

I looked all day for a white gold bar, but I never found it. My master promised me a hundred strokes of the cane if I returned empty-handed.

“Come with me,” the Hare was happy. - I know where it is hidden. And now I even know why he is there.

The boy followed the Hare, and oh, miracle! Apparently lightning cut a huge oak tree in two, and in the black crack lay that same ingot!

Thank you, good Hare. You repaid me in full for that. that I released you, and for my kindness returned you sevenfold.

This is nonsense! - answered the Hare. - I just did the same thing as you.

And he galloped off into the forest.

Help me,” he wheezed. - I am starving. In this city no one took pity on me, and they threw me out of the gates.

But I can’t,” the boy cried. - I have only one ingot, which I must return to my master. I am a slave, and I will be beaten if I give the gold to you.

“I’m dying of hunger,” the leper repeated barely audibly.

Star Boy thrust a white ingot into his hands and, closing his eyes, ran into the city gates.

The sorcerer was already waiting for him at the small door. Letting him into the garden, he asked:

Where is my gold?

“I have nothing,” answered Star Boy.

The enraged old man rushed at him with his fists. After beating the boy, he threw an empty bowl in front of him.

Eat! - he said.

Then he placed an empty mug in front of him.

And the sorcerer dragged him into the same dungeon.

The next morning the sorcerer came again for the Star Boy.

If you don’t bring me a piece of yellow gold, you will forever remain my slave, and I will give you three hundred sticks. Now get moving!

Why are you crying? And what are you looking for in the forest?

I'm looking for a yellow gold bar. If I don't find him, I will remain a slave forever.

“Let’s go,” said the Hare and galloped through the forest to a small pond. At the bottom of it lay a yellow ingot.

What can I do for you? - asked Star Boy. - This is the second time you’ve saved me from trouble.

Again, you’re on your own,” answered the Hare. - You were the first to feel sorry for me.

And he disappeared behind the bushes.

Star Boy took the ingot from the pond, put it in his knapsack and hurried to the city. The leper, noticing him from afar, limped towards him, holding out his ugly hands.

Gold, gold,” he groaned. - Give me at least a few coins, or I will die of hunger.

“But I only have one ingot,” said the boy. “If I don’t bring it, I’ll never be free again.”

“And I will die of hunger,” said the leper.

Star Boy handed him his knapsack.

When he returned, the old man simply dragged him through the door.

Where, where is the yellow ingot? - he shouted.

“I don’t have it,” the boy answered.

Oh, are you like that? - and the sorcerer grabbed a stick and beat him half to death. Then he chained his hands and dragged him back to the dungeon.

In the morning the old man opened the iron bolt and said:

If you bring me a red ingot, I will let you go. If there is no gold in the evening, you will not see the next sunrise.

Silly you! - he said. - The red ingot lies behind you in the ditch. Take it and stop crying.

The boy climbed into the ditch and found red gold at the far end.

How will I repay you? - he asked the Hare.

“Twenty-five again,” the Hare got angry. - You pulled me out of the trap!

And he quietly jumped somewhere into the forest. And Star Boy went into town as quickly as he could.

The leper was already standing in the middle of the road. Seeing the boy, he spread out his rags and prayed:

Give me red gold or I'll die.

Well, take him,” Star Boy took pity. - You need it more.

And sighing heavily, he entered the city gates.

How handsome is our young Prince! - the people exclaimed.

“I know they’re laughing at me again,” thought Star Boy, and tears appeared in his eyes. - My misfortune only amuses them.

“You are our sovereign,” said the Bishop, and the people knelt down. - You are the son of our King, we have been waiting for you for many years.

I am not the son of a King, but of a poor beggar woman. Why do you call me beautiful when I know how ugly I am?

Then the warrior with gilded flowers on his armor and a winged lion on his helmet raised his sparkling shield in front of the Star Boy and asked him:

Isn't our master wonderful?

