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Children's writer Vera Chaplina. Stories about animals for children

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Vera Vasilievna Chaplina
Orlik

Vera Vasilievna Chaplina was born in 1908 in the city of Moscow, in the family of an employee. She was left without a father early and was brought up in an orphanage for several years. From childhood she loved animals and from the age of fifteen she entered the circle of young biologists of the Zoo. In this circle she studied, made observations of animals, studied their habits.

The mother's illness and the need for a family forced Vera Vasilievna to go to work from the age of sixteen. She entered the Zoo of an animal care worker, and devoted all her free time to replenishing her knowledge.

In 1927, she completed courses at the Zoo and began working as a laboratory assistant. In 1932, V. Chaplin was already a guide, while continuing to work with animals.

In 1933, V.V. Chaplina organized the first experimental site for young animals, where a wide variety of animals were brought up together.

In 1937, Vera Vasilievna was transferred to work as the head of the section of predators, which, in addition to the young animals, included all the predatory animals of the Zoo.

During her work at the Zoo, V. V. Chaplin raised many animals. She had accumulated an interesting obscene observation and education of wild animals, and she began to write stories. In 1937, her first book was published, entitled "Kids from the Green Playground", then books were published: "My pupils", "Four-legged friends", "Bear Cub Rychik and his comrades", "Naya", "Orlik" and many others . The story “Thrown” was repeatedly published, which tells how V.V. Chaplin took a small, helpless lion cub, raised it at home and how a huge lioness grew out of it, who still loved and remembered her teacher.

Since 1946, V. V. Chaplin completely switched to literary work. She traveled a lot around the country, especially often visited Karelin and the Kandalaksha region, where she studied the animals living there.

In 1941, V. V. Chaplin joined the ranks of the members of the Communist Party; she is a member of the Writers' Union and takes an active part in its work.

ORLYK

I sat on a small wooden pier and waited for the steamer.

For the last time I admired Lake Onega, the places where I spent this summer. Over there, on the other side of the bay, you can also see the village in which I lived, and closer here - the islands.

How beautifully they spread across the bay! And I looked at them, trying to remember their wild beauty. But then a boat caught my attention. It appeared from behind a small island, and in it, as if rooted to the spot, slightly turning its head, stood a horse. I didn't even notice the person. He sat a little ahead and slowly paddled with oars.

I was surprised by such a calm behavior of the horse. “Probably tied,” I thought, and began to watch the approach of the boat.

Here she comes very close. The old man sitting in it braked with oars and quietly brought the boat to the shore. Then he got out and, supporting the board, said, addressing the horse:

- But, but, Orlik, go!

And then I saw that Orlik was not tied at all. Hearing the owner's order, he obediently stepped over the side, went ashore, and while the old man was pulling the boat out onto dry land, patiently waited for him. I went up to the old man and asked how he was not afraid to carry a horse in such a shaky boat, and even without a leash.

“If there was another, maybe I would have been afraid,” he said. - And our Orlik is accustomed to everything. After all, he came to us from the front. After the war, by distribution, our collective farm got it. As I came to choose horses, I immediately liked him. And the fighter also advised me to take it. “Take,” he says, “father, our Orlik is a good horse, you won’t regret it. Yes, take care of him, he saved his master from death.

How did he save him? I asked.

The old man lit his pipe, sat down on a stone and slowly told me everything he knew.

* * *

It was on the Karelian front. Antonov served as a liaison officer there. His horse was beautiful, stately and fast on the move.

In addition, the horse turned out to be very smart. Like a dog, she followed her master: he went to the kitchen - and she followed him, he went to the commander - and she was waiting by the dugout.

Then she still knew how to take off her hat. Probably, her children were brought up on the collective farm and taught this. From the very first day he fell in love with her.

It used to come up to a fighter, take off his hat with his teeth and wait for a treat for this. Here, of course, laughter, fun, who will give her sugar, who will give her bread. So I got used to it. Antonov will tell her: “Take off your hat, hat!” - she only waved her mane and galloped to the fighters. He will run up, take off someone's earflaps and carry them to the owner.

And after all, what a quick-witted one she was: she won’t drop her on the way, and she won’t give herself into the wrong hands. He will bring it and put it near Antonov.

- Well, smart! the fighters were talking about her. You won't get lost with a horse like that.

Indeed, their words soon came true.

Once in the winter it was necessary to urgently deliver a report to the headquarters. It was impossible to drive through the taiga: impassable thickets all around, windbreak. It took too long to walk on foot, and the only road was shelled by enemies for the second day.

