This fairy tale by the Italian writer was extremely popular in the USSR. It is one of the most requested children's books today.
Famous children's writer, storyteller and journalist Gianni Rodari was born in Italy (in the town of Omegna) in 1920. His full name – Giovanni Francesco Rodari.
The family of the baker Giuseppe Rodari had three boys: Gianni, Cesare and Mario. The father died early and the children grew up in native village mother - Varesotto.
The future journalist and writer grew up as a sickly and weak boy. He was fond of music and reading. After graduating from the seminary, from the age of 17 he began to teach in primary school. During World War II, Rodari was released from service due to poor health.
Initially, he was fond of the ideas of fascism, but after the imprisonment of his brother Cesare in a German concentration camp, as well as other circumstances, he revised his views and became a member of the Resistance Movement. In 1944 he joined the Italian Communist Party.
From 1948, Rodari worked as a journalist for the communist newspaper Unita and also wrote for children. His most famous work, The Adventures of Cipollino, was published in 1951. In the Russian translation by Zlata Potapova, edited by Samuil Marshak, the tale was published in 1953.
J. Rodari repeatedly came to the USSR.
In 1970, he received the Hans Christian Andersen Prize, after which he gained worldwide fame.
Many poems by J. Rodari for children were translated into Russian by S. Marshak, Ya. Akim, I. Konstantinova.
Gianni Rodari died of a serious illness on April 14, 1980 in Rome.
"The Adventures of Cipollino" (1951)
The plot is brief
Cipollino is an onion boy. He lived in a large onion family: mother, father Cipollone and 7 brothers: Cipolletto, Cipollotto, Cipolloccia, Cipolluccia, etc. The family was poor, living in a house the size of a wooden seedling box on the very outskirts of the city.
Once this place decided to visit the ruler of the country - Prince Lemon.
The Lemon Court Soldiers urgently began spraying the outskirts with cologne and perfume to eliminate the smell of onions. During the stampede, old Cipollone accidentally crushed the ruler's crooked, thin leg with a callus. For this he was arrested and thrown into prison. When Cipollino got a meeting with his father, he learned that not criminals were sitting in the country's prison, but only decent and honest people. Father advised Cipollino to walk around the world and learn the mind. Cipollino entrusted his mother and his brothers to his uncle, tied his things in a bundle and hit the road.
In one of the villages, he met an old man, Pumpkin, who was sitting in a brick box - this was his house, for the construction of which he saved money all his life and collected 118 bricks. Cipollino began to ask the godfather Pumpkin about his life, but then the inhabitants began to hide in their homes - Signor Tomato got out of the carriage.
He announced to his godfather Pumpkin that he built his "palace" illegally on the land of the landowners Countess Cherry. Pumpkin objected, Chipollino defended him. And then Signor Tomato asked him why he was not working. The boy replied that he was studying - studying scammers. Signor Tomato became interested, and then Cipollino brought a mirror to Signor Tomato. He realized that the boy was mocking him, and became furious. He grabbed Cipollino by the hair and began to ruffle. Immediately, tears welled up from the bow, and he hurried away.
Master Vinogradinka offered Chipollino to work as an apprentice in his workshop. And people flocked to him from everywhere.
He met Professor Grusha, who played a pear violin; with the gardener Luk Porey, on whose mustache his wife dried clothes in sunny weather; with a family of centipedes.
Signor Tomato returned to the village with a dozen lemon soldiers and Mastino the watchdog. They forcefully pushed the poor old Pumpkin out of his house, in which they settled a watchdog. But Cipollino dissolved sleeping pills in water and gave the thirsty dog a drink. When he fell asleep, Cipollino took him to the park of Countess Cherries.
But now everyone was afraid of the revenge of Signor Tomato. The house was carefully loaded onto a cart, transported to the forest and left under the supervision of Bilberry's godfather.
And at that time two guests arrived at the estate of Countess Cherry - Baron Orange and Duke Mandarin. Baron Orange ate all the stocks of his peasants, then he ate all the trees of his gardens, then he began to sell his lands and buy food. When he had nothing left, he asked for a visit to one of the Countess Cherries.
Baron Orange had a huge belly and could not move independently. Therefore, servants had to be assigned to him with a wheelbarrow, on which his stomach was transported. The Duke of Mandarin also caused a lot of trouble. He was very greedy. So he acted out suicide scenes. Countess Cherry gave Signor Mandarin jewelry, silk shirts, etc., to distract him from bad thoughts. Because of these troubles, the Countess Cherries were in a terrible mood.
At this time, Signor Tomato was urgently reported about the disappearance of the Pumpkin house. Signor Tomato sent soldiers to put down the rebellion. Almost all the villagers were arrested. Cipollino and the girl Radish ran away from the soldiers.
The nephew of Countess Cherry, the boy Cherry, lived extremely lonely among luxury. One day he saw village children running down the road with satchels on their backs. He asked his aunts to send him to school. But he was a count! The aunts assigned him a teacher, Signor Petrushka. But the teacher turned out to be a terrible bore: he hung ads with prohibitions everywhere. Once, just on the day of the arrests, Cherry saw Cipollino and Radish behind the fence.
The children became friends. But Signor Tomato heard their cheerful laughter and forbade Cherry to be friends with the poor.
The boy Cherry was very upset and constantly cried. But they laughed at him. Only the maid Strawberry sincerely pitied Cherry. Soon Cherry developed a fever. He began to repeat the names of Chipollino and Radish. Everyone decided that the child was delusional, and doctors were invited. But they couldn't help Cherry. Then Strawberry invited the poor but truthful Dr. Chestnut. He said that Cherry had melancholy and needed to communicate with other children. For these words, Dr. Chestnut was expelled from the castle.
Cipollino was finally seized and thrown into the darkest and deepest cell that was found in the prison of Countess Cherry. But by chance he met the Mole, who was digging a new tunnel. Cipollino persuaded Mole to dig a new underground corridor leading towards the dungeon where his friends were. Mole agreed.
When Signor Tomato discovered that Cipollino's cell was empty, he was furious. He sank down on the bench in frustration, the cell door slammed shut in a gust of wind. The tomato was stuck. At this time, Cipollino and Mole got to the camera of friends. Familiar voices and sighs of Pumpkin's godfather were already heard. But then Master Vine lit a match, and the Mole hated the light. He abandoned Cipollino and his friends.
Cherry learned that Signor Tomato carries the keys to the dungeon in the pocket of his stocking. He slept in stockings. Cherry turned to Strawberry with a request to bake a delicious chocolate cake and give him sleeping pills. Tomato ate the cake with pleasure and snored. So Cherry and Strawberry released all the prisoners. In the morning, Tomato sent an urgent telegram to Prince Lemon that riots broke out in the castle of Countess Cherries.
Then there were many adventures, but the struggle with the rich rulers ended in the victory of the poor. Prince Lemon, seeing the Banner of Liberty, went to the once abandoned dunghill. Countess Cherries left immediately. Signor Peas also left the country. Beans stopped serving Baron Orange, pushing the wheelbarrow with his belly. And without Beans, the baron could not move. Therefore, Orange soon lost weight. As soon as he gained the ability to move, he tried to beg. But he was immediately shamed and advised to work as a loader at the station. Now he is slim. Duke Mandarin did not work, but joined Orange and began to live at his expense. Kind Orange could not refuse him. Signor Petrushka became the watchman of the castle. Kum Pumpkin got a job as a gardener in this castle. And his student was Signor Tomato - however, before that, Tomato had to serve in prison for several years. Master Vinogradinka was elected chairman of the village. The castle was handed over to the children. A school, a room for creativity, play rooms and other rooms for children were arranged in it.
