“Black Chicken, or Underground inhabitants” of Pogorelsky in brief
About forty years ago, in St. Petersburg on Vasilevsky Island, there lived a male housekeeper.
Among the thirty or forty children who studied in that boarding house, there was one boy named Alesha, who then was no more than 9 or 10 years old. His parents, who lived far from St. Petersburg, two years before, brought him to the capital, returned to the boarding house and returned home, paying the teacher an agreed fee for several years in advance. Alyosha was a smart, smart boy, he studied well, and everyone loved and caressed him.
The days of learning for him passed quickly and pleasantly, but when the Sabbath came and all his comrades rushed home to their relatives, then Alyosha bitterly felt his loneliness. Alyosha fed the chickens who lived near the fence in a specially built house for them and played and ran all day in the yard. Especially loved the black crested, called Chernushkoy. Chernushka was kind to him.
One day the cook was catching a chicken for the holiday,
After the holiday I went to bed, almost fell asleep, but I heard someone calling him. Chernushka came to him and said in a human voice: follow me, I’ll show you something pretty. Get dressed soon! And he followed her bravely. From her eyes came out like rays that illuminated everything around them, although not as bright as small candles. They passed through the front.
“The door is locked with a key,” said Alyosha; But the hen did not answer him: she slapped her wings, and the door opened itself.
Then, having passed through the passage, they turned to the rooms where the old Dutch women lived. Alyosha had never been to see them. The hen again clapped its wings, and the door to the old woman’s rooms opened. They went into the second room, and Alyosha saw a gray parrot in a golden cage. Chernushka said nothing to touch.
Passing by the cat, Alyosha asked her paws… Suddenly she burst out loud, the parrot swelled and began
Suddenly they entered the hall. On both sides hung knights in the shining armor on the walls. Chernushka walked ahead on tiptoe and Alyosha ordered to follow her quietly – quietly… At the end of the hall was a large door. Only they approached her, as two knights jumped off the walls and rushed to the black chicken. Chernushka picked up the crest, spread its wings and suddenly became big, bigger, higher than the knights, and began to fight with them! Knights strongly attacked her, and she defended herself with her wings and nose. Alyosha became terrified, his heart trembled violently, and he fainted.
The next night Chernushka came again. Again they went, but this time Alyosha did not touch anything.
They entered the other hall. Chernushka was gone. There were many small people, no more than half a yard tall, dressed in colorful dresses. They did not notice Alyosha. Then the king entered. For the fact that Alyosha saved his minister, Alyosha now knew the lesson, not teaching. The king gave him a hemp seed. They asked me not to tell anyone about them.
Classes began, and Alyosha knew any lesson. Chernushka did not come. Alyosha was at first ashamed, and then used.
Besides, Alyosha became a terrible sham. One day the teacher, not knowing what to do with him, asked him to memorize pages twenty to another morning and hoped that he would at least be more at that day. But Alyosha on that day deliberately naughty the more ordinary. The next day I could not say a word, because there was no sunflower seeds. He was taken to the bedroom and told to learn the lesson. But for dinner Alyosha did not yet know the lesson. He was left there again. Toward night Chernushka appeared and returned the grain to him, but asked to be reformed.
The next day I answered the lesson. The teacher asked when Alyosha learned the lesson. Alyosha was at a loss, he was ordered to bring rods. Teacher said that he will not flog if Alyosha says, when he learned the lesson. And Alyosha told everything, forgetting about the promise given to the underground king and his minister. The teacher did not believe, and Alyosha was carved.
Chernushka came to say goodbye. She was chained. She said that people now have to move far. She asked Alyosha once again to improve.
The minister shook Alyosha’s hand and disappeared into the next bed. The next day Alyosha had a fever in the morning. A week after six Alyosha recovered and tried to be obedient, kind, modest and diligent. Everyone loved him again and began to caress him, and he became an example for his comrades, although he could not memorize twenty printed pages by heart, which, incidentally, he was not asked.
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