In a small state ruled by Prince Demetrius, each inhabitant was given complete freedom in his undertaking. And fairies and magicians value warmth and freedom above all, so under Demetrius, many fairies from the magical land of Jinnistan moved to a blessed little principality. However, after the death of Demetrius, his heir Paphnutius decided to introduce enlightenment in his fatherland. He had the most radical ideas about enlightenment: any magic should be abolished, fairies are busy with dangerous witchcraft, and the ruler's first concern is to grow potatoes, plant acacias, cut down forests and instill smallpox. Such enlightenment dried up the flowering land in a matter of days, the fairies were sent to Jinnistan (they did not resist too much), and only the Rosabelverde fairy managed to stay in the principality, who persuaded Paphnutius to give her a canoness position in a shelter for noble maidens.

This kind fairy, the mistress of flowers, once saw on a dusty road a peasant woman, Liza, asleep on the side of the road. Lisa was returning from the forest with a basket of brushwood, carrying in the same basket her ugly son, nicknamed little Tsakhes. The dwarf has a disgusting old muzzle, twig legs and spider arms. Taking pity on the evil freak, the fairy combed his tangled hair for a long time... and, smiling mysteriously, disappeared. As soon as Lisa woke up and set off again, she met a local pastor. For some reason, he was captivated by the ugly baby and, repeating that the boy was wonderfully good-looking, decided to take him up. Liza was glad to get rid of the burden, not really understanding how her freak began to look to people.

Meanwhile, a young poet Balthazar, a melancholy student, is studying at the Kerepes University, in love with the daughter of his professor Mosh Terpin, the cheerful and charming Candida. Mosch Terpin is possessed by the ancient Germanic spirit, as he understands it: heaviness combined with vulgarity, even more unbearable than the mystical romanticism of Balthazar. Balthazar strikes at all the romantic eccentricities so characteristic of poets: he sighs, wanders alone, avoids student feasts; Candida, on the other hand, is life and gaiety incarnate, and she, with her young coquetry and healthy appetite, is a very pleasant and amusing student admirer.

Meanwhile, a new face invades the touching university reserve, where typical burches, typical enlighteners, typical romantics and typical patriots personify the diseases of the German spirit: little Tsakhes, endowed with a magical gift to attract people to him. Having wormed his way into the house of Mosh Terpin, he completely charms both him and Candida. Now his name is Zinnober. As soon as someone reads poetry in his presence or expresses himself wittily, everyone present is convinced that this is the merit of Zinnober; if he meows vilely or stumbles, one of the other guests will certainly be guilty. Everyone admires the grace and dexterity of Zinnober, and only two students - Balthazar and his friend Fabian - see all the ugliness and malice of the dwarf. Meanwhile, he manages to take the place of a freight forwarder in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there a Privy Councilor for Special Affairs - and all this is a deception, because Zinnober managed to appropriate the merit of the most worthy.

It so happened that in his crystal carriage with a pheasant on the goats and a golden beetle on the backs, Dr. Prosper Alpanus, a magician wandering incognito, visited Kerpes. Balthasar immediately recognized him as a magician, but Fabian, spoiled by enlightenment, doubted at first; however, Alpanus proved his power by showing Zinnober to his friends in a magic mirror. It turned out that the dwarf is not a wizard or a dwarf, but an ordinary freak who is helped by some secret power. Alpanus discovered this secret power without difficulty, and the Rosabelverde fairy hurried to pay him a visit. The magician told the fairy that he had made a horoscope for a dwarf and that Tsakhes-Zinnober could soon destroy not only Balthazar and Candida, but the whole principality, where he became his man at court. The fairy is forced to agree and refuse Tsakhes her patronage - especially since Alpanus cunningly broke the magic comb with which she combed his curls.

The fact of the matter is that after these combing, three fiery hairs appeared in the head of the dwarf. They endowed him with witchcraft power: all other people's merits were attributed to him, all his vices to others, and only a few saw the truth. The hairs were to be pulled out and burned immediately - and Balthazar and his friends managed to do this when Mosh Terpin was already arranging the engagement of Zinnober with Candida. Thunder struck; everyone saw the dwarf as he was. They played with him like a ball, they kicked him, he was thrown out of the house - in wild anger and horror he fled to his luxurious palace, which the prince gave him, but the confusion among the people grew unstoppably. Everyone heard about the transformation of the minister. The unfortunate dwarf died, stuck in a jug where he tried to hide, and as a last blessing, the fairy returned to him the appearance of a handsome man after death. She did not forget the unfortunate mother, the old peasant woman Lisa: such a wonderful and sweet onion grew in Lisa's garden that she was made a personal supplier of an enlightened court.