Analysis of the fairy tale by G. Rodari "The Adventures of Cipollino"
A fairy tale at all times and among all peoples expressed the dream of the triumph of justice and the hope for a better future.
In the fabulous fruit, berry and vegetable country of G. Rodari, everything that grows right on the ground is the people: Cipollino, Leek, Pumpkin, Strawberry, Blueberry. But the gentleman Tomato has already risen above the earth and the people and oppresses him. Lawyer Pea clings to everything with his mustache, just to climb higher, turns out to be a traitor. Countess Cherry, Baron Orange, Duke Mandarin - all these fruits grow on trees, they ascended high, completely cut off from their native soil, what do they care about the troubles and sufferings of those who live below, on earth? The people lived in this country hard, because the ruler there was Prince Lemon. Can life be sweet with Lemon?
Chipollino is a cheerful and smart onion boy. All the characters in the fairy tale are vegetables or fruits: godfather Pumpkin, shoemaker Grapes, lawyer Peas, girl Radish, boy Cherry, music professor Pear, old Cipolla, etc. The author said that in this fabulous garden society, social antagonisms operate, as in life: modest “honest citizens” are oppressed by the evil and greedy Signor Tomato, the swaggering Prince Lemon with an army of Lemons and the proud Countess Cherries.
But Rodari was sure that society could be transformed in favor of ordinary people labor, and by the forces of the people themselves. Supervised the process of Cipollino.
When his father Cipolla and all the poor garden brethren were imprisoned by Signor Tomato on the orders of Prince Lemon, the resilient Cipollino set off to wander in order to “learn the mind” and “study the swindlers and rogues” well. He finds true friends (the clever girl Radish, the kind and smart boy Cherry) and with their help frees his father and other prisoners from prison. Then the entire vegetable village drives its tormentors and parasites Tomato, Lemon and Cherry into prison, and turns the castle of evil countesses into a cheerful Children's Palace, where garden kids, led by Cipollino, go to play and learn.
I would like to end the article with the words of Cipollino: “In this world it is quite possible to live in peace, there is enough space for everyone on Earth.”
"The Adventures of Cipollino" in other art forms
In 1961, the Soviet full-length animated film "Chipollino" was filmed. The music for the cartoon, written by Karen Khachaturian, served as the basis for the ballet of the same name 12-13 years later.
In 1974, based on the fairy tale by Gianni Rodari, an eccentric musical comedy directed by Tamara Lisitsian was filmed at the Mosfilm studio. Famous actors V. Basov, Rina Zelenaya, G. Vitsin and others played the leading roles. Tamara Lisitsian, who worked for some time in Italy, was personally acquainted with Gianni Rodari.
Here we follow the life of Cipollino (Italian - onion) and his friends: Pumpkin's godfather, Professor Pear, Blueberry's godfather, Parsley, Strawberry and others who are fighting the tyrant Prince Lemon, Countess Cherries and the manager of the castle, Signor Tomato.
Like many other fairy tales, this story is an allegory and tells about people. In fact, this tale is about the relationship between rich and poor, rulers and subordinates, about freedom and justice.
The tale is written in a humorous style, so that even the evil characters here seem more amusing than they should be. This is a children's tale in which the author tried to explain important life issues in a language understandable to children. With the help of "Cipollino" he wanted to talk about freedom and that it should be cherished, because it is so easy to lose.
The plot of this story takes place in a fantasy world where each character is associated with a fruit or vegetable. The time when the events of the fairy tale take place also did not exist in reality, since castles, railways, bicycles, carriages exist in one period.
Genre: fairy tale
Time: fictional
Place: fictional
Cipollino retelling
Prince Lemon was about to come to the city where a big parade was to take place. Old Cipollone was in the crowd that was waiting for the arrival of the prince, but someone accidentally pushed him and he stepped on Prince Lemon's foot. Cipollone was arrested and sent to prison for the rest of his days.
His son Cipollino came to visit him. There he learned that the prison was arranged in such a way that all the murderers and robbers who should have been locked up were now on parade, while innocent and honest people were in prison.
Cipollino learned a lot from his father and therefore he decided to become a good boy. His father told him to go and live in this vast world, but beware of bad people, but added that you can learn something from everyone, even from a bad person.
And Cipollino decided to follow his father's advice. In the nearest village, he met godfather Pumpkin, who was insulted by Signor Tomato. Cipollino decided to protect him, and told Signor Tomato everything that he thinks about him. Signor Tomato wanted to punish him for this and pulled Cipollino by the hair, tearing out some of it. The smell of onions began to spread around, because of which Signor Tomato involuntarily burst into tears and ran away. Kum Pumpkin was so delighted with Cipollino that he decided to hire him.
Signor Tomato wanted revenge, so he returned with a few guards and threw the godfather Pumpkin out of his house. He also tied the dog to the house so that it would scare away the children with its formidable appearance. When Signor Tomato left, Cipollino euthanized the dog and took it to the owners in the castle. Before leaving the dog, he stroked it and disappeared. Kum Pumpkin was too excited to return home.
All the villagers were afraid of Signor Tomato, so they decided to move to the forest. They placed their houses there, and godfather Blueberry guarded them. He placed bells on doors and messages for thieves. Thieves came and went, and all meetings ended in friendship.
When Baron Orange ate all the money he had, he became poor. Baron Orange decided to contact his cousin, the elder Countess Cherry, who invited him to her castle. At the same time, the younger Countess Cherry received her cousin. Both cousins angered the countesses, but they took their anger out on their innocent nephew. Only the maid Strawberry comforted him.
Signor Tomato noticed that Pumpkin's godfather's house was gone. With the help of officers he borrowed from the prince, he arrested everyone. Only Leek and Cipollino were able to escape.
Cipollino, with the help of the girl Radish, decided to scout the situation in the castle so that they could develop a plan and free the prisoners.
The next day, Cipollino and Radish went to the castle, where they befriend Cherry, the duchesses' nephew, despite being forbidden to associate with the villagers. Cherry was so happy to have new friends that for the first time in a long time, laughter could be heard in the castle.
Cheerful laughter was heard by Signor Tomato, who went to the garden to find out what was going on. He saw three friends together and recognized Cipollino among them. Signor Tomato screamed, and Cipollino and Radish began to run away. Then Signor Tomato began to yell at Cherry, who was very sad. Not because Signor Tomato was shouting, but because he was not as free as his friends.
Cherry fell ill from sadness. Four doctors examined him, but none of them could tell what had happened to him. Then they decided to call Chestnut, a doctor who treated the poor. Chestnut concluded that Cherry suffered from sadness and loneliness, and the only cure was spending time with friends. No one in the castle believed in such a diagnosis, so Chestnut was driven away.
When the villagers were arrested, they were thrown into a basement filled with mice. The mice attacked them and stole all the candles, leaving the prisoners in the dark. The mice were ready to launch their next attack, but the villagers began to make cat-like sounds, which scared the mice away.
At the same time, the prisoners realized that the walls had ears. Their cell was connected by a secret listening device to Signor Tomato's room, so that he could hear everything the villagers said.
