The Scarecrow is a modern fairy tale of China published by Ye Shengtao on 1922. Through the thoughts and thoughts of a sympathetic but helpless scarecrow, this paper truly describes the precarious human situation in the rural areas of China in the 1920s and shows the sufferings of the working people at that time. This work is one of the earliest children's literature works in the history of China literature.
The fairy tale Scarecrow observes the miserable world situation through the eyes of Scarecrow: poor peasant women, poor fishermen, poor suicides, poor crucian carp and so on. However, for the human tragedy, the scarecrow can't save anything and can't change anything. In the end, the scarecrow, entangled in guilt and powerlessness, "fell in the middle of the field" and slept with the tragedy. Lu Xun: The Scarecrow opened a creative path for China's fairy tales.
Extended data writing background:
19 19, Ye Shengtao joined the "trendy society" supported by Li Dazhao and Lu Xun of Peking University, 192 1 year, and organized a "literature research society" with Zheng Zhenduo and Mao Dun.
192 1 In September, Zheng Zhenduo wrote the Children's World Declaration, and introduced the purpose and content classification of this weekly magazine he was about to edit. It was founded in June of 1922+0.
Ye Shengtao recalled his fairy tale creation on 1980, and told himself to write fairy tales from the first article "Little White Boat" on 192 1 year1month 15, and Mr. Zheng Zhenduo asked him to provide it for Children's World. Children's World is published once a week. By the time the Scarecrow was completed in June 1922, Ye Shengtao had created 23 fairy tales, all of which were published in Children's World.
When Ye Shengtao was writing the Scarecrow, China was being carved up by the governors and surrounded by foreign powers, especially Japan and Russia, all eyeing up and trying to swallow up China in one gulp.
Original text:
The scenery and scenes in the field during the day, some poets write it as beautiful poems, and some painters paint it as vivid pictures. In the evening, the poet drank wine and got a little drunk. The painter is singing in a low voice with exquisite instruments: he has no time to come to the fields. Then, who else will tell people about the scenery and situation in the field at night? Yes, and the scarecrow.
Christians say that man was created by God's own hands. Whether this sentence is right or not, we can say that the scarecrow was made by the farmers themselves. His skeleton is thin bamboo branches in the bamboo garden, and his muscles and skin are yellow straw every other year. Broken bamboo baskets and residual lotus leaves can be used as his hat; The face under the hat is flat, and you can't tell where the nose is and where the eyes are.
He has no fingers in his hand, but he has a broken fan-it's not really a hand, just tied to the handle with a thread and hung on it. His skeleton is very long, with a piece under his foot. The farmer planted this section in the soil in the middle of the field, and he stood there for a day and a night.
Scarecrow is very responsible If you compare the cow with him, the cow is much lazier than him. Sometimes he lies on the ground and looks up at the sky. If you compare the dog with him, the dog is much more naughty than him. Sometimes he runs around so tired that his master doesn't care to look around.
He never gets bored, lying like an ox watching the sky; I never play. I run around like a dog. He looked at the field quietly, and the fan in his hand shook gently, driving away the birds that came to eat the newly harvested ears of rice. He doesn't eat or sleep, even if he doesn't sit down to rest, he always stands there stiffly.
Of course, only the scarecrow knows the scenery and situation in the field at night, and knows the most. He knows how the dew is sprinkled on the grass and how sweet the dew is. He knows how the stars blink and the moon smiles. He knows how quiet the fields are at night, and how flowers and trees sleep soundly; He knows how bugs look at me, how I look for you, and how butterflies fall in love: in short, he knows everything about the evening.
Here are a few things that the scarecrow encountered at night.
One starry night, he was guarding the field, his fan rocking gently. The new ears of rice are next to each other, and the starlight shines on them, and some of them shine like a layer of water droplets; As long as there is a little wind, the salad will ring loudly. The scarecrow looked at it and was very happy. He thought that this year's harvest would definitely make his master, a poor old lady, smile.
Where has she laughed before? Her husband died eight or nine years ago. She cried when she remembered it, her eyes still red; But also become a problem, easy to cry. She has only one son and two women, and she has worked hard to plant this field. It took three years to pay her husband's funeral expenses. Unexpectedly, my son got diphtheria and died.
She fainted at that time, and then she fell into heartache and often committed crimes. This time, she was left alone. She is old and has no strength, so she has to work hard. After three years, she finally paid off her son's funeral expenses.
But after two years of water, the rice was flooded, either rotten or sprouted. Her tears flowed more, her eyes were hurt, and she couldn't see things in the distance. Her face is wrinkled and looks like a dried orange. Where can she laugh? However, this year's rice is growing well and vigorously, and there is not much rain. It seems to be a bumper harvest.
So the scarecrow is happy for her. I think it's the harvest day, and she sees that the harvested ears of rice are big and full, all of them are her own. Finally, there is no white burden, and the wrinkles on her face will definitely spread out, revealing a gratified and satisfied smile. If there is such a smile, in the eyes of the scarecrow, it is more lovely and precious than the smile of the stars and the moon, because he loves his master.
