An ordinary miracle. Evgeny Shvarts - an ordinary miracle

Fairy tales are part of our Everyday life, they accompany us from childhood and help the child learn about life. But fairy tales for adults, especially fairy-tale plays, can be no less interesting and educational. In basic school, unfortunately, little attention is paid to dramaturgy, so it is difficult for students to analyze plays.

The work of E. Schwartz deserves special attention in extracurricular reading lessons in the 10th grade. Many children are surprised to learn that they have been familiar with the playwright’s works since early childhood.

Despite the fact that the playwright often used ready-made fairy tale plots, his characters are original and unique. By plunging into the world of fairy-tale plays, you get to know characters you know from childhood in a new way. All of Schwartz's characters, despite their fairy-tale origins, have a real basis in his contemporary society, because a true artist always depicts reality, even in a fairy tale.

Schwartz's fairy tales are written for adults who, deep down, have not ceased to be children and still believe in miracles, which for the writer often become man-made. Annunzianta, the heroine of the play “The Shadow,” tells the scientist that “adults are a cautious people. They know very well that many fairy tales end sadly.”

The playwright's work makes you think about the fact that most of all misfortunes are for yourself.
the person himself brings by doing wrong. Happiness must be conquered and created yourself - this is the main idea of ​​each fairy-tale play by Schwartz.

To understand the meaning of fairy tale plays, it is important to invite students to pay attention to the fact that Schwartz rarely uses a sequential plot flow. If in fairy tales the plot is structured according to the following scheme: task (goal) - execution - warning (prohibition) - violation - retribution - overcoming, then in Schwartz's plays the action begins precisely with a warning and violation of the prohibition. Thus, the drama of the events is immediately brought to its highest point. Reading plays also poses a certain difficulty; it is not easy for students to work with texts that lack description and author’s evaluation. Therefore, it is important to create a certain algorithm for working with the play:
1. Work with the poster (in Schwartz’s fairy tales, as a rule, there are few names, his main characters
are named after their field of activity, many characters are typical).
2. Working with an epigraph (a playwright’s fairy tales are usually preceded by an epigraph from an epic source, but events do not always develop in accordance with the epigraph).
H. Working with a prologue, in which the narrator or the hero playing the role of narrator can make a short discussion about the meaning of the play before the development of the main action; Thus, the prologue is the beginning of a fairy-tale play.
4. A selection of quotes during reading that characterize the characters of the play.
5. Drawing up a plan for a fairy tale.
6. Analysis of the tale. Understanding the images of heroes.

So, it’s best to start your journey into the fairy-tale world of E. Schwartz by studying his wonderful fairy tale “An Ordinary Miracle,” in which the author characterized ordinary
people using fairy masks.

The epigraph to the lesson is the Master’s phrase: “I wanted to talk to you about love.” To reveal the main idea of ​​the play, the prologue, in which the reasoning person speaks, is important. He tells a kind of fairy tale about a fairy tale: “A fairy tale is told not in order to hide, but in order to reveal, to say with all your might, out loud what you think,” - this is a paraphrase of the traditional saying: “A fairy tale is a lie, yes, there is a hint in it, a lesson for good fellows.” Thus, the author emphasizes the continuity of his fairy-tale concept. The heroes are modern, but the truths they carry are unshakable.

The prologue is a kind of invitation to enter the fairy tale and not only independently evaluate each character, but also find out how the love story of the bear and the princess ends. Next, again, a paraphrase of a folklore motif: “This is not a fairy tale yet, the fairy tale will be ahead.”

Thus, before us is a fairy tale designed to educate our feelings. At the end of the lesson, it is necessary to define the word “miracle”. Previously, you can ask students at home to select fairy tales in which images of the characters in the play are found, fill out the diagram and try to determine the main conflict of the play.

Before us is a fabulous reality, which seems no different from ordinary life. Where does a person find himself in a fairy tale, what happened to Lukomorye and the green oak tree in Schwartz’s play? Since childhood, we have imagined an extraordinary island, where a mighty oak tree spreads its branches, and a cat tells fairy tales to everyone.

As a rule, the tale is told from a third person, who somehow participated in the events. But Schwartz turned out to be a different fairy tale play: it is not Lukomorye that rules the fairy-tale reality, everything in the world is ruled by a mysterious wizard who is tired of looking for the good in people, so he creates obstacles in every possible way true love, which, in his opinion, must definitely win, and if not, it means that people have become worse, and therefore are unworthy of happiness.

In Schwartz, the real world comes into contact with a fairy tale, because the wizard does not live in a fairy tale far away kingdom, and somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains. Although the king’s retinue came to him from far away, there is still no fairy-tale space, we see real scenery. The image of the narrator in folk tales is usually absent, as is the evaluation of events, in contrast to Schwartz’s fairy tales, where the heroes are clearly placed and speak well for themselves. But still, all “modern” heroes are still looking for happiness, friendship and love.

The first heroes that readers meet are the Master and the Mistress, who are the custodians of certain knowledge and traditions, and it is they who become the catalyst for the actions of the other heroes.

As a rule, students compare the Master with the wizard Merlin, who not only programs the destinies of his charges, but is also at the mercy of fate because of his tender feelings for his wife, although he knows (after all, he is a wizard) that his charges will definitely bring him in the future sadness.

A statement characterizing him: “But the soul asks for something so “magical.” The owner controls not only his home, but also the destinies of other people, as if he were puppets in his hands. He does not expect good from others, but deep down he counts on it.

The owner believes in the power of miracles and deeds, but at the same time a person must definitely make a decision, commit an act, only in this case can he fully reveal himself. The wizard also experiences fear - he is afraid of losing his beloved wife, who is not immortal like him: “I have to outlive you and grieve forever.”

The micro-conflict of the Master’s image manifests itself in the words: “Sometimes you play around, and then you’ll fix everything. And sometimes there’s a click and there’s no turning back.” This image personifies the inexorability of fate and the power of providence, which, however, often bows before the power of the act of a brave person.

The image of the Mistress comes from everyday fairy tales, because she has no magical abilities; on the contrary, it is emphasized that she is an ordinary woman, but she has an extraordinary husband. She can be called the Mistress of the Copper Mountain; it is no coincidence that she and her husband live somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains, which are covered in miracles.

The housewife loves her husband, but is afraid of his magical powers. The Mistress has no opportunity to live an ordinary life, because the circumstances offered by the bored wizard are unusual. The Mistress’s reluctance to see that her husband is a wizard becomes a micro-conflict: “Who promised to improve? Who promised to live like everyone else?

The bear is a hero who is the work of a wizard; seven years ago he was an animal, but became a man thanks to hard work. But his will is not yet strong, because he cannot become independent of the Master, who keeps him under the spell. The bear says that the wizard has golden hands (“Make a living one
even more alive. This is work!”), that is real man- this is a man-made creation! The bear can be compared with Ivanushka from the fairy tale Morozko or with the prince from the fairy tale “White and Rosette,” but the fundamental novelty of the image is that the bear became a man in order to learn to live, unlike people who became animals in order to realize that they were wrong.

“Being a real person is very difficult,” he says about himself. The bear studied a lot, traveled, but until he fell in love and put another person above himself, he cannot say that he is a person.

The young man is very afraid of losing his humanity by violating the ban that the wizard imposed on him - the kiss of the princess. Again, an inverted fairy tale: the prince woke up the sleeping beauty with a kiss, Ivan Tsarevich turned the frog into a princess - thus, the heroes became themselves, and therefore the Bear is destined to become himself - a beast.

“When the first princess I come across loves me and kisses me, I will immediately turn into a beast and run away to my native mountains.” So, the Bear is cut off from his usual
living conditions, he despises princesses, who, in his opinion, are arrogant and capricious, and therefore are not capable of truly loving, so the young man does not believe in love. The bear wants to become better with all his might: “It seemed to me that it was very difficult for a person to live, and I became completely sad. And then I began to study.” After all, learning more about life means getting closer to people, becoming part of society. But the Bear is lonely because he is not nearby loving person. The Princess became for the Bear the personification of beauty, tenderness and defenselessness: “I fell in love and was happy. Not for long, but like never before in my life,” says the bear about his meeting with her.

It’s not easy for the bear, because the fear of losing himself and harming his beloved does not leave him, so he runs away: “When she sees that I’m a bear, she will immediately stop loving me.”

The bear understands that his love is irresistible: “Sooner or later, I will find the princess, kiss her and turn into a bear.” The young man asks the hunter to keep an eye on him in order to kill him before he harms the princess.

The bear is ready to sacrifice himself to make his dream come true; for a whole year he has been trying to find the princess, the way to whom the wizard has enchanted. The bear put his beloved above his own fears, and therefore the spell wins. “Love has melted him so much that he can no longer become a bear.”

Only through love does a person become better, even if he was once a beast.
The micro-conflict of the image is expressed in the words: “What am I doing! I will destroy her and myself! The king is an image that is found in almost all fairy tales and is most often endowed with negative traits.

The king is an ordinary despot who explains all his shortcomings by bad heredity: “I, along with the family jewels, inherited all the vile family traits.” But the most important feature of the king is his love for his daughter, it makes him better, because the princess “doesn’t look like a royal daughter at all,” because the despotic monarch constantly protected her from the cruel truth, creating an illusion with the help of the best people of the kingdom.

But everything comes to an end, just at the moment when the Princess began to realize that there is a dark side in life, the king went on a journey to distract his daughter. But, despite the desire to save the Princess from the truth, the king did not go on a journey without an executioner who “proved his practicality, knowledge of life, and management.” The executioner became necessary for the tyrant to constantly prove his power.

The poisoning of dissenters, intrigue, meanness, indifference to everything that does not concern his own whims and his daughter, makes the image of the king unpleasant, but typical. “I lost consciousness, only feelings remained... Subtle... Barely definable... Either I want music and flowers, or I want to stab someone. I feel, I feel vaguely, vaguely - something wrong happened, but there is nothing to face the reality ... "The strength of the king was in his love for his daughter, as soon as the Princess became unhappy, the king chickened out, he could not help her, because he himself had so little I loved.

The king abandoned reality, renounced power, because he could not make his daughter happy, and therefore gave the state to the Minister-Administrator for plunder.

Micro-conflict of the image: “I’m not some kind of genius. Just a king, of which there are a dime a dozen.” The princess is a real heroine of a fairy tale, somewhat reminiscent of the princess and the pea, who lived serenely for a long time, but because of a small grain of truth she woke up and looked at the world differently.

She is the only completely positive heroine of the fairy tale, because she has no flaws, which is why such an unusual young man as Bear fell in love with her. “I was just a little confused. You see, until now no one has simply called me “dear girl” - this phrase perfectly characterizes the Princess, who so lacked tenderness and love.

The princess is brave in the fight for her happiness, she runs away from her father and rushes after her lover: “For three days I chased you... to tell you how indifferent you are to me.”

The princess wants to win the one she loves. The girl is afraid of hurting the Bear: “You, you, will silently wander back and forth through the rooms, like in a cage? Never talk to me like a human being? And if I really bore you with my conversations, will you growl at me like an animal? Will all the crazy joys and sorrows of the last days end so sadly?”

The princess is afraid of losing her dearly loved one, who may change because of a kiss, she realizes that the wizard's ban is ruining their happiness. “I love him too much,” so she abandons the Bear and herself. The princess agrees to die of melancholy, but not to cause pain to her beloved. For the sake of love, she is ready to do anything: “You can do anything. If you want to turn into a bear, fine. Let be. Just don’t leave... Let it be the way you want.”

The Princess also abandoned herself for the sake of another, she loves the Bear, and her love protects him. The micro-conflict of the image is revealed in the Princess’s confession: “And I am so defenseless with this magical submission of mine. Will you offend me?

Minister-administrator... In every, even the most decent, society there will definitely be someone who seeks only their own benefit, and even more so in the retinue of a despotic king. Only the 20th century can provide such a hero. The administrator is a real businessman who will stop at nothing to get more money and strengthen his power. All the most unpleasant traits are present in the image of the administrator: he is greedy, uncompromising, tactless and amazingly cowardly. "Who's good? The whole world is such that there is nothing to be ashamed of”, “the more I profit from them, the more I hate”, “I am an extremely vile person” - these are the thoughts that characterize this unpleasant person.

The administrator does not believe in people, does not believe that there is spiritual nobility, the ability to self-sacrifice: “All people are pigs, only some admit it, while others break.” Micro-conflict of the image: “I’m so normal that even I’m surprised.”

Lady Emilia... Her image is so real that it can only be found in social fairy tales. The lady is the Princess's teacher, she is rude because behind her rudeness she hides her broken heart and natural kindness. “We were taken into the retinue as delicate, sensitive, sweet women. I'm ready to suffer. Don't sleep at night." Because of this, all the troubles that happened to her.

Emilia likes to suffer, she's used to it. Once she could not hold on to the man she loved: “I stood at the window, and a young man on a black horse rushed away from me along a mountain road.” The image of the lady is closest to the image of the Princess, from whom the Bear rushed off on a horse, only the Princess hurried after her to understand why her lover left. “I married someone else - and now I’m alive, calm and faithfully serving Your Majesty.”

The princess also wanted to marry someone else, but did not, because it was unbearable to live without love, so she chose longing for the Bear rather than the illusion of a quiet life. Micro-conflict of the image: “Not a single minute in my entire life.”

The innkeeper Emil is by no means a fairy-tale hero, but a common person, who turned out to be so cowardly that he did not fight for his happiness, lived away from his beloved for many years and became a provincial philosopher. Standing behind the counter of a bar with the self-explanatory name “Emilia,” he listens to the life stories of different people who “come in to relax, talk, laugh, complain.” But the innkeeper himself did not experience even a hundredth part of what he would have been capable of if he had stayed with Emilia. The image of Emil predicts the fate that awaits the Bear, who also did not dare to test the strength of his feelings.

The innkeeper found his mission in serving people: “When I was young, I hated people, but it’s so boring! After all, then you don’t want to do anything and you are overcome by fruitless, sad thoughts. And so I began to serve people and little by little became attached to them.” Like the Bear, the Innkeeper strives to become a better person, but still does not find himself, because he is lonely. The bear also avoids his happiness in fear of being rejected, of becoming a monster if happiness suddenly comes to him.

Confusion of feelings and flight - this is the path along which all indecisive people have gone: “You will not find peace anywhere,” because thoughts about your beloved will not go anywhere. Micro-conflict of the image: “And every time I, like a fool, hope that by some miracle she will suddenly come here.”

