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Christmas tree - Zoshchenko's story

An instructive story about shame, about the fact that you can’t take other people’s things, about the fact that punishment will follow for an offense. Read the story about Lela and Minka, who ate candy from the New Year tree and opened gifts...

Christmas tree read

This year, guys, I turned forty years old. This means that I have seen the New Year tree forty times. It's a lot!

Well, for the first three years of my life I probably didn’t understand what a Christmas tree was. Mannerically, my mother carried me out in her arms. And I probably looked at the decorated tree with my black little eyes without interest.

And when I, children, turned five years old, I already perfectly understood what a Christmas tree was.

And I was looking forward to this joyful holiday. And I even spied through the crack of the door as my mother decorated the Christmas tree.

And my sister Lelya was seven years old at that time. And she was an exceptionally lively girl.

She once told me:
- Minka, mom went to the kitchen. Let's go to the room where the tree is and see what's going on there.

So my sister Lelya and I entered the room. And we see: a very beautiful tree. And there are gifts under the tree. And on the tree there are multi-colored beads, flags, lanterns, golden nuts, lozenges and Crimean apples.

My sister Lelya says:
- Let's not look at the gifts. Instead, let's eat one lozenge at a time.

And so she approaches the tree and instantly eats one lozenge hanging on a thread.

I speak:
- Lelya, if you ate a lozenge, then I’ll also eat something now.

And I go up to the tree and bite off a small piece of apple.

Lelya says:
- Minka, if you took a bite of the apple, then I’ll now eat another lozenge and, in addition, I’ll take this candy for myself.

And Lelya was a very tall, long-knitted girl. And she could reach high.

She stood on her tiptoes and began to eat the second lozenge with her big mouth.

And I was surprisingly short. And it was almost impossible for me to get anything except one apple that hung low.

I speak:
- If you, Lelishcha, ate the second lozenge, then I will bite off this apple again.

And I again take this apple with my hands and again bite it a little.

Lelya says:
- If you took a second bite of the apple. then I won’t stand on ceremony any longer and will now eat the third lozenge and, in addition, I’ll take a cracker and a nut as a souvenir.

Then I almost started crying, Because she could reach everything, but I couldn’t.

I tell her:
- And I, Lelishcha, how will I place a chair next to the tree and how will I get myself something besides an apple.

And so I began to pull a chair towards the tree with my thin hands. But the chair fell on me. I wanted to pick up a chair. But he fell again. And straight for gifts.

Lelya says:
- Minka, it seems you broke the doll. This is true. You took the porcelain hand from the doll.

Then my mother’s steps were heard, and Lelya and I ran into another room.

Lelya says:
- Now, Minka, I can’t guarantee that your mother won’t put up with you.
I wanted to roar, but at that moment the guests arrived. Many children with their parents.

And then our mother lit all the candles on the tree, opened the door and said:
- Everyone come in.

And all the children entered the room where the Christmas tree stood.

Our mom says:
- Now let each child come up to me, and I will give each one a toy and a treat.

And so the children began to approach our mother. And she gave everyone a toy. Then she took an apple, a lozenge and a candy from the tree and also gave it to the child.

And all the children were very happy. Then my mother took in her hands the apple that I had bitten off and said:
- Lelya and Minka, come here. Which of you two took a bite of this apple?

Lelya said:
- This is Minka’s work.

I pulled Lelya’s pigtail and said:
- Lelka taught me this.

Mom says:
- I’ll put Lyolya in the corner with her nose, and I wanted to give you a wind-up little train. But now I will give this winding little train to the boy to whom I wanted to give the bitten apple.

And she took the train and gave it to one four-year-old boy. And he immediately began to play with him.

And I got angry at this boy and hit him on the hand with a toy. And he roared so desperately that his own mother took him in her arms and said:
- From now on, I will not come to visit you with my boy.

And I said:
- You can leave, and then the train will remain for me.

And that mother was surprised at my words and said:
- Your boy will probably be a robber.

And then my mother took me in her arms and said to that mother:
- Don't you dare talk about my boy like that. Better leave with your scrofulous child and never come to us again.

And that mother said:
- I'll do so. Hanging around with you is like sitting in nettles.

And then another, third mother said:
- And I will leave too. My girl didn't deserve to be given a doll with a broken arm.

And my sister Lelya screamed:
- You can also leave with your scrofulous child. And then the doll with the broken arm will be left to me.

