Marshak Samuil

Twelve months

TWELVE MONTHS

Do you know how many months there are in a year?

Twelve.

What are their names?

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

As soon as one month ends, another begins immediately. And it has never happened before that February came before January left, and May overtook April.

The months go one after another and never meet.

But people say that mountainous country Bohemia was a girl who saw all twelve months at once.

How did this happen? That's how.

In one small village there lived an angry and stingy woman with her daughter and stepdaughter. She loved her daughter, but her stepdaughter could not please her in any way. No matter what the stepdaughter does, everything is wrong, no matter how she turns, everything is in the wrong direction.

The daughter spent whole days lying on the feather bed and eating gingerbread, but the stepdaughter had no time to sit down from morning to night: either fetch water, or bring brushwood from the forest, or wash out the laundry on the river, or weed the beds in the garden.

She knew winter cold, summer heat, spring wind, and autumn rain. That’s why, perhaps, she once had the chance to see all twelve months at once.

It was winter. It was January. There was so much snow that it had to be shoveled away from the doors, and in the forest on the mountain the trees stood waist-deep in snowdrifts and could not even sway when the wind blew on them.

People sat in their houses and lit their stoves.

At such and such a time, in the evening, the evil stepmother opened the door and looked at how the blizzard was sweeping, and then returned to the warm stove and said to her stepdaughter:

You should go to the forest and pick snowdrops there. Tomorrow is your sister's birthday.

The girl looked at her stepmother: was she joking or was she really sending her into the forest? It's scary in the forest now! And what are snowdrops like in winter? They will not be born before March, no matter how much you look for them. You'll just get lost in the forest and get stuck in the snowdrifts.

And her sister tells her:

Even if you disappear, no one will cry for you. Go and don't come back without flowers. Here's your basket.

The girl began to cry, wrapped herself in a torn scarf and walked out the door.

The wind dusts her eyes with snow and tears her scarf off. She walks, barely pulling her legs out of the snowdrifts.

It's getting darker all around. The sky is black, not a single star looks at the ground, and the ground is a little lighter. It's from the snow.

Here is the forest. It's completely dark here - you can't see your hands. The girl sat down on a fallen tree and sat. All the same, he thinks about where to freeze.

And suddenly a light flashed far between the trees - as if a star was entangled among the branches.

The girl got up and went towards this light. He drowns in snowdrifts and climbs over a windbreak. “If only,” he thinks, “the light doesn’t go out!” But it doesn’t go out, it burns brighter and brighter. You could already smell warm smoke and hear the crackling of brushwood in the fire. The girl quickened her pace and entered the clearing. Yes, she froze.

It’s light in the clearing, as if from the sun. In the middle of the clearing a large fire is burning, almost reaching to the sky. And people sit around the fire, some closer to the fire, some further away. They sit and talk quietly.

The girl looks at them and thinks: who are they? They don’t seem to look like hunters, even less like woodcutters: look how smart they are - some in silver, some in gold, some in green velvet.

The young people sit near the fire, and the old people sit at a distance.

And suddenly one old man turned around - the tallest, bearded, with eyebrows and looked in the direction where the girl stood.

She was scared and wanted to run away, but it was too late. The old man asks her loudly:

Where did you come from, what do you want here?

The girl showed him her empty basket and said:

I need to collect snowdrops in this basket.

The old man laughed:

Is it snowdrops in January? What did you come up with!

“I didn’t make it up,” the girl replies, “but my stepmother sent me here for snowdrops and didn’t tell me to return home with an empty basket.”

Then all twelve looked at her and began to talk among themselves.

The girl stands there, listening, but doesn’t understand the words - as if it’s not people talking, but trees making noise.

They talked and talked and fell silent.

And the tall old man turned around again and asked:

What will you do if you don't find snowdrops? After all, they won’t even appear before March.

“I’ll stay in the forest,” says the girl. - I’ll wait for the month of March. It’s better for me to freeze in the forest than to return home without snowdrops.

She said this and cried.

And suddenly one of the twelve, the youngest, cheerful, with a fur coat over one shoulder, stood up and approached the old man:

Brother January, give me your place for an hour!

The old man stroked his long beard and said:

I would have given in, but March would not be there before February.

“Okay,” grumbled another old man, all shaggy, with a disheveled beard. - Give in, I won’t argue! We all know her well: sometimes you’ll meet her at an ice hole with buckets, sometimes in the forest with a bundle of firewood. All months have their own. We need to help her.

Well, have it your way,” said January.

He struck the ground with his ice staff and spoke:

Don't crack, it's frosty,

In a protected forest,

At the pine, at the birch

Don't chew the bark!

You're full of crows

Freeze,

Human habitation

Cool down!

The old man fell silent, and the forest became quiet. The trees stopped crackling from the frost, and the snow began to fall thickly, in large, soft flakes.

Well, now it’s your turn, brother,” said January and gave the staff to his younger brother, shaggy February.

He tapped his staff, shook his beard and boomed:

Winds, storms, hurricanes,

Blow as hard as you can!

Whirlwinds, blizzards and blizzards,

Get ready for the night!

Trumpet loudly in the clouds,

Hover above the ground.

Let the drifting snow run in the fields

White snake!

As soon as he said this, a stormy, wet wind rustled in the branches. Snow flakes began to swirl and white whirlwinds rushed across the ground.

And February gave his ice staff to his younger brother and said:

Now it's your turn, brother Mart.

The younger brother took the staff and hit it on the ground.

The girl looks, and this is no longer a staff. This is a large branch, all covered with buds.

Mart grinned and sang loudly, in all his boyish voice:

Run away, streams,

Spread, puddles,

Get out, ants,

After the winter cold!

A bear sneaks through

Through the dead wood.

The birds began to sing songs,

And the snowdrop blossomed.

The girl even clasped her hands. Where did the high snowdrifts go? Where are the ice icicles that hung on every branch!

This script will help organize in the classroom New Year's celebration. The number of characters is such that it allows almost all students in the class to be involved in the theatrical production. Designed for students in grades 5-6.

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Preview:

Municipal budgetary educational institution

Koroleva, Moscow region

average comprehensive school №13

(MOU secondary school No. 13)

Scenario

based on the fairy tale play by S.Ya. Marshak

"Twelve months"

Designed by

teacher of Russian language and literature

Zemskova Elena Evgenievna

2012

CHARACTERS

Old stepmother

Daughter

Stepdaughter

Queen, a girl of about fourteen

The Queen's teacher, professor of arithmetic and penmanship

Chancellor

Crown Prosecutor

Twelve months

First Herald

Second Herald

ACT ONE

Castle. Queen's classroom. Wide board in a carved gold frame. Desk. The fourteen-year-old Queen sits on a velvet pillow and writes with a long golden pen. In front of her is the gray-bearded Professor of Arithmetic and Penmanship.

Queen . I hate writing. All fingers are covered in ink!

Professor. You are absolutely right, Your Majesty. This is a very unpleasant task. It is not for nothing that the ancient ports managed without writing instruments, which is why their works are classified by science as oral literature. However, I dare to ask you to write four more lines in Your Majesty’s own hand.

Queen. Okay, dictate.

Professor The grass is turning green

The sun is shining

Swallow with spring

It's flying towards us in the canopy!

Queen. I'll just write "The grass is getting greener."(Writes.) The grass is not...

The Chancellor enters.

Chancellor (bowing low). Good morning, Your Majesty. I dare to respectfully ask you to sign one rescript and three decrees.

Queen. More writing! Fine. But then I won’t add “turns green.” Give me your papers here!(Signs the papers one by one.)

Chancellor. Thank you, Your Majesty. And now let me ask you to draw...

Queen. Draw again!

Chancellor . Only your highest resolution on this petition.

Queen (impatiently). What should I write?

Chancellor. One of two things, Your Majesty: either “execute” or “pardon.”

Queen (to herself). Po-mi-lo-vat... Execute... I’d better write “execute” - it’s shorter.

The Chancellor takes the papers, bows and leaves.

Professor (sighing heavily).Nothing to say, in short!

Queen . What do you mean?

Professor. Oh, Your Majesty, what you wrote!

Queen. You, of course, again noticed some error. Should I write “intrigue” or what?

Professor. No, you spelled this word correctly - and yet you made a very serious mistake.

Queen . Which one?

Professor . You decided the fate of a person without even thinking!

Queen. What more! I can’t write and think at the same time.

Professor. And it is not necessary. First you need to think, and then write, Your Majesty!

Queen. Better tell me something interesting. Something New Year's... After all, today is New Year's Eve.

Professor. Your humble servant. A year, Your Majesty, consists of twelve months!

Queen. How's that? Indeed?

Professor. Absolutely, Your Majesty. The months are called: January, February, March, April, May, June, July...

Queen. There are so many of them! And you know everyone by name? What a wonderful memory you have!

Professor. Thank you, Your Majesty! August, September, October, November and December.

Queen. Just think about it!

Professor. The months go by one after another. As soon as one month ends, another begins immediately. And it has never happened before that February came before January, and September before August.

Queen. What if I wanted it to be April now?

Professor. This is impossible, Your Majesty.

Queen . Are you again?

Professor (pleadingly). It is not I who object to Your Majesty. This is science and nature!

Queen. Tell me please! What if I make such a law and put a big seal on it?

Professor (waves his hands helplessly).I'm afraid this won't help either. But it is unlikely that Your Majesty will need such changes in the calendar. After all, every month brings us its own gifts and fun. December, January and February - ice skating, a New Year tree, Maslenitsa booths, in March the snow begins to melt, in April the first snowdrops peek out from under the snow...

Queen. So I wish it was already April. I really love snowdrops. I've never seen them.

Professor. There is very little left until April, Your Majesty. Just some three months, or ninety days...

