M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin
Name: The story of how one man fed two generals
Genre: Tale
Duration: 8min 45sec
Annotation:
Two generals, having retired, lived in St. Petersburg. One day they woke up under the same blanket on a desert island. And they can't do anything on their own. To pick fruit from a tree, you need to climb a tree, and generals are not trained in this. The forest is full of game, the river is full of fish. Only the generals understand that they will have to die of hunger, since they do not know how to do anything and are not able to get their own food.
It is hard for the generals, they are already ready to eat each other from hunger. And so they began to dream how good it would be to find a man. And the dream came true. They found a man sleeping under a tree. With all the severity of a general, they forced the peasant to get food for them, to cook. It got to the point that he made a boat for them, on which all three of them sailed to Petersburg.
In St. Petersburg, they received a lot of money that had accumulated during their absence. And they began a well-fed and good life. And they sent the peasant a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver.
M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin - The story of how one man fed two generals. Listen to the audio summary online.
Frame from the film "How one man fed two generals" (1965)
Very briefly
Stupid helpless generals end up on a desert island, but even there they manage to find a man and force him to serve them. He dutifully gets food, builds a ship and takes them back to Petersburg.
There were two generals. They were born, grew up and served all their lives in some kind of registry, so they were very stupid and of all the words they knew only: "accept the assurance of my perfect respect and devotion."
The registry was abolished, the generals were retired, and they settled in St. Petersburg, in different apartments in the same house. Each had a cook and a decent pension. So the generals enjoyed life until, at the behest of a pike, they ended up on a desert island.
They woke up under the same blanket, both in nightgowns, and each had an order hanging around his neck. When the generals realized what had happened to them, they were very frightened, burst into tears, and then got hungry.
One general suggested that they disperse to the east and west and look for food, but as the generals did not try, they could not determine where the east was and where the west was. Then the second general, who once served as a calligraphy teacher at a school for soldiers' sons and was a little smarter than his comrade, suggested going right and left.
So the generals did. They saw that there were many fruit trees on the island, the rivers were full of fish, and the forests were full of game, but the generals could not get to all this food.
Who would have thought, Your Excellency, that human food, in its original form, flies, swims and grows on trees?
They got only the old issue of the Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper.
They met at the old place and went to bed under the covers, but they could not sleep from hunger. They began to remember the fruits and grouse they had seen on the island, and they were so hungry that they rushed at each other with a growl. Stopped them only the sight of flowing blood.
The generals tried to distract each other with a conversation, but all their conversations came down to food. Then they began to read the Moskovskie Vedomosti, but only feasts and ceremonial dinners were described in detail there.
The generals became discouraged, and then it dawned on the one who served as a calligraphy teacher: we need to find a peasant who will definitely feed them. It is known that men are everywhere, you just need to look well. The generals set off in search and found a huge man who slept under a tree and shied away from work.
The generals were indignant, woke up the peasant and clung to him so that he could not escape. The peasant saw that the generals had caught him strict, and began to act. Narwhal sweet apples, dug up potatoes, with the help of two pieces of wood he made a fire, made a snare from his own hair and caught a hazel grouse. Finally, he prepared so much food that the generals even thought about giving a little to the parasite.
The generals looked at these peasant efforts, and their hearts played merrily. They have already forgotten that yesterday they almost died of hunger, but they thought: this is how good it is to be generals - you won’t get lost anywhere!
The generals ordered the peasant to twist a rope and tied him by the leg to a tree so that he would not run away.
Several days have passed. The peasant got so good at looking after the generals that he began to cook soup in a handful of them. The generals became cheerful, fat and well-fed, they were glad that they live here on everything ready, and in St. Petersburg their pensions are accumulating. Now they freely discussed philosophical topics and calmly read in Moskovskie Vedomosti as "they ate in Moscow, ate in Tula, ate in Penza, ate in Ryazan."
Soon the generals missed their cooks and uniforms with gold embroidery and began to force the peasant to take them home. It turned out that the peasant knew the street where the generals lived, he painted the roofs and walls of houses there. The peasant decided to please the generals “for the fact that they favored him, the parasite, and did not disdain his peasant labor,” and deliver them to Petersburg.
He built a vessel on which it was possible to cross the ocean-sea, covered the bottom with swan down, laid the generals on it and swam. On the way, the generals ate herring and suffered fear "from storms and from different winds."
Finally, we reached Petersburg. The cooks were delighted to see their generals so cheerful, white and loose. The generals put on uniforms, went to the treasury and raked in a lot of money. They didn’t forget about the peasant either, “they sent him a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver: have fun, man.”
THE TALE OF HOW ONE MAN FEED TWO GENERALS
Two generals found themselves on a desert island. “The generals served all their lives in some kind of registry; there they were born, brought up and grew old, therefore, they did not understand anything. They didn’t even know any words, except: “Receive the assurance of my perfect respect and devotion.” They got to the island dressed in nightgowns, and around their necks - according to the order. One of the generals is smarter than the other - he served in the school of military cantonists as a teacher of calligraphy. But even he cannot determine the cardinal directions in order to get around the island. Around them there is a lot of different food: apples, fish in the stream, game and hares in the forest, but the generals themselves do not
can get. They find the Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper. Unfortunately, all the articles in the newspaper are devoted to dinner parties. The generals are very hungry, and from hunger they attack each other. One bites off the order of a comrade and eats it. The sight of blood brought the generals to their senses. The smarter general suggests a way out: you need to find a man who would take care of them.
