It was Christmas Eve 2 the caretaker of the resettlement barracks. Workbook for the preparation of the exam in the Russian language. The topic is "An essay based on the original text of N.D. Teleshov about the Christmas tree." Comparisons are expressed in various ways

(1) It was Christmas Eve...

(2) The caretaker of the resettlement barracks, a retired soldier, with a beard as gray as mouse hair, named Semyon Dmitrievich, or simply Mitrich, went up to his wife and said cheerfully:

- (3) Well, woman, what a thing I thought up! (4) I say, the holiday is coming ... (5) And for everyone it is a holiday, everyone rejoices in it ... (6) Everyone has their own: who has a new thing for the holiday, who will have feasts ... (7) Your room, for example, will be clean, I also have my own pleasure: I will buy sausages for myself! ..

- (8) So what? the old woman said indifferently.

- (9) And then, - Mitrich sighed again, - that everyone will have a holiday as a holiday, but, I say, it turns out for the kids, and there is no real holiday ... (10) I look at them - and my heart bleeds : oh, I think it’s wrong! .. (11) It’s known, orphans ... (12) Neither mother, nor father, nor relatives ... (13) It’s awkward! .. (14) So I thought of this: it’s necessary Amuse the kids! .. (15) I saw a lot of people ... and ours, and I saw everyone ... (16) I saw how they like to amuse children for the holiday. (17) They will bring a Christmas tree, remove it with candles and gifts, and their children just even jump for joy!

(19) Mitrich winked merrily, smacked his lips and went out into the yard.

(20) Around the yard, here and there, wooden houses were scattered, covered with snow, clogged with boards. (21) From early spring to late autumn, settlers passed through the city. (22) There were so many of them, and they were so poor, that good people built these houses for them, which were guarded by Mitrich. (23) By the fall, the houses were vacated, and by winter there was no one left except Mitrich and Agrafena, and even a few children, no one knows whose. (24) For these children, the parents either died or went to no one knows where. (25) Mitrich had eight such children this winter. (26) He settled them all together in one house, where he was going to arrange a holiday today.

(27) First of all, Mitrich went to the church warden to beg for stubs of church candles to decorate the Christmas tree. (28) Then he went to the resettlement official. (29) But the official was busy; without seeing Mitrich, he ordered me to say "thank you" to him and sent a fifty kopeck piece.

(30) Returning home, Mitrich did not say a word to his wife, but only laughed silently and, looking at the coin, figured out when and how to arrange everything.

(31) “Eight children,” Mitrich reasoned, bending his clumsy fingers on his hands, “so eight candies ...”

(32) ... It was a clear frosty afternoon. (33) With an ax in his belt, in a sheepskin coat and a hat, Mitrich returned from the forest, dragging a Christmas tree on his shoulder. (34) He had fun, although he was tired. (35) In the morning he went to the city to buy sweets for the children, and for himself and his wife - sausages, to which he was a passionate hunter, but he rarely bought it and ate only on holidays.

(36) Mitrich brought a Christmas tree, sharpened the end with an ax; then he adjusted it to stand, and when everything was ready, dragged it to the children in the barracks.

(37) When the tree warmed up, the room smelled of freshness and resin. (38) Children's faces, sad and thoughtful, suddenly cheered up ... (39) No one yet understood what the old man was doing, but everyone already foresaw pleasure, and Mitrich looked cheerfully at the eyes fixed on him from all sides.

(40) When the candles and sweets were already on the Christmas tree, Mitrich thought: the decoration was poor. (41) No matter how fond he was of his idea, however, he could not hang anything on the Christmas tree, except for eight sweets.

(42) Suddenly such an idea came to him that he even stopped. (43) Although he was very fond of sausage and valued every piece, but the desire to treat to fame overpowered all his considerations:

- (44) I will cut off a circle for everyone and hang it on a thread. (45) And slices of bread, and also on the Christmas tree.

(46) As soon as it got dark, the Christmas tree was lit. (47) It smelled of melted wax, resin and greens. (48) Always gloomy and thoughtful, the children screamed with joy, looking at the lights. (49) Their eyes brightened, their faces blushed. (50) Laughter, cries and talk revived for the first time this gloomy room, where from year to year only complaints and tears were heard. (51) Even Agrafena clasped her hands in surprise, and Mitrich, rejoicing from the bottom of her heart, clapped her hands. (52) Admiring the Christmas tree, the children having fun, he smiled. (53) And then he commanded:

- (54) The audience! (55)Come! (56) Taking a piece of bread and sausage from the Christmas tree, Mitrich dressed all the children, then took Agrafene for himself.

- (57) Look, the orphans are chewing! (58) Look, they're chewing! (59) Look! (60) Rejoice! he shouted. (61) And after that, Mitrich took the harmonica and, forgetting his old age, started dancing with the children. (62) The children jumped, squealed merrily and whirled, and Mitrich did not lag behind them. (63) His soul was filled with such joy that he did not remember if such a holiday had ever happened in his life.

- (64) The audience! he exclaimed at last. - (65) Candles burn out. (66) Take your own candy, and it's time to sleep!

(67) The children screamed with joy and rushed to the Christmas tree, and Mitrich, touched almost to tears, whispered to Agrafena:

- (68) Good! .. (69) You can directly say: right! ..

(according to N.D. Teleshov*)

*Nikolai Dmitrievich Teleshov (1867–1957)- Russian Soviet writer, poet, organizer of the famous circle of Moscow writers "Wednesday" (1899-1916). The story "Yolka Mitrich" (1897) is included in the cycle "Settlers", dedicated to a large migration beyond the Urals, to Siberia, where the peasants were given allotments of land.

Read sentences 19–29. Specify the number of the sentence, after which the next fragment should be.

“The houses were all overcrowded, and meanwhile the settlers kept coming and coming. They had nowhere to go, and so they scattered huts in the field, where they hid with their families and children in cold and bad weather. Some lived here for a week, two, and others for more than a month, waiting in line on the ship.

Explanation.

Place this passage after sentence 22.

(22) There were so many of them, and they were so poor, that good people built these houses for them, which were guarded by Mitrich.

Further, the passage: “The houses were all overcrowded, and meanwhile the settlers kept coming and coming. They had nowhere to go, and so they scattered huts in the field, where they hid with their families and children in cold and bad weather. Some lived here for a week, two, and others for more than a month, waiting in line on the ship.

Answer: 22

Ilona Zueva 06.07.2017 12:45

Then the logic chain is broken. Sentence 20 says that there were houses, and then an explanation. The proposed passage says that the houses were overcrowded and the settlers were located nearby. But only sentence 21 says that there were settlers in general. Rather, after 22, then it is logical that

1) settlers came

2) people built houses for them

3) * excerpt * there was not enough space and they settled in tents

Maria Galamaga 28.07.2017 21:45

The correct answer is 22.

In sentences 21 and 22, it is just about the settlers, and what kind of houses they are. If you insert a passage after sentence 20, it will lose its meaning.

Well, to confirm my words - the original work, of course.

Anton Pavlov 31.07.2017 17:40

The correct answer is 22. I quote the original text of the author "they built these houses for them, which were guarded by Mitrich.

Tatiana Statsenko

You're right. Thank you.

Julia Makarova 24.08.2017 13:50

Why place this passage after sentence 20? Sentence 20 talks about the presence of houses, then, according to your logic, you need to insert a passage that tells about the overcrowding of the houses and the settlers who kept coming and coming. Then comes sentence 21, which talks about settlers passing through the city. Don't you think it would be more correct to insert the passage after sentence 22?

Tatiana Statsenko

That's right, it's been fixed.

Which of the following statements are faithful? Specify the answer numbers.

Enter the numbers in ascending order.

Explanation.

Determine the truth of judgments

1) Sentences 10-13 present the narrative. Wrong, this is a discussion

2) Sentence 19 presents the narrative. Right

3) Sentences 30-31 provide a description. Wrong, this is the story

4) Proposition 47 indicates a consequence of what is said in sentence 46. Right

5) Sentences 61-62 present the narrative. Right

Answer: 245.

Answer: 245

From sentences 42-51, write out phraseological units with the meaning "very good, excellent, excellent."

Explanation.

In sentence (43) Although he was very fond of sausage and valued every piece, but the desire to treat him to glory overpowered all his considerations to the glory is a phrase.

Answer: fame

Answer: glory

Among sentences 20-26, find the one(s) that is(-s) related to the previous one using the attributive pronoun, demonstrative pronoun and lexical repetition. Write the number(s) of this offer(s).

Consider the relationship between sentences.

(24) These children parents have either died or gone somewhere. (25) All such children Mitrich got eight people that winter.

"All" definitive, "such" demonstrative, lex. repeat "children"

Answer: 25

Rule: Task 25. Means of communication of sentences in the text

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION OF OFFERS IN THE TEXT

Several sentences connected into a whole by a topic and a main idea are called a text (from Latin textum - fabric, connection, connection).

Obviously, all sentences separated by a dot are not isolated from each other. There is a semantic connection between two adjacent sentences of the text, and not only sentences located next to each other can be related, but also separated from each other by one or more sentences. The semantic relations between sentences are different: the content of one sentence can be opposed to the content of another; the content of two or more sentences can be compared with one another; the content of the second sentence can reveal the meaning of the first or clarify one of its members, and the content of the third can reveal the meaning of the second, etc. The purpose of task 23 is to determine the type of relationship between sentences.

The wording of the task may be as follows:

Among sentences 11-18, find one (s) that is (s) connected with the previous one using a demonstrative pronoun, adverb and cognates. Write the number(s) of the offer(s)

Or: Determine the type of connection between sentences 12 and 13.

Remember that the previous one is ONE HIGHER. Thus, if the interval 11-18 is indicated, then the desired sentence is within the limits indicated in the task, and the answer 11 may be correct if this sentence is related to the 10th topic indicated in the task. Answers can be 1 or more. The score for the successful completion of the task is 1.

Let's move on to the theoretical part.

Most often, we use this text construction model: each sentence is linked to the next one, this is called chain link. (We will talk about the parallel connection below). We speak and write, we combine independent sentences into a text according to simple rules. Here's the gist: two adjacent sentences must refer to the same subject.

All types of communication are usually divided into lexical, morphological and syntactic. As a rule, when connecting sentences into text, one can use several types of communication at the same time. This greatly facilitates the search for the desired sentence in the specified fragment. Let's take a closer look at each type.

23.1. Communication with the help of lexical means.

1. Words of one thematic group.

Words of the same thematic group are words that have a common lexical meaning and denote similar, but not identical, concepts.

Word examples: 1) Forest, path, trees; 2) buildings, streets, sidewalks, squares; 3) water, fish, waves; hospital, nurses, emergency room, ward

Water was clean and transparent. Waves ran ashore slowly and silently.

2. Generic words.

Generic words are words related by the relationship genus - species: genus is a broader concept, species is a narrower one.

Word examples: Chamomile - flower; birch - tree; car - transport and so on.

Suggestion examples: Under the window still grew birch. How many memories I have associated with this tree...

field chamomile become a rarity. But it's unpretentious flower.