Strawberry helped Cipollino to contact the prisoners through this secret device. She gave them Cipollino's message and gave them several candles and matches.
The mice attacked again, but the prisoners fought back. The leader of the mice decided to punish his subordinates for their failure by killing every tenth mouse soldier.
Cipollino was having a secret meeting with Strawberry and Radish when they were attacked by a dog. She caught Cipollino and reported this to Signor Tomato. Signor Tomato locked Cipollino in a secret pit.
By chance, the Mole fell into the pit to Chipollino. After a friendly conversation, the Mole continued to dig underground tunnels. Cipollino followed him after Signor Tomato came to hang him.
The mole dug tunnels to other prisoners so that Cipollino could talk to them. The mole agreed to dig another underground passage so that the prisoners could escape. But someone lit a match, which frightened the Mole, and he ran away, leaving the prisoners in a dead end.
Strawberry told Cherry that Cipollino was in prison. Cherry was very saddened by this news, but still, he stopped crying and decided to help his friends. Together with Strawberry came up with a great plan. They sent Signor Tomato a pie that contained sleeping powder. Signor Tomato was so insatiable that he ate the whole cake and immediately fell asleep.
Strawberry took his keys to free the prisoners. But first, Strawberry told the guards that the prisoners had escaped, sending them to hunt for non-existent fugitives, while the real prisoners were actually running away.
When Signor Tomato woke up and saw an empty prison, he decided to ask for help from Prince Lemon and his guards. The next day, Prince Lemon arrived at the village with guards and arrested Pea and Leek.
The guards went to the castle, where they began to destroy everything. They insulted all the inhabitants of the castle, but most of all Leek, since Prince Lemon wanted him to tell where the rest of his friends were and where they hide the house of Pumpkin's godfather.
The leek remained silent and was sent to prison. Then they decided to interrogate the lawyer Goroshka. But it was as hard as the Leek. Soon Peas were joined by Signor Tomato, who was also spoken for by hanging.
Pea was too friendly with Signor Tomato, and told him too much information about the location of Pumpkin's godfather's house. Signor Tomato wanted to use this to his advantage, telling Prince Lemon everything. He hoped it would save his life.
The gallows was set up in the main square, and everything was ready for Pea's execution. They already tightened the noose around his neck, and he fell into the hatch. But soon Peas heard that someone was telling Cipollino that he should cut the rope.
The prehistory began with the fact that Strawberry told Radish, and she, in turn, informed Chipollino about the execution of Peas. Cipollino found the Mole, and he dug an underground tunnel to the gallows.
Chipollino waited for Pea to fall into the hatch, and then cut the rope around Pea's neck, thereby saving his life. Then they ran to the underground chamber where the rest were hidden. Peas told about the betrayal of Signor Tomato, and Cipollino hurried to the godfather Blueberry to try to save the house of the godfather Pumpkin, but, unfortunately, did not have time.
Prince Lemon and the rest of his group hired Mr. Markow to help catch the escaped prisoners. Mr. Markow imagined that he was looking for dangerous pirates, but in fact he was walking a dead end path that Radish directed him to, thereby trying to protect his friends.
In the end, Mr. Markow and his dog fell into a trap and were left hanging from a tree. At the same time, Cipollino befriended the Bear, whose parents were at the zoo. They decided to visit them, and when the sun went down, the bear put Cipollino on his back and headed to the city where the zoo was located.
Upon arrival, they were helped by an Elephant, and there they also met many animals who spent their nights thinking about their native lands.
But when the Bear's parents were released from the cage, they had problems. The seal heard them, and his hostility towards bears played a role. The watchmen heard him and locked all four in cages.
In the end, Cherry released Cipollino, and together they hurried to the train. It was a train consisting of only one car, there were only seats in it with windows, and there were also shelves for the fat ones. The driver of this locomotive was a strange man who stopped at every meadow to pick flowers. As they drove past the woods, the woodcutter freed Mr. Markow and his dog after three days of captivity.
After that, the game began. Everyone is looking for everyone. Mr. Markow continued to investigate, the guards were looking for him, Prince Lemon was looking for his guards, Mr. Grape and his friends were looking for Cipollino, Cipollino was looking for Grape, and the Mole was looking for everyone.
Duke Mandarin and Baron Orange were in the castle with servants. Duke Mandarin decided to find hidden treasures in the cellar, and he took Baron Orange with him, who was a great lover of wine. They were both greedy and both wanted one bottle, which was actually the key that opened secret door. When they pulled this bottle, the door opened, and Cipollino and his friends came out of the opened passage. They took over the castle, locked Duke Mandarin in his room, and left Baron Orange in the basement, as he was too drunk.
Some of Cipollino's friends became scared because they didn't have a weapon or a strategy and they thought the two were the key to victory. Everyone went to sleep, and their enemies made themselves a tent in the forest and also decided to rest. Signor Tomato looked towards the castle and realized that someone from inside was signaling him. It was Duke Mandarin. Signor Tomato decided to find out what happened there. When he came closer, the hedgehog told him everything. Signor Tomato told everything to Prince Lemon, and they decided to attack the castle early in the morning.
In the morning the battle began. Something huge and never seen before rolled down the hill from the castle and swept the army away. It was Baron Orange who managed to escape, but he accidentally rolled down the hill. The rest of the army attacked again. The problem was that Pea told Signor Tomato valuable information, and thus the army managed to enter the castle and arrest Cipollino. In prison, Cipollino met his father, who consoled him, saying that the time spent in prison allows him to think about things that he had never thought about before. In response, Cipollino promised that he would get his father out of prison.
With the help of a postman spider, Cipollino sketched the prison and sent three letters. One of them was for his father, one for Mole, and one for Cherry. But the postman spider was unable to deliver one of the letters, and Cipollino began to fall into despair.
The postman spider went through many adventures on its way to the castle. He met one of his cousins who decided to accompany him to the castle. However, while crossing one of the paths, a large chicken swallowed a spider, but he was able to throw mail to his brother, who delivered the last letter.
It was possible to walk in the prison, but everyone had to walk only in a circle. One of the prisoners, taking advantage of the chance, jumped into the hole made by the Mole and continued to run through the underground tunnels. The guard who was supposed to keep an eye on them was not very strong in mathematics, so he was unable to correctly count the number of prisoners. He didn't even realize that they were disappearing one by one. When everyone had disappeared, the guard himself jumped up and ran away.
Prince Lemon decided to hold the races, so he thought to distract people from important issues. Unexpectedly, during the race, Cipollino and Mole appeared, who accidentally chose the wrong path. Cipollino took the chance, grabbed Prince Lemon's whip and hit him three times. Behind him, the rest of the former prisoners began to run out. Prince Lemon was so frightened that he began to run away, but ended up in the trash.
Signor Tomato at the same time gathered the rest of the people and announced a law according to which the poor must pay a tax on snow, rain, fog and everything else. He tried to make them believe that with the help of taxes they could restore the financial position of the castle.
Prince Lemon still managed to get out of the garbage, and he headed for the castle. The storm stopped, but Prince Lemon did not like this, because he wanted a storm of such strength that he would not have to face people.
Signor Tomato had already begun to fear a revolution that no one could believe in. Everyone followed everyone, so they did not notice the flag that Chipollino hung in the castle.
Signor Tomato went to the castle to take down the flag, but he couldn't get through the door because it was too thick. But then he again ran into Cipollino and again pulled out some of his hair and again began to cry. He would have drowned in a sea of his own tears if Cipollino had not saved him.