“We must slip through and urgently deliver a report to the headquarters,” the commander said, passing the package to Antonov.

- There is a slip and urgently deliver a report to the headquarters! - repeated Antonov, hid the package on his chest, jumped on his horse and rushed off.

Many times he had to travel along this front road, but now, in these two days, it has changed a lot: deep shell craters and fallen trees were visible everywhere.

The muffled sounds of explosions were heard more and more often. Antonov was in a hurry to get to the narrow forest path, which ran sideways from the road, and hastily urged on the horse.

But the smart animal was in a hurry anyway. One might think that she understands and is in a hurry to slip through the dangerous place herself.

You could already see a fallen tree and a turn onto the path. Here she is very close. Obedient to the occasion, the horse jumped over the road ditch and, knocking snow off the branches, galloped along the path.

A stray shell exploded somewhere very close by, but Antonov no longer heard the explosion. Wounded by a shrapnel in the chest, he still held on in the saddle for some time, then swayed and gently slid into the snow.

Antonov woke up because someone slightly touched him. He opened his eyes. His horse stood next to him and, bending its head, quietly grabbed his cheek with its lips.

Antonov wanted to get up, but a sharp pain made him lower himself with a groan.

The horse became alert and, impatiently stepping its feet, neighed. She could not understand why her master was lying and did not want to get up.

Several times Antonov lost consciousness and again came to his senses. But each time, opening his eyes, he saw a horse standing next to him.

He was pleased to see his four-legged friend near him, but it would be better if the horse left. He would probably return to the unit; if they saw a horse, they would immediately guess that something had happened to the messenger, and they would go looking for him. And the main thing that tormented Antonov was the undelivered report.

He lay there, unable to even turn around. And the thought of how to drive the horse away from him and make her leave did not leave him.

The shelling of the road, apparently, ended, and, as always after the shelling, there was some unusual silence all around.

But what is it? Why did his horse suddenly start up and, throwing up its head, neighed softly? This is how he behaved if he felt horses. Antonov listened. Somewhere off the road came the creak of skids and voices.

Antonov knew that the enemy could not be here, so this is his own. We need to shout to them, to call ... And, overpowering the pain, he rose to his elbows, but instead of a scream, he let out a groan.

There was only one hope left - for the horse, for his faithful horse. But how do you get her to leave?

Bring a hat, bring a hat, bring a hat! - Antonov whispers through the power of words familiar to her.

She understood, became alert, took a few steps towards the road and stopped hesitantly. Then she shook her mane, neighed, and, increasing her step more and more, disappeared around the bend in the path.

She returned with a hat. A few minutes later, people spoke, and three fighters leaned over Antonov, one of whom was without a hat. They carefully lifted the wounded signalman and carefully carried him.

“This is how Orlik saved his master,” the old man finished his story and affectionately patted Orlik on his steep neck.

At that moment, the whistle of an approaching steamer rang out. Boarding has begun. I said goodbye to my grandfather and hurried after the other passengers to the ship.

JULBARS

Dzhulbars was presented to Kolya as a very small puppy. Kolya was very happy with such a gift: he had long dreamed of getting himself a good, thoroughbred shepherd dog.

Kohl put a lot of work while he raised Dzhulbars. After all, there was a lot of fuss with such a small puppy. It was necessary to feed him several times a day, clean him, take him out for a walk.

And how much he gnawed Kolya's toys, things! .. He dragged everything he could get to.

He especially liked to chew on shoes. Once Kolya forgot to hide his shoes for the night, and when he got up in the morning, only rags were left of them.

But this was only as long as Dzhulbars was small. But when he grew up, Kolya was envied by many boys - he had such a beautiful and smart dog.

In the morning, Dzhulbars woke up Kolya: barking, dragging a blanket from him, and when Kolya opened his eyes, he hurried to bring him clothes. True, sometimes Dzhulbars was mistaken and instead of Kolya's clothes he brought father's galoshes or grandmother's skirt, but he was in such a funny hurry, he tried so hard to collect everything as soon as possible, that no one was angry with him for this.

Then Dzhulbars accompanied Kolya to school. It is important, slowly, he walked near his young master and carried him a knapsack with books. Sometimes it happened that the guys, playing around, threw snowballs at Kolya. Then Dzhulbars blocked it with himself and bared his teeth. And his teeth were so big that at the sight of them the boys immediately stopped rushing.

