One day, three naxitralls met by chance at an ice cream stand: Mossbeard, Halfboot, and Muff. They were all so small that the ice-cream lady mistook them for gnomes at first.
Each of them had other interesting features. Moss Beard has a beard of soft moss, in which, although last year's, but still beautiful lingonberries grew. The half-boot was shod in boots with cut off toes: it was more convenient to move the toes this way. And Mufta, instead of ordinary clothes, wore a thick muff, from which only the crown and heels protruded.
They ate ice cream and looked at each other with great curiosity.
“Excuse me,” Muft said at last. – Perhaps, of course, I am mistaken, but it seems to me that we have something in common.
“That’s what it seemed to me,” nodded Polbootka.
Mossbeard plucked a few berries from his beard and handed them to his new acquaintances.
- Sour ice cream is good.
“I'm afraid to seem intrusive, but it would be nice to get together some other time,” Mufta said. - We would have cooked cocoa, talked about this and that.
“That would be wonderful,” Polbootka rejoiced. “I would gladly invite you to my place, but I have no home. Since childhood, I have traveled the world.
“Just like me,” said Mossbeard.
- Wow, what a coincidence! Muft exclaimed. - It's the exact same story with me. So we are all travelers.
He tossed the ice cream slip into the dustbin and zipped up the muff. His clutch had such a property: to fasten and unfasten with the help of a “zipper”. Meanwhile, the others finished their ice cream.
"Don't you think we could team up?" - said Polbotinka.
Traveling together is much more fun.
“Of course,” Mossbeard agreed happily.
“Brilliant thought,” Mufta beamed. – Simply magnificent!
"So it's decided," said Halfboot. “Why don’t we have another ice cream each before we get together?”
Everyone agreed, and everyone bought more ice cream. Then Muft said:
By the way, I have a car. If you don't mind, it will become, figuratively speaking, our motor home.
- Oh! drawled Mossbeard. - Who will be against it?
“No one will mind,” Polbootka confirmed. - It's so nice to drive a car.
- Can we fit the three of us? Mossbeard asked.
"It's a van," Mufta replied. - Enough room for everyone.
Halfboot whistled merrily.
“All right,” he said.
“Very well,” Mossbeard sighed in relief. - In the end, as they say, in cramped quarters, but not offended.
- And where is this motor home? asked Polbotinka.
“Near the post office,” Mufta said. I've sent a dozen or two letters here.
- Two dozen! Moss Beard was amazed. - Blimey! Well, you have friends!
“No, quite the contrary,” Mufta smiled embarrassedly. I am writing to no friends. I write to myself.
Do you send letters to yourself? Polbootka was surprised in his turn.
“You see, I really like getting letters,” Mufta said. “But I don’t have any friends, I’m endlessly, endlessly lonely. So I write to myself all the time. Actually, I write on demand. I send letters in one city, then I go to another and receive them there.
“You can’t say anything, it’s a very peculiar way to correspond,” Mossbeard concluded.
“Very witty,” Polbootka confirmed. - Shall we have some more ice cream?
“Of course,” agreed Mossbeard.
“I don’t mind either,” Mufta said. “I even think that we could try chocolate once. True, it is a little more expensive than ordinary creamy ice cream, but for the sake of such an unexpected and wonderful meeting, you should not spare a penny.
Each bought chocolate ice cream and they ate in silence.
“Sweet,” said Mossbeard at last. Even sweeter than regular ice cream.
"Uh-huh," Halfboot confirmed.
- Very, very tasty. Well, just an amazing jelly, - said Mufta.
- What? Mossbeard looked at Clutch in surprise. - What jelly are you talking about? We're eating chocolate ice cream, or am I wrong?
“Oh, excuse me, please,” Mufta said, embarrassed. “It goes without saying that we eat chocolate ice cream, not jelly. But as soon as I get excited, I immediately begin to confuse the names of sweets.
- Why do you worry when you eat chocolate ice cream? Moss Beard was surprised. – What is there to worry about?
“It's not the ice cream that I'm worried about,” Mufta explained. “I was thrilled to meet you. It's a pleasant excitement, as they say. I have spent my whole life in terrible loneliness. And suddenly I find such wonderful companions as you. Anyone will get excited about this.
“Perhaps,” said Halfboot. “At any rate, I’m also excited about chocolate ice cream. Just look: I'm shaking all over with excitement.
And in fact, he was trembling violently, and his face just turned blue.
“You caught a cold,” Mossbeard realized. “Oh, ice cream didn’t do you any good.