And Balthazar and Candida lived happily, as a poet should live with a beauty, whom the magician Prosper Alpanus blessed at the very beginning of his life.

retold

"Little Tsakhes" is a work that is traditionally attributed to the era of German romanticism. Most often it is studied in universities, when the turn comes to this cultural period. To quickly prepare for a seminar or test, read brief retelling books by chapters from the Literaguru team.

Frau Lisa, an exhausted peasant woman, walks along the road and decides to rest. From her basket emerges a small, hairy, long-nosed freak, her son. Lisa complains about her hard life, swearing at little Tsakhes who crawled out onto the grass. The woman falls asleep. Fraulein von Rosenschön (or, as she calls herself, Rosengrunschön), Canoness of the Institute for Noble Maidens, approaches her and notices the dwarf. She feels sorry for the peasant woman, and she takes the freak in her arms, combing his hair. The lady says that now he will have a great future, and leaves.

The peasant woman, waking up, is surprised at the marvelous hairstyle of her son and sets off. Little Tsakhes is taken away by the pastor, who mistook the dwarf for a smart boy (at the same time, his son, a glorious child, stood nearby, and his every word made the pastor admire Tsakhes). Frau Lisa happily parted with her son, not understanding the reaction of this man.

Baron Protextatus von Mondschein declared that mysterious lady a witch because she talked with flowers and performed miracles, for example, punishing guilty people with magic. After complaining to the prince, she achieved good relationship to yourself. In fact, this is the Rosabelverde fairy. Once upon a time, under Prince Demetrius, this country was inhabited by fairies, magic happened everywhere. But later, Prince Paphnutius introduced Enlightenment in the country and expelled all the fairies to Jinnistan. But he learned that such a country did not exist, and concluded that his country was better than Jinnistan. Rosabelverde managed to stay and persuade her to transfer her to the Institute of Noble Maidens.

Chapter Two

The scientist Ptolemy Philadelphus, in a letter to his friend Rufinus, reports on a strange, merry people walking around at night and cheekily laughing at him. These are students in the village of Hoch-Jakobsheim near the town of Kerepes. Student Balthazar wanders through the woods after the professor's lecture natural sciences Mosha Terpin. His friend Fabian invites Balthasar to fencing, but he is happy in nature. He cannot stand the professor because he considers himself above nature and experiments on it. Fabian notices that Balthazar does not miss a single lecture because he is in love with Turpin's daughter, Candida.

A barely noticeable dwarf rides past the students on a horse and falls to the ground. Balthazar helps the poor man to his feet, while Fabian laughs at Tsakhes' clumsiness. The dwarf announces that he is offended and leaves for the city. After Fabian leaves, the professor with his daughter comes to Balthazar and invites him as the best student to a friendly evening.

Chapter Three

Fabian learns from the townspeople that no dwarf appeared in the city, but everyone saw how two riders arrived: one stately, the other a little smaller. He also informs a friend that Candida is not suitable for him due to his cheerful nature. Balthasar does not sleep all night, and when he comes to Terpin, he sees a dwarf there, now his name is Zinnober. The professor praises him for his success.

When the freak falls to the floor, Balthazar wants to help him and hits his head. A piercing cat screech is heard, and all those gathered reproach Balthazar for such a stupid joke: everyone thinks that it was he who squealed. Finally, Balthasar delivers a poem about the nightingale's love for the rose, after which everyone begins to praise Zinnober's talent, and the student is horrified to see how Candida kisses the big-nosed freak. Balthazar runs away in horror, thinking he has gone mad.

Chapter Four

In the forest, Balthazar slowly calms down, but suddenly he sees the violinist Sbjokk, his teacher. The musician runs away from the city: at the concert everyone applauded the dwarf, and the violinist was considered crazy when he began to attract attention to himself. In order to shoot himself, the referendary Pulcher runs into the forest, but Balthasar stops him. At the interview at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instead of Pulcher, they took a meowing dwarf, although the referendary answered all the questions.

Suddenly, the heroes hear magical sounds: a shell-shaped carriage passes through the forest, in which a man in Chinese clothes sits, he is accompanied by a giant beetle, a pheasant sits in the place of the coachman, and unicorns drive the carriage itself. A beam flies out of the head of the old man's cane, hitting Balthazar in the heart, after which the mysterious wanderer looks more friendly at the young people. Balthazar realizes that only this man can save them.

Chapter Five

The Foreign Minister is a descendant of that Protextatus of the same name. Prince Barsanuf notices a dwarf visiting him and is satisfied with "his" works (the student who sent them, the prince scolds for champing and a stain on his trousers, which Zinnober planted). A lucky freak becomes a secret adviser.

