Resourceful Soldier

About a soldier and Peter the Great.

Whether it happened or not, you never know, but I’m telling you how I heard it.

Once Tsar Peter the Great was hunting, chased a red beast, and got lost.

Turn to the right - forest; goes to the left - forest; No matter where you turn, the forest stands like a wall. The tops of the trees reach into the sky.

He circled, circled, played the horn - no one responded. He must have strayed far from his hunters.

It’s late afternoon, but there’s no road. The horse was tired and wanted to rest himself. I had just dismounted when I heard someone singing a song nearby.

A soldier sits on a stone by the roadside and sings a mournful song.

Hello service!

“Great,” the soldier replies.

Where, where, why? - asks Peter.

From vacation, to the regiment, to lead the service. And who will you be?

My name is Peter, I was chasing a red beast and lost my way, but now it would be nice to get to the city.

Well, okay,” the soldier says, “you and I, friend, need to look for a place to stay for the night.” You can’t get to the city from here even in a day, and in an hour it will be completely dark. Stay here, and I’ll climb a higher tree and see if there’s any housing nearby.

The soldier climbed to the very top and shouted:

Here to the left, not far from here, smoke curls and you can hear a dog bark.

He went down and led Peter in the direction where the smoke was visible.

They make their way straight and talk. Peter asks about the service and about the war with the Swedes.

The soldier says:

The soldier's share is not his own will. In war, everything happens: the heat bothers you, the wind blows, the rain drenches you, and the rust wears away your heart. Officers and generals, and especially foreigners, our brother, the Russian soldier, do not even consider him to be a person; they beat him indiscriminately: right and wrong. If only there had been more soldierly will and more guns and supplies, the Swede would have been defeated long ago. And so: the war drags on, with no end in sight. The soldiers are bored: some want to see their father and mother, some are grieving about their young wife, and others will say: “It would be nice to see the Tsar, and tell him all the soldiers’ thoughts.”

Have you seen the king? - Peter asks.

No, it didn’t happen, but I heard that he doesn’t disdain our brother, the soldier. He’s fair, they say, but he’s also tough: he’ll beat a general with a stick for any offense, as they say.

So they walk and walk and soon came to a wide clearing.

In front of them is a tall, large five-walled hut, surrounded by a strong fence. They knocked - there was no answer, only the dogs started barking.

The soldier jumped over the fence, and two scary dogs attacked him. The soldier pulled out his saber and killed the dogs.

Then he opened the gate:

Come on in, Petrusha; Although we don’t like housing, we’ll still get away from the night, and it won’t hurt to get grub.

They had just climbed onto the porch when an old woman met them.

“Hello, grandma, give the road people shelter for the night and give them something to eat,” the soldier says.

I have nothing for you, and there is nowhere to spend the night, leave where you came from.

If so, we, Petrusha, will have to see for ourselves what is going on here.

We entered the room and a girl was sitting on a bench.

Collect food, beauty, we ask for money, not for nothing, - the soldier says.

The girl only hums in response, points with her hand and smiles welcomingly.

You see, Petrusha, mute, pointing at the stove and pointing at the chest.

The soldier opened the damper and pulled out the roast goose from the stove; I opened the chest, and there was something missing: ham, butter, and various snacks - enough for twenty people of all kinds of foods and drinks.

After dinner, the soldier says:

It would be nice to go to the side now. Where does this door lead? Give me the key, grandma!

“I don’t have a key,” the old woman grumbles.

The soldier leaned his shoulder, strained, and the door swung open with a crash.

And in that room there are different weapons: pistols, flails, sabers, daggers.

The soldier looked into the room, closed the door, and thought to himself: “That’s it, they didn’t please good people. Apparently, the owners are robbers.”

And all he said to Peter was:

There’s nowhere to lie down here, let’s go to the attic to spend the night, it’s more spacious and brighter there.

The soldier found two sheaves of straw. We went up the ladder to the attic.

You, Petrusha, are obviously very tired, go to bed first, and I’ll remain on guard, then I’ll sleep, and you’ll keep watch.

Peter only managed to lie down and immediately fell asleep like the dead.

And the soldier perched himself near the hatch with a drawn saber.

A little time passed - a noise and a whistle was heard. The gate swung open, you could hear - three horsemen had arrived. Talking:

Where should I put the girl?

Lock it in the closet for now, there’s no time to mess with it now.