"Probably so," agreed Halfboot.
“You shouldn’t eat ice cream anymore,” Mufta was frightened. - Unless you take a few glasses in reserve. I have a refrigerator in the van.
- Well, yes! exclaimed Mossbeard.
- That's great! Polbotinka rejoiced. “We'll take a good supply of eight weeks with us.
“One thing is bad,” Mufta continued, “the refrigerator works when the car is stopped. And on the go, electricity heats up the refrigerator to impossibility.
“Mmm…” Polbootka chuckled. “So the ice cream will melt instantly?”
“Of course,” Mufta said.
“In that case, it’s wiser to drop the idea,” said Mossbeard thoughtfully.
“And it seems to me that this is the most correct thing,” Mufta said. But I don't want to impose my opinion on you.
“My feet are about to turn to ice,” said Halfboot. “Maybe we can warm them up in Mufta’s fridge?”
“Well, let’s move,” said Mossbeard. “Honestly, I've been wanting to see Mufta's car for a long time now.
“Thank you,” Mufta said for some reason.
And they started walking.
2. Clutch Machine.
The little red van, as Mufta had said, was actually parked at the very post office.
A crowd of boys gathered around him, as well as several adults. They vied with each other trying to guess the make of the car; however, no one succeeded.
Ignoring the curious, Mufta went to the car and opened the door.
“Be kind, I beg you,” he invited his companions.
They did not force themselves to beg, and all three quickly climbed into the car.
- Oh! Mossbeard exclaimed, looking around. - Wow!
He couldn't find any other words. Half-boot said admiringly:
- Great!
“Make yourself at home,” Mufta smiled.
“Home, home…” Polbootka whispered absentmindedly. This word is even sweeter than chocolate ice cream. Finally, endless wanderings have brought me home!
Every little thing in Mufta's car radiated warmth. As if it was not a car, but a small cozy room.
The carefully made bed was covered with a beautiful colorful blanket. On a table near the window stood a china vase with beautiful flowers and a portrait of Mufta himself in a neat frame under glass.
“My best self,” Mufta remarked.
Other photographs hung here, mainly from the life of birds and animals. Mossbeard looked at these pictures with great interest, and Polbotka decided that he should take a picture too.
"Coupling, Half Shoes and Moss Beard" is a children's fairy tale story by the Estonian writer Eno Raud. He tells about naksitralls, some creatures of small stature, no more than half a meter. They exist among people, lead the same way of life, differ only in their small stature, because of which they are often confused with gnomes.
Naxitralli are friendly creatures that care about nature. They are supporters of the protection of nature, and they themselves live in harmony with it.
Heroes of the book
This story describes in detail three naxitralls, whose names are included in the title of the story itself: these are Mufta, Polbootka and Moss Beard. The names of the heroes are speaking, they reflect the personality of each hero and his interesting view of the world. For example, Clutch wears a thick muff that envelops him from head to toe. The half-shoe prefers to wear shoes that are not closed, but cut off in half in order to move their toes. Mossbeard wears a beard, but not an ordinary one, but consisting of deer moss. Useful berries and herbs grow in this beard. This is very convenient, because if Mossbeard wants to help someone, he will always have the necessary ingredients at hand.
Moss Beard is of particular interest to the reader, both adult and small, not only for its appearance. He talks on the topics of love for nature, environmental protection, respect for the world around. However, our hero cares not only for a good attitude towards nature, but also for his loved ones and for people around him in general, even strangers. In his speeches, one can find arguments about public mutual assistance, health care. He can be considered a kind of little healer who takes all the medicines from nature itself and completely disinterestedly helps everyone around. There is an opinion that the Moss Beard is the prototype of the author himself. Indeed, such complex reasoning is rarely seen in children's literature. It seems that the author wants to convey to the young reader that nature should be taken care of from an early age, not to harm it. After all, nature gives us so much, and with our careful attitude, we can thank her for her help and care for us.
The fairy tale story “Coupling, Polbootka and Moss Beard” tells about the adventures of the above-described heroes. Each chapter is a short description of some interesting incident from the life of the narkistrals, which is an object lesson for the young reader. At the end of each chapter, one of the characters makes a certain generalization, a conclusion that carries some kind of morality.
In the first part of the book, the characters meet for the first time, get to know each other, as well as the reader. They quickly become good friends and solve problems together, help each other out of a predicament. In the second part, their adventure continues. The reader, who already knows the heroes well, is eager to experience their new adventures together with the cheerful and resourceful heroes.
