Cherries have been growing in my garden for many years. And every year they bloomed marvelously among all the neighbors and even outside their garden plots, and the air was filled with the hum of bees. And we didn’t have any worries with these cherries. In the summer they harvested and rejoiced. If there was no harvest, they looked for reasons: either the flower buds froze in winter, or spring frosts spoiled the matter, or during flowering there were rains and winds that prevented the bees from working.
Several years ago something bad began to happen to the cherries every year. The cherry blossoms beautifully at the right time, we are waiting for the harvest, but there is none. Although they looked after her no less than usual. Around mid-July, the leaves on it suddenly become covered with a large number of small red-brown spots, and then completely fall off. A cherry tree or bush stands completely bare, although all the other plants are still quite green at this time. Sometimes young leaves begin to grow at the tips of cherry branches. But they are not enough for full physiological processes to take place in the plant, for the plant to exist normally and prepare for winter. In such a “hungry” weakened form, it goes into winter. And, of course, if the winter is harsh, the plant may die. Such a scourge is observed almost throughout our region.
Coccomycosis cherry
The mushroom thrives in warm, damp summers.
Old varieties of cherries, very beloved in our gardens and very unstable to this disease, are especially affected - these are “Vladimirskaya”, “Lyubskaya”, “Shubinka”. So if these varieties did not die from the disease in previous years, they may die this winter. And if they survive, the picture will repeat itself next year. And so on until the cherry dies.
To see such a completely naked cherry in your garden among healthy green plants is a pleasure significantly below average. However, there is no need to rush to grab the axe. Perhaps this cherry tree can still be saved. First you need to collect all the fallen leaves that lie under it and burn them. Because fungal spores are located on them for the winter.
If this is not done, then next spring, if the cherry overwinters and new young leaves bloom on it in the spring, the spores will move onto them from these last year’s leaves, and the whole course of the disease will repeat. Destroying fallen leaves will curb the spread of the disease to some extent. Of the chemical measures, the main method of control is spraying with copper-containing preparations: 1% Bordeaux mixture, or better yet, copper oxychloride (hom) or oxychome - they are less likely to cause burns. The first spraying is done when the first leaves begin to bloom. The second - 15-20 days after flowering, the third - immediately after harvesting.
From now on, you will have to forget the good old days, when cherries grew without spraying, and spray them every year. Without them, it will no longer be possible to grow this crop.
It is important to preserve the cherry leaves until late autumn, then the tree will overwinter well. The signal for immediate, often unscheduled, spraying is the premature appearance of yellowing leaves on a healthy tree, on which dark spots are clearly visible - signs of leaf damage by coccomycosis. If the first half of summer is rainy, and signs of leaf damage appeared already at the end of June - beginning of July before the fruits ripened, you should not delay spraying.
Moniliosis cherry
Now another fungal disease is beginning to rampage in our region - moniliosis. 
This disease is even more dangerous than the previous one, because it affects not only leaves and fruits, but also the wood of the branches. The fungus infects cherries during flowering. Its spores land on the pistil of the flower and germinate there. Then the mycelium penetrates the branch through the peduncle, developing further inside the wood and destroying it. As a result, by the end of May - beginning of June, many dry brown twigs appear on the tree among the greenery. Gardeners often mistake this for winter freezing. Externally, such branches look like burnt, which is where another name for the disease comes from - monilial burn. In this case, the leaves do not fall off. They just turn brown and hang on the branches. Spores develop on these branches, which later penetrate into the fruit through cracks in the skin, thereby giving rise to a second wave of the disease. The affected fruits rot, mummify and remain on the tree until spring: here is another source of infection for flowers, in addition to twigs. The cycle is complete.
The disease is especially rampant if the weather is cool and rainy during flowering and when fruits are filling. A diseased cherry is greatly weakened. After being ill for two or three years, she dies. For this reason, it is imperative to treat cherries.
This disease appeared in our area relatively recently. In our village - just a couple of years ago. There is no information about it in old reference books on plant diseases, and control methods are still being developed.
First of all, as soon as the first brown branches appear, you need to immediately cut them off, also taking a 10-15 cm piece of the healthy part of the branch. Burn the cut as quickly as possible.
The tree's immunity needs to be stimulated. Nowadays there are many drugs to boost immunity.
If you find on your cherry tree brown leaves that have sagged all winter and shriveled underdeveloped fruits, dried tips of shoots, and a brown stripe on the border between the living and nonliving parts of the shoot, then have no doubt: this is moniliosis.
There is an observation that in early spring, when the soil temperature rises above +8 ° C, it is useful to spray cherries "Zircon"(2 ml/10 l water). You will have to take care of them according to all the rules and feed them in a timely manner. Some experts recommend pruning in early spring and removing branches that thicken the crown. Although cherries generally do not like pruning. If the tree is old and the growth has been weak over the past years, it needs to be rejuvenated by shortening all the branches to three to four year old wood.
Unfortunately, conventional copper-containing preparations help little, because they act only on the surface, and the mycelium of the fungus penetrates into the depths of the wood. Experts consider “blue” spraying with 3% Bordeaux mixture, which is done in early spring, to be quite effective.
Many gardeners successfully use systemic (penetrating) preparations.
So, preventive spraying with the drug gives a good result. "Horus". It provides protection for cherries from coccomycosis and moniliosis at a consumption rate of 0.2-3.5 g per 10 l, depending on the degree of damage. The drug is absorbed into the leaves within 2 hours and is not washed off by rain.
It is most effective at temperatures of +3…+10 °C, i.e. in early spring. The duration of the drug is 7-10 days, after which the spraying must be repeated. It is useful to alternate with Skor - this is also a systemic drug. Other systemic drugs that have helped us before are nitrafen, basezol, polycarbacin, – are not allowed to be used due to their toxicity.
Coccomycosis and moniliosis are imported diseases.
Nowadays, gardeners travel a lot to other people's gardens abroad, so bringing pathogenic spores into your garden is not a problem. In addition, they constantly replenish the assortment of plants on their plots by purchasing seedlings of unknown origin. The fight against these diseases is greatly complicated by the fact that in our region there are many abandoned plots, and gardeners living on their own acres do not always fight diseases.
CHAPTER 8: How Dr. Chestnut was driven out of the castle
Cherry cried the whole evening. Duke Mandarin did nothing but tease him.
Our young count will burst into tears,” he said. - Only the bone will remain from Cherry!
