I heard these stories near Akkerman, in Bessarabia, on the seashore.
One evening, having finished the day's grape harvest, the party of Moldovans with whom I worked went to the seashore, and I and the old woman Izergil remained under the thick shadow of the vines and, lying on the ground, were silent, watching how the silhouettes of those people who went to the sea.
They walked, sang and laughed; men - bronze, with lush, black mustaches and thick shoulder-length curls, in short jackets and wide trousers; women and girls are cheerful, flexible, with dark blue eyes, also bronze. Their hair, silky and black, was loose, the wind, warm and light, played with it, and tinkled the coins woven into it. The wind flowed in a wide, even wave, but sometimes it seemed to jump over something invisible and, giving rise to a strong gust, blew the women’s hair into fantastic manes that billowed around their heads. This made women strange and fabulous. They moved further and further from us, and night and fantasy dressed them more and more beautifully.
Someone was playing the violin... the girl sang in a soft contralto voice, laughter was heard...
The air was saturated with the pungent smell of the sea and the rich fumes of the earth, which had been heavily moistened by rain shortly before evening. Even now, fragments of clouds wandered across the sky, lush, of strange shapes and colors, here soft, like puffs of smoke, gray and ash-blue, there sharp, like fragments of rocks, matte black or brown. Between them, dark blue patches of sky, decorated with golden specks of stars, sparkled tenderly. All this - sounds and smells, clouds and people - was strangely beautiful and sad, it seemed like the beginning of a wonderful fairy tale. And everything seemed to stop growing, dying; the noise of voices died away, receding, and degenerated into sad sighs.
- Why didn’t you go with them? – old woman Izergil asked, nodding her head.
Time had bent her in half, her once black eyes were dull and watery. Her dry voice sounded strange, it crunched, as if the old woman was speaking with bones.
“I don’t want to,” I answered her.
- Uh!.. you Russians will be born old. Everyone is gloomy, like demons... Our girls are afraid of you... But you are young and strong...
The moon has risen. Her disk was large, blood-red, she seemed to have emerged from the depths of this steppe, which in its lifetime had absorbed so much human flesh and drunk blood, which is probably why it became so fat and generous. Lace shadows from the leaves fell on us, and the old woman and I were covered with them like a net. Over the steppe, to our left, the shadows of clouds, saturated with the blue radiance of the moon, floated, they became more transparent and lighter.
- Look, Larra is coming!
I looked where the old woman was pointing with her trembling hand with crooked fingers, and I saw: shadows were floating there, there were many of them, and one of them, darker and denser than the others, swam faster and lower than the sisters - she was falling from a piece of cloud that swam closer to the ground than others, and faster than them.
- There's no one there! - I said.
“You are more blind than me, old woman.” Look - there, dark, running through the steppe!
I looked again and again saw nothing but a shadow.
- It's a shadow! Why do you call her Larra?
- Because it’s him. He has now become like a shadow - it’s time! He lives for thousands of years, the sun dried his body, blood and bones, and the wind scattered them. This is what God can do to a man for pride!..
– Tell me how it was! - I asked the old woman, feeling ahead of me one of the glorious fairy tales written in the steppes. And she told me this fairy tale.
“Many thousands of years have passed since this happened. Far beyond the sea, at sunrise, there is a country of a large river, in that country every tree leaf and grass stem provides as much shade as a person needs to hide in it from the sun, which is brutally hot there.
That's how generous the land is in that country!
A powerful tribe of people lived there, they tended herds and spent their strength and courage hunting animals, feasted after the hunt, sang songs and played with the girls.
One day, during a feast, one of them, black-haired and tender as the night, was carried away by an eagle, descending from the sky. The arrows the men shot at him fell, pitiful, back to the ground. Then they went to look for the girl, but they didn’t find her. And they forgot about her, just as they forget about everything on earth.”