On weekends, Kolya took Dzhulbars with him and went skiing with his comrades. But he did not ride like all the guys. Kolya put a harness on Dzhulbars, tied a rope to it, and took the other end in his hands and commanded Dzhulbars: “Forward!” Dzhulbars ran forward and carried his young master behind him.

PARTING

Dzhulbars never parted with Kolya. They were always together, and if Kolya left alone, Dzhulbars lay down near the door, listened to every rustle and whined.

All acquaintances called them "lovebirds", and no one could even think that Kolya would ever voluntarily part with his pet. However, this happened on the second day after the declaration of war.

Kolya could not sleep for a long time that night, tossed and turned from side to side, turned on the light several times and kept looking at the dog lying next to his bed.

In the morning Kolya got up earlier than usual. He carefully cleaned Dzhulbars, then put on a new collar for him and went out of the house with him. Kolya returned alone. The room was somehow empty, uncomfortable, and on the rug, where Dzhulbars always slept, lay an old collar. Kolya took the collar, and tears welled up in his eyes. He was very sorry for Dzhulbars, but at the same time he so wanted to do something big, good for the Red Army ...

IN A NEW PLACE

When Kolya left Dzhulbars and left, he did not even realize that he had parted with his master forever. At first, he looked curiously at the dogs sitting next to him. Then he began to look to see if Kolya was coming. But Kolya did not go. Unfamiliar people were walking around, doing something, talking, bringing new dogs, but Dzhulbars seemed to notice nothing and no one. He did not even touch the food that was placed in front of him, and kept looking and looking in the direction where Kolya had disappeared behind the turn.

Several days have passed.

During this time, the dogs were examined and sent to the distribution point. There they were checked again, put in cages, and the next day fighters walked around them and each one chose the right one for himself. Ivanov alone could not choose a dog. Several times he walked around them from the first to the last, and each time his gaze involuntarily lingered on Dzhulbars. This dog looked very sullen among the others.

But for some reason Ivanov liked her, and he went to take her passport. On the passport was the dog's number, its age, nickname, and at the very bottom, with an unsteady child's hand, a postscript was made - “Dear comrade fighter! I beg you to write to me about Dzhulbars ... ”There was something else written there, but Ivanov could not make out what exactly. He took out a blank piece of paper, wrote down the address, folded it neatly, and put it in the pocket of his wallet where he kept pictures of his wife and kids. Then Ivanov went up to the dog, put on a leash and loudly, resolutely said: “Dzhulbars, let's go!”

Dzhulbars shuddered, jumped up and whined softly, quite softly. For the first time since the day of separation from Kolya, he heard his nickname.

A lot of work cost the fighter Ivanov to accustom a dog to him. And how much patience he put in to train her! It was necessary to teach Dzhulbars to find a mine, sit next to it and show the trainer where it is. Not every dog is up to the job. Here you need a good instinct, obedience and diligence - just what Dzhulbars had.

At first, dogs were taught to find specially buried mines that could not explode, and for each found they were given a piece of meat. But Dzhulbars did not work for meat. Sometimes he would find a mine, sit down next to it, and look at Ivanov so tenderly, wag his tail and wait for him to praise him.

FIRST TASK

Everyone was surprised at the intuition and understanding of Dzhulbars. There was no case that he made a mistake or missed a mine. And where they just didn’t hide it: they buried it in the ground, hung it up, put it in a room among things, and covered it with blankets on top in several rows, and still Dzhulbars found it. Ivanov was very proud of his student. And not in vain. Soon Dzhulbars became the pride not only of Ivanov, but of the whole unit. And it happened like this.

An order came to their unit: "Urgently select the best mine-detecting dog and transfer it by plane to its destination."

Ivanov recently graduated from Dzhulbars, and yet the unit commander sent him.

As soon as the plane landed and Ivanov got out of the cockpit, he was immediately ordered to go with the dog to the airfield.

Ivanov never worried as much as he did this first combat mission.

The task was very responsible. Retreating, the enemies mined the airfield. Before that, it had rained, then frost hit immediately, and the airfield was covered with a thick ice crust; under this crust were mines. Special devices for finding mines could not help. The probes did not enter the frozen ground, and the mine detectors did not work because the mines were buried in wooden shells.

Together with the miners accompanying him, Ivanov approached a small peg sticking out of the ground. On the peg was nailed a board with a short black inscription: "Mineed."

Ivanov stopped, called Dzhulbars and said loudly, distinctly: “Look!”

Dzhulbars pulled the reins and led Ivanov. Dzhulbars walked slowly, slowly, sniffing out every centimeter of the earth of this huge field. He walked and led the owner for a meter ... two ... three ... ten, not stopping anywhere, not lingering.