And in this shield, as in a mirror, the boy saw his face, beautiful as before. The boy saw his eyes and did not recognize them.

Then even the Eparch knelt down before him, and the Bishop said:

An ancient prophecy says that our Sovereign will come on this day. You must accept the crown and scepter from my hands. Be our King, merciful and just.

But I am not worthy,” said the young Prince. “I have renounced my mother, and there will be no forgiveness or peace for me until I find her.” Neither crown nor scepter will keep me here. I have to go.

Star Boy turned to the city gates, and in the crowd, which the guards had already managed to push back, he saw a familiar face. It was the same beggar woman!

Mother! - the Prince shouted and rushed to her. He fell at her feet and kissed them. He wet her wounds with his tears, and lowering his face to the ground, said:

Forgive me, mommy! I betrayed you when I was happy, forgive me when I felt bad. You have only seen evil from me, show me your love. I have renounced you - accept me to you.

The beggar didn’t say a word.

But the leper was also silent.

The unfortunate Star Boy began to sob:

Mom, I can't stand this anymore! Forgive me and I will go back to the forest.

- Get up! - said the beggar and put her hand on his head.

Get up! - said the leper and put his hand on top.

Star Boy rose to his feet and saw the King and Queen in front of him.

The one you helped is your father,” said the Queen.

The one whose feet you kissed is your mother,” said the King.

They hugged and kissed him, led him into the palace and placed a crown on his head, and handed him a scepter. Star Boy was a kind and fair King.

But then another one came

Translation by P. V. Sergeev and G. Nuzhdin

Oscar Wilde

STAR BOY

It was so cold that even animals and birds were frozen and could not warm themselves up.

“Ugh! - the Wolf grumbled, hobbling through the bowl. His tail, like that of a beaten dog, hung limply from below. Where is the Government looking?”

“Fuck. fuck! - the mottled Linnet squealed. “The old woman died, and they covered her with a white shroud.”

“The earth is preparing for a wedding, and is trying on its wedding attire,” the doves began to purr.”

Their little pink paws turned almost blue from the cold, but they felt that some secret was hidden here.

"Nonsense! - the Wolf snapped. “I told you, it’s all the Government’s fault.” And if anyone doesn’t believe me, I’ll eat him.” The wolf was very practical, and never went into his pocket for a word.

“As for me. - said the Woodpecker, and he was a born philosopher. - then all explanations are unnecessary. Life is what it is. And now she’s terribly cold.”

But then they remembered what awaited them at home, and they became sad. “This is no fun,” said one of them. - Life is designed for the rich, not for poor people like us. It would be better if we froze in the forest, or the connecting rod would lift us up.”

“You’re right,” answered the second, “some have everything, others have nothing.” There is only a lie around, and everything except grief is divided unfairly.”

While they were lamenting this way, something extraordinary happened in the dark sky. A bright, beautiful Star fell from its place and rolled to the ground.

“This must be a noble piece of gold,” they decided. “A good gift for whoever finds it.”

And the woodcutters ran with all their might towards the fallen star. They really wanted to get at least a little gold.

“Found it, found it!” - he shouted to his friend. When he arrived, they took the bundle in their hands and began to carefully unwrap it - after all, there was gold that still needed to be divided. Alas! There was no gold, no silver, no precious stones. In the cloak lay a tiny child, sleeping peacefully.

“And we thought...” one of them said bitterly. - What's the use of this baby? Let's leave it here and move on. We are so poor that we cannot feed our children either.”

“No,” said the other. “You can’t leave him here to die from the cold.” Although I am a poor man, and there is never enough porridge in our pot for everyone, I will take him with me, and my wife will take care of him.”

He carefully took the child in his arms and wrapped him in a cloak so that the cruel Cold would not breathe on his face.

“What a slobber,” the second woodcutter cursed to himself as they descended into the valley. Just before the village he said: “Listen, we need to fairly divide the find. If you have already taken this baby, at least leave me a cloak.”