The hunter is an ordinary person from social fairy tales; sometimes he is “invited” into other fairy tales. A man who “fights for his glory. He has already obtained fifty diplomas confirming that he is famous, and has shot down sixty detractors of his talent.” “Fighting for your glory, what could be more tiring?”

The hunter is lonely and unhappy, because he seeks joy in personal achievements, he does not want to share his glory with anyone, and it is sad to live as an egoist. The presence of the Student does not save the Hunter from boredom, because he is teaching him for the sake of another diploma. The student longs for action, not a fight for the glory of the teacher, but cannot influence the stubborn proud one. The hunter is afraid to live life to the fullest, afraid of becoming weak: “What if, what good, you miss! I, who hitherto hit without missing a beat, It’s difficult for the hunter, because he dreams of a miracle, but is very afraid that it will come to him. Micro-conflict of the image: “Hunters are the most worthy people on earth!”

The love of the Bear and the Princess unites Emil and Emilia, the Hunter and his Apprentice found their happiness next to the princess's ladies-in-waiting and continued the struggle for glory. But some feelings must be tested by suffering in order to be valued even more, because the risk of losing love makes feelings more valuable and stronger.

The wizard made a spell that protected the Princess from the Bear, but people also have a will, so the Bear wins and wins the love that the wizard worships: “Glory to the brave who dare to love, knowing that everything will come to an end. Glory to the madmen who live as if they were immortal - death sometimes retreats from them.”

The power of human affection is great, it is expressed in... that a person lives not for himself, but for another. To summarize the lesson, you need to highlight the main conflict of the play by combining micro-conflicts in the table

The king and administrator could not change, so they have no place in a happy kingdom. The hunter fell in love with his wife and child, although he did not stop fighting for fame (now as a writer), he was still able to find his happiness in love. The characters who were able to take risks and open their feelings found happiness in each other.

THE MAIN CONFLICT of the play is expressed in the Bear’s confession to the Princess: “Where you go, I will go, when you die, then I will die.” It is true love
selfless and capable of sacrifices in the name of loved one, is a source of both joy and sorrow, because it is very difficult not to break fragile happiness by becoming a Bear. Fear interferes with happiness, you cannot be afraid to love, you must be afraid of harming your loved one - this is the main idea of ​​Schwartz’s play.

A fairy tale will never lose touch with real life, because in an allegorical form the writer expresses not only his attitude to life, but also the characters of real people.

The most difficult thing is to understand another person and evaluate him correctly. Such an opportunity presents itself only when love comes. Only by falling in love can one understand a person, and this is what Schwartz saw “ ordinary miracle».

Analysis of the fairy tale “An Ordinary Miracle” by Schwartz

Remember: “Let’s do it quietly, let’s do it in a low voice...” No, no, we won’t say goodbye just yet. Although we have already said goodbye to many of our favorite actors from this film: Yankovsky, Abdulov, Leonov, Mironov, Larionov.

And once again about love

“You can talk about love and sing songs, but we will tell a fairy tale about it” - these words sound in the prologue of the play by Evgeniy Schwartz, they contain both a mystery and a solution to the plot. “An Ordinary Miracle” has already been filmed: in 1964, Erast Garin, together with his wife Khesya Lokshina, directed a film of the same name, in which Garin himself played the King, and Oleg Vidov, a popular actor in those years, played the Bear. And there was not a Soviet city where a performance based on this play was not staged in the drama theater or local Youth Theater. In the 1970s, it was played at the Satire Theater - Alexander Shirvindt shone in the role of the minister-administrator.

And in 1976, the head of the Mosfilm association of television films, Sergei Kolosov, suggested that Mark Zakharov make another film based on this fairy tale. The director was immediately captivated by the play - after all, it was written by the romantic Evgeniy Schwartz, who knew how to give seemingly well-known myths new meanings, coloring them with ironic and kind intonation.

This is a story about how a Wizard, wanting to entertain his beloved wife, comes up with a fairy tale. In it, he turns the Bear into a man, but warns: if the Princess loves and kisses him, he will become a bear again. And then one day, as always happens in fairy tales, in the Wizard’s house the paths of the King, the Princess, their retinue and the Bear miraculously intersect. And in front of the viewer, a somewhat funny, and in some ways sad story about love and miracle unfolds.

It was all very far from real life! But fairy tale characters At the same time they look quite modern. This “blood type match” (miracle?) happened largely thanks to the amazing performances of Yankovsky, Abdulov, Leonov, Mironov and their partners in the film. The entire ensemble plays with gusto. You sympathize with almost every character. For example, the King is a very weak-willed person: on the one hand, he is constantly surprised by the meanness of his courtiers, and on the other, he himself always wants to do some nasty thing, blaming the responsibility for it on the unfit relatives “awakening” in his genes. But this King is Evgeny Leonov, and it’s impossible not to love him.

Well, Andrei Mironov! Even in the villainous role of the Minister-Administrator, he, as always, was a “man-theater” - an unusually charming actor.

The Sad Wizard of Oleg Yankovsky seems to be detachedly observing the events taking place around the Bear - Alexander Abdulov: will people believe that love can overcome fear? After all, this is not a joke: to become a bear after one single kiss, even from the most beautiful girl. You can not kiss and still remain human...

Mark Anatolyevich recalls that, having started to direct the script, he plunged into a kind of trance with the help of a cassette with songs by Joe Dassin. It worked better that way. And it seems that in many ways we owe it to the wonderful Frenchman that Zakharov made a wonderful musical film. And, of course, to a team of like-minded people, in which we especially note production designer Lyudmila Kusakova and cameraman Nikolai Nemolyaev. Since the time of “12 Chairs,” the poet Yuli Kim (in the credits he was listed as “Yu. Mikhailov”) and the composer Gennady Gladkov have worked with Zakharov. And the director really wanted to cast at least a few of his Lenkom actors in the film (Zakharov never worked with stars imposed on him).

The roles at that time were approved by the management of the film studio. Evgeny Leonov and Oleg Yankovsky did not raise any doubts among the Mosfilm management - the artistic council approved these actors, keeping in mind their long track record in cinema. But at the very beginning of filming, Oleg Yankovsky was struck down by a heart attack, and he ended up in intensive care. When Mark Zakharov came to the hospital to see the actor, he was ready to give up the role. But Zakharov replied: “No. Will wait". As a result, filming was suspended and began only after the actor left the hospital.

Mark Anatolyevich later recalled how Yankovsky, who had extensive experience in film, helped him on the set. But even then it was clear that Zakharov’s directorial style was quite original: his films were a symbiosis of theater, television, and cinema. Working with Yankovsky inspired him to do many experiments. Oleg Ivanovich constantly came up with something and tactfully suggested it to the director.

The role of the King was, of course, quite unusual for Evgeny Leonov, who was used to playing kind-hearted characters. But the actor managed to create an unforgettable type of charming tyrant, making the image not only ironic, but also touching. Zakharov himself has said more than once how much it meant to him to communicate on the set with Evgeniy Pavlovich, who, by the way, was filming after a heart attack. The actor, like no one else, understood the difference between a comedic situation that arose, say, during filming on a pavilion, and end result on film. He usually suggested: “You know, Markusha, I’ll do as you ask, and then we’ll shoot one take, as I see it.” In the pavilion, Mark Anatolyevich’s version looked more interesting, but on film, in the screening room, what Evgeny Pavlovich did often turned out to be more accurate and funny.

However, one day Zakharov still won a convincing victory, albeit in a slightly different, censorship aspect. Leonov as the King appeared in window opening, lingering for a general greeting before the wedding stage. The exit was solemn and accompanied by the sounds of a march. Zakharov asked Yevgeny Pavlovich to stop for a few seconds and greet those gathered by slightly raising his hand, as members of the Politburo did at that time on the podium of the Mausoleum. Wise from experience, Leonov sadly said: “We’ll reshoot Markusha, and for the same money.” We did two takes - without raising the arm and with it. And the “government” greeting miraculously survived in the film. And on the day of the premiere at the House of Cinema, this episode caused a storm of applause - then it was almost a challenge to the authorities.

For the role of the Bear, Zakharov invited Alexander Abdulov, who had recently joined the Lenkom troupe. The director invited the actor to participate in screen tests. To which he replied: “With pleasure. Because I always audition, but Kostolevsky still gets filmed.” Indeed, among such actors as Evgeny Gerasimov, Yuri Shlykov, Evgeny Menshov, Valery Shalnykh, Alexander Voevodin, Igor Kostolevsky also auditioned for the role of the Bear. But Alexander Gavrilovich’s answer provoked Zakharov. And although the Mosfilm bosses had doubts about Abdulov, the director defended him.

For the role of the innkeeper, Zakharov called another Lenkom member, Alexander Zbruev. However, he refused the role, and Yuri Solomin played it. It is interesting that when Solomin was appointed Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, all television channels began to unanimously show an episode from the film - his duet with Ekaterina Vasilyeva, where he soulfully sings in the voice of Leonid Serebrennikov: “Ah, madam, when we are together, all the flowers bloom on meadow..."

Vera Glagoleva, Marina Yakovleva, Larisa Udovichenko, Evgenia Glushenko, Yana Druz could become the princess. But the charming Evgenia Simonova got the role and coped with it brilliantly. True, one day, due to the actress’s indecisiveness, she even had to stop filming. The trembling Simonova could not stand gunfire, and shooting herself was out of the question! But there is an episode in the film in which the Princess escapes from the Wizard's house and shoots at the ceiling. “We started filming,” the actress recalls, “I raised the gun... and I couldn’t pull the trigger! The shooting gets up. Almost crying, I explain: this is not a whim, this is a feature of my nature. What started here! Everyone explained: “The cartridge is blank, it won’t hit anyone,” and realizing that it wasn’t helping, they started shooting from this pistol: “Look! It's OK!" I look and think: either I’ll disrupt the shooting, after which they’ll say: “What a princess!”, or I’ll overpower myself. She took the gun: “Let’s do it again!” - “Motor!” “And at the right second I pulled the trigger, didn’t pull back, didn’t drop the gun.” True, the actress closed her eyes while shooting, and this is visible in the frame.

In principle, there could be no questions with Andrei Mironov, who played the role of the Minister-Administrator: firstly, he was a friend of the director, and secondly, he had already managed to star in Zakharov’s “12 Chairs”.

And about Irina Kupchenko, who played the role of the Wizard’s wife, Mark Zakharov said this: “In our interpretation, the Wizard is a creator, a Writer with a capital letter. This means that next to Petrarch there must be Laura, a person who loves him very much, for whose sake he composes his funny stories. A sorceress was needed. And she was found." Kupchenko created the most realistic of images in this vivid grotesque painting.

Each of the film's characters appears on screen under their own musical theme, composed by Gennady Gladkov. Music became one of the heroes of the film and was written “in a duet” with Mark Anatolyevich. The director came to Gennady Igorevich’s home, he prepared part of the score in the morning, and together they corrected something, and sometimes the composer had to nervously improvise. In short, the co-authors harassed each other. Creative process walked painfully. Gladkov even hid from Zakharov, pretending to be sick so as not to meet with him. But the director was insistent. Mark Anatolyevich decided this: we will film everything with musical accompaniment, during the filming there should be a soundtrack playing constantly. He was sure that this disciplined the actors and created the mood.

In the film, or rather in the frame, the main characters do not sing. The authors freed them from this - for fear of “falling” into an operetta. Behind the scenes, the then unknown Leonid Serebrennikov sang “The Wizard’s Song”, to whom, after the film’s release, television and filmmakers immediately drew attention.

It was still necessary to find someone who would sing for Ekaterina Vasilyeva. Gennady Gladkov remembered Larisa Dolina, who performed songs in the film “While the Dream Goes Wild,” for which he also wrote the music. Young, few people famous singer from Odessa, she was just making her way to Moscow and gladly responded to the offer.

Our little king is getting old!

If during the years of Soviet power you were not subject to attacks from censorship, then it seems that you did not work. For example, they didn’t immediately miss the funny song about the frivolous fool butterfly - Mironov sang it. The television management reacted favorably to the butterfly and the sparrow, but Mosfilm said that the sparrow was sexually preoccupied: it’s understandable why he chased the butterfly. The song remained only because everyone loved the actor very much.

The whole country then watched the film. It was immediately disassembled into quotes. Few people will remember the aging General Secretary now, but the wonderful characters of the film and that faith in a fairy tale, in love, which “An Ordinary Miracle” tells about, are still in our hearts.

QUOTES:

- A blockhouse, an executioner and a glass of vodka. Vodka for me, the rest for him.

- Exactly at midnight.
- What - at midnight?
– Come to the barn, you won’t regret it.

- I have no time to look after. You are attractive, I am damn attractive. Why waste time? I'm waiting at midnight. Well, will you come?
- I won’t think so. And I’ll complain about you to my husband, and he’ll turn you into a rat!
- Who is our husband?
- Wizard…
- We need to warn you.

– As an honorary saint, an honorary great martyr, an honorary pope... of our kingdom, I begin the sacrament of the rite.

“For three days I chased you to tell you how indifferent you are to me!”

- Today I will go on a spree. Fun, good-natured, with all sorts of harmless antics. Prepare the dishes and plates: I will break them all. Remove the bread from the barn: I will set the barn on fire.

Tamara OSIPOVA, Telenedelya LLC, photo MF-info, RIA Novosti

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Estate in the Carpathian Mountains. Here, having got married and decided to settle down and start farming, a certain wizard settled. He is in love with his wife and promises her to live “like everyone else,” but his soul asks for something magical, and the owner of the estate is unable to resist “pranks.” And now the Mistress realizes that her husband has started new miracles. It turns out that difficult guests are about to arrive at the house.

The young man appears first. When the Mistress asks what his name is, he answers: Bear. The wizard, having told his wife that it is because of the young man that amazing events will begin, admits: seven years ago he turned a young bear he met in the forest into a man. The hostess cannot stand it when “animals are tortured for their own amusement,” and begs her husband to make the young man a bear again and set him free. It turns out that this is possible, but only if some princess falls in love with the young man and kisses him. The Mistress feels sorry for the unknown girl, she is frightened by the dangerous game that her husband has started.

Meanwhile, a trumpet sounds, announcing the arrival of new guests. It was the King passing by who suddenly wanted to turn into the estate. The owner warns that now they will see a rude and ugly person. However, the King who enters is at first polite and amiable. True, he soon admits that he is a despot, vindictive and capricious. But twelve generations of ancestors are to blame for this (“all monsters, one to one!”), because of them, he, who is kind and smart by nature, sometimes does things that make him cry!