Queen . Ninety! I can't wait even three days. Tomorrow is the New Year's party, and I want these - what did you call them - on my table? - snowdrops.

Professor . Your Majesty, but the laws of nature!..

Queen (interrupting him). I will publish new law nature!(Claps his hands.)Hey, who's there? Send the Chancellor to me.(To the professor.) And you sit down at my desk and write. Now I will dictate to you.(Thinks.) Well, "The grass is turning green, the sun is shining." Yes, yes, write that way. (Thinks.) Well! "The grass turns green, the sun shines, and in our royal forestsspring flowers are blooming. Therefore, we most mercifully command that you deliver toNew Year's Eve brings a basket full of snowdrops to the palace. The one who will fulfill ourthe highest will, we will reward it royally..." What could we promise them?Wait, you don’t need to write this!.. Well, I came up with an idea. Write. "We'll give himas much gold as will fit in his basket, let's give him a velveta fur coat on a gray fox and let us participate in our

royal new yearskating". Well, did you write? How slow you write!

Professor, "...on a gray fox..." I haven't written a dictation for a long time, Your Majesty.

Queen. Yeah, you don’t write it yourself, but you force me! How cunning!.. Well, oh well. Give me a pen - I will inscribe my highest name!(He quickly puts down a squiggle and waves the piece of paper so that the ink dries faster.)

At this time, the Chancellor appears at the door.

Place your stamp here and here! And make sure everyone in town knows my orders.

Chancellor (reads quickly with his eyes).What about the seal? Your will, queen!..

Queen . Yes, yes, my will, and you must fulfill it!..

The curtain falls. One after another, two Heralds come out with trumpets and scrolls in their hands.

Solemn sounds of fanfare.

First Herald . We most mercifully command that a full basket of snowdrops be delivered to the palace by the New Year!

Second Herald.We will reward the one who fulfills our highest will

like a king!

First Herald . We will give him as much gold as will fit in his basket!

Second Herald . Let's give a velvet fur coat to the gray fox and let him take part in our royal New Year's skating!

First Herald . On Her Majesty's original handwritten note: "Happy New Year! Happy April 1st!"

First Herald . On New Year's Eve

We issued an order:

Let them bloom today

We have snowdrops!

Second Herald . The grass is turning green

The sun is shining

Swallow with spring

It's flying towards us in the canopy!

First Herald . Who dares to deny

That the swallow flies

That the grass is turning green

And the sun is shining?

Second Herald . Snowdrop blooms in the forest,

And not a blizzard blows,

And that one of you is a rebel,

Who will say: it doesn’t bloom!

Streams run into the valley,

Winter has come to an end.

First Herald . Snowdrops basket

Bring it to the palace!

Second Herald . Narvit before dawn

Simple snowdrops.

First Herald . And they will give you for it

A basket of gold!

First and Second The grass is turning green

(together) The sun is shining

Swallow with spring

It's flying towards us in the canopy!

ACT TWO

A small house on the outskirts of the city. The stove is burning hot. There is a snowstorm outside the windows. Twilight. The old woman rolls out the dough. The daughter is sitting in front of the fire. There are several baskets on the floor near her. She is sorting through the baskets. First he picks up a small one, then a larger one, then the largest one.

Daughter (holding a small basket in his hands).And what, mom, will there be a lot of gold in this basket?

Old woman. Yes, a lot.

Daughter. How much will this include?

Old woman. There's even more to this one

Daughter . Well, what about this one?

Old woman. And there’s nothing to say here. You will drink and eat on gold, you will dress in gold, you will wear gold, you will wear gold, you will cover your ears with gold.

Daughter . Well, then I’ll take this basket! (Sighing) One problem - you can’t find snowdrops. Apparently the queen wanted to laugh at us.

Old woman . She’s young, so she comes up with all sorts of things.

Daughter . Or maybe they are growing little by little under the snowdrifts. That's why they are snowdrops... I'll put on my fur coat and try to look for it.

Old woman. What are you doing, daughter! Yes, I won’t even let you out of the threshold. Look out the window, what a blizzard is blowing up. Or maybe it will be by nightfall!

Daughter (grabs the largest basket).No, I’ll go - that’s all. For once, there was a chance to get to the palace, to visit the queen herself for a holiday. And they'll give you a whole basket of gold.

Old woman . You'll freeze in the forest.

Daughter (through tears). Well, if you don’t let me in, then at least let your sister go. She will come from the forest, and you will send her there again.

Old woman . But it’s true! Why not send her? The forest is not far away, it won't take long to escape. If she picks flowers, we'll take them to the palace, but if she freezes, well, that means that's her fate. Who will cry for her?

Stepdaughter enters. Her scarf was covered with snow. She takes off her scarf and

shakes it off, then goes to the stove and warms his hands.

Old woman . Is it blowing outside?

Stepdaughter . It sweeps so hard that you can’t see either the earth or the sky. It's like walking on clouds. I barely made it home. Old woman. That's why it's winter, so that there's a blizzard. Stepdaughter. No, there hasn’t been such a blizzard in a whole year and there never will be.

Daughter . How do you know that it won’t happen? Stepdaughter. But today is the last day of the year! Daughter. Look how! Apparently you're not very cold if you're asking riddles. Well, are you rested and warmed up? You still need to run somewhere else.

Stepdaughter . Where is this, far away?

Old woman . Not that close, not even close.

Daughter . In the forest!

Stepdaughter . In the forest? For what? I brought a lot of firewood, enough for a week.

Daughter . Not for brushwood, but for snowdrops!

Stepdaughter (laughing). Except for the snowdrops - in such a blizzard! But I didn’t immediately understand that you were joking. I was scared. Nowadays, the abyss is no wonder - it keeps circling and knocking you down.

Daughter . I'm not kidding. Haven't you heard about the decree?

Stepdaughter. No.

Daughter . You don’t hear anything, you don’t know anything! People are talking about it all over the city. The queen will give the one who collects snowdrops a whole basket of gold, a fur coat on a gray fox, and will allow him to ride in his sleigh.

Stepdaughter . What are snowdrops like now - it’s Winter...

Old woman . In the spring, people pay for snowdrops not in gold, but in copper!

Daughter . Well, what’s there to talk about! Here's your basket.

Stepdaughter. I won't go!

Daughter . How is it that you won’t go?

Stepdaughter . Don't you feel sorry for me at all? I won't be able to return from the forest.

Daughter . So, should I go into the forest instead of you?

Stepdaughter (head down) . But it’s not me who needs gold.

Old woman . It's clear, you don't need anything. You have everything, and what you don’t have, your stepmother and sister will have it!

Daughter. She is rich and refuses a whole basket of gold. Well, are you going or not? Answer directly - won't you go? Where's my fur coat?(With tears in his voice).Let her warm herself here by the stove, eat pies, and I will walk through the forest until midnight, getting stuck in the snowdrifts...(Picks his fur coat off the hook and runs to the door.)

Old woman (grabs her by the floor).Where are you going? Who allowed you? Sit down, stupid! (To the stepdaughter.) And you, put a scarf on your head, a basket in your hands, and go. Look at me: if I find out that you’ve been staying with the neighbors somewhere, I won’t let you into the house - freeze in the yard!

Daughter . Go and don't come back without snowdrops!

The stepdaughter wraps herself in a scarf, takes the basket and leaves.

Silence.

Old woman (looking at the door).And she didn’t properly slam the door behind her. It blows like that! Close the door well, daughter, and get ready for the table. It's time for dinner.

ACT THREE

Forest. Large flakes of snow fall to the ground. Thick twilight. The stepdaughter makes her way through deep snowdrifts. Wraps himself in a torn scarf. Blowing on frozen hands. It's getting darker and darker in the forest.

Stepdaughter . No, apparently I heard it. A cone just fell from a tree and woke me up. But I dreamed of something good, and it even became warmer. What did I dream about? You won't remember right away. Oh, there it is! It’s as if my mother is walking around the house with a lamp and the light is shining right into my eyes.(Raises his head, shakes off the snow with his hand

eyelashes.) But there really is something glowing - over there, far away... What if these are wolf eyes? No, the wolf's eyes are green, and this is a golden light. It’s shaking and twinkling, as if a star is entangled in the branches... I’ll run!(Jumps off the branch.)Still glowing. Maybe there really is a forester’s hut nearby, or maybe the woodcutters have lit a fire. We have to go. Need to go. Oh, my legs can’t move, they’re completely numb!(He walks with difficulty, falling into snowdrifts, climbing over windbreaks and fallen trunks.)If only the light doesn’t go out!..No, it doesn’t go out, it burns brighter and brighter. And it seemed to smell like warm smoke.

Is it really a fire? This is true. Whether it’s my imagination or not, I hear brushwood crackling on the fire.(He goes further, spreading and lifting the paws of the thick tall spruce trees.)

Everything around is getting brighter and brighter. Reddish reflections run across the snow and along the branches. And suddenly a small round clearing opens in front of the Stepdaughter, in the middle of which a high fire is burning hot. People sit around the fire, some closer to the fire, some further away. There are twelve of them: three old, three elderly, three young, and the last three are still quite young. Young people sit near the fire, old people sit at a distance. Two old men are wearing long white fur coats, shaggy white hats, the third is wearing a white fur coat with black stripes and a black edge on his hat. One of elderly --in golden-red, another in rusty-brown, the third in brown clothes. The other six are in green kaftans of different shades, embroidered with colored patterns. One of the young men has a fur coat saddled over his green caftan, the other has a fur coat on one shoulder. The stepdaughter stops between two fir trees and, not daring to go out into the clearing, listens to what the twelve brothers sitting around the fire are talking about.

January (throwing an armful of brushwood into the fire)

Burn, burn brighter -

Summer will be hotter

And the winter is warmer

And spring is nicer.