Baron Orange, as happens with some very fat people, still has a little good nature left. To console Cherry, he offered him a piece of his cake. True, a very small piece, just one crumb. But, taking into account the baron’s gluttony, one should appreciate his generosity. But both countesses not only did not try to console Cherry, but even mocked his tears.
Our nephew can replace the damaged fountain in the park! - said Signora Countess Senior.
A fountain of tears! - Signora Countess the Younger laughed.
Tomorrow,” Signor Parsley threatened the deprived woman, “I will make you write three thousand times: “I should not cry at the table, because I interfere with the digestion of adults.”
When it finally became clear that Cherry wasn't going to stop crying, he was sent to bed.
Strawberry tried as best she could to calm the poor boy, but nothing helped. The girl was so upset that she herself began to cry with him.
“Now stop crying, you worthless girl,” threatened Signora Countess Senior, “or I’ll kick you out!”
Cherry even got sick from grief. He began to feel such chills that the bed shook under him, and the glass in the windows shook from his cough.
In his delirium he kept calling:
Cipollino! Cipollino! Radish! Radish!
Signor Tomato stated that the child apparently fell ill because he was scared to death by a dangerous criminal who was wandering around the castle.
“Tomorrow I will order his arrest,” he said to reassure the patient.
Oh no, no, please don't! - Cherry sobbed. - Better arrest me, throw me into the darkest and deepest dungeon, but don’t touch Cipollino. Cipollino is such a good boy. Cipollino is my only, my true Friend!
Signor Petrushka blew his nose in fear:
The child is delirious. A very difficult case!..
They sent for the most famous doctors.
First, the doctor Signor Amanita came and prescribed a mixture of dried flies. But the medicine didn't help at all. Then Doctor Bird Cherry appeared and stated that dried flies are very dangerous for diseases of this kind and that it would be much more useful to wrap the patient in a sheet soaked in Japanese bird cherry juice.
A dozen sheets were stained with bird cherry juice, but Cherry didn’t feel any better.
“In my opinion,” suggested Dr. Artichoke, “you need to surround it with raw artichokes!”
With thorns? - Strawberry asked in fear.
It is necessary, otherwise the medicine will not be beneficial.
They began to treat Cherry with raw artichokes straight from the garden: the poor boy screamed and jumped up from the injections, as if his skin was being torn off.
Do you see, do you see? - Doctor Artichoke said, rubbing his hands. - The young count has a strong reaction. Continue treatment!
All this is nonsense and nonsense! - exclaimed the famous professor, Signor Salato-Spinato. - What ass prescribed artichokes? Try treating it with fresh salad.
Strawberry quietly sent for Doctor Chestnut, who lived in the forest under a large chestnut tree. He was called the poor man's doctor because he prescribed very little medicine to his patients and paid for the medicine out of his own pocket.
When Dr. Chestnut approached the castle gates, the servants did not want to let him in because he did not arrive in a carriage, but on foot.
A doctor without a carriage is probably a charlatan and a rogue,” said the servants and were about to slam the door in the doctor’s face when Signor Petrushka appeared.
Parsley, as you remember, always popped up from nowhere. But this time he turned up at the right time and ordered the doctor to be let in. Doctor Kashtan carefully examined the patient, ordered him to show his tongue, felt the pulse, quietly asked Cherry a few questions, and then washed his hands and said very sadly and seriously:
The patient is not in pain:
The pulse is fine and the heart is healthy,
His spleen is not sick...
Loneliness destroys a child!
What are you implying? - Tomato interrupted him rudely.
I'm not hinting, I'm telling the truth. This boy is not sick with anything - he just has melancholy.
What kind of disease is this? - asked Signora Countess Senior.
She loved to be treated, and as soon as she heard the name of some new, unknown disease, she immediately found it in herself. After all, the countess was so rich that the costs of doctors and medicines did not frighten her at all.
This is not a disease, Signora Countess, it is melancholy, sadness. A child needs company, he needs comrades. Why don't you send him to play with other children?
Oh, it would be better if he didn’t say that! A hail of reproaches and insults rained down on the poor doctor from all sides.
Get out immediately,” ordered Signor Tomato, “or I’ll tell the servants to push you out!”
Shame on you! - added Signora Countess the Younger. - Be ashamed that you so vilely abused our hospitality and gullibility! You tricked your way into our house. If I only wanted, I could sue you for unauthorized and violent invasion of private property. Isn't it true, sir lawyer?
And she turned to Signor Pea, who was always nearby when his help was needed.
Of course, Signora Countess! This is a grave crime!
And the lawyer immediately noted in his notebook: “For consultation with Countesses Cherries on the case of the violent invasion of Dr. Kashtan’s private property - ten thousand lire.”
The lemons arrived the next day and immediately restored order in the village: they went around all the houses and arrested those who fell into their hands.Master Vinogradinka was one of the first to be arrested. The shoemaker took an awl with him to scratch the back of his head in his spare time, and, grumbling, followed the policemen. But the Lemonchiks took the awl from him.
- You have no right to take weapons with you to prison! - they said to Master Vinogradinka.
- Why should I scratch my head?
- When you want to itch, tell someone from the authorities. We'll scratch your head!
And Lemon tickled the back of the shoemaker’s head with his sharp saber.
Professor Grusha was also arrested.
He asked permission to take a violin and a candle with him.
- Why do you need a candle?
- My wife says that the castle dungeon is very dark, and I need to learn new notes.
In a word, all the village residents were arrested.
Only Signor Pea remained at large, because he was a lawyer, and Leek, because he simply was not found.
But Leek wasn’t hiding at all: he was sitting calmly on his balcony. His mustache was stretched instead of ropes, and clothes were dried on them. Seeing the sheets, shirts and stockings, the Lemons passed by without noticing the owner, who was covered with linen.
Godfather Pumpkin followed the Lemons, sighing deeply as usual.
- Why are you sighing so often? - the officer asked him sternly.
- How can I not sigh! I worked all my life and only saved sighs. Every day, a sigh... Now I have several thousand of them. We need to put them into action somehow!
Of the women, only one godfather, Pumpkin, was arrested, and since she refused to go to prison, the police knocked her off her feet and drove her to the very gates of the castle. After all, she was so round!
But no matter how cunning the Lemonchiks were, they still failed to arrest Cipollino, even though all this time he was sitting on the fence with one girl, whose name was Radish, and looking fervently at the police.