After an unsuccessful attempt to treat the hosts to poisoned wine, the King, declaring his late uncle to be the culprit of his trick, says that the Princess, his daughter, did not inherit the villainous family inclinations, she is kind and even softens his own cruel temper. The owner escorts the guest to the rooms intended for him.

The Princess enters the house and runs into the Bear at the door. Sympathy immediately arises between the young people. The princess is not used to simple and cordial treatment; she likes to talk to the Bear.

The sounds of trumpets are heard - the royal retinue is approaching. A young man and a girl run away holding hands. “Well, a hurricane has hit, love has arrived!” - says the Mistress who heard their conversation.

The courtiers appear. All of them: the First Minister, the First Lady of the Cavalry, and the ladies-in-waiting are intimidated to the point of trembling by the Minister-Administrator, who, knowing how to please the King in everything, has completely subjugated him to himself, and keeps his retinue in a black body. The Administrator entered, looking into his notebook and counting his income. Having winked at the Mistress, without any preamble he sets up a love date with her, but upon learning that her husband is a wizard and can turn him into a rat, he apologizes and takes out his anger on the courtiers who appear.

Meanwhile, first the King and the Master enter the room, then the Princess and the Bear. Noticing the joy on his daughter’s face, the King understands that the reason for this is a new acquaintance. He is ready to give the young man a title and take him with him on a journey. The princess admits that the young man has become her best friend, she is ready to kiss him. But, realizing who she is, the Bear runs away in horror and despair. The princess is at a loss. She leaves the room. The King is going to execute the courtiers if none of them can give him advice on how to help the Princess. The executioner is ready. Suddenly the door swings open, and a Princess appears on the threshold in a man's dress, with a sword and pistols. She orders the horse to be saddled, says goodbye to her father and disappears. The tramp of a horse is heard. The king rushes after him, ordering his retinue to follow him. “Well, are you satisfied?” - the Mistress asks her husband. "Very!" - he answers.

Bad weather winter evening The owner of the Emilia tavern sadly remembers the girl whom he once loved and after whom he named his establishment. He still dreams of meeting her. There's a knock on the door. The innkeeper lets in the snow-covered travelers - this is the King and his retinue looking for his daughter.

Meanwhile, the Princess is in this house. Disguised as a boy, she became an apprentice to a hunter living here.

While the Innkeeper is arranging for his guests to rest, the Bear appears. A little later he meets the Princess, but does not recognize her in a man's suit. He says that he ran away from love for a girl who is very similar to his new acquaintance and, as it seems to him, is also in love with him. The Princess makes fun of the Bear. The dispute that breaks out ends in a sword fight. Making a lunge, the young man knocks his opponent’s hat off - the braids fall, the masquerade is over. The girl is offended by the Bear and is ready to die, but prove to him that she is indifferent to him. The bear wants to run again. But the house is covered in snow up to the roof, making it impossible to get out.

Meanwhile, the Innkeeper discovers that the First Cavalry Lady is the Emilia he lost. There is an explanation and reconciliation. The king is happy that his daughter was found, but seeing her sad, he demands that one of the courtiers go to console her. The lot falls to the Administrator, who is terribly afraid that the Princess will simply shoot him. However, he returns alive and with unexpected news - the royal daughter has decided to marry him! The enraged Bear immediately proposes to two ladies-in-waiting at once. The Princess appears in wedding dress: wedding in an hour! The young man seeks permission to talk to her alone and reveals his secret to her: by the will of the wizard, he will turn into a bear as soon as he kisses her - this is the reason for his escape. The princess leaves in despair.

Suddenly music is heard, the windows open, and behind them is not snow, but flowering meadows. The cheerful Host bursts in, but his joy quickly fades: the expected miracle did not happen. “How dare you not kiss her?!” - he asks Bear. “You didn’t love the girl!”

The owner leaves. It's snowing outside again. Completely depressed, the Bear turns to the hunter who entered and asks if he has a desire to kill the hundredth bear (he boasted that he had killed 99 bears), because he would still find the Princess, kiss her and turn into a beast. After hesitating, the hunter agrees to take advantage of the young man’s “courtesy.”

A year has passed. The innkeeper married his beloved Emilia. The bear has disappeared to God knows where: the magician's spell does not allow him to see the Princess. And the girl fell ill because of unhappy love and is about to die. All the courtiers are in deep sadness. Only the Administrator, although his wedding did not take place, has become even richer and bolder, and does not believe in death from love.

The princess wants to say goodbye to her friends and asks to brighten up her last moments. Among those present are the Master and Mistress. Footsteps are heard in the depths of the garden - the Bear finally got here! The princess is happy and admits that she loves and forgives him, let him turn into a bear, as long as he doesn’t leave. She hugs and kisses the young man. (“Glory to the brave who dare to love, knowing that all this will come to an end,” the wizard said a little earlier.) A thunderclap is heard, darkness reigns for a moment, then the light flashes, and everyone sees that the Bear remains human. The wizard is delighted: the miracle has happened! To celebrate, he turns the Administrator, who is boring everyone, into a rat and is ready to create new miracles, “so as not to burst from excess strength.”

A tale in three acts. The fairy tale was written in 1954. The text is given according to the edition: Evgeniy Schwartz. The Dragon. Treasure Shadow. Two maples. An ordinary miracle and other works. An ordinary miracle and other works. - M: Gudyal Press, 1998.

Characters
Master
Mistress
Bear
King
Princess
Minister-Administrator
First Minister
Court lady
Orinthia
Amanda
Innkeeper
Hunter
Hunter's Apprentice
Executioner

Prologue
A man appears in front of the curtain and speaks quietly and thoughtfully to the audience:
- “An Ordinary Miracle” - what a strange name! If a miracle means something extraordinary! And if it’s ordinary, then it’s not a miracle.
The answer is that we are talking about love. A boy and a girl fall in love with each other - which is common. They quarrel - which is also not uncommon. They almost die of love. And finally the strength of their feeling reaches such a height that it begins to work real miracles - which is both surprising and ordinary.
You can talk about love and sing songs, but we will tell a fairy tale about it.
In a fairy tale, the ordinary and the miraculous are very conveniently placed side by side and are easily understood if you look at the fairy tale as a fairy tale. As in childhood. Don't look in it hidden meaning. A fairy tale is told not in order to hide, but in order to reveal, to say with all your might, out loud what you think.
Among characters In our fairy tale, closer to the “ordinary”, you will recognize people whom you meet quite often. For example, the king. You can easily recognize in him an ordinary apartment despot, a frail tyrant who deftly knows how to explain his outrages by considerations of principle. Or dystrophy of the heart muscle. Or psychasthenia. Or even heredity. In the fairy tale, he is made a king so that his character traits reach their natural limit. You will also recognize the minister-administrator, the dashing supplier. And an honored figure in hunting. And some others.
But the heroes of the fairy tale, who are closer to the “miracle,” are devoid of the everyday features of today. Such are the wizard, and his wife, and the princess, and the Bear.
How do such people get along? different people in one fairy tale? And it's very simple. Just like in life.
And our fairy tale begins simply. One wizard got married, settled down and started farming. But no matter how you feed the wizard, he is always drawn to miracles, transformations and amazing adventures. And so he got involved in love story those same young people I spoke about at the beginning. And everything got confused, mixed up - and finally unraveled so unexpectedly that the wizard himself, accustomed to miracles, clasped his hands in surprise.
It all ended in grief for the lovers or in happiness - you will find out at the very end of the fairy tale. (Disappears.)

Mistress. Why do you hate them so much?
Administrator. I don't know myself. But the more I profit from them, the more I hate them.
Mistress. When they return home, they will remember everything to you.
Administrator. Nonsense! They will return, be touched, rejoice, fuss, and forget everything.
He blows the trumpet. Enter the first minister, the lady of the court, and the ladies-in-waiting.
Where are you hanging around, gentlemen? I can’t run after everyone individually. Oh! (To the lady of the court.) Have you washed?
Lady. I washed my face, damn me!
Administrator. I warn you: if you wash your face over my head, I absolve myself of all responsibility. There must be a certain order, gentlemen. Then do everything yourself! What is it really... Minister. Quiet! His Majesty is coming here!
The king and master enter. The courtiers bow low.
King. Honestly, I really like it here. The whole house is arranged so nicely, with such love that it would take it away! It’s good that I’m not at home! At home I could not resist and would have imprisoned you in a lead tower in the market square. Terrible place! Hot during the day, cold at night. The prisoners suffer so much that even the jailers sometimes cry with pity... I would imprison you and leave the house for myself!
Owner (laughs). What a monster!
King. What did you think? King - from crown to toe! Twelve generations of ancestors - and all monsters, one to one! Madam, where is my daughter?
Lady. Your Majesty! The princess ordered us to stand down. Their Highness was pleased to pick flowers in a lovely clearing, near a noisy mountain stream, in complete solitude.
King. How dare you leave the baby alone! There may be snakes in the grass, the stream is blowing!
Mistress. No, king, no! Don't be afraid for her. (Points out the window.) There she comes, alive, healthy! King (rushes to the window). Is it true! Yes, yes, that’s right, there, there goes my only daughter. (Laughs.) Laughed! (Frowns.) And now I’m thinking... (She beams.) And now she smiles. Yes, how tender, how affectionate! Who is this young man with her? She likes him, which means I like him too. What is his origin?
Master. Magic!
King. Wonderful. Are your parents alive?
Master. They died.
King. Fabulous! Any brothers, sisters?
Master. No.
King. It couldn't be better. I will give him a title, a fortune, and let him travel with us. He can't be bad person, if we liked it so much. Mistress, is he a nice young man?
Mistress. Very, but...

King. No "buts"! A man has not seen his daughter joyful for a hundred years, and they say “but” to him! Enough, it's over! I'm happy - that's all! Today I will have a fun good-natured party, with all sorts of harmless antics, like my great-great-grandfather, who drowned in an aquarium while trying to catch a goldfish with his teeth. Open a barrel of wine! Two barrels! Three! Get the plates ready - I'll hit them! Remove the bread from the barn - I will set the barn on fire! And send to the city for glass and a glazier! We are happy, we are cheerful, everything will go now, like in a good dream!
Enter the Princess and the Bear
Princess. Hello, gentlemen!
Courtiers (in unison). Hello, Your Royal Highness!
The bear freezes in horror.
Princess. True, I already saw you all today, but it seems to me that it was so long ago! Gentlemen, this young man is mine best friend.
King. I grant him the title of prince!
The courtiers bow low to the Bear, he looks around in horror.
Princess. Thank you dad! Gentlemen! As a child, I envied girls who had brothers. It seemed to me that it was very interesting when such a desperate, stern and cheerful creature lived near our house, so different from us. And this creature loves you because you love him Native sister. And now I don't regret it. I think he...
He takes the Bear by the rune. He shudders.
I think I like him even more than brother. They quarrel with their brothers, but, in my opinion, I could never quarrel with him. He loves what I love, understands me, even when I speak incomprehensibly, and I feel very at ease with him. I also understand him as I understand myself. See how angry he is. (Laughs.) Do you know why? I hid from him that I was a princess, he hates them. I wanted him to see how different I was from other princesses. My dear, I can’t stand them either! No, no, please don't look at me with such horror! Well, please! After all, it's me! Remember! Do not be angry! Don't scare me! No need! Well, do you want me to kiss you?
Bear (with horror). Never!
Princess. I don't understand!
Bear (quietly, with despair). Farewell, farewell forever! (Runs away.)
Pause. The hostess is crying.
Princess. What did I do to him? He will return?
Desperate clatter of hooves.
King (at the window). Where are you going?! (Runs out.)
The courtiers and the owner are behind him. The princess rushes to her mistress.
Princess. You called him son. Do you know him. What did I do to him?
Mistress. Nothing, dear. It's not your fault. Don't shake your head, trust me!
Princess. No, no, I understand, I understand everything! He didn’t like that I took his hand in front of everyone. He flinched so much when I did this. And this... this is also... I spoke about the brothers in a terribly ridiculous way... I said: it’s interesting when a unlike creature lives nearby... A creature... It’s so bookish, so stupid. Or... or... My God! How could I forget the most shameful thing! I told him that I would kiss him, and he...
The king, the owner, and the courtiers enter.
King. He rode off without looking back on his crazy horse, straight without a road, into the mountains.
The princess runs away.
Where are you going? What you! (Rushes after him.)
You can hear the key clicking in the lock. The king is returning. He's unrecognizable.
Executioner!
The executioner appears in the window.
Executioner. I'm waiting, sir.
King. Get ready!
Executioner. I'm waiting, sir!
Dull drumming.
King. Gentlemen of the court, pray! The princess locked herself in the room and won’t let me in. You will all be executed!
Administrator. King!
King. All! Hey, are you there? Hourglass!
The king's servant enters. He places a large hourglass on the table.
I will only have mercy on the one who, while the sand is ticking, explains everything to me and teaches me how to help the princess. Think, gentlemen, think. The sand runs fast! Speak one at a time, briefly and precisely. First Minister!
Minister. Sir, in my extreme understanding, elders should not interfere in the love affairs of children, if they are good children, of course.
King. You will die first, Your Excellency! (To the lady of the court.) Speak, madam!
Lady. Many, many years ago, sir, I stood at the window, and a young man on a black horse rushed away from me along a mountain road. It was a quiet, quiet moonlit night. The clatter of hooves died down and died away in the distance...
Administrator. Speak quickly, you damned one! The sand is pouring down!
King. Don't interfere!
Administrator. After all, one serving for everyone. What's left for us!
King. Carry on, madam.
Lady (slowly, looking triumphantly at the administrator). I thank you with all my heart, Your Royal Majesty! So, it was a quiet, quiet moonlit night. The clatter of hooves died down and died away in the distance and finally fell silent forever... I have never seen the poor boy since then. And, as you know, sir, I married someone else - and now I’m alive, calm and faithfully serving your Majesty.
King. Were you happy after he rode away?
Lady. Not a single minute in my entire life!
King. You too will lay your head on the block, madam!
The lady bows with dignity.
(To the administrator.) Report!
Administrator. Most The best way To console the princess is to marry her to a man who has proven his practicality, knowledge of life, management and is with the king.
King. Are you talking about the executioner?
Administrator. What are you, Your Majesty! I don’t know him from this side at all...
King. You'll find out. Amanda!
Amanda. King, we have prayed and are ready to die.
King. And would you advise what we should do?
Orinthia. Each girl acts differently in similar cases. Only the princess herself can decide what to do here.
The door swings open. The princess appears on the threshold. She is in a man's dress, with a sword, pistols in her belt.
Master. Ha ha ha! Great girl! Well done!
King. Daughter! What you? Why are you scaring me? Where are you going?
Princess. I won't tell anyone this. Ride the horse!
King. Yes, yes, let's go, let's go!
Administrator. Wonderful! Executioner, please go away, dear. They will feed you there. Remove the hourglass! Courtiers, get into the carriages!
Princess. Shut up! (Approaches his father.) I love you very much, father, don’t be angry with me, but I’m leaving alone.
King. No!
Princess. I swear that I will kill everyone who follows me! Remember all this.
King. Even me?
Princess. I have my own life now. Nobody understands anything, I won’t say anything to anyone anymore. I am alone, alone, and I want to be alone! Farewell! (Leaves.)
The king stands motionless for some time, stunned. The clatter of hooves brings him to his senses. He rushes to the window.
King. Rides on horseback! No road! Into the mountains! She'll get lost! She'll catch a cold! He will fall from the saddle and get tangled in the stirrup! For her! Next! What are you waiting for?
Administrator. Your Majesty! The princess deigned to swear that she would shoot anyone who followed her!
King. Doesn't matter! I'll keep an eye on her from afar. Crawling after pebbles. Behind the bushes. I'll hide in the grass from my own daughter, but I won’t leave her. Behind me!
Runs out. The courtiers are behind him.
Mistress. Well? Are you happy?
Master. Very!
A curtain

