Russian folk tale "Porridge from an ax": animation version and variations of plot interpretations

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

A fairy tale is one of the forms of expression of folk wisdom. Simple and entertaining in its function, at first glance, it often reveals the roots of ancient sacred knowledge that allows you to control the laws of this world. Consider the specifics of this genre on the example of one of the everyday fairy tales.

Folk tale "Porridge from an ax"

Unlike other types of fairy-tale genre, the action of a household fairy tale unfolds in an environment that is close in its description to ordinary life. So, the Russian folk tale "Porridge from an ax" tells about a soldier returning home from service, who managed to deceive a greedy old woman who hid everything edible from him.

The unabashed serviceman suggested to my grandmother to cook porridge from what we have - from an ax. She was so surprised that she couldn't find an answer. As the dish was being prepared, the old woman's interest in the future dish grew, and the soldier, who was seriously carried away by the cooking process, was always missing something for taste. So the grandmother handed over all her supplies: s alt, cereals, butter.

The porridge was a success, but the ax was not cooked enough. But the soldierpromised to bring it to readiness at the next h alt. Greed was exposed, and the soldier not only got what he wanted (he ate for free), but also took an ax with him.

Adapted from the plot of the cartoon "Tale Machines: Ax Porridge"

The creators of the popular cartoon about Masha and the Bear remade the fairy tale story in accordance with the fashion trends of our time. In it, telling a fairy tale, Masha teaches children to eat right.

In the series of animated films "Machines of a Fairy Tale", porridge from an ax is prepared by a soldier for Baba Yaga, who is not that greedy, she just hasn't eaten for a long time. Therefore, she can not wait to roast the servant in the oven. But he insists on a delay, offering to cook porridge from an ax first. Further, the action develops according to a familiar scenario, only with an unexpected ending. After eating porridge, Baba Yaga becomes kinder and asks the soldier for a recipe for his dish. Hence the moral: "A person, if he eats right, then immediately becomes kinder."

The tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it

What other conclusions - besides the obvious ones that a kind person is a well-fed person, and that intelligence will help find a way out of any situation - can the fairy tale "Porridge from an ax" make? Her hidden lesson, relevant at all times, can be expressed as follows: if there was an ax, the porridge would be cooked.

The goodie manages to achieve his goal (cook porridge/satiate his hunger) without having any objective means to do so. The soldier is quite seriously trying to weld an ax, which, from the standpoint of common sense, is completelyimpossible. In this sense, the fairy tale "Porridge from an ax" is close to the Italian proverb: "You fry, fry, but there will be fish!" If the goal seems unattainable due to lack of funds, cast aside all doubts and work with what you have, adjusting your actions to the desired result.

In general, a fairy tale, as a special genre of oral folk art, once again proved its uniqueness. What other work of literature can capture such profound content in such a simple form?