Night Number is a play by William Shakespeare. Globe: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Helena, in love with Demetrius

Characters

Theseus, Duke of Athens.

Aegeus, father of Hermia.

Lysander, Demetrius - lovers of Hermia.

Philostratus, organizer of entertainment at the court of Theseus.

Pigva, carpenter.

Driller, carpenter.

Warp, weaver.

Flute, master of bellows blowers.

Snout, coppersmith.

Otter, tailor.

Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, bride of Theseus.

Hermia, daughter of Aegeus, in love with Lysander.

Helena, in love with Demetrius.

Oberon, king of the elves.

Titania, queen of the elves.

Peck, or Robin, good spirit, elf.

Sweet Pea, Cobweb, Moth, Mustard Seed are elves.

Fairies and elves submissive to Oberon and Titania.

Courtiers of Theseus and Hippolyta.

The action takes place in Athens and the surrounding forest.

Act I

Scene 1

Athens. A room in Theseus' palace. Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus.

Theseus

Now our union is close, Hippolyta!
Four happy days will pass
And they will bring with them a new month.
How quietly the old month is waning!
He hesitates to fulfill my desires,
How a stepmother or widow hesitates
The heir is underage
Declare it finished so that
Don't lose your income heir.

Hippolyta

Four days will quickly drown in nights,
And quickly four nights will pass in dreams;
Then the moon is a silver arc,
Bent over again in the dark skies,
Will illuminate our solemn night.

Theseus

Friend Philostratus, go and invite
Let all the young men of Athens have some fun.
Awaken the spirit of living fun in them.
For the funeral, let them leave sadness:
There is no place for a pale guest at the holiday!

Philostratus leaves.

I have taken possession of you, Hippolyta!
With my sword, with enmity I acquired
Your love; but our marriage will be consummated
Among the pomp, celebrations and pleasures.

Enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius.

Aegean

Greetings to you, Theseus, our glorious duke!

Theseus

Thank you. What's new, Aegeus?

Aegean

I am complaining about my Hermia
I appear filled with sadness.
Come closer, Demetrius. Dear Duke,
Here is a man whose wife
I already promised to give my daughter away.
Come closer, Lysander! Sovereign,
And this one bewitched her heart.
Lysander, yes, you wrote poetry to her,
You and my daughter exchanged
Pledges of love; you're under the window
During the moon's radiance he sang to her
Feigning a gentle voice of words,
Breathing with feigned love;
You turned her head with all sorts of nonsense:
Bracelets made from your own hair,
Rings, pendants, sweets,
Trinkets, toys, flowers -
Messengers who always
They are omnipotent over inexperienced youth;
You trick my daughter
He stole the heart - and obedience,
which she owes to me,
You have changed into persistence, into stubbornness.
My lord, when hands and words
She will not give Demetrius in front of us,
Then I ask you to provide me
Ancient Athenian law:
After all, my daughter is mine, and I am her destiny
I can arrange it. Let her
Here Demetrius will choose or death,
Which in such cases
Immediately pronounces our law.

Theseus

Well, Hermia, what do you say? Think about it:
Your father should be your god.
He is the creator of your beauty - before him
You are the same as a wax figure,
Which was poured out to them. It has
He has every right to destroy,
And complete your creation.
Demetrius is a worthy person.

Hermia

Isn't it the same with Lysander?

Theseus

This is true;
But since he is the parent of consent
On your union is deprived, then you must
Prefer Demetrius.

Hermia

Oh, if only
I could give my eyes to my father,
So that he looks like me!

Theseus

Rather you
Must look at it with prudence.

Hermia

I ask you: forgive me, sir!
I don't know where this courage comes from.
And maybe I'll offend modesty
What I feel expressing here;
But I beg your lordship to tell me,
What punishment awaits me?
What if I don’t become Demetrius’ wife?

Theseus

Excommunication from society forever
Or else you will choose death for yourself.
So, Hermia, examine yourself;
Think how young and ardent you are;
Think about what if you
You refuse to obey your father,
Then you should become a nun,
To be walled up in a monastery
And remain forever barren
And sing hymns to the insensitive moon.
Those who are thrice happy are those who have so much strength,
So that, having curbed yourself, you can accomplish it calmly
The path is virgin; but the rose is on the ground
Happier when it blooms
And does not hide its fragrance;
Happier, believe me, those roses
Which quietly withers on the stem,
Grows, lives and accepts death -
And all alone, all in a lonely lot.

Hermia

So I grow, and live, and die
I want one, sooner than I agree
I'll give my virginity to someone
Whose power the soul rejects with all its might.

Theseus

Think carefully; but when
The new moon will come - on this day
I will unite forever with Hippolyta -
Then you should be ready too
Or die for disobedience,
Or do what your father wants,
Or bring it on the altar of Diana
Holy vow to spend his entire life
And a strict and lonely maiden.

Demetrius

Oh, agree, Hermia! Lysander,
Drop your empty claims!
You must yield to my rights
Indisputable.

Lysander

Father's love
You got it, Demetrius, so leave it
Hermia for me, and take it yourself.

Aegean

Oh, impudent! Yes, my love
He owns it - and everything in it is mine,
My love will be given to him forever.
After all, my daughter is mine, and all my rights
I hand it over to Demetrius.

Lysander

But, sir, isn’t it just like him,
And am I rich and famous by birth?
My love is stronger than his love
Wealth and honor among people
I am equal to Demetrius; May be,
I even surpass Demetrius;
And beyond that, what can he boast about?
I am loved by the beautiful Hermia:
Why should I give up my rights?
Demetrius... Yes, I will announce in front of him:
He proposed to Nedar's daughter
My love; since then Elena's soul
He took possession, and good Helen
She is completely devoted to him with all her heart;
She idolizes the infidel.

Theseus

I admit, I heard the same rumors
And before me, and I intended
Talk to Demetrius about this;
But I forgot: at that time I was very
Concerned with the most important matters.
Follow me, Aegeus, and you, Demetrius,
Follow me: I need you both
Give some special instructions.
You, Hermia, are beautiful, get ready
Agree on your desires
With the wishes of the parent; otherwise
Law of Athens that change
We cannot, he will pronounce his judgment
And he will condemn you to imprisonment
Or to death. Let's go, Hippolyta!
What, honey, how are you feeling?
Demetrius and Aegeus, follow me:
I must resort to your help,
To make everything necessary for the wedding.
We'll also talk about something,
As for what concerns you.