Act two
Common room in the Emilia tavern. Late evening. The fire is burning in the fireplace. Light. Cosy. The walls tremble from desperate gusts of wind. Behind the counter is the innkeeper. This is a small, fast, slender, graceful person in his movements.
Innkeeper. What a great weather! Blizzard, storm, avalanches, landslides! Even the wild goats got scared and came running into my yard to ask for help. I’ve been living here for so many years, on a mountain top, among the eternal snow, but I don’t remember such a hurricane. It’s good that my inn is built reliably, like a good castle, the storerooms are full, the fire is burning. Tavern "Emilia"! Tavern "Emilia"... Emilia... Yes, yes... Hunters pass, woodcutters pass, mast pines are dragged, wanderers wander to God knows where, from God knows where, and they all ring the bell, knock on the door, come in to rest, talk, laugh, complain. And every time I, like a fool, hope that by some miracle she will suddenly come here. She's probably gray now. Gray-haired. I’ve been married for a long time... And yet, I dream of at least hearing her voice. Emilia, Emilia...
The bell is ringing.
My God!
They knock on the door. The innkeeper rushes to open it.
Sign in! Please come in!
The king, ministers, and courtiers enter. They are all covered from head to toe, covered in snow.
To the fire, gentlemen, to the fire! Don't cry, ladies, please! I understand that it is difficult not to be offended when they hit you in the face, shove snow down your collar, push you into a snowdrift, but the storm does this without any malice, by accident. The storm just broke out - and that’s it. Let me help you. Like this. Hot wine, please. Like this!
Minister. What a wonderful wine!
Innkeeper. Thank you! I grew the vine myself, I pressed the grapes myself, I aged the wine myself in my cellars, and I serve it to people with my own hands. I do everything myself. I hated people when I was young, but this is so boring! After all, then you don’t want to do anything and you are overcome by fruitless, sad thoughts. And so I began to serve people and gradually became attached to them. Hot milk, ladies! Yes, I serve people and I am proud of it! I believe that the innkeeper is taller than Alexander the Great. He killed people, and I feed them, make them happy, hide them from the weather. Of course, I charge money for this, but Makedonsky did not work for free. More wine please! Who do I have the honor of speaking to? However, as you wish. I'm used to strangers hiding their names.
King. Innkeeper, I am the king.
Innkeeper. Good evening, Your Majesty!
King. Good evening. I am very unhappy, innkeeper!
Innkeeper. It happens, Your Majesty.
King. You're lying, I'm incredibly unhappy! During this damn storm I felt better. And now I have warmed up, come to life, and all my worries and sorrows have come to life with me. What a disgrace! Give me more wine!
Innkeeper. Do me a favor!
King. My daughter is missing!
Innkeeper. Ah ah ah!
King. These slackers, these parasites left the child unattended. The daughter fell in love, quarreled, dressed as a boy and disappeared. Didn't she stop by your place?
Innkeeper. Alas, no, sir!
King. Who lives in the tavern?
Innkeeper. The famous hunter with two students.
King. Hunter? Call him! He could have met my daughter. After all, hunters hunt everywhere!
Innkeeper. Alas, sir, this hunter no longer hunts at all.
King. What does he do?
Innkeeper. Fights for his glory. He has already obtained fifty diplomas confirming that he is famous, and has shot down sixty detractors of his talent.
King. What is he doing here?
Innkeeper. Resting! Fighting for your glory - what could be more tiring?
King. Well, then to hell with it. Hey, you there, sentenced to death! Let's hit the road!
Innkeeper. Where are you going, sir? Think! You are going to certain death!
King. What do you care? It’s easier for me where they hit me in the face with snow and push me in the neck. Get up!
The courtiers rise.
Innkeeper. Wait, Your Majesty! There is no need to be capricious, there is no need to go to hell in spite of fate. I understand that when trouble comes, it’s hard to sit still...
King. Impossible!
Innkeeper. But sometimes you have to! On such a night you will not find anyone, but you yourself will go missing.
King. Well, let!
Innkeeper. You can't think only about yourself. Not a boy, thank God, the father of the family. Well well well! There is no need to grimace, clench your fists, or grind your teeth. Listen to me! I mean it! My hotel is equipped with everything that can benefit guests. Have you heard that people have now learned to transmit thoughts over a distance?
King. The court scientist tried to tell me something about this, but I fell asleep.
Innkeeper. And in vain! Now I will ask the neighbors about the poor princess without leaving this room.
King. Honestly?
Innkeeper. You'll see. A five-hour drive from us is a monastery where my best friend works as a housekeeper. This is the most curious monk in the world. He knows everything that is going on a hundred miles around. Now I will tell him everything that is required, and in a few seconds I will receive an answer. Hush, hush, my friends, don’t move, don’t sigh so heavily: I need to concentrate. So. I transmit thoughts over a distance. "Aw! Aw! Gop-hop! Monastery, cell nine, father the housekeeper. Father is an economist! Hop-hop! Aw! A girl in a man's dress got lost in the mountains. Tell me where she is. Kiss. Innkeeper". That's all. Madams, there is no need to cry. I'm getting ready for the reception, but women's tears upset me. That's it. Thank you. Hush. I move on to the reception. Emilia tavern. To the innkeeper. I don't know, unfortunately. Two monasteries came carcasses of black goats." All clear! Father Economist, unfortunately, does not know where the princess is, and asks to be sent for a monastery meal...
King. Damn the meal! Ask other neighbors!
Innkeeper. Alas, sir, if the housekeeper doesn’t know anything, then everyone else doesn’t know anything.
King. I'm about to swallow a bag of gunpowder, hit myself in the stomach and tear myself to pieces!
Innkeeper. These home remedies never help anything. (Takes a bunch of keys.) I'll give you the most large room, sir!
King. What will I do there?
Innkeeper. Walk from corner to corner. And at dawn we will go on a search together. I'm telling you right. Here's the key. And you, gentlemen, receive the keys to your rooms. This is the smartest thing you can do today. You need to rest, my friends! Gather strength! Take candles. Like this. Follow me!
Leaves, accompanied by the King and courtiers. Immediately the disciple of the famous hunter enters the room. Looking around carefully, he calls like a quail. The chirping of a starling answers him, and a hunter looks into the room.
Student. Go boldly! There's no one here!
Hunter. If it's the hunters who came here, then I'll shoot you like a hare.
Student. What do I have to do with this? God!
Hunter. Shut up! Wherever I go on vacation, cursed hunters crowd around. I hate it! Moreover, hunting wives immediately discuss hunting matters at random! Ugh! You are an idiot!
Student. God! What do I have to do with it?
Hunter. Let's face it: if these visitors are hunters, then we are leaving immediately. Blockhead! Killing you is not enough!
Student. What is this? Why are you torturing me, boss! Yes I…
Hunter. Shut up! Be silent when your elders are angry! What do you want? So that I, a real hunter, would waste charges for nothing? No, brother! This is why I keep students so that my abuse will offend at least someone. I have no family, bear with me. Did you send any letters?
Student. I took it before the storm. And when I walked back, then...
Hunter. Shut up! Sent everything? And what's in the big envelope? The head of the hunt?
Student. Everything, everything! And when I walked back, I saw footprints. Both hare and fox.
Hunter. Damn the tracks! I have time to do stupid things when down there fools and envious people are digging a hole for me.
Student. Or maybe they don't dig?
Hunter. They dig, I know them!
Student. Well, let. And we would shoot a whole mountain of game - that’s when they would be afraid of us... They give us a hole, and we give them prey, and it turns out that we are good fellows, and they are scoundrels. I'd like to shoot...
Hunter. Donkey! I wish I could shoot... When they start discussing my every shot down there, you'll go crazy! He killed the fox, they say, like last year, but did not bring anything new to the hunt. And if, what good, you miss! I, who hitherto hit without missing a beat? Shut up! I'll kill you! (Very softly). Where is my new student?
Student. Cleans the gun.
Hunter. Well done!
Student. Certainly! Whoever is new to you is great.
Hunter. So what? Firstly, I don’t know him and can expect any miracles from him. Secondly, he doesn’t know me and therefore respects me without any reservations or considerations. Not like you!
The bell is ringing.

