Filial duty brief. Filial duty ()

The lesson “The roads we choose (based on the stories of Irina Kuramshina “Filial Duty” and “Stopping at Samotek”)” is intended for study in upper grades and can be used in preparing graduates for the final essay

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The roads we choose (based on the stories of Irina Kuramshina “Filial Duty” and “Stop at Samotek”)

A lesson in preparation for the final essay on literature.

The lesson was developed by Railya Ilgizovna Khakimova,

teacher at MBOU "Gymnasium No. 125"

Sovetsky district

Kazan

Target: prepare students to write an exam essay.

Tasks:

1) improve students’ monologue speech, skills in working with literary text, and independent work skills;

2) develop analysis skills;

3) teach to appreciate the moral principles inherent in works;

4) Improve skills in working on plans for essays;

remember the structure of an essay

Learning Tools:text of Irina Kuramshina’s stories “Filial Duty” and “Stop at Samotek”, presentation, cards.

Lesson progress

The teacher reads a poem.

Everyone chooses for themselves

- Guys, what is the poem about?

(Suggested answer: about a person’s moral choice, about the choice of a life path)

And now I have a request for you: stand up, 3 people.

Why did you decide to stand up?

Why did you decide not to get up?

What feeling, what emotion did you experience at that moment when you heard my question? (Suggested answers: confusion, interest, bewilderment, worry).

Now each of you has made a choice. This moment is unique, since the second of making a decision is surprising in that there is always a certain tension in a person, it is very difficult: to take and choose.

What do you think is the topic of our lesson? (Suggested answers: “human moral choice”, “difficulty of choice”, “choosing a goal in life”).

Our lesson is preparation for writing a final essay on the thematic area “The Path”. Choose the most common synonym for the word “path”. (Road). How does this concept relate to your assumptions? (Suggested answers: a person’s life, his moral choice is also a path).

1. Stage of updating previously studied material:

Let's spend"Brainstorm". Remember which other writers and poets addressed the topic of life’s path as a moral choice? (Suggested answers: A.S. Pushkin “The Captain’s Daughter”: Grinev, Shvabrin; F.M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment”: Raskolnikov, Sonya; N.S. Leskov “The Enchanted Wanderer”: Flyagin, “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk ": Katerina, Sergei; M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”: L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”: Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, A.I. Solzhenitsyn “Matrenin’s Dvor”; Rasputin “French Lessons”: Lidia Mikhailovna.)

What conclusion can we draw? (The theme of the moral path of life is one of the key ones in Russian literature. It is always relevant. You can write about this in the introduction to the essay).

1. The stage of applying a new method of action.

The teacher tells the purpose of the lesson: to prepare students to write an examination essay in the Path direction

3. The teacher's word.

The word “Path” is polysemantic and has several lexical meanings. (On the board)

Efremova T.F. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language.

Path m.
1) a) A strip of land used for movement (driving, walking); road.
b) Any place, line in space, along or within which
produced movement , message.
c) Railway ortram track .
2) a) A place through which one can or should pass or drive.
b) The distance to be walked, driven, or already covered.
c) transfer Access where, to smb.
3) a) Line of movement to smb. side, towards place (usually in advance
definite, intended); direction.
b) A certain line of movement, movement of the planets.
c) transfer Direction of activity, development of someone, something.
d) transfer Human life, its course.
4) decomposition The process of riding, moving;drive , journey.
5) a) transfer. A means, a way to achieve something.
b) Mode of action.

Based on this definition, we can indicate those topics that are related to the Path direction:

• The beginning of the journey
• Choosing a path
• Difficulties along the way
• Crossroads
• Road to nowhere
• The wrong way
• Path and fellow travelers
• Road thoughts, etc.

Today we will focus only on one of the narrow topics of this area. Lesson topic "The roads we choose"(i.e. choosing a life path). To analyze and select material for an essay, I suggest 2 stories by Irina Kuramshina, “Filial Duty” and “Stopping at Samotek.”

(Write down the topic of the lesson in your notebook.)

4. A word about the writer. (story by a trained student, portrait of the writer on the board)

Kuramshina Irina Vladimirovna (network pseudonym IRIHA).

Born in Siberia, in Irkutsk, she graduated from school in Taimyr. Now lives in Moscow. Works as an accountant in a commercial organization. “I was not seriously interested in literary creativity from my youth, I wrote poems and notes in wall newspapers at work, in local newspapers, congratulations to friends and acquaintances. A more serious attitude towards one’s own creativity came about 10 years ago, starting with keeping a diary “From the Life of My Animals.” With the advent of the Internet in my life in 2004, I settled on several literary sites, where I post my stories and poems,” Irina Kuramshina writes about herself. Regularly published (since 2005 - in almost every issue there are 2-5 stories) in the literary almanac “Country of Illumination”, published in Novokuznetsk. Publication of two stories “Love yourself” and “Appearance” in the collection “Reshetoria”, Moscow, 2006.

Publication of three stories “Appearance”, “Labor Pangs” and “Confession of a Cat” in the literary and artistic magazine “Reflection”, Gatchina, 2005.

Publication of the story “African Passions, Multiplied by Russian Temperament” in the Collection of Contemporary Literature of the Gusli Publishing House, Moscow, 2007.

Personal collection of poems “Standing at the crossroads of thoughts”, Moscow, 2006.

At home you got acquainted with I. Kuramshina’s story “Filial Duty” and “Stop at Samotech”

5. During the lesson, I ask you to fill out table

6. CONVERSATION ON THE STORY “SOLIAL DUTY”

What do you think is the main idea of ​​the story? Subject? (theme is the relationship between children and parents, the main idea is the moral choice of the son)

How is the story constructed? What two parts can the work be divided into?

(Part 1 is a description of the life of Rena and her small family, Part 2 is the son’s message that he is ready for an operation for his mother)

How do these 2 parts relate?

Part 1

RE

part 2

Find passages in the text that confirm the idea that first we see the conflict of the heroes, their confrontation

(Max appeared in the doorway, twirled his finger at his temple and stared mockingly at his mother.

Rena screamed at her son, and he silently chewed a sandwich and washed it down with tea. Indifferent and distant.)

Which Rena? Why is the phrase “Dragonfly Jumper” repeated as a refrain? Is this definition pronounced only by Maxim, or does the heroine herself feel it?

Meanings of the characters' names:

What does the name mean? Raisa ? Why did the heroine change her name? (easy, submissive, compliant, careless, boss)

What does the name mean? Maxim (greatest, biggest, greatest)

Is it possible to call the names of the characters telling? Why?

When does the nature of the characters’ relationships change?(- Mother, you, this... don’t be angry... - Maxim came up and put his hand on Rene’s shoulder. - I found your medical record. Accidentally. You know, mom, everything will be fine. I already went to your center and agreed on everything.)

Could Maxim have acted differently? (yes, I could)

How did he explain his decision?(I don't do anything supernatural. This is my duty. Understand?)

How will you write an argument for the essay “The Roads We Take” (written task for 5-7 minutes. Children read out their passages)
7. CONVERSATION ON THE STORY “STOPING BY GRAVENESS”

What mood does the reader feel at the beginning of the story? (autumn November night: the heroine “sighed sadly”, “reluctantly stepped”, November is inhospitable)

How does the mood of a chilly autumn night intensify? (at the bus stop“They huddled together like sparrows,” thought Dasha, running diagonally across the Garden Ring. “And they’re doing the right thing, look how the sail howls.”)

What are people discussing at the bus stop? (retelling of the episode “People at the Bus Stop”)

Why did Dasha rush to help an unknown patient? (I took a step because I couldn’t do otherwise.)

How does the condition of a sick old man change? What is happening to Dasha at this time?