Fabian tells Balthasar that the forest magician is the healer Prosper Alpanus, who pretends to be a magician with the help of ordinary tricks. At his house, students are greeted by giant frogs and an ostrich gatekeeper. Prosper tries in vain to find out whether Zinnober is an Alraun or a Dwarf. In the mirror, Balthazar sees the dwarf and Candida, rushes at him, but everything disappears. Zinnober is an ordinary person. Fabian accuses the doctor of quackery, after which, on the way home, his sleeves disappear, and a long train stretches. Balthazar is wanted for assaulting a Privy Councilor.

Chapter six

Pulcher and Adrian spy on the dwarf and watch how the fairy combs his hair in the garden. They notice a glowing stripe on the head. From the fear that he was seen, Zinnober falls ill. When the doctor touches the strip on his head, the dwarf becomes furious. The prince gives the dwarf the position of minister after the Protextatus has delivered a report. Zinnober receives the order of the green-spotted tiger, and the tailor offers to fasten it with buttons so that the award can be kept on the ugly body.

Meanwhile, a lady in black comes to Prosper Alpanus, and with the help of his cane, the magician recognizes a fairy in her. Rosabelverde asks the doctor to visit the Institute of Noble Maidens. In the hands of a fairy and a wizard, objects acquire magical properties. The fairy begins to turn into different creatures, but Prosper Alpanus all the time surpasses her in magic. The guest breaks his golden comb. She is exposed, and falls into the power of the owner of the house. She gained power thanks to Prosper. The horoscope of Balthasar says that Tsakhes is not worthy of such honors. The fairy agrees to back off.

Chapter Seven

Pulcher writes to the hiding Balthazar that Mosh Terpin enjoys proximity to the court, because Candida is the dwarf's bride. True, there is good news: in the Zinnober Zoo, everyone took him for a rare monkey, not paying attention to the cage, and it seems that his hair has long ceased to be combed.

On a giant dragonfly, Prosper Alpanus flies to the student and informs him that Balthazar must pull out three red hairs on the dwarf's head and immediately burn them. Prosper must fly to India to the awakened Indian princess Balsamina, for whom he quarreled 2000 years ago with his friend Lotus. The magic doctor leaves Balthasar an estate in which marriage will become heaven on earth. He also gives a snuffbox with a tailcoat for Fabian, who, because of the bewitched clothes, was considered a heretic by everyone in the city.

Chapter Eight

After visiting Fabian, Balthazar breaks into the house, where the dwarf's engagement is already taking place, and pulls out three hairs from him.

The disgraced Zinnober, whom everyone recognizes as an ugly dwarf, runs away. Candida comes to her senses and confesses her love for Balthazar, and Mosh Terpin, who is close to madness, blesses them. No one understands where the minister has gone.

Chapter Nine

At night, the valet sees how the minister slipped into his room in the dark. In the morning, Frau Lisa, noticing her son through the window, screams that she is the minister's mother. But the crowd laughs, and Zinnober's close associates see the freak Tsakhes in the window.

When they rush in, they see that he has died from getting stuck in a jar while trying to hide. A fairy is with him, she regrets her mistake. Prosper allowed the dwarf to be made attractive before his death, so that he is again recognized as a minister and buried with full honors. Lisa becomes the main supplier of onions to the palace.

Chapter last

The author asks the reader for indulgence towards his work. As for Balthazar and Candida, they played a wedding, which brought Mosh Terpin to the final misunderstanding of what was happening, and he closed himself in a wine cellar.

Prosper flew off to India, leaving the lovers to enjoy their marriage on a magical estate.

In one small principality, power changes and all fairies are expelled. Only one manages to stay. One day she meets a peasant woman with a son who is very ugly. She takes pity on the kid and, with the help of magic, makes it so that all the merits of others are attributed to him, and his vices to others.

Thus the dwarf becomes a minister and even becomes engaged to the professor's daughter. However, the magician and the former lover of the freak's bride manage to break the spell. The dwarf hides from others in a jug in which he drowns.

The story teaches that it is necessary to look deep into things, and not be blinded by a superficial gloss.

retelling

The ruler of a small principality, Demetrius, allows his subjects to do whatever they want, as long as it does not cause inconvenience to others. Since all magical creatures value freedom the most, they moved to a small principality long ago. However, the death of Demetrius ends the era of freedom - new ruler decided to introduce new orders in the state. Accordingly, to his views, he orders to eliminate magic by any means and to do more useful things - for example, cut down forests and plant potatoes. After the introduction of the new order, all the fairies were sent to their magical country, and only one managed to persuade the ruler to allow her to stay in the principality - the Rosabelverde flower fairies.