When Prince Lemon saw the flag, he tried to hide in the garbage, hoping no one would find it. Besides him, the Duke of Mandarin and both countesses left the castle. A school and a playroom for children were opened in the castle.
Characters: Cipollino, Strawberry, Godfather Pumpkin, Grapes, Prince Lemon, Signor Tomato, Peas, Countess Cherries, Baron Orange, Chestnut, Mr. Carrot, Spider, Mole ....
Character Analysis
Cipollino -main character fairy tales. He is a little onion, and when his father was arrested for no apparent reason and sent to prison for life, Cipollino was very disappointed and decided to go wandering. His father gave him many important pieces of advice. His appearance not described in the story. He is funny, smart and always ready to help. He was brave when he had to argue with Signor Tomato. His benevolence gives him the strength to believe that every problem has a solution. He quickly makes friends and has many like-minded people who help him achieve justice. He is kind and well behaved with good people but makes the bad ones cry.
Cherry, nephew of the duchesses - he lost his parents, and the duchesses took care of him, or rather, took out their anger on him. He studied a lot, and everything else was forbidden to him, thus he longed for friendship and freedom. When he met Cipollino and Radish, he was so impressed by the feeling of friendship that he always wanted to be with them. He is shown to have a very brave personality, as he always helps his friends in need.
Strawberry - Cherry's friend and maid in the castle. She is noble, loyal, witty and one of the leaders in the fight for justice.
Kum Pumpkin - an old man, when he was young, he wanted to build his own house. He built it all his life, and was forced to starve in order to have enough supplies to build a house. The house was small, but it was enough for him. He was not very ambitious, and was always happy with everything he had.
Grape - he was a shoemaker and loved mathematics. He admired Cipollino, who opposed Signor Tomato.
Prince Lemon - the ruler of this country. He was yellow and wore a bell on top of his hat. He was arrogant and always ready to fight. He believed that he was a great leader. He mistreats animals and beats them. Prince Lemon was always expecting someone else to do his job. Everyone tried to please him, although his requests were sometimes ridiculous.
Signor Tomato - he was the steward in the castle where the Countess Cherries lived. He was mean and always shifted his problems to those who were weaker than him. He had evil eyes and a round, red face. When he was in prison, he realized how noble Cipollino was, but this insight did not last long. He soon became selfish again and did everything he could to get out of the dungeon.
Polka dots - advocate. He covered Signor Tomato when needed. But when he realized that Signor Tomato was only using him, he turned his back on him. He always tries to be with those people with whom he is more profitable.
Countess Cherries - very rich, own many houses and almost the whole village. Both are widows and their cousins often visit them. They are stingy and often take their anger out on others.
Baron Orange - owner of a huge belly, likes to drink and eat a lot. He became poor because he ate all his possessions. Even if he wished all the best to everyone, his true intentions didn't surface because he was always thinking about food.
Duke Mandarin - unlike Baron Orange, who liked to eat, the duke liked various things and was very greedy. He even said that he would kill himself if he didn't get what he wanted.
Mole - does not like the light, but besides that, he helped the prisoners.
Mr Carrot - a detective who is looking for escaped prisoners.
Spider - he was a prison postman. He always takes his job seriously, has some trouble walking, but never quits his job.
Gianni Rodari biography
Gianni Rodari is an Italian writer, born in 1920 in a small town in northern Italy, in Omegna.
Although he is known as a children's writer, he started writing children's books by accident. Many people consider him the most important children's writer in Italy.
Started as a teacher in primary school. But in the second world war began to work as a journalist in the newspaper "Unita". During this time, he wrote his first children's work.
After 1950 he decided to continue writing children's books, which were translated into many foreign languages, but very few are English language. His most famous works are: "Cipollino", "Book of Children's Poems", "Journey of the Blue Arrow", "Jeep on TV"...
In 1953 he married Maria Teresa Feretti, in 1957 his only daughter, Paola Rodari, was born. In the same year, he becomes a professional journalist after passing the exam.
In 1970 he received the Hans Christian Anderson Prize. This award in literature is the highest recognition for authors of children's books.
His health deteriorated after a trip to Russia. He died in 1980 in Rome.
The characters of "The Adventures of Chipollino" are anthropomorphic vegetables and fruits: the shoemaker Grape, godmother Pumpkin, the girl Radish, the boy Cherry, etc. Main character- the onion boy Cipollino, who fights against the oppression of the poor by the rich - Signor Tomato, Prince of Lemon. There are no human characters in the story, since the world of people is completely replaced by the world of fruits and vegetables.
| Character | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Main characters | ||
| Cipollino | The onion boy and the protagonist of the tale. Can bring to tears anyone who pulls his hair. | |
| Cipollone | Cipollino's father. Arrested for "assassination" on Prince Lemon, as he stepped on the latter's corns. | |
| Prince Lemon | The ruler of the country where the events took place. | |
| Signor Tomato | Manager and housekeeper of Countess Cherry. Main enemy Cipollino and the main antagonist of the story. | |
| strawberry | Maid in the castle of Countess Cherry. Cherry and Cipollino's girlfriend. | |
| Cherry | The young count (in the original - the viscount), the nephew of Countess Cherry and friend of Cipollino. | |
| Radish | A country girl, Cipollino's girlfriend. | |
| residents of the village owned by the Countess Cherries | ||
| Kum Pumpkin | Cipollino's friend. An old man who built himself a house so small he could barely fit in it. | |
| Master Grape | Shoemaker and friend of Cipollino. | |
| polka dots | The village lawyer and henchman of the Pomodoro cavalier. | |
| Professor Grusha | Violinist and friend of Cipollino. | |
| Leek | Gardener and friend of Cipollino. He wore a mustache so long that his wife used it as a clothesline. | |
| Kuma Pumpkin | A relative of the godfather Pumpkin. | |
| Beans | The rag-picker. He was forced to roll the belly of Baron Orange on his wheelbarrow. | |
| Bean | The son of the rag-picker Fasoli and friend of Cipollino. | |
| Potato | Village girl. | |
| Tomatic | Village boy. | |
| inhabitants of the castle of Countess Cherry | ||
| Countess Cherry the Elder and the Younger | Wealthy landowners who own the village where Cipollino's friends live. | |
| Mastino | Watchdog of Countess Cherry. | |
| Baron Orange | Cousin of the late husband of Signora Countess Senior. Terrible glutton. | |
| Duke Mandarin | Cousin of the late husband of Signora Countess the Younger, blackmailer and extortionist. | |
| Parsley | Count Cherry's home teacher. | |
| Mr Carrot | Foreign detective. | |
| Hold-Grab | Mr. Carrot's sleuth dog. | |
| doctors who treated Count Cherry | ||
| fly agaric | ||
| bird cherry | ||
| Artichoke | ||
| Lettuce Spinach | ||
| Chestnut | "He was called the doctor of the poor because he prescribed very few medicines to the sick and paid for the medicines out of his own pocket." | |
| other characters | ||
| Lemons, Lemons, Lemons | Accordingly, the retinue, generals and soldiers of Prince Lemon. | |
| cucumbers | In the country of Cipollino, they replaced horses. | |
| Millipedes | ||
| Kum Blueberry | Cipollino's friend. He lived in the forest, where he guarded the house of the godfather Pumpkin. | |
| General Longtail Mouse (later Tailless) | Commander-in-Chief of the army of mice found in prison. | |
| Mole | Cipollino's friend. Helped the boy to free the prisoners. | |
| Cat | He was arrested by mistake and ate mice in his cell. | |
| Bear | A friend of Cipollino, whom the boy helped to free his parents from the zoo. | |
| Elephant | Zookeeper and "old Indian philosopher". Helped Cipollino free the bears. | |
| zoo keeper | ||
| Parrot | Zookeeper. He repeated in a distorted version everything he heard. | |
| Monkey | An inhabitant of the zoo, in whose cage Cipollino was forced to sit for two days. | |
| Seal | Zookeeper. An extremely harmful creature, because of which Cipollino got into a cage. | |
| Woodcutter | ||
| Chromonog | The Spider and the Prison Postman. Limps due to sciatica, which has developed as a result of a long stay in dampness. | |
| Seven and a half | A spider and relative of the Chromonog spider. He lost half of the eighth paw in a collision with a brush. | |
| Sparrow | Insect cop. | |
| Townspeople | ||
| Peasants | ||
| forest thieves | They rang the godfather Chernika's bell to make sure with their own eyes that there was nothing to steal from him, and yet they did not leave empty-handed. | |
| Palace Servants | ||
| prison mice | Army of General Longtail. | |
| Wolves | They encroached on the fingers of Pumpkin's godfather. | |
| zoo animals | ||
| Railway workers | ||
| Prisoners | ||
| Insects | ||
Page 1 of 29
CHAPTER 1: In which Cipollone crushed Prince Lemon's leg
Cipollino was the son of Cipollone. And he had seven brothers: Cipolletto, Cipollotto, Cipolloccia, Cipollucci and so on - the most suitable names for an honest onion family. They were good people, I must say frankly, but they were not lucky in life.