At that time, the old woman came out into the yard and said:

Two men arrived on the same horse, killed the dogs, and ran the room as they pleased.

Where are they?

“They sleep in the attic,” the old woman answers.

Well, let them sleep, then we’ll have dinner and deal with them - they won’t wake up forever.

The robbers went to the upper room, began to feast, and soon everyone got drunk.

The elder took the saber.

Well, I'll go and check on the guests.

He walks along the hallway, hears - they are sleeping, snoring in two voices in the attic. Peter is sleeping, he doesn’t sense trouble or adversity, but the soldier is pretending: he snores as if he is also sleeping; He himself has all pulled himself together, sits above the hatch, and the saber is raised. The robber, without any fear, walked up the stairs once, once, and just leaned out when the soldier cut off his head, as if he had removed a cabbage.

One less!

And those two robbers are drinking wine, waiting for the third, they can’t wait. One stood up and grabbed a dagger:

Where did he go? Pour it, I'm tossing and turning now.

He walks through the hallway, staggering. You can hear him step up the stairs... The soldier cut off this one’s head in the same way as the first one. Then he dealt with the third robber in the same manner.

When dawn began to break, the soldier woke up Peter:

Get up, friend Petrusha, get up! You slept, and I fought; It's time to hit the road.

Peter woke up, began to go downstairs, and saw the robbers lying around:

Why didn’t he wake me up? It would have been easier for two of us.

I’m no stranger to becoming, I fought with the Swedes, managed, and this dirty trick will not frighten me. You know the saying: a Russian soldier does not drown in water and does not burn in fire.

A mute woman met them in the entryway and began to moo and wave her arms. They hardly guessed what she wanted to say: “The old woman ran away from home.”

Then she led him to the closet, showed him the lock and gave the ax to the soldier.

The soldier knocked down the lock, swung the door - and there was a girl, a beautiful woman, lying tied up.

They untied and freed the girl. The mute woman led them into the courtyard, pointed to a stone slab, and taught them with signs: “Lift them up,” they say.

They lifted the slab, and there was a passage into the dungeon. The soldier went down into the hiding place and saw countless riches: silver, gold, velvet, brocade, and semi-precious stones.

The soldier filled his backpack with as much gold as he could carry, collected a bag of gold for his comrade, got out, and moved the slab to its original place.

Well, Petrusha, let’s saddle the horses, we need to go.

They saddled four horses, sat both girls down, sat down and rode off.

“I’m a walking man,” the soldier says, “and you, Petrusha, if you’re not married, take a closer look at the girl; she is not offended by beauty, and her father is a rich merchant, he says he will reward her with a dowry.

Peter grinned:

It will be visible there.

By evening we reached the capital.

Well, that’s it, soldier, we’ll part ways at the outpost. You and the girls go to such and such an inn, and I’ll go look for a friend. As soon as I find it, I'll let you know.

Tsar Peter wanted to find out everything himself. Sometimes he will change into a simple dress and walk around the city: he listens to people’s rumors and enters into conversations himself.
One day he walked into a tavern in this manner. And the day was a holiday. There were a lot of people in the tavern. They sit in threes, fours, and who is talking about what.
Peter looked around and sat down at the end table, and there was a soldier sitting at the table.
Peter asks:
-Where are you from, soldier?
“I’m from Kostroma,” the soldier answers.
Peter smiled:
- Countrymen, that is. My grandfather is also from Kostroma.
- What part is your fellow countryman? What are you doing in the city?
- I am a craftsman, in carpentry. My name is Pyotr Alekseev.
“That’s it,” the soldier picked up, “that’s what I thought.” For us, among Kostroma residents, this is the first craft. My grandfather, my parents, and I myself are also carpenters. So, fellow countryman, shall we order a decanter?
Peter refuses:
- No money left. And getting up early in the morning is a service!
- It’s nothing, but there’s no money - we’ll pawn the broadsword.
Peter persuades:
- What did you come up with, fellow countryman? If you lay down your broadsword, what if there’s an alarm at night, what will you do?
The soldier laughs:
“Our officers and the general sleep until noon. You can redeem a mortgage seven times.
- Well, as you wish, but it’s time for me to go home.