The old woman sighed and fell silent. Her creaky voice sounded as if all forgotten centuries were grumbling, embodied in her chest as shadows of memories. The sea quietly echoed the beginning of one of the ancient legends that may have been created on its shores.
“But twenty years later she herself came, exhausted, withered, and with her was a young man, handsome and strong, like she herself twenty years ago. And when they asked her where she was, she said that the eagle took her to the mountains and lived with her there as with his wife. Here is his son, but his father is no longer there; when he began to weaken, he rose high into the sky for the last time and, folding his wings, fell heavily from there onto the sharp ledges of the mountain, crashing to his death on them...
Everyone looked in surprise at the eagle’s son and saw that he was no better than them, only his eyes were cold and proud, like those of the king of birds. And they talked to him, and he answered if he wanted, or remained silent, and when the elders of the tribe came, he spoke to them as to his equals. This offended them, and they, calling him an unfeathered arrow with an unsharpened tip, told him that they were honored and obeyed by thousands like him, and thousands twice his age. And he, boldly looking at them, answered that there were no more people like him; and if everyone honors them, he does not want to do this. Oh!.. then they got really angry. They got angry and said:
- He has no place among us! Let him go wherever he wants.
He laughed and went where he wanted - to one beautiful girl who was looking at him intently; went to her and, approaching, hugged her. And she was the daughter of one of the elders who condemned him. And although he was handsome, she pushed him away because she was afraid of her father. She pushed him away and walked away, and he hit her and, when she fell, he stood with his foot on her chest, so that blood splashed from her mouth to the sky, the girl, sighing, writhed like a snake and died.
Everyone who saw this was seized with fear - this was the first time a woman had been killed like this in front of them. And for a long time everyone was silent, looking at her, lying with with open eyes and with a bloody mouth, and at him, who stood alone against everyone, next to her, and was proud, did not lower his head, as if calling punishment on her. Then, when they came to their senses, they grabbed him, tied him up and left him like that, finding that killing him right now was too simple and would not satisfy them.”
The night grew and grew stronger, filling with strange, quiet sounds. In the steppe, gophers whistled sadly, the glassy chirping of grasshoppers trembled in the leaves of the grapes, the foliage sighed and whispered, the full disk of the moon, previously blood-red, turned pale, moving away from the earth, turned pale and poured a bluish haze more and more abundantly onto the steppe...
“And so they gathered to come up with an execution worthy of the crime... They wanted to tear him to pieces with horses - and this seemed not enough to them; they thought of shooting everyone an arrow at him, but they rejected that too; they offered to burn him, but the smoke of the fire would not allow him to be seen in his torment; They offered a lot - and did not find anything so good that everyone would like it. And his mother stood on her knees in front of them and was silent, finding neither tears nor words to beg for mercy. They talked for a long time, and then one sage said, after thinking for a long time:
- Let's ask him why he did this? They asked him about it. He said:
- Untie me! I won't say tied! And when they untied him, he asked:
- What you need? - he asked as if they were slaves...
“You heard...” said the sage.
- Why would I explain my actions to you?
- To be understood by us. You proud one, listen! You will die anyway... Let us understand what you have done. We remain to live, and it is useful for us to know more than we know...
“Okay, I’ll tell you, although I may myself misunderstand what happened.” I killed her because, it seems to me, because she pushed me away... And I needed her.
Maxim Gorky called his Old Woman Izergil one of the best works, and indeed there are many reasons to agree with this due to the versatility and depth of meaning and the excellent structure of the work itself.
Perhaps we should start with the structure, which is a geometrically precise composition that creates beautiful harmony. Before us are three stories that go sequentially, but the perception of the entire work should be considered in its entirety.
It is most convenient for the reader to ascend with his mind's eye above the story itself and look at the structure created by Gorky. Two extremes (Larra and Danko) on the sides and in the center is the figure of the Old Woman Izergil. In fact, we see before us a person who is located between opposites or even the angelic and demonic principles.
