"Doctor Aibolit": a children's fairy tale with deep meaning

Article menu:

• Text of the work (in verse)
• History of the creation of the work
• Editors of "Doctor Aibolit"
• The plot of the tale
• Events of the First Part Who is Aibolit
• Difficulties in the life of a doctor
• Travel to Africa
• Prisoners of Barmaley
• Treatment of monkeys
• Aibolit receives a gift
• Homecoming

Text of the work (in verse)

1 Good Doctor Aibolit! He is sitting under a tree. Come to him for treatment: a cow, a wolf, a bug, a worm, and a bear! Good Doctor Aibolit will heal everyone!

2 And the fox came to Aibolit: “Oh, a wasp bit me!” And the watchdog came to Aibolit: “A chicken pecked me on the nose!” And the hare came running and shouted: “Ay, ah! My bunny got hit by a tram! My bunny, my boy, got hit by a tram! He ran along the path, And his legs were cut, And now he is sick and lame, My little bunny!” And Aibolit said: “It doesn’t matter! Give it here! I’ll sew him new legs, he’ll run on the track again.” And they brought a bunny to him, so sick and lame, and the doctor sewed on his legs, and the bunny jumped again. And with him the mother hare also went to dance, and she laughed and shouted: “Well, thank you. Aibolit!

3 Suddenly, from somewhere, a jackal galloped up on a mare: “Here is a telegram from Hippopotamus!” “Come, doctor, to Africa as soon as possible and save, doctor, our babies!” "What's happened? Are your children really sick? "Yes Yes Yes! They have tonsillitis, scarlet fever, cholera, diphtheria, appendicitis, malaria and bronchitis! Come quickly, Good Doctor Aibolit!” “Okay, okay, I’ll run and help your children. But where do you live? On the mountain or in the swamp? “We live in Zanzibar, In the Kalahari and the Sahara, On Mount Fernando Po, Where Hippo-po walks Along the wide Limpopo.”

4 And Aibolit stood up and Aibolit ran. He runs through fields, through forests, through meadows. And Aibolit repeats just one word: “Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!” And in his face the wind, and snow, and hail: “Hey, Aibolit, come back!” And Aibolit fell and lay in the snow: “I can’t go further.” And now shaggy wolves run out to him from behind the tree: “Sit down, Aibolit, on horseback, We’ll get you there quickly!” And Aibolit galloped forward and kept repeating just one word: “Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!”

5 But in front of them the sea is raging and noisy in the open space. And there is a high wave in the sea. Now she will swallow Aibolit. “Oh, if I drown, If I go to the bottom, What will happen to them, to the sick, To my forest animals?” But then a whale swims out: “Sit on me, Aibolit, And, like a big steamship, I’ll take you forward!” And Aibolit sat on the whale and repeated only one word: “Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!”

6 And the mountains stand in front of him on the way, And he begins to crawl through the mountains, And the mountains get higher, and the mountains get steeper, And the mountains go under the very clouds! “Oh, if I don’t get there, if I disappear on the way, what will happen to them, to the sick, to my forest animals?” And now eagles flew from a high cliff to Aibolit: “Sit down, Aibolit, on horseback, We’ll get you there quickly!” And Aibolit sat on the eagle and repeated only one word: “Limpopo, Limpopo, Limpopo!”

7 And in Africa, And in Africa, On the black Limpopo, Sad Hippopo sits and cries in Africa. He is in Africa, he is in Africa sitting under a palm tree and looking at the sea from Africa without rest: Isn’t Doctor Aibolit on the boat? And Elephants and Rhinoceroses prowl along the road And they say angrily: “Why is there no Aibolit?” And nearby the hippos grabbed their tummies: They, the hippos, have tummies that hurt. And then the ostriches squeal like piglets. Oh, it’s a pity, a pity, a pity for the poor ostriches! And they have measles, and diphtheria, and smallpox, and bronchitis, and they have a headache, and their throat hurts. They lie and rave: “Well, why isn’t he coming, Why isn’t he coming, Doctor Aibolit?” And a toothy shark snoozes nearby, a toothy shark lies in the sun. Oh, her little ones, the poor baby sharks, their teeth have been hurting for twelve days now! And the poor grasshopper's shoulder is dislocated; He doesn’t jump, he doesn’t gallop, But he cries bitterly and bitterly And he calls the doctor: “Oh, where is the good doctor? When will he come?

