V. Odoevsky

The tale of the four deaf people was written by Odoevsky based on an Indian folk tale. Although it is more intended for an adult audience, it is worthwhile to invite teenagers to read online and discuss its content.

The Tale of the Four Deaf Read

The shepherd in the pasture got hungry and decided to go home for a bite to eat. But he could not leave the herd unattended. A familiar peasant in the field mowed the grass. The shepherd approached him and asked him to look after the flock. Both were deaf, so they couldn't hear each other. The shepherd went home, the peasant did not even approach the herd. Returning to the pasture, the well-fed shepherd decided to thank the peasant. He brought him a lame sheep as a gift. The peasant thought that the shepherd was accusing him of mutilating the animal. The explanation turned into a fight. They asked the horseman to judge them. He, too, was deaf. He thought that they wanted to take away his horse. Each of the disputants believed that the judge decides the dispute not in his favor. Again it came to a fight. A brahmin passed by. He was asked to give the disputants a fair verdict. And this one was deaf. He decided that he was being persuaded to return home to a grumpy wife, so he got really excited. Shouting their hearts out, the disputants noticed that it was already late, and hurried about their business. You can read the story online on our website.

Analysis of the tale of the four deaf

Allegorical history has a deep philosophical meaning. The author shows what the inability to listen to and understand each other leads to. The heroes of the fairy tale are adult reasonable people who cannot find a common language, because due to a physical defect they are not able to hear, and therefore understand the interlocutor. In life, this happens all the time. “Deafness” is inherent in many, and the reasons can be very different: callousness, stupidity, indifference, selfishness, arrogance. And in the family, and in the team, and in relationships with loved ones and strangers, many cannot choose the right line of behavior and suffer from it themselves. Don't be deaf! This is what the Tale of the Four Deaf People teaches!

Moral of the tale of the four deaf

The author considered the problem of human mutual understanding very important. He not only dedicated a fairy tale to her, but also brought the main idea of the instructive story to its end and appealed to readers with an appeal to listen and hear those around them. The Tale of the Four Deaf People is relevant in modern society. The reader must definitely think and draw a conclusion: if you learn to listen, you will be heard!

Odoevsky Vladimir

Vladimir Fyodorovich Odoevsky

Indian tale of four deaf people

The poor shepherd thought: you can’t go home - how to leave the flock? That and look what will be stolen; to stay in place is even worse: hunger will torment you. So he looked back and forth, he sees - tagliari (village watchman. - Ed.) Mows grass for his cow. The shepherd came up to him and said:

Lend me, dear friend: see that my herd does not scatter. I am just going home to have breakfast, and as soon as I have breakfast, I will immediately return and reward you generously for your service.

The shepherd seems to have acted very wisely; indeed, he was a clever and cautious fellow. One thing was bad about him: he was deaf, and so deaf that a cannon shot above his ear would not make him look around; and worst of all, he spoke to a deaf man.

Tagliari heard no better than the shepherd, and therefore it is not surprising that he did not understand a word of the shepherd's speech. On the contrary, it seemed to him that the shepherd wanted to take the grass from him, and he cried out in his heart:

What do you care about my weed? You didn't mow it, but I did. Do not die of hunger to my cow, so that your herd is fed? Whatever you say, I won't give up this herb. Go away!

At these words, the Tagliari shook his hand in anger, and the shepherd thought that he promised to protect his flock, and reassured, he hurried home, intending to give his wife a good head-washer so that she would not forget to bring him breakfast in the future.

A shepherd comes up to his house - he looks: his wife is lying on the threshold, crying and complaining. I must tell you that last night she carelessly ate, and they also say - raw peas, and you know that raw peas are sweeter than honey in the mouth, and heavier than lead in the stomach.

Our good shepherd did his best to help his wife, put her to bed and gave her a bitter medicine, which made her better. Meanwhile, he did not forget to have breakfast. A lot of time was spent behind all these troubles, and the soul of the poor shepherd became restless. "Something is being done with the herd? How long before trouble!" thought the shepherd. He hurried back and, to his great joy, soon saw that his flock was quietly grazing in the same place where he had left it. However, as a prudent man, he counted all his sheep. There were exactly the same number of them as before his departure, and he said to himself with relief: "This tagliari is an honest man! We must reward him."