My fathers! Someone has arrived! In such weather! Honestly, this is some kind of hunter. I deliberately got out into the storm so that I could brag later...
There's a knock on the door.
Open up, fool! That would have killed you!
Student. Lord, what do I have to do with this?
Unlocks the door. The Bear enters, covered in snow, stunned. He shakes himself off and looks around.
Bear. Where has this taken me?
Hunter. Go to the fire and warm yourself.
Bear. Thank you. Is this a hotel?
Hunter. Yes. The owner will come out now. Are you a hunter?
Bear. What do you! What do you!
Hunter. Why do you talk about this with such horror?
Bear. I don't like hunters.
Hunter. Do you know them, young man?
Bear. Yes, we met.
Hunter. Hunters are the most worthy people on earth! These are all honest simple guys. They love what they do. They get stuck in swamps, climb mountain peaks, wander through thickets where even an animal has a terrible time. And they do all this not out of love for profit, not out of ambition, no, no! They are driven by noble passion! Understood?
Bear. No, I don't understand. But I beg you, let's not argue! I didn't know you loved hunters so much!
Hunter. Who am I? I just can't stand it when outsiders scold them.
Bear. Okay, I won't scold them. I am busy.
Hunter. I'm a hunter myself! Famous!
Bear. I'm really sorry.
Hunter. Not counting small game, I have shot in my time five hundred deer, five hundred goats, four hundred wolves and ninety-nine bears.
The bear jumps up.
Why did you jump up?
Bear. Killing bears is like killing children!
Hunter. Good kids! Have you seen their claws?
Bear. Yes. They are much shorter than hunting daggers.
Hunter. What about bear power?
Bear. There was no need to tease the beast.
Hunter. I am so outraged that there are simply no words, I will have to shoot. (Screams.) Hey! Little boy! Bring your gun here! Alive! I'll kill you now, young man.
Bear. I don't care.
Hunter. Where are you, little boy? Gun, gun for me.
The princess runs in. She has a gun in her hands. The bear jumps up.
(To the princess.) Look, student, and learn. This impudent and ignorant man will now be killed. Don't feel sorry for him. He is not a person, because he does not understand anything about art. Give me the gun, boy. Why are you holding him close to you like a little child?
The innkeeper runs in.
Innkeeper. What's happened? Ah, I understand. Give him the gun, boy, don't be afraid. While the famous hunter was resting after lunch, I poured out the gunpowder from all the charges. I know the habits of my honorable guest!
Hunter. Damn it!
Innkeeper. Not a curse at all, dear friend. You are old brawlers, deep down you are happy when your hands are grabbed.
Hunter. Impudent!
Innkeeper. OK OK! Better eat a double portion of hunting sausages.
Hunter. Come on, to hell with you. And a double portion of hunting tincture.
Innkeeper. That's better.
Hunter (to students). Sit down, boys. Tomorrow, when the weather becomes calmer, we'll go hunting.
Student. Hooray!
Hunter. In the hassle and bustle, I forgot what a high, beautiful art this is. This fool got me going.
Innkeeper. Quiet! (He takes Bear to the far corner and seats him at the table.) Please sit down, sir. What's wrong with you? Are you unwell? Now I will cure you. I have a wonderful first aid kit for travelers... Do you have a fever?
Bear. I don’t know... (Whispers.) Who is this girl?
Innkeeper. Everything is clear... You are going crazy from unhappy love. Here, unfortunately, medications are powerless.
Bear. Who's that girl?
Innkeeper. She's not here, poor thing!
Bear. Well, why not! There she is whispering with the hunter.
Innkeeper. It's all imaginary to you! It's not her at all, it's him. This is just a student of the famous hunter. Do you understand me?
Bear. Thank you. Yes.
Hunter. What are you whispering about me?
Innkeeper. And it's not about you at all.
Hunter. Doesn't matter! I can't stand it when people stare at me. Take dinner to my room. Students, follow me!
The innkeeper carries a tray of dinner. The hunter with the student and the princess follow. The bear rushes after them. Suddenly the door bursts open before Bear can reach it. The princess is on the doorstep. For some time the princess and the bear look at each other in silence. But then the princess goes around the Bear, goes to the table at which she was sitting, takes a handkerchief forgotten there and heads towards the exit, without looking at the Bear.
Bear. Excuse me... Don't you have a sister?
The princess shakes her head.
Sit with me for a moment. Please! The fact is that you are surprisingly similar to the girl I need to forget as soon as possible. Where are you going?
Princess. I don't want to remind you of something that needs to be forgotten.
Bear. My God! And her voice!
Princess. You are delusional.
Bear. It may very well be. I'm in a fog.
Princess. From what?
Bear. I drove and drove for three days, without rest, without road. I would have ridden further, but my horse cried like a child when I wanted to pass this hotel.
Princess. Have you killed anyone?
Bear. No, what are you talking about!
Princess. From whom were you fleeing like a criminal?
Bear. From love.
Princess. What a funny story!
Bear. Do not laugh. I know: young people are a cruel people. After all, they haven’t had time to experience anything yet. I was like that myself just three days ago. But since then he has wised up. Have you ever been in love?
Princess. I don't believe in this nonsense.
Bear. I didn't believe it either. And then I fell in love.
Princess. Who is this, may I ask?
Bear. The same girl who is so similar to you.
Princess. Please look.
Bear. I beg you, don't smile! I'm seriously in love!
Princess. Yes, you can’t run that far from a slight hobby.
Bear. Oh, you don’t understand... I fell in love and was happy. Not for long, but like never before in my life. And then…
Princess. Well?
Bear. Then I suddenly learned something about this girl that changed everything at once. And to top it all off, I suddenly saw clearly that she had fallen in love with me too.
Princess. What a blow for a lover!
Bear. In this case, a terrible blow! And I felt even scarier, the scariest of all, when she said that she would kiss me.
Princess. Stupid girl!
Bear. What?
Princess. Contemptible fool!
Bear. Don't you dare talk about her like that!
Princess. She's worth it.
Bear. It's not for you to judge! This is a wonderful girl. Simple and trusting, like... like... like me!
Princess. You? You are a cunning, braggart and talker.
Bear. I?
Princess. Yes! With thinly hidden triumph, you tell the first person you meet about your victories.
Bear. So this is how you understood me?
Princess. Yes exactly! She's stupid...
Bear. Please speak about her respectfully!
Princess. She's stupid, stupid, stupid!
Bear. Enough! Cheeky puppies are punished! (He snatches his sword.) Defend yourself!
Princess. At your service!
They fight fiercely.
I could have killed you twice now.
Bear. And I, little boy, am looking for death!
Princess. Why didn't you die without outside help?
Bear. Health doesn't allow it.
Lunges. Knocks the hat off the princess's head. Her heavy braids fall almost to the ground. The bear drops his sword.
Princess! What happiness! What a disaster! It is you! You! Why are you here?
Princess. I've been chasing you for three days. It was only during a storm that I lost track of you, met a hunter and became his apprentice.
Bear. Have you been chasing me for three days?
Princess. Yes! To tell me how indifferent you are to me. Know that for me you are no different... just like a grandmother, and a stranger at that! And I'm not going to kiss you! And I didn’t even think about falling in love with you. Farewell! (Leaves. Returns.) You offended me so much that I will still take revenge on you! I will prove to you how indifferent you are to me. I'll die and prove it! (Leaves.)
Bear. Run, run quickly! She was angry and scolded me, but I saw only her lips and thought, thought about one thing: now I’ll kiss her! Damn bear! Run, run! Or maybe one more time, just to look at her once. Her eyes are so clear! And she is here, here, next to her, behind the wall. Take a few steps and... (Laughs.) Just think - she’s in the same house as me! What happiness! What am I doing! I will destroy her and myself! Hey you beast! Get out of here! Let's hit the road!
The innkeeper enters.
I'd like to check out!
Innkeeper. This is impossible.
Bear. I'm not afraid of a hurricane.
Innkeeper. Of course of course! But don't you hear how quiet it has become?
Bear. Right. Why is this?
Innkeeper. I tried to go out into the yard now to see if the roof of the new barn had been blown off, but I couldn’t.
Bear. Could not?
Innkeeper. We are buried under the snow. In the last half hour, not flakes, but whole snowdrifts fell from the sky. My old friend, the mountain wizard, got married and settled down, otherwise I would have thought it was his pranks.
Bear. If you can't leave, then lock me up!
Innkeeper. Lock it up?
Bear. Yes, yes, on the key?
Innkeeper. For what?
Bear. I can't date her! I love her!
Innkeeper. Whom?
Bear. Princess!
Innkeeper. She is here?
Bear. Here. She changed into a man's dress. I recognized her immediately, but you didn’t believe me.
Innkeeper. So was it really her?
Bear. She! My God... Only now, when I don’t see her, do I begin to understand how she insulted me!
Innkeeper. No!
Bear. Why not? Did you hear what she told me here?
Innkeeper. I haven't heard it, but it doesn't matter. I've been through so much that I understand everything.
Bear. With an open soul, in a friendly way, I complained to her about my bitter fate, and she overheard me like a traitor.
Innkeeper. I don't understand. She overheard you complaining to her?
Bear. Ah, then I thought I was talking to a young man like her! So understand me! Everything is over! I won't say a word to her again! This cannot be forgiven! When the way is clear, I will take one silent look at her and leave. Lock me up, lock me up!
Innkeeper. Here's the key. Go ahead. There's your room. No, no, I won't lock you up. There's a brand new lock on the door, and I'll be sorry if you break it. Good night. Go, go!
Bear. Good night. (Leaves.)
Innkeeper. Good night. You just won’t find it, you won’t find peace anywhere. Lock yourself in a monastery - loneliness will remind you of her. Open a tavern along the road - every knock on the door will remind you of it.
The court lady enters.
Lady. Sorry, but the candle in my room keeps going out.
Innkeeper. Emilia! Surely this is true? Your name is Emilia, isn't it?
Lady. Yes, that's my name. But, sir...
Innkeeper. Emilia!
Lady. Damn me!
Innkeeper. Do you recognize me?
Lady. Emil...
Innkeeper. That was the name of the young man whom a cruel girl forced to flee to distant lands, to the mountains, into the eternal snow.
Lady. Don't look at me. The face is weathered. However, to hell with everything. Look. That's who I am. Funny?
Innkeeper. I see you as you were twenty-five years ago.
Lady. A curse!
Innkeeper. At the most crowded masquerades, I recognized you under any mask.
Lady. I remember.
Innkeeper. What is the mask that time has put on you to me!
Lady. But you didn’t recognize me right away!
Innkeeper. You were so wrapped up. Do not laugh!
Lady. I have forgotten how to cry. You recognize me, but you don't know me. I became angry. Especially in Lately. No tube?
Innkeeper. Tubes?
Lady. I've been smoking lately. Secretly. Sailor tobacco. Hell's Potion. This tobacco kept the candle going out in my room all the time. I tried drinking it too. Did not like. This is what I have become now.
Innkeeper. You have always been like this.
Lady. I?
Innkeeper. Yes. You have always had a stubborn and proud disposition. Now it affects itself in a new way - that’s the whole difference. Were you married?
Lady. Was.
Innkeeper. For whom?
Lady. You didn't know him.
Innkeeper. He is here?
Lady. Died.
Innkeeper. And I thought that this young page became your husband.
Lady. He also died.
Innkeeper. How's that? From what?
Lady. He drowned while going in search of his youngest son, who was carried out to sea by a storm. The young man was picked up by a merchant ship, and his father drowned.
Innkeeper. So. So, young page...
Lady. He became a gray-haired scientist and died, and you are all angry with him.
Innkeeper. You kissed him on the balcony!
Lady. And you danced with the general's daughter.
Innkeeper. Dance decently!
Lady. Damn it! You were whispering something in her ear the whole time!
Innkeeper. I whispered to her: one, two, three! One two Three! One two Three! She was always out of step.
Lady. Funny!
Innkeeper. Terribly funny! To tears.
Lady. What makes you think that we would be happy if we got married?
Innkeeper. Do you doubt this? Yes? Why are you silent!
Lady. Eternal love can not be.
Innkeeper. At the tavern counter I had never heard anything about love. And it’s not appropriate for you to say that. You have always been intelligent and observant.
Lady. OK. Well, forgive me, damned one, for kissing this boy. Give me your hand.
Emil and Emilia shake hands.
OK it's all over Now. You can't start life over again.
Innkeeper. Doesn't matter. I'm happy to see you.
Lady. Me too. The more stupid. OK. I have now forgotten how to cry. I just laugh or swear. Let's talk about something else, if you don't want me to swear like a coachman or neigh like a horse.
Innkeeper. Yes Yes. We have a lot to talk about. In my house, two children in love could die without our help.
Lady. Who are these poor people?
Innkeeper. The princess and the young man for whom she ran away from home. He came here after you.
Lady. They met?
Innkeeper. Yes. And they managed to quarrel.
Lady. Beat the drums!
Innkeeper. What are you saying?
Lady. Blow the trumpets!
Innkeeper. Which pipes?
Lady. Never mind. Palace habit. This is how we command in case of fire, flood, hurricane. Guard, guns on! Something must be done immediately. I'll go report to the king. Children are dying! Swords out! Prepare for battle! With hostility! (Runs away.)