8 But look, some kind of bird is rushing closer and closer through the air. Look, Aibolit is sitting on a bird, waving his hat and shouting loudly: “Long live dear Africa!” And all the kids are glad and happy: “I’ve arrived, I’ve arrived! Hooray! Hooray!" And the bird circles above them, And the bird sits on the ground. And Aibolit runs to the hippos, And pats them on the tummies, And gives everyone a chocolate bar in order, And sets and sets thermometers for them! And he runs to the striped tiger cubs. And to the poor humpbacked Sick camels, And treats each one with gogol, each one with gogol, Gogol-mogol, Gogol-mogol, Gogol-mogol. For ten nights Aibolit does not eat, does not drink, and does not sleep. For ten nights in a row He treats unfortunate animals and sets and sets thermometers for them.

9 So he cured them, Limpopo! So he cured the sick. Limpopo! And they went to laugh, Limpopo! And dance and play around, Limpopo! And the shark Karakula winked with her right eye and laughed and laughed, as if someone was tickling her. And the little hippos grabbed their bellies and laughed and burst into tears - so that the oak trees shook. Here comes Hippo, here comes Popo, Hippo-popo, Hippo-popo! Here comes the Hippopotamus. It comes from Zanzibar. He goes to Kilimanjaro - And he shouts, and he sings: “Glory, glory to Aibolit! Glory to the good doctors!

Korney Chukovsky became famous for his wonderful, kind story for children. This story was included in world literature under the title “Doctor Aibolit.” Children's literature requires special skill from the writer. The values ​​that the author conveys to his little readers are mercy, sensitivity to the world around them, empathy, and perseverance.

History of the creation of the work

The Russian writer looked for inspiration in foreign literature. Thus, the English writer Hugh Lofting wrote a work called “The Story of Doctor Dolittle.” The publication date of the book is 1920. In this text, the role of Aibolit went to a character named Dolittle.

Editors of "Doctor Aibolit"

The creation of Chukovsky's work took place in several stages. In 1923, the author was translating the first children's book by an English writer into Russian. In 1925, a collection of short stories entitled “The Adventures of a White Mouse” and “The Lighthouse” was published. All of these texts were based on Lofting's works.

Ten years later, in 1935, Chukovsky remade “The Adventures of a White Mouse” for publication. The following year, “Doctor Aibolit” appears - an edition of previous texts in an expanded edition and two parts. Until 1954, this book was reprinted many times.

The editors made minimal edits to the source text. After 1954, the text of “Doctor Aibolit” did not change anymore. In addition, the year 1938 was remembered by Russian readers for the release of an expanded edition of the work - this time four parts were published.

The plot of the tale

The canonical edition of “Doctor Aibolit” includes two parts. This analysis also provides a summary of the third and fourth parts (which were published earlier, before 1954).

Events of the First Part

Who is Aibolit?

The first part is called "Journey to the Land of the Monkeys." The author portrays Aibolit, a good doctor who helped people and animals. The hero did not leave anyone without help. The doctor's house was filled with animals.

There were conflicts. So, Varvara lived in Aibolit’s house. The woman was the hero's sister, but she was very evil. Varvara hated animals and was angry with her brother.

Difficulties in the life of a doctor

The doctor, a kind soul, never demanded payment from his patients. And then one day Aibolit could not buy even a piece of bread. Animals came to the rescue of the doctor in a difficult situation. The animals planted a vegetable garden near the doctor’s house, the cow treated Aibolit with milk, and the chickens with eggs. The dog and monkey, in turn, cleaned the doctor’s house.

The doctor was grateful to his friends. Amazing cleanliness and order reigned in the doctor’s house. The animals recognized Aibolit as their comrade and friend. One day a guest flew to Aibolit - a swallow. The bird persuaded the doctor to go to distant African lands - there sick monkeys needed Aibolit’s help.

Travel to Africa

Readers will learn about another hero - sailor Robinson. Robinson once fell ill with a fever, and Aibolit cured him. Of course, no doctor can deprive someone in need of help. Therefore, Aibolit hurries to Africa - to sick animals.