All the months burn, burn clearly,

So that it doesn't go out!

June Burn, burn with a bang!

Let through the copses,

Where the snowdrifts will lie,

There will be more berries.

May Let them carry it to the deck

Bees make more honey.

July May there be wheat in the fields

The ears are thick.

All the months burn, burn clearly,

So that it doesn't go out!

The stepdaughter at first does not dare to go out into the clearing, then, plucking up courage, slowly

comes out from behind the trees. The twelve brothers, falling silent, turn to her.

Stepdaughter (bowing). Good evening.

January . Good evening to you too.

Stepdaughter . If I don’t disturb your conversation, let me warm myself by the fire.

January (to brothers). Well, brothers, what do you think, should we allow it or not?

February (shaking his head). There has never been such a case when anyone besides us sat by this fire.

April . It never happened. This is true. Yes, if someone came to our light, then let him warm himself.

May. Let it warm up. This will not reduce the heat in the fire.

December . Well, come, beauty, come, and make sure you don’t burn. You see, we have such a fire - it’s burning.

Stepdaughter . Thank you, grandpa. I won't come close. I'll stand aside.(He approaches the fire, trying not to hit or push anyone, and warms his hands.)That's good! How light and hot your fire is! It felt warm right down to my heart. I warmed up. Thank you.

There is a short silence. All you can hear is the crackling of the fire.

January. What is this in your hands, girl? No basket? Did you come here just in time to get some cones? New Year, and even in such a snowstorm?

February . The forest also needs a rest - not everyone can rob it!

Stepdaughter . I didn’t come of my own free will, and I didn’t come for the bumps.

August (grinning) . So isn't it for mushrooms?

Stepdaughter . Not for mushrooms, but for flowers... My stepmother sent me for snowdrops.

March (laughing and pushing the month of April).Do you hear, brother, behind the snowdrops! So, your guest, welcome!

Everyone laughs.

Stepdaughter . I would laugh myself, but I’m not laughing. My stepmother did not tell me to return home without snowdrops.

February . What did she need snowdrops for in the middle of winter?

Stepdaughter. She doesn't need flowers, but gold. Our queen promised a whole basket of gold to anyone who brought a basket of snowdrops to the palace. So they sent me into the forest.

January. Your business is bad, my dear! Now is not the time for snowdrops - we must wait for the month of April.

Stepdaughter . I know it myself, grandfather. Yes, I have nowhere to go. Well, thank you for your warmth and hello. If I interfered, don't be angry...(Takes his basket and slowly walks towards the trees.)

April. Wait, girl, don't rush!(Approaches January and bows to him.)Brother January, give me your place for an hour.

January . I would give in, but there would be no April before March.

March . Well, it won't be up to me. What do you say, brother February?

February . Okay, I’ll give in, I won’t argue.

January. If so, have it your way!(Hits the ground with his ice staff.)

Don't crack, it's frosty,

In a protected forest,

At the pine, at the birch

Don't chew the bark!

You're full of crows

Freeze,

Human habitation

Cool down!

The forest becomes quiet. The snowstorm has subsided. The sky was covered with stars.

Well, now it’s your turn, brother February!(Hands over his staff to the shaggy and lame February.)

February (hits the ground with his staff)

Winds, storms, hurricanes,

Blow as hard as you can.

Whirlwinds, blizzards and blizzards,

Get ready for the night!

Trumpet loudly in the clouds,

Hover above the ground.

Let the drifting snow run in the fields

White snake!

The wind is humming in the branches. Snow drifts across the clearing and snow whirls swirl.

Now it's your turn, brother Mart!

March (takes staff)

The snow is no longer the same -

He darkened in the field.

The ice on the lakes is cracked,

It's like they split it.

The clouds are moving faster.

The sky became higher.

The sparrow chirped

Have fun on the roof.

It's getting darker every day

Stitches and paths

And on the willows with silver

The earrings glow.

The snow suddenly darkens and settles. It starts dripping. Buds appear on the trees.

Well, now take the staff, brother April.

April (takes the staff and speaks loudly, in a full boyish voice)

Run away, streams,

Spread out, puddles.

Get out, ants,

After the winter cold.

A bear sneaks through

Through the dead wood.

The birds began to sing songs,

And the snowdrop blossomed!

In the forest and in the clearing, everything changes. The last snow is melting. The ground is covered

young grass. Blue and white appear on the hummocks under the trees

flowers. It's dripping, flowing, babbling all around. The stepdaughter stands, numb with surprise.

Why are you standing? Hurry up. My brothers gave you and me just one hour.

Stepdaughter . How did all this happen? Is it really because of me that spring has come in the middle of winter? I don’t dare believe my eyes.

April . Believe it or not, but quickly run and collect snowdrops. Otherwise, winter will return and your basket is still empty.

Stepdaughter. Run Run! (Disappears behind the trees.)

The Stepdaughter comes out from behind the trees. In her hands she has a basket full of snowdrops.

January . Have you already filled your cart full? Your hands are nimble.

Stepdaughter . But they are visible and invisible there. And on hummocks, and under hummocks, and in thickets, and on lawns, and under stones, and under trees! I have never seen so many snowdrops. Yes, they are all so large, the stems are fluffy, like velvet, the petals look like crystal. Thank you, owners, for your kindness. If it weren’t for you, I would never see the sun or spring snowdrops again. No matter how long I live in the world, I will still thank you - for every flower, for every day!(Bows to the month of January.)

January. Bow down not to me, but to my little brother - the month of April. He asked for you, he even brought flowers out from under the snow for you.

Stepdaughter (turning to the month of April).Thank you, month of April! I always rejoiced at you, but now, as soon as I saw you in person, I will never forget!

April . And so that you really don’t forget, here’s a ring for you as a keepsake. Look at him and remember me. If trouble happens, throw it on the ground, into the water or into a snowdrift and say: You roll, roll, little ring,

On the spring porch,

In the summer canopy,

In the autumn teremok

Yes on the winter carpet

To the New Year's bonfire!

We will come to your rescue - all twelve of us will come as one - with a thunderstorm, with a blizzard, with a spring drop! Well, do you remember?

Stepdaughter. I remember. (Repeat.) ...Yes, on a winter carpet

To the New Year's bonfire!

April . Well, goodbye, and take care of my ring. If you lose him, you will lose me!

Stepdaughter . I won't lose it. I will never part with this ring. I will take it with me, like a light from your fire. But your fire warms the whole earth.

ACT FOUR

Old Woman's House. The old woman and the daughter are dressing up. There is a basket with snowdrops on the bench.

Daughter . I told you: give her a big new basket. And you regretted it. Now blame yourself. How much gold will fit in this basket? A handful, another - and there’s no room!

Old woman . And who knew that she would return alive, and with snowdrops at that? This is unheard of!.. And I have no idea where she found them.

Daughter. Didn't you ask her?

Old woman . And I didn’t really have time to ask. She came not herself, as if not from the forest, but from a walk, cheerful, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks glowing. Place the basket on the table - and immediately go behind the curtain. I just looked at what was in her basket, and she was already sleeping. Yes, so hard that you won’t even wake it up. It’s already day outside, and she’s still sleeping. I lit the stove myself and swept the floor.

Daughter . I'll go wake her up. In the meantime, take a large new basket and put the snowdrops into it.

The daughter goes behind the curtain. The old woman rearranges the snowdrops.

The daughter runs out on tiptoe from behind the curtain.

Old woman . Admire how I arranged the snowdrops!

Daughter (quietly). What is there to admire? You will admire it!

Old woman . Ring! Yes what! Where did you get it from?

Daughter. That's where it comes from! I went to her, began to wake her up, but she didn’t hear. I grabbed her hand, unclenched my fist, and lo and behold, the ring on her finger was glowing. I slowly pulled off the ring, but didn’t wake him up anymore - let him sleep.

Old woman . Oh, there it is! That's what I thought.

Daughter . What did you think?

Old woman . She was not alone, which meant she was collecting snowdrops in the forest. Someone helped her. Hey orphan! Show me the ring, daughter. It shines and plays like that. I've never seen anything like this in my life. Come on, put it on your finger. Daughter (trying to put on the ring). Doesn't fit!

At this time, the Stepdaughter comes out from behind the curtain.

Old woman (quietly). Put it in your pocket, put it in your pocket!

The daughter hides the ring in her pocket. Stepdaughter, looking at her feet, slowly

goes to the bench, then to the door, goes out into the hallway.

I noticed it was missing!

The stepdaughter returns, approaches the basket with snowdrops, and rummages through the flowers.

Why are you crushing flowers?

Stepdaughter . Where is the basket in which I brought the snowdrops?

Old woman . What do you need? There she stands.

The stepdaughter is rummaging in the basket.

Daughter. What are you looking for?

Old woman . She is our expert at searching. Is it unheard of to find so many snowdrops in the middle of winter!

Daughter . She also said that there are no snowdrops in winter. Where did you get them?

Stepdaughter. In the forest. (Leans over and looks under the bench.)

Old woman . Tell me, really, what are you rummaging about?

Stepdaughter. Didn't you find anything here?

Old woman . What should we find if we haven’t lost anything?

Daughter. Apparently you've lost something. What are you afraid to say?

Stepdaughter . You know? Did you see it?

Daughter. How should I know? You didn't tell me or show me anything.

Old woman . Just tell me what you lost, and maybe we can help you find it!

Stepdaughter (with difficulty). My ring is missing.

Old women A. Ring? Yes, you never had one.

Stepdaughter . I found him in the forest yesterday.

Old woman . Look, what a lucky girl you are! I found snowdrops and a ring. That’s what I’m saying, a master of searching. Well, look for it. It's time for us to go to the palace. Wrap yourself up warmly, daughter. It's frosty.

They dress and preen themselves.