Aegean

We follow duty and desire.

Theseus, Hippolyta, Aegeus, Demetrius and their retinue leave.

Lysander

But what's wrong with you, dear friend? From what
You are so pale and the roses are dead
Are yours on the cheeks?

Hermia

Of course, because
That there is no rain; but the storm of my eyes
Easily replaces this shortcoming.

Lysander

I have never had the chance to read
Or hear in history, in a story,
So that somewhere the path of true love
Was done calmly. Sometimes
He is outraged by the difference in births...

Hermia

Misfortune when high born
Falls in love with a simple maiden!

Lysander

Sometimes
Let's differentiate between years...

Hermia

What a punishment
When youth is forged with old age!

Lysander

And sometimes peace of mind depends
From the choice of relatives...

Hermia

Oh, this is hell.
When should we choose not ourselves?
Object of love!

Lysander

And if their choice
I agree with the attraction of loving souls,
Then war, disease or death
Their happiness will certainly be interfered with.
So, love is instantaneous like a sound,
Brief as a dream, transitory as a ghost;
Like lightning in the dead of night,
She is fast - she will flash and illuminate
Before my eyes both heaven and earth,
But before a man can
To say: “Look!”, again the abysses of darkness
Everything will be absorbed. So fast on the ground
Everything bright disappears in chaos!

Hermia

But if for true love
Suffering is always necessary
Then, apparently, such is the law of fate.
Let us learn to bear it with patience;
We cannot avoid suffering:
It belongs to love, like sighs,
Dreams and dreams, desires and tears,
Always companions of lovers!

Lysander

This faith is wonderful; and now
I'll say this: I have an aunt, -
A rich childless widow.
She lives about three miles from here,
And I love her like my own son.
There, Hermia, we can get married,
The law of Athens will not overtake us there.
When you love me, tomorrow night
Quietly leave your parents' house,
And there, in the forest, which is only a mile away
From the city where I met you
With Elena one May morning,
When you performed rituals with her,
I'll be waiting.

Hermia

Oh, my good Lysander,
I swear by the strongest bow of Cupid
And the best, golden, arrow,
And the meekness of Venus doves,
I swear by what binds souls
And love makes you happy,
I swear by the fire that burned Dido,
When the lying Trojan sailed away,
I swear to you, Lysander, with all the darkness
Men of broken vows,
Which will surely surpass
In their number all women's vows,
I will be where you appointed me!

Lysander

Oh, dear friend, keep your promise!
Look, Elena is coming towards us.

Elena enters.

Hermia

Be happy, beautiful Elena!
Where are you going?

Elena

Beautiful? Alas!
Take back your name quickly!
Oh, Demetrius loves your beauty,
Happy! Yes, they burn for him
Your eyes are like a polar star,
And your voice is pleasant to him
More gratifying than the lark's singing
For the shepherd, when there are fields all around
Covered with green wheat,
And in the middle there is a hawthorn in bloom.
Diseases are sticky - why?
And beauty shouldn’t be sticky?
While I'm here, I might get infected,
O beautiful Hermia, by you!
My greedy ear would be filled with your voice
My eyes would assimilate your gaze;
My words would perhaps penetrate
By the melody of your sweetest words;
If only the whole world were my property,
Leaving Demetrius for himself, the world
I would give it just to be you.
Oh, teach me to look like you!
Tell me what method you have
Demetrius and his thoughts?

Hermia

I frown, but he still loves me.

Elena

Oh, if only I were charming
How your frown is, my smile!

Hermia

I argue with him, and he tells me
Words of love.

Elena

If only my prayers
They could have awakened love in him as well!

Hermia

And the more I hate him,
The more he pursues me.

Elena

He hates me even more
The more I surrender to him.

Hermia

His madness is not my fault.

Elena

No, your beauty is to blame.
Oh, if only mine were so guilty!

Hermia

Take comfort, he won't see me anymore:
I decided to run away with Lysander.
Until I saw
Lysander, Athens was paradise!
Now my paradise, alas, has changed
To cruel hell with the power of love!

Lysander

Elena, we will open our souls
In front of you. Tomorrow night we
When the moon's image is silvery
In the bosom of the mirror waters it will reflect
And he will remove all the weeds with wet pearl,
At the very hour that covers
In its silence lovers escape,
We decided to leave Athens.

Hermia

And in the forest in which you and I
So often, resting on flowers,
They poured out their dreams to each other,
I will meet with my Lysander;
There we will turn our eyes away from Athens,
To look for friends again in a foreign country.
Farewell my friend; pray
For the two of us. Let happiness give
Your love Demetrius! Lysander,
Don't forget the promised word:
Must be by tomorrow midnight
We deprive ourselves of a sweet date,
Which is like food for lovers!

Lysander

I will be there. Goodbye, Elena.
Let Demetrius belong to you,
How you belong to him now.

Elena

How uneven happiness is in this world!
A beauty just like her
In Athens I have a reputation; but what's the use?
Demetrius thinks differently: he doesn’t want
Recognize me as I am recognized by everyone.
But it seems that we are both mistaken:
He fell madly in love with Hermia,
And I am in his dignity. So what?
After all, for love everything is low and empty
It’s easy to recreate it into a decent one:
Love looks with the soul, not with the eyes.
And that's why winged Cupid
Presented to us blind and reckless.
To be with wings and to be deprived of eyes -
Haste senseless emblem!
Love is called a child because
That in her choice she often
She can be deceived like a child.
I've seen how windy children are
Among the game of promises to each other
Suddenly they cheat on them and suddenly cheat on them.
A love child, like other children,
I'm ready to take it back if necessary
All the promises made recently.
Demetrius has not yet seen
The eye of Hermia, he swore to me with a hail of oaths,
That he belongs only to me;
But this city melted before Hermia
And it fell like a cursed rain on the ground.
I will open an escape for Hermia:
Surely in the night to pursue her
He will start, and if gratitude
I'll get it from him for this,
It will cost me dearly!
Yes, see him there and then
It’s sad to return to Athens again -
This reward is enough for me!

Scene 2

Athens. A room in a hut. Enter Base, Gimlet, Flute, Snout, Pigwa and Otter.

Pigwa

Is our whole company here?

The basis

It would be better to do a roll call, calling one after another in the order in which we are recorded.