Passing by, Lemonchiki even asked him and Radish if they had seen a dangerous rebel named Cipollino somewhere nearby.
- We saw it, we saw it! - both shouted in response. - He just got under your officer’s cocked hat!
And, laughing at the top of their lungs, the guys ran away.
On the same day, Cipollino and Radish went to the castle for reconnaissance. Cipollino decided to free the prisoners at all costs, and Radish, of course, promised to help him in everything.
CHAPTER SEVEN
In which Cherry does not pay attention to Signor Parsley's announcement
The castle of the countesses of Vishen stood on the top of the hill. It was surrounded by a huge park. At the gates of the park there was a notice, on one side of which it was written: “No entry”, and on the other: “No exit”.The front side of the advertisement was intended for village children to discourage them from climbing over the iron fence. And the other - the reverse - side was a warning for Cherry, so that he would not take it into his head to somehow leave the park and go to the village to visit the children.
Cherry was walking in the park alone. He walked carefully along the level paths, all the time thinking about how not to accidentally step on the flowerbed and trample the beds. His mentor, Signor Parsley, posted notices throughout the park stating what Cherry was allowed to do and what he was not allowed to do. So, by the pool with goldfish there was an inscription:
There was another announcement here:“Cherry is forbidden to dip his hands in water!”
In the very middle of the blooming flowerbed there was an inscription:“It is forbidden to talk to fish!”
There was even this warning:“It is forbidden to touch the flowers! The violator will be left without sweets.”
All these inscriptions were invented by Signor Petrushka, Cherry’s home teacher and educator.“Whoever remembers the grass will have to write two thousand times the words: “I am an ill-bred boy.”
The boy once asked his high-born aunts for permission to go to the village school with those children who ran so merrily past the castle, waving their backpacks like flags. But Signora Countess the Elder was horrified:
- How can Count Cherry sit on the same desk with some simple peasant! This is unthinkable!
Signora Countess the Younger confirmed:
- Cherries have never sat on a hard school bench! This has not happened and will never happen!
In the end, Cherry was hired as a home teacher, Signor Petrushka, who had the amazing ability to pop up out of nowhere and always at the wrong time. For example, if Cherry, while preparing her lessons, pays attention to a fly that has climbed into the inkwell in order to also learn to write, then Signor Parsley will appear out of nowhere. He will unfold his huge scarf with red and blue checks, blow his nose loudly and begin to scold poor Cherry:
- Bad luck for those boys who look up from their studies and look at the flies! This is where all misfortunes begin. After one fly comes another, followed by a third, fourth, fifth... Then these boys stare at spiders, cats, all other animals and, of course, forget to prepare their homework. But one who does not learn lessons cannot become a well-behaved boy. An unbecoming boy cannot be a trustworthy person. And unreliable people sooner or later end up in prison. So, Cherry, if you don't want to end your days in prison, don't look at flies anymore!
And if Cherry takes the album after school to draw a little, lo and behold, Signor Petrushka is right there again. He slowly unrolls the checkered handkerchief and starts his again:
- Bad luck for those boys who waste time scribbling papers! What will they become when they grow up? At best - painters, those dirty, poorly dressed poor people who spend whole days painting patterns on the walls, and then end up in prison, as they deserve! Cherry, do you really want to go to jail? Think about it, Cherry!
Afraid of prison, Cherry didn’t really know what to do.
Fortunately, sometimes Signor Petrushka happened to get some sleep or sit for his own pleasure with a bottle of grape vodka. In these rare moments, Cherry was free. However, Signor Petrushka managed to remind Cherry of himself here too: his instructive inscriptions were hung everywhere. This gave him the opportunity to sleep an extra hour. Resting under a shady tree, he was sure that his pupil was not wasting time and, walking through the park, was learning useful instructions.
But when Cherry walked past these advertisements, he usually took off his glasses. Thus, he did not see what was written on the tablets, and could calmly think about whatever he wanted.
So, Cherry walked through the park, indulging in his thoughts. When suddenly he heard someone calling him in a thin voice:
- Signor Cherry! Signor Cherry!
Cherry turned around and saw behind the fence a boy about the same age as him, poorly dressed, with a cheerful and intelligent face. Following the boy was a girl of about ten years old. Her hair was braided into a braid that looked like the tail of a radish.
Cherry bowed politely and said:
- Hello, gentlemen! I do not have the honor of knowing you, but it will be very pleasant for me to meet you.
- So why don't you come closer?
- Unfortunately, I can’t: here we have posted a notice that I am forbidden to talk to children from the village.
- Yes, we are children from the village, and yet you are already talking to us!
- Oh, in that case, I’ll come to you now!
Cherry was a very well-bred and shy boy, but in decisive moments he knew how to act boldly, without looking back. He moved straight across the grass, forgetting that it was forbidden to trample on it, and approached the very bars of the fence.
“My name is Radish,” the girl introduced herself. - But this is Cipollino.
- Very nice, signorina. I am very glad, Signor Cipollino. I've already heard about you.
- Who is this from?
- From the gentleman Tomato.
- Well, I guess he didn’t say anything good about me.
- Of course not. But that's why I thought you must be a wonderful boy. And I see that I was not mistaken.
Cipollino smiled:
- Well, that’s wonderful! So why do we stand on ceremony and speak with “you”, like old courtiers? Let's get started!
Cherry immediately remembered the sign on the kitchen door, which read: “Don’t say ‘you’ to anyone!” The teacher posted this ad after he once caught Cherry and Strawberry having a friendly conversation. Nevertheless, Cherry decided to break this rule now. He answered cheerfully:
- Agree. Let's be on first name terms.
Radish was terribly pleased:
- What did I tell you, Cipollino? You see, Cherry is a very nice boy!
“Thank you, signorina,” said Cherry with a bow. But then, blushing, he simply added: Thank you, Radish!
All three laughed cheerfully. At first, Cherry smiled only from the corner of his mouth, not forgetting the instructions of Signor Petrushka, who more than once said that it was not appropriate for well-bred boys to laugh out loud. But then, hearing how Cipollino and Radish laughed loudly, he also began to laugh with all his heart.
Such loud and cheerful laughter had never been heard in the castle.
Both noble countesses were sitting on the veranda at that moment drinking tea.
Signora Countess the Elder heard bursts of laughter and said:
- I hear some strange noise!
Signora Countess the Younger nodded her head:
- I also hear some sounds. It must be the rain.
