The story of Astafiev V.P. "A horse with a pink mane": a summary of the work

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The story "A horse with a pink mane" is included in the collection of works by V. P. Astafiev called "The Last Bow". The author has been creating this cycle of autobiographical stories for several years. Summer, forest, high sky, carelessness, lightness, transparency of the soul and endless freedom that come only in childhood, and those first life lessons that are firmly stored in our memory … They are immensely frightening, but thanks to them you grow and feel the world in a new way.

Astafiev V. P., “A horse with a pink mane”: summary

The story is written in the first person - a little orphan boy who lives with his grandparents in the village. One day, returning from the neighbors, the grandmother sends her grandson to the forest for strawberries, along with the neighbor's children. How not to go? After all, the grandmother promised to sell his tuesok of berries along withbuy a gingerbread with their goods and with the proceeds. It was not just a gingerbread, but a gingerbread in the form of a horse: white and white, with a pink tail, mane, hooves and even eyes. He was allowed to go out for a walk. And when you have the most cherished and desired “horse with a pink mane” in your bosom, you are a truly respected and revered “person” in all games.

The main character went to the top with the children of Levontius. The "Levontievsky" lived in the neighborhood and were distinguished by a violent character and carelessness. A house without a fence, without architraves and shutters, with somehow glazed windows, but the “sloboda”, like an endless sea, and “nothing” depresses the eye … True, in the spring the Levontiev family dug up the earth, planted something around the house, erected a fence from twigs and old boards. But not for long. In winter, all this "good" gradually disappeared in the Russian stove.

The main goal in life was to get to a neighbor after pay. On this day, everyone was seized by some kind of anxiety, a fever. In the morning, Aunt Vasenya, Uncle Levonty's wife, ran from house to house, repaying her debts. In the evening, a real holiday began in the house. Everything fell out on the table - sweets, gingerbread … Everyone helped themselves, and then they sang their favorite song about the miserable "obezyanka" that the sailor brought from Africa … Everyone cried, it became pitiful, sad, and so good in the soul! At night, Levontiy asked his main question: “What is life ?!”, and everyone understood that they had to quickly grab the remaining sweets, because the father would fight, break the rest of the glass and swear. The next day, Levontikha again ran around the neighbors, borrowed money, potatoes, flour … That's itLevontievsky "eagles" the main character and went to pick strawberries. Collected for a long time, diligently, quietly. Suddenly there was a fuss and screams: the elder saw that the younger ones were picking berries not in a bowl, but right in their mouths. A fight started. But after an unequal battle, the older brother became depressed and drooped. He began to collect the scattered delicacy, and in spite of everyone - into his mouth, into his mouth … After unsuccessful efforts for the home, for the family, the carefree children ran to the river to splash. It was then that they noticed that our hero of strawberries had a full tuesok. Without thinking twice, they knocked out his "income" to eat. Trying to prove that he is not a greedy man and is not afraid of Grandma Petrovna, the boy dumps his "prey". The berries disappeared in an instant. He got nothing at all, a couple of pieces, and those are green.

The day was fun and interesting. And the berries were forgotten, and the promise given to Katerina Petrovna. Yes, and a horse with a pink mane completely flew out of my head. Evening came. And it's time to return home. Sadness. Yearning. How to be? Sanka suggested a way out: fill the tuesok with grass, and sprinkle a handful of red berries on top. So he did, and came home with a "trick"

Katerina Petrovna did not notice the catch. She praised her grandson, gave him something to eat, and decided not to pour the berries, but to take him to the market early in the morning. The trouble went nearby, but nothing happened, and the main character with a light heart went for a walk on the street. But he could not stand it and boasted of unprecedented luck. The cunning Sanka realized what was for what, and demanded one roll for silence. I had to sneak into the pantry and bring one roll, then another, and another until it“got drunk.”

The night was restless. There was no sleep. Andel's peace did not condescend to the soul. So I wanted to go and tell everything, everything: about the berries, and about the Levontievsky guys, and about the rolls … But my grandmother quickly fell asleep. I decided to get up early, and before her departure to repent of his deed. But overslept. In the morning in an empty hut it became even more unbearable. I wandered about, wandered around doing nothing, and decided to go back to the Levontievskys, and they all went fishing together. In the midst of a bite, he sees a boat emerging from around the corner. In it, among others, sits a grandmother. Seeing her, the boy grabbed his fishing rods and rushed to run. "Stop! … Stop, swindler! … Hold him!" she screamed, but he was already far away.

Aunt Fenya brought him home late in the evening. He quickly made his way into the cold pantry, buried himself and fell silent, listening. The night fell, the barking of dogs was heard in the distance, the voices of young people who gather after work, sing and dance. But Grandma didn't come. It became quite quiet, cold and dreary. I remembered how my mother also went to the city to sell berries, and one day the overloaded boat capsized, she hit her head and drowned. Long searched for her. Grandmother spent several days near the river, throwing bread into the water to soften the river, to appease the Lord…

Woke up the boy from the bright sunlight that made its way through the muddy dirty pantry windows. Grandfather's old sheepskin coat was thrown over him, and his heart pounded with joy - grandfather had arrived, he would definitely take pity on him, would not let him be offended. I heard the voice of Ekaterina Petrovna. She told someone abouttricks of the grandson. She needed to speak out and ease her heart. Here the grandfather came in, grinned, winked, ordered to go and ask for forgiveness - after all, it was impossible otherwise. Shameful and scary… And suddenly he saw a sugar-white "horse with a pink mane" galloping "on the scraped kitchen table"…

Since then, a lot of water has flown under the bridge. Neither grandma nor grandpa has been around for a long time. And the main character himself has grown up a long time ago, his own "life is declining". But he will never forget that day. A horse with a pink mane will forever remain in his heart…