“For a long time they wandered around the island without any success, but at last the sharp smell of chaff bread and sour sheepskin brought them to the trail. Under a tree, with his belly up and his fist under his head, a huge man was sleeping and in the most insolent way shied away from work. There was no limit to the indignation of the generals. The man starts working for the generals. “First of all, he climbed a tree and picked the generals ten of the most ripe apples, and took one, sour, for himself. Then he dug in the ground - and got potatoes from there; then he took two pieces of wood, rubbed them against each other - and took out the fire. Then he made a snare out of his own hair and caught a hazel grouse. Finally, he lit a fire and baked so many different provisions that it even occurred to the generals: “Shouldn’t we give the parasite a piece?” ”The peasant asks the generals for a rest and they allow him, but first the peasant must twist the rope and tie himself up so that he does not run away . A day later, a man knows how to cook soup in a handful.
The generals are full and satisfied, in St. Petersburg they are getting a big pension. They talk about the Babylonian pandemonium, read Moskovskiye Vedomosti without stomach cramps. But after a while the generals demand that the peasant deliver them to Petersburg. A man builds a ship, the bottom of which is covered with swan down, and they set off. “How much fear the generals gained during the journey from storms and from different winds, how much they scolded the man for his parasitism - this cannot be described with a pen, nor in a fairy tale. And the peasant rows and rows and feeds the generals with herrings. Generals arrive in St. Petersburg, drink coffee, put on uniforms, and receive huge pensions. “However, the peasant was not forgotten either; they sent him a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver: have fun, man!
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The story "How a peasant fed two generals" was written in 1869. For better preparation for the literature lesson, we recommend reading the summary “How a man fed two generals” on our website. This is one of the best satirical works in Russian literature, which ridicules the vices of society: social inequality, injustice, abuse of power.
The main characters of the story
Main characters:
- A man is an intelligent, dexterous, hardworking, but naive man who is not aware of his true strength.
Other characters:
- Two generals are stupid, narrow-minded, greedy and completely useless gentlemen for society.
“How a man fed two generals” in abbreviation
“How a man fed two generals” summary for a reader's diary:
This work tells about how two generals, accustomed to living without worries and not knowing how to do anything, ended up on a desert island. Hunger overcame them, they began to look for food, but since they were not adapted to work, they did not get anything to eat.
One of them suddenly remembered that it was possible to find a peasant peasant to arrange a delicious treat for them. The man was found and immediately fed them and began to work for them. The generals ordered that the breadwinner take them home.
After the peasant delivered the generals home, he was immediately awarded a silver nickel and a glass of vodka.
Conclusion:
A fairy tale teaches the right relationship between people. You can not humiliate and take advantage of others, you should respect and appreciate those who provide assistance in difficult life situations.
This is interesting: In 1870, after a series of publications of individual chapters, the work of M. Saltykov-Shchedrin "The History of a City" was published. After reading in a summary of the chapters, you will get acquainted with the most important moments of the work, clearly demonstrating the satirical orientation of the story.
A short retelling of "How a man fed two generals"
Two frivolous retired generals found themselves on a desert island. “The generals served all their lives in some kind of registry; there they were born, brought up and grew old, therefore, they did not understand anything. They didn’t even know any words, except: “Receive the assurance of my perfect respect and devotion.” Once the generals woke up - lo and behold, they were lying on the shore and there was nothing on either one or the other, except for a nightgown and orders around their necks.
The general who served as a calligraphy teacher was a little smarter than the other one. He suggests walking around the island and looking for food. But where to go? The generals cannot determine which is west and which is east. The island is abundant, everything is there, but the generals are tormented by hunger, but they cannot get anything. They only find Moskovskie Vedomosti, where, unfortunately, sumptuous dinners are described. From hunger, the generals almost eat each other.
A former calligraphy teacher came up with an idea: we need to find a man who will take care of them. “For a long time they wandered around the island without any success, but at last the sharp smell of chaff bread and sour sheepskin brought them on the trail.” They look, a lazy man is sleeping under a tree. He saw the generals, wanted to run, but they tightly clung to him.
The peasant begins to work: he plucked ten ripe apples for the generals, and took one sour apple for himself; dug in the ground and got potatoes; rubbed two pieces of wood against each other - and got fire; made a snare from his own hair - and caught a hazel grouse. And he prepared so much food that the generals even thought about giving the “parasite” a piece?
Before lying down to rest, the peasant, on the orders of the generals, twists a rope, and they tie him to a tree so that he does not run away. Two days later, the peasant got so good at it that he “began to cook soup even in a handful.” The generals are full and satisfied, while their pensions are accumulating in St. Petersburg. The generals are sitting and reading the Moskovskie Vedomosti.