More than one generation has grown up on Muft, Halfboot and Moss Beard. Any child will fall in love with the kind and bright heroes of this fairy tale as soon as he opens the book. And even any adult can remember his childhood, read a few stories and make new discoveries for himself. Many of us grow up and, in everyday worries, forget about how important it is to take care of the world around us and people. Such simple truths are written in children's books, and anyone can learn something from them for themselves.
So, you can get together with the whole family and read a wonderful instructive story and a children's fairy tale at the same time, get a charge of good mood and not remain indifferent to the words of little people.
Video review
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Each of us has some things, objects, just vivid memories that instantly take us back to childhood. For me, one of the most vivid childhood memories is Raud's illustrated book, read to holes. A book that has been read an unthinkable number of times, a book that has been memorized almost by heart.
The heroes of the book - bright, interesting, kind and charming, instantly found the key to the children's heart, and forever settled in it.
Now, of course, the book is a little lost in memory - after all, it was read 30 years ago, I remember individual episodes, but the most important thing is that the impression of the book remains in my memory - kind, bright ...
Write something else? And what else can you write about childhood, about the years when the world was brighter, more interesting and more fun? This book is part of that childhood...
Score: 10
A very enjoyable children's tale, which stood out noticeably against the general background of similar books. Perhaps, Raud's books are even closer to science fiction proper than to a fairy tale. Most of all, of course, her colorful heroes are remembered - the imperturbable Moss Beard, the unfortunate Half-Shoe, the romantic Muff. The last time I picked up a book was about twenty years ago, and I still remember many episodes very well - and the healing decoction of deer moss with which Mossbeard treated Halfboot, and the race with cats and Muffa's van and letters that Muffa wrote to himself. Kind, smart and very lightly written - what more do you need for a good children's book. I also remember the peculiar ecological orientation of this fairy tale. I hope today's children read it with the same pleasure as I did in my time.
Score: 9
I cannot express how much I loved this book as a child. The feeling of some kind of impermissible, wandering freedom seemed to be and beckoned, so that I had to ask Mom over and over again to read about Moss Beard, Half Shoes and Muff again.
Now, as an adult, having re-read this book, I find it just as magical. A good work full of love for life. It breathes loneliness. At the same time so charming, wise. Three heroes came together in life, three wonderful naxitralls and began to perform feats. The real ones!.. Some of the adults may not consider it a feat to save a wounded viper or the miraculous return of a family medallion to its owner. And there is no need to talk about the return of the cat to its owner. What a feat is this? .. But how much joy these “little things” brought to the heroes themselves and to those for whom they were made! .. And what delight they aroused in us children when we read about it.
The wonderful adventures of the naksitralls teach them to be truly kind and courageous. Even if you are not like the others - small and wonderful. But that's not the point, the main thing is that you have a big, sympathetic heart.
Score: 10
Recently I found a filmstrip: old, torn, but, as it turned out, not forgotten. And I remembered how I first learned about naxitralls from my Estonian friends: I didn’t read, but listened to the retelling of their grandmother with an indescribable Estonian accent. And I just fell in love with this story. I didn’t read Tolkien then, but the childhood impression of the Estonian fairy tale was no less vivid, and the feelings were the same: a whole world arose in my mind, like Middle-earth, only not as epic and cruel as that of the fantasy master. The ideal world for a child's mind is kind, affectionate.
Then, with difficulty, I found a filmstrip (more precisely, my parents found it) and looked to the holes. And in the fifth grade I remember my joy when I found the third and fourth books in the library. True, my heart ached with resentment for the cats, which I had always loved very much. But the charm of the fairy tale was so great that she convinced herself like a child: these harmful cats are Estonian. And ours - the Russians - are kind, and the Naxitralls are simply unfamiliar with them. And if they met, they would become friends.
Then, in everyday difficulties and worldly joys, somehow children's fairy tales faded into the background. Somewhere in a not very distant corner of memory, they remained together with a sense of magic. And simple fragments of the filmstrip, reminding, caused such a mass of joyful childhood memories, cheered up ... and made me a little younger. A must-read!
