☰ Contents · Russian language

Krylov’s fables

Lessons 28–29 · 2 lessons · G. T. Gasilova, Yu. Yu. Musurmanova. Russian Language, Grade 6 (for schools with Uzbek and other languages of instruction). 2nd revised edition. “O‘zbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi”, Tashkent, 2017
28

I. A. Krylov. “Квартет” (The Quartet), a fable

Textbook, pp. 123–124
GoalUnderstand I. A. Krylov’s fable «Квартет», know the structure of a fable (story and moral) and state its main idea.
New words
басня · masalсоловей · bulbulмартышка · maymunмишка · ayiq
Explanation

Ivan Andreyevich Krylov (1769–1844) is a famous Russian fabulist. A fable (басня) is a short story in verse or prose in which animals show human qualities (this is «иносказание», figurative speech). A fable ends with a moral (мораль). In «Квартет» (1811) a Monkey, a Donkey, a Goat and a Bear decide to play a quartet. They take notes and instruments, but no music comes out. They change their seating, but it does not help. A Nightingale advises them: to be musicians you need talent and skill, not a different seat. The idea: to do a job well you need ability and knowledge, not just rearranging people. Some readers also see it as satire on government councils.

Worked examples
«Квартет» (summary). «Четверо зверей решили сыграть квартет. Они купили ноты и инструменты, сели под липой и начали играть. Но музыка не получалась. Тогда они стали меняться местами: сели в другом порядке — всё равно плохо. Мимо летел соловей. Он сказал: чтобы играть, нужно уметь и иметь слух. Зверям было стыдно.» (Four animals decided to play a quartet. They bought music and instruments, sat under a lime tree and began to play. But the music did not work. Then they started swapping seats: they sat in a different order, and it was still bad. A nightingale flew past. He said: to play you must know how and have an ear. The animals were ashamed.)
Vocabulary: «мартышка» (monkey), «осёл» (donkey), «козёл» (goat), «мишка» (косолапый, “pigeon-toed”: bear), «слух» (hearing, musical ear), «уметь» (to know how). «Мораль» is the lesson of the fable.
Class activity

“Reading the fable”. Pupils read in roles: monkey, donkey, goat, bear, nightingale, each with their own voice. Then the class states the moral in one sentence.

Practice
1
How many animals are in the fable and who are they?
2
Which animal does «косолапый» describe?
3
Say with «если бы»: if the animals could play, they would not change seats.
4
What is the idea of the fable and why did the animals fail?