What can you do: where the bow, there are tears.
Cipollone, his wife, and sons lived in a wooden shack a little bigger than a vegetable garden box. If the rich happened to get into these places, they wrinkled their noses in displeasure, grumbled: “Fu, how it carries onions!” - and ordered the coachman to go faster.
Once the ruler of the country, Prince Lemon, was going to visit the poor outskirts. The courtiers were terribly worried that the onion smell would hit His Highness's nose.
What will the prince say when he smells this smell of poverty?
You can spray the poor with perfume! suggested the Senior Chamberlain. 
A dozen Lemon soldiers were immediately sent to the outskirts to perfume those who smell of onions. This time the soldiers left their sabers and cannons in the barracks and shouldered huge cans of sprayers. In the cans were: floral cologne, violet essence and even the best rose water.
The commander ordered Cipollone, his sons and all relatives to leave the houses. The soldiers lined them up in rows and sprayed them well with cologne from head to toe. From this fragrant rain, Cipollino, out of habit, had a severe runny nose. He began to sneeze loudly and did not hear how the lingering sound of a trumpet came from afar.
It was the ruler himself who arrived on the outskirts with a retinue of Limonov, Limonishek and Limonchikov. Prince Lemon was dressed in all yellow from head to toe, and a golden bell jangled on his yellow cap. The court Lemons had silver bells, and the Lemon soldiers had bronze bells. All these bells were ringing non-stop, so it was great music. The whole street ran to listen to her. The people decided that a traveling orchestra had come.
Cipollone and Cipollino were in the front row. They both got a lot of pushes and kicks from those who pushed from behind. Finally, poor old Cipollone could not stand it and shouted:
Back! Set back!..
Prince Lemon was alert. What is it?
He approached Cipollona, majestically stepping over his short, crooked legs, and looked sternly at the old man:
Why are you shouting "back"? My loyal subjects are so eager to see me that they're rushing forward, and you don't like that, do you?
Your highness, - the Senior Chamberlain whispered into the prince's ear, - it seems to me that this man is a dangerous rebel. It needs to be taken under special supervision.
Immediately, one of the Limonchikov soldiers directed a spyglass at Chipollone, which was used to observe troublemakers. Every Limonchik had such a pipe.
Cipollone turned green with fear.
Your highness,” he muttered, “why, they will push me in!”
And they will do it very well, - thundered Prince Lemon. - Serves you right!
Here the Senior Chamberlain addressed the crowd with a speech.
Our beloved subjects," he said, "His Highness thanks you for the expression of devotion and for the zealous kicks with which you regale each other. Push harder, push with might and main!
But after all, they will knock you off your feet, too, - Chipollino tried to object.
But now another Limonchik pointed a telescope at the boy, and Chipollino considered it best to hide in the crowd.
At first, the back rows pressed against the front rows not too much. But the Senior Chamberlain glared at the negligent ones so fiercely that in the end the crowd became agitated like water in a tub. Unable to withstand the pressure, the old Cipollone turned head over heels and accidentally stepped on the foot of Prince Lemon himself. His Highness, who had hefty calluses on his feet, immediately saw all the stars of heaven without the help of a court astronomer. Ten Lemon soldiers rushed from all sides to the unfortunate Cipollone and handcuffed him. 
Chipollino, Chipollino, son! - called, looking around in confusion, the poor old man, when he was taken away by the soldiers.
Chipollino at that moment was very far from the scene and did not suspect anything, but the onlookers scurrying around already knew everything and, as happens in such cases, they knew even more than what actually happened.
It's good that they caught him in time, - idle talkers said. - Just think, he wanted to stab his highness with a dagger!
Nothing like that: the villain has a machine gun in his pocket!
Machine gun? In the pocket? It can't be!
Can't you hear the shooting?
In fact, it was not shooting at all, but the crackling of a festive fireworks display arranged in honor of Prince Lemon. But the crowd was so frightened that they shied away in all directions from the Limonchik soldiers.
Cipollino wanted to shout to all these people that in his father’s pocket there was not a machine gun, but only a small cigar butt, but, after thinking, he decided that you couldn’t outguess the talkers anyway, and prudently kept silent.
Poor Cipollino! It suddenly seemed to him that he began to see badly - this is because a huge tear welled up in his eyes.
Back, stupid! - Chipollino shouted at her and clenched his teeth so as not to cry.
The tear was frightened, backed away, and no longer appeared.
In short, old Cipollone was sentenced to imprisonment not only for life, but for many, many years after his death, because there were cemeteries in the prisons of Prince Lemon.
Cipollino achieved a meeting with the old man and hugged him tightly:
You are my poor father! They put you in jail like a criminal, along with thieves and bandits! ..
What are you, what are you, son, - affectionately interrupted his father, - but in prison there are a lot of honest people!
What are they sitting for? What wrong have they done?
Nothing at all, son. That's what they were jailed for. Prince Lemon does not like decent people.
Cipollino thought about it.
So, going to jail is a great honor? - he asked.
It turns out that it is. Prisons are built for those who steal and kill, but Prince Lemon has the opposite: thieves and murderers are in his palace, and honest citizens are in prison.
I also want to be an honest citizen, - said Cipollino, - but I don’t want to go to prison. Be patient a little, I will return here and free you all!
Are you relying too much on yourself? the old man smiled. - This is no easy task!
But you'll see. I'll get mine.
Then some Limonishka from the guard appeared and announced that the meeting was over.
Cipollino, - the father said in parting, - now you are already big and you can think about yourself. Uncle Cipolla will take care of your mother and brothers, and you go wandering around the wide world, learn your wits.
How can I study? I don't have any books, and I can't afford to buy them.