Once this fairy meets a peasant woman Liza in the forest, who fell asleep from fatigue. Beside her, her son, an ugly dwarf with spidery limbs, sleeps in a basket. The fairy takes pity on the freak and combs his hair for a long time with her magic comb. Waking up, Lisa took the baby and went on. Near the village she was met by a pastor who was so captivated by the beauty of the boy that he asked to take him to his upbringing. The peasant woman gladly gave away the freak.

At this time, at the University of Kerpess, a melancholic poet named Balthasar is gnawing at the granite of science. He is unconsciously in love with the lovely daughter of his teacher - Candida. The girl is flattered by the attention of a young romantic, and she coquettishly accepts his courtship. However, a new person appears in the already established university order - little Tsakhes, who now bears the name Zinnober. In a strange way, people of the most diverse warehouses are drawn to him. Appearing in the professor's house, he charms both the owner and his daughter. Now he is invited to all parties, where he gains no small popularity. As soon as someone expresses a witty thought, or reads poetry of his own performance, everyone believes that this is the merit of Zinnober. But if he meows disgustingly or stumbles, someone from those present will be the culprit. Only two people - Balthazar and his friend Fabian - see the real face of Tsakhes. Using his strange talent, the dwarf gets a position in the ministry, and also becomes engaged to the professor's daughter.

One day, Dr. Prosper Alpanus, who is also a magician, arrives in Kerpes on a crystal carriage. Only Balthazar immediately sees his true face. With the help of a magician, he learns that Zinnober is an ordinary freak who is helped by some kind of magical power. Soon Alpanus manages to calculate this power, and he meets with the Rosabelverde fairy. The magician informs her that, according to the horoscope, her ward can destroy the entire principality. He also steals and breaks her magic comb by cunning. The fairy agrees to leave the dwarf without patronage. She confesses that with the help of her combing, three fiery hairs appeared on the head of Tsakhes, thanks to which all the merits of other people were combed to him, and the vices of the dwarf to others. These three hairs had to be destroyed, which Balthazar did. As soon as everyone learned the truth, he was kicked out of the house, and hiding from people, he drowned himself in a jug. However, taking pity on him, after his death, the fairy returned him a beautiful appearance. Balthasar married Candida.

A picture or drawing of Baby Tsakhes

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Did not your heart grieve at the sight of how an unworthy and insignificant person was surrounded by honors, endowed with all kinds of blessings and looked around with swaggering arrogance? The same sadness overcame the great romantic Ernest Theodore Amadeus Hoffmann, who turned his clever and accurate pen as a weapon against stupidity, vanity, injustice, of which there are so many in our world.

The genius of German romanticism

Hoffmann was a truly universal personality in culture - a writer, thinker, artist, composer and lawyer. Having lived a short life (only 46 years old), he managed to create works that became an event not only in global art, but also in the personal cultural space of every person who touched the work of this genius.

Many of the images created by Hoffmann have become household names. Among them is the hero of the fairy tale "Little Tsakhes, nicknamed Zinnober." Here the author showed such remarkable wit, depth of imagination and the power of artistic generalization that the tale itself and the images recreated in it look extremely relevant today. Either in politics, or in art, or in the media, no, no, yes, this sinister dwarf will flash - Little Tsakhes.

The story begins with a picture of a hot day and the sad lamentations of a tired peasant woman. We learn that wealth, despite hard work, does not go into the hands of this mendicant family. In addition, a rare freak was born in it, the body of which the author very expressively compares either with a forked radish, or with an apple planted on a fork, on which an absurd mug was drawn, or with an outlandish stump of a gnarled tree. Two and a half years have passed since the baby Tsakhes was born, but no one saw any human manifestations in him. He still could not walk and talk, and made only some meowing sounds. And it had to happen that at that time a real fairy passed by, who, however, had to disguise herself as a canoness (privileged nun) of an orphanage for noble maidens, since fairies in that principality were under the greatest ban.

The Rosabelverde Fairy was imbued with keen compassion for the miserable family and rewarded the tiny freak with extraordinary magical powers, which did not take long to manifest itself before the peasant woman returned home. The pastor, whose house she was passing by, stopped the woman and, forgetting about his lovely three-year-old son, suddenly began to admire the monstrous dwarf clutching his mother's skirt. The holy father was terribly surprised that the mother could not appreciate the wondrous beauty of a beautiful child, and asked to take the baby to her.