Pigwa

Here is a list of the names of all those people who are found capable and chosen from all the Athenians to perform our interlude before the Duke and Duchess on the evening after the wedding.

The basis

First of all, dear Peter Pigwa, tell us what our play is? Then read the names of the actors. Get down to business.

Pigwa

OK! Our play is “A pitiful comedy about the cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe.”

The basis

It’s a nice thing, I assure you, it’s very funny! Now, dear Peter Pigva, call our actors from the list. Brothers, form a line.

Pigwa

Answer the call. Nick Warp, weaver!

The basis

On the face! Give me a role in the play and move on.

Pigwa

You, Nick Basis, will take on the role of Pyramus.

The basis

What is Pyramus? Lover or tyrant?

Pigwa

A lover who most nobly kills himself because of love.

The basis

It will take a few tears to play this role properly. If I play this role, then take care of your eyes, gentlemen, listeners! I'll raise a storm, I'll moan a lot! Well, move on to others! However, according to my character, the role of a tyrant would be more suitable for me: I would perfectly play the role of Hercules or a role in which I would have to rage and tell everything to hell.

(Recites.)

With trepidation, with a crash the rocks, pushing,
Prisons will eliminate constipation!
And Fib, approaching in his chariot,
Fates will change their verdicts!

This is beauty! Well, call out the rest of the actors. This is completely in the spirit of Hercules, in the spirit of a tyrant - lovers speak more tearfully.

Pigwa

Francis Flute, bellows blower.

Flute

Here, Peter Pigva.

Pigwa

You must take on the role of Thisbe.

Flute

What is Thisbe? Knight Errant?

Pigwa

This is the lady with whom Pyramus is in love.

Flute

No, damn it, I don’t want to play a female role: I’m already growing a beard.

Pigwa

This means nothing. You will play this role in a mask and speak in as small a voice as you can.

The basis

If you can hide your face under a mask, then give me the role of Thisbe. I will say in a damn thin voice: “Thisbe, Thisbe! - Ah, Pyramus, my dear, my beloved! “Your dear Thisbe, your dear beloved!”

Pigwa

No no! You must play the role of Pyramus, and you, Flute, Thisbe.

The basis

Fine. Continue.

Pigwa

Robin Otter, tailor.

Otter

Here, Peter Pigva.

Pigwa

Robin Otter, you'll be playing Thisbe's mother. - Thomas Rylo, coppersmith!

Snout

Here, Peter Pigva.

Pigwa

For you - the role of Father Pyramus. I myself will play Thisbe's father. Driller, carpenter, you will portray a lion. Well, it seems that now all the roles have been distributed.

Buraw

Have you written the role of a lion? Please, if it is written, give it to me, otherwise I am very slow at memorizing it.

Pigwa

No, you will just improvise: you will only have to growl.

The basis

Let me take the role of the lion. I will growl so much that all listeners will love to listen to me. I will roar so much that the Duke will say: “Let him roar some more, let him roar some more!”

Pigwa

If you growl too terribly, you will frighten the Duchess and the ladies: you will growl, and they will squeal. And this is enough for us to be hanged.

All

Yes, that's enough to get us all hanged!

The basis

I agree with you, friends, that if we frighten the ladies to the point that they faint, then perhaps they may order us to be hanged; I will hold my voice and roar like a tender dove, I will roar like a nightingale.

Pigwa

You cannot play any other role than Pyramus. Pyramus needs a man with a pleasant appearance, the handsomest man one can imagine, in the prime of his life. This role requires a person with the most graceful and noble appearance. Therefore, you must certainly play the role of Pyramus.

The basis

Okay, I'll take it upon myself. Which beard is best for my role?

Pigwa

Whichever one you want.

The basis

I will give myself a beard of either straw color, or deep orange, or purple-raspberry, or bright yellow, a French shade.

Pigwa

French heads are often completely bald, and therefore you would have to play without a beard at all. However, friends, here are your roles. I demand, I beg and I humbly ask you to learn them by tomorrow evening. We will all gather in the ducal forest, which is only a mile from the city, and there, in the moonlight, we will do a rehearsal. If we gather in the city, the crowd will run after us and chatter about our intentions. In the meantime, I'll make a list of some of the things needed for our presentation. Please don't deceive me: come.

The basis

We will definitely be there. There you will be able to exercise freely and wonderfully. Try your best, friends! Don't be late! Farewell!

Pigwa

We will gather at the Duke's oak tree.

The basis

OK! We'll fail if we don't come!

Everyone leaves.

Act II

Scene 1

Forest near Athens. A fairy enters on one side and Peck on the other.

Pack

What's new? Where are you going, elf?

Fairy

Over the mountains, over the valleys,
Through the depths of the forest,
Over the fence, over the walls,
Through the fire and through the wave -
The path everywhere is not difficult for me.
I'm running faster than the moon,
I serve the wonderful queen
In the hour of midnight silence!
I am magic circles
I water it for her.
Do you see the letters on the lawn?
These are her pets;
Do you see the painted spots?
Are there gold on their clothes?
Those rubies are expensive,
Gift of young sorceresses.
They contain a cache of fragrance,
They have all the luxury of their beauty.
I'm in a hurry to get ready
Drops of morning dew;
I hang in the middle
I want every letter
By a dewdrop pearl.
Well, goodbye, I'm flying!
The holiday will begin here soon
For the young queen,
And with the queen it will be brought
A whole swarm of light elves!

Pack

And the king has a holiday here tonight.
Warn your queen
So that she doesn’t meet him at all:
He is extremely angry with her
Because she has a lovely boy,
Recently stolen from the king
Indian. The queen did not have
Never more beautiful than a child.
Our envious Oberon desires
Take him into your retinue at all costs,
To run around the wilderness of the forest with him;
Meanwhile, the dear child
I don’t want to give in to the queen.
She cleans it up with flowers
And in him alone lies all the joy.
Now that they meet
Or in the forest, or on green grass,
Or by the stream, under the brilliance of wonderful stars,
Then they start to quarrel so much,
That the elves all run away from fear
And they hide, poor things, quickly
Under the cups of fallen acorns.