The legend of Larra, which chronologically comes first and is located, as it were, on one side, presents us with a hero full of pride. This pride leads Larra to grave sin; he destroyed a girl who did not give herself to him, and after that he rejoiced at his own exile and became even more proud. It is not for nothing that Gorky makes Larra not entirely human, he is a cross between an eagle and a man, that is, something a little unnatural.
The legend of Danko completes the story and seems to come from the other side. This hero is an example of dedication and altruism, he, even despite the reproaches and stupidity of people, continues to lead them to the light and ultimately gives himself completely so that they come out of the forest thicket (of course, the forest thicket should be considered here for the most part in a symbolic aspect as an image of the darkness of ignorance, total and harmful delusions or something similar) and in the end they only trampled his heart. Danko is an ideal example of the highest morality that can exist, he is the best of people, but at the same time he gives himself for the sake of those who, in fact, are much worse than him - this is the opposite of pride.
In the middle is the story of the old woman herself, and if on the sides we see legends and tales, then in the center it seems real story about a real person, which Izergil tells about himself. Two opposites are mixed in her: on the one hand, she is proud and self-willed like Larra and pays attention only to own feelings and freedom, on the other hand, she shows altruism and takes serious actions for the sake of her loved ones. Probably the key phrase in this entire structure is the old woman’s words “everyone is his own destiny.”
Gorky seems to be talking about the moral choice of every person, who creates his own destiny and always chooses between an angel and a demon, who sit on either side of him. Once he imitates the proud Larra and can doom himself to the terrible fate of a rejected wanderer and disembodied spirit, once Danko, who dooms himself to an equally sad fate, but now for the sake of a high ideal. The structure of the work is, in fact, a three-dimensional metaphor for human existence.
Option 2
Maxim Gorky especially loved to travel around his native lands. Much was taken from the travel data, and the author created a collection of essays. This is what became the basis for writing the story “Old Woman Izergil”.
The story was written in 1884. The author is very proud of this work and emphasizes this. The story is based on the story of a gypsy woman who has already seen a lot in life. Gorky divides the work into three parts, but this does not prevent the story from being read as one whole. The writer tries to find out the real value of human life.
The old gypsy woman tells stories about the heroes Danko and Larra. The author shows the reader heroes, not at all similar friends on a friend and, in turn, with the help of this technique, Gorky reveals different sides life.
In order to fully understand the difference between the characters, you should consider them in detail.
The author compares Larra to an animal that is quite wild and cruel and avoids meeting people. The hero loves only himself and no one else. Gorky placed a lot of anti-human manifestations in the hero. A very clear phrase that maximally shows the essence of Larr is that if the hero wanted to pierce his heart with a knife, then it would certainly break, as if against a stone. The hero put himself an order of magnitude higher than the others and believed that he had the right to do whatever he wanted, while others did not. Larra was very concerned about his own freedom.
As for Izergil, she was somewhat similar to Larr. But at least she could feel something, the only trouble was that all feelings for her were something fleeting and quickly forgotten. During her youth, Izergil did not appreciate the attention of men and made many suffer from it. But there came a moment when she was in love, and the same thing happened to her as with the men who tried to get her attention. The gypsy was abandoned and humiliated.
And now she is old and only remembers those times and really wants to feel the state of being in love again, because only such a feeling helps to live and gives meaning to life.
The third hero of Danko’s story is also confident in his beliefs, but they are somewhat different and humane. He believes that only he can save people and is ready to do everything for this. Moreover, Danko is not at all deterred by the thought that he may not succeed. The main difference between Danko and the other heroes is that he died for his goal and lived his life trying to do something good.
Reading this story, it becomes clear that, in principle, a person can perform very base deeds or the most courageous deeds. When Izergil has come to terms with the fact that she is already old and will not be the same as before, she decides to accomplish her feat. Having committed murder, she rescues her beloved from captivity and then refuses his love. After all, love in captivity is wrong. The actions of the heroes remain unrewarded.
