What tale does the Adult want to tell the “Little one”? About the turnip? We remember that Russian fairy tale well — every word is in its place; in the end, the turnip becomes “huge, enormous” — and they pull this turnip out only by coming together. Even a little dog named Zhuchka becomes incredibly important to the process.

Generation after generation, we know: fairy tales are instructive — so the Adult tells the child: “…a tale/life’s wisdom/it generalizes/and enriches.” Meanwhile, it's not the fairy tale that has changed our life, but life that has changed the fairy tale.

It feels like now our language knows only one meaning of the verb “put away.”

Put away… put away… put away… But not a turnip. They put away Grandpa. They put away Granny. They put away Papa. They put away Mama…

But that’s not all. Listen, granddaughter, listen… And along with the granddaughter, all of you listen… We suddenly jumped from the world of fairy tales into a story all too familiar, into the very reality.

They put away Sofya Sergeevna, and Alexandra Matveevna, and Pavel Vasilievich. Do you know them?

The circle widened — and then immediately narrowed: they put away Vsevolod Emilyevich and Isaac Emmanuilovich too.

— What? Even Meyerhold and Babel?

— Yes, even them.

— But maybe these are different Vsevolod Emilyevich and Isaac Emmanuilovich?

— Maybe, but the string of prison sentences doesn't end; this is what “they pull and they pull” turned into.

Can we go back to that old fairy tale, enriched with new experience? So that all together… Grandpa called Granny for help… Granny called the granddaughter… the granddaughter called Zhuchka the dog… Zhuchka the dog called the cat… the cat called the mouse… and you and me!…

EVGENYA ABELYUK