“I dare to tell you, sister, that there is no rain,” said Signora Countess Elder instructively.
- No, it will be so! - Signora Countess the Younger resolutely objected and looked at the sky to find confirmation of her words there.
However, the sky was as clear as if it had been swept and washed five minutes ago. Not a single cloud was visible on it.
“I think it’s the fountain making noise,” Signora Countess the Elder began again.
- Our fountain cannot make noise. You know that there is no water in it.
- Apparently the gardener fixed it.
The tomato also heard a strange noise and became agitated.
“In the dungeon of the castle,” he thought, “there are many arrested people. We have to be on our guard, otherwise something might happen!”
He decided to walk around the park and suddenly behind the castle, where the road to the village passed, he came across all three guys who were happily chatting among themselves.
If the sky had opened up and angels had rained down on the earth, Cavalier Tomato would not have been so amazed.
Cherry tramples the grass! Cherry is having a friendly conversation with two ragamuffins!.. And not only that: Signor Tomato immediately recognized one of these two ragamuffins as the boy who had recently made him shed bitter tears!
Cavalier Tomato became furious. His face was so flushed that if firefighters had been nearby, they would have immediately raised the alarm.
- Signor Count! - Tomato screamed in a voice that was not his own.
Cherry turned around, turned pale and pressed himself against the bars.
“My friends,” he whispered, “run while the Tomato is still far away.” He won’t dare do anything to me, but it won’t be good for you! Goodbye!
Cipollino and Radish rushed as fast as they could, but for a long time they still heard the frantic screams of the gentleman behind them.
“This time,” said Radish with a sigh, “our campaign was not a success!”
But Cipollino only smiled:
- In my opinion, today is a very good day. We have a new friend, and that’s already a lot!
Left alone, this new friend, that is, Cherry, was waiting for the inevitable debacle, the most severe retribution from Signor Tomato, from Signor Parsley, from Signora Countess the Elder, from Signora Countess the Younger, from Baron Orange and Duke Mandarin.
Both noble relatives had long understood that anyone who harassed Cherry gave pleasure to his aunts, the countesses, and did not miss the opportunity to stab the defenseless boy. He had long been accustomed to all this.
But this time Cherry had a lump in his throat, and he could hardly hold back his tears. He was not at all frightened by all these screams, reproaches, and threats. What did he care about the shrill squeals of both countesses, the boring moralizing of Signor Petrushka and the toothless ridicule of the Duke Mandarin! And yet he felt very unhappy. For the first time in his life, he found friends, for the first time he talked enough and laughed with all his heart - and now he is alone again...
From the moment Cipollino and Radish ran down the hill, they were lost to him forever. Will he ever see them? What Cherry wouldn’t give to be back with the guys there, in freedom, where there are no announcements or prohibitions, where you can run through the grass and pick flowers!
For the first time in his life, Cherry felt in his heart that strange unbearable pain called suffering. This was too much for him, and Cherry felt that he could not bear such torment.
He threw himself on the ground and sobbed desperately.
Cavalier Tomato picked it up, put it under his arm like a bundle, and walked along the alley to the castle.
CHAPTER EIGHT
How Doctor Cashnap was driven out of the castle
Cherry cried the whole evening. Duke Mandarin did nothing but tease him.“Our young count will burst into tears,” he said. - Only the bone will remain from Cherry!
Baron Orange, as happens with some very fat people, still has a little good nature left. To console Cherry, he offered him a piece of his cake. True, a very small piece, just one crumb. But, taking into account the baron’s gluttony, one should appreciate his generosity. But both countesses not only did not try to console Cherry, but even mocked his tears.
- Our nephew can replace the damaged fountain in the park! - said Signora Countess Senior.
- A fountain of tears! - Signora Countess the Younger laughed.
“Tomorrow,” Signor Parsley threatened the deprived woman, “I will make you write three thousand times: “I should not cry at the table, because I interfere with the digestion of adults.”
When it finally became clear that Cherry wasn't going to stop crying, he was sent to bed.
Strawberry tried as best she could to calm the poor boy, but nothing helped. The girl was so upset that she herself began to cry with him.
“Stop crying now, you worthless girl,” threatened Signora Countess Senior, “or I’ll kick you out!”
Cherry even got sick from grief. He began to feel such chills that the bed shook under him, and the glass in the windows shook from his cough.
In his delirium he kept calling:
- Cipollino! Cipollino! Radish! Radish!
Signor Tomato stated that the child apparently fell ill because he was scared to death by a dangerous criminal who was wandering around the castle.
“Tomorrow I will order his arrest,” he said to reassure the patient.
- Oh no, no, please don't! - Cherry sobbed. - Better arrest me, throw me into the darkest and deepest dungeon, but don’t touch Cipollino. Cipollino is such a good boy. Cipollino is my only, my true Friend!
Signor Petrushka blew his nose in fear:
- The child is delusional. A very difficult case!..
They sent for the most famous doctors.
First, the doctor Signor Amanita came and prescribed a mixture of dried flies. But the medicine didn't help at all. Then Doctor Bird Cherry II appeared and said that dried flies are very dangerous for diseases of this kind and that it would be much more useful to wrap the patient in a sheet soaked in Japanese bird cherry juice.
A dozen sheets were stained with bird cherry juice, but Cherry didn’t feel any better.
“In my opinion,” suggested Doctor Artichoke, “you need to surround it with raw artichokes!”
- With thorns? - Strawberry asked in fear.
- Absolutely, otherwise the medicine will not be beneficial.
They began to treat Cherry with raw artichokes straight from the garden: the poor boy screamed and jumped up from the injections, as if his skin was being torn off.
- Do you see, do you see? - Doctor Artichoke said, rubbing his hands. - The young count has a strong reaction. Continue treatment!
- All this is nonsense and nonsense! - exclaimed the famous professor, Signor Salato-Spinato. - What ass prescribed artichokes? Try treating it with fresh salad.
Strawberry quietly sent for Doctor Chestnut, who lived in the forest under a large chestnut tree. He was called the poor man's doctor because he prescribed very little medicine to his patients and paid for the medicine out of his own pocket.
When Dr. Chestnut approached the castle gates, the servants did not want to let him in because he did not arrive in a carriage, but on foot.
“A doctor without a carriage is probably a charlatan and a rogue,” said the servants and were about to slam the door in the doctor’s face when Signor Petrushka appeared.