Fairy

Your appearance and manner,
Perhaps I'm being deceived
But it seems that you are definitely an evil spirit.
Named Robin, or Good Friend.
Aren't you the one who scares the village girls?
Then you skim the cream off the milk,
Then you break hand mills,
You don’t let the housewife churn butter,
So you don’t let their drinks sour?
Aren't you the one who leads pedestrians astray?
And do you enjoy their fear and annoyance?
But who calls you dear Peck,
Thus you bring happiness with you,
And you do the work for them yourself.
Aren't you Peck?

Pack

Indeed, you found out:
I'm definitely that cheerful spirit of the nights
And together Oberon's court jester.
He often laughs at me,
When I start neighing like a mare,
And deceive the horse with your voice,
Who ate his fat with beans.
Sometimes, while frolicking, I take
Type of baked apple, and with it
I quietly hide in the cup of the godmother;
And as soon as the godfather begins to slurp,
I push into her lips and drink
I wet my wrinkled neck.
And sometimes for a sedate aunt,
When she starts telling
A story filled with tears
I, having become a three-legged, smooth chair,
I jump out from under it -
And the aunt flies in a fit of coughing,
And a whole choir, tucking their sides,
He laughs and sneezes and swears,
That he never had fun
As true as in this hour of the fall.
Shh! Oberon, my king, comes here!

Fairy

And here is my queen! It is good to,
If only your king would leave here soon.

Oberon and his retinue enter on one side, and Titania with her retinue on the other.

Oberon

Why am I here, in the monthly glow,
Am I meeting the arrogant Titania?

Titania

Ah, it's you, jealous Oberon!
Come, elves: I swore
Do not share any company or bed with him.

Oberon

Stop, criminal wife:
Am I your husband?

Titania

And I'm your wife!
Oh, I know you often leave
Secretly a magical land
And in the form of the lover Corinne
You spend your days with a flute in your hands,
At the feet of his beloved Phyllida
And sing your love to her in poetry!
Why are you from distant Indian countries?
Did you come here? That's right because
What's with the daring Amazon in boots,
With your warlike darling,
Theseus is preparing to unite
And you want to give them to the bed
And happiness and joy without end.

Oberon

Titania, can you blame me?
Because I'm attached to Hippolyta?
I know your passion for Theseus:
In the pale light of the stars, isn't it you?
She stole him from Perigenes,
Which one did he seduce? Isn't it you
Made him forget all his vows
Which he gave to Ariadne,
Aglaya and the beautiful Antiope?

Titania

You invented all this in jealousy.
How summer passed in half,
It never happened to us to get together
In the forest, in the meadows, in the valley, on the mountain,
Or by a stream overgrown with reeds,
Or on the edge of the seaside shores,
To dance to the whistle and chatter of the wind
And make circles, without
So that you with your restless cry
Didn't interfere with the fun of our games.
And the winds seem to take revenge on us
Because they sing songs to us in vain,
Everyone began to suck from the sea
Malicious mists and vapors,
Fogs covered all the plains
And the insignificant little rivers swollen,
That the shores cannot contain them.
Since we quarreled with you,
In vain is the ox harnessed to the yoke,
The farmer wastes his labor in vain:
The green wheat has all rotted,
Although she hasn’t covered herself with fluff yet;
The crows have grown fat from death,
And they stand in the flooded fields
Forgotten, deserted paddocks;
Silt covered the traces of fun games,
And you can’t see anyone playing in the meadow.
Since then, winter has not pleased people,
And you can't hear the singing at night.
But the moon, ruler of the waters,
All pale with anger, she got drunk
Fog and dampness all over the air
And it gave rise to runny noses in abundance.
All times have been confused since then:
Then white-headed frost falls
Into the arms of a luxuriantly blooming rose;
As if in mockery, summer blows
Garlands from raspukolok and them
The brow of winter, crowned with ice,
And decorates the old lady’s beard.
Harsh winter, spring, and summer,
And the fertile autumn changes
Regular liveries among themselves;
The surprised world will not recognize the times -
And all this was caused by our discord,
And we are the reason and the beginning of everything!

Oberon

It's up to you to fix everything.
Titania, why contradict?
I'm just asking you to give in to the child.
To my pages.

Titania

You can be at peace -
I won’t take the whole magical country
For this child. His mother
She was my priestess. How many times
In the darkness of Indian nights, fragrant,
She used to be my companion!
On the golden Neptune sands
We loved to sit and watch
Like merchant ships on the waves
They rush into the distance. Oh, how we laughed
Admiring how the wind is playful
I pulled their sails - and those
They suddenly swelled with a huge belly!
Then my unfortunate friend
Pregnant was my page
And with dexterity, she used to imitate,
Flying through the air, sails,
Pregnant women from the wind. Above the ground
As if on the waves, having swam, she
Rushing back with some trinket
And she handed it to me, saying,
That our ship with its rich cargo
Came back from a long journey.
But my friend was mortal
And she died, giving her son life.
Loving her, I will raise a son;
Loving her, I will not part with him.

Oberon

How long do you intend to stay here?

Titania

I may be here for the wedding day.
Would you like to dance quietly?
Among our round dances or take a look
On our holiday, during the monthly radiance?
Let's go, otherwise - leave us: we'll get by
And without you.

Oberon

Give me the child -
And then I’m ready to go with you.

Titania

I won’t trade you for all your possessions!
As long as I'm here, we'll only quarrel.
Let's go, elves, get away from here quickly!

Titania and her retinue leave.

Oberon

Okay, go your own way.
But I won't let you out of the forest,
Until I take revenge for my grievances.
My dear Peck, come here quickly!
Do you remember, one day I was sitting there
I was on the cape and listened like a siren,
Carried by a dolphin on a ridge,
She sang so well, so sweetly,
That her song calmed the fury of the waves.
And the stars ran away from their spheres,
To hear the siren's music?

Pack

Oberon

And at that very moment
I saw, even though you couldn’t see,
That Cupid flew armed
Between the cold moon and the earth
And he aimed at the beautiful Vestal Virgin,
Which reigns in the West.
Suddenly he shot an arrow at her from a bow
With such force, as if he intended
He is not one, but one hundred thousand hearts
Pierce with one flaming arrow.
So what? The arrow, hitting the cold month,
Extinguished there by the virgin rays.
And I saw how the royal maiden
The free one went her own way
And she plunged into pure thoughts again.
However, I noticed that the arrow
She fell on a western flower, spinning.
He used to be as white as milk
But, wounded by love, from the wound
He turned purple. All the girls
“Love in idleness” is his name.
Go find a flower - I'll tell you
Showed his grass once.
Whose eyelids, adjacent to a sweet dream,
The juice extracted from it touches
He will fall madly in love when he wakes up
In that first living being,
Which will appear before his eyes.
Go find a plant and again
Get here sooner than later
Leviathan can swim no more than a mile.