Stepdaughter . Why do you need my ring? Give it to me.

Old woman . Have you lost your mind? Where can we get it from?

Daughter . We never even saw him.

Stepdaughter . Sister, honey, you have my ring! I know. Well, don't laugh at me, give it to me. You are going to the palace. They will give you a whole basket of gold - whatever you want, you can buy it for yourself, but all I had was this ring.

Old woman. Why are you attached to her? Apparently, this ring was not found, but given. Memory is dear.

Daughter Tell me, who gave it to you?

Stepdaughter. Nobody gave it. Found it.

Old woman. Well, what is easily found is not a pity to lose. It's not earned. Take the basket, daughter. They must have been waiting for us at the palace!

The old woman and daughter leave.

Stepdaughter. (Sits in front of the stove, looks into the fire.)It was as if nothing had happened. It was as if I had dreamed everything. No flowers, no ring... Only brushwood was left with me from everything I brought from the forest!(Throws an armful of brushwood into the fire.)

Burn, burn clearly

So that it doesn't go out!

The flame flares brightly and crackles in the stove.

Burns bright, fun! It’s as if I’m in the forest again, by the fire, among the brothers-months... Farewell, my New Year’s happiness! Farewell, brothers-months! Goodbye April!

ACT FIVE

Hall of the royal palace. In the middle of the hall is a magnificently decorated Christmas tree.

In front of the door leading to the inner royal chambers, there is a crowd of people waiting

The queen has many dressed up guests. Musicians play carcasses. The courtiers come out of the doors, then the Queen, accompanied by the Chancellor and the tall, thin Chamberlain. Behind the Queen are pages carrying her long train. The Professor modestly minces behind the train.

Queen . No, I'm not joking at all. Z tomorrow will be the thirty-third of December, the day after tomorrow - thirtyfourth of December. Well, what next?(To the Professor.) You speak!

Professor (confused) . The thirty-fifth of December... The thirty-sixth of December... The thirty-seventh of December... But this is impossible, Your Majesty!

Queen . Are you again?

Professor. Yes, Your Majesty, again and again! You can cut off my head, you can put me in prison, but there is no such thing as December thirty-seventh! There are thirty-one days in December! Exactly thirty-one. This is proven by science! And seven eight, Your Majesty, fifty-six, and eight eight, Your Majesty, sixty-four! This is also proven by science, and science is more valuable to me than my own head!

Queen. Well, well, dear professor, calm down. I forgive you. I heard somewhere that kings sometimes like to be told the truth. Still, December will not end until they bring me a basket full of snowdrops!

Professor. As you wish, Your Majesty, but they will not be brought to you!

Queen. Let's see!

General confusion.

At this time the door opens. An officer of the royal guard enters.

Crown Prosecutor. Your Majesty, by royal decree, snowdrops have arrived at the palace!

The Old Woman and the Daughter enter with a basket in their hands.

Queen . (Rising up.) Here, here! (Runs up to the basket and rips the tablecloth off it.)So these are snowdrops?

Old woman. And what kind, Your Majesty! Fresh, forest, just out of the snowdrifts! They tore it themselves!

Queen (pulling out handfuls of snowdrops). These are the real ones

flowers. (Pins a bouquet to his chest.) Let everyone be threaded into buttonholes today and pinned

snowdrops for the dress. Well, did everyone pin up the flowers? All? Very good. This means that now the New Year has come in my kingdom. December is over. You can congratulate me!

All. Happy New Year, Your Majesty! With new happiness!

Queen. Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Light up the Christmas tree! I want to dance!

Old woman. Your Majesty, allow us to congratulate you on the New Year!

Queen. Oh, are you still here?

Old woman. Here for now. So we stand with our empty basket.

Queen. Oh yes. Chancellor, order gold to be poured into their basket. (To the Old Woman and Daughter). Tell us where you found the flowers.

The old woman and daughter are silent.

Why are you silent?

Old woman (to daughter). You speak.

Daughter. Speak for yourself.

Old woman (stepping forward, clears his throat and bows).Telling the story, Your Majesty, is not difficult. It was more difficult to find snowdrops in the forest. When my daughter and I heard the royal decree, we both thought: we won’t live, we’ll freeze, but we’ll carry out Her Majesty’s will. We took a broom and a spatula each and went into the forest. We clear the path in front of us with brooms and rake out the snowdrifts with shovels. But it’s dark in the forest, and it’s cold in the forest... We walk, we walk, we can’t see the edge of the forest. I look at my daughter, and she is completely frozen, her arms and legs are shaking. Oh, I think we're both lost...

Old woman. What happened next, Your Majesty, was even worse. The snowdrifts are getting higher, the frost is getting stronger, the forest is getting darker. We don’t remember how we got there. To put it bluntly, we crawled on our knees... We crawled and crawled, and finally got to this very place. And it’s such a wonderful place that it’s impossible to describe it. The snowdrifts are high, higher than the trees, and in the middle there is a lake, round as a saucer. The water in it does not freeze, white ducks swim in the water, and flowers are visible and invisible along the banks.

Queen. And all the snowdrops?

Old woman . All sorts of flowers, Your Majesty. I've never seen anything like this.

The Chancellor brings in a basket of gold and places it next to the Old Woman and Daughter.

(Looking at the gold.)It’s as if the whole earth is covered with a colorful carpet.

Queen (clapping your hands).That's wonderful! Now go into the forest!

Old woman. Your Majesty, have mercy!

Queen. What's happened? Don't you want to go?

Old woman (complainingly). But the road there is very long, Your Majesty!

Queen. How far away, if only yesterday I signed the decree, and today you brought me flowers!

Old woman. That's right, Your Majesty, but we were very cold on the way.

Queen. Are you frozen? Nothing. I will order you to be given warm fur coats.(Signs to the servant.)Bring two fur coats, quickly.

Old woman (to daughter, quietly). What should we do?

Daughter (quietly). We'll send her.

Old woman (quietly). Will she find it?

Daughter (quietly). She will find it!

Queen. What are you whispering about there?

Old woman. Before we die, we say goodbye, Your Majesty... You have given us such a task that you don’t know whether you will return or disappear. Well, nothing can be done. I need to serve you. So tell us to give you a fur coat. We'll go ourselves. (He takes a basket of gold.)

Queen. They'll give you the fur coats now, but leave the gold for now. When you return, you will receive two baskets at once!

The old woman puts the basket on the floor. The Chancellor puts her away.

The servants give fur coats to the Daughter and the Old Woman. They are getting dressed. They look at each other.

Old woman. Thank you, Your Majesty, for the fur coats. In these, the frost is not terrible. Although they are not on a gray fox, they are warm.

They bow and hurriedly go to the door.

Queen. Stop! (Claps his hands.)Give me my fur coat too! EveryoneBring on the fur coats! Yes, order the horses to be pawned.

Chancellor. Where do you want to go, Your Majesty?

Queen (almost jumping). We are going into the forest, to this very round lake. Place these two women in the front sleigh. They will show us the way.

Everyone is getting ready to go, heading to the door.

Queen . Well, is everything ready? Let's go!(Goes to the door.)

Old woman . Your Majesty!

Queen. I don't want to listen to you anymore! Not a word until the lake. You will show the way with signs!

Old woman . Which road? Your Majesty! After all, there is no such lake!

Queen . How is it not?

Old woman . No and no!.. even with us it was covered in ice.

Daughter. And it was covered with snow!

Queen (sitting down on the throne and wrapping himself in a fur coat). So. If If you don't tell me where you got the snowdrops, your heads will be cut off tomorrow. Not today, Now . Well, answer. Only the truth. A it will be bad.

The Old Woman and Daughter fall to their knees.

Old woman (crying). We ourselves don’t know, Your Majesty!..

Daughter. We don't know anything!..

Queen. How is this so? Have you picked a whole basket of snowdrops and don’t know where?

Old woman. We didn't tear it up!

Queen. Oh, how's that? Didn't you tear it up? Then who?

Old woman. My stepdaughter, Your Majesty! It was she, the scoundrel, who went into the forest for me. She also brought snowdrops.

Queen . She goes to the forest, and you go to the palace? Why didn't you take her with you?

Old woman. She stayed at home, Your Majesty. Someone needs to look after the house too.

Queen. So you would look after the house, and they would send the scoundrel here.

Old woman. How can you send her to the palace? She is afraid of our people, like a forest animal.

Queen. Well, can your little animal show you the way to the forest, to the snowdrops?

Old woman. Yes, that's right, it can. If you found the way once, you will find it another time. Only if he wants...

Queen. How dare she not want to if I order?

Old woman . She is stubborn among us, Your Majesty.

Queen . Well, I'm stubborn too! Let's see who can outdo who!

Daughter. And if she doesn’t listen to you, Your Majesty, order her head to be cut off! That's all!

Queen. I myself know whose head to cut off.(Rises from the throne.) Well, listen. We are all going to the forest to collect snowdrops.(To the old woman and her daughter.)And they will give you the fastest horses, and you and this little animal of yours will catch up with us.

Old Woman and Daughter (bowing). We listen, Your Majesty!(They want to go.)

Queen. Wait!..Put two soldiers with guns on them... No, four - so that these liars don’t try to sneak away from us.

Old woman. Oh, fathers!..

ACT SIX

Forest. A round lake covered with ice. There is a dark hole in the middle of it.

High snowdrifts.

Crown Prosecutor. I fear that these criminals have deceived the guards and

disappeared.

Queen . You are responsible for them with your head! If they're not here in a minute...

The ringing of bells. Horses neighing. The Old Woman, Daughter and Stepdaughter come out from behind the bushes.

Crown Prosecutor. Here they are, Your Majesty!

Queen . Finally!