Innkeeper. I understood everything... Emilia was married to the palace commandant. Blow the trumpets! Beat the drums! Swords out! Smokes. Cursing. Poor, proud, tender Emilia! Did he understand who he was married to, the damned rude man, may he rest in heaven!
The king, the first minister, the minister-administrator, the ladies-in-waiting, and the lady of the court run in.
King. Have you seen her?
Innkeeper. Yes.
King. Pale, thin, barely able to stand?
Innkeeper. Tanned, eats well, runs like a boy.
King. Ha ha ha! Well done.
Innkeeper. Thank you.
King. You're not great, she's great. However, use it anyway. And he's here?
Innkeeper. Yes.
King. In love?
Innkeeper. Very.
King. Ha ha ha! That's it! Know ours. Is he suffering?
Innkeeper. Terrible.
King. It serves him right! Ha ha ha! He is suffering, but she is alive, healthy, calm, cheerful...
A hunter enters, accompanied by a student.
Hunter. Give me some drops!
Innkeeper. Which ones?
Hunter. How do I know? My student is bored.
Innkeeper. This?
Student. What more! I'll die - he won't even notice.
Hunter. My new guy is bored, doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink, and doesn’t answer at all.
King. Princess?
Hunter. Who, who?
Innkeeper. Your new guy is a princess in disguise.
Student. The wolf will kill you! And I almost hit her on the neck!
Hunter (to the student). Scoundrel! Blockhead! You can't tell a boy from a girl!
Student. You couldn't tell the difference either.
Hunter. I have time to deal with such trifles!
King. Shut up! Where is the princess?
Hunter. But, but, but, don’t yell, my dear! My work is delicate and nervous. I can't stand shouting. I'll kill you and won't answer!
Innkeeper. This is the king!
Hunter. Oh! (Bows low.) Excuse me, Your Majesty.
King. Where is my daughter?
Hunter. Their Highnesses deign to sit by the fire in our room. They sit and look at the coals.
King. Take me to her!
Hunter. Glad to serve, Your Majesty! This way, please, Your Majesty. I will escort you, and you will give me a diploma. He allegedly taught the royal daughter the noble art of hunting.
King. Okay, later.
Hunter. Thank you, Your Majesty.
They leave. The administrator covers his ears.
Administrator. Now, now we will hear gunfire!
Innkeeper. Which one?
Administrator. The princess gave her word that she would shoot anyone who followed her.
Lady. She won't shoot her own father.
Administrator. I know people! To be honest, they will not spare the father either.
Innkeeper. But I didn’t think to unload the students’ pistols.
Lady. Let's run there! Let's persuade her!
Minister. Quiet! The Emperor returns. He's angry!
Administrator. Will start executing again! And I already have a cold! There is no more harmful work than court work.
The king and the hunter enter.
King (quietly and simply). I am in terrible grief. She sits there by the fire, quiet, unhappy. One - do you hear? One! I left home, I left my worries. And if I bring a whole army and give all the royal power into her hands, it will not help her. How is this so? What should I do? I raised her, took care of her, and now suddenly I can’t help her. She is miles away from me. Go to her. Ask her. Maybe we can help her after all? Go now!
Administrator. She will shoot, Your Majesty!
King. so what? You are still sentenced to death. My God! Why is everything changing so much in your world? Where is my little daughter? A passionate, offended girl sits near the opium. Yes, yes, offended. I see. You never know how many times I have insulted them in my time. Ask what he did to her? What should I do with him? Execute? I can do this. Talk to him? I'll take it! Well! Go now!
Innkeeper. Let me speak to the princess, king.
King. It is forbidden! Let one of your own go to your daughter.
Innkeeper. It is their own lovers who seem especially strangers. Everything has changed, but our own people remain the same.
King. I didn't think about it. You are absolutely right. Nevertheless, I will not cancel my order.
Innkeeper. Why?
King. Why, why... Tyrant because. My dear aunt has awakened in me, an incorrigible fool. Hat to me!
The minister gives the king his hat.
Papers for me.
The innkeeper hands the king a piece of paper.
Let's cast lots. So. Okay, ready. The one who takes out the piece of paper with the cross will go to the princess.
Lady. Let me talk to the princess without any crosses, Your Majesty. I have something to tell her.
King. I will not let it! I got the reins under my robe! Am I a king or not a king? Draw, draw! First Minister! You are the first! The minister draws lots and unfolds the piece of paper.
Minister. Alas, sir!
Administrator. God bless!
Minister. There is no cross on paper!
Administrator. Why did you have to shout “alas”, you idiot!
King. Quiet! Your turn, madam!
Lady. I must go, sir.
Administrator. Congratulations with all my heart! The kingdom of heaven to you!
King. Well, show me the piece of paper, madam! (He snatches her lot from the hands of the court lady, examines it, shakes his head.) You are a liar, madam! These are stubborn people! So they strive to fool their poor master! Next! (To the administrator.) Draw lots, sir. Where! Where are you going? Open your eyes, my dear! Here, here it is, the hat, in front of you.
The administrator draws lots and watches.
Administrator. Ha ha ha!
King. What ha ha ha!
Administrator. That is, I wanted to say - alas! Honestly, I'm screwed, I don't see any cross. Ay - ah - ah, what a shame! Next!
King. Give me your lot!
Administrator. Whom?
King. A piece of paper! Alive! (Looks at the piece of paper.) No cross?
Administrator. No!
King. And what's that?
Administrator. What kind of cross is this? Funny, honestly... It's more like the letter "x"!
King. No, my dear, that’s him! Go!
Administrator. People, people, come to your senses! What are you doing? We abandoned our work, forgot our dignity and rank, and galloped into the mountains over damn bridges and along goat paths. What brought us to this?
Lady. Love!
Administrator. Let's talk seriously, gentlemen! There is no love in the world!
Innkeeper. Eat!
Administrator. Shame on you for pretending! A commercial person, you have your own business.
Innkeeper. And yet I undertake to prove that love exists in the world!
Administrator. She's gone! I don’t trust people, I know them too well, and I myself have never fallen in love. Therefore, there is no love! Consequently, I am being sent to death because of an invention, a prejudice, an empty place!
King. Don't detain me, my dear. Don't be selfish.
Administrator. Okay, Your Majesty, I won't, just listen to me. When a smuggler crawls across an abyss on a perch or a merchant sails in a small boat on the Great Ocean - this is respectable, this is understandable. People earn money. And in the name of what, excuse me, should I lose my head? What you call love is a little indecent, quite funny and very pleasant. What does death have to do with it?
Lady. Shut up, despicable one!
Administrator. Your Majesty, don't tell her to swear! There is no point, madam, there is no point in looking at me as if you really mean what you say. Nothing, nothing! All people are pigs, only some admit it, while others break down. It is not I who is despicable, it is not I who is the villain, but all these noble sufferers, itinerant preachers, wandering singers, poor musicians, common talkers. I am completely visible, everyone understands what I want. A little from each - and I’m no longer angry, I’m cheerful, I calm down, I sit and click on my accounts. And these inflators of feelings, tormentors of human souls - they are truly villains, uncaught murderers. It is they who lie that conscience exists in nature, who claim that compassion is wonderful, who praise loyalty, who teach valor, and who push deceived fools to death! They invented love. She's gone! Trust a respectable, wealthy man!
King. Why is the princess suffering?
Administrator. In your youth, Your Majesty!
King. OK. The condemned man said his last word and that’s enough. I still won’t have mercy! Go! Not a word! I'll shoot you!
The administrator leaves, staggering.
What a devil! And why did I listen to him? He awakened the aunt in me, whom anyone could convince of anything. The poor thing was married eighteen times, not counting light hobbies. Well, how is there really no love in the world? Maybe the princess just has a sore throat or bronchitis, and I’m suffering.
Lady. Your Majesty...
King. Shut up, madam! You are a respectable woman, a believer. Let's ask the youth. Amanda! Do you believe in love?
Amanda. No, Your Majesty!
King. You see! And why?
Amanda. I was in love with one person, and he turned out to be such a monster that I stopped believing in love. I fall in love with everyone now. Doesn't matter!
King. You see! What can you say about love, Orinthia?
Orinthia. Whatever you want, except the truth, Your Majesty.
King. Why?
Orinthia. Speaking the truth about love is so scary and so difficult that I forgot how to do it once and for all. I say about love what is expected of me.
King. Just tell me one thing: is there love in the world?
Orinthia. Yes, Your Majesty, if you wish. I myself have fallen in love so many times!
King. Or maybe she doesn't exist?
Orinthia. There is none, if you wish, sir! There is a light, cheerful madness that always ends in trifles.
Shot.
King. So much for the nonsense!
Hunter. The kingdom of heaven be upon him!
Student. Or maybe he... she... they missed?
Hunter. Insolent! My student - and suddenly...
Student. How long have you been studying?
Hunter. Who are you talking about! Who are you talking to? Wake up!
King. Quiet you! Do not bother me! I rejoice! Ha ha ha! Finally, finally, my daughter escaped from that damned greenhouse in which I, an old fool, raised her. Now she acts like everyone else normal people: she's in trouble - and so she shoots at anyone. (Sobs.) My daughter is growing up. Hey innkeeper! Clean up the hallway there!
The Administrator enters. He has a smoking gun in his hands.
Student. Missed! Ha ha ha!
King. What is it? Why are you alive, you impudent one?
Administrator. Because it was I who shot, sir.
King. You?
Administrator. Yes, just imagine.
King. In whom?
Administrator. In whom, in whom... In the princess! She's alive, she's alive, don't be afraid!
King. Hey there you are! A blockhouse, an executioner and a glass of vodka. Vodka for me, the rest for him. Alive!
Administrator. Take your time, my dear!
King. Who are you talking to?
The Bear enters. Stops at the door.
Administrator. I'm telling you, dad. Take your time! The princess is my bride.
Court Lady. Beat the drums, blow the trumpets, sound the guard, sound the gun!
First Minister. Has he gone crazy?
Innkeeper. Oh, if only!
King. Tell me clearly, otherwise I’ll kill you!
Administrator. I'll tell you with pleasure. I like to talk about things that went well. Yes, sit down, gentlemen, what is there really, I allow. If you don’t want it, whatever you want. Well, that means... I went, as you insisted, to the girl... I went, then. Fine. I open the door slightly, and I think: oh, he’ll kill me... I want to die, like any of those present. Here you go. And she turned around at the creak of the door and jumped up. I, you know, gasped. Naturally, he grabbed the pistol from his pocket. And, as anyone present would have done in my place, he fired a pistol at the girl. But she didn’t even notice. She took me by the hand and said: I thought and thought, sitting here by the fire, and vowed to marry the first person I met. Ha ha! You see how lucky I am, how cleverly it turned out that I missed. Oh yes I am!
Court Lady. Poor child!
Administrator. Don't interrupt! I ask: does that mean I’m your fiancé now? And she answers: what to do if you turn up? I look - my lips are trembling, my fingers are trembling, there are feelings in my eyes, a vein is beating in my neck, this and that, the fifth, the tenth... (Choking.) Oh, wow!
The innkeeper serves vodka to the king. The administrator grabs a glass and drinks it in one gulp.
Hooray! I hugged her, and therefore kissed her on the lips.
Bear. Shut up, I'll kill you!
Administrator. Nothing, nothing. They killed me today - and what happened? Where did I stop? Oh, yes... We kissed, that means...
Bear. Shut up!
Administrator. King! Make sure you don't interrupt me! Is it really difficult? We kissed, and then she said: go, report everything to dad, and for now I’ll dress up as a girl. And I answered this: let me help you fasten this and that, lace up, tighten, hehe... And she, such a coquette, answers me: get out of here! And I tell her this: see you soon, your highness, chicken, chicken. Ha ha ha!
King. The devil knows what... Hey, you... Retinue... Look for something in the medicine cabinet... I lost consciousness, only feelings remained... Subtle... Barely definable... Either I want music and flowers, or I want to stab someone. I feel, I feel vaguely, vaguely - something wrong has happened, but there is nothing to face reality with...
The princess enters. He rushes to his father.
Princess (desperately). Dad! Dad! (Notices the Bear. Calmly.) Good evening, dad. And I'm getting married.
King. For whom, daughter?
Princess (points to the administrator with a nod of her head). Here's to this. Come here! Give me your hand.
Administrator. With pleasure! Hehe...
Princess. Don't you dare giggle, or I'll shoot you!
King. Well done! This is our way!
Princess. I'm scheduling the wedding in an hour.
King. In one hour? Great! A wedding is, in any case, a joyful and cheerful event, but we’ll see. Fine! What, really... The daughter was found, everyone is alive and well, there is plenty of wine. Unpack your luggage! Put on your holiday outfits! Light all the candles! We'll figure it out later!
Bear. Stop!
King. What's happened? Well well well! Speak up!
Bear (addresses Orinthia and Amanda, who are standing hugging each other). I'm asking for your hand. Be my wife. Look at me - I'm young, healthy, simple. I am a kind person and will never offend you. Be my wife!
Princess. Don't answer him!
Bear. Ah, that's how it is! You can, but I can’t!
Princess. I vowed to marry the first person I met.
Bear. Me too.
Princess. I... However, enough, enough, I don’t care! (Goes to the exit.) Ladies! Behind me! You will help me put on my wedding dress.
King. Cavaliers, follow me! Will you help me order a wedding dinner? Innkeeper, this applies to you too.
Innkeeper. Okay, Your Majesty, go ahead, I'll catch up with you. (To the court lady, in a whisper.) Under any pretext, force the princess to return here, to this room.
Court Lady. I will drag you by force, destroy me, you unclean one!
Everyone leaves, except for the Bear and the maids of honor, who all stand hugging each other against the wall.
Bear (to the ladies-in-waiting). Be my wife!
Amanda. Sir, sir! Which of us are you proposing to? Orinthia. After all, there are two of us.
Bear. Sorry, I didn't notice.
The innkeeper runs in.
Innkeeper. Get back, otherwise you will die! Getting too close to lovers when they are fighting is deadly! Run before it's too late!
Bear. Do not leave!
Innkeeper. Shut up, I'll connect you! Don't you feel sorry for these poor girls?
Bear. They didn’t feel sorry for me, and I don’t want to feel sorry for anyone!
Innkeeper. Do you hear? Hurry, hurry away!
Orinthia and Amanda leave, looking back.
Listen, you! Fool! Come to your senses, please, be kind! A few reasonable, kind words - and now you are happy again. Understood? Tell her: listen, princess, this is how it is, it’s my fault, forgive me, don’t ruin it, I won’t do it again, I did it by accident. And then go ahead and kiss her.
Bear. Never!
Innkeeper. Don't be stubborn! Kiss, but only stronger.
Bear. No!
Innkeeper. Don't waste time! There are only forty-five minutes left until the wedding. You barely have time to make peace. Quicker. Come to your senses! I hear footsteps, it’s Emilia leading the princess here. Come on! Heads up!
The door swings open and a court lady in a luxurious outfit enters the room. She is accompanied by footmen with lit candelabra.
Court Lady. I congratulate you, gentlemen, with great joy!
Innkeeper. Do you hear, son?
Court Lady. The end has come to all our sorrows and misadventures.
Innkeeper. Well done, Emilia!
Court Lady. According to the princess's orders, her marriage to the Minister, which was to take place in forty-five minutes...
Innkeeper. Good girl! Oh well?
Court Lady. Happens immediately!
Innkeeper. Emilia! Come to your senses! This is misfortune, and you are smiling!
Court Lady. That's the order. Don't touch me, I'm on duty, damn me! (Beaming.) Please, Your Majesty, everything is ready. (To the innkeeper.) Well, what could I do! She is stubborn, like, like... like you and I once were!
The king enters wearing an ermine robe and a crown. He leads the princess in a wedding dress by the hand. Next comes the Minister-Administrator. Diamond rings sparkle on all his fingers. Following him are the courtiers in festive attire.
King. Well. Now let's start getting married. (Looks at the Bear with hope.) Honestly, I’ll start now. No kidding. Once! Two! Three! (Sighs.) I'm starting! (Solemnly.) As an honorary saint, an honorary great martyr, an honorary Pope of our kingdom, I begin to celebrate the sacrament of marriage. Bride and groom! Give each other your hands!
Bear. No!
King. What's not? Come on, come on! Speak up, don't be shy!
Bear. Everyone get out of here! I need to talk to her! Go away!
Administrator (stepping forward). Oh, you impudent one!
The bear pushes him away with such force that the minister-administrator flies through the door.
Court Lady. Hooray! Sorry, Your Majesty...
King. Please! I'm glad myself. Father after all.
Bear. Go away, I beg you! Leave us alone!
Innkeeper. Your Majesty, and your Majesty! Let's go! Inconvenient...
King. Well, here we go again! I also probably want to know how their conversation ends!
Court Lady. Sovereign!
King. Leave me alone! But, okay. I can listen at the keyhole. (Runs on tiptoe.) Let's go, let's go, gentlemen! Inconvenient!
Everyone runs away after him, except the princess and the bear.
Bear. Princess, now I confess everything. Unfortunately we met, unfortunately we fell in love with each other. I... I... If you kiss me, I will turn into a bear.
The princess covers her face with her hands. He would be all over the place, but we poor people are so confused. That's why I ran. After all, I swore that I would rather die than offend you. Sorry! It's not me! It's him... Sorry!
Princess. You, you - and suddenly turn into a bear?
Bear. Yes.
Princess. As soon as I kiss you?
Bear. Yes.
Princess. You, will you silently wander back and forth through the rooms, as if in a cage? Never talk to me like a human being? And if I really bore you with my conversations, will you growl at me like an animal? Is it really possible that all the crazy joys and sorrows of the last days will end so sadly?
Bear. Yes.
Princess. Dad! Dad!
The king runs in, accompanied by his entire retinue.
Dad is...
King. Yes, yes, I overheard. What a pity!
Princess. Let's leave, let's leave quickly!
King. Daughter, daughter... Something terrible is happening to me... Something good - such fear! - something good woke up in my soul. Let's think about it - maybe we shouldn't drive him away. A? Others live - and nothing! Just think - a bear... Not a ferret after all... We would comb it, tame it. He would dance for us sometimes...
Princess. No! I love him too much for that.
The bear takes a step forward and stops, lowering its head.
Goodbye, goodbye forever! (Runs away.)
Everyone except the Bear follows her. Suddenly music starts playing. The windows swing open by themselves. The sun is rising. There is no trace of snow. Grass has grown on the mountain slopes and flowers are swaying. The owner bursts in laughing. The hostess hurries after him, smiling. She glances at the bear and immediately stops smiling.
Boss (yells). Congratulations! Congratulations! May you live happily ever after!
Mistress. Shut up, fool...
Master. Why - a fool?
Mistress. You're not screaming. This is not a wedding, but grief...
Master. What? How? Can't be! I brought them to this cozy hotel and blocked all the entrances and exits with snowdrifts. I was happy with my invention, so happy that eternal snow and it melted and the mountain slopes turned green under the sun. Didn't you kiss her?
Bear. But…
Master. Coward!
Sad music. Snow falls on the green grass and flowers. With her head down, not looking at anyone, the princess walks through the room arm in arm with the king. The whole retinue is behind them. This entire procession takes place outside the windows under the falling snow. The innkeeper runs out with a suitcase. He shakes his bunch of keys.
Innkeeper. Gentlemen, gentlemen, the hotel is closing. I'm leaving, gentlemen!
Master. OK! Give me the keys, I'll lock everything myself.
Innkeeper. Well, thank you! Hurry the hunter. He stacks his diplomas there.
Master. OK.
Innkeeper (to the Bear). Listen, poor boy...
Master. Go ahead, I'll talk to him myself. Hurry up, you'll be late, you'll fall behind!
Innkeeper. God forbid! (Runs away.)
Master. You! Answer! How dare you not kiss her?
Bear. But you know how it would end!
Master. No, I do not know! You didn't love the girl!
Bear. Not true!
Master. I didn’t love you, otherwise the magical power of recklessness would have taken over you. Who dares to reason or predict when high feelings take possession of a person? Poor, unarmed people throw kings off the throne out of love for their neighbors. Out of love for their homeland, soldiers support death with their feet, and it runs without looking back. The sages rise to heaven and dive into hell itself - out of love for the truth. The earth is being rebuilt out of love for beauty. What did you do out of love for a girl?
Bear. I refused it.
Master. A magnificent action. Do you know that only once in a lifetime does a lover get a day when they succeed in everything. And you missed your happiness. Goodbye. I won't help you anymore. No! I will start to disturb you with all my might. What have I brought you to... I, a merry fellow and a naughty fellow, spoke like a preacher because of you. Let's go, wife, close the shutters.
Mistress. Let's go, fool...
The sound of shutters closing. The hunter and his disciple enter. They have huge folders in their hands.
Bear. Do you want to kill the hundredth bear?
Hunter. A bear? The hundredth?
Bear. Yes Yes! Sooner or later, I will find the princess, kiss her and turn into a bear... And then you...
Hunter. Understand! New. Tempting. But it’s really awkward for me to take advantage of your courtesy...
Bear. Nothing, don't be shy.
Hunter. How will Her Royal Highness look at this?
Bear. He will be happy!
Hunter. Well... Art requires sacrifice.
Bear. Thank you friend! Let's go!
A curtain