And then I, sitting in my mother’s arms, shouted:
- In general, you can all leave, and then all the toys will remain for us.

And then all the guests began to leave.

And our mother was surprised that we were left alone.

But suddenly our dad entered the room.

He said:
- This kind of upbringing is ruining my children. I don't want them to fight, quarrel and kick out guests. It will be difficult for them to live in the world, and they will die alone.

And dad went to the tree and put out all the candles. Then he said:
- Go to bed immediately. And tomorrow I will give all the toys to the guests.

And now, guys, thirty-five years have passed since then, and I still remember this tree well.

And in all these thirty-five years, I, children, have never again eaten someone else’s apple and never once hit someone who is weaker than me. And now the doctors say that this is why I am so relatively cheerful and good-natured.

(Illustration by A.S. Andreev)

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A brief retelling of the story Yolka: Mikhail Zoshchenko.

Text for a reader's diary based on the story Elka

In this story, the author (Mikhail Zoshchenko) appears not so much as a satirist, but as a wise man remembering his childhood. This is a practical children's story, although not without humor - about children and for children, but it can also be very useful for adults. Here the author recalls his childhood feelings before the New Year. He will not forget how he and his sister destroyed the Christmas tree, almost had a fight because of it, how they were punished later, how their mother still defended them in front of strangers... And how little Mikhail (Minka) was ashamed of his actions for the first time.

What does Yolka Zoshchenko’s story teach?

Indeed, before the New Year, the brother and sister ate candy and apples from the tree, opened other people's gifts, and were punished for this. However, the most serious punishment is shame, which they will not forget.

Before the holiday, he and his sister see a beautiful, luxurious Christmas tree. First, the children decided to eat one piece of candy, then another one... Sister Lelya is older and taller than Minka, so she was able to “pluck forbidden fruits” - candies from branches inaccessible to the boy, but he only ate an apple. In general, the children together destroyed the Christmas tree - it became completely ugly and even poor. They also committed a more terrible “crime”: they began to look at gifts in boxes. And of course, they broke the doll. As a joke, Lelya scares her brother that he will be punished.

In the evening, when the mother begins to give gifts to the children of the guests, everything is revealed. The guests are offended and begin to scold the children, but the mother stands up for them, although she does not consider them to be right. She even gives a toy train, which was for Minka, to the offended boy as punishment.

The author writes that more than thirty years have passed, but he remembers that Christmas tree as if it were all yesterday. Thanks to those events, Zoshchenko never took someone else’s things in his life, so that shame was imprinted in his childhood consciousness. It is important that this is the first feeling, understanding and even... growing up.

Summary of Zoshchenko Yolka

The humorous story by Soviet writer Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko tells about the celebration of the New Year. At that time, the narrator had just turned five years old. The boy did not remember the New Year holidays until this time, because he was just a baby. The narrator is looking forward to the joyful celebration with great impatience. Together with his seven-year-old sister Lelya, the boy spies on how his mother decorates the Christmas tree with beautiful toys, candles and sweets. Then, taking advantage of the absence of adults, the children sneak into the living room with the elegant green beauty.

The sweets were so attractive that the girl, unable to withstand the temptation, eats the lozenge. The boy does not lag behind her and takes a bite of the apple. Lelya was a surprisingly tall girl, so she could take sweets even from the top. Her brother, on the contrary, was too short, so he only reached his lower apple. Eating New Year's treats from the tree continues. Offended by his sister, Minka tries to stand on a stool to take lozenges and candies from higher branches, but instead falls on the gifts lying under the tree. Seeing that the gift porcelain doll's handle was broken off, the children run away.

At this moment, many invited small children and their parents enter the beautifully decorated room. Adults and children rush to the center of the elegant living room, to the Christmas tree, where Minka and Lelya’s mother is distributing sweets from the tree and gifts. Then the housewife discovered an apple bitten by her impatient son. The angry woman scolded her children. To punish her disobedient son, the parent gave the train, which was intended for Minka, to a four-year-old boy. He was delighted and immediately began to play with the new toy. This angered the narrator so much that he hit the stranger's hand. A scandal broke out, in which both the hosts and the guests were involved. Adults began to accuse each other of using incorrect parenting methods. Lelka and her brother, wanting to receive all the children’s gifts, began to kick the guests out of the house. The story ended with dad coming into the room and threatening to give all the toys to the guests.