1) The man lay with his eyes wide open and, without blinking, looked into the dark sky. (Dasha’s decision to help his grandfather)

2) that he was gasping for air, unnaturally arching his whole body. (Dasha called an ambulance)

3) He was no longer choking, lay calmly and still looked at the sky. Only now he was smiling. (Dasha was delighted and given hope that the old man would not die)

4) The old man wanted to say something else, but a spasm passed through his body. Wide open eyes stared at Dasha. Horror? A plea for help? What? What???

(Dasha is crying, trying to help in her own way: She began to rush about: now she put her bag under her grandfather’s head, now she buttoned the collar of his coat, now she simply stroked the old man’s hand. She kept saying, constantly saying, encouraging not so much the dying man, but herself:
- Just a little more. Be patient. Please. They will come. Coming soon.)

5) “God be with her,” the grandfather suddenly said clearly and clearly. – It’s already late. (Dasha: The fear has disappeared. My legs have become weak, my head is spinning...
Who are you, stranger? Where are you from? Why did you let your life take its course?..)

What is the lexical meaning of the word Samotek?(on screen) 1) Gravity flow - Spontaneous progress of business, work without a plan, without organizational leadership

2) Gravity flow - The flow of liquid or granular bodies, accomplished by the force of its own gravity, along a slope

What does the word Samotek mean in this work?

- “Forgive me, grandfather... forgive us...” Why is Dasha asking for forgiveness?

What role do the minor characters in the story play?

What does the story teach? (mercy, kindness, cordiality)

Could Dasha have acted differently? (yes, she could) How does the author explain her action?(“Disaster must be prevented” - Dasha learned this as a child. That’s what her mother always said, her late father adhered to this rule, and she herself followed it all her life.”)

How will you write an argument for the essay “The Roads We Take” (written task for 5-7 minutes. Children read out their passages)
- Let’s remember the topic of our lesson “The roads we choose.” Which road did Maxim and Dasha choose?

Let's return to the poem “Everyone chooses for himself” by Yuri Levitansky. Can it be used in an essay? How?

Homework: using flashcards, write an essay “The Roads We Choose”

Literature lesson in 9th grade

“The jumping dragonfly sang red summer, but didn’t have time to look back...”
"Reading with stops"

Galimova Guzel Khakimovna,

Teacher of Russian language and literature

MBOU "Secondary School No. 10"

Formation of UUD:

• Personal actions:(self-determination, meaning formation, moral and ethical orientation)
• Regulatory Actions:(goal setting, planning, forecasting, control, correction, assessment, self-regulation)
• Cognitive actions:(general education, logical, problem formulation and solution)
• Communication actions:(planning educational cooperation, asking questions, resolving conflicts, managing a partner’s behavior, the ability to express one’s thoughts with sufficient accuracy and completeness in accordance with the tasks and conditions of communication)

Activity goal:developing in students the skills to implement new methods of action.

Content goal:expansion of the conceptual base by including new elements into it.

1. Stage of motivation (self-determination) for educational activities

Stop No. 1 “Basket of Ideas”

“The jumping dragonfly, the red summer sang, did not have time to look back... The jumping dragonfly... The jumping dragonfly...” slide number 2

An excerpt from the fable sounds: “The jumping dragonfly, the red summer sang, did not have time to look back... The jumping dragonfly... The jumping dragonfly...”

Guys, today we have a lesson planned, whichwill take place in an unusual form. After listening to the lines of Krylov’s famous fable, you, of course, thought about the topic of today’s lesson.

What do you think we will talk about today? slide number 3

I won’t challenge your assumptions; we’ll start our conversation by reading the story “Filial Duty” by aspiring writer Irina Kuramshina.

Slide 4 (portrait) short biography

You should remember the name of the young prose writer, I think, and the story will not leave you indifferent, although the text is unfamiliar to you.

Member of the Moscow Commonwealth of Writers (MSL), member of the Russian Literary Club. Born in Siberia, an economist by training, lives in Moscow, writes poetry, novels, and short stories.

Reading with stops is a technique that I think will be most suitable for us today.

1. Stage of motivation (self-determination) for educational activities slide No. 5

Stop No. 2 slide 6

Lines from a children's poem stuck tightly. Hundreds of dragonflies with transparent wings danced in circles, firmly settling under the skull.They didn't let me think. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Jumping dragonfly, jumping dragonfly... - Rena repeated grumpily out loud in the hope that the sticky rhymes would loosen. - Call your mother that way! Do you have a conscience? –It's already louder. Almost hysterical. Towards my son's room.

Max appeared in the doorway, twirled his finger at his temple and stared mockingly at his mother. The insects finally waved goodbye to Rene with a monstrous fan, folding all their wings into one - huge, impressive, even frightening. It turned out, one might say, symbolically, and...

“Ostap got carried away”...Stop at full speed Rena I couldn't. Or rather, I couldn’t. Or I got used to it... It has always been like this. Almost every day. Usually after midnight. The scream turned into tears, the tears into sobs, the sobs into hysterical laughter. And then - sedatives, sleeping pills and nightmares in dreams.

Rena screamed at her son, and he silently chewed a sandwich and washed it down with tea. Indifferent and distant.

2. The stage of updating and recording the individual difficulty in the trial action.

After reading the passage, you noticed the writer’s special style. What techniques does the author use in these paragraphs? What does the expression “Ostap suffered…” mean?:

• For what purpose?
• What is the name of this compositional part of the plot? Slide number 6

What did we learn from the passage we read?(simple questions)

So you are saying that the heroine has...?

Are you saying that a woman...?(clarification questions)

Stop No. 3 Slide No. 7

“Nobody understands me. And not takes seriously. I don't even no one to go to ask for help. Everyone hashave friends. Relatives. Colleagues, in the end. They know that someone will listen to them. It will help. Will advise. What about me? Where should I go? To whom?.. Is it necessary? Still left Not so many... Does anyone know a way to get rid of the deadly illness?

What is the name of the structural element of a work in which the rapid development of the plot begins?

Stop number 3 helps to reveal the heroine’s inner world.

What new information did we learn from this passage?

So you are saying that the heroine of the story is seriously ill and there is no one to help her?

The next episode reveals some pages of the biography of our heroine. Let's turn the pages too.

3. Stage of identifying the location and cause of the difficulty

Stop No. 4 Slide No. 8

Tantrums were a part of her life. Her shell, shell. She succeeded in them like in nothing else.Making a mountain out of a molehill? It's a piece of cake! Lie to make a fairy tale come true? Like two and two!Rena learned from childhood that resistance, harnessed to the same team as an attack, will sooner or later lead to the desired result, and she stubbornly resisted. First, parental advice and orders.She was the first to attack and always acted as she saw fit. She didn’t respect other people’s opinions and didn’t take them into account.When was Rene's birthday? 14 years old , she left home and first of all got rid ofhated name - Raisa, turning into Rena. As a sign of protest. And for self-affirmation. Nailed to hippie , wandered from city to city, wore colored rags, smoked “weed” and did not wash my hair for weeks. Then Vadik appeared, trying re-educate her. Rena resisted again. The result was a fateful decision to have a child, and Vadik disappeared from her life on the day Max was born.For some time I had to turn into an ordinary single mother and even get a job.

• What means of expression are used in this episode?

Who are "hippies"? Slide number 9

Why doesn't Rena have anyone who can help her?________________

4. Stage of constructing a project for getting out of a difficulty Slide number 10

In the fight for survival, alreadytogether with a child, Rena discovered some advantages. Firstly, her those around me felt sorry for him. Underage girl. Orphan ( This is how she introduced herself to her new acquaintances). How can you not sympathize? Without much effort, young mother I received many benefits completely free of charge. Cute appearance, sociability, lively language, innate intuition - opened the most stubborn doors for her. And secondly, the lack of funds mobilized everything that was still dormant, girl talents . The gift of commanding men was fundamental. It was in this area that Rena decided succeed , leafing through popular women's magazines while walking with his son.