3 Lexical repetition

Lexical repetition is the repetition of the same word in the same word form.

The closest connection of sentences is expressed primarily in repetition. The repetition of one or another member of the sentence is the main feature of the chain connection. For example, in sentences Behind the garden was a forest. The forest was deaf, neglected the connection is built according to the “subject - subject” model, that is, the subject named at the end of the first sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next one; in sentences Physics is science. Science must use the dialectical method- "model predicate - subject"; in the example The boat has landed on the shore. The beach was strewn with small pebbles.- model "circumstance - subject" and so on. But if in the first two examples the words forest and science stand in each of the adjacent sentences in the same case, then the word shore has different forms. Lexical repetition in the tasks of the exam will be considered the repetition of a word in the same word form, used to enhance the impact on the reader.

In texts of artistic and journalistic styles, the chain connection through lexical repetition often has an expressive, emotional character, especially when the repetition is at the junction of sentences:

Here the Aral Sea disappears from the map of the Fatherland sea.

Whole sea!

The use of repetition here is used to enhance the impact on the reader.

Consider examples. We do not yet take into account additional means of communication, we look only at lexical repetition.

(36) I heard a very brave man who went through the war once say: “ It used to be scary very scary." (37) He spoke the truth: he used to be scared.

(15) As an educator, I happened to meet young people who yearn for a clear and precise answer to the question of higher education. values life. (16) 0 values, allowing you to distinguish good from evil and choose the best and most worthy.

note: different forms of words refer to a different kind of connection. For more on the difference, see the paragraph on word forms.

4 Root words

Single-root words are words with the same root and common meaning.

Word examples: Motherland, be born, birth, kind; break, break, break

Suggestion examples: I'm lucky be born healthy and strong. History of my birth nothing remarkable.

Although I understood that a relationship is necessary break but he couldn't do it himself. This gap would be very painful for both of us.

5 Synonyms

Synonyms are words of the same part of speech that are similar in meaning.

Word examples: to be bored, to frown, to be sad; fun, joy, rejoicing

Suggestion examples: At parting, she said that will miss. I knew that too I will be sad through our walks and conversations.

Joy grabbed me, picked me up and carried me... jubilation seemed to have no boundaries: Lina answered, answered at last!

It should be noted that synonyms are difficult to find in the text if you need to look for a connection only with the help of synonyms. But, as a rule, along with this method of communication, others are used. So, in example 1 there is a union Same , this relationship will be discussed below.

6 Contextual synonyms

Contextual synonyms are words of the same part of speech that come together in meaning only in a given context, since they refer to the same object (feature, action).

Word examples: kitten, poor fellow, naughty; girl, student, beauty

Suggestion examples: Kitty recently lived with us. Husband took off poor guy from the tree where he climbed to escape from the dogs.

I guessed that she student. Young woman continued to be silent, despite all the efforts on my part to talk her.

It is even more difficult to find these words in the text: after all, the author makes them synonyms. But along with this method of communication, others are used, which facilitates the search.

7 Antonyms

Antonyms are words of the same part of speech that are opposite in meaning.

Word examples: laughter, tears; hot Cold

Suggestion examples: I pretended to like this joke and squeezed out something like laughter. But tears strangled me, and I quickly left the room.

Her words were warm and burned. eyes chilled cold. I felt like I was under a contrast shower...

8 Contextual antonyms

Contextual antonyms are words of the same part of speech that are opposite in meaning only in this context.

Word examples: mouse - lion; house - work green - ripe

Suggestion examples: On work this man was gray mouse. At home woke up in it a lion.

ripe berries can be safely used to make jam. And here green it is better not to put, they are usually bitter, and can spoil the taste.

We draw attention to the non-random coincidence of terms(synonyms, antonyms, including contextual ones) in this task and tasks 22 and 24: it is the same lexical phenomenon, but viewed from a different angle. Lexical means may serve to connect two adjacent sentences, or they may not be a link. At the same time, they will always be a means of expression, that is, they have every chance of being the object of tasks 22 and 24. Therefore, advice: when completing task 23, pay attention to these tasks. You will learn more theoretical material about lexical means from the help rule for task 24.

23.2. Communication by means of morphological means

Along with lexical means of communication, morphological ones are also used.

1. Pronoun

A pronoun link is a link in which ONE word or MULTIPLE words from the previous sentence is replaced by a pronoun. To see such a connection, you need to know what a pronoun is, what are the ranks in meaning.

What you need to know:

Pronouns are words that are used instead of a name (noun, adjective, numeral), designate persons, point to objects, signs of objects, the number of objects, without specifically naming them.

According to the meaning and grammatical features, nine categories of pronouns are distinguished:

1) personal (I, we; you, you; he, she, it; they);

2) returnable (oneself);

3) possessive (mine, yours, ours, yours, yours); used as possessive also forms of personal: his (jacket), her work),them (merit).

4) demonstrative (this, that, such, such, such, so many);

5) defining(himself, most, all, everyone, each, different);

6) relative (who, what, what, what, which, how much, whose);

7) interrogative (who? what? what? whose? who? how much? where? when? where? from where? why? why? what?);

8) negative (no one, nothing, no one);

9) indefinite (someone, something, someone, someone, someone, someone).

Do not forget that pronouns change by case, so "you", "me", "about us", "about them", "no one", "everyone" are forms of pronouns.

As a rule, the task indicates WHAT rank the pronoun should be, but this is not necessary if there are no other pronouns in the specified period that play the role of CONNECTING elements. It must be clearly understood that NOT EVERY pronoun that occurs in the text is a link.

Let us turn to examples and determine how sentences 1 and 2 are related; 2 and 3.

1) Our school has recently been renovated. 2) I finished it many years ago, but sometimes I went and wandered around the school floors. 3) Now they are some strangers, others, not mine ....

There are two pronouns in the second sentence, both personal, I And her. Which one is the one paperclip, which connects the first and second sentence? If this is a pronoun I, what is it replaced in sentence 1? Nothing. What replaces the pronoun her? Word " school from the first sentence. We conclude: communication using a personal pronoun her.

There are three pronouns in the third sentence: they are somehow mine. Only the pronoun connects with the second They(=floors from the second sentence). Rest in no way correlate with the words of the second sentence and do not replace anything. Conclusion: the second sentence connects the pronoun with the third They.

What is the practical importance of understanding this mode of communication? The fact that you can and should use pronouns instead of nouns, adjectives and numerals. Use, but do not abuse, as the abundance of the words "he", "his", "them" sometimes leads to misunderstanding and confusion.

2. Adverb

Communication with the help of adverbs is a connection, the features of which depend on the meaning of the adverb.

To see such a connection, you need to know what an adverb is, what are the ranks in meaning.

Adverbs are invariable words that denote a sign by action and refer to the verb.

Adverbs of the following meanings can be used as means of communication:

Time and space: below, on the left, near, at the beginning, long ago and the like.

Suggestion examples: We got to work. At the beginning it was hard: it was not possible to work in a team, there were no ideas. After got involved, felt their strength and even got excited.note: Sentences 2 and 3 are related to sentence 1 using the indicated adverbs. This type of connection is called parallel connection.

We climbed to the very top of the mountain. Around we were only the tops of the trees. Near clouds floated with us. A similar example of a parallel connection: 2 and 3 are related to 1 using the indicated adverbs.

demonstrative adverbs. (They are sometimes called pronominal adverbs, since they do not name how or where the action takes place, but only point to it): there, here, there, then, from there, because, so and the like.

Suggestion examples: I vacationed last summer in one of the sanatoriums in Belarus. From there it was almost impossible to make a phone call, let alone work on the Internet. The adverb "from there" replaces the whole phrase.

Life went on as usual: I studied, my mother and father worked, my sister got married and left with her husband. So three years have passed. The adverb "so" summarizes the entire content of the previous sentence.

It is possible to use and other categories of adverbs, for example, negative: B school and university I didn't have good relationships with my peers. Yes and nowhere did not add up; however, I did not suffer from this, I had a family, I had brothers, they replaced my friends.

3. Union

Connection with the help of unions is the most common type of connection, due to which various relationships arise between sentences related to the meaning of the union.

Communication with the help of coordinating unions: but, and, but, but, also, or, however and others. The task may or may not specify the type of union. Therefore, the material on unions should be repeated.

Details about coordinating conjunctions are described in a special section.

Suggestion examples: By the end of the weekend, we were incredibly tired. But the mood was amazing! Communication with the help of the adversative union "but".

That's how it's always been... Or that's how it seemed to me...Communication with the help of a separating union "or".

We draw attention to the fact that very rarely only one union participates in the formation of a connection: as a rule, lexical means of communication are used simultaneously.

Communication using subordinating unions: for, so. A very atypical case, since subordinating conjunctions connect sentences as part of a complex one. In our opinion, with such a connection, there is a deliberate break in the structure of a complex sentence.

Suggestion examples: I was in total despair... For I did not know what to do, where to go and, most importantly, who to turn to for help. The union for matters because, because, indicates the reason for the state of the hero.

I didn’t pass the exams, I didn’t enter the institute, I couldn’t ask for help from my parents and I wouldn’t do it. So There was only one thing left to do: find a job. The union "so" has the meaning of the consequence.

4. Particles

Communication with particles always accompanies other types of communication.

Particles after all, and only, here, out, only, even, the same bring additional shades to the proposal.

Suggestion examples: Call your parents, talk to them. After all It's so simple and so difficult at the same time - to love ...

Everyone in the house was already asleep. AND only grandmother muttered softly: she always read prayers before going to bed, begging the powers of heaven for a better share for us.

After the departure of her husband, it became empty in the soul and deserted in the house. Even the cat, which used to run like a meteor around the apartment, only yawns sleepily and still strives to climb into my arms. Here Whose hands should I lean on...Pay attention, connecting particles are at the beginning of the sentence.

5. Word forms

Communication using the word form consists in the fact that in adjacent sentences the same word is used in different

if this noun - number and case
If adjective - gender, number and case
If pronoun - gender, number and case depending on grade
If verb in person (gender), number, tense

Verbs and participles, verbs and participles are considered different words.

Suggestion examples: Noise gradually increased. From this growing noise became uncomfortable.

I knew my son captain. With myself captain fate did not bring me, but I knew that it was only a matter of time.

note: in the task, “word forms” can be written, and then this is ONE word in different forms;

“forms of words” - and these are already two words repeated in adjacent sentences.

The difference between word forms and lexical repetition is of particular complexity.

Information for the teacher.

Consider, as an example, the most difficult task of the real USE in 2016. We give the full fragment published on the FIPI website in "Guidelines for teachers (2016)"

Examinees found it difficult to complete task 23 when the condition of the task required distinguishing between the form of a word and lexical repetition as a means of connecting sentences in the text. In these cases, when analyzing the language material, students should pay attention to the fact that lexical repetition involves the repetition of a lexical unit with a special stylistic task.

We give the condition of task 23 and a fragment of the text of one of the options for the USE in 2016:

“Among sentences 8–18, find one that is related to the previous one with the help of lexical repetition. Write the number of this offer.