Now the narrator is over seventy years old, but he still remembers this incident from his childhood. After that New Year, the boy never took someone else's and never hit a weak person.

the main idea

This story by Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko teaches children not to be greedy and to share everything with others.

Summary of the story “Yolka” for the reader’s diary

Plot

On the eve of the New Year's holiday, five-year-old Minka and seven-year-old Lelya snuck into the room with the Christmas tree. The parents were preparing to receive guests and did not notice that the children were there. Mom decorated the Christmas tree with sweets - apples, candies, lozenges, nuts and placed gifts under it for the children of the guests. Minka and Lelya decided to try one sweet each. Minka was smaller and therefore could only reach the apple. Lyolya easily took the marshmallow from the upper branches. The second and third time, Minka again got nothing but an apple, and his sister took the most delicious sweets. The boy got angry and decided to reach the upper branches with the help of a chair, but dropped it on the gifts and broke the doll intended for guests. When the guests arrived, the parents began to distribute sweets from the tree to their children and give gifts. One of the boys almost got a bitten apple. The guests were offended and began to quarrel with the owners of the house. The mother of Minka and Lelya realized that her children had ruined the Christmas tree, gave the offended boy a toy steam locomotive intended for Minka, and returned all the gifts that the guests had brought. Minka and Lyolya were punished by their father by locking them in their room.

Minka, on whose behalf the story is told, experienced very strong shame that evening when his parents scolded them. This experience affected his personality, and he never touched anyone else's again. This story teaches you to be patient, think about others and not give in to anger. After all, thoughtless and frivolous actions can hurt other people and ruin everyone’s mood.

In the story "Christmas Tree" by Mikhail Zoshchenko
We are talking about brother and sister: Lela and Minka, who committed an ugly act. The fact is that the children’s parents invited other children to visit with their parents in order to give everyone sweet decorations from the New Year tree and gifts for the New Year.

Lelya and Minka snuck into the room where the beautiful spruce tree stood and began to eat the tree: tall seven-year-old Lelya reached for sweets and lozenges, and little Minka, who was only 5 years old, could only bite off a piece of the apple. Lelya began to offend Minka that he would be punished, the children began to push, as a result of which they accidentally broke a doll that was intended for one of the guests.

The children did not tell their parents anything, and as a result, when the solemn moment of presenting gifts arrived, the guests saw that they received scraps and broken toys. The parents of the children who came to visit began to be indignant, and the mother of Lelya and Minka tried to protect their children, although, nevertheless, trying to smooth out the situation, she gave some boy Minka a train.

As a result, the offended Minka burst into tears, the offended guests and children left, and Lelya and Minka’s dad sent the children to bed, depriving them of the holiday. The next morning, he apologetically distributed all the forgotten gifts to the guests.

The story “The Christmas Tree” teaches children that they should not be greedy and show themselves to be a bad owner, otherwise they can ruin the holiday not only for the guests, but also for themselves.

Main characters -
This is sister Lelka and brother Minka.

Lelka is also an inventor who draws the younger Minka into her adventures.

This time the children decided to enjoy the sweets that decorated the New Year tree. Lelya, being the taller one, took off the candies and marshmallows and ate them, but the youngest Minka only got a piece of an apple, since it was hanging on a lower branch.

The brother and sister still had time to jostle, and as a result of the fight they broke the toys that were under the Christmas tree.

When the guests arrived, everything became clear: the adults began to quarrel with Lelka and Minka’s parents, who, in order to smooth out the conflict at least a little, gave a train, which was intended for Minka to another boy.

As a result, the holiday was ruined, the children were left without gifts and sweets.

Lelya and Minka became interested in the Christmas tree decorated by their mother. The eldest Lelya offered to try the treats hung on her. Lelya ate several lozenges, and Minka bit into an apple and, in an attempt to get the treats, dropped a chair on a porcelain doll. Children and their parents who came to visit were disappointed with the spoiled gifts. Lelya and Minka’s mother quarrels with the guests, standing up for their children, and they leave. Lelya and Minka are glad that they will get all the gifts. Their joy was interrupted by dad, who turned off the tree and sent the children to bed. He promised to distribute all the gifts to the guests the next day.

The story is short, but instructive. You can’t take someone else’s, you can’t deceive and be greedy, you can’t offend people, so as not to be left alone, without friends and loved ones.