Looking at the heroes of this story, it is clear that youth gives a lot of strength and you can do a lot of things, both for good and not. But it’s not just that the story is called “Old Woman Izergil”; the author makes it clear that youth will not last forever. A person is remembered by his actions, and as long as the memory is alive, so is the person with it.
The choice remains for everyone: to live quietly, dealing with difficulties, or to accomplish your own, perhaps the only feat, but which will remain in the memory of people.
Old Isergil. Analysis of the work
Maxim Gorky extremely enjoyed traveling around his native expanses. The writer drew his inspiration from these wanderings; he wrote essays and sketches about what he saw. Actually, this prompted the writer to create the story “Old Woman Izergil.”
The author finished writing the story in the fall of 1884. The work “Old Woman Izergil” from the writer’s early works. He was extremely proud of this work and emphasizes this. The story was published only a year later. After the story was published, literary scholars of that time traced the author’s peculiar writing style with magnificent notes of romanticism. Although the story is written in a rather complex narrative style, as if in a dialogue between the author and an elderly woman. But the story remains light and quite interesting.
The story was based on the story of a gypsy woman who told a lot about her life. The author, by an invisible technique, divides the story into three life stories, which will be told by an old gypsy woman. Legends about Larre and Danko. Life stories the characters are completely different, with this the author reveals different aspects to the reader life path. But this does not violate the integrity of the story.
The author likens the image of Larr to a beast, wild, cruel, avoiding any contact with people around him and loving only himself. The hero presented himself above others, believing that everything was allowed to him. Larra did not want to limit his freedom of action.
Izergil Gorky described the image of Larra almost identically, but she was more sensitive. But for her, all feelings were fleeting and quickly went away without leaving any trace behind them. In her youth, Izergil was in demand by men, but she did not appreciate their attention. This brought pain to many of her fans. Having fallen in love, the gypsy woman felt in full the feelings that she brought to rejected men. She was humiliated and abandoned.
In the image of Danko, the author shows absolutely opposite traits of human character. This is dedication, dependability and determination. The most important difference from other characters is that he gave his life in order to achieve his goal. Trying to do as many good things as possible.
With each line, Gorky conveys to us that man is characterized by various actions, both the most base, vile and insanely heroic. Youth opens up to a person not limited opportunities prove yourself. But it’s not without reason that the title of the story is “Old Woman Izergil”; the author emphasizes that youth is very fleeting. And it is necessary to leave behind only a bright and kind memory.
How his life will go is the choice of each person. After all, living life is not a field to cross, and you need to think about this from a young age.
Several interesting essays
- Characteristics and image of Mtsyri 8th grade (main character) essay
It talks about a highlander, who essentially can be considered an example of freedom and rebellion. In a few lines, the author described the childhood and youth of the main character. Mtsyri was captured and taken to Russia
- What is happiness in the understanding of Matryona Timofeevna in the poem To Nekrasov, essay
Poem by A.N. Nekrasov “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was written in the second half of the 19th century. The work was created during the period coinciding with the abolition of serfdom in Russia.
- Composition of the novel Eugene Onegin by Pushkin
Pushkin created his novel for many years, periodically publishing individual chapters. At first glance, the narrative appears to be chaotic. Critics of those years considered the work lacking integrity
Today I have chosen a topic for conversation: modern education. Since I myself am a teacher, I have a clear idea of what is happening in the education system now. There is no longer any need to say that no one wants to work in schools.
Many people live clearly trying to adhere to the voice of reason and common sense. They try to avoid risky enterprises and restrain their manifestations of gambling. Their daily life is built on compliance with algorithms.