Below is the beginning of the text given for analysis.

- (7) What kind of an artist are you when you don’t love your native land, an eccentric!

(8) Maybe that's why Berg did not succeed in landscapes. (9) He preferred a portrait, a poster. (10) He tried to find the style of his time, but these attempts were full of failures and ambiguities.

(11) Once Berg received a letter from the artist Yartsev. (12) He called him to come to the Murom forests, where he spent the summer.

(13) August was hot and calm. (14) Yartsev lived far from the deserted station, in the forest, on the shore of a deep lake with black water. (15) He rented a hut from a forester. (16) Berg was taken to the lake by the forester's son Vanya Zotov, a stooped and shy boy. (17) Berg lived on the lake for about a month. (18) He was not going to work and did not take oil paints with him.

Proposition 15 is related to Proposition 14 by personal pronoun "He"(Yartsev).

Proposition 16 is related to Proposition 15 by word forms "forester": a prepositional case form controlled by a verb, and a non-prepositional form controlled by a noun. These word forms express different meanings: the meaning of the object and the meaning of belonging, and the use of the considered word forms does not carry a stylistic load.

Proposition 17 is related to Proposition 16 by word forms ("on the lake - on the lake"; "Berga - Berg").

Proposition 18 is related to the previous one by means of personal pronoun "he"(Berg).

The correct answer in task 23 of this option is 10. It is sentence 10 of the text that is connected with the previous one (sentence 9) with the help of lexical repetition (the word "he").

It should be noted that among the authors of various manuals there is no consensus, what is considered a lexical repetition - the same word in different cases (persons, numbers) or in the same one. The authors of the books of the publishing house "National Education", "Exam", "Legion" (authors Tsybulko I.P., Vasiliev I.P., Gosteva Yu.N., Senina N.A.) do not give a single example in which the words in various forms would be considered lexical repetition.

At the same time, very difficult cases, in which words in different cases coincide in form, are considered differently in manuals. The author of the books N.A. Senina sees in this the form of the word. I.P. Tsybulko (based on a 2017 book) sees lexical repetition. So, in sentences like I saw the sea in a dream. The sea was calling me the word “sea” has different cases, but at the same time there is undoubtedly the same stylistic task that I.P. Tsybulko. Without delving into the linguistic solution of this issue, we will indicate the position of the RESHUEGE and give recommendations.

1. All obviously non-matching forms are word forms, not lexical repetition. Please note that we are talking about the same linguistic phenomenon as in task 24. And in 24, lexical repetitions are only repeated words, in the same forms.

2. There will be no coinciding forms in the tasks for the RESHUEGE: if the linguists-specialists themselves cannot figure it out, then the graduates of the school cannot do it.

3. If the exam comes across tasks with similar difficulties, we look at those additional means of communication that will help you make your choice. After all, the compilers of KIMs can have their own, separate opinion. Unfortunately, this may be the case.

23.3 Syntactic means.

Introductory words

Communication with the help of introductory words accompanies, complements any other connection, complementing the shades of meanings characteristic of introductory words.

Of course, you need to know which words are introductory.

He was hired. Unfortunately, Anton was too ambitious. On the one side, the company needed such personalities, on the other hand, he was not inferior to anyone and in nothing, if something was, as he said, below his level.

Let us give examples of the definition of means of communication in a short text.

(1) We met Masha a few months ago. (2) My parents have not yet seen her, but did not insist on meeting her. (3) It seemed that she also did not strive for rapprochement, which upset me a little.

Let's determine how the sentences in this text are related.

Sentence 2 is related to sentence 1 by a personal pronoun her, which replaces the name Masha in offer 1.

Sentence 3 is related to sentence 2 using word forms she her: "she" is the nominative form, "her" is the genitive form.

In addition, sentence 3 has other means of communication: it is a union Same, introductory word seemed, rows of synonymous constructions did not insist on meeting And didn't want to get close.

Read a fragment of a review based on the text that you analyzed in tasks 20-23.

This fragment examines the language features of the text. Some terms used in the review are missing. Fill in the gaps (A, B, C, D) with the numbers corresponding to the numbers of the terms from the list. Write in the table under each letter the corresponding number.

Write down the sequence of numbers without spaces, commas and other additional characters.

“Telling the reader the story of the holiday organized by Mitrich, N.D. Teleshov generously uses the most diverse means of artistic expression. At the lexical level, it is worth noting the active use of (A)_____ (“theirs” in sentence 17, “fit” in sentence 36, “Mitrich”), as well as such a trope as (B)_____ (in sentence 2). Among other means of expressiveness, one can single out such a device as (C) _____ (for example, in sentences 15-16, 57-58), and such a syntactic means as (D) _____ (in sentences 3, 68, 69).

List of terms

1) synonyms

2) comparison

3) metonymy

5) colloquial vocabulary

6) rows of homogeneous members

7) rhetorical exclamations

8) anaphora

9) rhetorical appeals

A	B	IN	G

Explanation (see also Rule below).

“Telling the reader the story of the holiday organized by Mitrich, N.D. Teleshov generously uses the most diverse means of artistic expression. At the lexical level, it is worth noting the active use (A) colloquial vocabulary(“theirs” in sentence 17, “fit” in sentence 36, “Mitrich”), as well as such a path as (B) comparison(in sentence 2). Among other means of expressiveness, one can single out such a technique as (B) anaphora(for example, in sentences 15-16, 57-58), and such a syntactic device as (D) rhetorical exclamations(in sentences 3, 68, 69)".

List of terms

2) comparison B (with sulfur, like mouse hair, beard)

5) colloquial vocabulary A

7) rhetorical exclamations G ( exactly exclamations: Good! Right!)

8) anaphora B ((15)Vidal I have a lot of people ... both ours, and I have seen everyone ... (16) Vidal how they like to amuse children for the holiday .. The same construction of the beginning of the sentence)

Write down the numbers in response, arranging them in the order corresponding to the letters:

A	B	IN	G
5	2	8	7

Answer: 5287

Rule: Task 26. Language means of expression

ANALYSIS OF THE MEANS OF EXPRESSION.

The purpose of the task is to determine the means of expression used in the review by establishing a correspondence between the gaps indicated by the letters in the text of the review and the numbers with definitions. You need to write down matches only in the order in which the letters go in the text. If you do not know what is hidden under a particular letter, you must put "0" in place of this number. For the task you can get from 1 to 4 points.

When completing task 26, you should remember that you fill in the gaps in the review, i.e. restore the text, and with it semantic and grammatical connection. Therefore, an analysis of the review itself can often serve as an additional clue: various adjectives of one kind or another, predicates that agree with omissions, etc. It will facilitate the task and the division of the list of terms into two groups: the first includes terms based on the meaning of the word, the second - the structure of the sentence. You can carry out this division, knowing that all means are divided into TWO large groups: the first includes lexical (non-special means) and tropes; into the second figure of speech (some of them are called syntactic).

26.1 A TROPWORD OR EXPRESSION USED IN A PORTABLE MEANING TO CREATE AN ARTISTIC IMAGE AND ACHIEVE GREATER EXPRESSION. Tropes include such techniques as epithet, comparison, personification, metaphor, metonymy, sometimes they include hyperbole and litotes.

Note: In the task, as a rule, it is indicated that these are TRAILS.

In the review, examples of tropes are indicated in brackets, as a phrase.

1.Epithet(in translation from Greek - application, addition) - this is a figurative definition that marks a feature that is essential for a given context in the depicted phenomenon. From a simple definition, the epithet differs in artistic expressiveness and figurativeness. The epithet is based on a hidden comparison.

Epithets include all the "colorful" definitions that are most often expressed adjectives:

sad orphan land(F.I. Tyutchev), gray fog, lemon light, silent peace(I. A. Bunin).

Epithets can also be expressed:

-nouns, acting as applications or predicates, giving a figurative description of the subject: sorceress-winter; mother - cheese earth; The poet is a lyre, and not only the nurse of his soul(M. Gorky);

-adverbs acting as circumstances: In the north stands wild alone...(M. Yu. Lermontov); The leaves were tense elongated in the wind (K. G. Paustovsky);

-gerunds: the waves are rushing thundering and sparkling;

-pronouns expressing the superlative degree of this or that state of the human soul:

After all, there were fighting fights, Yes, they say, more which! (M. Yu. Lermontov);

-participles and participial phrases: Nightingale vocabulary rumbling announce the forest limits (B. L. Pasternak); I also admit the appearance of ... scribblers who cannot prove where they spent the night yesterday, and who have no other words in the language, except for words, not remembering kinship(M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin).

2. Comparison- This is a visual technique based on the comparison of one phenomenon or concept with another. Unlike metaphor, comparison is always binomial: it names both compared objects (phenomena, signs, actions).

Villages are burning, they have no protection.

The sons of the fatherland are defeated by the enemy,

And the glow like an eternal meteor,

Playing in the clouds, frightens the eye. (M. Yu. Lermontov)

Comparisons are expressed in various ways:

The form of the instrumental case of nouns:

nightingale stray youth flew by,

wave in bad weather Joy subsided (A. V. Koltsov)

Comparative form of an adjective or adverb: These eyes greener sea and our cypresses darker(A. Akhmatova);

Comparative turnovers with unions like, as if, as if, as if, etc .:

Like a predatory animal, to a humble abode

The winner breaks in with bayonets ... (M. Yu. Lermontov);

Using the words similar, similar, this is:

Into the eyes of a cautious cat

Similar your eyes (A. Akhmatova);

With the help of comparative clauses:

Golden foliage swirled

In the pinkish water of the pond

Just like a light flock of butterflies

With fading flies to a star. (S. A. Yesenin)

3.Metaphor(in translation from Greek - transfer) is a word or expression that is used in a figurative sense based on the similarity of two objects or phenomena on some basis. In contrast to comparison, in which both what is being compared and what is being compared is given, the metaphor contains only the second, which creates compactness and figurativeness of the use of the word. The metaphor can be based on the similarity of objects in shape, color, volume, purpose, sensations, etc.: a waterfall of stars, an avalanche of letters, a wall of fire, an abyss of grief, a pearl of poetry, a spark of love and etc.

All metaphors are divided into two groups:

1) general language("erased"): golden hands, a storm in a teacup, mountains to move, strings of the soul, love has faded;

2) artistic(individual-author's, poetic):

And the stars fade diamond thrill

IN painless cold dawn (M. Voloshin);

Empty skies transparent glass (A. Akhmatova);

AND eyes blue, bottomless

Blooming on the far shore. (A. A. Blok)

Metaphor happens not only single: it can develop in the text, forming whole chains of figurative expressions, in many cases - covering, as if permeating the entire text. This extended, complex metaphor, an integral artistic image.