A Note on Mental Qualities

The reader's next meeting with the one called little Tsakhes took place many years later, when he grew up and became a student. The first who met the evil dwarf in the forest on the way to Kerepes were noble young people - Fabio and Balthazar. And if the first had a mocking and sharp mind, then the second was distinguished by thoughtfulness and romantic aspirations. The look and manner of the ugly stranger, most pitifully rolling out of the saddle at the feet of the young men, caused Fabio to burst out laughing, and Balthasar to sympathy and pity. Balthazar was a poet whose inspiration was fueled by an ardent love for Candida, the pretty daughter of a professor from whom the young man had taken a course of lectures on natural science.

Witch power

The appearance of the vile dwarf caused in the city not at all the reaction that Fabian had expected, anticipating the general fun. Suddenly, for some reason, all the inhabitants started talking about the unsightly freak as a stately and handsome young man with many virtues. More more city went crazy, calling the little monster "a graceful, handsome and skillful young man" when little Tsakhes attended the literary tea party of Professor Mosh Terpin, whose daughter Balthazar was in love with. Here the young man read his delightful and refined poem about the nightingale's love for the rose, in which he expressed his fervor own feeling. What happened after that was just fantastic!

Conquered by the poem, the listeners vied with each other to praise ... little Tsakhes, referring to him respectfully "Mr. Zinnober." It turned out that he was not just "intelligent and skillful", but "wonderful, divine." Then Professor Mosh Terpin showed amazing experiments, but it was not he who won fame, but the same little Tsakhes. It was he who, due to an inexplicable witching aura, was instantly called perfection in the presence of talented and intelligent people. Whether a gifted musician plays a concert - admiring glances are directed towards Tsakhes, whether a great artist sings with a magnificent soprano - and an enthusiastic whisper is heard that such a singer as Zinnober cannot be found all over the world. And now the blue-eyed Candida is madly in love with little Tsakhes. He makes a stunning career, becoming first a privy councilor, and then a minister of the principality. Imbued with great importance and became demanding of honors, as Hoffman, little Tsakhes, ironically characterizes him.

Everything that someone does or says something remarkable in his presence is immediately attributed to Tsakhes. And vice versa, all the vilest and absurd antics of a freak (when he hoots, croaks, clowns and talks nonsense) in the eyes of society are imputed to a real creator. That is, a certain diabolical substitution is taking place, plunging into despair those who deserve success, but are doomed to shame because of the damned freak. Balthazar calls the evil dwarf's magical gift an infernal force that steals hopes.

But there must be some remedy for this madness! Witchcraft can be resisted if "with firmness to resist it," where there is courage, victory is inevitable. The positive ones come to this conclusion - Balthazar, Fabian and the young referendary, who was aiming for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs Pulcher (whose merits and position were stolen by Tsakhes). Friends learn about an amazing circumstance: every nine days, a fairy flies into the garden to Tsakhes to comb his curls and renew his magical power. And then they start looking for ways to cope with the spell.

Evil can be defeated

After that, another character appears in the tale - the magician Prosper Alpanus. After studying books about gnomes and alrauns, he comes to the conclusion that little Tsakhes is an ordinary person, endowed with a wonderful gift beyond his merit. In the magical battle between Alpanus and Rosabelverde, a more powerful magician deprives the fairy of the opportunity to help her ward: the comb with which she combed the hair of a small monster broke. And the magician told Balthazar that the secret of Zinnober lies in the three fiery hairs on the top of his head. They must be pulled out and burned immediately, then everyone will see Tsakhes as he really is.

From a philosophical point of view, the conflict of the plot lies in the fact that, due to incomprehensible spontaneous interference, injustice triumphs, and the truth is defeated. Thanks to the support of the majority, evil becomes legitimate and begins to rule reality. And then you need a strong-willed impulse, resistance to mass hypnosis, in order to change the situation. As soon as this happens in the minds and deeds of some, albeit a small part, of people acting together, the situation changes.

The young man successfully copes with his mission: people are convinced of the true state of affairs, little Tsakhes is drowning in a chamber pot with his own sewage. The heroes are justified, Candida admits that she has always loved Balthazar, the young people get married, having inherited a magical garden and Alpanus' house.

Fantasy is the other side of reality

As an apologist for the ideas of the Jena romantics, Hoffmann was convinced that art is the only source of life transformation. Only strong emotions are involved in the narrative - laughter and fear, worship and disgust, despair and hope. In the fairy tale about little Tsakhes, as in his other works, the writer creates a half-real, half-mythical world in which, according to the Russian, a fantastic image does not exist somewhere outside of reality, it is the other side of our reality. Hoffmann uses the motif of magic in order to more vividly and clearly demonstrate what reality is. And in order to throw off her shackles, he resorts to sharp and subtle irony.

