What is the fairy tale Aibolit about? Dr. Aibolit

1

Good Doctor Aibolit!

He is sitting under a tree.

Come to him for treatment

And the cow and the she-wolf,

And the bug and the worm,

And a bear!

He will heal everyone, he will heal everyone

Good Doctor Aibolit!

2

And the fox came to Aibolit:

“Oh, I was bitten by a wasp!”

And the watchdog came to Aibolit:

“A chicken pecked me on the nose!”

And the hare came running

And she screamed: “Ay, ah!

My bunny got hit by a tram!

My bunny, my boy

Got hit by a tram!

He was running along the path

And his legs were cut,

And now he's sick and lame,

My little bunny!”

And Aibolit said: “It doesn’t matter!

Give it here!

I'll sew him new legs,

He will run along the track again.”

And they brought a bunny to him,

So sick, lame,

And the doctor sewed his legs.

And the bunny jumps again.

And with him the mother hare

I also went dancing.

And she laughs and shouts:

“Well, thank you, Aibolit!”

3

Suddenly a jackal came from somewhere

He rode on a mare:

“Here is a telegram for you

From Hippopotamus!

"Come, doctor,

To Africa soon

And save me, doctor,

Our babies!

"What's happened? Really

Are your children sick?

"Yes Yes Yes! They have a sore throat

Scarlet fever, cholera,

Diphtheria, appendicitis,

Malaria and bronchitis!

Come quickly

Good Doctor Aibolit!”

"Okay, okay, I'll run,

I will help your children.

But where do you live?

On the mountain or in the swamp?

"We live in Zanzibar,

In the Kalahari and Sahara,

On Mount Fernando Po,

Where does Hippo walk?

Along the wide Limpopo.

4

And Aibolit stood up and Aibolit ran.

He runs through fields, through forests, through meadows.

And Aibolit repeats only one word:

"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

And in his face the wind, and snow, and hail:

“Hey, Aibolit, come back!”

And Aibolit fell and lies in the snow:

And now to him from behind the tree

Shaggy wolves run out:

“Sit down, Aibolit, on horseback,

We’ll get you there quickly!”

And Aibolit galloped forward

And only one word repeats:

"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

5

But here in front of them is the sea -

It rages and makes noise in the open space.

And there is a high wave in the sea,

Now she will swallow Aibolit.

"Oh, if I drown,

If I go down.

With my forest animals?

But then a whale swims out:

“Sit on me, Aibolit,

And, like a big ship,

I’ll take you ahead!”

And sat on the whale Aibolit

And only one word repeats:

"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

6

And the mountains stand in front of him on the way,

And he begins to crawl through the mountains,

And the mountains are getting higher, and the mountains are getting steeper,

And the mountains go under the very clouds!

"Oh, if I don't get there,

If I get lost on the way,

What will happen to them, to the sick,

With my forest animals?

And now from a high cliff

Eagles flew to Aibolit:

“Sit down, Aibolit, on horseback,

We’ll get you there quickly!”

And Aibolit sat on the eagle

And only one word repeats:

"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

7

And in Africa,

And in Africa,

On black

Sits and cries

Sad Hippopo.

He's in Africa, he's in Africa

Sits under a palm tree

And by sea from Africa

He looks without rest:

Isn't he going on a boat?

Dr. Aibolit?

And they prowl along the road

Elephants and rhinoceroses

And they say angrily:

“Why is there no Aibolit?”

And there are hippos nearby

Grabbing their tummies:

They, the hippos,

Stomachs hurt.

And then the ostrich chicks

They squeal like piglets.

Oh, it's a pity, a pity, a pity

Poor ostriches!

They have measles and diphtheria,

They have smallpox and bronchitis,

And their head hurts

And my throat hurts.

They lie and rave:

“Well, why isn’t he going?

Well, why isn’t he going?

Dr. Aibolit?"