Parsley, as you remember, always popped up from nowhere. But this time he turned up at the right time and ordered the doctor to be let in. Doctor Kashtan carefully examined the patient, ordered him to show his tongue, felt the pulse, quietly asked Cherry a few questions, and then washed his hands and said very sadly and seriously:
- What are you implying? - Tomato interrupted him rudely.
The patient is not in pain:
The pulse is fine and the heart is healthy,
His spleen is not sick...
Loneliness destroys a child!
- I'm not hinting, but telling the truth. This boy is not sick with anything - he just has melancholy.
- What kind of disease is this? - asked Signora Countess Senior.
She loved to be treated, and as soon as she heard the name of some new, unknown disease, she immediately found it in herself. After all, the countess was so rich that the costs of doctors and medicines did not frighten her at all.
- This is not a disease, Signora Countess, it’s melancholy, sadness. A child needs company, he needs comrades. Why don't you send him to play with other children?
Oh, it would be better if he didn’t say that! A hail of reproaches and insults rained down on the poor doctor from all sides.
“Get out immediately,” ordered Signor Tomato, “or I’ll tell the servants to push you out!”
- Be ashamed! - added Signora Countess the Younger. - Be ashamed that you so vilely abused our hospitality and gullibility! You tricked your way into our house. If I only wanted, I could sue you for unauthorized and violent invasion of private property. Isn't it true, sir lawyer?
And she turned to Signor Pea, who was always nearby when his help was needed.
- Of course, Signora Countess! This is a grave crime!
And the lawyer immediately noted in his notebook: “For consultation with the Countesses Cherries on the case of the violent invasion of Dr. Chestnut’s private property - ten thousand lire.”
CHAPTER NINE
The mouse commander-in-chief is forced to give the signal to retreat
You, of course, want to know what those arrested are doing, that is, godfather Pumpkin, Professor Pear, Master Grape, godfather Pumpkin and other village residents, whom Cavalier Tomato ordered to be arrested and thrown into the dungeon of the castle.Fortunately, Professor Grusha took a candle stub with him, knowing that the dungeons can be very dark and full of mice. To drive away the mice, the professor began to play the violin: mice do not like serious music. Hearing the piercing sounds of the violin, they ran away, cursing the nasty instrument, whose voice so reminded them of a cat’s meow.
However, in the end, the music infuriated not only the mice, but also Master Grape. Professor Grusha had a special melancholy temperament and always played only sad melodies that made you want to cry.
Therefore, all those arrested asked the violinist to stop playing.
But as soon as there was silence, the mice, as you yourself understand, immediately went on the attack. They moved in three columns. The commander-in-chief, General Mouse-Longtail, led the offensive:
- The first column enters from the left and first of all must capture the candle. But woe to the one who dares to eat it! I am your general, and I must sink my teeth into her first. The second column will come in from the right and rush towards the violin. This violin is made from half a juicy pear and must taste excellent. The third column will strike head-on and must destroy the enemy.
The column commanders explained the task to the ordinary mice. General Longtail Mouse rode out in a tank. Strictly speaking, it was not a tank, but a clay shard tied to the tails of ten hefty mice.
The trumpeters sounded the attack, and in a few minutes the battle was over. However, the mice failed to eat the violin, as the professor raised it high above his head. But the candle disappeared, as if it had been blown away by the wind, and our friends were left in the dark.
One more thing has also disappeared, but you will find out later what it was.
Godfather Pumpkin was inconsolable:
- Oh, and all this is because of me!
- Why because of you? - Master Grape muttered.
“If I hadn’t gotten it into my head that I needed to have my own house, this trouble wouldn’t have happened to us!”
- Yes, calm down, please! - exclaimed godfather Pumpkin. - It’s not you who put us in prison!
“I’m already an old man, why do I need a house?” Godfather Pumpkin continued to lament. - I could sleep under a park bench - I wouldn’t bother anyone there. Friends, please call the jailers and tell them that I will give the house to Cavalier Tomato and indicate the place where we hid it.
- You won’t say a single word to them! - Master Grape got angry.
Professor Grusha sadly plucked the strings of his violin and whispered:
- If you reveal to the jailers where your house is hidden, you will involve your godfather Blueberry in this matter and...
- Shhh! - godfather Pumpkin hissed. - Don’t name names: even the walls have ears here!
Everyone became quiet and began to look around in fear, but without a candle it was so dark that they could not see whether the walls had ears.
And there really were ears on the walls. Or rather, one ear: a round hole from which came a pipe - something like a secret telephone that transmitted everything that was said in the dungeon straight to the gentleman Tomato’s room. Fortunately, Signor Tomato was not eavesdropping at that moment, because he was fussing around Cherry’s sick bedside.
In the ensuing silence, the drawn-out sounds of the trumpet were heard again: the mice were preparing to repeat the attack. They were determined to seize Professor Grusha's violin.
To scare them, the professor prepared to give a concert: he put the violin to his chin, waved his bow with inspiration, and everyone held their breath.
The wait lasted quite a long time; In the end, the prisoners caught their breath, but the instrument never made a sound.
- That does not work? - inquired Master Grape.
- Oh, the mice took half of my bow! - Grusha exclaimed with tears in his voice.
Indeed, the bow was completely gnawed off, so that only a few centimeters remained of it. Of course, it was impossible to play without a bow, and the mice had already gone on the offensive, emitting menacing, warlike cries.
- Oh, and all this is because of me! - sighed godfather Pumpkin.
“Stop sighing and help us,” said Master Grape. - If you can sigh and moan so well, then you probably know how to meow too.
- Meow? - Godfather Pumpkin was offended. - I’m surprised at you: you seem to be a serious person, but at such a moment you joke!
Master Grape did not even answer him, but meowed so skillfully that the army of mice stopped.
- Me-ah! Meow! - the shoemaker pulled.
- Meow! Meow! - the professor echoed him plaintively. without ceasing to mourn the inglorious death of his bow.
- I swear by the memory of my late grandfather, Mouse the Third, the king of all cellars and storerooms, that they brought a cat here! - General Mouse-Longtail exclaimed, immediately slowing down his tank.
- General, we have been betrayed! - one of the column commanders screamed, running up to him. - My column encountered an entire division of attic cats and cats, armed to the teeth!
In fact, his troops did not meet a single cat - they were only very scared. And fear, as you know, has big eyes.