It doesn't matter, life will teach. Just keep your eyes open - try to see through all sorts of rogues and swindlers, especially those who have power.
And then? What should I do next?
You'll understand when the time comes.
Well, let's go, go, - Lemonishka shouted, - enough chatting! And you, ragamuffin, stay out of here if you don't want to go to jail yourself.
Chipollino would have answered Limonishka with a mocking song, but he thought that it was not worth going to jail until you had time to properly get down to business.
He kissed his father hard and ran away.
The next day, he entrusted his mother and seven brothers to the care of the kind uncle Cipolla, who was a little more fortunate in life than the rest of his relatives - he served somewhere as a porter.
Saying goodbye to his uncle, mother and brothers, Cipollino tied his things in a bundle and, putting it on a stick, set off. He went aimlessly and must have chosen the right path.
A few hours later he reached a small village - so small that no one even bothered to write its name on a pillar or on the first house. And this house was, strictly speaking, not a house, but some kind of tiny kennel, which was suitable only for a dachshund. By the window sat an old man with a reddish beard; he looked sadly into the street and seemed to be very preoccupied with something.
Current page: 1 (total book has 12 pages)
Gianni RODARI
THE ADVENTURES OF CIPOLLINO
CHAPTER FIRST,
In which Cipollone crushed the leg of Prince Lemon
Cipollino was the son of Cipollone. And he had seven brothers: Cipolletto, Cipollotto, Cipolloccia, Cipollucci and so on - the most suitable names for an honest onion family. They were good people, I must say frankly, but they were not lucky in life.
What can you do: where the bow, there are tears.
Cipollone, his wife, and sons lived in a wooden shack a little bigger than a vegetable garden box. If the rich happened to get into these places, they wrinkled their noses in displeasure, grumbled: “Fu, how it carries onions!” - and ordered the coachman to go faster.
Once the ruler of the country, Prince Lemon, was going to visit the poor outskirts. The courtiers were terribly worried that the onion smell would hit His Highness's nose.
“What will the prince say when he smells this smell of poverty?”
- You can spray the poor with perfume! suggested the Senior Chamberlain.
A dozen Lemon soldiers were immediately sent to the outskirts to perfume those who smell of onions. This time the soldiers left their sabers and cannons in the barracks and shouldered huge cans of sprayers. In the cans were: floral cologne, violet essence and even the best rose water.
The commander ordered Cipollone, his sons and all relatives to leave the houses. The soldiers lined them up in rows and sprayed them well with cologne from head to toe. From this fragrant rain, Cipollino, out of habit, had a severe runny nose. He began to sneeze loudly and did not hear how the lingering sound of a trumpet came from afar.
It was the ruler himself who arrived on the outskirts with a retinue of Limonov, Limonishek and Limonchikov. Prince Lemon was dressed in all yellow from head to toe, and a golden bell jangled on his yellow cap. The court Lemons had silver bells, and the Lemon soldiers had bronze bells. All these bells were ringing non-stop, so it was great music. The whole street ran to listen to her. The people decided that a traveling orchestra had come.
Cipollone and Cipollino were in the front row. They both got a lot of pushes and kicks from those who pushed from behind. Finally, poor old Cipollone could not stand it and shouted:
- Back! Set back!..
Prince Lemon was alert. What is it?
He approached Cipollona, majestically stepping over his short, crooked legs, and looked sternly at the old man:
- Why are you shouting "back"? My loyal subjects are so eager to see me that they're rushing forward, and you don't like that, do you?
“Your Highness,” the Senior Chamberlain whispered into the prince’s ear, “it seems to me that this man is a dangerous rebel. It needs to be taken under special supervision.
Immediately, one of the Limonchikov soldiers directed a spyglass at Chipollone, which was used to observe troublemakers. Every Limonchik had such a pipe.
Cipollone turned green with fear.
"Your Highness," he muttered, "they're going to push me in!"
“And they will do well,” Prince Lemon thundered. - Serves you right!
Here the Senior Chamberlain addressed the crowd with a speech.
“Our beloved subjects,” he said, “his highness thanks you for your expression of devotion and for the zealous kicks with which you regale each other. Push harder, push with might and main!
“But they will knock you off your feet, too,” Chipollino tried to object.
But now another Limonchik pointed a telescope at the boy, and Chipollino considered it best to hide in the crowd.
At first, the back rows pressed against the front rows not too much. But the Senior Chamberlain glared at the negligent ones so fiercely that in the end the crowd became agitated like water in a tub. Unable to withstand the pressure, the old Cipollone turned head over heels and accidentally stepped on the foot of Prince Lemon himself. His Highness, who had hefty calluses on his feet, immediately saw all the stars of heaven without the help of a court astronomer. Ten Lemon soldiers rushed from all sides to the unfortunate Cipollone and handcuffed him.
- Chipollino, Chipollino, son! - called, looking around in confusion, the poor old man, when he was taken away by the soldiers.
Chipollino at that moment was very far from the scene and did not suspect anything, but the onlookers scurrying around already knew everything and, as happens in such cases, they knew even more than what actually happened.
“It’s good that they caught him in time,” said idle talkers. - Just think, he wanted to stab his highness with a dagger!
- Nothing like that: the villain has a machine gun in his pocket!
- Machine gun? In the pocket? It can't be!
"Don't you hear the shooting?"
In fact, it was not shooting at all, but the crackling of a festive fireworks display arranged in honor of Prince Lemon. But the crowd was so frightened that they shied away in all directions from the Limonchik soldiers.
Cipollino wanted to shout to all these people that in his father’s pocket there was not a machine gun, but only a small cigar butt, but, after thinking, he decided that you couldn’t outguess the talkers anyway, and prudently kept silent.
Poor Cipollino! It suddenly seemed to him that he began to see badly - this is because a huge tear welled up in his eyes.
"Get back, stupid!" - Chipollino shouted at her and clenched his teeth so as not to cry.
The tear was frightened, backed away, and no longer appeared.
* * *
In short, old Cipollone was sentenced to imprisonment not only for life, but for many, many years after his death, because there were cemeteries in the prisons of Prince Lemon.
Cipollino achieved a meeting with the old man and hugged him tightly:
“You are my poor father! They put you in jail like a criminal, along with thieves and bandits! ..
- What are you, what are you, son, - affectionately interrupted his father, - but in prison there are a lot of honest people!
- What are they sitting for? What wrong have they done?
“Nothing at all, son. That's what they were jailed for. Prince Lemon does not like decent people.
Cipollino thought about it.
“So going to jail is a great honor?” - he asked.
- It turns out that it is. Prisons are built for those who steal and kill, but Prince Lemon has the opposite: thieves and murderers are in his palace, and honest citizens are in prison.
“I also want to be an honest citizen,” said Cipollino, “but I don’t want to go to prison.” Be patient a little, I will return here and free you all!
“Are you relying too much on yourself?” the old man smiled. - This is no easy task!
- But you'll see. I'll get mine.
Then some Lemonilka from the guard appeared and announced that the meeting was over.
“Cipollino,” my father said in parting, “now you are already big and you can think about yourself. Uncle Cipolla will take care of your mother and brothers, and you go wandering around the wide world, learn your wits.
- How can I study? I don't have any books, and I can't afford to buy them.
Don't worry, life will teach you. Just look at both - try to see through all the rogues and swindlers, especially those who have power.
- And then? What should I do next?
“You will understand when the time comes.