Old woman (looking around, to himself).Look, lake! After all, you lie, you lie, and you inadvertently lie about the truth!(To the Queen.) Your Majesty, I brought you my stepdaughter. Don't be angry.

Queen . Bring her here. Oh, that's what you are! I thought you were some kind of furry, club-footed person, but it turns out you are beautiful. Bring this girl warm clothes

made of fur and down, or, humanly speaking, a fur coat!.. Well, put it on her!

Stepdaughter. Thank you.

Queen. Wait to thank! I'll give you another basket of gold,

Twelve velvet dresses, shoes with silver heels, and a bracelet

on each hand and a diamond ring on each finger! Want?

Stepdaughter. Thank you. But I don’t need any of this.

Queen. Nothing at all?

Stepdaughter . No, I need one ring. Not ten of yours, but one of mine!

Queen. Is one better than ten?

Stepdaughter. Better than a hundred for me.

Old woman. Don't listen to her, Your Majesty!

Daughter. She doesn't know what she's saying!

Stepdaughter. No, I know. I had a ring, but you took it and don’t want to give it back.

Daughter. Did you see how we took it?

Stepdaughter. I haven’t seen it, but I know that you have it.

Queen (to the Old Woman and Daughter). Come on, give me this ring here!

Old woman. Your Majesty, take my word for it, we don’t have it!

Daughter. And it never happened, Your Majesty.

Queen. And now it will. Give me a ring, or else...

Crown Prosecutor. Hurry up, witches! The Queen is angry.

The daughter, looking at the Queen, takes a ring out of her pocket.

Stepdaughter . My! There is no other like it in the world.

Old woman . Oh, daughter, why did you hide someone else’s ring?

Daughter . You said it yourself - put it in your pocket if it doesn’t fit on your finger!

Everyone laughs.

Queen . Beautiful ring. Where did you get it from?

Stepdaughter. They gave it to me.

Crown Prosecutor. Who gave it?

Stepdaughter. I will not say.

Queen. Eh, you really are stubborn! Well, guess what? So be it, take your ring!

Stepdaughter . Is it true? Well, thank you!

Queen . Take it and remember: I’m giving it to you for showing me the place where you picked snowdrops yesterday. Hurry up!

Stepdaughter. Then don't!..

Queen. What? Don't you need a ring? Well, then you'll never see him again! I'll throw him into the water, into the hole! It's a pity? I might feel sorry for it myself, but there’s nothing to be done about it. Tell me quickly where the snowdrops are. One two Three!

Stepdaughter (crying). My ring!

Queen. Do you think I really quit? No, it's still here, in the palm of my hand. Say just one word and you will have it. Well? How long will you remain stubborn? Take off her fur coat!

Daughter. Let him freeze!

Old woman. Serves her right!

The Stepdaughter's fur coat is taken off. The Queen paces back and forth in anger.

Queen. Say goodbye to your ring and to your life at the same time. Grab her!..(Throws the ring into the water with a flourish.)

Stepdaughter (rushing forward)You roll, roll, little ring

On the spring porch,

In the summer canopy,

In the autumn teremok

Yes on the winter carpet

To the New Year's bonfire!

Queen. What, what is she saying?

A tall Old Man in a white fur coat comes onto the stage. It's January.

He notices the uninvited guests and approaches them.

Old man. Why did you come here?

Queen (plaintively). For snowdrops...

Old man. Now is not the time for snowdrops.

Professor (trembling). Absolutely correct!

Queen. I myself see that it’s not time. Teach us how to get out of here!

Old man. Once you arrive, get out.

Queen . Help us please! Get us out of here. I will reward you

like a king. If you want gold, silver, I won’t regret anything!

Old man. But I don’t need anything, I have everything. There's so much silver - you've never seen so much! Not you, but I can give you a gift. Say who needs what in the New Year, who has what wish.

Queen. I want one thing - to the palace. But there’s nothing to ride on!

Old man . There will be something to ride on. (To the Professor.) Well, what do you want?

Professor . I would like everything to be in its place and in its time again: winter is winter, summer is summer, and we are at home.

Old man. It will come true!

Daughter . And we both have a fur coat!

Old woman . Just wait! What's the hurry?

Daughter . What are you waiting for! Any fur coat, even dog fur, but just now, quickly!

Old man (pulls out two dog fur coats from his bosom). Hold it!

Old woman . Excuse me, your honor, we don’t need these fur coats. That's not what she wanted to say!

Old man . What is said is said. Wear fur coats. Wearing them means not tearing them down!

Old woman (holding a fur coat in his hands).You're a fool, you're a fool! If you ask for a fur coat, then at least a sable one!

Daughter. You yourself are a fool! We should have spoken on time.

Old woman. Not only did she get herself a dog fur coat, but she also forced it on me!

Daughter. And if you don’t like it, give me yours too, it will be warmer. And freeze here under the bush, don’t mind!

Old woman. So I gave it away, keep your pocket wider!

Both quickly get dressed, quarreling.

Hurry up! I begged for a dog fur coat!

Daughter. Doggy suits you just right! You bark like a dog!

Old woman. You yourself are a dog!

The old woman wears a smooth black one with gray hair, the Daughter wears a shaggy red one.

Queen. Oh, dogs, hold them! They will redeem us!

Professor. In fact, dogs are great to ride. Eskimos make long journeys on them...

Queen. These dogs are worth a dozen. Harness it quickly!

Everyone sits down.

Old man. Here's to New Year's skating.

ACT SEVEN

Clearing in the forest. They sit around the fire all months. Among them is the Stepdaughter.

The months take turns adding brushwood to the fire.

Cook spring resins.

Let from our cauldron

Resin will go down the trunks,

So that the whole earth in spring

It smelled like fir and pine!

AllmonthsBurn, burn clearly

So that it doesn't go out!

January (Stepdaughter). Well, dear guest, throw some brushwood on the fire. It will burn even hotter.

Stepdaughter(throws an armful of dry branches)Burn, burn clearly

So that it doesn't go out!

January. What, I suppose you're hot? Look how your cheeks are heating up!

February. Is it any wonder, straight from the cold and to such fire! Here both frost and fire are burning - one is hotter than the other, not everyone can endure it.

Stepdaughter. It’s okay, I love it when the fire burns hot!

January. We know this. That’s why they let you near our fire.

Stepdaughter. Thank you. You saved me from death twice. And I’m ashamed to look you in the eyes... I lost your gift.

April. Lost it? Come on, guess what's in my hand!

Stepdaughter. Ring!

April. You guessed it! Take your ring. It's good that you didn't feel sorry for him today. Otherwise you would never see the ring or us again. Wear it, and you will always be warm and light: in cold weather, in blizzards, and in autumn fog. Although they say that April is a deceptive month, the April sun will never deceive you!

Stepdaughter. So my lucky ring has returned to me! It was dear to me, and now it will be even more dear. I’m just scared to return home with him, lest they take him away again...

January. No, they won't take it away anymore. There is no one to take it away! You will go to your home and be a complete mistress. Now it’s not you who are with us, but we who will be your guest.

May. We'll take turns eating with everyone. Everyone will come with their own gift.

September. We, the months, are a rich people. Just know how to accept gifts from us.

October. You will have such apples, flowers and berries in your garden as have never been seen in the world.

Stepdaughter. Goodbye, month of April!

April. Goodbye, honey! Wait for me to visit!

The stepdaughter leaves.

January(looking around).What, grandfather forest? Did we frighten you today, stir up your snow, wake up your beasts?.. Well, that’s enough, that’s enough, go to sleep, we won’t disturb you anymore!..

There will be ashes and ash.

Scatter, blue smoke,

Through the gray bushes,

Envelop the forest to the heights,

Rise to the skies!

The stars go out in succession.

From the open gates

The red sun is coming.

The sun leads by the hand

New day and New Year!

AllmonthsBurn, burn clearly

So that it doesn't go out!

Rides up to heaven

The sun is golden

Cast gold.

Doesn't knock, doesn't rattle,

He doesn't speak with his hoof!

AllmonthsBurn, burn clearly

So that it doesn't go out!

Fairy Tale Twelve Months watch cartoon online:

Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak - fairy tale Twelve months , read the text online:

Do you know how many months there are in a year?

Twelve.

What are their names?

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

As soon as one month ends, another begins immediately. And it has never happened before that February came before January left, and May overtook April. The months go one after another and never meet.

But people say that in the mountainous country of Bohemia there was a girl who saw all twelve months at once. How did this happen? That's how.

In one small village there lived an angry and stingy woman with her daughter and stepdaughter. She loved her daughter, but her stepdaughter could not please her in any way. No matter what the stepdaughter does, everything is wrong, no matter how she turns, everything is in the wrong direction. The daughter spent whole days lying on the feather bed and eating gingerbread, but her stepdaughter had no time to sit down from morning to night: either fetch water, or bring brushwood from the forest, or wash out the laundry on the river, or weed the beds in the garden. She knew winter cold, summer heat, spring wind, and autumn rain. That’s why, perhaps, she once had the chance to see all twelve months at once.

It was winter. It was January. There was so much snow that it had to be shoveled away from the doors, and in the forest on the mountain the trees stood waist-deep in snowdrifts and could not even sway when the wind blew on them. People sat in their houses and lit their stoves. At such and such a time, in the evening, the evil stepmother opened the door, looked at how the blizzard was sweeping, and then returned to the warm stove and said to her stepdaughter:

You should go to the forest and pick snowdrops there. Tomorrow is your sister's birthday.

The girl looked at her stepmother: was she joking or was she really sending her into the forest? It's scary in the forest now! And what are snowdrops like in winter? They will not be born before March, no matter how much you look for them. You'll just get lost in the forest and get stuck in the snowdrifts.

And her sister tells her:

Even if you disappear, no one will cry for you. Go and don't come back without flowers. Here's your basket.