Act three
A garden sloping down to the sea. Cypress trees, palm trees, lush greenery, flowers. A wide terrace, on the railing of which the innkeeper sits. He is dressed for summer, in white from head to toe, refreshed, rejuvenated.
Innkeeper. Aw! Awww! Gop, hop! A monastery, a monastery! Answer me! Father housekeeper, where are you? I have news! Do you hear? News! Wouldn't that also make you prick up your ears? Have you really forgotten how to exchange thoughts at a distance? I've been calling you for a whole year - and it's all in vain. Father is an economist! Aw-ow-ow! Gop, hop! (Jumps up.) Hurray! Gop, hop! Hello old man! Finally! Don't yell like that, it hurts your ears! You never know! I was happy too, but I don’t shout. What? No, first you tell me everything, old gossip, and then I’ll tell you what we experienced this year. Yes Yes. I’ll tell you all the news, I won’t miss anything, don’t worry. Well, okay, stop groaning and wailing, get down to business. Yes, yes, I understand. What about you? What about the abbot? What about her? Ha ha ha! What a nimble little woman! Understand. Well, how is my hotel? Works? Yah? How, how, repeat. (Sobs and blows his nose). Nice. Touching. Wait, let me write it down. Here we are threatened with various troubles and troubles, so it is useful to stock up on comforting news. Well? What do people say? Without it, a hotel is like a body without a soul? This is without me, that is? Thank you, old goat, you made me happy. Well, what else? Otherwise, you say, everything is as it was? Is everything still the same? What miracles!
I'm not there, but everything goes on as before! Just think about it! Okay, now I'll start telling you. First about myself. I suffer unbearably. Well, judge for yourself, I returned to my homeland. So? Everything around is beautiful. Right? Everything is blooming and rejoicing, just like in the days of my youth, only I’m not the same anymore! I ruined my happiness, I missed it. This is terrible, isn't it? Why do I talk about this so cheerfully? Well, at home after all... I, despite my unbearable suffering, still gained five kilos in weight. It's nothing you can do. I live. And besides, suffering is suffering, but still I got married. On her, on her. On E! Eh! Eh! What is there not to understand! Eh! And I don’t mention her name in full, because after getting married, I remained a respectful lover. I cannot shout to the whole world a name that is sacred to me. There's no need to laugh, demon, you don't understand anything about love, you're a monk. What? Well, what kind of love is this, you old shameless fellow! That's exactly what it is. A? Like a princess? Oh brother, that's bad. It's sad, brother. Our princess fell ill. That's why I got sick, something you don't believe in, you asshole. This is what comes from love. The doctor says that the princess may die, but we don’t want to believe it. That would be too unfair. Yes, he didn’t come here, he didn’t come, you know. The hunter has come, but the bear disappears to an unknown location. Apparently, the prince-administrator does not allow him to come to us with all the lies that exist on earth. Yes, imagine, the administrator is now a prince, and strong as a demon. Money, brother. He got so rich that he was simply afraid. He does what he wants. A wizard is not a wizard, but something like that. Well, enough about him. Disgusting. Hunter? No, he doesn't hunt. He is trying to write a book on the theory of hunting. When will the book come out? Unknown. While he is typing excerpts, he then skirmishes with his fellow professionals over every comma. He is in charge of our royal hunt. Got married, by the way. On the princess's maid of honor, Amanda. They had a girl. They called it Mushka. And the hunter's apprentice married Orinthia. They have a boy. They called it Target. Here you go, brother. The princess suffers, gets sick, but life goes on as usual. What are you saying? Fish here is cheaper than here, and beef is the same price. What? Vegetables, brother, such as you never dreamed of. Pumpkins are rented out to poor families as summer cottages. Summer residents live in pumpkins and feed on them. And thanks to this, the dacha, the longer you live in it, the more spacious it becomes. Here you go, brother. We tried to donate watermelons, but it’s a bit damp to live in them. Well, goodbye, brother. The princess is coming. It's sad, brother. Goodbye brother. Tomorrow at this time, listen to me. Oh-oh-oh, things are going on...
The princess enters.
Hello princess!
Princess. Hello, my dear friend! Have we met yet? But it seemed to me that I had already told you that I would die today.
Innkeeper. This can't be true! You won't die!
Princess. I would be glad, but everything has turned out so that there is no other way out. It’s hard for me to breathe and to look - that’s how tired I am. I don’t show this to anyone, because I’m used to it since childhood not to cry when I hurt myself, but you’re one of us, right?
Innkeeper. I don't want to believe you.
Princess. But you still have to! Just as people die without bread, without water, without air, so I am dying because I have no happiness, and that’s all.
Innkeeper. You are wrong!
Princess. No! Just as a person suddenly realizes that he is in love, he also immediately guesses when death comes for him.
Innkeeper. Princess, please don't!
Princess. I know it's sad, but you'll be even sadder if I leave you without saying goodbye. Now I’ll write letters, pack my things, and in the meantime you gather your friends here on the terrace. And then I will go out and say goodbye to you. Fine? (Leaves.)
Innkeeper. This is grief, this is trouble. No, no, I don't believe this can happen! She is so nice, so gentle, she has never done anything bad to anyone! Friends, my friends! Quicker! Here! The princess is calling! Friends, my friends!
The owner and hostess enter.
You! This is happiness, this is joy! And did you hear me?
Master. We heard, we heard!
Innkeeper. Have you been nearby?
Mistress. No, we were sitting on the porch at home. But my husband suddenly jumped up, shouted: “It’s time, they call me,” grabbed me in his arms, soared under the clouds, and from there down, straight to you. Hello Emil!
Innkeeper. Hello, hello, my dears! You know what's going on here! Help us. The administrator has become a prince and does not let the bear near the poor princess.
Mistress. Oh, this is not an administrator at all.
Innkeeper. Then who?
Mistress. We.
Innkeeper. I do not believe! You are slandering yourself!
Master. Shut up! How dare you lament, be horrified, hope for a good ending where there is no longer any way back. Spoiled! Pampered! It's limp here under the palm trees. He got married and now thinks that everything in the world should go smoothly and evenly. Yes Yes! It's me who doesn't let the boy in here. I!
Innkeeper. What for?
Master. And then for the princess to meet her end calmly and with dignity.
Innkeeper. Oh!
Master. Don't groan!
Innkeeper. What if by miracle...
Master. Have I ever taught you how to run a hotel or be faithful in love? No? Well, don’t you dare talk to me about miracles. Miracles are subject to the same laws as all other natural phenomena. There is no power in the world that can help poor children. What do you want? So that before our eyes he turns into a bear and the hunter shoots him? Scream, madness, ugliness instead of a sad and quiet ending? Is this what you want?
Innkeeper. No.
Master. Well, let's not talk about it.
Innkeeper. And if, after all, the boy makes his way here...
Master. Well, I do not! The quietest rivers, at my request, overflow their banks and block his path as soon as he approaches the ford. The mountains are so much homebodies, but even those, creaking stones and rustling forests, move from their place and stand on his road. I'm not even talking about hurricanes. These are happy to lead a person astray. But that is not all. No matter how disgusting it was for me, I ordered the evil wizards to do evil to him. I just didn’t allow him to be killed.
Mistress. And harm his health.
Master. And I allowed everything else. And then the huge frogs overturn his horse, jumping out from the ambush. Mosquitoes sting him.
Mistress. Just not malaria.
Master. But they are huge, like bees. And he is tormented by dreams so terrible that only big guys like our bear can watch them to the end without waking up. Evil wizards try their best, because they are subordinate to us, the good ones. No no! Everything will be fine, everything will end sadly. Call, call your friends to say goodbye to the princess.
Innkeeper. Friends, my friends!
Emilia, the first minister, Orinthia, Amanda, the hunter's apprentice, appear.
My friends…
Emilia. Don't, don't say it, we heard it all.
Master. Where is the hunter?
Student. I went to the doctor for sedative drops. Afraid of getting sick from anxiety.
Emilia. It's funny, but I can't laugh. When you lose one of your friends, you temporarily forgive everything to the rest... (Sobs.)
Master. Madam, madam! Let's act like adults. And there is greatness in tragic endings.
Emilia. Which?
Master. They make survivors think.
Emilia. What's so majestic about this? It is a shame to kill heroes in order to move the cold and stir up the indifferent. I can't stand it. Let's talk about something else.
Master. Yes, yes, let's go. Where is the poor king? He's probably crying!
Emilia. Playing cards, old jumper!
First Minister. Madam, no need to scold! It's all my fault. The minister is obliged to report the whole truth to the sovereign, and I was afraid to upset His Majesty. We must, we must open the king’s eyes!
Emilia. He already sees everything perfectly.
First Minister. No, no, he doesn't see. This prince-administrator is bad, but the king is just a charmer. I swore to myself that at the very first meeting I would open the sovereign’s eyes. And the king will save his daughter, and therefore all of us!
Emilia. What if it doesn’t save you?
First Minister. Then I'll rebel too, damn it!
Emilia. The king is coming here. Take action. I can’t laugh at you either, Mr. First Minister.
The king enters. He's very cheerful.
King. Hello Hello! What a wonderful morning. How are you, how is the princess? However, there is no need to answer me, I already understand that everything is going well.
First Minister. Your Majesty...
King. Bye-bye!
First Minister. Your Majesty, listen to me.
King. I want to sleep.
First Minister. If you don't save your daughter, who will save her? Your dear, your only daughter! Look what we are doing! A fraudster, an arrogant businessman without heart and mind, seized power in the kingdom. Everything, everything now serves one thing - his robber’s wallet. His clerks roam everywhere, everywhere and carry bales of goods from place to place, without looking at anything. They crash into funeral processions, stop weddings, knock down children, push old people. Order the prince-administrator to be driven away - and the princess will breathe easier, and the terrible wedding will no longer threaten the poor thing. Your Majesty!. .
King. Nothing, nothing I can do!
First Minister. Why?
King. Because I'm degenerating, you fool! You need to read books and not demand from the king what he cannot do. Will the princess die? Well, let. As soon as I see that this horror really threatens me, I will commit suicide. My poison has been prepared for a long time. I recently tried this potion on a card partner. What a beauty it is. He died and didn’t notice. Why shout? Why worry about me?
Emilia. We're not worried about you, but about the princess.
King. Aren't you worried about your king?
First Minister. Yes, Your Excellency.
King. Oh! What did you call me?
First Minister. Your Excellency.
King. I, the greatest of kings, was called a general? Why, this is a riot!
First Minister. Yes! I rebelled. You, you, you are not the greatest of kings at all, but simply outstanding, and that’s all.
King. Oh!
First Minister. Did you eat it? Haha, I'll go even further. Rumors about your holiness are exaggerated, yes, yes! It is not at all on merit that you are called an honorary saint. You are a simple ascetic!
King. Oh!
First Minister. Ascetic!
King. Ay!
First Minister. A hermit, but by no means a saint.
King. Water!
Emilia. Don't give him water, let him listen to the truth!
First Minister. Pope Emeritus? Ha ha! You are not the Pope, you are not the pope, understand? Not dad, and that's all!
King. Well, this is too much! Executioner!
Emilia. He won't come, he works for the newspaper of the minister-administrator. Writes poems.
King. Minister, minister-administrator! Here! They offend!
The minister-administrator enters. He now holds himself unusually solidly. He speaks slowly and broadcasts.
Administrator. But why? From what? Who dares to offend our glorious, our shirt-guy, as I call him, our little king?
King. They scold me and tell me to drive you away!
Administrator. What vile intrigues, as I call it.
King. They scare me.
Administrator. How?
King. They say the princess will die.
Administrator. From what?
King. Out of love, perhaps.
Administrator. This, I would say, is nonsense. Delirium, as I call it. Our general doctor, mine and the king’s, just examined the princess yesterday and reported to me on the state of her health. The princess was not found to have any illnesses caused by love. This is the first one. And secondly, from love comes funny diseases, for jokes, as I call them, and completely curable ones, if you don’t start them, of course. What does death have to do with it?
King. You see! I told you so. The doctor knows better whether the princess is in danger or not.
Administrator. The doctor assured me with his own head that the princess was about to get better. She's just having pre-wedding fever, as I call it.
The hunter runs in.
Hunter. Misfortune, misfortune! The doctor has escaped!
King. Why?
Administrator. You are lying!
Hunter. Hey, you! I love ministers, but only polite ones! Forgotten? I am a man of art, not a simple people! I shoot without missing a beat!
Administrator. Sorry, I got busy.
King. Tell me, tell me, Mr. Hunter! I ask you to!
Hunter. I obey, Your Majesty. I come to the doctor for sedative drops - and suddenly I see: the rooms are unlocked, the drawers are open, the cabinets are empty, and there is a note on the table. Here she is!
King. Don't you dare show it to me! I don't want to! I'm afraid! What it is? The executioner has been taken away, the gendarmes have been taken away, they are frightening them. You are pigs, not loyal subjects. Don't you dare follow me! I don't listen, I don't listen, I don't listen! (Runs away, covering his ears.)
Administrator. The little king has aged...
Emilia. You'll grow old with you.
Administrator. Let's stop talking, as I call it. Please show me the note, Mr. Hunter.
Emilia. Read it aloud to all of us, Mr. Hunter.
Hunter. If you please. It's very simple. (Reads.) “Only a miracle can save the princess. You killed her, and you will blame me. But the doctor is also a man, he has his own weaknesses, he wants to live. Goodbye. Doctor.”
Administrator. Damn it, how inappropriate this is. Doctors, doctors! Bring him back now and blame it all on him! Alive! (Runs away.)
The princess appears on the terrace. She is dressed for travel.
Princess. No, no, don't get up, don't move, my friends! And you are here, my friend the wizard, and you. How nice! What a special day! I'm doing so well today. Things that I thought were missing are suddenly found by themselves. My hair fits obediently when I comb my hair. And if I start remembering the past, then only joyful memories come to me. Life smiles at me goodbye. Did they tell you that I would die today?
Mistress. Oh!
Princess. Yes, yes, this is much scarier than I thought. Death, it turns out, is rough. And it's dirty too. She comes with a whole bag of disgusting doctor's instruments. There she has unturned gray stone hammers for blows, rusty hooks for breaking the heart and even uglier devices that I don’t want to talk about.
Emilia. How do you know this, princess?
Princess. Death has come so close that I can see everything. And enough about that. My friends, be even kinder to me than always. Don’t think about your grief, but try to brighten up my last moments.
Emil. Order, princess! We will do everything.
Princess. Talk to me as if nothing happened. Make jokes, smile. Tell me what you want. If only I didn’t think about what would happen to me soon. Orinthia, Amanda, are you happily married?
Amanda. Not what we thought, but happy.
Princess. All the time?
Orinthia. Often.
Princess. Are you good wives?
Hunter. Very! Other hunters are simply bursting with envy.
Princess. No, let the wives answer for themselves. Are you good wives?
Amanda. I don't know, princess. I think wow. But only I love my husband and child so terribly...
Orinthia. And me too.
Amanda. Sometimes it’s difficult for me, it’s impossible to keep my mind.
Orinthia. And me too.
Amanda. How long have we been surprised at the stupidity, thoughtlessness, shameless frankness with which legal wives make scenes for their husbands...
Orinthia. And now we are sinning in the same way.
Princess. Lucky girls! How much you have to go through and feel in order to change like that! But I was still sad, and that’s all. Life, life... Who is it? (Looks into the depths of the garden.)
Emilia. What are you, princess! There is nobody there.
Princess. Steps, steps! Do you hear?
Hunter. That's her?
Princess. No, it's him, it's him!
The Bear enters. General movement.
Are you... Are you coming to me?
Bear. Yes. Hello! Why are you crying?
Princess. From happiness. My friends... Where are they all?
Bear. I had barely entered when they tiptoed out.
Princess. Well, that's good. I now have a secret that I couldn’t tell even to my closest people. Only for you. Here it is: I love you. Yes Yes! True true! I love you so much that I will forgive you everything. You can do anything. If you want to turn into a bear, fine. Let be. Just don't leave. I can't stay here alone anymore. Why haven't you come for so long? No, no, don't answer me, don't, I'm not asking. If you didn't come, it means you couldn't. I don’t blame you - you see how meek I have become. Just don't leave me.
Bear. No no.
Princess. Death came for me today.
Bear. No!
Princess. True true. But I'm not afraid of her. I'm just telling you the news. Every time something sad or simply remarkable happened, I thought: he will come and I will tell him. Why didn't you go for so long!
Bear. No, no, I was walking. He walked all the time. I thought about only one thing: how I would come to you and say: “Don’t be angry. Here I am. I couldn’t do otherwise! I came.” (Hugs the princess.) Don't be angry! I came!
Princess. Well, that's good. I am so happy that I don’t believe in death or grief. Especially now that you've come so close to me. No one has ever come this close to me. And he didn't hug me. You hug me like you have the right to. I like it, really like it. Now I will hug you. And no one will dare touch you. Let's go, let's go, I'll show you my room, where I cried so much, the balcony from which I looked to see if you were coming, a hundred books about bears. Let's go, let's go.
They leave, and the hostess immediately enters.
Mistress. My God, what should I do, what should I, poor thing, do! Standing here behind the tree, I heard every word they said and cried as if I were at a funeral. That is how it is! Poor children, poor children! What could be sadder! A bride and groom who will never become husband and wife.
The owner enters.
How sad, right?
Master. Is it true.
Mistress. I love you, I’m not angry, but why, why did you start all this!
Master. This is how I was born. I can’t help but get started, my dear, my dear. I wanted to talk to you about love. But I'm a wizard. And I took and gathered people and shuffled them, and they all began to live in such a way that you would laugh and cry. That's how much I love you. Some, however, worked better, others worse, but I had already managed to get used to them. Don't cross it out! Not words - people. For example, Emil and Emilia. I hoped that they would help the young, remembering their past sorrows. And they went ahead and got married. They took it and got married! Ha ha ha! Well done! I shouldn’t cross them out for this. They took it and got married, you fools, ha-ha-ha! They took it and got married!
He sits down next to his wife. He hugs her by the shoulders. He says, gently rocking her, as if lulling her to sleep.
They accepted and got married, such fools. And let it be, and let it be! Sleep, my dear, and let yourself. Unfortunately for me, I am immortal. I have to outlive you and miss you forever. In the meantime, you are with me, and I am with you. You can go crazy with happiness. Are you with me. I'm with you. Glory to the brave who dare to love, knowing that all this will come to an end. Glory to the madmen who live as if they were immortal - death sometimes retreats from them. Retreats, ha ha ha! What if you don’t die, but turn into ivy, and wrap yourself around me, the fool. Ha ha ha! (Cries.) And I, a fool, will turn into an oak tree. Honestly. It will happen to me. So none of us will die, and everything will end well. Ha ha ha! And you are angry. And you grumble at me. And this is what I came up with. Sleep. You wake up and look, and tomorrow has already arrived. And all the sorrows were yesterday. Sleep. Sleep, dear.
The hunter enters. He has a gun in his hands. Enter his student, Orinthia, Amanda, Emil, Emilia.
Are you grieving, friends?
Emil. Yes.
Master. Sit down. Let's grieve together.
Emilia. Oh, how I would like to go to those amazing countries that are talked about in novels. The sky there is gray, it rains often, and the wind howls in the chimneys. And there is no that accursed word “suddenly” at all. There one follows from the other. There people, coming to an unfamiliar house, meet exactly what they were waiting for, and, returning, find their house unchanged, and they still grumble about it, ungrateful people. Extraordinary events happen there so rarely that people do not recognize them when they finally come. Death itself seems understandable there. Especially the death of strangers. And there are no wizards or miracles there. Boys, after kissing a girl, do not turn into a bear, and if they do, no one attaches any importance to it. An amazing world, a happy world... However, forgive me for building fantastic castles.
Master. Yes, yes, no, no! Let's accept life as it comes. It rains and rains, but there are also miracles, amazing transformations, and comforting dreams. Yes, yes, comforting dreams. Sleep, sleep, my friends. Sleep. Let everyone around you sleep, and lovers say goodbye to each other.
First Minister. Is it convenient?
Master. Of course.
First Minister. Duties of a courtier...
Master. Finished. There is no one in the world except two children. They say goodbye to each other and see no one around. Let it be. Sleep, sleep, my friends. Sleep. You wake up and look, tomorrow has already come, and all the sorrows were yesterday. Sleep. (To the hunter.) Why aren’t you sleeping?
Hunter. Gave his word. I... Hush, scare away the bear!
The princess enters. Behind her is the Bear.
Bear. Why did you suddenly run away from me?
Princess. I felt scared.
Bear. Scary? No, let's go back. Let's go to you.
Princess. Look: everyone suddenly fell asleep. And sentries on the towers. And the father is on the throne. And the minister-administrator near the keyhole. It's midday, and everything around is as quiet as midnight. Why?
Bear. Because I love you. Let's go to you.
Princess. We were suddenly left alone in the world. Wait, don't hurt me.
Bear. Fine.
Princess. No, no, don't be angry. (Hugs Bear.) Let it be as you want. My God, what a blessing that I decided so. And I, fool, had no idea how good it was. Let it be as you want. (Hugs and kisses him.)
Complete darkness. Thunderclap. Music. The light flashes. The Princess and the Bear, holding hands, look at each other.
Master. Look! Miracle, miracle! He remained human!
The distant, very sad, gradually fading sound of bells.
Ha ha ha! Do you hear? Death rides off on his white horse, running away with a slurp! Miracle, miracle! The princess kissed him - and he remained a man, and death retreated from the happy lovers.
Hunter. But I saw, I saw how he turned into a bear!
Master. Well, maybe for a few seconds - this can happen to anyone in similar circumstances. And what's next? Look: this is a man, a man walks along the path with his bride and talks to her quietly. Love melted him so much that he could no longer become a bear. It's just amazing, what a fool I am. Ha ha ha. No, I’m sorry, wife, but I’ll start working miracles right now, right now, so as not to burst from excess strength. Once! Here are garlands of fresh flowers for you! Two! Here are garlands of live kittens! Don't be angry, wife! You see: they are also happy and playing. An Angora kitten, a Siamese kitten and a Siberian kitten are tumbling like siblings on the occasion of the holiday! Nice!
Mistress. That’s how it is, but it would be better if you did something useful for the lovers. Well, for example, I would turn the administrator into a rat.
Master. Do me a favor! (Waves his hands.)
Whistling, smoke, grinding, squeaking.
Ready! Do you hear how angry he is and squeaks underground? What else do you want?
Mistress. It would be nice if the king... would be further away. That would be a gift. Get rid of such a father-in-law!
Master. What a father-in-law he is! He…
Mistress. Gossip on the holiday! Sin! Turn the king into a bird, my dear. And it’s not scary, and there will be no harm from it.
Master. Do me a favor! In which?
Mistress. In the hummingbird.
Master. It won't fit.
Mistress. Well then - at forty.
Master. This is another matter. (Waves his hands.)
A sheaf of sparks. A transparent cloud, melting, flies through the garden.
Ha ha ha! He is not capable of this either. He did not turn into a bird, but melted away like a cloud, as if he had never existed.
Mistress. And that's nice. But what about the children? They don't even look at us. Daughter! Tell us a word!
Princess. Hello! I have already seen you all today, but it seems to me that it was so long ago. My friends, this young man is my fiancé.
Bear. It's the truth, the pure truth!
Master. We believe, we believe. Love, love each other, and all of us at the same time, do not cool down, do not retreat - and you will be so happy that it is simply a miracle!
A curtain