“Well, let’s go, let’s go,” Limonishka shouted, “enough chatting!” And you, ragamuffin, stay out of here if you don't want to go to jail yourself.
Chipollino would have answered Limonishka with a mocking song, but he thought that it was not worth going to jail until you had time to properly get down to business.
He kissed his father hard and ran away.
The next day, he entrusted his mother and seven brothers to the care of the kind uncle Cipolla, who was a little more fortunate in life than the rest of his relatives - he served somewhere as a porter.
Saying goodbye to his uncle, mother and brothers, Cipollino tied his things in a bundle and, putting it on a stick, set off. He went aimlessly and must have chosen the right path.
A few hours later he reached a small village - so small that no one even bothered to write its name on a pillar or on the first house. And this house was, strictly speaking, not a house, but some kind of tiny kennel, which was suitable only for a dachshund. By the window sat an old man with a reddish beard; he looked sadly into the street and seemed to be very preoccupied with something.
CHAPTER TWO,
How Cipollino made Tomato's cavalier cry for the first time
Uncle, - asked Cipollino, - why did it get into your head to climb into this box? I would like to know how you get out of it!
- Oh, that's pretty easy! - answered the old man. - It's much harder to get in. I would love to invite you to my place, boy, and even treat you to a glass of cold beer, but you can't fit here together. Yes, to tell you the truth, I don't even have a beer.
- Nothing, - said Cipollino, - I don’t want to drink ... So this, then, is your house?
“Yes,” answered the old man, whose name was godfather Pumpkin. - The house, however, is cramped, but when there is no wind, it’s not bad here.
* * *
It must be said that godfather Pumpkin only completed the construction of his house on the eve of this day. Almost from childhood, he dreamed that he would someday have his own house, and every year he bought one brick for future construction.
But only, unfortunately, godfather Pumpkin did not know arithmetic and had to ask the shoemaker, master Vinogradinka, from time to time, to count the bricks for him.
“We'll see,” Master Grape said, scratching the back of his head with an awl.
- Six seven-forty-two ... nine down ... In a word, you have seventeen bricks in total.
“Do you think this is enough for the house?”
– I would say no.
- How to be?
- It's up to you. Not enough for the house - make a bench out of bricks.
- Yes, what do I need a bench for! There are already many benches in the park, and when they are busy, I can stand.
Master Grape silently scratched with an awl, first behind his right ear, then behind his left, and left for his workshop.
And godfather Pumpkin thought and thought, and in the end decided to work more, but eat less. And so he did.
Now he was able to buy three or four bricks a year.
He became thin as a match, but the pile of bricks grew.
The people said:
“Look at the godfather Pumpkin! You might think that he is pulling bricks out of his own belly. Every time he adds a brick, he himself loses a kilogram.”
So it went year after year. Finally, the day came when godfather Pumpkin felt that he was getting old and could no longer work. He again went to Master Vinogradinka and said to him:
“Be so kind as to count my bricks.
Master Grape, taking an awl with him, left the workshop, looked at the pile of bricks and began:
“Six seven to forty-two… nine off… In a word, you now have a total of one hundred and eighteen pieces.”
Enough for a house?
- In my opinion, no.
- How to be?
“I don’t really know what to tell you… Build a chicken coop.”
“Yes, I don’t have a single chicken!”
- Well, put a cat in the chicken coop. You know, a cat is a useful animal. She catches mice.
- That's true, but I don't have a cat either, but to tell the truth, and the mice haven't started yet. From nothing and nowhere...
- What do you want from me? snorted Master Grape, fiercely scratching the back of his head with an awl. “One hundred and eighteen is one hundred and eighteen, no more, no less.” So right?
- You know better - you studied arithmetic.
Kum Pumpkin sighed once or twice, but, seeing that no more bricks were added from his sighs, he decided to start construction without further ado.
“I will build a very, very small house out of bricks,” he thought as he worked. “I don’t need a palace, I’m small myself. And if there aren’t enough bricks, I’ll use paper.”
Kum Pumpkin worked slowly and carefully, afraid to use up all his precious bricks too quickly.
He laid them one on top of the other as carefully as if they were made of glass. He knew well what each brick was worth!
“This,” he said, taking one of the bricks and stroking it like a kitten, “this is the same brick that I got ten years ago for Christmas. I bought it with the money I saved for the holiday chicken. Well, I’ll eat chicken later, when I finish my building, but for now I’ll do without it.
Over each brick, he let out a deep, deep sigh. And yet, when the bricks ran out, he still had a lot of sighs left, and the house came out as tiny as a dovecote.
“If I were a dove,” thought poor Pumpkin, “I would be very, very comfortable here!”
And now the house was completely ready.
Kum Pumpkin tried to enter it, but hit the ceiling with his knee and almost brought down the entire structure.
“I am getting old and clumsy. We must be more careful!”
He knelt in front of the entrance and, sighing, crawled inside on all fours. But here new difficulties were revealed: one cannot get up without breaking through the roof with one's head; you can’t stretch on the floor because the floor is too short, and you can’t turn on your side because of the tightness. But most importantly, what about the legs? If you climbed into the house, then you need to pull your legs inside, otherwise they, which is good, will get wet in the rain.
“I see,” thought the godfather Pumpkin, “that I can only live in this house while sitting.”
And so he did. He sat down on the floor, carefully taking a breath, and on his face, which appeared in the window, there was an expression of the most gloomy despair.
- Well, how do you feel, neighbor? asked Master Vine, leaning out of the window of his workshop.
- Thank you, not bad! .. - Father Pumpkin answered with a sigh.
- Aren't you narrow in the shoulders?
- No no. After all, I built a house just to my measure.
Master Vineyard scratched the back of his head with his awl as usual and muttered something incomprehensible. Meanwhile, people gathered from all sides to stare at the house of the godfather Pumpkin. A whole horde of boys rushed in. The smallest jumped onto the roof of the house and began to dance, singing:
Like Old Pumpkin
Right hand in the kitchen
Left hand in the bedroom.
If legs
On the threshold
The nose is in the attic window!
- Watch out, boys! pleaded godmother Pumpkin. - So you bring down my house - he's still so young, brand new, he's not even two days old!
To appease the guys, godfather Pumpkin pulled out a handful of red and green candies from his pocket, which he had been lying around for I don’t know since, and distributed them to the boys. Those with a joyful squeal grabbed candy and immediately quarreled among themselves, dividing the booty.
From that day on, godfather Pumpkin, as soon as he had a few soldos, bought sweets and put them on the windowsill for the guys, like bread crumbs for sparrows.
So they became friends.
Sometimes Pumpkin allowed the boys to climb into the house one by one, while he himself vigilantly looked outside, so that they would not cause trouble.
* * *
It was about all this godfather Pumpkin told young Chipollino just at the moment when a thick cloud of dust appeared on the edge of the village. Immediately, as if on command, all windows, doors and gates began to close with a thud and a creak. Master Grape's wife hastened to close her gate too.
People hid in their homes, as if before a storm. Even chickens, cats and dogs, and they rushed to look for a safe haven.
Chipollino had not yet had time to ask what was going on here, when a cloud of dust swept through the village with a crash and a roar and stopped at the very house of Pumpkin's godfather.
In the middle of the cloud was a carriage pulled by four horses. As a matter of fact, they were not exactly horses, but rather cucumbers, because in the country in question, all people and animals were akin to some kind of vegetables or fruits.