***

“-Live like millions of Russian bullies? Become one of them? Do you store fat layers on your sides in reserve? Pushing in lines? Travel on public transport in a crowd of sweaty bodies? No way!”

Rena often practiced auto-training in front of the mirror. She didn’t have any friends, and she didn’t intend to make them - competitors...

What was the most important thing in life for the heroine?

How did she achieve her goal?

Interpretive (explanatory) questions

5. Implementation stage of the completed project.

What artistic technique helps reveal the heroine’s inner world?

Using keywords, we’ll try to compose a story about how events will develop further.

"Key words" Slide number 11

Successful, attractive

Intourist hotel

Foreign friend

24-hour boarding school Diplomatic Corps

Beauty salons

The jumping dragonfly has jumped

And there's no money

6. Stage of primary consolidation with pronunciation in external speech

Stop No. 5

“Key words” (on slide)

Creative questions

Using the keywords, we will try to compose a story about how events further developed. (students answer)

Now let's turn to the text to confirm your assumptions. Creative questions Slide number 12

I am smart, successful, attractive. I have a sea of ​​fans. Every day they give me luxurious bouquets, I dress in the most expensive foreign boutiques, I relax at the most prestigious resorts in the world. All men, without exception, idolize me.They say that if you really want something, it will definitely come true.

So is Rena. I wanted it and I got it. With small reservations."Prince" she did meet her, but not at a fashionable resort, but inforeign tourist hotel. The “prince” did not fork out for the palace, and did not give him a villa on the coast, but a small oneapartment in the center of the capitalI signed it up for Rena - in the future you won’t have to spend money on hotels, and you can bind your girlfriend with such a gift for a long time.Foreign friendvisited Rena regularly, gave gifts, albeit not the most expensive ones, but everythingimported ones are the envy of the neighbors.Max was placed by an enterprising friend in24-hour boarding school at the Diplomatic Corps,and did not cause any significant trouble. Rena became spoiled: she began to travel abroad often, and fell in love with lazy holidays in cozy hotels with visits to mostly nudist beaches. Got used to SPA treatments, regular trips to sports clubs and beauty salons. And now,in his fifties, she looked stunningly young and elegant. Even the blue under the eyes did not spoil Renino’s sleek face. And no oneI couldn't give her more than forty years.

Let's define the meaning of little-familiar words: Intourist hotel, Diplomatic corps, 24-hour boarding school,

Slide number 13

But Rena never learned to cook, wash, clean, manage the house, and spend money economically, and filling out a receipt for paying for electricity put the woman into a long-term stupor.

"Jumping dragonfly... I jumped. The prince has grown old. I took it off with pleasure. Weaned him from the feeder. Now he has his eye on young people. He disdains me. Runs around bars almost with schoolgirls. You'd think they'd delay his old age. Why!Keep your pocket wider.

Creative questions

Can you predict how events will unfold next? The most intense moment is approaching. - What is the name of this compositional element?

Stop No. 6 Slide No. 14

And my son is doing the right thing. That's right. What kind of mother was I?Worthless. Echidna. CuckooA. I tossed it to whoever I could. How long did he see me when I was little? Spent ten yearsat the boarding school. It's like being in prison. The term has been served. Sometimes I was too lazy to take him home on weekends. She kept coming up with good reasons for the headmistress. Why does Max love me? For the rags that Michael brought? Yes, he is indifferent to clothes. He's been wearing the same jacket for years. And hates me. Indeed, he does the right thing. Let him hate it. And let him despise. Just don't kick me out of the house. And he let me die in my bed.Dialysis no longer helps... There is no donor... And there is no money to buy a closer line. Michael, you bastard hasn't appeared for six months now. After all, the only one knows what awaits me!.. But he doesn’t want to help. She served him faithfully for thirty years. A floor rag... Yes, it’s worn out. Now it's easier to throw it away than to patch it up.Coward! Pathetic coward.Well, let it go to hell! to your abroad. And to spite him, I’ll take it this way – and live the rest of my life in a new way. Right now I’ll start... a new one..."

Stop No. 7 Slide No. 15

Mother, you, this... don’t be angry... - Maxim came up and put his hand on Rene’s shoulder. –I found your medical record.Accidentally. You know, mom, everything will be fine. I already went to your center and agreed on everything.

What did you agree on?

About the operation...

I don’t understand... And the map... You couldn’t have done it by accident. She's locked in the table. Did you break the lock?Rena stared at her son in bewilderment.

Well, yes. Sorry. This is only for your own benefit.

Benefits? – Rena was about to squeal out of inertia, but immediately came to her senses, remembering about her new life.

“Something weird is happening. Why was Max rummaging through my desk? Why? For what? He never did that. He is generally a correct child, unlike his unlucky mother. He talks about the operation. Can't be. My turn will come only in a year, maybe more.”

Slide number 16

Max, explain clearly. Where will the kidney come from? Did you buy it? For what? With what funds?

No, no, no.

What then? Did you buy the queue? Or did everyone in front of me die at once? - Rena was perplexed.

Mother! Calm down. Sit down. Here, drink some water,” he handed him a glass of mineral water and turned to the window, listening to his mother greedily drink water in large sips.

- I will be the donor. – Max said harshly, in a tone that did not tolerate objections. Rena's eyes widened unnaturally, she tried to say something, but only opened her mouth like a fish, without uttering a sound. The mother understood that the decision made by her son was too great a sacrifice that she should not accept. Rena got nervous, her hands didn’t obey her, they lived their own separate life, and there was an unbearable pain on the left side of the first cervical vertebra. She tried to object, but her son continued in the same stern voice.

To understand the motives of the heroes’ actions, let’s fill in the clusters.

1st group – Rena, 2nd group – Michael, 3rd group – Max

Slides No. 16, 17, 18

7. Stage of independent work with self-test according to the standard

Assessment questions

1 group Can Rena be called happy? Why?

2nd group - What impression did Michael make on you? What is he like?

3 group - Why Max and not Maxim? How did you feel about the actions of this hero?

Stop No. 8 Slide 20

You and I have the same blood type. We are close relatives. There's nowhere closer. Isn't that right? “The mother nodded involuntarily - she sounded scared. And in general, she felt like a little girl in front of her son, who suddenly became some kind of stranger and too grown up.

That's good. Since you are close, my kidney will suit you. And it will settle down better. Than anyone else's.

Although Maxim swaggered, the hair stuck to his forehead spoke volumes. Fear, which did not go away after the information received from the mother’s medical record, firmly settled in the soul, however, giving way to love and nobility. And Maxim did not have enough strength to overcome this fear. However, he managed to control himself, and added softly, looking at his sobbing mother:

Don't cry, you fool. I don't do anything supernatural. This is my duty. Understand?

An episode in their life as an ordinary single mother develops into a tangle of very serious social and moral problems. - What problems are raised in the story?? Fishbone

8. Stage of inclusion in the knowledge system and repetition Slide number 21

Slide number 22

Stop No. 8 Slide No. 23

Rena shook her head: “No, no, and no again. I don't understand. This can't happen. He hates me. No no. This is not happening to me..."

Oh, well, don’t understand. “Maxim waved his hand and hurried out of the room so as not to burst into tears himself, because the telltale lump in his throat was rising higher and higher. – I went to watch TV. There's football there. “He muttered in the doorway and, unexpectedly for himself, blew a kiss to Rena, who was stunned by the news. – I want you to babysit your grandchildren.

We read with you a miniature story aptly titled “Filial Duty.”

9. Stage of reflection of educational activities in the lesson

What should you do to avoid ending up in the heroine’s shoes?

What would you do if you were your son?