Mikhail Zoshchenko in the story "Christmas Tree"
recalls his childhood and shares with readers his impressions of that Christmas tree.

The action in the story takes place before the New Year holiday, the family is expecting guests. The main characters are brother and sister Lelya and Minya, who love sweets. Apples, sweets and marshmallows were already hung on the tree, which the children could not pass by indifferently.

Lelya and Minka begin to take sweets from the tree, and the younger Minya, trying to reach them, accidentally drops a chair on the gifts laid out under the tree. As a result, the gifts are broken, the apple is bitten, and there is not enough marshmallow on the tree.

Guests arrive and then it turns out that the gifts are damaged, which causes offense among the guests. The guests are offended and leave, and the children are punished. Lela and Mina are ashamed of their misdeeds, but they now know that they cannot take anything without asking. You need to be hospitable and attentive to guests, and then any holiday will not be overshadowed.

The main characters of the story by Elka M. Zoshchenko:
Lelka is older than Minka, she is 7 years old, a girl with a fighting character, she loves to do mischief, but usually blames everything on her brother. Minka is the younger brother, he is 5 years old, more cautious, but he obeys Lelka and he often gets it from his parents instead of her for pranks.

Brief summary of the story “Yolka” by Zoshchenko for the reader’s diary:
Minka and Lelka - brother and sister are waiting for guests for the New Year holiday. Everything is ready, the tree is decorated, the guests are about to arrive. Lelka incites Minka to try the sweets hanging on the tree. As a result, the children cannot restrain themselves: Lelka eats a marshmallow, Minka bites an apple, and accidentally breaks the toys lying under the tree, prepared as a gift for guests. Finally the guests arrive, a bitten apple, a broken doll and a train cause a quarrel between the children's mother and the guests. the offended guests leave, the holiday is ruined, Minka and Lelka are punished - they are deprived of all their toys.

Conclusion from the story “The Christmas Tree” by M. Zoshchenko - if you offend other people, take and spoil other people’s things, be greedy - you can lose friends, there will be no one to play with. Everything secret always becomes clear. It is much better to rejoice at the arrival of guests, give gifts, and not take someone else’s - then the holiday will be successful.

In the reader's diary, Mikhail Zoshchenko's story "The Christmas Tree" can be briefly written:

Brother and Sister Lelka and Minka committed a terrible act. The parents invited guests and other children and wanted to treat them with sweet decorations, but Lelka and Minka ate everything and broke the toys.
.When the parents and other children arrived they were very disappointed.
Lelka and Minka were very ashamed.
.Mom began to stand up for them and gave Minka's little train to the offended boy.
This was very unpleasant for Minka and he burst into tears.
.But in the end, the main characters realized their mistake and said that they wouldn’t do it again. This story served them as a lesson for life, which the author remembers even in adulthood.

Brief summary of the story "Christmas tree" in 5-6 sentences.

1). Lelya, while her mother is in the kitchen, invites her younger brother Minka to go look at the New Year tree.

2). Lelka ate a lozenge, and Minka an apple from the tree.

3). Minka couldn’t keep up with Lenka, so he took a chair to reach the sweets, but the chair fell and broke the doll.

5). The guests arrived and received gifts, but it turned out that the doll’s handle was broken and one of the apples had been bitten; the guests left dissatisfied.

6). Dad said that such behavior was destructive for children and sent the children to bed.

Outline of the story "Christmas Tree" by Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko.

1.Minka and Lelya’s mother went to the kitchen, and the children entered the room with the Christmas tree.
2.Competition for eating Christmas tree decorations.
3. Porcelain doll accident.
4. Arrival of guests.
5.Children receive gifts and treats.
6.Mom punishes her son.
7.Actions of an angry boy.
8.What touchy mothers!
9. Why did the guests leave?
10. Dad's weighty word.