The doctor is helped in this by the faithful Robinson. At sea, the travelers were caught in a terrible storm. The doctor and his comrades survived, but the ship crashed on the rocks.

Prisoners of Barmaley

The travelers managed to get to land. The land belonged to an evil villain named Barmaley. The robber took the doctor and his company prisoner. The friends desperately fought off their enemies, but these attempts were unsuccessful. The travelers went to prison. Barmaley carefully kept the key to the dungeon. A parrot named Karudo comes to the aid of the heroes. The bird steals the keys and gives them to the prisoners. The doctor unlocks the dungeon, the friends get out of captivity. The robber sends servants to retrieve the escaped captives.

The heroes fled as best they could. But suddenly a river appeared on the path of the escaped prisoners. The wide riverbed prevented the travelers from continuing their flight. The chase was approaching. The monkeys, who were waiting for the doctor, found a way out of the situation: holding each other, the animals built a living bridge. Thus, the monkeys gave travelers the opportunity to cross to the other side. The robber's servants also ran across the bridge, but the monkeys unclenched their fingers, collapsing the crossing. The travelers safely moved ashore to their friends.

Treatment of monkeys

The monkeys were decimated by the disease. The number of sick animals increased. The doctor could barely cope with his patients. Help was needed. Local animals were in no hurry to help: neither a lion, nor a rhinoceros, nor a tiger. But then trouble came: in a family of lions, the lion cub son fell ill. Lev came to Aibolit. Soon the tigers and rhinoceroses also came to the good doctor.

Aibolit receives a gift

The doctor helped the animals a lot. The animals thanked Aibolit by giving him a wonderful animal with the “speaking” name Tyanitolkai. The doctor was surprised to see a two-headed beast. The hunters could not cope with Tyanitolkai. One head of the animal was located at the back, and the second at the front. The first head was asleep while the second was awake. This animal did not perform in circuses or live in zoos. So the gift was truly valuable.

Homecoming

Things are done and you can return home. Aibolit and his friends ran into trouble again: Barmaley again took the travelers prisoner. But this time the heroes defeated the enemy side. The travelers even succeeded in capturing the robber's ship. On this ship, Aibolit and his comrades returned home.

Friends met Aibolit in his homeland. Robinson got the villain's ship. The doctor's comrades became friends with Tyanitolkai. The beast turned out to be kind and friendly.

Varvara tried to play with the overseas animal. But the evil one hit Tyanitolkai, for which the animal threw the doctor’s sister into the pond. The sailor arrived in time and saved Varvara. But no one wanted to deal with the evil woman anymore. Varvara was taken to uninhabited islands.

History of character creation

A distinctive feature of the work of Korney Chukovsky is that many of the characters he created are “cross-cutting” - fairy-tale faces flash in one book or another, but at the same time they do not connect the plot, but exist in separate worlds and spaces.

Such heroes include Crocodile, Moidodyr, Hippopotamus - they can be found in various fairy tales. Aibolit crowns the galaxy of transient characters, appearing in the poetic works “Barmaley” (1925), “Aibolit” (1929) and “Let’s Defeat Barmaley!” (1942). The animal healer also rules the roost in the prose story “Doctor Aibolit” (1936).

Confusion arose with the authorship of Aibolit. It is believed that the good doctor was invented by the English writer Hugh Lofting: in 1920, from the pen of the storyteller, “The Story of Doctor Dolittle” came out, the idea of ​​which originated on the fronts of the First World War - the author drew attention to the fact that animals take part in military operations, and they Just like people, they need medical care. Children loved the story so much that the book doctor became the hero of 14 more publications.

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Doctor Aibolit and the Animals
Four years after its debut, the work, revised by Chukovsky, appeared in Soviet Russia. Korney Ivanovich simplified the language as much as possible, because the fairy tale was addressed to the youngest readers, and even dared to rename the characters: Dolittle became Aibolit, the dog Jip turned into Ava, the pig Jab-Jab proudly bore the new name Oink-oink. However, in 1936, the tale in Chukovsky’s retelling acquired an intriguing afterword:

“A few years ago a very strange thing happened: two writers on two ends of the world composed the same fairy tale about the same person. One writer lived overseas, in America, and the other in the USSR, in Leningrad. One was named Hugh Lofting, and the other was Korney Chukovsky. They had never seen each other or even heard of each other. One wrote in Russian, and the other in English, one in poetry, and the other in prose. But their fairy tales turned out to be very similar, because both fairy tales have the same hero: a good doctor who treats animals...”