“I can’t,” answered the good woodcutter. - This cloak is not mine and not yours. Let the child have it." And the woodcutter went to his house.

"My dear! - his wife shouted with joy and rushed into his arms, - I was so worried about you. Terrible frost! She immediately picked up a bundle of brushwood and brushed off the snow from his boots.

But the woodcutter did not cross the threshold. “I found something in the forest,” he said quietly, and I want you to take care of it.”

"Amazing! - the wife answered. “We are missing so much in the house.” The husband unfolded his cloak and showed her the sleeping child.

"Oh my God! - she said. - Are our children not enough for you that you brought this foundling? Who will look after him? And his wife looked at him angrily.

“This is a star boy,” the husband answered, and told her the strange story of his discovery. But the wife only became even more upset.

“Don’t you know that our children don’t have enough bread, and you want us to feed someone else? Who will feed us?

“He who feeds the little birds will not leave us.”

“Small birds! What, are you making a fuss! Haven’t you met in the forest stiff sparrows lying breathless on the ground, hares killed by wolves?”

But the husband was silent and still did not cross the threshold. At this time, a gust of harsh wind rushed through the open door, and the wife shuddered. “Are you going to keep the door open until the whole house freezes?”

“There will never be warmth in a house with an icy heart,” he answered. The wife remained silent and only moved closer to the fireplace.

So the Star Boy began to live in the family of a kind woodcutter. He grew up with his children, they sat at the dinner table together and played outside together.

Every year he became more and more beautiful. Neighbors often wondered why, when the woodcutter's other children were dark-skinned and had jet-black hair, this child was as pale and exquisite as an ivory figurine. His golden hair fell down in ringlets, and his lips looked like the petals of a scarlet rose. His eyes resembled violets on the bank of a clear stream, and his gentle hands were like daffodils on the untouched edge of a forest. But beauty did not make him good. Quite the contrary, the boy grew up proud and cruel (however, this is almost the same thing). He simply despised the villagers, and even his adopted brothers - the woodcutter's children. “They are all simple hillbillies, and I am the son of a star,” he used to say. In children's games, Star Boy became the king and called the others his servants. There was not a drop of pity in him for the poor, the blind and the wretched. He threw stones at them and drove them back onto the main road. So no one begging came to their village twice. Star Boy adored beauty and hated the lame and crippled. As soon as they appeared on the street, he began to imitate and loudly ridicule them.

“What freaks they are,” he said, “and how beautiful I am.”

On windless summer days, he would lie down on the shore of a small church pond and spend hours admiring his reflection. Star Boy liked this activity so much that he laughed with pleasure.

And more than once the good woodcutter and his wife reproached him: “Did we do this when we found you? Why do you offend those who are left completely alone and have no one to help them? Why are you so cruel to those who need compassion?

The old village priest often sent for Star Boy and tried again and again to teach him to love.

“The smallest insect was made by the same One who created you. All animals and even butterflies in the meadow are our brothers. And the birds in the forest are created free. Don't set snares for fun. The mole and the gray mouse are God's creations and live where the Lord commanded them. Who are you that you bring suffering into the world of God? Every breath in the forest, in the sky, and in the river glorifies its Creator, but you insult Him.”

One day a poor beggar woman passed through their village. She was wearing shabby, torn clothes, and barefoot...

One day, two poor woodcutters were returning home, making their way through a dense pine forest. It was a winter night and it was bitterly cold. There was a thick cover of snow on both the ground and the trees. When the Woodcutters made their way through the thicket, small icy branches broke off from their movements, and when they approached the Mountain Waterfall, they saw that it was frozen motionless in the air, because the Ice Queen had kissed it.

The frost was so severe that even animals and birds were completely at a loss from surprise.

Ugh! - the Wolf grumbled, jumping between the bushes, his tail between his legs. - What monstrous weather. I don’t understand where the government is looking.