Artistic techniques

The well-known folklore motifs, which mean sorcery, are gracefully woven into the fabric of the narrative and played out in a peculiar way. The magic hairs that the fairy provided her pet, the head of a magic cane that emits rays, in which all falsehood turns into something that does not seem to be, but is in fact, a golden comb that can turn the ugly into the beautiful. Hoffmann also uses the famous fairy-tale theme of clothing, filling it with topical content not only for his contemporaries, but also for you and me. Let us recall the sleeves and tails of Fabian's frock coat, the length of which immediately became a reason to hang evil and stupid labels on its owner.

Irony of Hoffmann

The writer laughs at the ridiculous innovations in the bureaucracy. A satirical image of an official's uniform with diamond buttons, the number of which indicates the degree of service to the fatherland (in ordinary people there were two or three of them, Zinnober had as many as twenty), the author also plays with exquisite artistic meaning. If an honorary ministerial ribbon was perfectly held on an ordinary human figure, then on the torso of Tsakhes - a short stump "with spider legs" - it could only be held by means of two dozen buttons. But the "honorable Mr. Zinnober" was, of course, worthy of such a high honor.

Finally, a statement of the result of the dishonorable life of the ugly impostor seems brilliant: he died from fear of dying - such a diagnosis is made by the doctor after examining the body of the deceased.

We have something to think about

Hoffmann wittily shows us a portrait of society, the mirror of which was the ill-fated little Tsakhes. An analysis of the problem leads us to the conclusion that it is very easy and hopeless to become mad in this way. If you yourself are ready to replace the truth with a lie out of selfish motives, if you are not alien to the tendency to ascribe other people's merits to yourself, if, finally, you are driven in life not by bold and free ideas, but by narrow-minded conformism, sooner or later you will put little Tsakhes on a pedestal. nicknamed Zinnober.

Translation:

The events took place in the small state of Prince Demetrius, which resembles the dwarf principalities that took place in Germany during the time of Hoffmann.

While Demetrius ruled, all the inhabitants of the principality had freedom, which is why freedom-loving fairies and magicians flocked here, which personify spirituality.

After the death of Demetrius, his place was taken by Paphnutius, who "reorganized" his principality, dispersing all the fairies and wizards, except for Rose-Gozhoї (Rosabelverde, Rozhabelverde), patrons of a shelter for noble maidens.

In parallel with the history of the whole principality, the fate of the ugly baby Tsakhes, who was born to a peasant woman, Liza, is told.

Often a woman could be found with a basket for brushwood, in which her son Tsakhes was.

Indeed, the woman had every reason to complain about the ugly freak that was born two and a half years ago. What at first glance might have seemed like a quite bizarrely twisted zurpalka of a tree was nothing more than an ugly short man of some two p "yadі1 in height, which still lay in the box, but now crawled out and floundered and grumbled in the grass. The head of the monster sunk deep between his shoulders, a hump grew on his back like a pumpkin, and immediately thin legs, like hazel sticks, hung from his chest, and he looked like a forked radish. , looking more closely, one could notice a long, sharp nose that twisted from under a black shaggy forelock, a pair of small black eyes that sparkled on a wrinkled face, like an old man's, - a manifestation, and nothing more.

Translation:

Fairy Mug-Prigozhih took pity on the monster and endowed Tsakhes with a magical gift: three golden hairs on his head allowed him to be considered better than he really was.

Combing the tangled hair of Tsakhes with a magic comb, Rosabelverde changed the bleak life of the unreasonable cripple-poor, giving a chance not only to appear, but also to become the best.

When she dreamed of having a dream, Tsakhesa woke up, she saw that her child had risen to her feet for the first time and uttered the first words. It was also charming that the local pastor, having met Lisa, offered to take the child to be brought up. The peasant woman understands that her child is a big burden for anyone, so she does not understand why her ugly son turned out to be a wonderful pastor.

O Lady Lisa, Lady Liza, what a sweet and handsome boy you have! This is the real please of the Lord - such a wonderful child. - He took the baby in his arms, began to caress him and did not seem to notice at all how the non-Greek shorty disgustingly purred and meowed and even tried to bite his respected father on the nose.

Translation:

It was the spell of Rosa-Gozhoy that began to act. The allegorical image of this heroine is the personification of spirituality and naturalness. Hoffmann connects the face of Rosa-Gojoya with the beauty and charm of a flower.