From the carriage, puffing and puffing, got out a fat man dressed in all green. His red, puffy, puffy cheeks looked like they were about to burst like an overripe tomato.
This was the gentleman Tomato, the manager and housekeeper of the wealthy landowners - Countess Cherry. Chipollino immediately realized that nothing good could be expected from this person if everyone fled at her first appearance, and he himself considered it best to stay on the sidelines.
At first, the gentleman Tomato did nothing wrong to anyone. He only looked at his godfather Pumpkin. He looked long and intently, ominously shaking his head and not saying a word.
And poor godfather Pumpkin was glad at that moment to fall through the ground along with his tiny house. Sweat streamed from his forehead in streams and fell into his mouth, but godfather Pumpkin did not even dare to raise his hand to wipe his face, and dutifully swallowed these salty and bitter drops.
Finally, he closed his eyes and began to think like this: “There is no Signor Tomato here anymore. I sit in my house and swim like a sailor in a boat, Pacific Ocean. Around the water - blue-blue, calm-calm ... How softly it sways my boat! .. "
Of course, there was no sea around, but Pumpkin's godfather's house really swayed now to the right, then to the left. This happened because the gentleman Tomato grabbed the edge of the roof with both hands and began to shake the house with all his might. The roof shook, and neatly laid tiles flew in all directions.
Godmother Pumpkin involuntarily opened his eyes when Signor Tomato uttered such a menacing growl that the doors and windows in neighboring houses closed even more tightly, and the one who locked the door with only one turn of the key hurried to turn the key in the keyhole one or two more.
- The villain! shouted Signor Tomato. - Rogue! Thief! Rebel! Rebel! You built this palace on land that belongs to the Countess Cherries, and you are going to spend the rest of your days in idleness, violating the sacred rights of two poor elderly signore widows and complete orphans. Here I'll show you!
“Your grace,” pleaded godfather Pumpkin, “I assure you that I had permission to build a house!” Signor Count Cherry himself once gave it to me!
- Count Cherry died thirty years ago - peace be upon him! – and now the land belongs to two well-to-do countesses. So get the hell out of here without a word! Your lawyer will explain the rest to you... Hey, Pea, where are you? Alive! * Signor Green Peas, the village lawyer, was obviously on the alert, because he immediately popped out from somewhere, like a pea from a pod. Every time Tomato came to the village, he called this quick fellow to confirm his orders with the appropriate articles of the law.
“I am here, Your Grace, at your service…” Signor Peas murmured, bowing low and turning green with fear.
But he was so small and nimble that no one noticed his bow. Afraid of appearing insufficiently polite, Signor Pea jumped up and kicked his legs in the air.
“Hey, how are you, tell this slacker Pumpkin that, according to the laws of the kingdom, he must immediately get out of here. And announce to all the local inhabitants that Countess Cherries intend to put the most vicious dog in this kennel in order to guard the count's possessions from the boys, who for some time began to behave extremely disrespectfully.
“Yes, yes, really disrespectful… that is…” muttered Pea, turning even greener with fear. - That is not really respectful!
- What is there - "really" or "invalid"! Are you a lawyer or not?
“Oh yes, Your Grace, an expert in civil, criminal, and also canon law. Graduated from the University of Salamanca. With a diploma and title ...
- Well, if with a diploma and a title, then, therefore, you will confirm that I am right. And then you can get away.
- Yes, yes, signor cavalier, as you please! .. - And the signor lawyer, without forcing himself to ask twice, slipped away quickly and imperceptibly, like a mouse tail.
Well, did you hear what the lawyer said? asked Tomato godmother Pumpkin.
“But he didn’t say anything at all! - I heard someone's voice.
- How? Do you still dare to argue with me, unfortunate one?
“Your grace, I didn’t even open my mouth ...” the godfather Pumpkin murmured.
- And who, if not you? - And the gentleman Tomato looked around with a menacing look.
- Scammer! Dodger! The same voice was heard again.
- Who is speaking? Who? It must be that old rebel, Master Grape! - decided the gentleman Tomato. He went to the shoemaker's workshop and, banging on the door with a club, growled:
“I know very well, Master Vine, that in your workshop often bold, rebellious speeches are made against me and the noble Countess Cherry!” You have no reverence for these elderly noble gentlemen - widows and complete orphans. But wait, your turn will come. Let's see who will have the last laugh!
“And even earlier your turn will come, Signor Tomato!” Oh, you will burst soon, you will certainly burst!
These words were uttered by none other than Chipollino. Putting his hands in his pockets, he approached the formidable gentleman Tomato so calmly and confidently that it never occurred to him that this pitiful little boy, this little tramp, dared to tell him the truth.
– Where did you come from? Why not at work?
“I don’t work yet,” Cipollino answered. - I'm just learning.
– What are you studying? Where are your books?
“I study swindlers, Your Grace. Right now I have one of them in front of me, and I will never miss the opportunity to study it properly.
“Ah, you study swindlers?” It's curious. However, in this village everyone is a swindler. If you've found a new one, show it to me.
“With pleasure, Your Grace,” Cipollino replied with a sly wink.
Here he thrust his hand deeper into his left pocket and pulled out a small mirror, with which he used to send out sunbeams. Coming very close to Signor Tomato, Cipollino turned the mirror in front of his very nose:
“There he is, that swindler, your grace. Take a good look at him if you like. Do you recognize?
Cavalier Tomato could not resist the temptation and looked into the mirror with one eye. It is not known what he hoped to see there, but, of course, he saw only his own face, red as fire, with evil little eyes and a wide mouth, similar to the slot of a piggy bank.
It was then that Signor Tomato finally realized that Cipollino was simply mocking him. Well, he got mad! Turning purple all over, he clutched Chipollino's hair with both hands.
- Oh oh oh! - shouted Cipollino, without losing his inherent gaiety. “Ah, how strong is this swindler whom you saw in my mirror!” I assure you, he alone is worth a whole gang of robbers!
- I'll show you, rogue! .. - yelled the gentleman Tomato and pulled Chipollino's hair so hard that one strand remained in his hands.
But then something happened that should have happened.
Having pulled out a strand of onion hair from Cipollino, the formidable gentleman Tomato suddenly felt a caustic bitterness in his eyes and nose. He sneezed once or twice, and then tears gushed from his eyes like a fountain. Even like two fountains. Jets, streams, rivers of tears flowed down both of his cheeks so abundantly that they flooded the entire street, as if a janitor with a hose had walked along it.
“This has never happened to me before!” thought the frightened Signor Tomato.
In fact, he was such a heartless and cruel person (if you can only call a tomato a man) that he never cried, and since he was also rich, he never had to peel an onion himself in his life. What happened to him so frightened him that he jumped into the carriage, whipped the horses and sped away. However, running away, he turned around and shouted:
- Hey, Pumpkin, look, I warned you! .. And you, mean boy, ragamuffin, you will pay me dearly for these tears!
Chipollino rolled with laughter, and godfather Pumpkin only wiped sweat from his forehead.
Doors and windows began to open little by little in all the houses, except for the house in which Signor Goroshek lived.
Master Vine opened his gate wide open and ran out into the street, scratching the back of his head with an awl.
“I swear by all the fighting in the world,” he exclaimed, “finally there was a boy who made the gentleman Tomato cry! .. Where did you come from boy?
And Chipollino told the master Vinogradinka and his neighbors his story, which you already know.