1
The author heard these stories in Bessarabia. The Moldovans with whom he worked dispersed, leaving only the old woman Izergil. “Time bent her in half, her once black eyes were dull and watery. Her dry voice sounded strange, it crunched, as if the old woman was speaking with bones.” Pointing to the shadow of the cloud, the old woman claims that it is JIappa walking across the steppe. “He lives for thousands of years, the sun dried his body, blood and bones, and the wind scattered them.” The old woman tells a tale about how God punished a man for his pride.
In the distant and rich country There lived a tribe of powerful and cheerful people. One day, during a feast, an eagle carried away a beautiful girl. She was not found and was soon forgotten. She returned twenty years later, exhausted and aged, and brought with her a handsome young man, her son by the eagle. The young man was proud and arrogant: his eyes were cold, he talks to the elders of the tribe as equals, he does not want to honor them, because he is the only one of his kind. Lappa goes to a beautiful girl, his daughter. one of the elders. She pushes him away because she is afraid of her father. The young man beats her, puts his foot on her chest, and the girl dies. Those around him stand dumbfounded for a while, but then they grab him and decide to come up with an execution worthy of the crime. No execution seems worthy to them. Even the mother does not dare to stand up for Larra. Larra is then asked why he killed the girl. He replies that he killed her because she pushed him away. The elders object that “for everything a person takes, he pays with himself: with his mind and strength, sometimes with his life.” Larra considers himself the first on earth and sees nothing but himself. People condemn Larra to freedom and loneliness. Thunder sounds from the sky, the young man becomes immortal. For decades he wandered the earth and finally wanted to die by the hand of man. But people guess
about his intentions and do not kill him, but laugh at him. Lappa cannot commit suicide himself. Since then he has been walking around, free, yearning, awaiting death. “He has no life, and death does not smile on him. And there is no place for him among people...”
2
A beautiful song is heard from afar. The old woman smiles and begins to talk about herself. In her youth, she spent whole days weaving carpets, although “she was alive like a ray of sunshine.” And at night she ran to the one she loved. At the age of 15 she met a handsome, tall, black-moustached, cheerful fisherman. A feeling flares up between them. But soon Izergil gets bored with the monotony of their relationship (he only “sang and kissed”). She asks her friend to introduce her to the Hutsuls. She introduced her to a red-haired, curly-haired young man, affectionate and hot (once he hit her in the face, she responded by biting him on the cheek. A hole subsequently formed in this place, and the guy loved it when Izergil kissed him in this hole). Then both the fisherman and the Hutsul were hanged. Izergil was present at the execution. The fisherman was afraid of death, and the Hutsul joked and smoked a pipe. Izergil also loved a Turk and lived in his harem for a week, but she became bored with women and ran away from the Turk with his 16-year-old son to Bulgaria. The boy died “from homesickness or love.” One Bulgarian woman stabbed Izergil in the chest for her lover. Izergil was treated by a young Polish woman in a convent. Her brother, also a monk, came to visit the Polish woman. When Izergil recovered, she went with him to Poland. One day he insulted her and she drowned him. It was difficult for Izergil to live in Poland, since she did not know how to do anything. So she goes from man to man. Izergil greatly respected one of them, a gentleman with a face cut in battles, since this man “loved exploits.” “In life, you know, there is always room for exploits.” In Poland, Izergil met a handsome nobleman, proud and spoiled by women. Izergil was already 40 years old by that time. He left her, and she realized that she was already old. Shlyakhtich went to war with the Russians, Izergil went after him. Having reached the place, she learns that the nobleman was captured. Izergil deceives the sentry: he says that her son was captured, that she would just look at him, falls to his knees, knocks the soldier to the ground and strangles him. Izergil saves the nobleman and his comrades. Shlyakhtich, in gratitude for saving her, promises to love her. But proud Izergil pushes him away. Shlyakhtich and his friends leave. Izergil starts a family and lives in Bessarabia for 30 years. A year ago, her husband died and she was left alone.
A cloud rises from the sea, small blue lights flash in the steppe. Izergil says that these are sparks from Danko’s burning heart.