If I, an affectionate reader, wanted to keep silent in the future, who is Panna von Rozha-Prigozhih, or, as she sometimes calls herself, Rozha-Gozha-Greenish, then you probably would have guessed by yourself that it was not ordinary woman. Because it was she who, having stroked and combed the hair of the little Tsakhesov, mysteriously influenced him, and he seemed to the kind-hearted pastor such a handsome and intelligent boy that he already took him for his own son.

Panna von Rozs-Prigozhich was power type, noble majestic posture and a little proud, domineering disposition. Her face, although it could be called impeccably beautiful, sometimes produced some kind of strange, almost eerie impression, and especially how she, as usual, stared fixedly and sternly somewhere in front of her. It seemed that time had no power over her, and this in itself might seem strange to someone. But there was still much to astonish in her, and anyone who seriously thought about this could not have come out of the miracle. Firstly, the kinship of that girl with flowers was immediately evident, that her name came from them. For not only could not a single person in the world have been able to grow such wonderful, full journeys as she was, it was enough for her to stick some dry patch into the ground, as flowers grew magnificently and luxuriantly from it. Then, it is known for certain that during her own walks in the forest, she had conversations with strange voices that probably sounded almost from trees or flowers, or even from wells and streams.

On the corner of every street there was an edict for the introduction of education, and the police broke into the palaces of the fairies, confiscated their property and took them into custody.

Only the Lord knows how it happened that the fairy Rojabelverde, the only one of all, a few hours before they introduced education, found out about everything and managed to release her swans into the wild and hide her magical rose bushes and other jewels. She even knew that it was decided to leave her in the country, and although very negligently, she submitted.

Translation:

Time passes. The young poet Balthazar is studying at the University of Kerpes, who loves Candida, the daughter of his professor Mosh Terpin.

Hoffmann continues to be ironic about the state of education in the principality, if the leading professors are such as Mosh Terpin:

He was, as already mentioned, a professor of natural sciences, he explained why it rains, why it thunders, sparkles, why the sun shines during the day, and the moon at night, how and why grass grows and much more, and even in such a way that every child was would be clear. First of all, he bought great fame then, when, after many physical experiments, he managed to prove that darkness comes mainly due to a lack of light.

Translation:

In contrast to the irony regarding the image of Professor Mosh Terpin, Balthazar is portrayed with romantic elation.

One of that stream of students will immediately grab your attention. You will notice a slender young man of twenty-three or four years old, from whose dark shining eyes a lively and clear mind speaks. His look could have been called almost bold, were it not for the mournful melancholy that fell like a light haze on his pale face and passionately extinguished the rays of his eyes. His surdut, made of thin black cloth, bordered with velvet, was sewn almost on an old-fashioned Russian pattern; the surduta went very well with an exquisite, white as snow, lace collar, as well as a velvet beret that covered a good dark chestnut bangs. This guy, which you, dear reader, liked so much at first sight, is none other than the student Balthazar, the child of respectable and wealthy parents, a modest, intelligent, hard-working young man, about whom I tell you, oh my reader, I have a lot to tell in this strange story, what exactly I decided to write.

Translation:

Suddenly, Tsakhes appears in the circle of students, who has wonderful gift attract people.

When Professor Mosh Terpin stepped out to meet them from the next room, leading the hand of a wonderful little man on the ice, and exclaimed loudly:

Ladies and gentlemen, I commend you a young man of extraordinary ability who will not find it difficult to win your sympathy and your respect. This is the young Mr. Zinnober, who just yesterday arrived at our university and wants to study law!

Translation:

Whoever in the presence of Tsakhes spoke gracefully, witty, emotionally, everything was attributed to a stupid little monster.

So it happened with the young poet.

Balthazar took out a neatly transcribed manuscript and began to read. His own work, which really poured out from the depths of the poetic soul, full of strength and young life, inspired him more and more. He read more and more furiously, pouring out all the passion of his loving heart. He trembled with joy when the soft sighs of a woman's "Oh!" or men's "Wonderful... Very... Divine!" convinced him that the poem captured everyone. Finally he finished. Then everyone shouted:

What a poem! What thoughts! What an imagination! What a beautiful poem! What euphony! Thank you! Thank you, dear Mr. Zinnobere, for the divine sweetness!

What? How? cried Balthazar, but no one paid any attention to him, because everyone rushed to Zinnober, who was sitting on the sofa, pouting like a small turkey, creaking in a disgusting voice:

Please... please... when you like... that's a little thing I wrote in a hurry last night.

But the professor of aesthetics yelled:

Wonderful... divine Zinnobere! Sincere friend, after me you are the first poet in the world!