4. Personification- this is a kind of metaphor based on the transfer of signs of a living being to natural phenomena, objects and concepts. Most often, personifications are used to describe nature:

Rolling through sleepy valleys, Sleepy mists lay down And only the horse's clatter, Sounding, is lost in the distance. The autumn day went out, turning pale, Rolling up fragrant leaves, Taste a dreamless dream Half-withered flowers. (M. Yu. Lermontov)

5. Metonymy(in translation from Greek - renaming) is the transfer of a name from one object to another based on their adjacency. Adjacency can be a manifestation of a connection:

Between action and tool of action: Their villages and fields for a violent raid He doomed swords and fires(A. S. Pushkin);

Between the object and the material from which the object is made: ... not that on silver, - on gold ate(A. S. Griboyedov);

Between a place and the people in that place: The city was noisy, flags crackled, wet roses fell from the bowls of flower girls ... (Yu. K. Olesha)

6. Synecdoche(in translation from Greek - correlation) is kind of metonymy, based on the transfer of meaning from one phenomenon to another on the basis of a quantitative relationship between them. Most often, the transfer occurs:

From less to more: Even a bird does not fly to him, And a tiger does not go ... (A. S. Pushkin);

Part to whole: Beard, why are you still silent?(A.P. Chekhov)

7. Paraphrase, or paraphrase(in translation from Greek - a descriptive expression), is a turnover that is used instead of a word or phrase. For example, Petersburg in verse

A. S. Pushkin - "Peter's creation", "Beauty and wonder of midnight countries", "city of Petrov"; A. A. Blok in the verses of M. I. Tsvetaeva - “a knight without reproach”, “blue-eyed snow singer”, “snow swan”, “almighty of my soul”.

8. Hyperbole(in translation from Greek - exaggeration) is a figurative expression containing an exorbitant exaggeration of any sign of an object, phenomenon, action: A rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper(N. V. Gogol)

And at that very moment, couriers, couriers, couriers through the streets ... can you imagine thirty five thousands one couriers! (N.V. Gogol).

9. Litota(translated from Greek - smallness, moderation) is a figurative expression containing an exorbitant understatement of any sign of an object, phenomenon, action: What tiny cows! There is, right, less than a pinhead.(I. A. Krylov)

And marching importantly, in orderly calmness, The horse is led by the bridle by a peasant In large boots, in a sheepskin coat, In large mittens ... and himself with a fingernail!(N.A. Nekrasov)

10. Irony(in translation from Greek - pretense) is the use of a word or statement in a sense opposite to the direct one. Irony is a type of allegory in which mockery is hidden behind an outwardly positive assessment: Where, smart, are you wandering, head?(I. A. Krylov)

26.2 "Non-special" lexical figurative and expressive means of the language

Note: The tasks sometimes indicate that this is a lexical means. Usually in the review of task 24, an example of a lexical means is given in brackets, either in one word or in a phrase in which one of the words is in italics. Please note: these funds are most often needed find in task 22!

11. Synonyms, i.e. words of the same part of speech, different in sound, but the same or similar in lexical meaning and differing from each other either in shades of meaning, or in stylistic coloring ( brave - brave, run - rush, eyes(neutral) - eyes(poet.)), have great expressive power.

Synonyms can be contextual.

12. Antonyms, i.e. words of the same part of speech, opposite in meaning ( truth - lies, good - evil, disgusting - wonderful), also have great expressive possibilities.

Antonyms can be contextual, that is, they become antonyms only in a given context.

Lies happen good or evil,

Compassionate or merciless,

Lies happen cunning and clumsy

Cautious and reckless

Captivating and joyless.

13. Phraseologisms as a means of linguistic expression

Phraseological units (phraseological expressions, idioms), i.e. word combinations and sentences reproduced in finished form, in which the integral meaning dominates the meanings of their constituent components and is not a simple sum of such meanings ( get into trouble, be in seventh heaven, a bone of contention) have great expressive potential. The expressiveness of phraseological units is determined by:

1) their vivid imagery, including mythological ( the cat cried like a squirrel in a wheel, Ariadne's thread, the sword of Damocles, Achilles' heel);

2) the relevance of many of them: a) to the category of high ( the voice of one crying in the wilderness, sink into oblivion) or reduced (colloquial, colloquial: like a fish in water, neither sleep nor spirit, lead by the nose, lather your neck, hang your ears); b) to the category of language means with a positive emotionally expressive coloring ( store as the apple of an eye - torzh.) or with a negative emotionally expressive coloring (without the king in the head is disapproved, the small fry is neglected, the price is worthless - contempt.).

14. Stylistically colored vocabulary

To enhance expressiveness in the text, all categories of stylistically colored vocabulary can be used:

1) emotionally expressive (evaluative) vocabulary, including:

a) words with a positive emotional and expressive assessment: solemn, sublime (including Old Church Slavonics): inspiration, coming, fatherland, aspirations, secret, unshakable; sublimely poetic: serene, radiant, spell, azure; approving: noble, outstanding, amazing, courageous; affectionate: sun, darling, daughter

b) words with a negative emotional-expressive assessment: disapproving: conjecture, bicker, nonsense; disparaging: upstart, delinquent; contemptuous: dunce, cramming, scribbling; swear words/

2) functionally-stylistically colored vocabulary, including:

a) book: scientific (terms: alliteration, cosine, interference); official business: the undersigned, report; journalistic: report, interview; artistic and poetic: azure, eyes, cheeks

b) colloquial (everyday-household): dad, boy, braggart, healthy

15. Vocabulary of limited use

To enhance expressiveness in the text, all categories of vocabulary of limited use can also be used, including:

Dialect vocabulary (words that are used by the inhabitants of any locality: kochet - rooster, veksha - squirrel);

Colloquial vocabulary (words with a pronounced reduced stylistic coloring: familiar, rude, dismissive, abusive, located on the border or outside the literary norm: goofball, bastard, slap, talker);

Professional vocabulary (words that are used in professional speech and are not included in the system of the general literary language: galley - in the speech of sailors, duck - in the speech of journalists, window - in the speech of teachers);

Slang vocabulary (words characteristic of jargons - youth: party, bells and whistles, cool; computer: brains - computer memory, keyboard - keyboard; soldier: demobilization, scoop, perfume; jargon of criminals: dude, raspberry);

Vocabulary is outdated (historicisms are words that have fallen out of use due to the disappearance of the objects or phenomena they designate: boyar, oprichnina, horse; archaisms are obsolete words that name objects and concepts for which new names have appeared in the language: brow - forehead, sail - sail); - new vocabulary (neologisms - words that have recently entered the language and have not yet lost their novelty: blog, slogan, teenager).

26.3 FIGURES (RHETORICAL FIGURES, STYLISTIC FIGURES, FIGURES OF SPEECH) ARE STYLISTIC TECHNIQUES based on special combinations of words that are beyond the scope of normal practical use, and aimed at enhancing the expressiveness and descriptiveness of the text. The main figures of speech include: rhetorical question, rhetorical exclamation, rhetorical appeal, repetition, syntactic parallelism, polyunion, non-union, ellipsis, inversion, parcellation, antithesis, gradation, oxymoron. Unlike lexical means, this is the level of a sentence or several sentences.

Note: In the tasks there is no clear definition format that indicates these means: they are called both syntactic means, and a technique, and simply a means of expression, and a figure. In task 24, the figure of speech is indicated by the number of the sentence given in brackets.

16. Rhetorical question is a figure in which a statement is contained in the form of a question. A rhetorical question does not require an answer, it is used to enhance the emotionality, expressiveness of speech, to draw the reader's attention to a particular phenomenon:

Why did he give his hand to insignificant slanderers, Why did he believe false words and caresses, He, who from a young age comprehended people?.. (M. Yu. Lermontov);

17. Rhetorical exclamation- this is a figure in which an assertion is contained in the form of an exclamation. Rhetorical exclamations strengthen the expression of certain feelings in the message; they are usually distinguished not only by special emotionality, but also by solemnity and elation:

That was in the morning of our years - Oh happiness! oh tears! O forest! oh life! Oh the light of the sun! O fresh spirit of birch. (A. K. Tolstoy);

Alas! a proud country bowed before the power of a stranger. (M. Yu. Lermontov)

18. Rhetorical appeal- This is a stylistic figure, consisting in an underlined appeal to someone or something to enhance the expressiveness of speech. It serves not so much to name the addressee of the speech, but to express the attitude towards what is said in the text. Rhetorical appeals can create solemnity and pathos of speech, express joy, regret and other shades of mood and emotional state:

My friends! Our union is wonderful. He, like a soul, is unstoppable and eternal (A. S. Pushkin);

Oh deep night! Oh cold autumn! Silent! (K. D. Balmont)

19. Repeat (positional-lexical repetition, lexical repetition)- this is a stylistic figure consisting in the repetition of any member of a sentence (word), part of a sentence or a whole sentence, several sentences, stanzas in order to draw special attention to them.

The types of repetition are anaphora, epiphora and catch-up.

Anaphora(in translation from Greek - ascent, rise), or monotony, is the repetition of a word or group of words at the beginning of lines, stanzas or sentences:

lazily hazy noon breathes,

lazily the river is rolling.

And in the fiery and pure firmament

The clouds are lazily melting (F. I. Tyutchev);

Epiphora(in translation from Greek - addition, final sentence of the period) is the repetition of words or groups of words at the end of lines, stanzas or sentences:

Although man is not eternal,

That which is eternal, humanely.

What is a day or a century

Before what is infinite?

Although man is not eternal,

That which is eternal, humanely(A. A. Fet);

They got a loaf of light bread - joy!

Today the film is good in the club - joy!

Paustovsky's two-volume book was brought to the bookstore joy!(A. I. Solzhenitsyn)

pickup- this is a repetition of any segment of speech (sentence, poetic line) at the beginning of the corresponding segment of speech following it:

he fell down on the cold snow

On the cold snow, like a pine,

Like a pine in a damp forest (M. Yu. Lermontov);

20. Parallelism (syntactic parallelism)(in translation from Greek - walking side by side) - an identical or similar construction of adjacent parts of the text: adjacent sentences, lines of poetry, stanzas, which, when correlated, create a single image:

I look to the future with fear

I look at the past with longing... (M. Yu. Lermontov);

I was your ringing string

I was your blooming spring

But you didn't want flowers

And you didn't hear the words? (K. D. Balmont)

Often using antithesis: What is he looking for in a distant country? What did he throw in his native land?(M. Lermontov); Not the country - for business, but business - for the country (from the newspaper).

21. Inversion(translated from Greek - permutation, reversal) is a change in the usual word order in a sentence in order to emphasize the semantic significance of any element of the text (word, sentence), to give the phrase a special stylistic coloring: solemn, high-sounding, or, conversely, colloquial, somewhat reduced characteristics. The following combinations are considered inverted in Russian:

The agreed definition is after the word being defined: I am sitting behind bars in damp dungeon(M. Yu. Lermontov); But there was no swell on this sea; stuffy air did not flow: it was brewing great thunderstorm(I. S. Turgenev);

Additions and circumstances expressed by nouns are in front of the word, which includes: Hours of monotonous fight(monotonous strike of the clock);

22. Parceling(in translation from French - particle) - a stylistic device that consists in dividing a single syntactic structure of a sentence into several intonation-semantic units - phrases. At the place of division of the sentence, a period, exclamation and question marks, ellipsis can be used. In the morning, bright as a splint. Terrible. Long. Ratny. The infantry regiment was destroyed. Our. In an unequal battle(R. Rozhdestvensky); Why is nobody outraged? Education and healthcare! The most important spheres of society's life! Not mentioned in this document at all(From newspapers); It is necessary that the state remember the main thing: its citizens are not individuals. And people. (From newspapers)

23. Non-union and multi-union- syntactic figures based on intentional omission, or, conversely, conscious repetition of unions. In the first case, when unions are omitted, speech becomes compressed, compact, dynamic. The depicted actions and events here quickly, instantly unfold, replace each other:

Swede, Russian - stabs, cuts, cuts.