The girl began to cry, wrapped herself in a torn scarf and walked out the door. The wind dusts her eyes with snow and tears her scarf off. She walks, barely pulling her legs out of the snowdrifts. It's getting darker all around. The sky is black, not a single star looks at the ground, and the ground is a little lighter. It's from the snow. Here is the forest. It's completely dark here - you can't see your hands. The girl sat down on a fallen tree and sat. All the same, he thinks about where to freeze.

And suddenly a light flashed far between the trees - as if a star was entangled among the branches. The girl got up and went towards this light. He drowns in snowdrifts and climbs over a windbreak. “If only,” he thinks, “the light doesn’t go out!” But it doesn’t go out, it burns brighter and brighter. You could already smell warm smoke and hear the crackling of brushwood in the fire. The girl quickened her pace and entered the clearing. Yes, she froze.

It’s light in the clearing, as if from the sun. In the middle of the clearing a large fire is burning, almost reaching to the sky. And people are sitting around the fire - some closer to the fire, some further away. They sit and talk quietly. The girl looks at them and thinks: who are they? They don’t seem to look like hunters, even less like woodcutters: look how smart they are - some in silver, some in gold, some in green velvet. She began to count and counted twelve: three old, three elderly, three young, and the last three were still just boys.

The young people sit near the fire, and the old people sit at a distance.

And suddenly one old man turned around - the tallest, bearded, with eyebrows - and looked in the direction where the girl stood. She was scared and wanted to run away, but it was too late. The old man asks her loudly:

Where did you come from, what do you want here?

The girl showed him her empty basket and said:

Yes, I need to fill this basket with snowdrops.

The old man laughed:

Is it snowdrops in January? What did you come up with!

“I didn’t make it up,” the girl replies, “but my stepmother sent me here for snowdrops and didn’t tell me to return home with an empty basket.” Then all twelve looked at her and began to talk among themselves.

The girl stands there, listening, but doesn’t understand the words - as if it’s not people talking, but trees making noise.

They talked and talked and fell silent.

And the tall old man turned around again and asked:

What will you do if you don't find snowdrops? After all, they won’t even appear before March.

“I’ll stay in the forest,” says the girl. - I’ll wait for the month of March. It’s better for me to freeze in the forest than to return home without snowdrops.

She said this and cried. And suddenly one of the twelve, the youngest, cheerful, with a fur coat over one shoulder, stood up and approached the old man:

Brother January, give me your place for an hour!

The old man stroked his long beard and said:

I would have given in, but March would not be there before February.

Okay, then,” grumbled another old man, all shaggy, with a disheveled beard. - Give in, I won’t argue! We all know her well: sometimes you’ll meet her at an ice hole with buckets, sometimes in the forest with a bundle of firewood. All months have their own. We need to help her.

Well, have it your way,” said January.

He struck the ground with his ice staff and spoke:

Don't crack, it's frosty,

In a protected forest,

At the pine, at the birch

Don't chew the bark!

You're full of crows

Freeze,

Human habitation

Cool down!

The old man fell silent, and the forest became quiet. The trees stopped crackling from the frost, and the snow began to fall thickly, in large, soft flakes.

Well, now it’s your turn, brother,” said January and gave the staff to his younger brother, shaggy February.

He tapped his staff, shook his beard and boomed:

Winds, storms, hurricanes,

Blow as hard as you can!

Whirlwinds, blizzards and blizzards,

Get ready for the night!

Trumpet loudly in the clouds,

Hover above the ground.

Let the drifting snow run in the fields

White snake!

As soon as he said this, a stormy, wet wind rustled in the branches. Snow flakes began to swirl and white whirlwinds rushed across the ground.

And February gave his ice staff to his younger brother and said:

Now it's your turn, brother Mart.

The younger brother took the staff and hit it on the ground. The girl looks, and this is no longer a staff. This is a large branch, all covered with buds. Mart grinned and sang loudly, in all his boyish voice:

Run away, streams,

Spread, puddles,

Get out, ants,

After the winter cold!

A bear sneaks through

Through the dead wood.

The birds began to sing songs,

And the snowdrop blossomed.

The girl even clasped her hands. Where did the high snowdrifts go? Where are the ice icicles that hung on every branch! Under her feet is soft spring soil. It's dripping, flowing, babbling all around. The buds on the branches are inflated, and the first green leaves are already peeking out from under the dark skin. The girl looks and can’t see enough.

Why are you standing? - Mart tells her. - Hurry, my brothers gave you and me only one hour.

The girl woke up and ran into the thicket to look for snowdrops. And they are visible and invisible! Under bushes and under stones, on hummocks and under hummocks - everywhere you look. She collected a full basket, a full apron - and quickly went back to the clearing, where the fire was burning, where the twelve brothers were sitting. And there is no longer a fire, no brothers... It’s light in the clearing, but not as before. Light does not come from fire, but from full month that rose above the forest.

The girl regretted that she had no one to thank and went home. And a month swam after her.

Not feeling her feet under her, she ran to her door - and had just entered the house when the winter blizzard began to hum outside the windows again, and the moon hid in the clouds.

“Well,” her stepmother and sister asked, “have you returned home yet?” Where are the snowdrops?

The girl didn’t answer, she just poured snowdrops out of her apron onto the bench and put the basket next to it.

The stepmother and sister gasped:

Where did you get them?

The girl told them everything that happened. They both listen and shake their heads - they believe and don’t believe. It’s hard to believe, but there’s a whole heap of fresh, blue snowdrops on the bench. They just smell like March!

The stepmother and daughter looked at each other and asked:

Have months given you anything else? - Yes, I didn’t ask for anything else.

What a fool, what a fool! - says the sister. - For once, I met all twelve months, but didn’t ask for anything except snowdrops! Well, if I were you, I'd know what to ask for. One has apples and sweet pears, another has ripe strawberries, the third has white mushrooms, the fourth has fresh cucumbers!

Smart girl, daughter! - says the stepmother. - In winter, strawberries and pears have no price. We would sell this and make so much money! And this fool brought snowdrops! Dress up, daughter, warmly, and go to the clearing. They won’t deceive you, even if there are twelve of them and you are alone.

Where are they! - the daughter answers, and she herself puts her hands in her sleeves and puts a scarf on her head.

Her mother shouts after her:

Put on your mittens and button up your fur coat!

And my daughter is already at the door. She ran into the forest!

He follows his sister's footsteps and is in a hurry. I wish I could get to the clearing soon, he thinks!

The forest is getting thicker and darker. The snowdrifts are getting higher and the windfall is like a wall.

“Oh,” the stepmother’s daughter thinks, “why did I go into the forest!” I would be lying at home in a warm bed right now, but now go and freeze! You'll still be lost here!

And as soon as she thought this, she saw a light in the distance - as if a star had become entangled in the branches. She went to the light. She walked and walked and came out into a clearing. In the middle of the clearing, a large fire is burning, and twelve brothers, twelve months old, are sitting around the fire. They sit and talk quietly. The stepmother's daughter approached the fire itself, did not bow, did not say a friendly word, but chose a place where it was hotter and began to warm herself. The month brothers fell silent. It became quiet in the forest. And suddenly the month of January hit the ground with his staff.

Who are you? - asks. -Where did it come from?

From home,” the stepmother’s daughter answers. - Today you gave my sister a whole basket of snowdrops. So I came in her footsteps.

We know your sister,” says January-month, “but we haven’t even seen you.” Why did you come to us?

For gifts. Let the month of June pour strawberries into my basket, and bigger ones. And July is the month of fresh cucumbers and white mushrooms, and the month of August is of apples and sweet pears. And September is the month of ripe nuts. And October...

Wait,” says the month of January. - There will be no summer before spring, and no spring before winter. The month of June is still a long way off. I am now the owner of the forest, I will reign here for thirty-one days.

Look, he's so angry! - says the stepmother’s daughter. - Yes, I didn’t come to you - you won’t get anything from you except snow and frost. I need the summer months.

The month of January frowned.

Look for summer in winter! - speaks.

He waved his wide sleeve, and a blizzard rose in the forest from ground to sky, covering both the trees and the clearing on which the moon brothers had been sitting. The fire was no longer visible behind the snow, but you could only hear a fire whistling somewhere, crackling, blazing.

The stepmother's daughter was scared. - Stop doing that! - shouts. - Enough!

Where is it?

The blizzard swirls around her, blinds her eyes, takes her breath away. She fell into a snowdrift and was covered with snow.

And the stepmother waited and waited for her daughter, looked out the window, ran out the door - she was gone, and that’s all. She wrapped herself up warmly and went into the forest. How can you really find anyone in the thicket in such a snowstorm and darkness!

She walked and walked and searched and searched until she herself froze. So they both remained in the forest to wait for summer. But the stepdaughter lived in the world for a long time, grew up big, got married and raised children.

And they say she had a garden near her house - and such a wonderful one, the likes of which the world has never seen. Earlier than everyone else, flowers bloomed in this garden, berries ripened, apples and pears were filled. In the heat it was cool there, in the snowstorm it was quiet.

This hostess has been staying with this hostess for twelve months at once! - people said.

Who knows - maybe it was so.

Marshak's tale was reprinted many times in Soviet time- and is being re-published now. It is included in the standard literature program for secondary schools. In 1947, it was first staged in a theater - at the Moscow Art Theater, and this production was followed by hundreds of others. In 1956, “Twelve Months” was adapted into a cartoon, and in 1972, it was filmed. In 1980, a cartoon was made based on the play in Japan.