Phew! Phew! Phew! - green linnets waxwings. - The old woman Earth died, and she was dressed in a white shroud.

The earth is preparing for a wedding, and this is her wedding outfit,” the Doves whispered to each other. Their little pink feet were completely numb from the cold, but they considered it their duty to adhere to a romantic view of things.

Nonsense! - the Wolf grumbled. “I’m telling you that the government is to blame for everything, and if you don’t believe me, I’ll eat you.” - The wolf had a very sober view of things and in an argument never went into his pocket for words.

Well, as for me,” said Woodpecker, who was a born philosopher, “I don’t need physical laws to explain phenomena. If a thing is like that in itself, then it is like that in itself, and now it’s hellishly cold.

The cold was truly hellish. The little Squirrels, who lived in the hollow of a tall spruce tree, rubbed each other’s noses all the time in order to warm themselves up a little, and the Rabbits huddled together in their holes and did not dare to look outside. And only the Great Horned Owls - alone among all living creatures - were apparently pleased. Their feathers were so frozen that they became completely hard, but this did not bother the Owls at all; they stared with their huge yellow eyes and called to each other across the entire forest:

Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! What wonderful weather it is today!

And the two Lumberjacks kept walking and walking through the forest, blowing fiercely on their frozen fingers and stamping their heavy iron-lined boots on the icy snow. Once they fell into a deep, snow-covered ravine and came out white, like flour millers when they stand at spinning millstones; and another time they slipped on the hard, smooth ice of a frozen swamp, their bundles of brushwood scattered, and they had to collect them and tie them up again; and somehow it seemed to them that they were lost, and great fear fell upon them, for they knew that the Snow Maiden was merciless to those who fell asleep in her arms. But they placed their hopes in the intercession of St. Martin, who favors all travelers, and retraced their steps a little, and then walked with greater caution and, in the end, came to the edge and saw the lights of their village far below in the Valley.

They were very happy that they had finally gotten out of the forest, and laughed loudly, and the Valley seemed to them like a silver flower, and the Moon above it - like a golden flower.

But, having laughed, they became sad again, because they remembered their poverty, and one of them said to the other:

Why are we so happy? After all, life is only good for the rich, and not for people like you and me. It would be better for us to freeze in the forest or become prey to wild animals.

“You’re right,” his comrade answered. - Some are given a lot, while others are given very little. Injustice reigns in the world, and it bestows benefits on only a few, but it measures out grief with a generous hand.

But while they were lamenting their bitter lot, something amazing and strange happened. A beautiful and unusually bright star fell from the sky. She rolled across the sky between other stars, and when the amazed Woodcutters followed her with their eyes, it seemed to them that she fell behind the old willows near a small sheepfold, not far from the place where they stood.

Listen! But this is a piece of gold, we need to find it! - they both shouted at once and immediately began to run - such a thirst for gold overwhelmed them.

But one of them ran faster than the other, overtook his comrade, made his way between the willows... and what did he see? There really was something lying on the white snow, sparkling like gold. The lumberjack ran up, bent down, picked up this object from the ground and saw that he was holding in his hands a cloak of golden fabric, intricately embroidered with stars and flowing in lush folds. And he shouted to his comrade that he had found a treasure that had fallen from the sky, and he hurried to him, and they sank into the snow and straightened the folds of their cloak to take out the gold from there and divide it among themselves. But alas! In the folds of the cloak they did not find any gold, silver, or other treasures, but saw only a sleeping child.

And one Woodcutter said to another:

All our hopes have gone to waste, you and I have no luck! Well, what benefit does a child have to a person? Let's leave him here and go our own way, because we are poor people, we have enough for our children, and we cannot take bread from them to give it to others.

But the other Woodcutter answered like this:

No, you can’t do such an evil deed - leave this child to freeze here in the snow, and even though I’m no richer than you and I have even more mouths asking for bread, and the pots aren’t full either, I’ll still take this child to my home, and my wife will take care of him.