3
Izergil tells a fairy tale. In the old days there lived cheerful, strong and brave people. Foreign tribes drove them deep into the forests. It was dark there, and foul fumes rose from the swamps. People died one after another. They decide to leave the forest, but don't know which way to go. From long thoughts people weaken, fear settles in their souls. Many are already ready to go to the enemy and agree to the fate of slaves. But Dan-ko appears and saves everyone alone. Danko was handsome, brave and decisive. His fellow tribesmen believe him and follow him. The road turns out to be difficult, people complain about Danko’s youth and inexperience. A thunderstorm begins. Tired people lose heart and, in anger and anger, begin to reproach Danko. Danko replies that he leads them because he has the courage to lead people, and the rest follow obediently, like a flock of sheep. Enraged people decide to kill Danko. “There was no nobility on their faces; he could not expect mercy from them. Then indignation boiled in his heart, but out of pity for the people it went out. He loved people and thought that maybe they would die without him.” Danko tears his chest with his hands, tears out his heart and lifts it above his head. “It burned as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this torch of great love for people...” Danko again calls on people to follow him, shocked people rush forward, “carried away by the wonderful spectacle of a burning heart.” Danko leads people out of the forest, joyfully looks at the free land, laughs proudly, falls and dies. People don't notice his death, only one careful man, “Fearing something, I stepped on my proud heart. And so it, scattered into sparks, faded away...”
Old woman Izergil, having finished the story, falls asleep, the author reflects on what he heard.
Told the narrator interesting stories, it was in Bessarabia on the seashore. It was night, shadows were cast by the running clouds in the light of the moon, and the old woman began her tale about a mighty tribe of cattle breeders who, many years ago, lived in one generous country. One day a large eagle flew over them and kidnapped a very beautiful girl from their tribe. They grieved for a long time, but then they forgot. Twenty long years passed and suddenly she returned, but not alone, but with a very handsome and strong young man. The girl said that this guy is the son of an eagle. Outwardly, he was not at all different from the people from the tribe, but his eyes - they were always cold and proud, eagle-like. He treated his fellow tribesmen, even the elders, with arrogance, because he was sure that he was extraordinary. The people endured, but one day, having become very angry, they still had to expel this young man from their tribe. The young man was not at all upset, he laughed in response to everyone, and then approached the girl, who was the daughter of a venerable elder, and hugged her in front of everyone. The girl angrily pushes away the insolent man, and for this he simply kills her.
The young man is grabbed and tied up, but not killed; he is punished with loneliness, considering death too easy and simple a punishment. When people from the tribe tried to talk to him, they immediately realized that this young man does not see anyone around, he believes that he is the first on earth, and loves only himself.
The young man was named Larra, which means “outcast.” He has to live completely alone, only occasionally stealing from this tribe beautiful girls for their pleasures and livestock for food. He was completely invulnerable, even when he was shot at and hit with arrows from a bow. So a lot of time passed and one day the people from the tribe saw that Larra had come very close to them, without even trying to defend himself. And now they realized that he himself wanted his own death, but they did not touch him. Even when he himself, snatching the knife, hit his chest with it, the blade of the knife broke, as if it had hit a stone. It became clear that he simply could not die. And he had to walk like a shadow in anticipation of his death. He had no place among ordinary people. So Larra was punished for his excessive pride.
Chapter 2
Then the old woman began her autobiographical story. In her youth she had to work a lot - weaving carpets. And when night came, she ran away to her loved one until the morning. Then her lover was a cheerful sailor with whom she rode on a boat. But she quickly got tired of all the young people and she again found others.She also had a Hutsul: at times affectionate, but sometimes he beat her. Afterwards she fell in love with a Turk and lived in his harem. But very soon, after just a week, she became bored, and she ran away from there, but not alone, but with the son of a Turk, who was sixteen years old. But either from strong love, or from longing for his home, he died very soon. There was a case in the life of young Izergil when one woman, jealous of her lover, stabbed her in the chest with a knife. The girl was treated in a monastery, where she met a Pole - the brother of the nun who nursed her. The young people left for Poland. But they couldn’t live together for long, they were too different. The girl was not trained in anything, so she had to earn a living with her body. She had different men, one of them showered her with gold, but life didn’t work out with him either.