Pack

Forty minutes is enough for me,
To encircle the whole earth.

Oberon

I'll sneak up with my magic flower
To Titania when she falls asleep,
And I’ll put some juice in her eyes.
He will do that the first one to appear
To her eyes - be he a bear or a lion,
Or a wolf, or a bull, or a cunning monkey -
She will devote herself to this with all her heart.
And before I remove the spell from her -
What can I do with other grass?
She will give me her page.
But who comes here? I'm invisible:
I'll listen to what they say.

Demetrius enters, followed by Elena.

Demetrius

Leave me - I don't love you!
Where is Hermia the beautiful with Lysander?
I'll kill him - I'm almost killed by her!
They hid in the forest, you said,
And here I am, and I'm furious,
Why didn’t I meet Hermia? Go away, leave it!
And stop following me.

Elena

You yourself with your magnetic, hard heart
I'm attracted to you. Don't assume, however,
Why do you attract iron to yourself:
No, in my heart, believe me, I am faithful as steel!
If you lose the power to attract, I will
I suddenly lose the strength to strive for you.

Demetrius

Did I flatter you? Was I kind to you?
On the contrary, I admitted frankly,
That I don’t love you and I can’t
To love you.

Elena

This makes me stronger
Love you. Demetrius, I'm a dog
Which, the more you hit,
The more he obediently fawns over you.
Yes, treat me like a dog:
Push me with your feet, hit me
Don't pay attention - ruin it;
But no matter how despicable I am,
Just let me follow you.
In your love can I ask for a place
Humbler than the one you are in
Of course, you wouldn’t refuse a dog, too?
But I would be happy anyway.

Demetrius

Don't arouse disgust in me.
When I see you, I am sick.

Elena

And I'm sick when I don't see you.

Demetrius

You offend the laws of modesty,
Leaving the city so late,
Pursuing someone who is not loved,
And entrusting dear virginity
To the accidents of desert silence
And the whims of the bad suggestions of the night.

Elena

Through my protection is virtue
Demetrius. When I see you
Then night does not exist for me.
It seems to me that there is no night now;
It seems to me that crowds of people
The forest is filled. The whole world is in you alone!
Who will tell me that I am alone in the forest,
When the whole world is looking at me here?

Demetrius

I'll run and hide from you
In the bushes. And you are among the animals
You'll be left alone.

Elena

Oh the wildest
Of all the animals, none is as cruel as you!
Run whenever you want; we will change
Nature's established order -
And Apollo will run from Daphne,
The dove will rush after the griffin,
And even the humble doe - and that
Will double the run to catch the tiger...
But all efforts are in vain if weakness
It pursues, but firmness runs away!

Demetrius

I don't want to listen to you anymore:
Let me in! And if you are with me
If you go again, I swear to you,
That I will cause you grief in the forest.

Elena

Alas! In the temple, in the city and in the field
You cause me grief everywhere!
Demetrius, shame on you! Insulting me
You have cruelly insulted the entire female sex!
We women cannot, like men,
To win love with weapons;
We were created to receive from you
Courtesy, not up to you
Care. I'll follow you.
Oh, I want to make heaven out of hell,
Having accepted death from my dear hand!

Demetri and Elena leave.

The action takes place in Athens. The ruler of Athens bears the name of Theseus, one of the most popular heroes of ancient legends about the conquest by the Greeks of the warlike tribe of women - the Amazons. Theseus marries the queen of this tribe, Hippolyta. The play was apparently created for a performance on the occasion of the wedding of some high-ranking officials.

Preparations are underway for the wedding of Duke Theseus and the Amazon queen Hippolyta, which is to take place on the night of the full moon. An angry Aegeus, Hermia's father, appears at the duke's palace, accusing Lysander of bewitching his daughter and cunningly forcing her to love him, while she had already been promised to Demetrius. Hermia confesses her love for Lysander. The Duke announces that according to Athenian law, she must submit to her father's will. He gives the girl a reprieve, but on the day of the new moon she will have to “either die / For violating her father’s will, / Or marry the one he chose, / Or take forever at the altar of Diana / A vow of celibacy and a harsh life.” The lovers agree to escape from Athens together and meet the next night in a nearby forest. They reveal their plan to Hermia's friend Helena, who was once Demetrius' lover and still loves him passionately. Hoping for his gratitude, she is going to tell Demetrius about the plans of the lovers. Meanwhile, a group of rustic craftsmen are preparing to stage a sideshow on the occasion of the Duke's wedding. The director, carpenter Peter Pigwa, chose a suitable work: “A pitiful comedy and the very cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe.” Weaver Nick Osnova agrees to play the role of Pyramus, as well as most other roles. Bellows repairman Francis Dudke is given the role of Thisbe (in Shakespeare's time, women were not allowed on stage). The tailor Robin Hungry will be Thisbe's mother, and the coppersmith Tom Snout will be the father of Pyramus. The role of Leo is assigned to the carpenter Milaga: he “has a memory for learning,” and for this role you only need to roar. Pigva asks everyone to memorize the roles and tomorrow evening come to the forest to the ducal oak tree for a rehearsal.

In a forest near Athens, the king of fairies and elves Oberon and his wife Queen Titania quarrel over a child whom Titania adopted, and Oberon wants to take for himself to make him a page. Titania refuses to submit to her husband's will and leaves with the elves. Oberon asks the mischievous elf Puck (Good Little Robin) to bring him a small flower on which Cupid's arrow fell after he missed "the Vestal reigning in the West" (an allusion to Queen Elizabeth). If the eyelids of a sleeping person are smeared with the juice of this flower, then when he wakes up, he will fall in love with the first living creature he sees. Oberon wants to make Titania fall in love with some wild animal and forget about the boy. Peck flies off in search of the flower, and Oberon becomes an invisible witness to the conversation between Helen and Demetrius, who is looking for Hermia and Lysander in the forest and rejects his former lover with contempt. When Peck returns with the flower, Oberon instructs him to find Demetrius, whom he describes as an “arrogant rake” in Athenian robes, and anoint his eyes, but so that when he awakens, the beauty in love with him will be next to him. Finding Titania sleeping, Oberon squeezes the juice of the flower onto her eyelids. Lysander and Hermia got lost in the forest and also lay down to rest, at Hermia’s request - away from each other, since “for a young man and a girl, human shame / Does not allow intimacy...”. Peck, mistaking Lysander for Demetrius, drips juice onto his eyes. Elena appears, from whom Demetrius ran away, and stopping to rest, wakes up Lysander, who immediately falls in love with her. Elena believes that he is mocking her and runs away, and Lysander, abandoning Hermia, rushes after Elena.