At first, Ivanov walked calmly, then he was suddenly seized with doubt: “What if ... what if Dzhulbars misses mines?” The thought made him feel terrible. Ivanov stopped.

- Seek, seek! he almost shouted, pointing to the ground. - Seek!

Dzhulbars looked at the owner in surprise and again pulled on.

Now they are already quite far from that small cheek with a black inscription. Behind them, from a distance, they were waving and shouting something and the people remaining near her. But what exactly, Ivanov cannot understand. One annoying thought does not leave him: “Does Dzhulbars miss mines?”

Suddenly Dzhulbars abruptly changed direction and sat down. He sat in the same way as he did during his studies, when he found a buried mine. He looked first at a barely noticeable mound near his paws, then at the owner. And Ivanov? Ivanov grabbed Dzhulbars' head and pressed him tightly to himself. Then over the place where the mine was buried, he stuck a red flag and went on.

Like red flowers, flags bloomed first in one place, then in another, and soon the whole field was strewn with them. And a few hours later miners were already busy around them. They pulled out and cleared the mines.

FOUR-LEGED FRIEND

Several years have passed. During this time, Dzhulbars found thousands of mines. Retreating, the Nazis mined everything: houses, things, dishes, food - in a word, everything that a person could touch. But Dzhulbars, with his instinct, unraveled the most cunning tricks of the enemy, and this saved the lives of many people. More than once he saved the life of his master.

Once, freeing houses from mines, Ivanov went into an abandoned apartment. The room he entered was small and cozy, and the remnants of food on the table indicated that its owners had left in a hurry. It was this peaceful appearance of the room that deceived Ivanov.

Forgetting caution, he wanted to go into the next room and already approached the door. But suddenly Dzhulbars got ahead of the owner. He sat down on the very threshold and blocked the passage. Ivanov did not understand the dog. He took Dzhulbars by the collar and wanted to remove him. And then the always obedient Dzhulbars suddenly snapped, wriggled out of the hands of the owner and again blocked his path.

Ivanov did not expect such an act. So that Dzhulbars snapped, did not obey? .. “No, something is not right here,” thought Ivanov.

And rightly so: under the threshold of the door he wanted to enter, there was a hidden mine.

Throughout the war, Ivanov did not part with Dzhulbars: he traveled with him to Smolensk, Belarus, and Poland. The end of the war found them in Berlin.

Ivanov did not return home alone. Next to him on the train sat his faithful assistant, Dzhulbars.

When Ivanov arrived in Moscow, he sent a letter to Kolya. He wrote to Kolya about how well his pupil worked, how many times he saved his life and that he, Ivanov, was very sorry to part with his four-legged friend.

And Kolya did not take Dzhulbars. He replied that although he loved Dzhulbars very much, he nevertheless decided to leave him to Ivanov. And Kolya will get another dog for himself, he will also call her Dzhulbars, and when she grows up, she will definitely give it back to the Soviet Army.

FRIENDSHIP

That summer I settled with a forester. His hut was large and spacious. She stood right in the forest, in a clearing, and a narrow stream ran through the estate, fenced with wattle, murmuring over pebbles.

The forester Ivan Petrovich himself was a hunter. In his free time, he took a dog, a gun and went to the forest.

His dog was large, red, with a dark, almost black back. Her name was Dagon. In the whole region there was no hound dog better than Dagon. And if he takes the trail of the fox, then no matter what tricks she indulges in, she will not run away from Dagon.

Ivan Petrovich hunted with Dagon in late autumn and winter. And in spring and summer, Dagon sat more at home, because at this time it was forbidden to hunt foxes and Ivan Petrovich put him on a chain.

“And then he’ll get spoiled,” said the forester.

Dagon did not like to sit on a chain. As soon as they lowered him, he tried to slip away unnoticed, and if he was called, he pretended not to hear.

True, sometimes, together with the forester's son Petya, we took Dagon with us to the forest, but this happened only on those rare days when his master left for the city.

But how Dagon rejoiced at these walks! He always rushed ahead, sniffing at everything, looking for something. From under his feet, now, a frightened croak, a black grouse took off, then a capercaillie rose with noise. Such a walk usually ended with Dagon running away from us. He found a trace of a fox or a hare and instantly disappeared. His loud, booming bark resounded far through the forest, and no matter how much we called Dagon, he never came.

Dagon returned by evening, tired, with sunken sides. He entered, wagging his tail somehow guiltily, and immediately climbed into his kennel.