Drum beat, clicks, rattle.

The thunder of cannons, the clatter, the neighing, the groan,

And death and hell on all sides. (A.S. Pushkin)

When polyunion speech, on the contrary, slows down, pauses and a repeated union highlight words, expressively emphasizing their semantic significance:

But And grandson, And great-grandson, And great-great-grandson

They grow in me while I myself grow ... (P.G. Antokolsky)

24.Period- a long, polynomial sentence or a very common simple sentence, which is distinguished by completeness, unity of the theme and intonation splitting into two parts. In the first part, the syntactic repetition of the same type of subordinate clauses (or members of the sentence) goes with an increasing increase in intonation, then there is a separating significant pause, and in the second part, where the conclusion is given, the tone of the voice noticeably decreases. This intonation design forms a kind of circle:

Whenever I wanted to limit my life to a domestic circle, / When a pleasant lot ordered me to be a father, a spouse, / If I were captivated by a family picture for at least a single moment, then, it’s true, I wouldn’t look for one bride other than you. (A.S. Pushkin)

25. Antithesis, or opposition(in translation from Greek - opposition) - this is a turn in which opposite concepts, positions, images are sharply opposed. To create an antithesis, antonyms are usually used - general language and contextual:

You are rich, I am very poor, You are a prose writer, I am a poet.(A. S. Pushkin);

Yesterday I looked into your eyes

And now - everything is squinting to the side,

Yesterday, before the birds sat,

All larks today are crows!

I'm stupid and you're smart

Alive and I'm dumbfounded.

O cry of women of all times:

"My dear, what have I done to you?" (M. I. Tsvetaeva)

26. Gradation(translated from Latin - a gradual increase, strengthening) - a technique consisting in the sequential arrangement of words, expressions, tropes (epithets, metaphors, comparisons) in order of strengthening (increasing) or weakening (decreasing) of a sign. Increasing gradation usually used to enhance the imagery, emotional expressiveness and influencing power of the text:

I called you, but you did not look back, I shed tears, but you did not descend(A. A. Blok);

Glowing, burning, shining huge blue eyes. (V. A. Soloukhin)

Descending gradation is used less often and usually serves to enhance the semantic content of the text and create imagery:

He brought the tar of death

Yes, a branch with withered leaves. (A. S. Pushkin)

27. Oxymoron(in translation from Greek - witty-stupid) - this is a stylistic figure in which usually incompatible concepts are combined, as a rule, contradictory to each other ( bitter joy, ringing silence and so on.); at the same time, a new meaning is obtained, and speech acquires special expressiveness: From that hour began for Ilya sweet torment, lightly scorching the soul (I. S. Shmelev);

Eat melancholy cheerful in the scares of dawn (S. A. Yesenin);

But their ugly beauty I soon comprehended the mystery. (M. Yu. Lermontov)

28. Allegory- allegory, the transfer of an abstract concept through a specific image: Must defeat foxes and wolves(cunning, malice, greed).

29.Default- a deliberate break in the statement, conveying the excitement of the speech and suggesting that the reader will guess what was not said: But I wanted ... Perhaps you ...

In addition to the above syntactic expressive means, the following are also found in the tests:

-exclamatory sentences;

- dialogue, hidden dialogue;

-question-answer form of presentation a form of presentation in which questions and answers to questions alternate;

-rows of homogeneous members;

-citation;

-introductory words and constructions

-Incomplete sentences- sentences in which a member is missing, which is necessary for the completeness of the structure and meaning. Missing members of the sentence can be restored and context.

Including ellipsis, that is, skipping the predicate.

These concepts are considered in the school course of syntax. That is probably why these means of expression are most often called syntactic in reviews.

Write an essay based on the text you read.

Formulate one of the problems posed by the author of the text.

Comment on the formulated problem. Include in the comment two illustration examples from the read text that you think are important for understanding the problem in the source text (avoid over-quoting). Explain the meaning of each example and indicate the semantic relationship between them.

The volume of the essay is at least 150 words.

A work written without relying on the text read (not on this text) is not evaluated. If the essay is a paraphrase or a complete rewrite of the source text without any comments, then such work is evaluated with 0 points.

Write an essay carefully, legible handwriting.

Explanation.

Approximate range of problems	Author's position


3. The problem of a good deed, the role of an expensive deed in a person's life. (What is the role of a good deed in our lives?)	3. When a person does good, brings happiness to others, this also makes him happy.

Explanation.

Approximate range of problems	Author's position
1. The problem of the role of the holiday in human life. (What role does a holiday play in a person's life?)	1. The holiday is very important for people. And this applies to both children and adults. Children can sincerely rejoice, have fun, this helps them forget about all the hardships and feel happy. And adults, thanks to the holiday, forget about age, about problems, plunge into childhood, happy and carefree.
2. The problem of mercy. (What is mercy? How does it manifest itself? Does a person's financial ability affect the ability to be merciful?)	2. Mercy is the ability to care for others. Organizing a holiday is also an act of mercy, as it is an attempt to give children a piece of happiness. A person, even alone, can do a truly good deed, show mercy, because this feeling comes from within, it does not require large financial costs, a person is driven only by the desire to help, please, make happy.

* To formulate the problem, the examinee may use vocabulary that differs from that presented in the table. The problem may also be cited from the source text or indicated by reference to sentence numbers in the text.

Archived issue

I beg you!!! Write an essay on the type of exam
It was Christmas Eve...

Mitrich, approached his wife and said cheerfully: (1) It was Christmas Eve ...
(2) The caretaker of the resettlement barracks, a retired soldier, with sulfur, like
mouse hair, beard, named Semyon Dmitrievich, or simply
Mitrich went up to his wife and said cheerfully:
(3) - Well, woman, what a thing I thought up! (4) I say the holiday is coming ...
(5) And for everyone it is a holiday, everyone rejoices in it ... (6) Everyone has his own: who
a new thing for the holiday, who will have feasts ... (7) You, for example, have a room
it will be clean, I also have my own pleasure: I will buy sausages for myself! ..
(8) - So what? the old woman said indifferently.
(9) - Otherwise, - Mitrich sighed again, - that everyone will have a holiday like
holiday, but, I say, the kids, it turns out, and there is no real
holiday ... (10) I think about them - and my heart bleeds: oh, I think
wrong thing! .. (11) It is known that children are orphans ... (12) Neither mother nor father,
no relatives ... (13) It's awkward! .. (14) So I thought of this: I need kids
to amuse! .. (15) I saw a lot of people ... and ours, and I saw everyone ...
(16) I saw how they are preparing for the holiday. (17) They will bring a Christmas tree, remove it
candles and gifts, and their children just even jump for joy! ..
(18) The forest is close to us - I will cut down the Christmas tree and arrange such fun for the kids!
(19) Mitrich winked merrily, smacked his lips and went out into the yard.
(20) Around the yard, here and there, wooden houses were scattered,
covered with snow, boarded up. (21) From early spring to deep
settlers passed through the city in autumn. (22) There were so many of them, and so
they were poor, that kind people built these houses for them, which
guarded Mitrich. (23) By autumn, the houses were vacated, but by winter there was no
no one now, except for Mitrich and Agrafena, and even a few children,
whose is unknown. (24) These children's parents either died or left
no one knows where. (25) All such children were accumulated by Mitrich this winter
eight people. (26) He settled them all together in one house, where he gathered
have a feast today.
(27) First of all, Mitrich went to the church warden to
beg for stubs of church candles to decorate the Christmas tree. (28) Then he
went to the resettlement official. (29) But the official was busy; Not
seeing Mitrich, he ordered me to say "thank you" to him and sent a fifty kopeck piece.
(30) Returning home, Mitrich did not say a word to his wife, but only
chuckled silently yes, glancing at the coin, thought out when and how everything
arrange.
(31) “Eight children,” Mitrich reasoned, bending his clumsy
fingers, so eight candies ... "
(32) ... It was a clear frosty afternoon. (33) With an ax in his belt, in a sheepskin coat and
wearing a hat, Mitrich was returning from the forest, dragging a Christmas tree on his shoulder. (34) He was
fun, even though he was tired. (35) In the morning he went to the city to buy for the children
sweets, and for myself and my wife - sausage, which was a passionate hunter, but
I rarely bought it and ate it only on holidays.
(36) Mitrich brought a Christmas tree, sharpened the end with an ax; then fixed it
to stand, and when everything was ready, he dragged her to the children in the barracks.
(37) When the tree warmed up, the room smelled of freshness and resin.
(38) Children's faces, sad and thoughtful, suddenly cheered up... (39) More
no one understood what the old man was doing, but everyone already had a premonition
pleasure, and Mitrich looked merrily at those directed at him from all
sides of the eye.
(40) When the candles and sweets were already on the Christmas tree, Mitrich thought:
decoration was poor. (41) No matter how fond he was of his idea, however
hang on the Christmas tree, except for eight sweets, he could not do anything.
(42) Suddenly such an idea came to him that he even stopped. (43) Although
he was very fond of sausage and valued every piece, but the desire to treat him to
fame overcame all his considerations:
(44) - I will cut off a circle for everyone and hang it on a thread. (45) And bread
slice by piece, and also on the Christmas tree.
(46) As soon as it got dark, the Christmas tree was lit. (47) Smell of melted wax
resin and greenery. (48) Always gloomy and thoughtful, children joyfully
shouted, looking at the lights. (49) Their eyes brightened, their faces blushed.
(50) Laughter, screams and talk revived for the first time this gloomy room, where from
year after year only complaints and tears were heard. (51) Even Agrafena
clapped her hands in surprise, and Mitrich, rejoicing from the bottom of her heart,
sang in the palm of your hand. (52) Admiring the Christmas tree, the children having fun, he smiled.
(53) And then he commanded:
(54) - Public! (55)Come! (according to N.D. Teleshov)

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The text of N.D. Teleshov seemed familiar to me, and I remembered that I had read the story of the Russian writer “Yolka Mitrich”. The text made me think about what is the role of a good deed in our life? The author reveals the problem of a good deed in a person's life on the example of the caretaker of the resettlement barrack Mitrich, who took care of eight orphans. The hero sincerely worries about the fact that “everyone will have a holiday as a holiday, but ... the kids, it turns out, there is no real holiday ... I think about them - and my heart bleeds: oh, I think it’s the wrong thing! ..” And Mitrich decides to give the children a Christmas tree. Arguing over the problem, the author shows how Mitrich finds modest decorations for his Christmas tree: according to the number of children, eight sweets, circles of sausage and slices of bread. When a person does good, brings happiness to others, it also makes him happy. That is why Mitrich, "admiring the Christmas tree, the children having fun ... smiled." The position of the author did not leave me indifferent. A person, even alone, can do a good deed, please others. Many people strive to help others, those who need support. An example for me is the actress Chulpan Khamatova, who in her free time volunteers for the Give Life Foundation, helping to raise money for sick children. "To be happy, you need to do miracles with your own hands" - such a simple truth was understood by the hero of A. Green's story "Scarlet Sails" Gray. Having learned about the cherished dream of a girl who was considered crazy by everyone in the town, he sailed to Assol under scarlet sails, put her on a ship and took her forever to a beautiful country. When a person does good, helps to create a miracle, he bestows it not only on a loved one, but also on himself.