And then Candida got up, approached, half-moaning like a fever, to the Kurduple, cried out in front of him and kissed him on the disgusting mouth with blue lips.

Translation:

If Zinnober meows vilely, behaves like an animal, someone else is blamed.

The fellow squealed so piercingly that the echo went throughout the hall, and the guests hopped in fright from their seats. They surrounded Balthazar and began to ask each other what he was shouting so terribly.

Do not be offended, dear Mr. Balthazar, - said Professor Mosh Terpin, - but it was still a strange joke. You apparently wanted us to think that someone stepped on the cat's tail here!

Cat, cat, send the cat away! - one nervous lady cried out and instantly lost consciousness.

Kit, kit! - shouted two elderly gentlemen, sick of the same idiosyncrasy, and rushed to the door.

Candida, pouring a whole flask of scented water on the untiring lady, said softly to Balthazarov:

See what trouble you have done with your nasty meowing, dear Mr. Balthazar!

And he didn't know what had happened. Blushing with shame and vexation, he was unable to venture a word, to say that this was Zinnober's little boy, and not he meowed so terribly.

Translation:

Only a select few distinguish Zinnober's actions from the talented manifestations of other people. Even Balthazar's friend Fabian and his girlfriend Candida do not notice the terrible spell.

Both Balthasar and the famous virtuoso violinist Vincenzo Sbioku, the talented assistant judge Pulcher gave their knowledge and talents to be torn to pieces by "little Tsakhes": everyone considers this Zinnober's talents. The state of people is similar to mass psychosis. Zinnober becomes a respected person in the Foreign Office.

Dr. Prosper Alpanus, who is actually a magician, arrives in the principality. The doctor's magic mirror reflects the true nature of Zinnober, an ugly and evil dwarf.

Dr. Prosper Alpanus proves to Rosa Gozhіy that her actions do not bring good, but evil to everyone who surrounds Zinnober.

You, my dear lady, - answered the doctor, - you gave yourself up to your innate goodness and use your talent for nothingness. Zinnober is and will be, in spite of your kind help, an ugly little scoundrel who, now that your golden comb has been broken, has been given entirely into my hands.

Have mercy on him, doctor, the girl pleaded.

And look, please, here, - said Prosper, showing her Balthazar's horoscope, which he made.

Panna looked up and cried out plaintively:

Well, if that's the case, then I must yield to higher power. Poor Zinnober!

Admit it, dear lady, - said the doctor, smiling, - admit that women sometimes give in to oddities very easily: recklessly satisfying some whim that was born in an instant, they do not pay attention to the suffering that they inflict on others. Zinnober must accept the punishment, but he has yet to slip and undeserved honor. By this I pay tribute to your strength, your kindness, your virtues, my dear, most affectionate panel.

Translation:

The broken magic comb no longer works. It remains to pull out the magic hairs that make Zinnober talented, smart, handsome in the eyes of society. During preparations for the engagement of Candida and Tsakhes, Balthazar, with the help of Fabian, rips the magical hairs out of Zinnober's head.

Everyone suddenly saw the dwarf as he really was. Having the hope of hiding from the crowd, laughing from the "dressed baboon", Tsakhes runs to his palace, where he drowns in a silver pot.

The last words of the fairy Rosa-Gozhoy near the deceased Tsakhes explain the intentions of the sorceress to turn a miserable likeness of a person into a person who would strive to embrace the immensity.

Poor Tsakhese! Stepson of nature! I wish you well! Perhaps I was mistaken in thinking that the wonderful outer talent that I bestowed on you will illuminate your soul with a beneficial ray and awaken an inner voice that will tell you: "You are not who you are considered to be, so try to compare yourself with the person on whose wings you, wingless calico, ascend!" But no inner voice in you woke up. Your arrogant, dead spirit could not rise, you did not get rid of your stupidity, rudeness, bad manners. Ah, if you had remained only a small nonentity, a small, uncouth ignoramus, you would have escaped a shameful death!

Translation:

The last request of the compassionate fairy to Prosper Alpanus is to make sure that, after the shameful death, Tsakhes is considered the one who, thanks to the spell, was considered life. And so it happened.

Another good deed of the fairy concerns the mother of the dwarf, Lisa: a wonderful sweet onion grows on her plot, and the woman becomes the supplier of the princely court, she is overcome by poverty.

Balthasar and Candida are celebrating their wedding. The story, as always, has a good ending. But the ironic finale of "Krіhitka Tsakhes" seems to draw the attention of readers to the hidden thought of the author: everything in life is much more complicated.

A span is an ancient measure of length, equal to the distance between the tips of the spread thumb and little finger (about 20 cm).

Translation Yes. Popovich