Homework Slide No. 24
"Leave me the last word"

"UNUSUAL ORDINARY"ESSAY on the topic “LEAVE ME THE LAST WORD”

In which I would like to write about what we did not have time to talk about in class

(problem, topic, question - what remains “behind the scenes”)

“The jumping dragonfly sang red summer, did not have time to look back... The jumping dragonfly... The jumping dragonfly...”

Lines from a children's poem stuck tightly. Hundreds of dragonflies with transparent wings danced in circles, firmly settling under the skull. They didn't let me think. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Jumping dragonfly, jumping dragonfly...” Rena repeated grumpily out loud in the hope that the sticky rhymes would go away. - Call your mother that way! Do you have a conscience? – it’s already louder. Almost hysterical. Towards my son's room.

Max appeared in the doorway, twirled his finger at his temple and stared mockingly at his mother. The insects finally waved goodbye to Rene with a monstrous fan, folding all their wings into one - huge, impressive, even frightening. It turned out, one might say, symbolically, and... “Ostap got carried away”...

Rena could not stop at full speed. Or rather, I couldn’t. Or I got used to it... It has always been like this. Almost every day. Usually after midnight. The scream turned into tears, the tears into sobs, the sobs into hysterical laughter. And then - sedatives, sleeping pills and nightmares in dreams.

Rena screamed at her son, and he silently chewed a sandwich and washed it down with tea. Indifferent, detached.

“Nobody understands me. And he doesn't take it seriously. I don't even have anyone to turn to for help. Everyone has friends. Relatives. Colleagues, after all. They know they will be listened to. They will help. They will advise. What about me? Where should I go? To whom?.. Is it necessary? There's not much left anyway... Does anyone know a way to get rid of a fatal disease? Or will he offer to use a magic wand?

Tantrums were a part of her life. Her shell, her shell. She succeeded in them like in nothing else. Making a mountain out of a molehill? It's a piece of cake! Lie to make a fairy tale come true? Like two and two! Rena learned from childhood that resistance combined with attack will sooner or later lead to the desired result. She was the first to attack and always acted as she saw fit. She didn’t respect other people’s opinions and never took them into account. When Rena was fourteen years old, she left home and first of all got rid of the hated name Raisa, turning into Rena. As a sign of protest. And for self-affirmation. She became a hippie, wandered from city to city, wore colorful rags, smoked weed and didn’t wash her hair for weeks. Then Vadik appeared, trying to re-educate her. Rena resisted again. The result was a fateful decision to have a child, and Vadik disappeared from her life on the day Max was born.

For some time I had to turn into an ordinary single mother and even get a job. In the struggle for survival, already alone with a child, Rena discovered some advantages. Firstly, those around her felt sorry for her. An underage girl. An orphan (that’s how she introduced herself to her new acquaintances). How can you not sympathize? Without making much effort, the young mother received many benefits completely free of charge. Her pretty appearance, sociability, lively language, and skillfully used intuition opened the most stubborn doors for her. And secondly, the lack of funds mobilized all the girl’s hitherto dormant talents. The gift of commanding men was fundamental. It was in this area that Rena decided to succeed, leafing through popular women's magazines while walking with her son.

– To live like millions of Russian jaded women? Become one of them? Do you store fat layers on your sides in reserve? Pushing in lines? Travel on public transport in a crowd of sweaty bodies? No way! – Rena often practiced auto-training in front of the mirror. She didn’t have any friends, and she didn’t intend to make them - competitors...

– I am smart, successful, attractive. I have a sea of ​​fans. Every day they give me luxurious bouquets, I dress in the most expensive foreign boutiques, I relax at the most prestigious resorts in the world. All men, without exception, idolize me.

They say that if you really want something, it will definitely come true.

So is Rena. I wanted it and I got it. With small reservations. She did meet the “Prince,” but not at a fashionable resort, but in an Intourist hotel, where she occasionally worked as a prostitute. The “prince” didn’t fork out money for the palace and didn’t give him a villa on the coast, but he gave Rena a small apartment in the center of the capital - he himself won’t have to spend money on hotels in the future, and such a gift can bind his girlfriend for a long time. A foreign friend visited Rena regularly, gave gifts, albeit not the most expensive ones, but they were all foreign, to the envy of her neighbors. An enterprising friend placed Max in a 24-hour boarding school attached to the diplomatic corps and did not cause any significant trouble. Rena became spoiled: she began to travel abroad often, and fell in love with lazy holidays in cozy hotels with visits to mostly nudist beaches. I got used to spa treatments, regular trips to sports clubs and beauty salons. And now, in her fifties, she looked stunningly young and elegant. Even the blue under the eyes did not spoil Rena’s sleek face. And no one could give her more than forty years.

But Rena never learned to cook, wash, clean, manage the house, and spend money economically, and filling out a receipt for paying for electricity put the woman into a long-term stupor.

“The jumping dragonfly... She jumped. The prince has grown old. I took it off with pleasure. Weaned him from the feeder. Now he has his eye on young people. He disdains me. Runs around bars almost with schoolgirls. You'd think they'd delay his old age. Why! Keep your pocket wider.

And my son is doing the right thing. That's right. What kind of mother was I? Worthless. Echidna. Cuckoo. I tossed it to whoever I could. How long did he see me in his joyless childhood? He spent ten years in a boarding school. It's like being in prison. The term has been served. Sometimes I was too lazy to take him home on weekends. She kept coming up with good reasons for the headmistress. Why does Max love me? For the rags that Michael brought? Yes, he is indifferent to clothes. He's been wearing the same jacket for years. And he hates me. Indeed, he does the right thing. Let him hate it. And let him despise. Just don't kick me out of the house. And he let me die in my bed. Dialysis no longer helps... There is no donor... And there is no money to buy a closer line. Michael, the bastard, doesn't show up for six months. After all, the only one knows what awaits me!.. But he doesn’t want to help. She served him faithfully for thirty years. A floor rag... Yes, it’s worn out. Now it's easier to throw it away than to patch it up. Coward! Pathetic coward. Well, let it go to hell! To your abroad. And to spite him, I’ll take it this way – and live the rest of my life in a new way. Right now I’ll start... a new one..."

- Mother, you, this... don’t be angry...

Maxim came up and put his hand on Rena’s shoulder.

- I found your medical record. Accidentally. You know, mom, everything will be fine. I already went to your center and agreed on everything.

- What did you agree on?

- About the operation...

- I don’t understand... And the map... You couldn’t do it by accident. She's locked in the table. Did you break the lock? – Rena looked at her son in bewilderment.

- Well, yes. Sorry. This is only for your own benefit.

- Benefits? – Rena was about to squeal out of inertia, but immediately came to her senses, remembering about her new life.

“Something weird is happening. Why was Max rummaging through my desk? Why? For what? He never did that. He is generally a correct child, unlike his unlucky mother. He talks about the operation. Can't be. My turn will come only in a year, or maybe more.”

- Max, explain clearly. Where will the kidney come from? Did you buy it? For what? With what funds?

- No, no, no.

– What then? Did you buy the queue? Or did everyone in front of me die at once? – Rena was perplexed.

- Mother! Calm down. Sit down. Here, drink some water.

He handed over a glass of mineral water and turned to the window, listening to his mother greedily drink water in large sips.

- I will be the donor! – Max said harshly, in a tone that did not tolerate objections.

Rena's eyes widened unnaturally, she tried to say something, but only opened her mouth like a fish, without uttering a sound. The mother understood that the decision made by her son was too great a sacrifice that she should not accept. Rena got nervous, her hands didn’t obey her, she lived her own separate life, and there was still an unbearable pain on her left side. She tried to object, but her son continued in the same stern voice:

– You and I have the same blood type. We are close relatives. There's nowhere closer. Isn't that right?