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This text surprisingly highlights the gaps in our understanding of Russia, its history and the history of literature. The Soviet period, and then the period of "perestroika", each in its own way, turned over the established layers of religious, cultural and everyday traditions, habits, written and unwritten laws of the life of the people of Russia, and now we have to restore the cultural and everyday context of literary plots, rediscover Russia like America… N.D. Teleshov is filled with such discoveries for us and is wonderful and valuable for this. What should graduates do when preparing to write on this (or similar) text? I hope my publication will be useful as a kind of technological instruction for the analysis of any text.

Step 1. Read carefully the commentary placed behind the text and extract the maximum information from it.

*Nikolai Dmitrievich Teleshov (1867–1957) – Russian Soviet writer , poet, organizer of the well-known circle of Moscow writers "Wednesday" (1899-1916). The story "Yolka Mitrich" (1897) is included in cycle "Settlers", dedicated to a large migration beyond the Urals, to Siberia, where the peasants were given allotments of land.

The characterization “Soviet writer” is true in terms of dates and biographies, but in fact it borders on a factual error: the story was written in 1897 and belongs to a special genre of Christmas (Christmas) stories and a tradition that is not at all of the Soviet format. In Soviet times, the genre continued to develop either in the work of "internal emigrants", for example, Pasternak, Brodsky, or under the auspices of New Year's "miracles". Let's mark the Christmas theme in red.
The theme of resettlement as the historical background of this plot is stated in the text: (2). While teachers create the necessary fund of background knowledge, students have to use minimal initial data.

N.D. Teleshov writes about the resettlement of peasants in Siberia, which took place in the 19th century with varying intensity, but after the reform of 1861 (the fall of serfdom) was encouraged by the government and became more or less organized. In the text, the situation is described in (20)-(26), then a resettlement official is mentioned (28). It must be understood that the resettlement process was not an exceptional disaster, but a constant, long-term, ordinary, voluntary movement. During the period of wars, it spontaneously stopped, so the motive of dashing times, disasters, etc. must be excluded.

Step 2. We analyze the strong positions of the text, in this case the title, beginning and ending. They should set the foundations for the thematic grid (neural network) of the text. The analysis gives an unambiguous result: the title and the beginning unequivocally bring to the fore the theme of the Christmas holidays, and the ending emphasizes the correctness of something, compliance with some rules. We find out what were the written and unwritten rules for celebrating Christmas in all Christian countries and in pre-revolutionary Russia.

Rules

This is a holiday joy about the birth baby Christ, therefore, it is imperative to arrange merry, joyful holidays with Christmas tree exactly for children. See the fairy tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" (1816), as well as the ballet based on the arrangement of the fairy tale made in 1844 by Alexandre Dumas père. Recall also that the "Gospel" - literally - "good, joyful news, good news."
1. Worship was an important component of the event magi who brought baby Jesus gifts. Therefore, an integral attribute of Christmas is gifts. And here the essence for us is not so much in the symbolism of these gifts, but in the traditions of giving. One can recall Gogol's "The Night Before Christmas", where the whole plot is built around little shoes (how archetypal, isn't it?). These shoes, the same ones, played the role of a wonderful gift from the blacksmith-artist Vakula to his beautiful Oksana, as well as a gift-donation of the mother queen to her commoner-subject at his humble and most naive request. A person of English-speaking culture has a natural association with O. Henry's story "Gifts of the Magi", which is also familiar to Russian readers.
Children received gifts hanging on the Christmas tree: gingerbread, toys. Let us recall the chapter "Yolka" from the story of V. Kataev "The lonely sail turns white."
But even in pre-Petrine times, i.e. before Christmas trees and public holidays, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich the Quietest, deeply religious person, early in the morning on Christmas Eve, made a “secret exit” to prisons and almshouses, where he distributed alms to prison inmates from his own hands so that everyone had a holiday!
For the salvation of my own soul they gave money or treats to the poor, the sick, prisoners (thus, prisoners of the debtors' prison were given money for ransom), as well as those in the service - on guard, on any duty ... The tradition of charity was very strong: the grandmother of the author of these lines in the 70s years of the twentieth century, she baked pies and took them to the hospital, as well as to conscript soldiers who were on guard in a military unit.
At the end of the XIX century. there was a rather strict Christmas tradition of honoring rank: a lower-ranking official, an employee had to come to visit the boss and sign in a special book of congratulations, leave a business card (with or without congratulations) or personally congratulate (depending on the rank). In response, the superior boss had to set the table for the nearest, and give the lower ones a glass of vodka or money.

Step 3. We read the text, noting the semantic repetitions that carry this or that motive.

Christmas tree Mitrich

(1) Was Christmas Eve…

(2)The caretaker of the resettlement barracks, a retired soldier, with a beard as gray as mouse hair, named Semyon Dmitrievich, or simply Mitrich, went up to his wife and said cheerfully:

- (3) Well, woman, what a thing I thought up! (4) I say the holiday is coming ... (5) And for everyone it is a holiday, everyone rejoices in it ... (6) Everyone has their own: who has a new thing for the holiday, who will have feasts ... (7) For example, your room will be clean, mine also my pleasure: I will buy sausages for myself! ..

- (8) So what? the old woman said indifferently.

- (9) And then, - Mitrich sighed again, - that everyone will have a holiday as a holiday, but, I say, for the kids, it turns out that there is no real holiday ...(10) I look at them - and my heart bleeds: Eh, I think it's wrong!(11) It is known, orphans ... (12) Neither mother, nor father, nor relatives ... (13) It's not easy!.. (14) So I thought of this: it is necessary amuse the kids!.. (15) I saw a lot of people ... and ours, and I saw everyone ... (16) I saw how they children love to have fun for the holiday. (17) They will bring a Christmas tree, remove it with candles and gifts, and their children just even jump for joy!

(19) Mitrich winked merrily, smacked his lips and went out into the yard.

(20) Around the yard, here and there, wooden houses were scattered, covered with snow, clogged with boards. (21) From early spring to late autumn, settlers passed through the city. (22) There were so many of them, and they were so poor that kind people built these houses for them, which were guarded by Mitrich. (23)By autumn, the houses were vacated, and by winter there was no one left except Mitrich and Agrafena, and a few more children, it is not known whose. (24) For these children, the parents either died or went to no one knows where.(25) Mitrich had eight such children this winter. (26) He settled them all together in one house, where and I was going to have a party today.

(30) Returning home, Mitrich did not say a word to his wife, but only laughed silently and, looking at the coin, figured out when and how to arrange everything.

(31)“Eight children,” Mitrich reasoned, bending his clumsy fingers on his hands, “so eight candies ...”

(32)...It was a clear frosty afternoon. (33) With an ax in his belt, in a sheepskin coat and a hat, Mitrich returned from the forest, dragging a Christmas tree on his shoulder. (34) He had fun, although he was tired. (35) In the morning he went to the city to buy sweets for the children, and for himself and his wife - sausages, to which he was a passionate hunter, but he rarely bought it and ate only on holidays.

(36)Mitrich brought the Christmas tree, sharpened the end with an ax; then he adjusted it to stand, and when everything was ready, dragged it to the children in the barracks.

(40)When the candles and sweets were already on the Christmas tree, Mitrich thought: the decoration was poor. (41) No matter how fond he was of his idea, however, he could not hang anything on the Christmas tree, except for eight sweets.

(42) Suddenly such an idea came to him that he even stopped. (43) Although he was very fond of sausage and valued every piece, but the desire to treat to fame overpowered all his considerations:

- (44) I will cut off a circle for everyone and hang it on a thread. (45) And slices of bread, and also on the Christmas tree.

- (54) The audience! (55)Come! (56) Taking a piece of bread and sausage from the Christmas tree, Mitrich dressed all the children, then took Agrafene for himself.

- (64) The audience! he exclaimed at last. - (65) Candles burn out. (66) Take your own candy, and it's time to sleep!

(67) The children screamed with joy and rushed to the Christmas tree, and Mitrich, touched almost to tears, whispered to Agrafena:

- (68) Good! .. (69) You can directly say: right!

It is quite obvious that the theme of Christmas occupies the largest place in the text: sentences (1), (4-7), (9), (14), (16-18), (26), 27-29, and from 31 to the very end. The theme of Christmas includes a number of aspects.

Joy.
Holiday for children, Christmas tree.
Gifts in connection with the theme of the worship of the Magi.
Rules for celebrating Christmas. And here it is necessary to clarify some points that modern readers, as a rule, do not notice.

Firstly, this is the motif of charity, inextricably linked with the theme of Christmas and steadily pursued by the writer. Sentences 20-22 speak of houses built for migrants by "good people", i.e. philanthropists, and one gets the impression that this situation is in the order of things: houses have been built, people stay in them, someone hired a watchman, someone supports, albeit starving, without sweets, orphaned children. And this is all right, according to the rules, according to custom.

Secondly, a trip to the official. Here, all actions are explained by the unwritten rules of Christmas: Mitrich, knowing the rules, goes to the official and assumes the result - the official must “give him a give” in response to a congratulation. The official, thinking that Mitrich came to congratulate him and acting according to the rules, does just that. They both act correctly and not for show.

In other words, everyone here is kind and doing everything right: unknown kind people, the official and Mitrich. But only Mitrich feels extraordinary joy, who, unable to restrain himself, gives the children his beloved, longed-for sausage, his only holiday delicacy.

And here the main idea and, if you like, the main problem of the text emerges. I would call it "The Joy of the Giver". This joy arises not only from a good, right deed, but also from that feeling that made Mitrich give more than he should, give his own, the most valuable and desirable. Propositions 68-69 contain the assertion that such and only such a donation is in accordance with the canon and spirit of Christmas.

Of course, one can recall the Christmas stories of A.P. Chekhov about the Christmas visits of officials, stories by F.M. Dostoevsky and the fairy tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann about unfortunate poor children, but still the theme of the joy of the giver, the problem of giving according to the rules or from the heart, seems to be central. However, the students do not know the rules and therefore will not be able to compare Mitrich, who gives from the heart, with an official who, giving a subordinate according to the rules, paid for both sweets and sausage, but did not experience any joy from this.