While the scarecrow was thinking about it, a small moth came, grayish brown. He immediately realized that this moth was the enemy of rice, that is, the enemy of its owner. From his standpoint, from his feelings for his master, he must drive the moths away. So the fan in his hand shook. But the wind power of the fan is very limited, so it can't scare moths. The moth flew for a while and landed on a rice leaf, as if she didn't think the scarecrow was driven there.
The scarecrow was very worried when he saw the moth fall. But his body is fixed in the soil like a tree, and he can't move a step forward: despite the fan, the moth is resting steadily. He thought about the future situation on the battlefield, the tears and shriveled face of his master, and the fate of his master, and his heart was like a knife. But the little moth is resting. No matter how difficult it is, he just won't move.
When the stars came back in droves and all the night scenes disappeared, the moth flew away. Scarecrow carefully looked at the rice leaves, and sure enough, the tips of the leaves rolled up and there were many moths on them.
This makes the scarecrow feel infinite fear, thinking that disaster is coming, the more afraid, the more inevitable. Poor master, she has only two blurred eyes; Tell her so that she can see the offspring of moths as soon as possible, and then she can be saved. He thought so, and the fan shook more frequently. Fans often touch their bodies and make a snapping sound. He can't shout. This is the only way to warn his master.
The old woman came to the field. She bent down to see that the water in the field was just right, so there was no need to draw water from the river. Look at the rice she planted herself, all of which are very strong; Touch the ear of rice, it's heavy.
Look at the scarecrow again, his hat is still very straight; The fan is still in the hand, shaking and making a sound; But also stand well, upright, the position did not move, and the appearance is exactly the same as before. Seeing that everything was all right, she went to Tian 'an, ready to go home and rub the straw rope.
Scarecrow saw that his master was leaving, so he shook his fan in a hurry, trying to keep his master by this urgent voice. The voice seemed to say, "my master, don't go!" Don't think that everything is fine in the field, and all the disasters have left roots in the field.
Once it happens, it will get out of hand. At that time, you will dry your tears and break your heart. Put it out before it's too late. Here, on this one, look at the top of this meter! He repeatedly warned with the voice of the fan; But where does the old woman know? She walked away step by step. He was so anxious that he was still shaking his fan that he didn't know that the warning was invalid until the master's back was out of sight.
No one is worried about rice except the scarecrow. He couldn't wait to jump over and put out the root seedlings of the disaster; I can't wait for the wind to send word to invite my master to root out this disaster quickly. His body is thin and melancholy, and he looks even more haggard. He has no strength to stand up straight anymore, but he leans against his shoulder and bends as if he were ill.
A few days later, in the rice fields, moths became carnivores and were everywhere. In the dead of night, the scarecrow heard the sound of them chewing rice leaves and saw their greedy faces when they ate more. Gradually, a large area of thick green rice disappeared, leaving only bare stalks. He was too sad to watch it again. Thinking that the master's hard work can only bring tears and sighs, he can't help but bow his head and cry.
The weather is very cold at this time, and it is in the field at night, and the scarecrow is shivering in the cold wind; He didn't feel it just because he was crying. Suddenly came a woman's voice: "Who should I be? It's you. " He was taken aback before he felt cold. But what can we do? In order to do his duty, he had to stand there despite the cold weather.
He looked at the woman. Turned out to be a fisherman. There is a river in front of the ridge, and the fishing boat stops by the river, and there is a faint light in the cabin. She is putting the supported fish into the bottom of the river; The fish sank, so she sat on the shore and pulled it up later.
Children's coughs are often heard in the hut, and sleepy, subtle voices are often heard calling their mothers. This made her very anxious. She pulled hard, but it always looked awkward and almost empty. The child in the hut was still coughing and shouting, so she said to the hut, "sleep well!" When I have fish, I will cook porridge for you tomorrow. You always call me, and my heart is in a mess. How can I catch fish? "
The child had no choice but to shout, "Mom, I'm thirsty! Give me some tea! " Then there was a cough.
"Here which come of tea! Be honest for a while, my ancestor! "
"I am dying of thirst!" The child cried loudly. In the open field at night, this cry is particularly sad.
Helpless, the fisherman put down the rope, got on the boat, entered the cabin, picked up a bowl, scooped up a bowl of water from the river, and turned to give it to the child. The child finished the water in one gulp. He was really thirsty. But as soon as the bowl was put down, he coughed again; The situation is getting worse and worse, and all that remains is breathing.
The fisherman couldn't take care of her children, so she went ashore to help her. For a long time, there was no sound in the cabin. Her coffin was empty several times before she got a crucian carp, seven or eight inches long. This is the first harvest. She carefully took the fish out of the coffin, put it in the barrel and put it down. This wooden bucket for fish is next to the scarecrow's feet.