Peter got up and left. And the soldier laid down his broadsword, drank a decanter and went to the barracks singing songs.
In the morning, before dawn, there was alarm in the regiment.
- Royal review, royal review! The Tsar has arrived to the regiment!
The soldier jumped up, put on his ammunition, but didn’t have a broadsword. What to do?
There is no time to think. I planed the splinter, blackened the handle with soot, and put the splinter in its sheath.
And the officers, from small to large, and the general himself, are running around, fussing.
The king walked through the rows once, twice, and saw a soldier.
Orders:
- Four steps forward!
The soldier followed the command and went out in front of the line.
“Show me how they teach you military service.” Chop me with your broadsword!
- No, I can’t take up arms against Your Majesty.
- Ruby - I order!
The soldier grabbed the handle and shouted at the top of his lungs:
- Lord, turn this formidable weapon into wood!
He swung and hit Peter - only chips flew.
All the soldiers and officers are neither alive nor dead, and the regimental priest began to pray:
- Miracle, God granted a miracle!
Peter winked at the soldier and said in a barely audible voice:
- Well done! I love these. Sit in the guardhouse for three days, and then go to navigation school.

retold: Nechaev A.N.

Russian folk tale "The Resourceful Soldier"

Genre: folk tale

The main characters of the fairy tale "The Resourceful Soldier" and their characteristics

1. Tsar Peter the Great. Cunning, smart, curious, strict, fair
2. Soldier. A merry fellow and a reveler, frivolous, witty, resourceful.

1. The character of Tsar Peter
2. Countrymen
3. Pawned broadsword
4. Royal review
5. Wooden sheath
6. The king's order
7. Royal justice

1. Tsar Peter loved to go unrecognized among the common people.
2. Peter met a fellow countryman in a tavern, and he offered him a drink, but wanted to lay down his broadsword.
3. Peter refused, left, and in the morning staged a sudden inspection
4. In a panic, the soldier put the piece of wood into its scabbard, only blackening the handle with soot.
5. The king orders to hit himself with a broadsword, and it shatters into splinters
6. The Tsar praises the soldier for his resourcefulness and invites him to the navigation school.

What does the fairy tale "The Resourceful Soldier" teach?
The fairy tale teaches not to violate discipline, not to pawn government property, not to go to taverns and restaurants. Teaches you to be brave and resourceful, teaches you to find a way out in any situation. Teaches you to have a sense of humor.

Review of the fairy tale "The Resourceful Soldier"
What I liked about this tale was that the soldier quickly figured out how to ward off trouble. He pretended that a miracle had happened and many believed it. Tsar Peter knew the truth, but he liked the soldier’s resourcefulness and did not punish him.

Proverbs for the fairy tale "The Resourceful Soldier"
Resourcefulness is a great strength.
Ingenuity stops water too.
Away from the kings - that's where you'll be.
The stupid man turns sour, but the wise man sees through everything.
You won't be puzzled by the resourceful one.

Read the summary, a brief retelling of the fairy tale "The Resourceful Soldier"
Tsar Peter the Great previously ruled Rus'. And the king loved to find out everything himself. So he’ll change into simple clothes and go for a walk around the taverns, listening to who will say what.
One day Tsar Peter enters the tavern. He sees a soldier sitting at the table. The Tsar sat down next to him, greeted him, and asked what kind of soldiers he would be. Having learned that the soldier is from Kostroma, he smiles and says that he himself is from Kostroma. They say he's a carpenter.
The soldier rejoices at his fellow countryman and offers to lay down his broadsword to get a drink. Tsar Peter tries to reason with the soldier, asking what he will do if there is an alarm at night. And the soldier replies that his generals sleep until noon.
But Peter refused to drink and left. And the soldier laid down his broadsword, got drunk and went to the regiment. And early in the morning there is a royal review, everyone is on the parade ground, but the soldier does not have a broadsword. Then the soldier takes a piece of wood, blackens the handle with soot, and puts it in the sheath.
Tsar Peter walks past the rows of soldiers and sees a familiar soldier. He commands you to take four steps forward, and then orders you to cut yourself with a broadsword. The soldier replies that he cannot raise a weapon against the king, but the king gives stricter orders. And the soldier, shouting: “Lord! Make this weapon a tree!”, beats Peter the Great with a piece of wood. It shatters into pieces.
Everyone froze, the priest was praying, talking about a miracle, and Tsar Peter smiled and quietly said to the soldier: “Well done! Resourceful. Three days in the guardhouse and you’ll go to navigation school.”

Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "The Resourceful Soldier"

Peter the First and resourceful soldier.

Tsar Peter wanted to find out everything himself. Sometimes he will change into a simple dress and walk around the city: he listens to people’s rumors and enters into conversations himself.