Reasoning D.S. Likhachev about spiritual culture (Letter 24) will help to argue the student's reasoning:

“After all, we say “with all our hearts”, or “I need it for the soul”, or “made with the soul”. Like this! Everything that is done with the soul comes from the soul, we need it for the soul - this is “spiritual culture”. The more a person is surrounded by this spiritual culture, immersed in it, the happier he is, the more interesting it is for him to live, life becomes meaningful for him. But in a purely formal relationship to work, to teaching, to comrades and acquaintances, to music, to art, there is no such "spiritual culture." This is “lack of spirituality” – the life of a mechanism that feels nothing, unable to love, to sacrifice itself, to have moral and aesthetic ideals.

…………………………………..

Let's be happy people, that is, those who have attachments, who love deeply and seriously something significant, who know how to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their favorite work and loved ones. People who do not have all this are unhappy, living a boring life, dissolving themselves in empty acquisitiveness or petty, base "perishable" pleasures.

I
It was Christmas Eve...

The caretaker of the resettlement barracks, a retired soldier with a beard gray as mouse hair, named Semyon Dmitrievich, or simply Mitrich, went up to his wife and said cheerfully, puffing on his pipe:

Well, woman, what a thing I thought up!

Agrafena had no time; with her sleeves rolled up and her collar unbuttoned, she busied herself in the kitchen preparing for the feast.

Listen, woman, - repeated Mitrich. - I'm telling you what I thought!

Than to invent things, I would take a whisk and take off the cobwebs! answered the wife, pointing to the corners. - Look, the spiders were bred. Would go and dare!

Mitrich, not ceasing to smile, looked at the ceiling, where Agrafena was pointing, and said cheerfully:

The web won't go away; estimate ... And you, listen, woman, what have I thought of something!

Here are those and well! You listen.

Mitrkch blew a puff of smoke from his pipe and, stroking his beard, sat down on a bench.

I say, woman, that's what, - he began briskly, but immediately stammered. - I say, the holiday is coming ...

And for everyone it is a holiday, everyone rejoices in it ... Right, woman?

Well, I say: everyone, they say, is happy, everyone has their own: who has a new thing for the holiday, who will have feasts ... You, for example, will have a clean room, I also have my own pleasure: I will buy myself wine and sausages! ..

Everyone will have their own pleasure, right?

So what? the old woman said indifferently.

And then, - Mitrich sighed again, - that everyone will have a holiday as a holiday, but, I say, the kids, it turns out, and there is no real holiday ... Do you understand? .. It is a holiday, but no pleasure ... I look at them , and I think; oh, I think it’s wrong! .. It is known, orphans ... no mother, no father, no relatives ... I think to myself, a woman:

clumsy! .. Why is this - a joy to every person, but nothing to an orphan!

You, apparently, can not be overheard, - Agrafena waved her hand and began to wash the benches.

But Mitrich did not stop.

I thought, woman, this is what, - he said, smiling, - it is necessary, woman, to amuse the children! They’ll bring this, a Christmas tree, take it away with candles and gifts, and their children just even jump for joy! .. I think to myself, a woman: the forest is close to us ... I’ll cut down my Christmas tree and arrange such fun for the children that they will remember Mitrich all the century !

Here, woman, what is the intention, huh?

Mitrich winked merrily and smacked his lips.

What am I?

Agrafena was silent. She wanted to quickly tidy up and clean the room. She was in a hurry, and Mitrich only hindered her with his conversation.

No, what, woman, is the intent, huh?

Well, those with your intent! she shouted at her husband. - Let something that sat down from the bench! Let go, there is no time to tell fairy tales with you!

Mitrich got up because Agrafena, having dipped a washcloth into a bucket, carried it to the bench right next to where her husband was sitting, and began to rub it. Jets of dirty water poured onto the floor, and Mitrich realized that he had come at the wrong time.

Okay, grandma! he said enigmatically. - I'll arrange some fun, so I suppose you yourself will say thank you! .. I say, I'll do it - and I'll do it! Children will remember Mitrich all the century! ..

Apparently, there is nothing for you to do.

No, grandma! There is something to do: but it is said, I will arrange it - and I will arrange it! No wonder they are orphans, but Mitrich will not be forgotten all his life!

And, thrusting the extinguished pipe into his pocket, Mitrich went out into the yard.

II
In the yard, here and there, wooden houses were scattered, covered with snow, clogged with boards; behind the houses there was a wide snowy field, and then the tops of the city outpost were visible ... From early spring until late autumn, settlers passed through the city. There were so many of them, and they were so poor, that kind people built these houses for them, which were guarded by Mitrich.

The houses were all overcrowded, and meanwhile the settlers kept coming and coming. They had nowhere to go, and so they scattered huts in the field, where they hid with their families and children in cold and bad weather. Some lived here for a week, two, and others for more than a month, waiting in line on the ship. In the middle of summer, such a multitude of people gathered here that the whole field was covered with huts. But by autumn the field was little by little empty, the houses were vacated and also empty, and by winter there was no one left except Mitrich and Agrafena, and a few other children, who was unknown.

That's a mess, that's a mess! Mitrich reasoned, shrugging his shoulders. - Where to go now with these people? What are they? Where did they come from?

Sighing, he approached the child who stood alone at the gate.

Whose are you?

The child, thin and pale, looked at him with timid eyes and was silent.

What is your name? - Fomka.

Where? What is the name of your village?

The child did not know.

Well, what's your father's name?

I know that tyatka... Does he have a name? Well, for example, Petrov or Sidorov, or, there, Golubev, Kasatkin?

What is his name?

Accustomed to such answers, Mitrich sighed and, waving his hand, did not inquire any more.

Parents something to know, lost, fool? he said, stroking the child's head. - And who are you? he said to another child. - Where is your father?

Died? Well, eternal memory to him! Where did mother go?

She died.

Did she die too?

Mitrich shrugged and, gathering such orphans, took them to the resettlement official. He also interrogated and also shrugged his shoulders.

Some of the parents died, others went somewhere, and Mitrich had eight such children for this winter, one less than the other. Where to put them?

Who are they? Where did they come from? Nobody knew this.

"God's children!" - Mitrich called them.

They were given one of the houses, the smallest one. There they lived, and there Mitrich decided to arrange a Christmas tree for them for the sake of the holiday, such as he saw among rich people.

“It is said, I will do it - and I will do it! he thought as he walked across the yard. - Let the orphans rejoice! I’ll compose such fun that they won’t forget Mitrich for the rest of his life!”

III
First of all, he went to the church elder.

So and so, Nikita Nazaritch, I make a most zealous request to you. Don't give up on a good deed.

What's happened?

Order to give out a handful of cinders ... the most ma

little ones... Because the orphans... neither father nor mother... I, therefore, am a resettlement watchman... Eight orphans are left... So, Nikita Nazaritch, lend me a handful.

What do you need cinders for?

I want to make a pleasure ... Light a Christmas tree, sort of like good people.

The elder looked at Mitrich and shook his head reproachfully.

Are you out of your mind, old man, or something? he said, continuing to shake his head. - Oh, old man, old man! Candles, I suppose, were burning in front of the icons, but would you give them out of stupidity?

After all, cinders, Nikita Nazaritch ...

Get up, get up! The elder waved his hand. - And how such nonsense came to your head, I wonder!

Mitrich came up with a smile, and walked away with a smile, but only he was very offended. It was also embarrassing in front of the church watchman, a witness to the failure, an old soldier like him, who now looked at him with a grin and seemed to think: “What?

I stumbled on, you old bastard!..” Wanting to prove that he was not asking for “tea” and was not fussing for himself, Mitrich went up to the old man and said:

What is the sin here, if I take the cinder? I ask orphans, not myself ... Let them rejoice ... neither father, therefore, nor mother ... To put it bluntly: God's children!

In short words, Mitrich explained to the old man why he needed the cinders, and again asked:

What is the sin here?

Have you heard Nikita Nazaritch? the soldier asked in his turn and winked merrily. - That's just the point!

Mitrich bowed his head and thought. But there was nothing to be done. He raised his cap and, nodding to the soldier, said touchily:

Well, then be healthy. Goodbye!

And what kind of cinders are you?

Yes, all the same ... he likes the smallest. Would lend a handful. You will do a good deed. No father, no mother ... Just - no one's kids!

Ten minutes later Mitrich was walking through the city with a pocket full of butts, smiling merrily and triumphant.

He also had to go to Pavel Sergeevich, the resettlement official, to congratulate him on the holiday, where he expected to rest, and if he was treated, then drink a glass of vodka. But the official was busy; without seeing Mitrich, he ordered me to say "thank you" to him and sent a fifty kopeck piece.

“Well, okay now! Mitrich thought cheerfully. - Now let the woman say what she wants, and I'll make fun for the kids! Now, woman, coven!

Returning home, he did not say a word to his wife, but only laughed silently and thought out when and how to arrange everything.

“Eight children,” Mitrich reasoned, bending his clumsy fingers on his hands, so eight sweets ...

Taking out the received coin, Mitrich looked at it and realized something.

Okay, grandma! he thought aloud. - You look at me! - and, laughing, went to visit the children.

Entering the barracks, Mitrich looked around and said cheerfully:

Well hello people. Happy holiday!

Oh, you public, public! .. - he whispered, wiping his eyes and smiling. - Oh, you, such an audience!

His heart was both sad and happy. And the children also looked at him, either with joy or with sadness.

IV
It was a clear frosty afternoon.

With an ax in his belt, in a sheepskin coat and a hat pulled down to the very eyebrows, Mitrich was returning from the forest, carrying a Christmas tree on his shoulder. And the Christmas tree, and the mittens, and the felt boots were fluffy with snow, and Mitrich's beard was frosted over, and his mustache was frozen, but he himself walked with an even, soldier's step, waving his free hand like a soldier. He was having fun, even though he was tired.

In the morning he went to the city to buy sweets for the children, and for himself vodka and sausages, which he was a passionate hunter for, but he rarely bought it and ate it only on holidays.

Without telling his wife, Mitrich brought the tree straight into the barn and sharpened the end with an axe; then he adjusted it so that it stood up, and when everything was ready, dragged it to the children.

Well, audience, now quietly! - he said, setting up the Christmas tree. - That's a little thawed, then help!

The children looked and did not understand what Mitrich was doing, but he adjusted everything and kept saying:

What? Has it become crowded?.. I suppose you think, the audience, that Mitrich has gone mad, huh? Why, they say, makes it crowded? .. Well, well, the public, do not be angry! It won't be tight!

When the tree warmed up, the room smelled of freshness and resin. The children's faces, sad and thoughtful, suddenly cheered up... No one yet understood what the old man was doing, but everyone already anticipated pleasure, and Mitrich looked merrily at the eyes fixed on him from all sides.

Then he brought the stub ends and began to tie them with thread.

Come on, you cavalier! - he turned to the boy, standing on a stool. Let's have a candle here ... Like this! You give me, and I'll tie.

Well, and you, - Mitrich agreed. - One hold the candles, the other the threads, the third let's do one thing, the fourth another ...

And you, Marfusha, look at us, and you all look ... Here we are, which means that we will all be in business. Right?