Score: 10
Great books! I read them for the first time with my children, taking them from the library, and I was very impressed by the kind wisdom of my dear Naxitral friends. And how many different themes are hidden here! The themes of friendship, glory, kindness, forgiveness and love for all living things ... And they are presented so unobtrusively, easily, that they become understandable even to five-six-year-olds. As for the increased viciousness of cats, which some readers complain about, then after all, we are not talking about the special aggressiveness of all muroks, but about how indulgence and pampering can spoil very cute animals, turning them first into lazy and impudent creatures, but then - in cruel hungry predators (in their place could be both street dogs and pigeons). But how much poetry of living nature is in these stories, how much humor and purity! My four-year-old daughter, after I read books to her, believed that there really are naxitralli, and she dreamed of meeting them. I had to dissuade her that the lake can be boiled with a boiler, no matter how powerful it is, but hunting sausages “a la naxitralli” fried on a fire are still our favorite dish.
And now I know well what kind of birthday book I should give to a familiar child of senior preschool age (you can also have a middle one - he will understand perfectly!): Of course, “The Adventures of Mufta, Half Shoes and Moss Beard“!
Score: 10
On the positive side - a fairly original design of the main characters. In theory, "naxitralli" are people, but each of the three with some kind of oddity in clothing or appearance. This is what they remember, at least outwardly. It would seem, what a trifle - to cut off a person's toes, and already an unusual image is ready.
What spoiled the whole impression completely:
The author's incomprehensible hatred of cats. Cats are enemies, cats are a plague, cats are stupid and vicious, everyone hates cats. The trinity of main heroes is able to outshine Sharikov. The cat fell, the hero’s remark: “Barely breathing - that’s how he needs it!” Constantly repeating: “How I hate cats!” "Destroy all cats!" Cats are "nasty" because they prey on cute birds. I wonder if Raud does not want to sympathize with the worms that the father bird carries to the chicks? In the finale, the cats are locked up on a desert island, doomed to starvation. For this, the heroes receive a medal. An Estonian view of virtue in action.
The rest is a completely standard fairy tale. In general, it doesn’t teach anything, but it can deliver entertainment - the heroes spend almost half the time running away from persecution, so there’s more than enough “drive” here. But would not recommend for children. And without such "good" tales, animals are tortured.
Score: 6
Did you read the book as a child: ""?
Me not. For some reason this wonderful book passed me by.
But my daughter and I have already read it. It is worth noting that the book was a huge success with Anya (4 years old).
Therefore, I want to make a detailed review of this book, as promised in the article: "".
Mufta, Polbootka and Mossbeard is a fairy tale story written by the Estonian writer Eno Raud back in the 70s.
The main characters of the book are naksitralli - little men similar to gnomes. Each hero has his own unique image:
- Muff - wears a long fur muff, from under which only the heels and crown stick out.
- The half-boot is a big fan of moving his toes, therefore he wears shoes with cut-off toes.
- Moss beard - the owner of a chic moss beard in which lingonberries grow.
At the beginning of the story, the characters meet at an ice cream stand. There they met and became friends, and their adventures began there.
And the heroes will have many exciting adventures! But the book attracted me not only with exciting adventures.
The book about naksitralls is highly moral, sincere and very kind.
She teaches to live in harmony with nature. Treat all living things with care. Take care of nature, appreciate it.
The most "environmentally friendly" hero of the book is Mossbeard. He is very sensitive to the world around him, and the world responds to him in the same way. Even the viper becomes his friend.
The theme of friendship is well covered in the book.. True friendship, when a friend will help in trouble and share joy. Throughout all 4 stories, friends get into different troubles. And they always help each other out, even at the cost of their own safety. As, for example, in the story with rats.
But the book is not all smooth and sweet. Friends make mistakes and learn to correct them. I read this book for the first time with my daughter. And as I read, I couldn't understand why the Naxitralli had locked the cats on the island so thoughtlessly and harshly. I had a lot of questions in my head, because according to the plot, the cats seemed to be over. But later friends realize that they made a serious mistake and decide to correct it. They rescue cats from the island.
Such an act of the main characters shows the child that we all make mistakes. It is important to be able to see them, recognize them, and most importantly, correct them!
I really liked the idea that pervaded the first two books: "There must be balance in nature." Perhaps a child of 4 years old will not be able to fully comprehend this idea, but the time will come and he will understand.
In the meantime, Anyutka simply enjoyed the “external” intrigue:
- how the naxitralls saved the city from the cats and lured them to the island in the first book;
- how friends fought hordes of rats, how they freed the city from them, and saved cats in the second book.
The adventures of her friends sunk so deep into her soul that she played the situations from the books for a very long time. My daughter was very impressed with the rescue of cats from the island. It is about why not a single leaf was left on the trees, where many caterpillars came from. Here it is, this is the balance in nature!