Korney Chukovsky himself claimed that Aibolita was invented long before the publication of the Englishman’s work. Allegedly, the description of the character settled in the first sketches of “Crocodile”, which were created for a sick son. Only in them the animal doctor’s name was Oybolit, and the prototype was the doctor Timofey (Tsemakh) Shabad, with whom fate brought the author together in 1912. The Jewish doctor treated poor people for free, and sometimes did not hesitate to provide assistance to animals.

Events of the Second Part

Aibolit finds Penta

The second part of the works of the Russian author was called “Pentas and Sea Pirates.” The author describes the good doctor's walk near the sea. Suddenly Aibolit found a cave. The entrance to the cave was locked. An owl accompanying the doctor heard a human cry in the cave. The travelers opened the doors and saw Penta, a little boy.

Dolphins come to the rescue

The boy suffered a sad fate: his father and the boat were captured by sea robbers. The pirates imprisoned Penta in a cave. Aibolit decided to help the boy. Dolphins - the doctor’s faithful assistants and friends - searched the coast and sea waters. However, there was no trace left of the baby's father.

The search for my father continues

Aibolit did not lose hope and turned to the eagles for help. The birds explored the surrounding lands, forests, hills, mountains, towns. The father was never found. After the birds, Ava joined the search. The dog picked up the trail of the boy's father. Aibolit again needed the participation of his old comrade, Robinson. The sea wolf gladly lent the ship to his friends. The swimming has begun. In a rock that stood alone in the middle of the sea, the travelers found the boy's father. Aibolit delivered the parent and son to their native land.

Homecoming

In his native village, Penta and his father were joyfully greeted. The heroine of the events, Ava, received a beautiful collar from the local residents. The way back for Aibolit and the company was not easy. The travelers were overtaken by pirates. Swallows and cranes came to the doctor's aid. The ship sailed faster, the travelers broke away from the chase. However, due to the fast speed, a hole appeared in the ship. Aibolit and his comrades had to quickly leave the board. Sea robbers seize an abandoned ship. But the doctor did not give up: under the cover of darkness, travelers carefully make their way on board.

Fight with pirates

The sea robbers saw the travelers and chased after Aibolit. However, there was a leak in the ship, so the water quickly sank the ship. The sharks ate the pirates. Aibolit emerges victorious from another battle. At home, the brave doctor was given a luxurious meeting. The doctor, however, did not stay long at the celebration: patients were waiting for Aibolit.

Events of the Third Part

Another trip to Africa

The third book about the doctor’s adventures is called “Fire and Water.” This part begins with the doctor's next trip to Africa. It turned out that Tyanitolkai had a little son - Dick. Robinson again helped his friends on the journey. The ship was already approaching the shore, but suddenly the lighthouse went out. The ship was rushing towards the rocks. Aibolit came to the rescue and tried to light the beacon. The seagulls delayed the ship so that it would not crash.

At the lighthouse

Having climbed to the lighthouse, Aibolit saw that the watchman had lost consciousness. The doctor did not have time to help the old watchman, as he urgently needed to light the lighthouse. The story ended happily. The ship successfully moored to the shore. Aibolit took care of the watchman - Jumbo. The poor man's forehead was broken. It turned out that the watchman was attacked by a pirate. Once upon a time, Aibolit defeated a pirate, sending the robber to a desert island. Now the pirate escaped and wanted revenge on the doctor. The robber plans to burn down the doctor's house and kill all the animals. Aibolit rushed home. The pirate got ahead of the hero, throwing Aibolit to the bottom of the well. The cranes helped the doctor get out. The doctor ran as fast as he could towards the house.

Animal Rescue

Aibolit ran to the house and discovered that the robber had already set fire to the house. The doctor began to save the animals from the fire. But the doctor himself inhaled smoke and fell unconscious. The animals came to their friend's aid. Together, the animals extinguished the fire in the house. However, the damage was irreparable: the doctor was left homeless. The comrades vied with each other to offer Aibolit shelter, but he chose to retire to the shore.