And she took a nap next to her

toothy shark,

toothy shark

Lying in the sun.

Oh, her little ones,

Poor baby sharks

It's been twelve days already

My teeth hurt!

And a dislocated shoulder

The poor grasshopper's;

He doesn't jump, he doesn't jump,

And he cries bitterly

And the doctor calls:

"Oh, where is good doctor?

When will he come?

8

But look, some kind of bird

It rushes closer and closer through the air.

Look, Aibolit is sitting on a bird

And he waves his hat and shouts loudly:

"Long live sweet Africa!"

And all the kids are happy and happy:

“I’ve arrived, I’ve arrived! Hooray! Hooray!"

And the bird is circling above them,

And the bird lands on the ground.

And Aibolit runs to the hippos,

And pats them on the tummies,

And everyone in order

Gives me chocolate

And sets and sets thermometers for them!

And to the striped ones

He runs to the tiger cubs

And to the poor hunchbacks

Sick camels

And every Gogol,

Mogul everyone,

Gogol-mogol,

Gogol-mogol,

Serves him with Gogol-Mogol.

Ten nights Aibolit

Doesn't eat or drink or sleep

Ten nights in a row

He heals unfortunate animals

And he sets and sets thermometers for them.

9

So he cured them,

Limpopo! So he cured the sick,

Limpopo! And they went to laugh

Limpopo! And dance and play around,

And the shark Karakula

Winked with her right eye

And he laughs, and he laughs,

As if someone was tickling her.

And baby hippos

Grabbed their tummies

And they laugh and burst into tears -

So the mountains shake.

Here comes Hippo, here comes Popo,

Hippo-popo, Hippo-popo!

Here comes the Hippopotamus.

It comes from Zanzibar,

He goes to Kilimanjaro -

And he shouts and he sings:

“Glory, glory to Aibolit!

Glory to the good doctors!

Good Doctor Aibolit!
He is sitting under a tree.
Come to him for treatment
And the cow and the she-wolf,
And the bug and the worm,
And a bear!

He will heal everyone, he will heal everyone
Good Doctor Aibolit!

And the fox came to Aibolit:
“Oh, I was bitten by a wasp!”

And the watchdog came to Aibolit:
“A chicken pecked me on the nose!”

And the hare came running
And she screamed: “Ay, ah!
My bunny got hit by a tram!
My bunny, my boy
Got hit by a tram!
He was running along the path
And his legs were cut,
And now he's sick and lame,
My little bunny!”

And Aibolit said: “It doesn’t matter!
Give it here!
I'll sew him new legs,
He will run on the track again.”
And they brought a bunny to him,
So sick, lame,
And the doctor sewed his legs,
And the bunny jumps again.
And with him the mother hare
I also went dancing
And she laughs and shouts:
“Well, thank you. Aibolit!

Suddenly a jackal came from somewhere
He rode on a mare:
“Here is a telegram for you
From Hippopotamus!

"Come, doctor,
To Africa soon
And save me, doctor,
Our babies!

"What's happened? Really
Are your children sick?

"Yes Yes Yes! They have a sore throat
Scarlet fever, cholera,
Diphtheria, appendicitis,
Malaria and bronchitis!

Come quickly
Good Doctor Aibolit!”

"Okay, okay, I'll run,
I will help your children.
But where do you live?
On the mountain or in the swamp?

"We live in Zanzibar,
In Kalahari and Sahara,
On Mount Fernando Po,
Where does Hippo walk?
Across the broad Limpopo."

And Aibolit stood up and Aibolit ran.
He runs through fields, but through forests, through meadows.
And Aibolit repeats only one word:
"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

And in his face the wind, and snow, and hail:
“Hey, Aibolit, come back!”
And Aibolit fell and lies in the snow:
“I can’t go any further.”

And now to him from behind the tree
Shaggy wolves run out:
“Sit down, Aibolit, on horseback,
We’ll get you there quickly!”