The third and fourth stories about Muff, Halfboot, and Mossbeard are more serious. They talk about glory, dignity, fidelity, friendship. It was a little more difficult to read them, but my daughter still could not tear herself away.
And a few more words about the main characters. Each of them has its own unique image and character.
Clutch is a calm, modest, reliable and very loyal friend. Tactful, able to convince and support in a difficult situation.
Half shoe - cocky, stubborn, emotional. The opposite of Clutch.
Moss beard is the golden mean between two opposites. He strives to live in harmony with nature. Contemplates the beauty of nature, enjoys unity with it.
A very touching moment in the book, how Mossbeard "hatched chicks." When the bird made a nest in his beard, he lay and did not move, so as not to frighten the mother bird. And even when he was in danger, he did not abandon his post.
The books about Clutch, Halfboot and Mossbeard are simple and very sincere. They will help. They have no place for violence. All the difficulties that are encountered on the way of the main characters, they overcome with the help of fiction, ingenuity and mutual assistance.
The tale is quite long: it consists of 4 parts (2 books). Despite this, it will be of interest to both preschoolers (from 4-5 years old) and school-age children (up to 10 years old for sure).
My daughter and I read the first book at 3.7 years old, and the second at 4. If your child loves books and is ready to listen to long stories, then you can safely read the story about Muff, Half Shoes and Moss Beard as early as 4 years old.
Perhaps at 4 years old your child will not fully understand the main idea of the book. But you will have a great opportunity to talk with your child: about balance in nature, about friendship, about relationships between people, about your own dignity, mutual understanding. I am sure that when Anyuta starts reading on her own, she will definitely re-read her favorite book and look at it with a new look.
Captivated us from the first page. I read it a long time ago, to older children. Nikita really liked the adventures of funny little heroes. Personally, in my childhood, I did not come across the book. Tyoma, of course, met the characters for the first time. Before I started reading the book to my child, I doubted for a long time whether he would understand it, whether it was too early. To read or not in principle - there was no doubt. Read!
This book has been a huge hit with us! I was afraid of a large volume and a lot of philosophical places for a five-year plan. To my surprise, Artyom listened to the whole book perfectly, got involved in it, and even drew pictures for the text for the first time. I read and he drew while sitting in bed. It impressed me.
What was my surprise when, having decided to write a review of a book for a store, I saw that many people found the book boring. It's amazing how differently a book is perceived by different people! so, despite the excitement, I suggest that everyone first read a chapter or two on the Internet before deciding to read it in full.
The verdict of my three sons is a must-read book! The stories about the Naxitrals are very dynamic, full of humor and philosophy. But this philosophy, in my opinion, is soft and unobtrusive. My favorite character is Moss Beard. A little man who loves nature, feeling it.
The half-shoe seemed to me quite intolerant of both situations and friends. But sincerely outgoing and forgiving from the heart. It was Polbootka who fell in love with Tyoma, who knows how to use a slingshot and protect his friends and his property (who would doubt that he would like it).
But more son liked not the characters, but the plots themselves:
- a cat that jumps on a car to catch naxitrals,
- the snake that is hidden in Mossbeard's pocket,
- magpie, collecting innumerable treasures in the hollow and many others.
My child liked that the little men are very brave - they were not afraid of either angry cats or vile warlike rats. And naxitrals always find a way out of difficult situations. I think this is the main strength of the book. It is simply saturated with the thought: never give up.
All in all, I think this is a very useful book. We did not find it boring at all - on the contrary, it is very dynamic, the plot is constantly evolving (and very unexpectedly), there is a lot of humor. The book teaches tolerance towards each other, because the characters do not always come to a consensus. And the book also shows that the situation always has a different side. At first, cats were terrible and dangerous, but the situation changed a little - and cats became a salvation for people. Everything has two sides - black and white.
And the illustrations in the book are wonderful. There are many of them, they are bright and tender at the same time and perfectly convey both the characters of the characters and the essence of what is happening. I generally like books with illustrations by Vadim Chelak. We have the next book epic at the ready, and it is also illustrated by V. Celak.
And yesterday - we blinded the naxitrals. And Tyoma played with them. While sculpting, I heard that the child understands the plot perfectly, because he spoke everything, remembered new details and sculpted more and more new characters - a car, a tree with a hollow, medals. Those whom he could not mold himself, he asked to mold me. So we temporarily settled small naxitrals, very beloved by us. It's time to buy