General Longtail Mouse rubbed his tail with his paw. When he was preoccupied, he always rubbed his tail with his paw, and this part of his body suffered so much from frequent friction that the soldier mice secretly called their commander General Tailless.
- In the memory of my late ancestor, Mouse-Longtail the First, Emperor of all barns, I swear that the traitors will pay for their treachery! Now give the signal to retreat.
The commanders did not force him to repeat the order. The trumpets sounded the all-clear, and the entire army immediately left, led by General Tailless, who mercilessly whipped the mice dragging his tank.
Thus, our friends courageously repelled the enemy attack. Congratulating each other on their victory, they suddenly heard someone calling in a thin voice:
- Godfather Pumpkin! Godfather Pumpkin!
- Are you calling me, professor?
“No,” said Grusha, “not me.”
“And I thought I heard someone calling me.”
- Godfather Pumpkin, and godfather Pumpkin! - the same voice was heard again. Pumpkin turned to Master Grape:
- Master Grape, is that what you squeak?
This fairy tale is familiar to everyone since childhood. The bright cartoon left no one indifferent to the characters. And the characters in the fairy tale “Cipollino” are vegetables that are familiar to all kids. But the mischievous tale, written by an Italian, also had political overtones. After all, the common people were personified by simple vegetables that were present on the menu of the poor: pumpkin, onions, radishes, grapes, peas, pears. They are contrasted with aristocracy, that is, products that were only on the tables of the upper strata of the population. These are lemon, artichoke, tomato, cherries, cherries.
Vegetable tale
The Adventures of Cipollino" is an Italian communist writer. It shows the struggle of the lower classes of society with the higher ones and the triumph of justice. It’s not for nothing that it was so popularized during the Soviet Union. By the way, it was in our country that the fairy tale was first published after its publication in its native Italy (in the Apennines it was published by the magazine “Pioniere” in 1951). In 1953, “The Adventures of Chipollino” was translated into Russian by Z. Potapov, and S. Ya. Marshak edited the work. This book instantly became a bestseller and began to be translated into other languages. And in 1961, the same cartoon, created according to the script by Mstislav Pashchenko, was released on the screens.
For whom was the fairy tale written?
Boy Onion, Uncle Pumpkin, Prince Lemon, the Count from the fairy tale “Cipollino” - this is only a small part of the characters invented by Gianni Rodari. This tale, although it describes the struggle of the common population with the aristocrats who torture people, teaches many everyday truths. For example, he glorifies the virtues of work, teaches not to give up in difficult situations, to look for a way out, to be brave and to truly be friends. And using the example of vegetables, you can learn to unite, help each other in trouble, and sympathize.
Rodari's fairy tale "Cipollino" was written for children six to seven years old. It is at this age that you can already read the full text of the work. But you can also find a lightweight version for children over four years old. It contains bright beautiful illustrations. It should be admitted that adults will also enjoy reading a work that can remind us of a cloudless and happy childhood.
The plot of the work
So, what happened to Onion, Pumpkin, Radish, Cherry, Lemon and other characters, and what role did the Count play from the fairy tale “Cipollino”? It is worth noting that the plot is very dynamic. The work begins with a description of the amazing Land of Vegetables and Fruits. It has its own laws and has its own ruler - the cruel Prince Lemon. This tyrant has a special fragrant skin, which he carefully cares for. But ordinary “people” also live here. For example, Onion and its family, the sight and smell of which brings tears to tears. Another significant character is poor Uncle Pumpkin, who dreams of having his own house. And although he works from early morning until dusk, he cannot build a home for himself. But Signor Tomato, Countess Cherry, like other aristocrats, live in the palace, and they can take away the shacks of the poor, for example, for the needs of their dogs.
The boy Cipollino, mischievous and fair, could not remain indifferent, looking at the suffering of his uncle Pumpkin. He stands up for the unfortunate old man and provokes the beginning of the class struggle. They are supported by other poor people, some of whom end up in prison. Lemon, meanwhile, introduces new taxes on literally everything in the country and orders a detective with a dog to find the rebel.
First of all, Cipollino saves his father and other prisoners from prison, using music to “deceive” the narrow-minded guards. And then he leaves his pursuers and hides Pumpkin’s house in the forest. Thanks to his intelligence, ingenuity and the support of his friends, the boy deals with the tyrants and wins. Cipollino is a key character, but not only he and his friends defeated their enemies. The presumptuous lords were destroyed by popular anger, as well as the justified fear that they felt before the rebels. Brave commoners, not afraid of the gun aimed at them, decisively put the insolent people in their place. Justice has triumphed!
Characters of "Cipollino"
As mentioned earlier, all the heroes of the fairy tale are fruits and vegetables. Here is a short list of them:
- Cipollino is the main character and ringleader;
- Cipollo - Cipollino's father;
- Cipollino brothers;
- Uncle Pumpkin;
- shoemaker Grape;
- girl Radish;
- Cherry is a count from the fairy tale “Cipollino” who sympathizes with the poor;
- lawyer Pea;
- detective Carrot;
- evil Signor Tomato;
- Countess Cherry;
- Prince Lemon;
- Baron Orange;
- Duke Mandarin.
In addition to the main characters, the fairy tale includes the maid Strawberry, the music teacher Pear, the gardener Leek, Bean, Blueberry, Artichoke, Parsley, Chestnut, Fly Agaric and even some animals. But their roles are episodic.
Little orphan
There is one character in the fairy tale about whom I would like to tell you a little more. This is Count Cherry, nephew of the countesses Cherry. He was an orphan and lived with his rich relatives. It is worth noting that the gentlemen were not very fond of the boy. Cherry was forced to do homework all the time - today's and tomorrow's, then solve problems ad infinitum, learn everything by heart. At the same time, the lords got angry if he took books from the castle library and were worried that he would spoil them. The boy often got sick from mental stress. And only one person sympathized with him - the maid Strawberry. She fed the count secretly from the countesses.
The boy suffered from a lack of attention, love and affection. At the same time, he was annoyed by the constant reproaches of the signoras, as well as the stupid prohibitions that rained down on his head. For example, he was not allowed to talk to the fish, dip his hands in the pool, or crush the grass in the garden. Cherry dreamed of going to a regular school, because the kids would run out of it after class with a cheerful laugh. He was frankly bored, so he happily talked to Cipollino and Radish, and then helped them.
