There lived two peasant brothers: one rich and the other poor. For many years the rich lent money to the poor, but he remained just as poor. One day a poor man came to ask a rich man for a horse to bring firewood. He reluctantly gave the horse. Then the poor man began to ask for a collar. But the brother got angry and didn’t give me the clamp.
There is nothing to do - the poor man tied his logs to the horse's tail. When he was carrying firewood home, he forgot to open the gateway, and the horse, driving through the gate, tore off its tail.
A poor man brought his brother a horse without a tail. But he didn’t take the horse, but went to the city to see Judge Shemyaka to attack his brother. The poor man followed him, knowing that he would still be forced to appear in court.
They reached one village. The rich man stayed with his friend, the village priest. The poor man came to the same priest and lay down on the floor. The rich man and the priest sat down to eat, but the poor man was not invited. He watched from the floor what they were eating, fell, fell on the cradle and crushed the child. The priest also went to the city to complain about the poor man.
They were passing through the bridge. And below, along the ditch, one man was taking his father to the bathhouse. The poor man, foreseeing his death, decided to commit suicide. He threw himself off the bridge, fell on the old man and killed him. He was caught and brought before a judge. The poor man wondered what he should give to the judge... He took a stone, wrapped it in a cloth and stood in front of the judge.
After listening to the rich brother's complaint, Judge Shemyaka ordered the poor brother to answer. He showed the judge the wrapped stone. Shemyaka decided: let the poor man not give the horse to the rich man until it grows a new tail.
Then he brought the petition priest. And the poor man again showed the stone. The judge decided: let the priest give the priest his priest until he “gets” a new child.
Then the son began to complain, whose father had been run over by the poor man. The poor man again showed the stone to the judge. The judge decided: let the plaintiff kill the poor man in the same way, that is, throw himself at him from the bridge.
After the trial, the rich man began to ask the poor man for a horse, but he refused to give it, citing the judge's decision. The rich man gave him five rubles so that he could give away the horse without the tail.
Then the poor man, by a judge's decision, began to demand the priest's butt. The priest gave him ten rubles, just so that he would not take the hit.
Bedny suggested that the third plaintiff comply with the judge's decision. But he, on reflection, did not want to throw himself at him from the bridge, but began to make peace and also gave the poor man a bribe.
And the judge sent his man to the defendant to ask about the three bundles that the poor man showed to the judge. The poor man pulled out the stone. Shemyakin's servant was surprised and asked what kind of stone it was. The defendant explained that if the judge had not judged by him, he would have hurt him with this stone.
Having learned about the danger that threatened him, the judge was very glad that he had judged this way. And the poor man went home rejoicing.
Summary of the book
Reading time: ~4 min.
There lived two peasant brothers: one rich and the other poor. For many years the rich lent money to the poor, but he remained just as poor. One day a poor man came to ask a rich man for a horse to bring firewood. He reluctantly gave the horse. Then the poor man began to ask for a collar. But the brother got angry and didn’t give me the clamp.
There is nothing to do - the poor man tied his logs to the horse's tail. When he was carrying firewood home, he forgot to open the gateway, and the horse, driving through the gate, tore off its tail.
A poor man brought his brother a horse without a tail. But he didn’t take the horse, but went to the city to see Judge Shemyaka to attack his brother. The poor man followed him, knowing that he would still be forced to appear in court.
They reached one village. The rich man stayed with his friend, the village priest. The poor man came to the same priest and lay down on the floor. The rich man and the priest sat down to eat, but the poor man was not invited. He watched from the floor what they were eating, fell, fell on the cradle and crushed the child. The priest also went to the city to complain about the poor man.
They were passing through the bridge. And below, along the ditch, one man was taking his father to the bathhouse. The poor man, foreseeing his death, decided to commit suicide. He threw himself off the bridge, fell on the old man and killed him. He was caught and brought before a judge. The poor man wondered what he should give to the judge... He took a stone, wrapped it in a cloth and stood in front of the judge.
After listening to the rich brother's complaint, Judge Shemyaka ordered the poor brother to answer. He showed the judge the wrapped stone. Shemyaka decided: let the poor man not give the horse to the rich man until it grows a new tail.
Then he brought the petition priest. And the poor man again showed the stone. The judge decided: let the priest give the priest his priest until he “gets” a new child.
Then the son began to complain, whose father had been run over by the poor man. The poor man again showed the stone to the judge. The judge decided: let the plaintiff kill the poor man in the same way, that is, throw himself at him from the bridge.
After the trial, the rich man began to ask the poor man for a horse, but he refused to give it, citing the judge's decision. The rich man gave him five rubles so that he could give away the horse without the tail.