One day he walked into a tavern in this manner. And the day was a holiday. There were a lot of people in the tavern. They sit in threes, fours, and who is talking about what.

Peter looked around and sat down at the end table, and there was a soldier sitting at the table.

Peter asks:

Where are you from, soldier?

“I am from Kostroma,” the soldier answers.

Peter smiled:

Countrymen, that is. My grandfather is also from Kostroma.

And what part of the fellow countryman? What are you doing in the city?

I am a craftsman in carpentry. My name is Pyotr Alekseev.

That’s it,” the soldier picked up, “that’s what I thought.” For us, among Kostroma residents, this is the first craft. My grandfather, my parents, and I myself are also carpenters. So, fellow countryman, shall we order a decanter?

Peter refuses:

No money left. And getting up early in the morning is a service!

It’s nothing, but there’s no money - we’ll pawn the broadsword.

Peter persuades:

What have you come up with, fellow countryman! If you lay down your broadsword, what if there is an alarm at night, what will you do?

The soldier laughs:

Our officers and the general sleep until noon. You can redeem a mortgage seven times.

Well, whatever you want, it’s time for me to go home.

Peter got up and left. And the soldier laid down his broadsword, drank a decanter and went to the barracks singing songs.

In the morning, before dawn, there was alarm in the regiment.

The royal review, the royal review! The Tsar has arrived to the regiment!

The soldier jumped up, put on his ammunition, but didn’t have a broadsword. What to do?

There is no time to think. I planed the splinter, blackened the handle with soot, and put the splinter in its sheath.

And the officers, from small to large, and the general himself, are running around, fussing.

The king walked through the rows once, twice, and saw a soldier.

Orders:

Four steps forward!

The soldier followed the command and went out in front of the line.

Show them how they teach you military service. Chop me with your broadsword!

No, I can’t take up arms against Your Majesty.

Ruby - I command!

The soldier grabbed the handle and shouted at the top of his lungs:

Lord, turn this formidable weapon into wood!

He swung and hit Peter - only chips flew.

All the soldiers and officers are neither alive nor dead, and the regimental priest began to pray:

Miracle, God gave a miracle!

Peter winked at the soldier and said in a barely audible voice:

Well done! I love these. Sit in the guardhouse for three days, and then go to navigation school.

Resourceful Soldier

About a soldier and Peter the Great.

Whether it happened or not, you never know, but I’m telling you how I heard it.

Once Tsar Peter the Great was hunting, chased a red beast, and got lost.

Turn to the right - forest; goes to the left - forest; No matter where you turn, the forest stands like a wall. The tops of the trees reach into the sky.

He circled, circled, played the horn - no one responded. He must have strayed far from his hunters.

It’s late afternoon, but there’s no road. The horse was tired and wanted to rest himself. I had just dismounted when I heard someone singing a song nearby.

A soldier sits on a stone by the roadside and sings a mournful song.

Hello service!

“Great,” the soldier replies.

Where, where, why? - asks Peter.

From vacation, to the regiment, to lead the service. And who will you be?

My name is Peter, I was chasing a red beast and lost my way, but now it would be nice to get to the city.

Well, okay,” the soldier says, “you and I, friend, need to look for a place to stay for the night.” You can’t get to the city from here even in a day, and in an hour it will be completely dark. Stay here, and I’ll climb a higher tree and see if there’s any housing nearby.

The soldier climbed to the very top and shouted:

Here to the left, not far from here, smoke curls and you can hear a dog bark.

He went down and led Peter in the direction where the smoke was visible.

They make their way straight and talk. Peter asks about the service and about the war with the Swedes.

The soldier says:

The soldier's share is not his own will. In war, everything happens: the heat bothers you, the wind blows, the rain drenches you, and the rust wears away your heart. Officers and generals, and especially foreigners, our brother, the Russian soldier, do not even consider him to be a person; they beat him indiscriminately: right and wrong. If only there had been more soldierly will and more guns and supplies, the Swede would have been defeated long ago. And so: the war drags on, with no end in sight. The soldiers are bored: some want to see their father and mother, some are grieving about their young wife, and others will say: “It would be nice to see the Tsar, and tell him all the soldiers’ thoughts.”

Have you seen the king? - Peter asks.

No, it didn’t happen, but I heard that he doesn’t disdain our brother, the soldier. He’s fair, they say, but he’s also tough: he’ll beat a general with a stick for any offense, as they say.