A little about the cartoon
As already mentioned, the Soyuzmultfilm studio released an animation that immediately fell in love with both children and adults. Initially, the author of the script planned to accurately transfer the entire plot of Rodari's fairy tale to the screen. There was also a voice-over monologue that explained and commented on everything that was happening to the viewer. However, the director decided differently: he created a picture that was simpler, easier to understand, but no less interesting.
For example, the scene where the Count falls ill was significantly shortened. From the fairy tale “Cipollino” they cut out Cherry’s long and serious illness (in the cartoon he recovers that same evening), two whole days from the life of imprisoned vegetables, and the gluttony of the rich. All this greatly distracted from the main storyline - the struggle of the common people against the oppressors. Nevertheless, the cartoon turned out to be a success: an interesting plot was complemented by colorful characters drawn by talented artists, wonderful music by Karen Khachaturyan, and witty phrases that immediately became catchphrases.
Instead of an afterword
You can watch your favorite cartoon every day, because you never get tired of it. In addition to this unique classic of Soviet animation art, I want to reread endlessly the work of Gianni Rodari, a good old fairy tale. Who doesn’t dream that our children would experience the same delight that we felt in those distant years? Therefore, give your children “Cipollino” in the form of a book or cartoon, they will truly appreciate such a gift! And then together draw a hero who has become almost family to many generations.
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And if Cherry takes the album after school to draw a little, lo and behold, Signor Petrushka is right there again. He slowly unrolls the checkered handkerchief and starts his again:
- Bad luck for those boys who waste time scribbling papers! What will they become when they grow up? At best - painters, those dirty, poorly dressed poor people who spend whole days painting patterns on the walls, and then end up in prison, as they deserve! Cherry, do you really want to go to jail? Think about it, Cherry!
Afraid of prison, Cherry didn’t really know what to do.
Fortunately, sometimes Signor Petrushka happened to get some sleep or sit for his own pleasure with a bottle of grape vodka. In these rare moments, Cherry was free. However, Signor Petrushka managed to remind Cherry of himself here too: his instructive inscriptions were hung everywhere. This gave him the opportunity to sleep an extra hour. Resting under a shady tree, he was sure that his pupil was not wasting time and, walking through the park, was learning useful instructions.
But when Cherry walked past these advertisements, he usually took off his glasses. Thus, he did not see what was written on the tablets, and could calmly think about whatever he wanted.
So, Cherry walked through the park, indulging in his thoughts. When suddenly he heard someone calling him in a thin voice:
- Signor Cherry! Signor Cherry!
Cherry turned around and saw behind the fence a boy about the same age as him, poorly dressed, with a cheerful and intelligent face. Following the boy was a girl of about ten years old. Her hair was braided into a braid that looked like the tail of a radish.
Cherry bowed politely and said:
- Hello, gentlemen! I do not have the honor of knowing you, but it will be very pleasant for me to meet you.
- So why don't you come closer?
- Unfortunately, I can’t: here we have posted a notice that I am forbidden to talk to children from the village.
- Yes, we are children from the village, and yet you are already talking to us!
- Oh, in that case, I’ll come to you now!
Cherry was a very well-bred and shy boy, but in decisive moments he knew how to act boldly, without looking back. He moved straight across the grass, forgetting that it was forbidden to trample on it, and approached the very bars of the fence.
“My name is Radish,” the girl introduced herself. - But this is Cipollino.
- Very nice, signorina. I am very glad, Signor Cipollino. I've already heard about you.
- Who is this from?
- From the gentleman Tomato.
- Well, I guess he didn’t say anything good about me.
- Of course not. But that's why I thought you must be a wonderful boy. And I see that I was not mistaken.
Cipollino smiled:
- Well, that’s wonderful! So why do we stand on ceremony and speak with “you”, like old courtiers? Let's get started!
Cherry immediately remembered the sign on the kitchen door, which read: “Don’t say ‘you’ to anyone!” The teacher posted this ad after he once caught Cherry and Strawberry having a friendly conversation. Nevertheless, Cherry decided to break this rule now. He answered cheerfully:
- Agree. Let's be on first name terms.
Radish was terribly pleased:
- What did I tell you, Cipollino? You see, Cherry is a very nice boy!
“Thank you, signorina,” said Cherry with a bow. But then, blushing, he simply added: Thank you, Radish!
All three laughed cheerfully. At first, Cherry smiled only from the corner of his mouth, not forgetting the instructions of Signor Petrushka, who more than once said that it was not appropriate for well-bred boys to laugh out loud. But then, hearing how Cipollino and Radish laughed loudly, he also began to laugh with all his heart.
Such loud and cheerful laughter had never been heard in the castle.
Both noble countesses were sitting on the veranda at that moment drinking tea.
Signora Countess the Elder heard bursts of laughter and said:
- I hear some strange noise!
Signora Countess the Younger nodded her head:
- I also hear some sounds. It must be the rain.
“I dare to tell you, sister, that there is no rain,” said Signora Countess Elder instructively.
- No, it will be so! - Signora Countess the Younger resolutely objected and looked at the sky to find confirmation of her words there.
However, the sky was as clear as if it had been swept and washed five minutes ago. Not a single cloud was visible on it.
“I think it’s the fountain making noise,” Signora Countess the Elder began again.
- Our fountain cannot make noise. You know that there is no water in it.
- Apparently the gardener fixed it.
The tomato also heard a strange noise and became agitated.
“In the dungeon of the castle,” he thought, “there are many arrested people. We have to be on our guard, otherwise something might happen!”
He decided to walk around the park and suddenly behind the castle, where the road to the village passed, he came across all three guys who were happily chatting among themselves.
If the sky had opened up and angels had rained down on the earth, Cavalier Tomato would not have been so amazed.
Cherry tramples the grass! Cherry is having a friendly conversation with two ragamuffins!.. And not only that: Signor Tomato immediately recognized one of these two ragamuffins as the boy who had recently made him shed bitter tears!
Cavalier Tomato became furious. His face was so flushed that if firefighters had been nearby, they would have immediately raised the alarm.
- Signor Count! - Tomato screamed in a voice that was not his own.
Cherry turned around, turned pale and pressed himself against the bars.
“My friends,” he whispered, “run while the Tomato is still far away.” He won’t dare do anything to me, but it won’t be good for you! Goodbye!
Cipollino and Radish rushed as fast as they could, but for a long time they still heard the frantic screams of the gentleman behind them.
“This time,” said Radish with a sigh, “our campaign was not a success!”