Retelling plan:

1 Mom decorated the Christmas tree and left.

2 The incredible curiosity of Lyolya and Minka.

3 The children are looking at the Christmas tree.

4 Lyolya tries a lozenge, and Minka tries an apple.

5 Tall Lelishcha reaches the lozenges on the upper branches, but Minka cannot reach it.

6 Minka puts up a chair to get treats from the upper branches.

7 The chair fell and the hand of the porcelain doll was knocked off. The children ran away.

8 Guests have arrived.

9 Mom treats the children with sweets from the Christmas tree and gives them gifts.

10 Mom gives Minka a bitten apple instead of a train

11 Another boy got the train.

12 Minka is offended and hits the boy on the hand.

13 The boy’s mother is offended and leaves the holiday.

14 The girl’s mother, who received a doll with a broken arm, was also offended and left.

15 Minka and Lyolya are happy that the guests are leaving, because they will get gifts.

16 All the guests have left and dad is not happy with the upbringing of the children.

17 Tomorrow dad promised to give away all the toys to the children.

Plan for retelling the story “The Christmas Tree” by Mikhail Zoshchenko:

1. Five-year-old Minka is looking forward to the Christmas tree.
2. Older sister Lelya invites Minka to go and look at the Christmas tree
3. Lelya decides not to look at the gifts, but to eat the lozenge from the Christmas tree
4.Minka bites an apple
5. Lelya has a second lozenge, but little Minka can only reach the apple
6.Minka puts up a chair and falls from it onto a porcelain doll.
7.Guests arrived, children with their parents and mother began handing out gifts
8.Mom found a bitten apple and decided to punish Minka
9.Mom gives the train to another boy
10.Minka hits the boy on the hand
11. The children’s parents are offended and leave, but Lelya and Minka are glad that all the gifts remain for them
12. Dad said that such upbringing ruins children and put out the Christmas tree.

The story “The Christmas Tree” by Mikhail Zoshchenko belongs to the cycle of autobiographical stories “Lelya and Minka”.
You can make the following plan:
1.Mom decorated the Christmas tree.
2. Lelya and Minka look at the decorated Christmas tree.
3. The children began to eat sweets from the Christmas tree: the eldest Lelya - lozenges, and the youngest Minka - an apple.
4. Short Minka brought a chair to get something other than an apple from the tree.
5. The chair fell on the doll and knocked off the hand of the porcelain toy.
6.Parents and children came to visit and Lelya and Minka’s mother invited everyone to the tree to give out gifts.
7. Mom saw the bitten apple and, finding out that Minka had chewed it, gives the train intended for him to another boy.
8. The other girl’s mother is outraged that her daughter received a broken doll.
9.The guests are offended and leave.
10. Lelya and Minka are glad that now all the gifts will go to them.
11. Dad punished Lelya and Minka - he turned out the Christmas tree and sent the children to bed, promising that all the toys would be given to the guests.

In the story "Christmas Tree" the author describes
their childhood adventures, or should I say, Christmas Eve misadventures. Lelya and Minka are sister and brother. The narration is told on behalf of the boy and he displays the physical condition and dimensions of the heroes as the main characteristics: Lelka is a tall bruiser with a brutal appetite, and Minka is a tiny starving creature. In addition to her heroic growth, Lelya is also impatient - it is she who invites her brother to look at the decorated Christmas tree, and then treat himself to delicacies from the tree. The girl is cunning, knows how to manipulate people and at the same time demand some kind of justice. Minka is under pressure from realizing her own weakness in front of her sister. This forces him to do things typical of greedy people and unreliable friends. Actually, the point of the story is that one evil Lelka can poison the life of society.

You have read a summary of Zoshchenko’s story Yolka: for a literature lesson in different school grades. The text of the retelling can be used as a review, a brief analysis and for a reader's diary.

Mikhail Zoshchenko is a famous Russian writer whose works were written in the genre of satire and aimed at exposing philistinism and the bourgeoisie. His most famous creation is a series of short stories about Lelka and Minka. Below is a brief summary of Zoshchenko's "Yolka".

Characters

The main characters of Zoshchenko's "Yolka" are brother and sister - Minka and Lelka. The girl was older, and at the time of the events described she was 7 years old. By nature, she was a very energetic girl. And her brother Minka was younger than her, and he tried to repeat everything after his adult sister. By the way, the story “Yolka” by Zoshchenko is autobiographical; this arouses even greater interest in the work, because it allows you to get to know the author better.

On the eve of the holiday

A brief summary of Zoshchenko’s “Christmas Tree” should begin with the fact that Minka (the story is told on his behalf), already as an adult, recalls one incident with a Christmas tree. He was five years old, and from that age he already remembered all the holidays. Of course, he had been shown the Christmas tree before, but he didn’t remember it yet. The boy was looking forward to the holiday and even spied on the preparations. One day, when their mother was in the kitchen, Lelya suggested that her brother go and look at the Christmas tree.