Already at the age of forty she met a young Shlyakhtych man, he was very handsome, but he always laughed at her. He himself abandons Izergil. The woman, having learned that he had gone to war and was then captured, nevertheless found him. She killed the sentry to free the man she loved dearly. But things didn’t work out with him either, Izergil leaves again. She later got married, but a year ago her husband died and she was left alone.
Chapter 3
As night fell, Izergil asked her interlocutor if he noticed sparks appearing in the night steppe? And she began her new story, a fairy tale about Danko. She told that in ancient times ancient people lived in impenetrable forests, surrounded by swamps and steppes. One day, conquerors came to them to drive them into the very depths of a dense old forest, surrounded by a swamp, from which a fetid stench rose, from which people began to die. It was very difficult for them and it was decided to bow to the conquerors in order to become their slaves. But suddenly the fearless Danko appears and saves these people, having accomplished his feat. He persuaded these poor, frightened people to pass through the forest so as not to be enslaved. People, seeing his determination and courage, believed in him and went along with this brave young man. Their path was very difficult; not a drop of determination was left. People were exhausted, their strength was melting before our eyes. They were ashamed of their weakness, and in complete despair they took out all their anger on young man. When Danko said that people were weak, they simply became very angry and decided to kill him, deciding that he would not be able to help them and lead them out of this forest. Danko understood that people could not survive without his help, and that here they were doomed to certain death. The fire of desire to help these poor misguided people lit up in the eyes of the young man, but they misunderstood him, thinking that he was simply angry. Then they decided to surround him and kill him. As soon as people stood around Danko, he was able to tear his chest with his hands and, tearing his heart out of it, raise it high above his head. The torch of love for them illuminated the entire forest, and people rushed after the young man and immediately found a way out of it. The forest suddenly ended. It opened up before people's eyes beautiful view to the radiant steppe, they were very happy about this. And their “leader” fell to the ground and died, because he no longer had a heart. Only one very cowardly person stepped on a still burning heart. It faded away, crumbling into sparks. The man, like all his fellow tribesmen, was afraid to admit his weakness and cowardice. This explains his action. And in the steppe now, with the beginning of a thunderstorm, blue lights always appear - these are sparks from loving people Danko's hearts.
This story will help you understand the essence of the eternal search for the meaning of life. Three chapters: each with its own story and its own hero. Three destinies intertwined with one thread, putting everything in its place.
Chapter 1
The meeting between the author and the old woman took place after a difficult working day. The workers went to the sea, they were left alone under a grape bush, escaping the hateful heat. Seeing the clouds, Izergil assumed that it was Larra circling over the steppe. Seeing genuine interest in the eyes of the interlocutor, elderly woman I decided to tell a beautiful ancient legend, which served as the beginning for the rest.The Legend of Larra. Larra is the son of a young girl and an eagle. When she was very young, she was kidnapped bird of prey and carried away into distant distances. For several years nothing was known about her fate. Many people thought she was dead. Twenty years later she returned to her native village. The woman looked terrible. Dry, emaciated. There is no trace left of its former beauty.
Larra, her son, was proud and freedom-loving, like his father. Daring with those around him, he placed himself above everyone else, making it clear that he had no equal. Even the elders are not an authority for him. Tired of tolerating his antics, he was given the order to leave the village.
The guy, wanting to prove that he could do anything, grabbed one of the girls, wanting to hug. The wayward beauty pushed away the insolent man, for which she paid with her life. He kills her in front of the villagers.