In the flock, the shepherd had a young sheep; lame indeed, but well-fed. The shepherd put her on his shoulders, went up to the tagliari and said to him:

Thank you, Mr. Tagliari, for taking care of my herd! Here's a whole sheep for your labors.

Tagliari, of course, did not understand anything of what the shepherd said to him, but, seeing the lame sheep, he cried out with his heart:

What does it matter to me that she is lame! How do I know who mutilated her? I did not approach your herd. What's my business?

True, she is lame, - continued the shepherd, not hearing the tagliari, - but all the same, this is a glorious sheep - both young and fat. Take it, fry it and eat it for my health with your buddies.

Will you leave me at last! cried the Tagliari, beside himself with anger. I tell you again that I did not break the legs of your sheep and not only did not approach your flock, but did not even look at it.

But since the shepherd, not understanding him, still held the lame sheep in front of him, praising it in every way, the tagliari could not stand it and swung his fist at him.

The shepherd, in turn, getting angry, prepared for a heated defense, and they probably would have fought if they had not been stopped by some man who was passing by on horseback.

I must tell you that the Indians have a custom, when they argue about something, to ask the first person they meet to judge them.

So the shepherd and the tagliari, each for his part, grabbed the horse's bridle to stop the rider.

Do me a favor, - the shepherd said to the rider, - stop for a minute and judge: which of us is right and who is to blame? I give this man a sheep from my flock in gratitude for his services, and he almost killed me in gratitude for my gift.

Do me a favor, said the Tagliari, stop for a moment and consider: which of us is right and who is to blame? This wicked shepherd accuses me of mutilating his sheep when I did not approach his flock.

The poor shepherd thought: you can’t go home - how to leave the flock? That and look what will be stolen; to stay in place is even worse: hunger will torment you. So he looked back and forth, he sees - Tagliari is mowing grass for his cow. The shepherd came up to him and said:

“Lend it, dear friend: see that my flock does not scatter. I am just going home to have breakfast, and as soon as I have breakfast, I will immediately return and reward you generously for your service.

The shepherd seems to have acted very wisely; and indeed he was a smart and cautious fellow. One thing was bad about him: he was deaf, and so deaf that a cannon shot above his ear would not make him look around; and worst of all, he spoke to a deaf man.

Tagliari heard no better than the shepherd, and therefore it is no wonder that he did not understand a word of the shepherd's speech. On the contrary, it seemed to him that the shepherd wanted to take the grass from him, and he cried out in his heart:

“What do you care about my weed?” You didn't mow it, but I did. Do not die of hunger to my cow, so that your herd is fed? Whatever you say, I won't give up this herb. Go away!

At these words, Tagliari shook his hand in anger, and the shepherd thought that he promised to protect his flock, and reassured, he hurried home, intending to give his wife a good head-washer so that she would not forget to bring him breakfast in the future.

Our good shepherd did his best to help his wife, put her to bed and gave her a bitter medicine, which made her better. Meanwhile, he did not forget to have breakfast. A lot of time was spent behind all these troubles, and the soul of the poor shepherd became restless. "Something is being done with the herd? How long before trouble!" thought the shepherd. He hurried back and, to his great joy, soon saw that his herd was quietly grazing in the same place where he had left it. However, as a prudent man, he counted all his sheep. There were exactly the same number of them as before his departure, and he said to himself with relief: "An honest man, this Tagliari! We must reward him."

In the flock, the shepherd had a young sheep: lame, it is true, but well-fed. The shepherd put her on his shoulders, went up to Tagliari and said to him:

- Thank you, Mr. Tagliari, for taking care of my herd! Here's a whole sheep for your labors.

Tagliari, of course, did not understand anything of what the shepherd said to him, but, seeing the lame sheep, he cried out with his heart:

“What do I care if she limps!” How do I know who mutilated her? I did not approach your herd. What's my business?