The mother nodded involuntarily, sounding scared. And in general, she felt like a little girl in front of her son, who suddenly became some kind of stranger and too grown up.

- That's good. If you are close, my kidney will suit you. And it will take root better than anyone else’s.

Although Maxim swaggered, the hair stuck to his forehead spoke volumes. Fear, which did not go away after the information received from the mother’s medical record, firmly settled in the soul, however, giving way to love and nobility. And Maxim did not have enough strength to overcome this fear. But he managed to control himself and added softly, looking at his sobbing mother:

- Don’t cry, you fool. I don't do anything supernatural. This is my duty. Understand?

Rena shook her head: “No, no, and no again. I don't understand. This can't happen. He hates me. No no. This is not happening to me..."

“Oh, well, don’t understand,” Maxim waved his hand and hurried out of the room so as not to burst into tears himself, because the telltale lump in his throat was rising higher and higher.

– I went to watch TV. There’s football there,” he muttered at the door and, unexpectedly for himself, blew a kiss to Rena, who was stunned by the news. – I want you to babysit your grandchildren.

Filial duty

“The jumping dragonfly sang red summer, did not have time to look back... The jumping dragonfly... The jumping dragonfly...”

Lines from a children's poem stuck tightly. Hundreds of dragonflies with transparent wings danced in circles, firmly settling under the skull. They didn't let me think. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Jumping dragonfly, jumping dragonfly...” Rena repeated grumpily out loud in the hope that the sticky rhymes would go away. - Call your mother that way! Do you have a conscience? – it’s already louder. Almost hysterical. Towards my son's room.

Max appeared in the doorway, twirled his finger at his temple and stared mockingly at his mother. The insects finally waved goodbye to Rene with a monstrous fan, folding all their wings into one - huge, impressive, even frightening. It turned out, one might say, symbolically, and... “Ostap got carried away”...

Rena could not stop at full speed. Or rather, I couldn’t. Or I got used to it... It has always been like this. Almost every day. Usually after midnight. The scream turned into tears, the tears into sobs, the sobs into hysterical laughter. And then - sedatives, sleeping pills and nightmares in dreams.

Rena screamed at her son, and he silently chewed a sandwich and washed it down with tea. Indifferent, detached.

“Nobody understands me. And he doesn't take it seriously. I don't even have anyone to turn to for help. Everyone has friends. Relatives. Colleagues, after all. They know they will be listened to. They will help. They will advise. What about me? Where should I go? To whom?.. Is it necessary? There's not much left anyway... Does anyone know a way to get rid of a fatal disease? Or will he offer to use a magic wand?

Tantrums were a part of her life. Her shell, her shell. She succeeded in them like in nothing else. Making a mountain out of a molehill? It's a piece of cake! Lie to make a fairy tale come true? Like two and two! Rena learned from childhood that resistance combined with attack will sooner or later lead to the desired result. She was the first to attack and always acted as she saw fit. She didn’t respect other people’s opinions and never took them into account. When Rena was fourteen years old, she left home and first of all got rid of the hated name Raisa, turning into Rena. As a sign of protest. And for self-affirmation. She became a hippie, wandered from city to city, wore colorful rags, smoked weed and didn’t wash her hair for weeks. Then Vadik appeared, trying to re-educate her. Rena resisted again. The result was a fateful decision to have a child, and Vadik disappeared from her life on the day Max was born.

For some time I had to turn into an ordinary single mother and even get a job. In the struggle for survival, already alone with a child, Rena discovered some advantages. Firstly, those around her felt sorry for her. An underage girl. An orphan (that’s how she introduced herself to her new acquaintances). How can you not sympathize? Without making much effort, the young mother received many benefits completely free of charge. Her pretty appearance, sociability, lively language, and skillfully used intuition opened the most stubborn doors for her. And secondly, the lack of funds mobilized all the girl’s hitherto dormant talents. The gift of commanding men was fundamental. It was in this area that Rena decided to succeed, leafing through popular women's magazines while walking with her son.

– To live like millions of Russian jaded women? Become one of them? Do you store fat layers on your sides in reserve? Pushing in lines? Travel on public transport in a crowd of sweaty bodies? No way! – Rena often practiced auto-training in front of the mirror. She didn’t have any friends, and she didn’t intend to make them - competitors...

– I am smart, successful, attractive. I have a sea of ​​fans. Every day they give me luxurious bouquets, I dress in the most expensive foreign boutiques, I relax at the most prestigious resorts in the world. All men, without exception, idolize me.

They say that if you really want something, it will definitely come true.

So is Rena. I wanted it and I got it. With small reservations. She did meet the “Prince,” but not at a fashionable resort, but in an Intourist hotel, where she occasionally worked as a prostitute. The “prince” didn’t fork out money for the palace and didn’t give him a villa on the coast, but he gave Rena a small apartment in the center of the capital - he himself won’t have to spend money on hotels in the future, and such a gift can bind his girlfriend for a long time. A foreign friend visited Rena regularly, gave gifts, albeit not the most expensive ones, but they were all foreign, to the envy of her neighbors. An enterprising friend placed Max in a 24-hour boarding school attached to the diplomatic corps and did not cause any significant trouble. Rena became spoiled: she began to travel abroad often, and fell in love with lazy holidays in cozy hotels with visits to mostly nudist beaches. I got used to spa treatments, regular trips to sports clubs and beauty salons. And now, in her fifties, she looked stunningly young and elegant. Even the blue under the eyes did not spoil Rena’s sleek face. And no one could give her more than forty years.

But Rena never learned to cook, wash, clean, manage the house, and spend money economically, and filling out a receipt for paying for electricity put the woman into a long-term stupor.

“The jumping dragonfly... She jumped. The prince has grown old. I took it off with pleasure. Weaned him from the feeder. Now he has his eye on young people. He disdains me. Runs around bars almost with schoolgirls. You'd think they'd delay his old age. Why! Keep your pocket wider.

And my son is doing the right thing. That's right. What kind of mother was I? Worthless. Echidna. Cuckoo. I tossed it to whoever I could. How long did he see me in his joyless childhood? He spent ten years in a boarding school. It's like being in prison. The term has been served. Sometimes I was too lazy to take him home on weekends. She kept coming up with good reasons for the headmistress. Why does Max love me? For the rags that Michael brought? Yes, he is indifferent to clothes. He's been wearing the same jacket for years. And he hates me. Indeed, he does the right thing. Let him hate it. And let him despise. Just don't kick me out of the house. And he let me die in my bed. Dialysis no longer helps... There is no donor... And there is no money to buy a closer line. Michael, the bastard, doesn't show up for six months. After all, the only one knows what awaits me!.. But he doesn’t want to help. She served him faithfully for thirty years. A floor rag... Yes, it’s worn out. Now it's easier to throw it away than to patch it up. Coward! Pathetic coward. Well, let it go to hell! To your abroad. And to spite him, I’ll take it this way – and live the rest of my life in a new way. Right now I’ll start... a new one..."

- Mother, you, this... don’t be angry...

Maxim came up and put his hand on Rena’s shoulder.

- I found your medical record. Accidentally. You know, mom, everything will be fine. I already went to your center and agreed on everything.

- What did you agree on?

- About the operation...

- I don’t understand... And the map... You couldn’t do it by accident. She's locked in the table. Did you break the lock? – Rena looked at her son in bewilderment.

- Well, yes. Sorry. This is only for your own benefit.

- Benefits? – Rena was about to squeal out of inertia, but immediately came to her senses, remembering about her new life.

“Something weird is happening. Why was Max rummaging through my desk? Why? For what? He never did that. He is generally a correct child, unlike his unlucky mother. He talks about the operation. Can't be. My turn will come only in a year, or maybe more.”

- Max, explain clearly. Where will the kidney come from? Did you buy it? For what? With what funds?