People thought for a long time about how to punish the murderer. The method chosen for revenge was strange. They decided to let the guy go, giving him complete freedom. Loneliness became Larra's faithful companion. He wandered around the earth, annoying people, stealing cattle and girls, but did not receive punishment. The arrows flew through him, and the bullets passed right through without causing pain.
Soon Larra realized that he was tired of such a life. He was ready to die when he realized its meaning, but it was too late. Immortality and loneliness are his punishment for pride. Now he has no place either in the world of the living or in world of the dead. So he wanders in the hope of finding eternal peace, but to no avail.
The old woman stopped the story for a moment. Her attention was diverted by a sad, beautiful song, which served as the beginning of a second story, no less interesting and instructive than the first.
Chapter 2
Love story. Young, beautiful Izergil always enjoyed the success of the opposite sex. Men loved her. She reciprocated. In each she saw the hero of her novel, hoping that the mutual feeling would be eternal, but she was disappointed.Years passed in search of love. Men changed like the cities in which she sought her destiny. She lived with emotions that filled her soul and heart. The woman believed that if there is love, then it will last a lifetime. If love is over, then you shouldn’t continue the relationship, trying to save what doesn’t exist.
For the sake of love, a woman was ready to do anything, even kill. Izergil was hated by the wives of her suitors. One of them, in the heat of wild jealousy, wounds her in the chest. Miraculously, she survived. She was saved by a Polish nun living at the monastery, filled with pity for the poor fellow. Instead of gratitude, as soon as she got stronger, she ran away with her brother to Poland
Life didn't work out with him. The guy was rude. The woman was not going to tolerate such an attitude. Having pushed him into the river, she happily forgot about him, instantly being carried away by something else. She soon realized that it was time to build her nest. Start a family, have children, devote yourself entirely to home and loved ones.
She got married after living with her husband long years. The old woman was recently widowed and now often recalls her former youth, when everything could have been corrected and life could have been different. But fate wills it so that she will have to live out her life in complete solitude.
The story is over. It’s time to go home, but suddenly the narrator’s attention was attracted by blue lights that appeared in the distance. They sparkled like sparks in the evening darkness. This is Danko, the old woman said aloud, starting the third story about a wonderful guy with kind hearted.
Chapter 3
Danko is a romantic with a big soul and a kind heart. Handsome, strong, courageous, he was a leader by nature. He was able to solve any problems without getting lost in complex ones, life situations.In those distant times, people lived close to impenetrable forests. One day they accidentally found themselves in the very center of the forest. Fear and panic washed over them in waves. They understood that death was near, but were afraid to say their assumptions out loud.
Danko volunteered to help them, promising that he would definitely lead them out of the forest. They had to walk for a long time. The strength was running out. Tension hung in the air, ready to burst out of the exhausted, tortured people. Only Danko was cheerful and cheerful, as if he had not walked tens of kilometers with them.
An unexpected thunderstorm made the situation worse. The crowd began to make claims to the leader, blaming him for the current situation and false promises. He felt offended for such speeches. Weren't they the ones who voluntarily followed him when everyone else cowardly put their tails between their legs? No one volunteered to go forward, so what happened?
Then he rips the heart out of his chest, raising it high above his head and illuminating the way for people. He led them out of the forest along the illuminated road, but his strength left him. Danko dies. Ungrateful people, not noticing the loss, accidentally step on the heart that fell from his hands. From the impact it crumbled into a bunch of small sparks.
Since then, the sparks have not gone out, reminding us of a fearless young man who did not spare his heart for the sake of love for people, but they turned out to be too cruel and ungrateful to appreciate the courageous act.
Tired of long conversations, the old woman suddenly dozed off, giving the author the opportunity to think about what she heard, drawing the right conclusions so as not to repeat the mistakes made by the main characters of her legends.
This is where it ends brief retelling story "Old Woman Izergil", which includes only the most important events from full version works!
Loading...