It was very beautiful: there were candies, apples, marshmallows, nuts and other decorations hanging on it, and underneath there were beautifully wrapped gifts. And, looking at all this splendor, the girl came up with something.

What did Lelya suggest?

An important episode in the summary of Zoshchenko’s “Christmas Tree” is the girl’s suggestion not to open gifts, but rather to eat something tasty. The brother supports his sister, and she immediately eats one marshmallow. Minka bites off a small piece of apple.

Then Lelya decides to eat not only marshmallows, but also one piece of candy. She was tall, so she could reach the most “delicious” decorations. Minka was short and could only reach an apple. Notably, he changes his sister's name by adding an augmentative suffix ("Lelishche"), hinting at her height.

Lelya teases her brother, saying that she will eat marshmallows, nuts and also take a cracker for herself. Minka almost cried from insult. He decides to pull a chair up to the tree so he can reach the other sweets. But the chair falls on the boy, he picks it up, but he falls again, now right on the gifts.

Lelya says that her brother broke off the hand of a porcelain doll. Then they heard their mother approaching the door and ran into another room. The sister tells her brother that his mother will probably punish him. Minka wanted to cry, but at that moment guests came to them.

Consequences of the trick

Children come with their mothers. They are all called to come to the tree, where they are told that they will be given a gift and a sweet treat. And now it’s the turn of the apple, bitten by Minka. Lelya says that the boy did it. In response, the brother says that it was his sister who taught him.

Mom decides to put the girl in a corner, and gives the boy who got this apple the train that was intended for Minka. He felt so offended that he hit the boy painfully. This boy’s mother called Minka a robber, but his mother stood up for him. Meanwhile, one girl gets a doll with a broken arm. Mothers and children were offended by the owners of the house and left.

The main point in the summary of Zoshchenko’s “Yolka” is that the children’s father did not stand up for them like their mother, but, on the contrary, said that he did not want his children to grow up spoiled. He said that they would be left without sweets for a year, and then he would give the gifts to the guests.

Since then, the writer never again ate a single stranger's apple and did not offend those weaker than him. This short story teaches children that they should never take other people's things, and shows adults that sometimes they need to be strict in their upbringing so that children grow up to be good people.

Mikhail Zoshchenko is a wonderful Russian writer, a sad person and a great humorist. Oddly enough, this happens. He also wrote works for adults, which were widely read when they came out of print, and stories for children. The most famous is the cycle “Lelya and Minka” (it contains eight short works), created between 1937 and 1945. It is opened at Zoshchenko’s “Elka”. A summary will be presented below.

On the eve of the holiday

This is a story-memoir of what happened thirty-five years ago, when the narrator was five years old. He doesn’t remember his first Christmas trees, when he was three years old. Apparently, his mother brought him to the decorated tree, and he examined it with his black eyes. But at the age of five, he already knew and understood well what stood behind the word Christmas tree, and always impatiently awaited the joyful holiday. And even, slightly opening the door, he secretly watched his mother’s actions.

What did Lelya suggest?

Lelya was two years older than Minka. This means that she was already seven years old, and she could come up with something tempting and, moreover, forbidden, which Minka himself would not have thought of.

Lelka suggested going to the room with the Christmas tree while mom was busy in the kitchen.

Room with Christmas tree

They enter and see that there is a very elegant and beautiful tree. There are gifts under it, and on the tree itself there are toys and all sorts of goodies. Zoshchenko describes such alluring beauty. "The Christmas Tree", a summary of the story, continues to be considered. Lelka says: “We won’t look at the gifts, but rather try the marshmallow.” He quickly approaches the tree and makes an “ah” - and one marshmallow is missing. Minka doesn’t lag behind, but only reaches the apple and takes a bite from it. Lelka continues. She grabs the second marshmallow and eats it and also takes some candy. Thus began the destruction of the tree, as Zoshchenko describes it. The Christmas tree, as the summary says, little by little began to lose its beauty. Minka was short, and Lelka was a lanky girl, so the boy could only reach one apple, and Lelka could get everything she wanted. Zoshchenko continues his description with tragic humor. The Christmas tree, as the summary tells us, has turned from a beauty with brand new toys into a horror story with eaten lozenges, a bitten apple and a broken doll. And Lelka maliciously tells her brother that he will be punished for such things. And they hid in another room.

