The tales of Gianni Rodari
In Rodari’s collection “Uchtadan oxiri bor ertaklar” every tale has three endings and the reader chooses which one he prefers. In “Hurishni eplolmagan kuchukcha” (the puppy who could not bark) the puppy cannot learn to bark: in the first ending a cow teaches him to moo, in the second a farmer makes him a silent watchman content with a chain and bones, in the third a hunting dog teaches him to bark. Rodari prefers the third: a person needs a good teacher. In “Qutbdagi gunafsha” (the violet at the Pole) a flower blooms at the North Pole, animals gather to look, and after a great effort the flower perishes, but hopes that one day millions will bloom. In “Shahzoda Plombir” Signor Molteni, who bought a fridge on credit, cannot pay; Martians hide in the fridges and advertise Prince Plombir, so the firm forgives the debt. The tale humorously shows that modern advertising has replaced the magic wand.
“New ending”: pupils invent their own fourth ending for the puppy tale and explain it to the class.