“It is true that she is lame,” continued the shepherd, not hearing Tagliari, “but all the same, she is a glorious sheep—and young and fat. Take it, roast it and eat it to my health with your buddies.

- Will you leave me at last! shouted Tagliari, beside himself with anger. “I tell you again that I didn’t break your sheep’s legs and not only didn’t approach your flock, but didn’t even look at it.

But since the shepherd, not understanding him, still held the lame sheep in front of him, praising it in every way, Tagliari could not stand it and waved his fist at him.

The shepherd, in turn, getting angry, prepared for a heated defense, and they probably would have fought if they had not been stopped by some man who was passing by on horseback.

I must tell you that the Indians have a custom, when they argue about something, to ask the first person they meet to judge them.

So the shepherd and Tagliari, each on his own, grabbed the horse's bridle to stop the rider.

“Do me a favor,” the shepherd said to the horseman, “stop for a minute and consider: which of us is right and who is to blame?” I give this man a sheep from my flock in gratitude for his services, and he almost killed me in gratitude for my gift.

- Do me a favor, - said Tagliari, - stop for a moment and judge: which of us is right and who is wrong? This wicked shepherd accuses me of mutilating his sheep when I did not approach his flock.

Unfortunately, the judge they chose was also deaf and even, they say, more than both of them together. He gestured with his hand for them to be silent, and said:

- I must confess to you that this horse is definitely not mine: I found it on the road, and since I am in a hurry to the city on an important matter, in order to be in time, I decided to sit on it. If it is yours, take it; if not, then let me go as soon as possible: I have no time to stay here any longer.

The shepherd and Tagliari did not hear anything, but for some reason each imagined that the rider was deciding the matter not in his favor.

Both of them began to shout and curse even louder, blaming the mediator they had chosen for the injustice.

At this time, an old brahmin was passing along the road.

All three debaters rushed to him and began vying to tell their case. But the Brahmin was as deaf as they were.

- Understand! Understand! he answered them. - She sent you to beg me to return home (the brahmin was talking about his wife). But you won't succeed. Do you know that in the whole world there is no one more grumpy than this woman? Since I married her, she has made me commit so many sins that I cannot wash them away even in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. I would rather eat alms and spend the rest of my days in a foreign land. I made up my mind; and all your persuasion will not make me change my intentions and again agree to live in the same house with such an evil wife.

The noise rose more than before; all together shouted with all their might, not understanding one another. Meanwhile, the one who stole the horse, seeing people running from a distance, mistook them for the owners of the stolen horse, quickly jumped off it and ran away.

The shepherd, noticing that it was already getting late and that his flock had completely dispersed, hurried to gather his lambs and drove them to the village, complaining bitterly that there was no justice on earth, and attributing all the sorrows of the day to the snake that crawled across the road at that time, when he left the house - the Indians have such a sign.

Tagliari returned to his mowed grass and, finding there a fat sheep, an innocent reason for the dispute, he put it on his shoulders and carried it to himself, thinking in this way to punish the shepherd for all insults.

The Brahmin reached a nearby village, where he stopped for the night. Hunger and fatigue somewhat soothed his anger. And the next day, friends and relatives came and persuaded the poor Brahmin to return home, promising to reassure his quarrelsome wife and make her more obedient and humble.

Do you know, friends, what can come to mind when you read this tale? It seems like this: there are people in the world, big and small, who, although they are not deaf, are not better than the deaf: what you say to them, they do not listen; what you assure - do not understand; get together - they argue, they themselves do not know what. They quarrel for no reason, take offense without resentment, and they themselves complain about people, about fate, or attribute their misfortune to ridiculous signs - spilled salt, a broken mirror. So, for example, one of my friends never listened to what the teacher told him in the classroom, and sat on the bench as if deaf. What happened? He grew up a fool a fool: for whatever he takes, nothing succeeds. Smart people pity him, cunning people deceive him, and, you see, he complains about fate, that he was born unhappy.