Guests have arrived

Mom called everyone who came to the Christmas tree for the holiday, and her beloved sensible children, and began handing out gifts. A lot of children and their parents gathered and everyone was excited about the upcoming gifts. Lelya and Minka’s mother took them off the tree and handed them to everyone.

Now she came to the broken doll. And then a scandal broke out. Because the girl didn't want to get a broken toy. And who enjoys getting leftovers from an apple? Mom was very angry and promised to put Lelka in a corner and not give Minka the train she had prepared for him. But the guests continued to be indignant and even said that they would never come to this house again. Then dad appeared when everyone had left and was indignant that his children were brought up badly and would have a difficult time in life. This is how M. Zoshchenko’s story “The Christmas Tree” ends, a brief summary of which is presented here.

“Yolka” by Zoshchenko is a very instructive story about greed, envy and the ability to be responsible for one’s actions. The brother and sister ruined the holiday for themselves and the guests with their unceremonious behavior, but they learned the lesson they learned for the rest of their lives. Read a summary of Elka Zoshchenko for the reader's diary on our website.

The main characters of the fairy tale

Main characters:

• Minka is a five-year-old boy, greedy, selfish, and touchy.
• Lelya is Minka’s seven-year-old sister, a greedy, cunning deceiver.
• Mom is kind, caring, and always stands up for the children.
• Dad is smart, strict, fair.

Zoshchenko “Yelka” in abbreviation

“Christmas tree” summary for the reader’s diary:

When Minka was five years old, he was looking forward to the New Year tree. On the eve of the holiday, Minka and her older sister Lelya entered the living room, where there was a beautiful Christmas tree decorated with beads, lanterns, apples and lozenges.

Lelya immediately warned Minka that the gifts lying under the tree should not be touched, but that she could enjoy the sweets from the tree. The girl immediately picked a lozenge from a branch and ate it. Minka didn’t have to wait long and took a bite of the apple. Lelya, seeing this, decided to eat the lozenge and, in addition, some candy - she was a tall girl and could get a lot. Little Minka had to bite off another piece of the apple.

Lelya was not going to lag behind her brother, and ate the third lozenge, and also picked herself a nut and a cracker. Minka was bitter at such injustice, and he almost roared with insult. He began to pull a chair towards the tree to get the sweets higher, but the chair fell right on the gifts, breaking the handle of the porcelain doll. Then mom’s steps were heard, and the children ran away.

Then the guests arrived, and mother told all the children to come to her. She began to give everyone a gift and something tasty from the tree. Seeing the bitten apple, mom called Minka and Lelya, but they began to blame each other.

Then mom said that she would put Lelya in a corner, and give the train intended for Minka to another boy. Seeing the boy playing with the train, Minka could not stand it and hit him on the hand. The boy began to cry, and his mother said that Minka was a real robber and they would go home. Minka’s mother responded by calling the boy scrofulous and advised him not to come to them again.

Here another mother, whose daughter received a doll with a broken handle, was indignant. Minka and Lelya joyfully shouted that the guests could leave so that they could get all the toys. Soon there was not a single guest left in the house.

Dad came into the empty room and said that he didn’t want his children to quarrel and kick out guests, otherwise they would die alone. He sent the children to bed and said that tomorrow he would return the gifts to the guests. Forty years have passed since then, but Minka never again beat anyone or took someone else’s property.

Plan for retelling “Yolka”

For an oral retelling of “Yolka” by Zoshchenko, use the plan:

1. The long-awaited Christmas tree.
2. Ruining the Christmas tree.
3. A broken doll and a bitten apple.
4. Arrival of guests.
5. Exposing Minka and Lelya.
6. The boy and the train.
7. Guests leaving.
8. Dad's words.

What is the fairy tale “Yolka” about?

The main idea of ​​the fairy tale: Greed is the main enemy of friendship.

What it teaches: The story teaches generosity, kindness, and hospitality. You cannot take away someone else’s property, beat the weak, or take someone else’s property without asking.

Conclusion: Greed, bad manners, and envy can ruin any relationship. They do not lead to anything good, only to the loneliness of someone who does not want to share anything with anyone. I really liked how dad reacted to the children’s action. He acted fairly, and thereby taught Minka and Lela an important life lesson.

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