And Aibolit galloped forward
And only one word repeats:
"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

But here in front of them is the sea -
It rages and makes noise in the open space.
And there is a high wave in the sea.
Now she will swallow Aibolit.

"Oh, if I drown,
If I go down,
With my forest animals?
But then a whale swims out:
“Sit on me, Aibolit,
And, like a big ship,
I’ll take you ahead!”

And sat on the whale Aibolit
And only one word repeats:
"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

And the mountains stand in front of him on the way,
And he begins to crawl through the mountains,
And the mountains are getting higher, and the mountains are getting steeper,
And the mountains go under the very clouds!

"Oh, if I don't get there,
If I get lost on the way,
What will happen to them, to the sick,
With my forest animals?

And now from a high cliff
Eagles flew to Aibolit:
“Sit down, Aibolit, on horseback,
We’ll get you there quickly!”

And Aibolit sat on the eagle
And only one word repeats:
"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!"

And in Africa,
And in Africa,
On black
Limpopo,
Sits and cries
In Africa
Sad Hippopo.

He's in Africa, he's in Africa
Sits under a palm tree
And by sea from Africa
He looks without rest:
Isn't he going on a boat?
Dr. Aibolit?

And they prowl along the road
Elephants and rhinoceroses
And they say angrily:
“Why is there no Aibolit?”

And there are hippos nearby
Grabbing their tummies:
They, the hippos,
Stomachs hurt.

And then the ostrich chicks
They squeal like piglets.
Oh, it's a pity, a pity, a pity
Poor ostriches!

They have measles and diphtheria,
They have smallpox and bronchitis,
And their head hurts
And my throat hurts.

They lie and rave:
“Well, why isn’t he going?
Well, why isn't he going?
Dr. Aibolit?"

And she took a nap next to her
toothy shark,
toothy shark
Lying in the sun.

Oh, her little ones,
Poor baby sharks
It's been twelve days already
My teeth hurt!

And a dislocated shoulder
The poor grasshopper's;
He doesn't jump, he doesn't jump,
And he cries bitterly
And the doctor calls:
“Oh, where is the good doctor?
When will he come?

But look, some kind of bird
It rushes closer and closer through the air.
Look, Aibolit is sitting on a bird
And he waves his hat and shouts loudly:
"Long live sweet Africa!"

And all the kids are happy and happy:
“I’ve arrived, I’ve arrived! Hooray! Hooray!"

And the bird circles above them,
And the bird lands on the ground.
And Aibolit runs to the hippos,
And pats them on the tummies,
And everyone in order
Gives me chocolate
And sets and sets thermometers for them!

And to the striped ones
He runs to the tiger cubs.
And to the poor hunchbacks
Sick camels
And every Gogol,
Mogul everyone,
Gogol-mogol,
Gogol-mogol,
Serves him with Gogol-Mogol.

Ten nights Aibolit
Doesn't eat, doesn't drink and doesn't sleep,
Ten nights in a row
He heals unfortunate animals
And he sets and sets thermometers for them.

So he cured them,
Limpopo!
So he cured the sick.
Limpopo!
And they went to laugh
Limpopo!
And dance and play around,
Limpopo!

And the shark Karakula
Winked with her right eye
And he laughs, and he laughs,
As if someone was tickling her.

And the little hippos
Grabbed their tummies
And they laugh and burst into tears -
So they would shake.

Here comes Hippo, here comes Po,
Hippo-po, Hippo-po!
Here comes the Hippopotamus.
It comes from Zanzibar.
He goes to Kilimanjaro -
And he shouts and he sings:
“Glory, glory to Aibolit!
Glory to the good doctors!