Near the place where Titania sleeps, a company of artisans gathered for a rehearsal. At the suggestion of Osnova, who is very concerned that, God forbid, he should not scare the female spectators, two prologues are written for the play - the first that Pyramus does not kill himself at all and that he is not really Pyramus, but a weaver Osnova, and the second - that Lev is not a lion at all, but a carpenter, Milag. Naughty Peck, who is watching the rehearsal with interest, casts a spell on the Foundation: now the weaver has a donkey's head. The friends, mistaking the Base for a werewolf, run away in fear. At this time, Titania wakes up and, looking at the Base, says: “Your image captivates the eye. I love you. Follow me!” Titania summons four elves - Mustard Seed, Sweet Pea, Gossamer and Moth - and orders them to serve "her darling." Oberon is delighted to listen to Peck's story about how Titania fell in love with the monster, but is very dissatisfied when he learns that the elf sprinkled magic juice into the eyes of Lysander, and not Demetrius. Oberon puts Demetrius to sleep and corrects the mistake of Peck, who, on the orders of his master, lures Helen closer to the sleeping Demetrius. As soon as he wakes up, Demetrius begins to swear his love to the one he recently rejected with contempt. Elena is convinced that both young men, Lysander and Demetrius, are mocking her: “There is no strength to listen to empty ridicule!” In addition, she believes that Hermia is at one with them, and bitterly reproaches her friend for her deceit. Shocked by Lysander's rude insults, Hermia accuses Helen of being a deceiver and a thief who stole Lysander's heart from her. Word for word - and she is already trying to scratch out Elena’s eyes. The young people - now rivals seeking Elena's love - retire to decide in a duel which of them has more rights. Peck is delighted with all this confusion, but Oberon orders him to lead both duelists deeper into the forest, imitating their voices, and lead them astray, “so that they will never find each other.” When Lysander collapses exhausted and falls asleep, Peck squeezes the juice of a plant on his eyelids - an antidote to the love flower. Elena and Demetrius were also euthanized not far from each other.

Seeing Titania asleep next to the Base, Oberon, who by this time had already acquired the child he liked, takes pity on her and touches her eyes with an antidote flower. The fairy queen wakes up with the words: “My Oberon! What can we dream about! / I dreamed that I fell in love with a donkey!” Peck, on Oberon's orders, returns his own head to the Base. The Elf Lords fly away. Theseus, Hippolyta and Aegeus appear hunting in the forest. They find sleeping young people and wake them up. Already free from the effects of the love potion, but still stunned, Lysander explains that he and Hermia fled into the forest from the severity of Athenian laws, while Demetrius admits that “Passion, purpose and joy of the eyes are now / Not Hermia, but dear Helen.” Theseus announces that two more couples will be married today with them and Hippolyta, after which he leaves with his retinue. The awakened Base goes to Pigwa's house, where his friends are eagerly awaiting him. He gives the actors the last instructions: “Let Thisbe put on clean underwear,” and let Lev not try to cut his nails - they should look out from under the skin like claws.

Theseus marvels at the strange story of the lovers. “Madmen, lovers, poets - / All created from fantasies alone,” he says. The entertainment manager, Philostratus, presents him with a list of entertainments. The Duke chooses the workmen's play: "It can never be too bad, / Which devotion humbly offers." Pigva reads the prologue to the audience's ironic comments. Snout explains that he is the Wall through which Pyramus and Thisbe are talking, and therefore is smeared with lime. When the Pyramus Base looks for a crack in the Wall to look at his beloved, Snout helpfully spreads his fingers. Lev appears and explains in verse that he is not real. “What a meek animal,” Theseus admires, “and what a reasonable one!” Amateur actors shamelessly distort the text and say a lot of nonsense, which greatly amuses their noble viewers. Finally the play is over. Everyone leaves - it’s already midnight, a magical hour for lovers. Peck appears, he and the rest of the elves first sing and dance, and then, by order of Oberon and Titania, scatter around the palace to bless the beds of the newlyweds. Pak addresses the audience: “If I couldn’t amuse you, / It will be easy for you to fix everything: / Imagine that you fell asleep / And dreams flashed before you.”

Retold

William Shakespeare

A dream in a summer night

CHARACTERS

Theseus , Duke of Athens.

Aegean , father of Hermia.

Lysander, Demetrius , in love with Hermia.

Philostratus , manager of entertainment at the court of Theseus.

Pigwa , a carpenter.

Gentleman , carpenter.

The basis , weaver

Dudka , bellows repairer.

Snout , coppersmith.

Hungry , tailor.

Hippolyta , queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.

Hermia , in love with Lysander.

Elena , in love with Demetrius.

Oberon , king of fairies and elves.

Titania , queen of fairies and elves.

Peck, or Good Little Robin , little elf.

Sweet Pea, Cobweb, Moth, Mustard Seed , elves.

Fairies and elves, submissive to Oberon and Titania, retinue.

The scene is Athens and the forest nearby.

ACT I

Athens, Palace of Theseus.

Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus And retinue.

Beautiful, our wedding hour is getting closer:

Four happy days - new month

They'll bring it to us. But oh, how the old man hesitates!

He stands in the way of my desires,

Like a stepmother or an old widow,

That young men's income is being eaten up.

Four days of nights will quickly drown;

Four nights in dreams will disappear so quickly...

And the crescent moon is a bow made of silver,

Stretched in the sky, it will illuminate

The night of our wedding!

Philostratus, go!

Stirred up all the youth in Athens

And awaken the spirit of fun.

Let the sadness remain for the funeral:

We don't need a pale guest at our feast.

Philostratus leaves.

I got you with the sword, Hippolyta;

I achieved your love with threats,

But I will play the wedding in a different way:

Solemn, and fun, and magnificent!