Then the poor man, by a judge's decision, began to demand the priest's butt. The priest gave him ten rubles, just so that he would not take the hit.
Bedny suggested that the third plaintiff comply with the judge's decision. But he, on reflection, did not want to throw himself at him from the bridge, but began to make peace and also gave the poor man a bribe.
And the judge sent his man to the defendant to ask about the three bundles that the poor man showed to the judge. The poor man pulled out the stone. Shemyakin's servant was surprised and asked what kind of stone it was. The defendant explained that if the judge had not judged by him, he would have hurt him with this stone.
Having learned about the danger that threatened him, the judge was very glad that he had judged this way. And the poor man went home rejoicing. Retold by O. V. Butkova
“The Shemyakin Court” is a fairy-tale story in which the corruption of the court and all those in power is shown in a satirical manner.
Summary of “Shemyakin Court” for a reader’s diary
Name: Shemyakin court
Number of pages: 6. “Russian democratic satire of the 17th century.” Publishing house "AS USSR". 1954
Genre: Fairy Tale
Year of writing: XVII century
Time and place of the plot
The action of the satirical fairy tale takes place in Russia, approximately in the 17th century.
Main characters
Poor brother - a man tired of poverty, desperate, having lost all hope for a better life.
The rich brother is a greedy, stingy, calculating man, a wealthy peasant.
Pop is an acquaintance of a rich man, arrogant and arrogant.
Man (third plaintiff)- a random person whose father died under the weight of a poor man.
Plot
There lived two peasant brothers: a rich one and a poor one. The rich peasant lent money to his poor brother for many years, but he could not overcome his need. One day a poor man came to his brother asking him to give him a horse to bring firewood from the forest. The rich man reluctantly agreed, but when his brother asked him for the collar, he got angry and refused the request.
The poor man sighed bitterly and tied the wood to the horse's tail. When he took the firewood home, he forgot to put out the gateway, and the horse’s tail came off. There was nothing to do, and the poor man brought his brother a horse without a tail. Seeing such disgrace, the rich man became angry and went to the city to complain about his brother to Judge Shemyaka. The poor man trudged after him, knowing full well that he would still have to go to court.
The brothers reached a village, and the rich man stopped with his good friend, the village priest. They sat down at the table to have dinner, and the poor man lay down on the bed hungry. He looked at his brother and priest as they devoured dinner, and fell onto the cradle in which he slept small child. The poor man crushed the priest's son to death, and he also went to the city to complain about him.
Passing across the bridge, the poor man decided to end his bitter life and jumped down. He fell on a sick old man, whom his son was taking on a sleigh to the bathhouse, and accidentally killed him. The victim also went to see Judge Shemyaka.
At the trial, the poor man showed the judge a stone wrapped in a scarf. He decided that this was a substantial bribe and handled the matter as he saw fit. He told the poor man to keep his brother’s horse until it grew a tail.
Hearing the priest’s complaint, Shemyaka, flattered by the poor man’s substantial “bribe,” decided to give the priest his priest until she had a child.
When the son of the deceased old man began to complain, the judge decided so - let the plaintiff kill the poor man in the same way, that is, throw himself at him from the bridge.
So the rich man and the priest had to pay extra to the poor man so that he would refuse to carry out the judge’s decisions and return to everyone what was due: the horse to the brother, and the priest to the legal spouse. The third plaintiff also did not want to jump from the bridge, and paid compensation to the poor man.
Meanwhile, Shemyaka sent his man to the poor man so that he would give him the promised bribe. In response, the poor man showed a stone wrapped in a scarf and explained that if the judge had made a decision not in his favor, he would have bruised him with this stone.
Having learned about this, Shemyaka was very happy that he had gotten out of a difficult situation so cleverly, and the satisfied poor man went home.
Conclusion and your opinion
The work is unique, first of all, in that it does not contain exclusively positive or negative characters. Each of them had his own truth, and Judge Shemyaka cleverly took advantage of this. He twisted history for his own selfish purposes, and only by a fortunate coincidence of circumstances did his decisions turn out to be acceptable to all the heroes.
Main idea
People in power can interpret the truth as they see fit.
Author's aphorisms
“...I lent you a lot, but I couldn’t fix you...”
“...And so and so, and you don’t have your own clamp...”
“...Shemyaka, having listened to the petition, says to the poor: “Answer!”...
“...According to the judge’s decree, as he says, her tail will grow, at that time I will give up your horse..”
“...I thank and praise God for judging by him. If I hadn’t judged by him, he would have killed me...”
Interpretation of unclear words
Clamp- the main part of the harness worn around the horse's neck.
Drovni- peasants. sleigh without a body.
Gateway- space, gap between the gate and the ground.