New Year's rehabilitation

Cover of the play-fairy tale “Twelve Months” by Samuil Marshak. 1946 Russian State Children's Library

"Twelve months" - Christmas story: It takes place on December 31st and January 1st. This chronological milestone is especially important if we remember that in the original Bohemian fairy tale, which Marshak adapted for the theater, the stepmother and sister send their father-daughter into the forest for violets in mid-January, and not on New Year's Eve. The image of the New Year as a time of miracles and amazing incidents is repeatedly emphasized and played out in the play. Why did Marshak need this?

The resumption of the New Year celebration as an analogue and secular replacement of Christmas in the Soviet Union occurred after a long break only in 1935. Many parents and children, not to mention workers in child care institutions, had little idea how to celebrate the New Year: how to decorate a Christmas tree, organize a ritual of gift-giving, what performance to put on, what poems to read. Since 1936, special collections with scenarios for children's parties, poems about the Christmas tree and the New Year have been published to help parents, teachers and entertainers. Samuel Marshak also wrote a lot for such collections in the pre-war years. His play “Twelve Months” became probably the most popular Soviet script for the New Year, supporting the tradition of creating a family social holiday, which began in 1935.

War tale

“Twelve Months” was written in the winter of 1942 - in early spring 1943, at the height of the battle for Stalingrad. In his later memoirs, Marshak wrote that when creating his play, he tried to distance it as much as possible from the disturbing military events: “It seemed to me that in harsh times, children, and, perhaps, adults, need a cheerful festive performance, in a poetic fairy tale." However, he did not hide the fact that he wrote his dramatic work in between working for newspapers, writing leaflets and posters, and speaking at the front.

At first glance, there really is no war, no battles, no warring countries and nations in the play. However, it contains a story about the hard work that falls to the lot of main character, and about the hardships she endures in her stepmother's house. The first readers and viewers of the fairy tale could not help but pay attention to these details - after all, they are already not the most prosperous lives turned upside down by the war.

“Young Fritz”, directors Grigory Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg. 1943

However, in the play one can also see deeper connections with Soviet cultural history during the war. Marshak began in the 1920s as an author of plays for children's theater, but then abandoned this activity for a long time. In “Twelve Months” he returned to the dramatic form and immediately began writing text for a theatrical production. This was preceded by another experience - not of a theatrical, but of a cinematic kind: Marshak wrote a poetic script for the film by Grigory Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg “Young Fritz” - about a German boy who was raised in the “true Aryan spirit”, then taken into service to the Gestapo, then sent on campaigns of conquest across European countries and, finally, to Eastern front, where he ended his military career after being captured. The film was made, but never released. Marshak believed that the reason for this was the too humorous and frivolous manner of production. A few months after the film was banned, Marshak took up the play.

Film studio "Soyuzmultfilm"

In "The Twelve Months" there are clear structural echoes of "Young Fritz---" that force us to look at some scenes of the play differently. Both works caustically ridicule the slavish obedience in which subjects live in fascist Germany and the fairy-tale kingdom. But a particularly striking similarity appears in the endings of both works. Fritz and his military comrade, wrapped in women's fur coats and muffs, almost freeze to death in the winter of 1942 in a forest near Moscow - winter forest becomes the place where they are “tested for strength.” The negative characters of “Twelve Months” - the queen, stepmother and daughter - undergo exactly the same test. The punishments that the winners distribute to the losers are also symmetrical: the Czech mother and daughter are turned into dogs by the magicians, and Fritz is placed in a cage in the zoo and shown to children on excursions. These transformations of bodies and souls were supposed to convey to the audience an obvious moral: selfish and stupid people, having begun to serve the forces of evil, deserve exclusion from the world of people.

Anti-totalitarian fairy tale

Still from the cartoon "Twelve Months". 1956 Film studio "Soyuzmultfilm"

The definition of “anti-totalitarian fairy tale” is most often used in relation to the dramatic fairy tales of Evgeniy Schwartz “Shadow”, “Dragon” and “An Ordinary Miracle”, as well as to Tamara Gabbe’s fairy-tale play “City of Masters”. In this genre, under the guise of fairy-tale kingdoms and their inhabitants, worst traits totalitarian states of the 20th century and the destructive influence they had on human psychology. It is not surprising that the anti-totalitarian fairy tale reached its heyday in Soviet literature during the war years, when, under the guise of satire on Nazi Germany, it was possible to write and even publish satire that was also aimed at the Soviet order. Of the war years, 1942-1943 became the most generous period for works of this genre, when “Twelve Months”, “City of Masters” and “Dragon” appeared.

Both Vasily Grossman wrote about the reasons for such productivity in the novel “Life and Fate”, and Marietta Chudakova in her articles on the history of Soviet literature: the Soviet state, and behind it the Soviet censorship, sensing mortal danger, somewhat weakened the pressure , and previously prohibited things began to appear in the press. However, by the summer of 1943, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction - the military thaw turned out to be very short-lived.

Still from the cartoon "Twelve Months". 1956 Film studio "Soyuzmultfilm"

The motives for thoughtless disposal of other people's lives, groundless threats to take life because of the slightest whim of a narcissistic ruler are visible in “Twelve Months.” Everyone remembers the lesson scene in which the queen orders the execution of one of her subjects only because the word “execute” is shorter than “pardon,” but think about own decision, as the professor asks her, she categorically does not want to. In another episode, the Queen threatens to execute the head gardener because he could not find snowdrops in January. The mechanism of repressive fear is triggered, and the gardener, in a panic, declares the chief forester guilty.

Still from the cartoon "Twelve Months". 1956 Film studio "Soyuzmultfilm"

In January, the queen decides to go for a walk in the forest to pick berries, nuts and plums. No one dares to contradict her, and the walk ends in a real catastrophe: having survived the change of all seasons in a few minutes, the queen and her courtiers are left in the forest without means of transportation and without winter clothing in one of the coldest winter days. Of course, this chain of events can only be perceived in a fairy-tale context, because the fairy tale was not a direct satire on Soviet reality. However, by the end of 1942, many had a growing feeling of uncertainty and dissatisfaction with the decisions that the country's leaders, including Stalin, were making both at the front and in the rear. Of course, the author of “Twelve Months” had to think about this more than once.

Apocalypse 1942

Still from the cartoon "Twelve Months". 1956 Film studio "Soyuzmultfilm"

Marshak’s young queen is a ruler who, with her irresponsible decisions, radically changes the entire course of world events. In the fairy tale, she simply arranges the end of the world, from which everyone is saved only by a miracle:

Queen (angrily). There are no more months in my kingdom and there never will be! It was my professor who made them up!
Royal Prosecutor. I'm listening, Your Majesty! Will not be!
It's getting dark. An unimaginable hurricane is rising. The wind knocks down trees and carries away abandoned fur coats and shawls.
CHANCELLER. What is it? The earth is shaking...
CHIEF OF THE ROYAL GUARD. The sky is falling to earth!
S t a r u h a. Fathers!
Daughter. Mother!
<…>
The darkness deepens even more.

Among the works of Soviet literature written shortly before the “Twelve Months”, there is one in which the order of actions is exactly this: the ruler makes one single irresponsible decision - and changes everything world history, and the fatal and irreversible nature of his decision, as well as the universal scale of the events taking place, is emphasized by the approaching darkness and hurricane. Marshak should have read Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” in 1941-1942 Judging by the surviving documents, until 1942, the leadership of the Writers' Union discussed the possibility of publishing a multi-volume collected works of Bulgakov.. After Yeshua's crucifixion, "the darkness that came with Mediterranean Sea, covered the city hated by the prosecutor.” At this moment, Pilate - apparently wanting to meet the elements (or the will of a higher power?) face to face - remains in the palace colonnade and displays tyranny, in no way inferior to the evil whims of the queen:

“The servant, who was setting the table for the procurator before the storm, for some reason became confused under his gaze, became agitated because he had displeased him in some way, and the procurator, angry with him, broke the jug on the mosaic floor, saying:
- Why don’t you look him in the face when you serve? Did you steal anything?
The African’s black face turned gray, mortal horror appeared in his eyes, he trembled and almost broke the second jug, but for some reason the prosecutor’s anger flew away as quickly as it had come.” Another obvious source for the apocalypse scene in “The Twelve Months” is Mayakovsky’s “Mysteria-bouffe,” which also contains the word “darkness”: “The unclean ones have moved upward. Broken, clouds fall. Dark"..

Marshak regularly communicated with Bulgakov in the last months of his life, and after the writer’s death on March 10, 1940, he joined the commission on his literary inheritance. Members of the commission sometimes met at Marshak's house. He not only had access to the unpublished novel, but also, as a member of the literary heritage commission, was obliged to read it.

Still from the cartoon "Twelve Months". 1956 Film studio "Soyuzmultfilm"

Probably, after “Young Fritz” was accused of being too frivolous, Marshak actually decided to write something more serious and moralistic. He created a fairy tale in which the powerful otherworldly forces- personified spirits of the time - after a world cataclysm, they restore justice, saving the weak and humiliated and punishing the arrogant and self-confident.

(Based on the fairy tale-play by S. Marshak.)

New Year's scenario for a children's theater where the children themselves will perform.

CHARACTERS:

NASTENKA
SOLDIER
QUEEN
STEPMOTHER
STEPMOTHER'S DAUGHTER
PROFESSOR
TWELVE MONTHS
MAID OF HONOR
CHANCELLOR
AMBASSADOR
CHIEF OF THE ROYAL GUARD
GUESTS
COURTIERS

(Music.)

STORYTELLER: This amazing story happened in one Kingdom. And they told it to their children and grandchildren for a long time. And it started on New Year's Eve, i.e. on the last day of the departed. Listen to this story too...
Once upon a time there was a girl. And her name was Nastenka. When she was still little, her mother died and her father married another woman. This is how Nastenka got a stepmother. And then my father died. And Nastenka remained to live with her stepmother and her sister, her stepmother’s own daughter. Like many non-native children, Nastenka had a hard time. She did laundry, cooked food, cleaned the house, lit the stove.
One day, on New Year's Eve, Nastenka's stepmother sent her to the forest for brushwood. There, in a forest clearing, she met a Royal soldier...

