This article provides a brief summary of "The Tale of Frol Skobeev", as well as its analysis, which will give you a general idea of this work. The story that interests us was created by an unknown author in the second half of the 17th century.
Summary of "The Tale of Frol Skobeev"
In the Novgorod district there lived a poor nobleman named Frol Skobeev. Here, in the county, was the estate of Nardin-Nashchokin, the steward. His daughter Annushka lived with him. Frol wanted to "make love" with her. To do this, he met with the clerk of the estate, went to visit him. During his visit, a nurse (that is, a nanny) came to the clerk, who was constantly with Annushka. Frol gave her two rubles, without saying why.
Party at Annushka
Christmas time has come. The daughter of Nardin-Nashchokin decided to throw a party, to which she invited the noble daughters. Her mother went to Frol in order to invite his sister. At the instigation of Frol, his sister told her mother that she would be at a party with her girlfriend. The girl began to get ready to visit, and Skobeev asked her to give him a dress. His sister was frightened, but did not dare to disobey Frol.
No one, including my mother, recognized the protagonist at the party, as he went there in girl's dress. Skobeev gave Mom another 5 rubles and told her about everything. The woman promised that she would help him.
In order to bring Frol to Annushka, the mother invited the girls to play a new game that simulates a wedding. At this wedding, Annushka was supposed to be the bride, and Skobeev (he was still mistaken for a girl) - the groom. "Newlyweds" went to the bedroom. Here Frol opened to Annushka, after which he deprived her of innocence.
Then the girls entered the bedroom of the "young", but did not find out what happened. Annushka, left alone with her mother, reproached her for what she had done. However, the woman denied the allegations. She said she knew nothing. Mom even invited Annushka to kill Frol. However, the girl felt sorry for him. In the morning, Annushka let all the girls go home, and Frolo Skobeeva with his sister decided to leave for 3 days. The girl gave Frol money, and he became much richer than he was.
Annushka's departure to Moscow
Nardin-Nashchokin, Annushka’s father, ordered his daughter to go to Moscow, because there were good suitors who married for her. Upon learning that the daughter of the stolnik went to Moscow, Skobeev decided to catch up with her and marry her at all costs.
The main character came to Moscow and stopped not far from the place where the yard of Nardin-Nashchokin was. Skobeev met the girl’s mother in the church. She told Annushka that Frol had arrived in Moscow. The girl was happy and sent him money.
The abduction of Annushka
Very interesting events continue "The Tale of Frol Skobeev." Their contents are as follows.
Nardin-Nashchokin had a nun sister. He came to the monastery to see her. The nun asked to see her niece. Stolnik promised that he would release Annushka to visit the monastery. His sister said a carriage would come for the girl. Having gathered for a visit, Nardin-Nashchokin warned Annushka that the carriage from his sister could arrive at any time. He ordered her to sit in her and go to the monastery. Upon learning of this, Annushka immediately sent her mother to Skobeev, so that he would come to her, after having taken out the carriage.
Make it the main character was not easy. After all, he lived only by going on orders. He could not have a carriage because of poverty. However, Frol Skobeev was adventurous, and he had a plan. The main character went to the stolnik Lovchikov. He asked him to borrow a carriage, allegedly for "watching the bride." Stolnik agreed to fulfill the request of Frol Skobeev. Then the main character gave the coachman a drink, changed into a footman’s dress, took a carriage and went to Annushka. Seeing him, the mother said that the girl came from the monastery. Annushka got together and went to his apartment with Frol.
Marriage
Nardin-Nashchokin returned home. He found out that his daughter had left, but was calm because he thought she had gone to the monastery. Meanwhile, Frol Skobeev married Annushka. After he took advantage of the carriage, he returned it to Lovchikov along with a drunk coachman. Lovchikov tried to find out from the coachman where they went and what they did, but he did not remember anything.
Nardin-Nashchokin learns about the disappearance of his daughter
After some time, the stolnik Nardin-Nashchokin went to his sister's monastery. He asked where his daughter was. The sister was very surprised and replied that she had not seen her niece, did not send carriages for her. Father began to grieve after learning about the disappearance of Annushka. In the morning he went to the sovereign, reported what had happened. The sovereign ordered to search for Annushka. He ordered her kidnapper to appear, and if he did not, he would be executed if discovered.