Good Doctor Aibolit

In the autumn of 1924, Chukovsky and Dobuzhinsky were walking around St. Petersburg and wondered where the name “Barmaleeva Street” came from. “Who was this Barmaley?” – Chukovsky became interested. Dobuzhinsky replied that Barmaley was a robber, a famous pirate, “in a cocked hat, with such a mustache.” He drew a terrible robber and suggested that Chukovsky write a fairy tale about him. And the fairy tale was written, and almost immediately I fell into it positive hero- Doctor Aibolit from the tale of Hugh Lofting retold by K.I., endowed, however, with the most dear to my heart Chukovsky with the features of a Russian intellectual.

So that the reader does not get confused, we will explain right away: “Doctor Aibolit” is a retelling of Lofting, separate publication published in 1936. It’s just that “Aibolit” is completely original poetic tale Chukovsky, published in 1929. There is some relationship, but only distant. “Barmaley,” where Doctor Aibolit tries to save Tanya and Vanya from the robber, was written in 1924. Regardless of the time of publication, all of these tales date back to the early 1920s, when Chukovsky read and retold Lofting.

And copyright issues in Soviet Russia were resolved simply. When Chukovsky shared his publishing plans with Mr. Keeney from APA “ World Literature", the American asked: "What about copyright?" Chukovsky was confused and could not really explain what Soviet Russia copyright is considered bourgeois relic. This position seemed wild to him, and in the prosaic “Doctor Aibolit” he honestly stated: “According to Hugh Lofting.” Why not “Lofting in Chukovsky’s translation”? We'll see now.

Here Lofting writes (my interlinear translation. - I.L.):

“Many years ago, when our grandfathers were little, there lived a doctor, and his name was Dolittle - John Dolittle, M.D. (M.D. - I. L.)."D. m." means that he was the right doctor and knew quite a lot.

He lived in the town of Luzhinsk-on-the-Marsh. All people - both old and young - knew him by sight. And when he walked down the street in his top hat, everyone said: “Here comes the doctor! He is very clever!" Both dogs and children ran up and followed him, and even the crows that lived in the bell tower croaked at him and nodded their heads.

The house in which he lived on the edge of the city was quite small; but the garden is quite large; it had a spacious lawn and stone benches over which weeping willows hung. His sister, Sarah Dolittle, managed his household, but the doctor looked after the garden himself.

He loved animals very much, and many lived at his home. In addition to the goldfish in the pond at the bottom of the garden, he had rabbits in his pantry, white mice in his piano, a squirrel in his linen closet, and a hedgehog in his basement. He also had a cow and a calf and an old lame horse twenty-five years old, and chickens, and pigeons, and two lambs, and many other animals. But most of all he loved the duck Dub-Dub, the pigeon Jip, the pig Gab-Gub, the parrot Polynesia and the owl Too-Too."

And here’s what Chukovsky made of it:

“Once upon a time there was a doctor. He was kind. His name was Aibolit. And he had an evil sister, whose name was Varvara.

More than anything in the world, the doctor loved animals. Hares lived in his room. There was a squirrel living in his closet. A prickly hedgehog lived on the sofa. White mice lived in the chest.

But of all his animals, Dr. Aibolit loved most the duck Kiku, the dog Ava, the little pig Oink-Oink, the parrot Carudo and the owl Bumba."

What happens to the text? All the details that give the doctor nationality, specificity, social status. A small house with a typical English garden is lost, weeping willows and a pond, even the top hat disappears and the main thing remains: “Once upon a time there was a doctor. He was kind." If you compare this work on the text with the diary, you can immediately see: Chukovsky is trying to tell this fairy tale to four-year-old Murochka, who does not care at all whether the doctor had stone benches in the garden or not, she is interested in something else: “Is he kind?” (The diary entry dated July 15, 1924 reads: “In the evening on the terrace I retold Mouret’s “The Golden Goose” - and every time I appeared in the fairy tale new character, she asked: “Is he kind?” She needed to know whether to sympathize with him or not, whether to spend her love on him: “And then she sees a hungry old man sitting in the forest by the road.” - “Is he kind?” - “Yes.” - “Well, I feel sorry for him.”) And the doctor’s sister (Varvara, not Sarah) was angry, Chukovsky immediately sets the coordinate system; Lofting doesn’t say anywhere about Sarah that she was evil. She simply made claims to the doctor within the framework common sense: the waiting room is full of mice and hedgehogs, the best patients have turned their backs on you, how are you going to live?