(Music. The curtain opens. Nastenka and the Royal Soldier are on stage.)

SOLDIER: Hello, dear girl!
What brought you to the forest in such frost?

NASTENKA: I didn’t come here of my own free will!
My stepmother sent me for firewood!
And who are you?

SOLDIER: I am a soldier of Her Royal Majesty! Came for the Christmas tree!
After all, tomorrow is New Year. The Palace will be full of guests!
But you also have to decorate the Christmas tree in time!

NASTENKA: And what, Mr. Soldier, does the Queen have children?

SOLDIER: What are you saying, girl! She just turned 14!
She will probably be the same age as you.
Her parents died and she had to become Queen.

NASTENKA: So she’s an orphan too! I feel sorry for her!

SOLDIER: Too bad! And there is no one to teach her wisdom!
If our Queen wants something, she will do it, she won’t listen to anyone...
What's your name?

NASTENKA: Nastenka.

SOLDIER: Well, come on, Nastenka, I’ll help you collect brushwood!

NASTENKA: Thank you, Mr. Soldier!
And I will help you choose a Christmas tree! I know a good, fluffy one here!

SOLDIER: What kind of gentleman am I? Just a soldier of Her Majesty.
But if you show me a good Christmas tree, I will be very grateful to you!

(Nastenka and the Soldier go collecting brushwood. Music. The curtain closes.)

STORYTELLER: And now we will be transported to the Royal Palace. The Queen is having a spelling lesson. She writes under the dictation of her teacher-professor.

(Music. The curtain opens. The Queen is on stage, she sits at the table and writes. The teacher-professor dictates to her.)

QUEEN: I hate writing! All fingers are covered in ink! Okay, dictate!

PROFESSOR: The grass is turning green,
The sun is shining
Swallow with spring
It flies towards us in the canopy.

(The Queen writes.)

QUEEN: “He’s flying towards us in the canopy”... Well, okay, that’s enough!
Now tell me something interesting!

PROFESSOR: Anything interesting? About what?

QUEEN: Well, I don’t know, something New Year’s... After all, today is New Year’s Eve.

PROFESSOR: Okay! A year, Your Majesty, consists of 12 months.

QUEEN: Really?

PROFESSOR: Yes! December, January, February are winter months. March, April, May – spring. June, July, August – summer and September, October, November – autumn. And it never happens that February comes before January, and September before August.

QUEEN: What if I wanted it to be April now?

PROFESSOR: This is impossible, Your Majesty!

QUEEN: What if I make a law and put a great seal?

PROFESSOR: This won't help!
And it’s unlikely that Your Majesty needs it!
After all, every month brings its own gifts and fun!
December, January and February – ice skating, Christmas tree.
In March the snow begins to melt, and in April the first snowdrops appear.

QUEEN: I wish it was already April!
I really love snowdrops! I've never seen them!

PROFESSOR: There is very little left until April! Only 90 days!

QUEEN: 90 days? But I don't want to wait!

PROFESSOR: Your Majesty! But the laws of nature...

QUEEN: I will make a new law of nature!... (thinks for a moment, then speaks decisively)
Sit down and write: “The grass is green, the sun is shining, and in our Royal Forest
the spring flowers have bloomed. Therefore, I command that it be delivered to the New Year in
Retz full basket of snowdrops. I will reward the one who fulfills my will
royally I will give him as much gold as will fit in his basket and let him
participate in our New Year's skating." Have you written?

PROFESSOR: Yes! But Your Majesty, this is impossible!

QUEEN: Give me a pen, I'll sign it! (signs)
Put a stamp! And make sure everyone in the city knows my decree!

(Music. The curtain closes.)

STORYTELLER: And now we will look into the house where Nastenka lives. As we have already learned, she lives with her stepmother and sister, her stepmother’s own daughter. Let's get to know them too. Let's see what they are doing.

(Music. The curtain opens. Stepmother and her Daughter are on stage.)

DAUGHTER: Will there be a lot of gold in this basket? (shows a small basket)
Enough for a fur coat?

STEPMOTHER: What a fur coat, enough for a full dowry!

DAUGHTER: And this one? (takes a larger basket)

STEPMOTHER: And there’s nothing to say about this one!
You will dress in gold, you will put on your shoes, you will eat and drink on gold!

DAUGHTER: Then I’ll take this basket!
One problem - you can’t find snowdrops!
Apparently the Queen wanted to laugh at us!

STEPMOTHER: Young, she comes up with all sorts of things!

DAUGHTER: What if someone goes into the forest and picks snowdrops!
Maybe they are growing slowly under the snow!
And then he will receive a whole basket of gold!
I’ll put on my fur coat and try to look!

STEPMOTHER: What are you doing, daughter!
I won’t even let you leave the threshold!
Look what a blizzard is happening!
You'll freeze in the forest!

DAUGHTER: Then you go, and I’ll take the flowers to the Palace!

STEPMOTHER: Why don’t you feel sorry for your own mother?

DAUGHTER: It's a pity!
I feel sorry for you, mother, and I feel sorry for the gold, and most of all I feel sorry for myself!
You’ll end up sitting in the kitchen by the stove because of you!
And others will ride with the Queen in a silver sleigh and rake for gold with a shovel!
(Covers his face with his hands and cries.)

STEPMOTHER: Well, don't cry, daughter!
Eat some hot cake!

DAUGHTER: I don’t want a pie, I want snowdrops!
If you don’t want to go yourself and won’t let me in, let your sister go!
There she is returning from the forest!

STEPMOTHER: But you're right!
Why shouldn't she go?
The forest is not far away, it won't take long to escape!

DAUGHTER: So let him go!

(Nastenka enters.)

STEPMOTHER: Wait, undress!
You still need to run somewhere else!

NASTENKA: Where is it? Far?

STEPMOTHER: Not so close, but not far either!

DAUGHTER: Into the forest!

NASTENKA: To the forest? I brought a lot of brushwood.

DAUGHTER: Not for brushwood, but for snowdrops!

NASTENKA: Are you kidding, sister?

DAUGHTER: What jokes? Haven't you heard about the decree?

NASTENKA: No.

DAUGHTER: They're saying it all over town!
The Queen will give a whole basket of gold to the one who picks snowdrops!

NASTENKA: But what about snowdrops now – it’s winter...

STEPMOTHER: In spring, they pay for snowdrops not in gold, but in copper!
Maybe they grow under the snow!
Come and have a look!

NASTENKA: Where should we go now? It's already getting dark...
Maybe we can go tomorrow morning?

DAUGHTER: I came up with that too! In the morning!
After all, we need flowers for the holiday!

NASTENKA: Don’t you feel sorry for me at all?

DAUGHTER: Well there you go! Made me feel sorry!
Take off your scarf, I’ll go into the forest myself!

STEPMOTHER: Where are you going? Who will let you?
Pick up a basket and go!
And don't come back without snowdrops!

(My daughter gives a large basket to Nastenka.)

DAUGHTER: Here's a basket for you!

STEPMOTHER: Give her a small one! This one is completely new! He'll lose him in the forest!

(Nastenka takes a small basket and goes. Music. The curtain closes.)

STORYTELLER: So, Nastenka had to go into the forest again!.. What to do? After all, the stepmother ordered, you can’t disobey!... But how to find snowdrops in winter? This doesn’t happen...
Nastenka wandered for a long time, she was frozen! All the paths in the forest are covered with snow! How will he get back out?... Suddenly he looks at a fire, and around the fire Twelve people are warming themselves. All of different ages, from teenage children to old men with beards. Nastenka went to the fire, maybe they’ll let her warm up?...

(Music. The curtain opens. Twelve months stand on stage around a fire. Winter months with beards. The further the month is from the current month (from December, January), the younger they look, i.e. the autumn months are still children. It is possible that it was more clearly, hang the name of the month large written on the chest for each month.)

JANUARY: Burn, burn clearly,
So that it doesn't go out!

ALL: Burn, burn clearly,
So that it doesn't go out!

(Nastenka appears and approaches the fire.)

NASTENKA: Good evening!

JANUARY: Good evening to you too!

NASTENKA: Let me warm myself by your fire.

FEBRUARY: It never happened that anyone besides us was at this fire!

APRIL: It's true!
Yes, if anyone came to the light, let him warm up!

NASTENKA: Thank you! (warms his hands from the fire)

JANUARY: What's your name, girl?

NASTENKA: Nastenka.

JANUARY: What is this in your hands, Nastenka? No basket?
Did you come for the pine cones right before the New Year?
And even in such a snowstorm?

NASTENKA: I didn’t come of my own free will and not for pine cones!

AUGUST: (smiling) So, isn’t it for mushrooms?

NASTENKA: Not for mushrooms, but for flowers!
My stepmother sent me for snowdrops!

MARCH: (pushes April in the side) Listen, brother, your guest has arrived!
Take it!

(Everyone laughs)

NASTENKA: I would laugh myself, but I have no time for laughter!
My stepmother didn’t tell me to come back without snowdrops!

FEBRUARY: What did she need snowdrops for in the middle of winter?

NASTENKA: She doesn’t need flowers, but gold!
Our Queen promised a whole basket of gold to the one who brought the basket to the Palace -
well snowdrops!
So they sent me into the forest!

JANUARY: You're doing poorly, girl!
This is no time for snowdrops!
We have to wait until April!

NASTENKA: I know that myself, grandfather! I have nowhere to go!
Well, thanks for the warmth and hello! If I interfered, don’t be angry...

(Nastenka takes her basket and wants to go.)

APRIL: Wait, Nastenka, don’t rush! (addresses January)
Brother January