But Cipollino only smiled:
- In my opinion, today is a very good day. We have a new friend, and that’s already a lot!
Left alone, this new friend, that is, Cherry, was waiting for the inevitable debacle, the most severe retribution from Signor Tomato, from Signor Parsley, from Signora Countess the Elder, from Signora Countess the Younger, from Baron Orange and Duke Mandarin.
Both noble relatives had long understood that anyone who harassed Cherry gave pleasure to his aunts, the countesses, and did not miss the opportunity to stab the defenseless boy. He had long been accustomed to all this.
But this time Cherry had a lump in his throat, and he could hardly hold back his tears. He was not at all frightened by all these screams, reproaches, and threats. What did he care about the shrill squeals of both countesses, the boring moralizing of Signor Petrushka and the toothless ridicule of the Duke Mandarin! And yet he felt very unhappy. For the first time in his life, he found friends, for the first time he talked enough and laughed with all his heart - and now he is alone again...
From the moment Cipollino and Radish ran down the hill, they were lost to him forever. Will he ever see them? What Cherry wouldn’t give to be back with the guys there, in freedom, where there are no announcements or prohibitions, where you can run through the grass and pick flowers!
For the first time in his life, Cherry felt in his heart that strange unbearable pain called suffering. This was too much for him, and Cherry felt that he could not bear such torment.
He threw himself on the ground and sobbed desperately.
Cavalier Tomato picked it up, put it under his arm like a bundle, and walked along the alley to the castle.
The Adventures of Cipollino CHAPTER 8: How Doctor Chestnut was driven out of the castle
Cherry cried the whole evening. Duke Mandarin did nothing but tease him.
“Our young count will burst into tears,” he said. - Only the bone will remain from Cherry!
Baron Orange, as happens with some very fat people, still has a little good nature left. To console Cherry, he offered him a piece of his cake. True, a very small piece, just one crumb. But, taking into account the baron’s gluttony, one should appreciate his generosity. But both countesses not only did not try to console Cherry, but even mocked his tears.
- Our nephew can replace the damaged fountain in the park! - said Signora Countess Senior.
- A fountain of tears! - Signora Countess the Younger laughed.
“Tomorrow,” Signor Parsley threatened the deprived woman, “I will make you write three thousand times: “I should not cry at the table, because I interfere with the digestion of adults.”
When it finally became clear that Cherry wasn't going to stop crying, he was sent to bed.
Strawberry tried as best she could to calm the poor boy, but nothing helped. The girl was so upset that she herself began to cry with him.
“Stop crying now, you worthless girl,” threatened Signora Countess Senior, “or I’ll kick you out!”
Cherry even got sick from grief. He began to feel such chills that the bed shook under him, and the glass in the windows shook from his cough.
In his delirium he kept calling:
- Cipollino! Cipollino! Radish! Radish!
Signor Tomato stated that the child apparently fell ill because he was scared to death by a dangerous criminal who was wandering around the castle.
“Tomorrow I will order his arrest,” he said to reassure the patient.
- Oh no, no, please don't! - Cherry sobbed. - Better arrest me, throw me into the darkest and deepest dungeon, but don’t touch Cipollino. Cipollino is such a good boy. Cipollino is my only, my true Friend! 
Signor Petrushka blew his nose in fear:
- The child is delusional. A very difficult case!..
They sent for the most famous doctors.
First, the doctor Signor Amanita came and prescribed a mixture of dried flies. But the medicine didn't help at all. Then Doctor Bird Cherry appeared and stated that dried flies are very dangerous for diseases of this kind and that it would be much more useful to wrap the patient in a sheet soaked in Japanese bird cherry juice.
A dozen sheets were stained with bird cherry juice, but Cherry didn’t feel any better.
“In my opinion,” suggested Doctor Artichoke, “you need to surround it with raw artichokes!”
- With thorns? - Strawberry asked in fear.
- Absolutely, otherwise the medicine will not be beneficial.
They began to treat Cherry with raw artichokes straight from the garden: the poor boy screamed and jumped up from the injections, as if his skin was being torn off.
- Do you see, do you see? - Doctor Artichoke said, rubbing his hands. - The young count has a strong reaction. Continue treatment!
- All this is nonsense and nonsense! - exclaimed the famous professor, Signor Salato-Spinato. - What ass prescribed artichokes? Try treating it with fresh salad.
Strawberry quietly sent for Doctor Chestnut, who lived in the forest under a large chestnut tree. He was called the poor man's doctor because he prescribed very little medicine to his patients and paid for the medicine out of his own pocket.
When Dr. Chestnut approached the castle gates, the servants did not want to let him in because he did not arrive in a carriage, but on foot.
“A doctor without a carriage is probably a charlatan and a rogue,” said the servants and were about to slam the door in the doctor’s face when Signor Petrushka appeared.
Parsley, as you remember, always popped up from nowhere. But this time he turned up at the right time and ordered the doctor to be let in. Doctor Kashtan carefully examined the patient, ordered him to show his tongue, felt the pulse, quietly asked Cherry a few questions, and then washed his hands and said very sadly and seriously:
The patient is not in pain:
The pulse is fine and the heart is healthy,
His spleen is not sick...
Loneliness destroys a child!
What are you implying? - Tomato interrupted him rudely.
- I'm not hinting, but telling the truth. This boy is not sick with anything - he just has melancholy.
- What kind of disease is this? - asked Signora Countess Senior.
She loved to be treated, and as soon as she heard the name of some new, unknown disease, she immediately found it in herself. After all, the countess was so rich that the costs of doctors and medicines did not frighten her at all.
- This is not a disease, Signora Countess, it’s melancholy, sadness. A child needs company, he needs comrades. Why don't you send him to play with other children?
Oh, it would be better if he didn’t say that! A hail of reproaches and insults rained down on the poor doctor from all sides.
“Get out immediately,” ordered Signor Tomato, “or I’ll tell the servants to push you out!”
- Be ashamed! - added Signora Countess the Younger. - Be ashamed that you so vilely abused our hospitality and gullibility! You tricked your way into our house. If I only wanted, I could sue you for unauthorized and violent invasion of private property. Isn't it true, sir lawyer?
And she turned to Signor Pea, who was always nearby when his help was needed.
- Of course, Signora Countess! This is a grave crime!
And the lawyer immediately noted in his notebook: “For consultation with Countesses Cherries on the case of the violent invasion of Dr. Kashtan’s private property - ten thousand lire.”