Revenge continues

The pirate did not stop there. The robber intended to steal Robinson's ship. The pirate hoped to return to his old “craft” - robbery and murder. The animals made it in time and intercepted the robber. The situation was resolved successfully, and the scoundrel drowned in the sea. What happened to Aibolit? The doctor, unfortunately, spent too much time in the cold well and caught a cold. The doctor was looking for a new home, but couldn’t find one. And again, faithful comrades came to the hero’s aid. The beavers built a new shelter for their friend, and other animals began treating the doctor.

Events of the Fourth Part

The story of the white mouse

The latest book about Aibolit is called “The Adventures of a White Mouse.” The author introduces readers to a mouse called Runaway. The mouse differed from its relatives in its white fur. One day the mouse family went for a walk, but the Runaway stayed at home. The mouse's relatives were afraid that the cat would see her. The fugitive did not want to stay at home and went for a walk. Naturally, the mouse immediately fell into the clutches of the treacherous cat. Penta saved the unfortunate animal from captivity. The boy took the mouse to himself. Soon the animal wanted freedom again, and the mouse ran away.

The Adventures of the Runaway

Winter has come to the world. The mouse was not afraid of cats because its fur blended with the snow. So the Runaway found safety and cover. While walking, the mouse met a rat. The old woman was sobbing on the stairs near the barn. The rat was very old. In addition, the gray-brown fur of the rat, noticeable in the snow, prevented the animal from going out and getting food. The mouse and the rat got along: in winter the Runaway helped out her new friend, and in the summer she helped the mouse.

Mouse transformation

The fugitive was very sad in the summer: white fur prevented the animal from getting out. The rat took pity on the poor thing, suggesting that the mouse dye its fur a different color - gray. The animals turned to the dyer. But there was a misfortune: the rat chose the wrong dye, and the Runaway’s fur turned yellow. The mouse quarreled with the rat. Coming out of the barn, the animal immediately got into trouble: the cat, children, and dogs rushed after the Runaway in pursuit. The mouse ran home, but her relatives did not recognize her and drove her away.

The animal fell into despair. The mouse tried to get rid of the paint, but to no avail. The runaway was already returning to her previous owner, Penta, but she met another mouse. A kind relative advised the poor thing to go to Aibolit. The doctor, however, liked the animal’s unusual fur. So the doctor invited the mouse to stay. From Runaway the animal became Fija.

Subject of the work

The Russian writer adhered to the commandments that he offered to children. Today, Chukovsky’s works are as relevant and popular as before.

The historical significance of the texts about the doctor testifies to the high skill and talent of the author. The basis of the fairy tale is the theme of love for the world around us. The doctor loves animals, nature, and is not afraid of hard and exhausting work.

At the same time, the writer glorifies the complex but interesting profession of a doctor. The adventures of a good doctor form the center of the plot of Chukovsky's work.

Image of Aibolit

The doctor from the fairy tales of the Russian author embodies kindness, intelligence, sensitivity, and compassion for people (and animals) around him. Aibolit is a strong personality, a hero who boldly goes towards his goal and defeats evil.

In general, the values ​​and moral qualities characteristic of the main character of the work are present in all of Chukovsky’s texts.

Interesting Facts

• The “cruelty” shown by Korney Ivanovich in “Let’s Defeat Barmaley!” is understandable - while working on the fairy tale, the author was evacuated in Tashkent, where he lived in poverty and was often sick. One of the writer’s sons went missing, and the second, being wounded, was starving in the besieged Northern capital.
• A monument to the possible prototype of Aibolit, Tsemakh Shabad, was unveiled in Vilnius in 2007. The sculpture is very touching - next to an old man in a shabby hat stands a girl with a kitten in her arms.
• The name Aibolit has long become a household name. In addition, in every city there is a pharmacy or veterinary clinic named after the character Korney Chukovsky.
• Modern Aibolit is the name given to the American orthopedic doctor Derrick Campana, who made a prosthetic forelimb for the pony.
• Songs by Alexandra Pakhmutova are dedicated to the animal doctor, as well as a composition by Oscar Feltsman performed by the ensemble “Flame”.