NAKHODKA

Once, during a walk, Dagon did not have time to run away from us, as we heard his loud barking. He was barking somewhere very close, and Petya and I ran to see who he had caught.

We saw Dagon on the lawn. He barked and jumped around a large, old stump, tried to get something from under the roots, and even gnawed the bark with his teeth in anger.

- Probably found a hedgehog! - Petya shouted to me. - Now we will get him.

I grabbed Dagon by the collar and dragged him aside, and Petya took a stick and put it under the stump to pull out the hedgehog.

But before he had time to put the stick in, a small gray animal jumped out and rushed across the lawn.

The cub was still small and inexperienced. He darted under Petya's very feet, but Petya could not catch him. I, too, could not help him, as I could barely hold Dagon, who was rushing towards the animal.

Finally, Petya managed to drive the fox into the bushes and pin him down with his cap. The captured animal no longer resisted. Petya put him in a basket of berries, and on top, so that he did not jump out, he tied a scarf, and we went home.

At home, Petya's mother was not very happy with our find. She even tried to object to her, but Petya so begged to be allowed to leave the fox cub that Praskovya Dmitrievna finally agreed:

- Okay, hold on! But my father won’t let me anyway,” she said in conclusion.

But the father also allowed, and the fox remained.

First of all, we set about arranging a room for him. Petya brought a box from the shed, and we began to make a cage out of it. One side of the box was tightened with wire, and a door was cut through the other. When the cage was completely ready, they laid straw there and let the fox cub go.

But before we had time to release it, the animal immediately hid in the very corner of the box and hid in the straw. He did not even begin to eat the meat put to him, and when Petya pushed a piece with a stick, he grunted angrily and grabbed it with his teeth.

The rest of the day the fox sat in his corner. But as soon as night fell and everyone went to bed, he began to whine, yelp, and scratched the net with his paws so much that he even tore off his finger.

Petya was very upset when he saw the wounded paw of the fox in the morning, but we consoled him, saying that the fox is now marked and even if he leaves, we will immediately recognize him on the trail.

Author Chaplina Vera Vasilievna

Vera Vasilievna Chaplina

Orlik

In 1927, she completed courses at the Zoo and began working as a laboratory assistant. In 1932, V. Chaplin was already a guide, while continuing to work with animals.

In 1933, V.V. Chaplina organized the first experimental site for young animals, where a wide variety of animals were brought up together.

In 1937, Vera Vasilievna was transferred to work as the head of the section of predators, which, in addition to the young animals, included all the predatory animals of the Zoo.

In 1941, V. V. Chaplin joined the ranks of the members of the Communist Party; she is a member of the Writers' Union and takes an active part in its work.

ORLYK

I sat on a small wooden pier and waited for the steamer.

For the last time I admired Lake Onega, the places where I spent this summer. Far away, on the other side of the bay, you can also see the village in which I lived, and closer here - the islands.

I was surprised by such a calm behavior of the horse. “Probably tied,” I thought, and began to watch the approach of the boat.

Here she comes very close. The old man sitting in it braked with oars and quietly brought the boat to the shore. Then he got out and, supporting the board, said, addressing the horse:

But, but, Orlik, go!

There would be another, maybe he was afraid, - he said. - And our Orlik is accustomed to everything. After all, he came to us from the front. After the war, by distribution, our collective farm got it. As I came to choose horses, I immediately liked him. And the fighter also advised me to take it. “Take,” he says, “father, our Orlik is a good horse, you won’t regret it. Yes, take care of him, he saved his master from death.

But how did he save him? I asked.

The old man lit his pipe, sat down on a stone and slowly told me everything he knew.

It was on the Karelian front. Antonov served as a liaison officer there. His horse was beautiful, stately and fast on the move.

In addition, the horse turned out to be very smart. Like a dog, she followed her master: he went to the kitchen - and she followed him, he went to the commander - and she was waiting by the dugout.

Then she still knew how to take off her hat. Probably, her children were brought up on the collective farm and taught this. From the very first day he fell in love with her.

And after all, what a quick-witted one she was: she won’t drop her on the way, and she won’t give herself into the wrong hands. He will bring it and put it near Antonov.

Well, smart! - the fighters talked about her. You won't get lost with a horse like that.

Indeed, their words soon came true.

It is necessary to slip through and urgently deliver a report to the headquarters, - the commander said, passing the package to Antonov.

There is a slip and urgently deliver a report to the headquarters! - repeated Antonov, hid the package on his chest, jumped on his horse and rushed off.