And he carefully lifted the child, wrapped him in a cloak to protect him from the burning frost, and walked down the hill to his village, and his comrade was very amazed at his stupidity and kindness.

And when they came to their village, his comrade said to him:

But he answered him:

No, I won’t give it back, because this cloak is not yours or mine, but belongs only to the child,” and, wishing him good health, he went up to his house and knocked on the door.

When the wife opened the door and saw that it was her husband who had returned home safe and sound, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, and took a bundle of brushwood from his back, and shook off the snow from his boots, and invited him to come into the house.

But the Woodcutter said to his wife:

I found something in the forest and brought it to you so that you could take care of it, and he did not cross the threshold.

What is it? - exclaimed the wife. - Show me quickly, because our house is empty, and we need a lot. - And then he opened his cloak and showed her the sleeping child.

Alas, I am sad! - the wife whispered. - Don't we have our own children? Why did you, master, need to plant a foundling at our hearth? Or maybe he will bring us misfortune? And who knows how to care for him? - And she was very angry with her husband.

“Listen, this is the Star Child,” the husband answered and told his wife the whole amazing story about how he found this child.

But this did not calm her down, and she began to mock and scold him and shouted:

Our children are sitting without bread, and we will feed someone else’s child? And who will take care of us? Who will give us something to eat?

But the Lord even takes care of the sparrows and gives them food,” the husband answered.

Do few sparrows die of hunger in winter? - asked the wife. - And isn’t it winter now?

To this, her husband did not answer her, but did not cross the threshold.

And then an evil wind, flying from the forest, burst into the open door, and the wife shuddered, shivered and said to her husband:

Why don't you close the door? Look how cold the wind is, I’m completely frozen.

“In a house where people with hearts of stone live, there will always be cold,” said the husband.

And his wife did not answer him, she only moved closer to the fire.

But a little more time passed, and she turned to her husband and looked at him, and her eyes were full of tears. And then he quickly entered the house and placed the child on her lap. And she, having kissed the child, lowered him into the cradle next to the youngest of her children. And the next morning the Woodcutter took an extraordinary cloak of gold and hid it in a large chest, and his wife took an amber necklace from the child’s neck and also hid it in the chest.

Everyone knows the name of Oscar Wilde - a wonderful writer. But, unfortunately, the public’s increased attention is drawn to only one work of the writer - “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, leaving the master’s other works undeservedly in the shadows. This article will be devoted to one such “shadow masterpiece”.

"Star Boy" - a fairy tale with an unhappy ending

Even if you look only at a brief summary, O. Wilde’s “Star Boy” will seem like a very sad fairy tale. It all starts with the woodcutters walking through the forest. It's a bitter winter. They can no longer feel their arms or legs. And suddenly they see from the sky They run to the place where, as it seems to them, she fell, and find there a child wrapped in a cloak (it is embroidered with gold), and the child also has an amber necklace. One of the woodcutters took pity on the baby and took him to his home.

The lumberjack’s wife at first did not want to accept the baby, she said that they already had too many mouths to feed and little food, but then the “good Samaritan” put the baby on her lap, and the woman’s heart melted. She accepted the child. The lumberjack and his wife raised the boy as their own, never letting him know through their attitude that he was adopted. This is the plot of the fairy tale. Below is a summary. "Boy Star" is not an easy story, as you will see.