But here they are bored. The peasant built a boat, covered its bottom with swan down, laid the generals down and, crossing himself, swam. “How much fear the generals gained during the journey from storms and different winds, how much they scolded the man for his parasitism - that cannot be described with a pen, nor in a fairy tale.”
But finally, Petersburg. “The cooks threw up their hands, seeing what kind of generals they had become well-fed, white and cheerful! The generals drank coffee, ate buns, went to the treasury and got a lot of money. However, the peasant was not forgotten either; they sent him a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver: have fun, man!
Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote another satirical tale, The Eagle-Maecenas, in 1884. In it, in an allegorical form, he ridiculed the negative phenomena of Russian society. We recommend reading for the reader's diary in order to better prepare for the literature lesson. The author denounces the imaginary, stupid educational activities of the upper strata of society.
The plot of the story "How a man fed two generals"
“How a man fed two generals” Saltykov-Shchedrin summary of the work:
Once two frivolous generals "find themselves on a desert island." They spent their whole lives "in some kind of registry", which means they did not understand anything.
The generals were confused, and in search of food they decided to explore the island. They found many trees with ripe fruits, a full-flowing river with fish, an abundance of game in the forest. But none of the generals was able to get food, and both returned "to the appointed place empty-handed." They were discouraged by the fact that the usual food, it turns out, in its original form "flies, swims and grows on trees."
Hunger began to torment the generals more and more, who were so "frantic" that they almost ate each other. In order to somehow distract themselves, they began to read “the old issue of Moskovskie Vedomosti, which they found on the island, but even there all the articles were devoted to dinner parties and dinners with a list of gourmet dishes.
The most intelligent of the generals, a former calligraphy teacher, offered to find a man who would take care of them. Wandering around the island, they stumbled upon a huge kid sleeping under a tree, who "shifted from work in the most impudent way." Seeing the generals in front of him, he wanted to give a tear, but they tightly clung to him.
The peasant deftly set to work: he picked apples, gathered potatoes, caught a hazel grouse, kindled a fire and prepared a variety of food. The generals looked tenderly at his efforts and thought: "That's how good it is to be generals - you won't get lost anywhere!" Then they ordered the peasant to twist a rope with which they tied him to a tree.
Thanks to the efforts of the peasant, life on the island seemed like a sweet dream for the generals. But after a while, missing the capital, they forced the peasant to build a boat and take them to St. Petersburg. The latter brilliantly coped with the task, but all the way he heard only curses from the masters.
Having rested at home, the generals first of all went to the treasury to receive the entire pension that had accumulated during their absence, and then sent the peasant "a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver: have fun, man!"
Conclusion:
In a satirical tale, Saltykov-Shchedrin clearly showed how the "generals", who despise the "muzhiks", are absolutely helpless without them and in themselves are of no value.
"The Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals" Saltykov-Shchedrin
Two frivolous retired generals found themselves on a desert island. “The generals served all their lives in some kind of registry; there they were born, brought up and grew old, therefore, they did not understand anything. They didn’t even know any words, except: “Receive the assurance of my perfect respect and devotion.”
One day the generals woke up - lo and behold, they were lying on the shore and there was nothing on either one or the other, except for a nightgown and orders around their necks. The general who served as a calligraphy teacher was a little smarter than the other one. He suggests walking around the island and looking for food. But where to go?
The generals cannot determine which is west and which is east. The island is abundant, there is everything, but the generals are tormented by hunger, but they cannot get anything. They only find Moskovskiye Vedomosti, where, as luck would have it, sumptuous dinners are described. From hunger, the generals almost eat each other. A former calligraphy teacher came up with an idea: we need to find a man who will take care of them. “For a long time they wandered around the island without any success, but at last the sharp smell of chaff bread and sour sheepskin brought them to the trail.”
They look, a lazy man is sleeping under a tree. He saw the generals, wanted to run, but they tightly clung to him. The peasant begins to work: he plucked ten ripe apples for the generals, and took one sour apple for himself; dug in the ground and got potatoes; rubbed two pieces of wood against each other - and got fire; made a snare from his own hair - and caught a hazel grouse. And he prepared so much food that the generals even thought about giving the “parasite” a piece?
Before lying down to rest, the peasant, on the orders of the generals, weaves a rope, and they tie him to a tree so that he does not run away. Two days later, the peasant got so good at it that he “began to cook soup even in a handful.” The generals are full and satisfied, while their pensions are accumulating in St. Petersburg.
The generals are sitting and reading the Moskovskie Vedomosti. But here they are bored. The peasant built a boat, covered its bottom with swan's down, laid the generals down and, crossing himself, swam away. “How much fear the generals gained during the journey from storms and different winds, how much they scolded the man for his parasitism - that cannot be described with a pen, nor in a fairy tale.” But finally, Petersburg. “The cooks threw up their hands, seeing what kind of generals they had become well-fed, white and cheerful! The generals drank coffee, ate buns, went to the treasury and got a lot of money. However, the peasant was not forgotten either; they sent him a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver: have fun, man!”