- No, no, no.

– What then? Did you buy the queue? Or did everyone in front of me die at once? – Rena was perplexed.

- Mother! Calm down. Sit down. Here, drink some water.

He handed over a glass of mineral water and turned to the window, listening to his mother greedily drink water in large sips.

- I will be the donor! – Max said harshly, in a tone that did not tolerate objections.

Rena's eyes widened unnaturally, she tried to say something, but only opened her mouth like a fish, without uttering a sound. The mother understood that the decision made by her son was too great a sacrifice that she should not accept. Rena got nervous, her hands didn’t obey her, she lived her own separate life, and there was still an unbearable pain on her left side. She tried to object, but her son continued in the same stern voice:

– You and I have the same blood type. We are close relatives. There's nowhere closer. Isn't that right?

The mother nodded involuntarily, sounding scared. And in general, she felt like a little girl in front of her son, who suddenly became some kind of stranger and too grown up.

- That's good. If you are close, my kidney will suit you. And it will take root better than anyone else’s.

Although Maxim swaggered, the hair stuck to his forehead spoke volumes. Fear, which did not go away after the information received from the mother’s medical record, firmly settled in the soul, however, giving way to love and nobility. And Maxim did not have enough strength to overcome this fear. But he managed to control himself and added softly, looking at his sobbing mother:

- Don’t cry, you fool. I don't do anything supernatural. This is my duty. Understand?

Rena shook her head: “No, no, and no again. I don't understand. This can't happen. He hates me. No no. This is not happening to me..."

“Oh, well, don’t understand,” Maxim waved his hand and hurried out of the room so as not to burst into tears himself, because the telltale lump in his throat was rising higher and higher.

– I went to watch TV. There’s football there,” he muttered at the door and, unexpectedly for himself, blew a kiss to Rena, who was stunned by the news. – I want you to babysit your grandchildren.

The equivalent of happiness

- Dad, you won’t go back on your words, will you? No? – Dimka looked inquisitively into his father’s eyes, and he bashfully looked them aside, hiding behind “Soviet Sports.” – Can I really make any wish? Really? Any-any?

“He managed to blurt it out for me... Now, for sure, he’ll start asking for the dog. Well, who, who pulled my tongue? “Semyon Semyonich!” Eh..."

Yegor remained stoically silent in the hope that his son would get tired of playing with unanswered questions and would turn on his mother, but today Dimka was stickier than a bath leaf. I had to put down the newspaper and join the conversation:

- Yes, any. In principle, my mother and I are ready for any... surprises.

- Ur-ra-a-a-a-a! – Dimka triumphantly made a boxing hook into the air and, continuing to bawle excitedly, began to rush around the room. - I will have a dog! A real dog! My friend! I will walk with him, and I will feed him, and look after him. And he will be the most beautiful, and the smartest, and the best in the world. Really, dad?

“Where do we go? – Yegor nodded his head affirmatively. “If only you knew how much I had to persuade my mother…”

In response to Dimka’s screams, her alarmed wife came running from the office, and the frightened housekeeper Natasha appeared from the kitchen.

Yegor winked at his wife, nodded to Natasha and said, as he knew how to do at meetings:

– So, Dmitry will tell us his desire, and together we must make the final decision on its implementation.

He waited until the women sat down and turned to his son:

- Well, go ahead and talk.

But Dimka suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room with the words “I’ll be there now.”

“Where is he going?” – Yegor asked his wife in surprise with his eyes, to which Lisa silently shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh God...” Lisa moaned, “it finally happened... The dog, puddles, chewed furniture, torn shoes, sleepless nights... Oh God...”

- Calm down, we already talked to you. Every normal child dreamed of a dog in childhood, and...

- You too? – the wife sarcastically interrupted.

- I? – Yegor was confused. Hand on heart, he himself wanted a shaggy friend, ever since childhood. But something completely different had to be voiced out loud: Lisa, during her honeymoon, mentioned that she was very afraid of dogs.

- Yes, yes. It's you. Apparently I’m crazy... And you? Did you dream?.. – the wife now stood opposite and looked straight into his eyes.

The situation was saved by Dimka, who actually returned with a catalogue. He opened it to a page with a bookmark and carefully placed it on his father's lap. Lisa sat down next to her husband, and the housekeeper sat on the sofa on the other side. The three of them buried their heads in a book, and Dima looked at them with the air of a winner.

– Are you sure you like this breed, son?

It was noticeable that Yegor was nervous, his fingers seemed to be tightly stuck to the button of his shirt and twisted, twisted, twisted the unfortunate woman.

- Dad, don't you like Newfoundlands? – asked the disappointed son.

- I like it. I still like it. But such dogs are usually kept in private homes. They are not for city apartments. You see, Newfoundlands are very large, they need to move a lot and spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. “Egor noticed Lisa’s grateful look and continued enthusiastically: “Who will walk with him?” You? Yes, you won’t be able to hold back such a colossus, you won’t have enough strength. And if we assume that walking the dog takes place in our public garden, where children also walk, then we can imagine the consequences... And mom? Have you thought about her?

- What about mom? Mom agreed, you said it yourself.

- I'm talking about something else. This choice must be approached responsibly. Think ahead about situations that may arise. For example, you are sick. I'm at work. And the dog needs to be taken outside. Who will have to do this?

Dimka looked somewhat pitifully at his mother.

- A! Got it? That's it. Let's choose a breed that suits everyone.

- Maybe this beauty? – Lisa asked timidly, pointing to the photograph from which a cute little creature with a red bow and fur shimmering in the sun was looking.

Both father and son grimaced and laughed in unison.

All evening the family tormented the catalog. Lisa tried to replace her dream with either a hamster or a guinea pig, and even dared to buy a rat, but the men zealously defended the dog. But here their opinions differed: Dimka liked large breeds, his father liked medium ones.

- Well, my boys, let's buy a Chihuahua. And it doesn’t take up much space, and you don’t have to go for walks with her...

- With her? – Yegor and his son asked in unison, surprised. Thus, the gender issue was finally resolved.

Together, the men were able to come to a common decision faster, and as a result, an Irish setter with a rare color for its breed – “birch” – was chosen. Such a puppy cost a lot of money, but the black spots on the gray-white fur fascinated, and Yegor and Dimka simply fell ill with this particular breed.

Lisa groaned formally, but also agreed:

– Someday you have to start “not being afraid of dogs.”

It took almost two months to find a rare puppy, a good and reliable club, and to study materials on keeping and raising a dog. Finally, Egor found what he needed: the puppy met all the requirements. A meeting with the breeder and a viewing was scheduled for Saturday. The night before, everyone had been discussing the future of the new family member for a long time, and Dima was so “discussed” that in the morning Lisa could barely shake her sleepy son.

The nursery was located outside the city, so we left early. Lisa also gathered with her men - after all, an important issue for the family was being resolved, and not for one day, but for many years. We drove in silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Egor drove carefully, drove without speeding, so he immediately noticed something unusual near the road. He braked and jumped out of the car. His wife and son followed him without further ado.

There was a dog lying on the side of the road, just a puppy.

- Mongrel. About two months. “The car probably hit him,” Yegor determined and crouched down in front of the accident victim. -Where are you going, fool? What should I do with you now?

Sitting on his haunches, the man either ran his hand through his hair or tore at his chin.

“We need to take him to the veterinarian,” Lisa said firmly. – Don’t leave the baby here.

- Dad, is he wounded or killed to death? – Dimka bent down and stroked the puppy.

At the touch of Dimka’s hand, the puppy opened his eyes – bottomless wells of amazement, looked carefully at the people and yelped loudly. And at that very second it ceased to matter what kind of blood this random dog was, what breed he was, whether he had a pedigree, vaccinations. It’s just that someone somewhere in the heavenly office decided that the paths of three people and a small creature should cross at exactly this point in the universe, and the paths crossed. At the right time, at the right hour. The equivalent of happiness turned out to be equal to one “yelp.”