Enter Aegean, Hermia, Lysander And Demetrius.

Be happy, our glorious Duke Theseus!

Thank you, Egey! What do you say?

I am upset, with a complaint to you

To Hermia - yes, to her own daughter! -

Demetri, come! - My lord,

This is the one to whom I wanted to give my daughter. -

Lysander, come closer too! - My lord!

And this one bewitched her heart. -

You, you, Lysander! You wrote poetry to her,

I exchanged pledges of love with her,

Under her windows in the moonlight

I feignedly sang love a feigned song!

You used it to capture her heart,

Bracelets, hair rings, candy,

Flowers, trinkets, trinkets - everything,

What sweetness to inexperienced youth!

By deceit you stole her love,

You are the obedience due to your father,

Turned evil into stubbornness! - So if

In your presence, my lord, she will not give

Consent to Demetrius, I appeal

To the ancient Athenian law:

Since my daughter is mine, I can be completely with her

locate; and I decided: Demetrius

Or - as provided by law

In such cases - death immediately!

Well, Hermia, beautiful maiden,

What do you say? Think it over carefully.

He created your beauty, and you

They cast a wax mold;

He has the right to leave it or break it.

Demetrius is a completely worthy person.

My Lysander too.

Yes, on my own;

But if your father is not for him,

That means he is more worthy.

I wanted my father to look at mine

No! Hurry up your eyes

We must obey his judgment.

Forgive me, Your Grace, I beg you.

I don’t know where I found the courage,

And is it possible, without offending modesty,

I can speak so freely in front of everyone.

But I beg you, let me find out:

What's the worst that's coming to me?

When will I not marry Demetrius?

What? Death! Or renunciation forever

From the company of men. That's why,

Oh Hermia, check yourself. Think:

You are young... Ask your soul,

When you go against your father's will:

Can you put on a nun's outfit?

To be forever imprisoned in a monastery,

Live your whole life as a barren nun2

And is it sad to sing hymns to the cold moon?

A hundred times blessed is he who humbles his blood,

To complete the virgin path on earth;

But the rose, dissolving into incense, 3

Happier than the one on the innocent bush

Blooms, lives, dies - all alone!

So I bloom, and live, and die

I want it sooner than my maiden rights

Give him power! His yoke

My soul does not want to submit.

Think about it, Hermia! On the day of the new moon

(On the day that will connect me with my love

For an eternal commonwealth) must

You be ready: or die

For violating the father's will,

Or marry the one he chose,

Or give forever at the altar of Diana

Vow of celibacy and harsh life.

Soften, O Hermia! - And you, Lysander,

Give in to my undeniable rights.

Demetrius, since your father loves you so much,

Give me your daughter and marry him yourself!

Impudent mocker! Yes, father's love -

Behind him and with her is everything that I own.

But my daughter is mine, and all rights over her

I give it to Demetrius in full!

But, sir, I am equal in birth with him

Yes, and wealth; I love more;

I am no lower in status

Rather even higher than Demetrius;

And most importantly - what exceeds everything -

I love Hermia the beautiful!

Why should I renounce my rights?

Demetrius - yes, I’ll tell him to his face -

In the summer of 1826, 17-year-old Mendelssohn lived on the outskirts of Berlin, far from the noise of the city, almost in the countryside. His father's house was surrounded by a huge shady garden, and the young man spent whole days there, reading the works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), which had just been translated into German. He was especially attracted to comedies; A Midsummer Night's Dream made an irresistible impression.

Sophie Anderson - Thus Your Fairy's made of most beautiful things

If other composers of the 19th century - Rossini, Gounod and Verdi, Liszt and Berlioz, Tchaikovsky and Balakirev - were inspired mainly by Shakespeare's grandiose passions, and they wrote music based on his tragedies, then Mendelssohn was not particularly fascinated even by the story of two loving couples, their misadventures, jealousy and happy connection. The main attraction for the young musician was the magical side of Shakespeare’s comedy; his creative imagination was awakened by the poetic world of nature that surrounded him, so vividly reminiscent of the fairy-tale world created by Shakespeare. Work on the overture proceeded quickly: in a letter dated June 7, 1826, Mendelssohn wrote about his intention to compose an overture, and a month later the manuscript was ready. According to Schumann, “the blossoming of youth is felt here as, perhaps, in no other work by the composer—the accomplished master made his first takeoff at a happy moment.” A Midsummer Night's Dream marks the beginning of the composer's maturity.

Overture

The first performance of the overture took place at home: Mendelssohn played it on November 19, 1826 on the piano four hands with his sister Fanny. The premiere took place on February 20 of the following year in Stettin under the baton of the famous composer Karl Löwe (together with the premiere of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in that city). And the author himself conducted it for the first time in London on Midsummer Day - June 24, 1829. 17 years after writing the overture, Mendelssohn - the famous composer, pianist and conductor, director of symphony concerts of the Royal Chapel and the choir of the Dom Cathedral in Berlin - again turned to the play "The Dream" on a midsummer night." Shakespeare's comedy was staged for the birthday of the Prussian king Frederick William IV: the premiere of the performance took place on October 14, 1843 in the theater hall of the New Palace in Potsdam, and 4 days later - in the Schauspielhaus in Berlin. The success was enormous - precisely thanks to Mendelssohn. Never before has music contributed so much to the popularity of a Shakespearean play.

At the first sustained mysterious chords of the wind instruments, it’s as if a magic curtain rises, and a mysterious fairy-tale world appears before the listeners.

In the ghostly light of the moon, in the virgin forest, among the rustles and rustles, vague shadows flicker, elves lead their aerial round dances. One after another, musical themes emerge, captivating with their unfading freshness and colorfulness for more than a century and a half. Unpretentious lyrical melodies give way to clumsy leaps reminiscent of donkey cries and hunting fanfares. But the main place is occupied by poeticized pictures of nature and the night forest. Masterfully varying the theme of the elves, the composer gives it a threatening tone: mysterious voices call to each other, frightening, teasing and luring into an impenetrable thicket; Bizarre visions flash. The repetition of already known musical images leads to a transparent, fading epilogue. Like a farewell to a fairy tale, an awakening from a magical dream, the previously perky and confident theme sounds slowly and quietly from the violins. An echo answers her. The overture ends, as it opened, with mysterious chords of wind instruments.