In addition to candles, eight sweets were hung on the Christmas tree, hooked on the lower knots. However, looking at them, Mitrich shook his head and thought aloud:

But ... liquid, the audience?

He stood silently in front of the tree, sighed, and said again:

Liquid, brothers!

But, no matter how fascinated Mitrich was with his idea, he could not hang anything on the Christmas tree, except for eight sweets.

Hm! - he reasoned, wandering around the yard. - What would you come up with?

Suddenly a thought came to him that he even stopped.

And what? he said to himself. -Will it be right or not?

Lighting his pipe, Mitrich asked himself again:

right or wrong? .. It seemed to be “correct” ...

They are small children ... they don’t understand anything, the old man reasoned. - Well, then, we will amuse them ...

What about yourself? I suppose we ourselves want to have some fun? .. Yes, and a woman needs to be regaled!

And without hesitation Mitrich decided. Although he was very fond of sausage and valued every piece, but the desire to treat him to glory overpowered all his considerations.

Okay! .. I’ll cut off a circle for everyone and hang it on a thread. And I’ll cut off a slice of bread, and also on a Christmas tree.

And I’ll hang a bottle for myself!.. And I’ll pour myself a drink, and I’ll treat the woman, and the orphans will have a delicacy! Hey Mitrich! exclaimed the old man cheerfully, slapping his thighs with both hands. - Oh yes, entertainer!

V
As soon as it got dark, the Christmas tree was lit. It smelled of melted wax, resin and greenery. Always gloomy and thoughtful, the children shouted with joy, looking at the lights. Their eyes brightened, their faces reddened, and when Mitrich ordered them to dance around the Christmas tree, they, clutching their hands, jumped up and made a noise. For the first time, laughter, cries and talk revived this gloomy room, where from year to year only complaints and tears were heard. Even Agrafena clasped her hands in surprise, while Mitrich, rejoicing from the bottom of his heart, clapped his hands and shouted:

That's right, the audience!.. That's right!

Then he took the harmonica and, playing in every way, sang along:

The men were alive

Mushrooms grew,

Good good,

Good-hundred, good!

Well, baba, now let's have a bite! - said Mitrich, putting down the harmonica. Audience, take it easy!

Admiring the Christmas tree, he smiled and, propping his sides with his hands, looked first at the pieces of bread hanging on threads, then at the children, then at the mugs of sausage, and finally commanded:

Public! Get in line!

Taking a piece of bread and sausage from the Christmas tree, Mitrich dressed all the children, then took off the bottle and drank a glass with Agrafena.

What, woman, am I? he asked, pointing to the children. - Look, after all, orphans are chewing! Chewing! Look, grandma! Rejoice!

Then he again took the harmonica and, forgetting his old age, began to dance with the children, playing and singing along:

Good good,

Good-hundred, good!

The children jumped, squealed merrily and whirled, and Mitrich did not lag behind them. His soul was filled with such joy that he did not remember if there had ever been such a holiday in his life.

Public! he exclaimed at last. - Candles are burning down ... Take yourself a piece of candy, and it's time to sleep!

The children screamed with joy and rushed to the Christmas tree, and Mitrich, touched almost to tears, whispered to Agrafena:

Well, baba!.. You can directly say it right!..

It was the only bright holiday in the life of the resettlement "God's children".

None of them will forget Mitrich's Christmas tree!

Christmas tree Mitrich

It was Christmas Eve. Blessed Jerome prayed in Bethlehem, in the temple near the place where the Lord was born, and seemed to be having a conversation with him in his soul. He spoke like this: “Lord! How hard and uncomfortable it was for You to lie on the ground, here in this manger, for the sake of my salvation. What can I repay you for this? I would give everything I have!” And the Divine Infant, as it were, answered: “Both My heaven and My earth, I do not need anything, but what you have, it is better to give to poor people. And I will accept it as if it was made for Me.”

“Yours is not what you have,” the holy fathers teach, “but what you give to others.” Not money, mansions, cars, but good deeds are that incorruptible wealth that will follow us into eternal life, and which will testify to our earthly deeds on the Day of Judgment.

The hero of today's story - a simple poor old man - understood this truth in his heart. The story about him is taken from the travel essays "Settlers" by the Russian writer N.D. Teleshova (1867-1957).

It was Christmas Eve. The caretaker of the resettlement barracks, a retired soldier with a beard gray as mouse hair, named Semyon Dmitrievich, or simply Mitrich, went up to his wife and said cheerfully, puffing on his pipe:

- I thought, woman, that's what, you need to amuse the children, woman! They will bring, this, a Christmas tree, they will remove it with candles and gifts, and the guys theirs they just jump for joy!.. I think to myself, woman, the forest is close to us... I’ll cut down my Christmas tree and arrange such fun for the children that Mitrich will be commemorated all the time! Here, woman, what is the intention, huh?

In the yard here and there were scattered wooden houses, covered with snow, clogged with boards; Behind the houses there was a wide snowy field, and further on one could see the tops of the city outpost... From early spring until late autumn, settlers passed through the city. There were so many of them and they were so poor that kind people built these houses for them, which were guarded by Mitrich. In the middle of summer, such a multitude of people gathered here that the whole field was covered with huts. But by autumn the field was little by little empty, the houses were vacated and also empty, and by winter there was no one left except Mitrich and Agrafena, and a few other children, who was unknown. Some of the parents died, others went somewhere, and Mitrich had eight such children for this winter, one less than the other. Where to put them? Who are they? Where did they come from? Nobody knew this. "God's children" Mitrich called them. They were given one of the houses, the smallest one. There they lived, and there Mitrich decided to arrange a Christmas tree for them for the sake of the holiday, such as he saw among rich people. “It is said, I will do it - and I will do it! he thought as he walked across the yard. - Let the orphans rejoice! I’ll compose such fun that they won’t forget Mitrich for the rest of his life!”

First of all, he went to the church warden.

- So and so, Nikita Nazaritch, I am asking you with the most zealous request. Don't give up on a good deed.

- What's happened?

- Order to give out a handful of cinders ... the tiniest ... Because the orphans ... neither father nor mother ... I, therefore, the resettlement watchman ... Eight orphans left ... So, Nikita Nazarych, lend a handful .

Ten minutes later Mitrich was walking through the city with a pocket full of butts, smiling merrily and triumphant. He also had to go to Pavel Sergeevich, the resettlement official, to congratulate him on the holiday, where he expected to rest, and if he was treated, then drink a glass of vodka. But the official was busy; without seeing Mitrich, he ordered me to say “thank you” to him and sent a fifty kopeck piece.

“Well, okay now! Mitrich thought cheerfully. - Now let the woman say what she wants. And I'll make fun for the kids! Now, woman, coven! Returning home, he did not say a word to his wife, but only chuckled, silently, and figured out when and how to arrange everything.

It was a clear frosty afternoon. With an ax in his belt, in a sheepskin coat and a hat pulled down to the very eyebrows, Mitrich was returning from the forest, carrying a Christmas tree on his shoulder. And the Christmas tree, and the mittens, and the felt boots were fluffy with snow, and Mitrich's beard was frosty, and his mustache was frozen, but he himself walked with an even, soldier's step, waving his free hand like a soldier. He was having fun, even though he was tired. In the morning he went to the city to buy sweets for the children, and for himself - vodka and sausages, which he was a passionate hunter, but he rarely bought it and ate it only on holidays.

Without telling his wife, Mitrich brought the tree straight into the barn and sharpened the end with an axe; then he adjusted it so that it stood up and dragged it towards the children.

- Well, you, gentleman! -
he turned to the boy, standing on a stool. - Give me a candle here ... Like this! You give me, and I'll tie.

- Well, you, - agreed Mitrich. - One hold the candles, the other the threads, the third give one thing, the fourth another ... And you, Marfusha, look at us, and you all look ... Here we are, that means we will all be in business. Right?

In addition to candles, eight sweets were hung on the Christmas tree, hooked on the lower knots. However, looking at them, Mitrich shook his head and thought aloud:

- But ... liquid, the audience?

Hestood silently in front of the tree, sighed, and said again:

- Liquid, brothers!

But, no matter how fascinated Mitrich was with his undertaking, however, he could not hang anything on the tree, except for eight sweets.

- Hm! he reasoned as he wandered around the yard. To come up with this...

Suddenly a thought came to him that he even stopped.

- And what? he said to himself. -Will it be right or not?

Lighting his pipe, Mitrich again asked himself the question: right or wrong? It seemed to be "correct"...

“They are little kids... they don’t understand anything,” the old man reasoned. - Well, then, we will amuse them ... And yourself, then? I suppose we want to have some fun ourselves? Yes, and the woman needs to be treated!

And without hesitation Mitrich decided. Although he was very fond of sausage and cherished every bite, but the desire to treat the orphans to glory overpowered all his considerations.

- Okay! .. I’ll cut off a circle for everyone and hang it on a thread. And I’ll cut off a slice of bread, and also on a Christmas tree. And I'll hang a bottle for myself! And I’ll pour myself, and I’ll treat the woman, and the orphans will have a treat!

- Oh yes Mitrich! exclaimed the old man cheerfully, slapping his thighs with both hands. - Oh yes, entertainer!

As soon as it got dark, the Christmas tree was lit. It smelled of melted wax, resin and greenery. Always gloomy and thoughtful, the children shouted with joy, looking at the lights. Their eyes brightened, their faces reddened, and when Mitrich ordered them to dance around the Christmas tree, they, clutching their hands, jumped up and made a noise. For the first time, laughter, cries and talk revived this gloomy room, where from year to year only complaints and tears were heard. Even Agrafena threw up her hands in surprise, and Mitrich, rejoicing from the bottom of his heart, clapped his hands and shouted:

- That's right, the audience! .. That's right!

Then he took the harmonica and, playing in every way, sang along:

The men were alive

Mushroom mushrooms grew, -

Good good,

Good - a hundred, good!

- Well, baba, now let's have a bite! - said Mitrich, putting down the harmonica. - Audience, be quiet!

Admiring the Christmas tree, he smiled, propping his sides with his hands, and, looking first at the pieces of bread hanging on threads, then at the children, then at the mugs of sausage, finally commanded:

- The public! Get in line!

Taking a piece of bread and sausage from the Christmas tree, Mitrich dressed all the children, then took off the bottle and drank a glass with Agrafena.

- What, woman, am I? he asked, pointing to the children. - Look, after all, orphans are chewing! Chewing! Look, grandma! Rejoice!

Then he again took the harmonica and, forgetting his old age, began to dance with the children, playing and singing along:

Good good,

Good-hundred, Fine!

The children jumped, squealed merrily and whirled, and Mitrich did not lag behind them. His soul was filled with such joy that he did not remember if there had ever been such a holiday in his life.

- The public! he exclaimed at last. - The candles are burning down ... Take yourself a piece of candy, and it's time to sleep!

The children screamed with joy and rushed to the Christmas tree, and Mitrich, touched almost to tears, whispered to Agrafena:

- Well, baba! .. You can directly say it right! ..

It was the only bright holiday in the life of the resettlement "God's children". None of them will forget Mitrich's Christmas tree!