By the way, even new animal names were invented for Murochka. “Abba” in her infant language meant “dog”; “Bumba” she called Chukovsky’s secretary Maria Nikitichna Ryzhkina, who wrote under the pseudonym “Pambe”...

The text is shortened, leaving only the skeleton - the most important thing so that the child does not get lost in the abundance of details - even funny ones (the doctor’s rheumatic patient sat on a hedgehog in the waiting room and has not come to see him since). The main thing remains: the kindness of the doctor, the ability to heal any patient, knowledge of the animal language and heroism. Specific English doctor with a first and last name and a scientific degree, with a sister-housekeeper Sarah, with a linen closet and a piano, he completely turned into a fairy-tale doctor for children from two to five.

Interesting in the Aibolit-Barmaley cycle are the Chukovian images of good and evil: evil is personified by Barmaley - big, rude and cruel, and good - by a cozy, intelligent, merciful doctor, akin in spirit to Chekhov in K.I.’s understanding. If you read the description of Chekhov in “ Contemporaries" and compare him with Doctor Aibolit - the type is undoubtedly the same: a delicate, selfless, unmercenary intellectual with a strong inner core. The point is not that Chukovsky copied his doctor from Chekhov or from the Vilna doctor Shabad, as he himself said; it’s just that for him both the one and the other and the third doctor are the best personification of the forces of good. The article about Chekhov was written much later than Aibolit, and it is unlikely that Chukovsky himself thought about the relationship between the two doctors he described, but the clearer the relationship and the more understandable What Chukovsky could oppose the strong-necked, bow-legged, mediocre, gross evil that does not even have rudimentary ethical ideas.

Here Chekhov, sick and exhausted, goes to Sakhalin “with the sole purpose of bringing at least some relief to powerless, outcast people, at least a little to protect them from the tyranny of the soulless police system”:

“He was shaking so severely all the way, especially starting from Tomsk, that his joints, collarbones, shoulders, ribs, vertebrae ached... his arms and legs were numb from the cold, and he had nothing to eat, since, due to inexperience, he did not grab bring the necessary food with you..."

“... while making his way through the spring flood in a cart, he wet his felt boots and had to constantly jump into the cold water to hold the horses."

But Doctor Aibolit goes to Africa to help sick animals:

And in his face the wind, and snow, and hail:

“Hey, Aibolit, come back!”

And Aibolit fell and lies in the snow:

But Doctor Chekhov does not stop: “And yet he makes his way forward and forward.”

And Doctor Aibolit doesn’t stop:

And Aibolit galloped forward

And only one word repeats:

"Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo..."

And so Chekhov spends the night in a hut on the floor in wet clothes, and walks around the huge island on foot to compile a census of its population, and now Aibolit for ten nights in a row “does not eat, does not drink and does not sleep, / For ten nights in a row / He heals unfortunate animals / And sets and sets thermometers for them...”

On November 9, Chukovsky writes in his diary: “I don’t like Barmaley at all, I wrote him for Dobuzhinsky, in the style of his pictures.” He calls it a “verbal operetta,” created specifically to awaken in children a sense of poetic rhythm. He called “Barmaleya” an adventurous novel for the little ones. However, adventurous novels - both for small and large ones - were not appropriate and not at the time. Time wanted to build and live in a continuous fever of everyday life.

Good advice It was like looking into the water. Several days pass, I meet in the yard... who do you think? Well, of course, Kozlovsky. “Old man,” he falls to my left ear, “do you know where I was?” “Come on, don’t be tormented, finish it right away.” “Old man, I was at Melentyev’s.” “Really you