Do me a favor, friends, do not be deaf! We have been given ears to listen. One wise man remarked that we have two ears and one tongue, and that, therefore, we need to listen more than speak.

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The Tale of the Four Deaf People - Odoevsky V.F.

An interesting Indian tale about the spiritual deafness of a person. The tale tells how important it is to listen and hear other people, and not just yourself. The work begins with an introduction, from which the reader learns about the features of India ...

The Tale of the Four Deaf Read

Take a map of Asia, count parallel lines from the equator to the North, or Arctic, pole (i.e., in latitude) starting from the 8th degree to the 35th and from the Paris meridian along the equator (or in longitude) starting from the 65th on the 90th; between the lines drawn on the map at these degrees, you will find in the sultry pole under the Tropic of Cancer a pointed strip protruding into the Indian Sea: this land is called India or Hindustan, and they also call it East or Great India, so as not to confuse with that land which located on the opposite side of the hemisphere and is called Western or Little India. The island of Ceylon also belongs to the East Indies, on which, as you know, there are many pearl shells. Indians live in this land, who are divided into different tribes, just as we Russians have tribes of Great Russians, Little Russians, Poles, and so on.
Various things are brought to Europe from this land that you use every day: cotton paper, which is used to make cotton wool, which is used to line your warm hoods; note that cotton paper grows on a tree; the black balls that sometimes come across in cotton wool are nothing but the seeds of this plant, Saragin millet, from which porridge is boiled and with which water is infused for you when you are unwell; sugar with which you eat tea; saltpeter, from which tinder catches fire when fire is struck from flint with a steel plate; pepper, those round balls that are crushed into powder, are very bitter and which your mother won't give you, because pepper is unhealthy for children; sandalwood, which is used to paint various materials in red paint; indigo, which is dyed blue, cinnamon, which smells so good: it is a bark from a tree; silk, from which taffeta, satin, blondes are made; insects called cochineal, which make an excellent purple dye; the precious stones that you see in your mother's earrings, the tiger skin that you have, instead of a carpet, in the living room. All these things are brought from India. This country, as you can see, is very rich, only it is very hot in it. Most of India is owned by English merchants, or the so-called East India Company. She trades in all these items, which we mentioned above, because the inhabitants themselves are very lazy; most of them believe in a deity, which is known as Trimurti and is divided into three gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shivana. Brahma is the most important of the gods, and therefore the priests are called brahmins. For these deities, they built temples of very strange but beautiful architecture, which are called pagodas and which you have probably seen in the pictures, and if you haven’t seen it, then take a look.
Indians are very fond of fairy tales, stories and stories of all kinds. In their ancient language, Sanskrit (which, mind you, is similar to our Russian), many beautiful poetic works have been written; but this language is now incomprehensible to most of the Indians: they speak in other, new dialects. Here is one of the newest tales of this people; The Europeans overheard it and translated it, and I will tell it to you as best I can; it is very funny, and from it you will get some idea of Indian manners and customs.

Not far from the village, a shepherd was tending sheep. It was past noon, and the poor shepherd was very hungry. True, when he left the house, he ordered his wife to bring him breakfast in the field, but his wife, as if on purpose, did not come.
The poor shepherd thought: you can’t go home - how to leave the flock? That and look what will be stolen; to stay in place is even worse: hunger will torment you. So he looked back and forth, he sees - Tagliari is mowing grass for his cow. The shepherd came up to him and said:

“What do you care about my weed?” You didn't mow it, but I did. Do not die of hunger to my cow, so that your herd is fed? Whatever you say, I won't give up this herb. Go away!

Our good shepherd did his best to help his wife, put her to bed and gave her a bitter medicine, which made her better. Meanwhile, he did not forget to have breakfast. A lot of time was spent behind all these troubles, and the soul of the poor shepherd became restless. “What is being done with the herd? How long until trouble! thought the shepherd. He hurried back and, to his great joy, soon saw that his herd was quietly grazing in the same place where he had left it. However, as a prudent man, he counted all his sheep. There were exactly the same number of them as before his departure, and he said to himself with relief: “An honest man, this Tagliari! We must reward him."