At this time, the scarecrow was even more sad. He pitied the sick child, so thirsty that he couldn't even drink a sip of tea; I am too sick to sleep with my mother. He pitied the fisherman and planned tomorrow's porridge on this cold night, so he had to bite the bullet and leave the sick child behind. He can't wait to chop wood and make tea for the children. I can't wait to make my own bedding and give my children a little warmth; I can't wait to cook porridge for fishermen with the stolen goods of small carnivores.
If he can walk, he must do what he wants at once; But unfortunately, his body, like a tree, is fixed in the soil and can't even move a step. There is nothing he can do. The more he thought about it, the sadder he became, and the more he cried. Suddenly, with a bang, he got a fright, stopped crying and saw something. It turned out that the crucian carp was thrown into the bucket.
There is very little water in the bucket, so the crucian carp lies at the bottom of the bucket and can only get wet on the lower side. Crucian carp is very uncomfortable, so if you want to escape, you can jump up hard. I jumped several times, but I was blocked by the high bucket rack, and I still fell to the bottom of the bucket, and my body fell very painful. The crucian carp's upward eyes saw the scarecrow and begged, "Friend, please put down your fan for a while and help me!" " I left my home in the water and only died. Good friend, help me! "
Hearing the sincere plea of crucian carp, the scarecrow was very sad; But he can only shake his head hard. He means: "please forgive me, I am a weak person!" My heart is not only willing to save you, but also willing to save the woman who arrested you and her child. Except for you, the fisherman and her children, and all the people who suffer. But like a tree, I am stuck in the soil and can't even move freely. How can I get what I want? Please forgive me, I am a weak person! "
Crucian carp don't understand scarecrow, just watching him shake his head again and again, angry as fire. "What's so difficult! You have no heart at all, just shake your head! It turned out that I was wrong, because of my own difficulties, why ask others! I should do it myself and try my best. If I fail, I will die. What's the matter! " The crucian carp let out a cry and jumped up. It took 12 minutes this time, and even the tips of the tail and pectoral fin stood on end.
Scarecrow saw that crucian carp misunderstood his meaning and had no way to explain it to crucian carp. He was very sad, sighing and crying. After a while, he looked up and saw the fisherman asleep with a rope in one hand; This is because she is too tired. Although she is thinking about porridge tomorrow, she finally can't support it.
What about the crucian carp in the bucket? I can't hear the sound of jumping, and my tail seems to be still twitching intermittently. The Scarecrow thought that this night was a sad night, and there were many sad things together. But look at those little robbers who eat rice leaves. They are happy, full and dancing on the bare stalks. After the rice harvest, the master's old strength was wasted. Is there anything more pitiful in the world?
The night is getting darker and darker, even the stars look dim. The scarecrow suddenly felt a shadow coming from one side of the field. When he looked carefully, it turned out to be a woman, wearing a fat short coat and messy hair. She stopped and looked at the fishing boat parked by the river; Turned and walked to the river bank; Without taking a few steps, he stood there stiffly. The scarecrow felt very strange and looked at her carefully.
A very sad voice came from her mouth, weak and intermittent, which could only be heard by straw accustomed to hearing all the small voices at night.
The voice said, "I'm not a cow or a pig, how can I let you sell it to others casually!" " I want to run away, and I can't wait for you to sell it to someone else tomorrow. You have a little money. You either lost two games or drank yellow soup for a few days. What's the use? Why do you have to force me? ..... There is only death, and there is no other way but death! If you die, go underground to find my child! "Where are these words? I cried so hard that my voice was disturbed.
The scarecrow was very afraid, which was another painful thing he encountered.
She wants to die! He was anxious to save her, and he didn't know why. He shook the fan again to wake the sleeping fisherman. But I can't. The fisherman slept like a dead man and did not move. He hates himself. He shouldn't be stuck in the soil like a tree. He can't even move a step. Isn't destruction a sin? I committed this crime.
This is really worse than death. "Oh my god, turn on the light! Farmers, get up! Birds fly to report the news! The wind will soon blow away her thoughts of seeking death! " He prayed silently like this; But it was still dark and there was no sound. His heart was broken, he dared not look, and timidly stared at the shadow standing by the river.
The woman stood silently for a while and leaned forward. The scarecrow knew that the terrible time had come, and the fan in his hand beat louder. But she didn't jump and stood there stiffly.
After a long time, she suddenly raised her arm and ran into the river like a fallen body. When the scarecrow saw this scene, he fainted before he heard her fall into the water.
The next morning, the farmer passed by the river and found a body in the river. The news spread at once. All the men and women nearby came to see it. The noisy sound woke the sleeping fisherman. She saw that the crucian carp in the bucket was dead.
She walked back to the hut with a bucket; The sick child woke up, his face looked thinner and his cough was worse. The old peasant woman followed everyone to the river to see; I walked past my rice field and took a look. Unexpectedly, it was finished in just a few days, and the rice leaves and ears were gone, leaving only the stiff and bare stems. She stamped her feet, beat her chest and burst into tears. Everyone ran to talk to her and saw the scarecrow lying in the middle of the field.