Evgeny Lvovich Schwartz is a Russian Soviet writer, playwright, author of more than 20 plays for drama and puppet theater, as well as scripts for ten films.
In the 20s of the 20th century, his first children's books were published. Since 1925, Schwartz was the secretary of the Leningrad magazine, and a little later of the children's department of the State Publishing House. Since 1927, he began to engage in drama, his plays “Underwood”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “The Snow Queen” and others were staged.

His most famous plays, The Naked King, The Shadow and The Dragon, were written between 1934 and 1943. Evgeniy Lvovich died on January 15, 1958.

I had the opportunity to read the fairy tales of Evgeniy Schwartz as a child, even before his famous films “An Ordinary Miracle”, “Kill the Dragon” and others came out. The magic of this amazing storyteller performed miracles of transformation on my soul and gave me hope for a miracle in the most bitter moments.

E. Schwartz's fairy tales seemed to me very deep, for adults. I think that this is what they are, because even today, turning to his work, I find the height of thought, spirituality, a poignant note of nostalgia for humanity, which is inherent in true Masters. H.H. Andersen and Alexander Green were such bitter romantics.

The theme of the work is a fairy tale-parable. The world created by the author is not the fairy-tale environment we are used to. He is more philosophical and psychological. It is brought closer to us by the author's irony. In the play “An Ordinary Miracle,” the characters not only live in the reality created by the author, they constantly turn their thoughts to the reader-viewer. Their thoughts, experiences, and reasoning about life are addressed not so much to themselves, but rather to the viewer. This is a conversation between the author and the viewer, filled with bitterness and love for people.

The man in front of the curtain, and in fact the author himself, says:
“...In a fairy tale, the ordinary and the miraculous are very conveniently placed side by side and are easily understood if you look at the fairy tale as a fairy tale. As in childhood. Don't look for hidden meaning in it. A fairy tale is told not in order to hide, but in order to reveal, to say with all your might, at the top of your voice what you think...”

Love, the ability to self-denial in love, the transformation of a person by love is the main idea of ​​the work.

This is how the Master Wizard speaks in the play about his wife in his entre:
" She goes! She! She! Her steps... I’ve been married for fifteen years, and I’m still in love with my wife, like a boy, honestly! It's coming! She! (giggles shyly) What a nonsense, my heart is beating so much that it even hurts... Hello, wife! (the hostess, still a young, very attractive woman, enters) Hello, wife, hello! It’s been a long time since we parted, just an hour ago, but I’m happy for you, as if we haven’t seen each other for a year, that’s how I love you...”

The whole play is imbued with love. Out of love for his wife, the owner stirred up this whole story; out of love, the bear remained human.

E. Schwartz initially puts the heroes: the Bear and the Princess in a conflict situation that cannot be resolved in ordinary life. If the young Bear kisses the princess, he will turn into a beast again. The hero, having fallen in love with a beautiful girl, tries with all his might to avoid this, so as not to bring grief to his loved one. But the very impossibility of love becomes a subject of suffering for both of them.

A purely psychological plot quickly turns into an adventure story when the Princess, disguised as a young man, sets off in pursuit of the runaway young Bear.

With a new plot device, the meeting of long-separated lovers, the Innkeeper and the Court Lady, the author strengthens the presence of Love in the work. What happened to the Lady of the Court who lost faith in love? She “turned into a gendarme.” But, saving Love in the souls of young heroes, the Innkeeper opens his soul to the heroes of the play and the audience and talks about his own tragedy.

What makes the plot tragicomic is the appearance of the Bear Hunter, who is fighting for his glory.
Each character in the play is reborn and changes upon meeting Love, which in itself is an active force driving the plot.

The sadness of the false ending is intensified by the Master-magician, writer, author, creator. With what disappointment he says:
“I won't help you anymore. I'm not interested in you." Yes... There is no greater sin than fear, cowardice... this is how the Master understood the hesitation... What? Weak? If you haven't kissed me, it means you don't love me... The bear has become too human in 7 years. A person can refuse love, worrying about his beloved...

This is a wonderful discovery: people will be born from love...”

All the more impressive, after the usual version of a false ending, the denouement is triggered like an explosion - the appearance of the hero and his determination: to kiss the princess, and, having turned into a beast, to die from the bullet of the Hunter, stubbornly waiting for “his” hundredth bear.

But in the finale an “ordinary miracle” occurs - the hero, transformed by Love, finally becomes a Man and is not in danger of turning into a beast!

Until the very end of the play, the main “wizard” - the author - talks with the audience. Wisdom and pain are heard in his words at the end of the play. And this nagging feeling remains for the rest of my life - a genius says goodbye to us mortals with every minute of his “magic” - creativity!

“I wanted to talk to you about love. But I'm a wizard. And I took and gathered people and shuffled them, and they all began to live in such a way that you would laugh and cry. That's how much I love you. Some, however, worked better, others worse, but I had already managed to get used to them. Don't cross it out! Not words - people...

Sleep, my dear, and let yourself. Unfortunately for me, I am immortal. I have to outlive you and miss you forever. In the meantime, you are with me, and I am with you. You can go crazy with happiness. Are you with me. I'm with you. Glory to the brave who dare to love, knowing that all this will come to an end. Glory to the madmen who live as if they were immortal - death sometimes retreats from them..."