Pavel Bazhov, Malachite Box: a brief summary

Like almost all of Bazhov's tales, the Malachite Casket is a "legend of the Ural Mountains". It is included in the collection of the same name, along with such famous works as: "Fire-poke", "Sinyushkin well", "Golden hair", "Silver hoof" and so on.

The tale "The Malachite Box" is a continuation of the story "Copper Mountain Mistress", as it refers to the daughter of Stepan and Nastasya - Tanyushka. These tales were created in 1936-1938, and later they were combined into a collection "The Malachite Box". Through the character in all the stories of the collection is the Mistress herself. And in many stories, she herself does not appear, but acts indirectly. The narrative itself is not very large, but we will try to reduce it even more, giving you a brief retelling.

"Malachite Box"

Bazhov did not immediately give the story such a name, at first he was called "Tyachino's gift", but before he went to press the author decided to change the name. As we can judge now, it turned out to be extremely successful. But this is not entirely relevant to the topic of our conversation, we promised you to retell what Pavel Petrovich Bazhov wrote. The "Malachite Box" (a short summary of the story we will describe below) tells us about the events that develop a few years after the adventures of the heroes described in the tale of the Copper Mountain mistress.

Successful family life with Stepan and Nastasya did not work out - she was a widow, left with two children. Older sons can already help the mother, and Tanya is still too small for this. To take her daughter, Nastasya gives her to play with her wedding gift from the Mistress herself at the end of the previous story - the development of wonderful events and decided to continue Bazhov. "Malachite casket", the brief content of which you are now reading, is not in vain bearing such a name. It is full of jewelry, worked by mountain craftsmen from local gems. Nastasya, these ornaments did not fit: it cost her to put earrings in her ears, thread rings and decorate herself with a necklace, as the matter ended with the lobes beginning to swell, the fingers swelling, and the neck covered by a heavy and cold collar.

So she gave me the kindness of little Tanya to play with the jewels. The girl was completely delighted! Instantly realizing that the rings are designed for the fingers, and the earrings put into the ears, she began to try on the headset, looking at which the Empress was fit to feel like a beggar.

Afraid that the case might end up being stolen, Nastasya hides her from her daughter. But she finds a mother's hiding place and continues to secretly try on jewelry, assuring that the stones are good for her. Behind this occupation, she finds a beggar pobirushka, who went into the hut to ask for water. Having thirst quenched, the beggar decides to stay for a while in the hospitable house, as payment for the post, promising to teach Tanya to embroider marvelous tapestries with silk and beads. She kept her word and even provided her student with the materials she needed. Soon the stranger went further, leaving Tanyushka in memory of a valuable artifact - a button through which she could communicate with her. This method was borrowed from the old Russian fairy tales of Bazhov.

Malachite Box: a brief summary. Developments

The family did not endure poverty, as needlework brought a good income, but then fate brings another blow to the family - a fire. Burned everything, acquired by overwork. To survive, Nastasya decides to sell the casket, and the buyer is instantly. They are local patron Parotya, more precisely, his wife and former mistress of the young master Turchaninov. But the clerk's wife and decorations were not in size.

Meanwhile Turchaninov, deciding to inspect his Ural possessions, left Petersburg and appeared in Polevoy. Looked at the acquisition of his former lover and wanted to talk with the former owner. Seeing Tanya, he instantly flushed with high feelings and, without leaving his seat, offered her his hand, heart and condition. As evidence of his decency, he presents her with a gift bought from a former mistress jewelry.

Tanya did not deny herself directly, but she put the condition that the answer would be given after she had been introduced to the empress. And the ceremony of acquaintance should take place in the chambers decorated with malachite, which the deceased Stepan obtained, and while she considers herself a conditional bride and temporary keeper of the contents of the box. Having been somewhat taken aback by such demands, Turchaninov agrees and goes to the capital to prepare everything for the bride's visit.

Bazhov "Malachite Box": summary - ending

In St. Petersburg, he began to boast that he would soon marry a dazzling beauty. Such news excited the whole metropolitan beau monde, and the Empress herself wished to see this Ural miracle of beauty. Turchaninov immediately informs Tanyushka that she must come to Petersburg. Having agreed that the groom would meet her on the steps of the palace, Tatyana Stepanovna put on all the jewelry from the casket and went to the meeting with a peshok. That passers-by are not blinded by the brilliance of the gems, she covered them with an old fur coat. Having seen such a modestly dressed bride, the groom with shame was ready to fall through the marble floor, and shamefully retired from the meeting place. Tanushka easily penetrated the palace grounds, presenting her jewelry as a pass to the guards. Having handed her a fur coat, she went to the malachite chambers, but nobody expected her there, since the empress appointed an audience in another room. Realizing that her fiancé deceived her, she told him everything she thinks, and then she stepped into the nearest malachite column and dissolved into it. Turchaninov remained not only without the bride, but also without the contents of the malachite casket: the decorations, though not entered the stone after Tanyushka, remained on the surface, but they could not be collected. And in the Urals since then, two Mistresses began to appear to the people ...