The main moral conflict of the tale:

Surprisingly, despite the excellent attitude from the outside, the boy grew up angry and cruel, because he considered himself the son of a star. In addition, the boy was handsome and strong. This allowed him to be the leader not only of his named brothers and sisters, but also of all the surrounding children. One day a beggar woman came to the house. Outwardly, she was terrible: her face was sharpened by leprosy, her hands were covered in ulcers, and she was dressed in rags. The cruel boy began to mock her in every possible way. The lumberjack was furious at the behavior of his adopted son and made him a stern reprimand. However, the boy did not listen to his father and, with his characteristic arrogance, declared: “You are a commoner, you have no right to tell me. I am the son of a star." His father reasonably reminded him that it was he, a simple woodcutter, who saved him from death a long time ago. The beggar woman, hearing this, rushed to him and admitted that she was the mother of the “boy from the star.” The lumberjack was delighted and told his son, who was playing on the street, to come into the house, because his mother was waiting for the boy. The heartless youth entered the house. In front of him was just a beggar woman, whom he had recently mocked. He said that this was not his mother and that he would rather kiss a toad or a viper than her. Having said this, he left the house. But before he could appear on the street, his now former friends called the beautiful young man a “freak” and a “toad.” He could not understand what was the matter, but then he found a pond and saw in it that it had become terribly disgusting in appearance (here you can see some of the opposite). He realized that the punishment for his sins had befallen him. Ashamed of his behavior, he said goodbye to the woodcutter and his family and went in search of the beggar mother whom he had treated so unfairly. This is the summary. “Star Boy” is a fairy tale whose main moral conflict is the battle between good and evil in the human heart.

Rising tension and climax

Then the action develops very quickly, and the tale is read in one breath. No matter how much the boy wandered, he could not find his mother. One way or another, the road led the terrible young man to the gates of the city, and he asked the guards if they had seen the beggar woman. She is his mother. He told them that finding her was a matter of life and death for him. The guards just laugh at the “freak” and eventually sell him into slavery to a passing sorcerer. The sorcerer locks him in his castle and releases him only so that the former “star boy” gets three coins for him in the forest - one of white, one of red, one of

The boy went into the forest. I accidentally saved a bunny there, and for good reason. Because it was the bunny who helped him get coins for the old sorcerer, but they never got to the villain. Every time the boy returned from the forest, a beggar met him on the road and asked him to give him coins. And each time the boy, who at that moment was completely transformed, gave in to the tramp’s request. When the boy gave his last coin to the beggar and was already awaiting death at the hands of the sorcerer, the world suddenly changed: the guards knelt, and next to the beggar stood that very beggar woman - the boy's mother. The young man washed her feet, her wounds and her ulcers with his tears. She said, “Get up. You didn’t help a beggar, you helped your father.” Needless to say, both his beauty and his strength returned to the boy. He was the prince of that kingdom whose main city he had been unable to enter some time ago. This is the culmination of the tale, its summary. “Boy Star” doesn’t end there.

The final hairpin from Oscar Wilde

The author of The Picture of Dorian Gray would not be himself if he ended the tale on a positive note. He said something else. Of course, in order to feel the full charm of Wilde’s joke, you need to read the entire fairy tale, and not watch a summary of the story “Boy Star”. But duty dictates that we nevertheless inform the reader of this article that O. Wilde ended the essay something like this: our dear prince, although he was fair, kind and merciful to everyone, did not reign for too long. His poor heart could not stand the suffering he experienced, and three years later he died, and the heirs to the throne were tyrants, so his subjects were not too lucky. This ending to the tale replaces Wilde’s signature. The unmistakable style of the master.

"Boy Star" is "Dorian Gray" in reverse

So, what did O. Wilde want to say? “The Star Boy,” the summary of which you have read, is an unusual fairy tale. But, yielding to temptation, it is worth saying: even a cursory glance is enough to understand: “Star Boy” is a work about the moral rebirth of man, about a spiritual revolution, about the unconditional victory of good over evil. “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” on the contrary, is about the moral and spiritual degradation of man. And from the denouement, or rather, from the final “hairpin”, it is clear that Wilde, as an artist, hates happy endings. He prefers the boundless unfolding of evil in man. O. Wilde’s aesthetic position can be expressed in one quote from “Portrait...”: “When tragedy unites with beauty, the beautiful is born.” And what could be more tragic and beautiful than the gradual death of beauty?