This is how Archik became a full member of the human family, and the family found a devoted friend and protector. The dog grew up, as Dimka wanted, large and seemingly ferocious and at the same time kind, affectionate and cheerful, as Lisa wanted.

Precious collection

A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones.

Ecclesiastes

A whistle heard behind him made the grandfather look back. To do this, I had to rest on the stone with both hands and strongly strain my calf muscles. Three boys of about fourteen stood behind us and smiled impudently.

- Grandfather, help? – asked the curly-haired youth who stood on the right. “Otherwise you’ll overstrain yourself... Then our conscience will torment us.”

- Timurovites, or what? – The old man was breathing intermittently, blue veins pulsating on his bony hands, stretched by strings.

- No, grandfather. You are behind the times. The Timurites are an atavism. You would have called us pioneers. Now everyone is putting together their own team. And everyone’s strategy is different, and their goals are also different, and the opportunities are now different...

The old man, groaning, carefully turned to the boys, resting his sciatica back against the boulder, and began to listen with interest to the speaker.

-What are you fussing about? Don't you have anything else to do? What about the technology? Let's call the company, they will send some kind of bulldozer or excavator.

- No, thank you. “I’ll do it myself, guys,” the old man politely refused, wiping his shiny, sweat-beaded forehead with his sleeve.

- Grandfather, it’s a waste of time to refuse. We are not going to take money from you for help. We do it from the heart.

All three were equally lazily chewing gum, squinting in the sun and smiling broadly.

- So I'm calling?

The old man shook his head negatively, slowly turned around and began pushing the stone up the hill again. The boy who was conducting the dialogue twirled his finger at his temple and again pestered him with questions:

- Grandfather, and grandfather. Tell me, why do you need this? Looks like you're not crazy... But you're acting stupid.

“It’s time to collect stones...” the old man answered vaguely.

- So you're a collector? Are you collecting stones? Precious? And this precious one? Yes? - the boy jabbered, looking with curiosity at the stone that his grandfather stubbornly rolled up the slope.

The curly-haired boy’s comrades also stared at the boulder with interest.

The old man laughed, causing his face to become covered with a network of small wrinkles:

- This? Yes. It is perhaps the most valuable in my collection.

- Is there anything else? – three teenagers asked in unison, and their greedy glances sparkled in a completely unchildish way.

“Come on, so much has accumulated in my entire life... there,” the old man vaguely waved his hand towards the darkening top of the mountain, for some reason crossed himself and continued on his way.

After a while, he turned around to say goodbye, but saw the boys frantically pointing their fingers at the buttons of their mobile phones and talking animatedly, no longer paying attention to him. The old man just sighed sadly.

“...Look how evilly the stone looks, the cracks in it are strangely deep...” he muttered Nikolai Gumilyov’s lines, which were so inconsistent with the situation, with his very image. - Eh... How stones spoil the lives of normal people...

When the summit was conquered and the boulder was finally delivered to its destination, an unpleasant picture was revealed to the old man’s gaze. Stones were scattered throughout the clearing that he had chosen, on which he carefully built his pyramid. His stones, about each of which the old man could tell a lot of interesting things. They were part of his life, they lived with him, and they all had to die together. Now the stones lay in disarray on the hill, and enterprising youths were scurrying around: hitting the boulders with sledgehammers, crushing them with jackhammers, puffing, cursing. Curly noticed the old man and approached.

- Grandfather, great! Doper?

- As you can see.

- Strong! You're sorry. We did a little housekeeping here.

- I see. How are you doing? “The old man was tempted to gloat, but he restrained himself - victory remained with wisdom.

- Didn’t you deceive us? Are the stones really expensive? – the curly-haired man asked nervously and answered himself: “Although... It’s unlikely that a normal person would try to hide some nonsense so hard.” By the way, grandpa, you didn't answer my question. What's your most precious inside?

“You don’t understand, you just started scattering stones, and you still have a long time to wait for your harvest, but I’ve already collected mine...” the old man answered evasively.

The boy slowly began to become covered with red spots, his face twisted into a dissatisfied grimace - his anger was preparing to spill out.

The old man said softly, but very weightily:

“Here, son, I have love,” he affectionately stroked the rough surface. - I scattered it all over the world at one time. You see, she has become a gray, dirty, lifeless mass. That's why I brought her here. Here, on the mountain, there is more sun, light, and the air is cleaner. “Everything I have is collected here,” the old man looked around the clearing, “everything that I once lost, that I gave up of my own free will.” He collected his sins and failures. Joys, sorrows, bad and good - everything in one big pile...

“Wait, wait...” the meaning of what was said slowly dawned on the young man. – That is, there are no diamonds or gold in the stones, they have no value?

- They don’t have them for you. For me, there is nothing more valuable than them. Take it philosophically calmly and better return home with your friends. Someday your time will come - to collect stones... Scatter them less now, love them...

The old man did not have time to finish, because he bent in half, having received a blow, directly in the solar plexus area - the interlocutor hit confidently: professionally and accurately.

“I told you he’s crazy,” the curly-haired man explained to his friends with satisfaction. - He is a psycho.

- We just lost time.

They were almost gone, the old man heard the retreating steps of Timur’s men, but the company unexpectedly returned.

– You know, grandfather, we discussed it and decided. In your language, it's time to get even. Now we’ll throw your most expensive jewel into the water - you definitely won’t be able to get it out of there. And then you will turn into an eternal diver, and you, grandpa, will have to not collect stones, but get them out. And no amount of cronyism will help. Unless, of course, you are the older one - the friend of the goldfish from the fairy tale. That's the philosophy.

The three of the boys easily and almost effortlessly rolled the stone to the opposite edge of the clearing, which ended in a cliff overhanging the lake. They made fun of it a little: one of the boys took out a felt-tip pen and wrote in large letters on the rough surface of the boulder - “LOVE OF A PSYCHIC”. And after that, amid wild hooting, the stone was thrown down.

The old man sat on a pile of stones and looked sadly at the leaving boys. He was not worried, because he knew and was even sure that sooner or later he would collect his stones in one pile. But will the departed teenagers collect their stones in the future? This question haunted the old man, gradually turning into another boulder lost in time...

BOOKSHELF FOR TAKERS OF THE USE IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

Dear applicants!

Having analyzed your questions and essays, I conclude that the most difficult thing for you is the selection of arguments from literary works. The reason is that you don't read much. I won’t say unnecessary words for edification, but will recommend SMALL works that you can read in a few minutes or an hour. I am sure that in these stories and stories you will discover not only new arguments, but also new literature.