So they walk and walk and soon came to a wide clearing.

In front of them is a tall, large five-walled hut, surrounded by a strong fence. They knocked - there was no answer, only the dogs started barking.

The soldier jumped over the fence, and two scary dogs attacked him. The soldier pulled out his saber and killed the dogs.

Then he opened the gate:

Come on in, Petrusha; Although we don’t like housing, we’ll still get away from the night, and it won’t hurt to get grub.

They had just climbed onto the porch when an old woman met them.

“Hello, grandma, give the road people shelter for the night and give them something to eat,” the soldier says.

I have nothing for you, and there is nowhere to spend the night, leave where you came from.

If so, we, Petrusha, will have to see for ourselves what is going on here.

We entered the room and a girl was sitting on a bench.

Collect food, beauty, we ask for money, not for nothing, - the soldier says.

The girl only hums in response, points with her hand and smiles welcomingly.

You see, Petrusha, mute, pointing at the stove and pointing at the chest.

The soldier opened the damper and pulled out the roast goose from the stove; I opened the chest, and there was something missing: ham, butter, and various snacks - enough for twenty people of all kinds of foods and drinks.

After dinner, the soldier says:

It would be nice to go to the side now. Where does this door lead? Give me the key, grandma!

“I don’t have a key,” the old woman grumbles.

The soldier leaned his shoulder, strained, and the door swung open with a crash.

And in that room there are different weapons: pistols, flails, sabers, daggers.

The soldier looked into the room, closed the door, and thought to himself: “That’s it, they didn’t please good people. Apparently, the owners are robbers.”

And all he said to Peter was:

There’s nowhere to lie down here, let’s go to the attic to spend the night, it’s more spacious and brighter there.

The soldier found two sheaves of straw. We went up the ladder to the attic.

You, Petrusha, are obviously very tired, go to bed first, and I’ll remain on guard, then I’ll sleep, and you’ll keep watch.

Peter only managed to lie down and immediately fell asleep like the dead.

And the soldier perched himself near the hatch with a drawn saber.

A little time passed - a noise and a whistle was heard. The gate swung open, you could hear - three horsemen had arrived. Talking:

Where should I put the girl?

Lock it in the closet for now, there’s no time to mess with it now.

At that time, the old woman came out into the yard and said:

Two men arrived on the same horse, killed the dogs, and ran the room as they pleased.

Where are they?

“They sleep in the attic,” the old woman answers.

Well, let them sleep, then we’ll have dinner and deal with them - they won’t wake up forever.

The robbers went to the upper room, began to feast, and soon everyone got drunk.

The elder took the saber.

Well, I'll go and check on the guests.

He walks along the hallway, hears - they are sleeping, snoring in two voices in the attic. Peter is sleeping, he doesn’t sense trouble or adversity, but the soldier is pretending: he snores as if he is also sleeping; He himself has all pulled himself together, sits above the hatch, and the saber is raised. The robber, without any fear, walked up the stairs once, once, and just leaned out when the soldier cut off his head, as if he had removed a cabbage.

One less!

And those two robbers are drinking wine, waiting for the third, they can’t wait. One stood up and grabbed a dagger:

Where did he go? Pour it, I'm tossing and turning now.

He walks through the hallway, staggering. You can hear him step up the stairs... The soldier cut off this one’s head in the same way as the first one. Then he dealt with the third robber in the same manner.

When dawn began to break, the soldier woke up Peter:

Get up, friend Petrusha, get up! You slept, and I fought; It's time to hit the road.

Peter woke up, began to go downstairs, and saw the robbers lying around:

Why didn’t he wake me up? It would have been easier for two of us.

I’m no stranger to becoming, I fought with the Swedes, managed, and this dirty trick will not frighten me. You know the saying: a Russian soldier does not drown in water and does not burn in fire.

A mute woman met them in the entryway and began to moo and wave her arms. They hardly guessed what she wanted to say: “The old woman ran away from home.”

Then she led him to the closet, showed him the lock and gave the ax to the soldier.

The soldier knocked down the lock, swung the door - and there was a girl, a beautiful woman, lying tied up.

They untied and freed the girl. The mute woman led them into the courtyard, pointed to a stone slab, and taught them with signs: “Lift them up,” they say.

They lifted the slab, and there was a passage into the dungeon. The soldier went down into the hiding place and saw countless riches: silver, gold, velvet, brocade, and semi-precious stones.