Music for a comedy, op. 61, consists of an overture and separate numbers - instrumental and choral, as well as dramatic dialogues with orchestral accompaniment.

Scherzo. Allegro vivace

“Scherzo” depicts a captivating aerial world of elves frolicking in a mysterious night forest.

Procession of the Elves

Intermezzo

“Intermezzo” belongs to the human world and forms one of the rare disturbing, impetuous and passionate episodes in this work (the heroine is looking everywhere for her unfaithful lover).

Song with choir

Nocturne

“Nocturne” is characterized by a peaceful mood - under the cover of night, passions subside in the magical forest, and everything falls into sleep.

Wedding March

The brilliant, lush “Wedding March” is Mendelssohn’s most popular creation, which has long become a phenomenon not only musical.

The final

"A Midsummer-Night"s Dream" - "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a play that stands out among Shakespeare's works in the fact that no direct and immediate source of its plot has been found. The concept of the plot and the composition of the action belong entirely to Shakespeare himself.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is the most romantic of all Shakespeare's comedies. This is a magical extravaganza, a fantastic world. In this comedy, the great realist surrendered to the will of his imagination. He filled the play with imaginary, fantastic creatures, presented events in such an unusual way that the viewer gets an impression similar to what happens during dreams.

Yes, this is a dream - a dream on a summer night, when the moon illuminates with a soft light the foliage of the trees gently rustling under the light breeze and some strange and mysterious life seems to be in the rustling of the night forest. The images of the heroes float before us, like “shadows in the transparent twilight of the night from behind the pink curtain of dawn, on multi-colored clouds woven from the aromas of flowers...”.

The marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta frames the entire plot. The comedy begins with the court of Theseus, and during the first scene we learn about the upcoming wedding of the Athenian king with the queen of the Amazons. The end of the comedy is the celebration of the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. This plot frame does not contain any dramatic motives. There is no hint of conflict here. Theseus is a wise king who loves his bride and enjoys mutual love on her part. These images are given by Shakespeare statically. The second and central plot motif is the stories of Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena. The action unfolding here already contains significant dramatic motives and conflicts.

Hermia's father chose Demetrius as her husband, but she prefers Lysander. Theseus, being a sovereign, stands guard over his father's right and orders Hermia to obey her parental will. But youth does not want to put up with violence against feelings. Hermia decides to flee into the forest with her lover. Elena and Demetrius go there too. But here, in the forest, there is a world of our own, in which the laws of the state, morals and customs developed by society no longer apply. This is the kingdom of nature, and the senses are relaxed here; they manifest themselves with maximum freedom. The natural world is poetically inspired by Shakespeare. In the thicket of the forest, among the trees and shrubs, grass and flowers, small, light, airy spirits hover.

They are the soul of the forest, and what is the soul in general, the soul of a person in particular - isn’t it a forest where a person can get lost among his own feelings? So, in any case, one might think, looking at what happens to young lovers who find themselves in this enchanted world. This world has its own king - the forest spirit Oberon, who controls all the elves of the forest. If the Athenian king Theseus demands obedience to customs and laws, while providing the opportunity to think and realize his mistake, the forest king will use the spell of witchcraft in order to subordinate to his will. This is how he punishes Titania, who argued with him.

Athenian artisans come here to rehearse the play they are going to perform on the wedding day of their sovereign. Simple-minded artisans take their craft extremely seriously. They have no time for jokes, but they, having found themselves in the world of forest wonders, find themselves involved in the cycle of strange events and extraordinary transformations taking place in this world of wonders. The weaver suddenly found himself with a donkey's head and, despite this deformity, the airy queen of the elves, the beautiful Titania, fell in love with him.

Arthur Rackham - The meeting of Oberon and Titania

Finally, the last plot motif appears before us already when, it would seem, all the action is completed: the artisans are acting out the love story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Passing through all the vicissitudes that occurred during the young people’s stay in the forest, and coming to how it all ended, we see that the love of Hermia and Lysander, having gone through all the trials, triumphed. As for Demetrius, he became convinced that his feelings for Hermia were fragile. In the forest, he fell in love with Elena, who had long been burning with passion for him. Thus, the feelings of the two girls overcame all obstacles: Hermia confirmed her intention to unite her life with Lysander, and Helen won the love of Demetrius, who had been indifferent to her for a long time.

Edward Robert Hughes - Midsummer Eve

Even Aegeus, who jealously guarded his right to decide the fate of his daughter and forced an unloved man on her as a husband, is forced to resign himself to this victory of love. Before her, before the victory of feelings, Theseus also bows, giving young people the opportunity to marry according to their heartfelt desires. Thus, nature turned out to be stronger than the law.

Joseph Noel Paton - Oberon and Titania

Shakespeare also reveals the contradictions that arise where feelings act as the determining force of life. A madman, a poet and a lover, notes Theseus, are equally susceptible to the will of their imagination and, being under its influence, are capable of doing thousands of stupid things. When a person is guided only by feeling, he often makes mistakes. Feelings are deceptive, and a person, succumbing to imagination, may be mistaken in his attachments. So, at first it seems to Demetrius that he loves Hermia, and then his feeling is transferred to Helen, and he is convinced that the first attraction was mistaken. In the comedy, the metamorphosis of the feelings of young men and women who fled into the Athenian forest is caused by the spell of the magical flower juice that Good Little Robin squeezed into their eyes.

Fitzgerald, John Anster -Midsummer Eve Fairies

The changeability of feelings and the blindness caused by them reach their culmination when Titania, under the influence of enchantment, falls in love with the Base with a donkey's head, as if he were amazingly handsome. A Midsummer Night's Dream shows a bizarre play of human feelings that makes the characters commit strange acts and change their sympathies in the most inexplicable way. The comedy is imbued with the subtlest irony with which Shakespeare looks at the strange quirks of the human heart, at these heroes who show inconstancy of feelings.

Youth tends to exaggerate the suffering caused by failures in love and young heroes and may seem to be on the verge of tragically losing all possibility of happiness. But true love will conquer all obstacles. Moreover, it must win in the fairy-tale world that appears before us in the comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” because in a fairy tale, goodness and all the best principles of life always win. And “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a fairy tale full of enchanting charm, depicting a fictional world in which the difficulties and contradictions of life are overcome easily, by magic. This is a fairy tale about human happiness, about fresh youthful feelings, about the charm of a summer forest in which wonderful and extraordinary stories take place.