Tell us what you think about our bookshelf >>

Kuramshina Irina “Filial Duty”

Miniature story

“The jumping dragonfly, the red summer sang, did not have time to look back... The jumping dragonfly... The jumping dragonfly...”
Lines from a children's poem stuck tightly. Hundreds of dragonflies with transparent wings danced in circles, firmly settling under the skull. They didn't let me think. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Jumping dragonfly, jumping dragonfly...” Rena repeated grumpily out loud in the hope that the sticky rhymes would go away. - Call your mother that way! Do you have a conscience? - It's louder now. Almost hysterical. Towards my son's room.
Max appeared in the doorway, twirled his finger at his temple and stared mockingly at his mother. The insects finally waved goodbye to Rene with a monstrous fan, folding all their wings into one - huge, impressive, even frightening. It turned out, one might say, symbolically, and... “Ostap got carried away”... Rena could not stop at full speed. Or rather, I couldn’t. Or I got used to it... It has always been like this. Almost every day. Usually after midnight. The scream turned into tears, the tears into sobs, the sobs into hysterical laughter. And then - sedatives, sleeping pills and nightmares in dreams.
Rena screamed at her son, and he silently chewed a sandwich and washed it down with tea. Indifferent and distant.
“Nobody understands me. And he doesn't take it seriously. I don't even have anyone to turn to for help. Everyone has friends. Relatives. Colleagues, after all. They know that someone will listen to them. It will help. Will advise. What about me? Where should I go? To whom?.. Is it necessary? There's not much left anyway... Does anyone know a way to get rid of a fatal disease? Or will he offer to use a magic wand?
Tantrums were a part of her life. Its shell, its shell. She succeeded in them like in nothing else. Making a mountain out of a molehill? It's a piece of cake! Lie to make a fairy tale come true? Like two and two! Rena learned from childhood that resistance, harnessed to the same team as an attack, will sooner or later lead to the desired result, and she stubbornly resisted. First, parental advice and orders. She was the first to attack and always acted as she saw fit. She didn’t respect other people’s opinions and didn’t take them into account. When Rena turned 14 years old,
she left home and first of all got rid of the hated name - Raisa, turning into Rena. As a sign of protest. And for self-affirmation. She became a hippie, wandered from city to city, wore colorful rags, smoked weed and didn’t wash her hair for weeks. Then Vadik appeared, trying to re-educate her. Rena resisted again. The result was a fateful decision to have a child, and Vadik disappeared from her life on the day Max was born.
For some time I had to turn into an ordinary single mother and even get a job.
In the struggle for survival, already alone with a child, Rena discovered some advantages. Firstly, those around her felt sorry for her. An underage girl. An orphan (that’s how she introduced herself to her new acquaintances). How can you not sympathize? Without making much effort, the young mother received many benefits completely free of charge. Cute appearance, sociability, lively language, innate intuition - opened the most stubborn doors for her. And secondly, the lack of funds mobilized all the girl’s still dormant talents. The gift of commanding men was fundamental. It was in this area that Rena decided to succeed, leafing through popular women's magazines while walking with her son.
- Live like millions of Russian jaded women? Become one of them? Do you store fat layers on your sides in reserve? Pushing in lines? Travel on public transport in a crowd of sweaty bodies? No way! – Rena often practiced auto-training in front of the mirror. She didn’t have any friends, and she didn’t intend to make them - competitors...
- I am smart, successful, attractive. I have a sea of ​​fans. Every day they give me luxurious bouquets, I dress in the most expensive foreign boutiques, I relax at the most prestigious resorts in the world. All men, without exception, idolize me.
They say that if you really want something, it will definitely come true.
So is Rena. I wanted it and I got it. With small reservations. She did meet the “Prince,” but not at a fashionable resort, but in an Intourist hotel, where she occasionally worked as a “prostitute.” The “prince” didn’t fork out money for the palace, and didn’t give him a villa on the coast, but he gave Rena a small apartment in the center of the capital - he himself won’t have to spend money on hotels in the future, and such a gift can bind his girlfriend for a long time. A foreign friend visited Rena regularly, gave gifts, albeit not the most expensive ones, but they were all imported - to the envy of her neighbors. Max was placed by an enterprising lover in a 24-hour boarding school at the Diplomatic Corps, and did not cause any significant trouble. Rena became spoiled: she began to travel abroad often, and fell in love with lazy holidays in cozy hotels with visits to mostly nudist beaches. I got used to spa treatments, regular trips to sports clubs and beauty salons. And now, in her fifties, she looked stunningly young and elegant. Even the blue under the eyes did not spoil Renino’s sleek face. And no one could give her more than forty years.
But Rena never learned to cook, wash, clean, manage the house, and spend money economically, and filling out a receipt for paying for electricity put the woman into a long-term stupor.
“The jumping dragonfly... She jumped. The prince has grown old. I took it off with pleasure. Weaned him from the feeder. Now he has his eye on young people. He disdains me. Runs around bars almost with schoolgirls. You'd think they'd delay his old age. Why! Keep your pocket wider.
And my son is doing the right thing. That's right. What kind of mother was I? Worthless. Echidna. Cuckoo. I tossed it to whoever I could. How long did he see me when I was little? He spent ten years in a boarding school. It's like being in prison. The term has been served. Sometimes I was too lazy to take him home on weekends. She kept coming up with good reasons for the headmistress. Why does Max love me? For the rags that Michael brought? Yes, he is indifferent to clothes. He's been wearing the same jacket for years. And he hates me. Indeed, he does the right thing. Let him hate it. And let him despise. Just don't kick me out of the house. And he let me die in my bed. Dialysis no longer helps... There is no donor... And there is no money to buy a closer line. Michael, the bastard, hasn't shown up for six months now. After all, the only one knows what awaits me!.. But he doesn’t want to help. She served him faithfully for thirty years. A floor rag... Yes, it's worn out. Now it's easier to throw it away than to patch it up. Coward! Pathetic coward. Well, let it go to hell! to your abroad. And to spite him, I’ll take it this way – and live the rest of my life in a new way. Right now I’ll start... a new one..."
- Mother, you, this... don’t be angry... - Maxim came up and put his hand on Rene’s shoulder. - I found your medical record. Accidentally. You know, mom, everything will be fine. I already went to your center and agreed on everything.
- What did you agree on?
- About the operation...
- I don’t understand... And the map... You couldn’t do it by accident. She's locked in the table. Did you break the lock?
Rena stared at her son in bewilderment.
- Well, yes. Sorry. This is only for your own benefit.
- Benefits? – Rena was about to squeal out of inertia, but immediately came to her senses, remembering about her new life.
“Something weird is happening. Why was Max rummaging through my desk? Why? For what? He never did that. He is generally a correct child, unlike his unlucky mother. He talks about the operation. Can't be. My turn will come only in a year, maybe more.”
- Max, explain clearly. Where will the kidney come from? Did you buy it? For what? With what funds?
- No, no, no.
- What then? Did you buy the queue? Or did everyone in front of me die at once? - Rena was perplexed.
- Mother! Calm down. Sit down. Here, drink some water,” he handed him a glass of mineral water and turned to the window, listening to his mother greedily drink water in large sips.
- I will be the donor. – Max said harshly, in a tone that did not tolerate objections. Rena's eyes widened unnaturally, she tried to say something, but only opened her mouth like a fish, without uttering a sound. The mother understood that the decision made by her son was too great a sacrifice that she should not accept. Rena got nervous, her hands didn’t obey her, they lived their own separate life, and there was an unbearable pain on the left side of the first cervical vertebra. She tried to object, but her son continued in the same stern voice:
- You and I have the same blood type. We are close relatives. There's nowhere closer. Isn't that right? “The mother nodded involuntarily - she sounded scared. And in general, she felt like a little girl in front of her son, who suddenly became some kind of stranger and too grown up.
- That's good. Since you are close, my kidney will suit you. And it will settle down better. Than anyone else's.
Although Maxim swaggered, the hair stuck to his forehead spoke volumes. Fear, which did not go away after the information received from the mother’s medical record, firmly settled in the soul, however, giving way to love and nobility. And Maxim did not have enough strength to overcome this fear. However, he managed to control himself, and added softly, looking at his sobbing mother:
- Don't cry, you fool. I don't do anything supernatural. This is my duty. Understand?
Rena shook her head: “No, no, and no again. I don't understand. This can't happen. He hates me. No no. This is not happening to me..."
- Oh, well, don’t understand. “Maxim waved his hand and hurried out of the room so as not to burst into tears himself, because the telltale lump in his throat was rising higher and higher. – I went to watch TV. There's football there. “He muttered in the doorway and, unexpectedly for himself, blew a kiss to Rena, who was stunned by the news. – I want you to babysit your grandchildren.