Then Skobeev went to Lovchikov, confessed everything to him and asked for help. Stolnik initially refused, but the main character threatened him that he would accuse Lovchikov of aiding, because he gave him a carriage. Stolnik advised Frol Skobeev to admit everything to Nardin-Nashchokin and, at all, to rush to his feet. And Lovchikov will stand up for Frol.
Frol Skobeev admits everything to Annushka's father
The next day, after the mass celebrated at the Assumption Cathedral, all the stolniks went to Ivanovskaya Square to talk. Nardin-Nashchokin lamented the disappearance of his daughter. Frol Skobeev went out and fell at his feet in front of everyone. The stolnik raised Frol, and he informed him of his marriage to Annushka. Nardin-Nashchokin was shocked. He began to threaten Skobeev that he would complain to him sovereign. However, Lovchikov reassured the steward, and he went home.
"Disease" Annushka and her "recovery"
First, Nardin-Nashchokin and his wife cried about the fate of his daughter, and then sent a servant to find out how she lives. Frol Skobeev, having heard about this, ordered his wife to pretend to be sick. To the servant who arrived, he said that Annushka was ill because of the anger of her father. Hearing about this, Nardin-Nashchokin felt sorry for his daughter. He decided to bless her at least in absentia. For this, the steward decided to send an icon to the young spouses.
The servant took this icon and went with her to Frol. And the main character before his arrival told his wife to sit at the table. When the servant arrived, he explained to him that the girl had recovered because her parents had blessed her. The servant told everything to Nardin-Nashchokin. Then the steward went to the king. He told him that his daughter was found, and also asked the sovereign to forgive Frol Skobeev. The king agreed.
The final
So we came to the finale, describing the summary of "The Tale of Frol Skobeev." Nardin-Nashchokin sent the protagonist all kinds of stocks, and he began to live richly. After some time, the parental anger decreased so much that the steward invited his son-in-law with his daughter. First, the parents scolded Annushka, but then they sat her at the table with Frol. Nardin-Nashchokin had mercy and gave his son-in-law two estates, and also gave him money.
A few years later, Nardin-Nashchokin died. He made his son-in-law his heir, who lived his life "in great glory and wealth." This concludes the summary of the story of Frol Skobeev. We also invite you to get acquainted with her brief analysis. This will help you better understand what the story of Frol Skobeev is about. This work still attracts many researchers.
Brief analysis
So what is remarkable about the "Tale of Frol Skobeev"? The analysis of this work can be quite voluminous, since it is an interesting phenomenon in the literature. The story was created during the transitional period between the Middle Ages and the New Age, when old foundations collapsed. The struggle between the old and the new was reflected in many creations, among which was The Tale of Frol Skobeev.
The analysis of the work is especially interesting in relation to the protagonist. He is an ardent nobleman who is forced to earn his livelihood by practicing the "ovadnik", that is, an intercessor on business. The motto of Frol Skobeev is: “I will either be a colonel or a dead man!” For the sake of the realization of his plan, Frol does not disdain anything. He uses any means, be it bribery, blackmail, deception. In the end, Annushka’s father, a swaggering and arrogant noble captain, is forced to recognize Frolk’s “ovadnik, thief and rogue” as his son-in-law. He sits down with him to dine at the same table and makes him his heir.
The Tale of Frol Skobeev, a brief summary of which was presented above, is a work in which the beginning of the merger of the fiefs of the boyars and the service nobility into a single estate was reflected. In the second half of the 17th century, when this story was created, the rise of the new nobility began. "Artistic" replaced the honest, old-born childbirth.
Boyars arrogance and pride are subjected to sharp ridicule in the work. Nardin-Nashchokin can not do anything against the poor nobleman. He is forced to recognize him as his heir. This fact gives researchers reason to believe that the work was created after 1682, that is, after the liquidation of localism.
Without condemning the protagonist of the work "The Tale of Frol Skobeev," the author admires his dexterity, resourcefulness, cunning, and sneak. He rejoices in Frol's successes in life and does not at all consider his actions shameful. The main character, achieving his goal, does not rely on God or the devil. He relies only on himself, on his energy, worldly practicalism and mind. Religious motives in the story are given a rather modest place. It is not God's will that determines human actions from now on, but his personal qualities.
The story of Frol Skobeev, a brief summary and analysis of which is presented in this article, refers to everyday stories. Among other well-known works of this genre can be noted "The Tale of Savva Grudtsyn" and "The Tale of the Mountain-Harmony". It would be interesting to consider them, and not just the "Tale of Frol Skobeev." The authorship of all these works has not yet been established. However, it is obvious that their creators were talented.