Chelo- forehead.
Petition- in Russia, until the third quarter of the 18th century, an individual or collective written petition, in which they were “beaten with the forehead.”
Polati- a couch placed between the wall of the hut and the Russian stove.
Bribe- payment, reward, bribe.
New words
Whip- a type of impact weapon, the main element of which is a long braided belt made of rawhide, initially with a knot at the end.
Pop- Orthodox priest.
Popadya- wife of a priest.
Plaintiff– a person in defense of whose rights a lawsuit has been initiated.
Defendant- a person held accountable by the court for the claim made by the plaintiff.
Reader's diary rating
Average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 17.
Year of writing: 17th century
Genre of the work: story
Main characters: Shemyaka- judge, brothers- peasants.
Plot
Two brothers lived in the village, a poor one and a rich one. The poor man needed a horse to transport firewood. He turned to his rich brother for help. He gave it, but without a collar. The sleigh had to be tied to the tail. But having forgotten to install a gateway, the poor man left the animal without a tail. The rich man went to the judge, his brother followed him, realizing that he would be summoned anyway. On the way to the city, the travelers stopped for the night with the priest. A poor man fell from his bed and killed a child. And while trying to commit suicide, he fell on an elderly man and he also died. In response to the accusations, the poor man shows Shemyaka a wrapped stone. The judge thinks it's a bribe. He sentenced the horse to stay with the poor man until the tail grows back, to make a new child with the butt, and the old man’s son can take revenge by falling on him in the same way. The plaintiffs give money to the defendant in order not to carry out the verdict. And the judge, having learned that there was a stone in the package, thanks God for salvation.
Conclusion (my opinion)
The story is satirical. Reveals the deceit and dishonesty of judges. The plaintiffs are doing wrong by dragging an innocent person to trial. Although he certainly deserves punishment, he has no evil intent in his heart. The events described could have been avoided if the rich man had not been greedy with his collar.
Reads in 3 minutes
“The judge thought the scroll was full of rubles.” Illustration by R. de Rosciszewski
There lived two peasant brothers: one rich and the other poor. For many years the rich lent money to the poor, but he remained just as poor. One day a poor man came to ask a rich man for a horse to bring firewood. He reluctantly gave the horse. Then the poor man began to ask for a collar. But the brother got angry and didn’t give me the clamp.
There is nothing to do - the poor man tied his logs to the horse's tail. When he was carrying firewood home, he forgot to open the gateway, and the horse, driving through the gate, tore off its tail.
A poor man brought his brother a horse without a tail. But he didn’t take the horse, but went to the city to see Judge Shemyaka to attack his brother. The poor man followed him, knowing that he would still be forced to appear in court.
They reached one village. The rich man stayed with his friend, the village priest. The poor man came to the same priest and lay down on the floor. The rich man and the priest sat down to eat, but the poor man was not invited. He watched from the floor what they were eating, fell, fell on the cradle and crushed the child. The priest also went to the city to complain about the poor man.
They were passing through the bridge. And below, along the ditch, one man was taking his father to the bathhouse. The poor man, foreseeing his death, decided to commit suicide. He threw himself off the bridge, fell on the old man and killed him. He was caught and brought before a judge. The poor man wondered what he should give to the judge... He took a stone, wrapped it in a cloth and stood in front of the judge.
After listening to the rich brother's complaint, Judge Shemyaka ordered the poor brother to answer. He showed the judge the wrapped stone. Shemyaka decided: let the poor man not give the horse to the rich man until it grows a new tail.
Then he brought the petition priest. And the poor man again showed the stone. The judge decided: let the priest give the priest his priest until he “gets” a new child.
Then the son began to complain, whose father had been run over by the poor man. The poor man again showed the stone to the judge. The judge decided: let the plaintiff kill the poor man in the same way, that is, throw himself at him from the bridge.
After the trial, the rich man began to ask the poor man for a horse, but he refused to give it, citing the judge's decision. The rich man gave him five rubles so that he could give away the horse without the tail.
Then the poor man, by a judge's decision, began to demand the priest's butt. The priest gave him ten rubles, just so that he would not take the hit.
Bedny suggested that the third plaintiff comply with the judge's decision. But he, on reflection, did not want to throw himself at him from the bridge, but began to make peace and also gave the poor man a bribe.
And the judge sent his man to the defendant to ask about the three bundles that the poor man showed to the judge. The poor man pulled out the stone. Shemyakin's servant was surprised and asked what kind of stone it was. The defendant explained that if the judge had not judged by him, he would have hurt him with this stone.
Having learned about the danger that threatened him, the judge was very glad that he had judged this way. And the poor man went home rejoicing.
Retold
