Commemorative stamp series - Germany / German Democratic Republic 1973 - 20 Pfennig

Winter's Tale - Auf des Hechtes Geheiß The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the German Democratic Republic publishes six multicolored special postage stamps depicting the Russian folk tale "Auf des Hechtes Geheiß". The six stamps are printed on a miniature sheet. No special first day cover letter on the Hecht's bidding "Auf des Hechtes Geheiß" is one of the most popular Russian folk tales. It appears at the end of the 18th century in a Russian folk book. Since then it can be found in many Russian fairy tale collections. It was particularly well-known by Alexei N. Tolstoy (1883-1945), who retold it and understood how to maintain the freshness and originality of the old folk tale. He chose the most interesting variant, but kept the folk style. In addition to the literary fixation, it still lives with the people and is carried by him like every real folk tale. Thus, this fairy tale belonged to the repertoire of a kolkhoz farmer and famous storyteller and was recorded by himself in the thirties. The fairy tale is narrated in minor variations under the title "Jemelja the fool" or "The stupid lwan". The subject of a fairy tale is known in all countries of Europe. Already at Straparola (1550 to 1553), a tuna gives the lad the magic power to fulfill his wishes. In Basil's Pentameron (1634), a lazy booby gets this ability. The Brothers Grimm in the first issue of their "Children's and Household Fairy Tales", under no. 54, recorded the fairy tale "Hans Dumm", which in many passages resembles our fairy tale. From the second edition, they replaced it with another. Similar fairy tales are in many German areas under the title "the lazy Hans", "the dumb Hans", "the stupid Michel" u.a. known. This magical fairy tale, like all others, is a product of the real living conditions of the people. It reflects the desires and longings for supernatural powers and possibilities. It also shows his ideas of good and evil. The positive hero of our fairy tale is initially described as disgusting and ugly, stupid and lazy. At the same time, he was portrayed in such a way that nevertheless he heard our sympathy. Maxim Gorky explained in his speech at the first Soviet Writers' Congress the profound meaning of the figure of the fool, and his optimistic character: "The collective is, as it were, aware that it is immortal, and it firmly believes in its victory over all hostile ones Forces The hero of folklore, the 'fool' who is even despised by his father and brothers, always proves to be the wiser, always victorious over all the rigors of life, overcomes them just as wise Vasilisa does. " On the pike's bidding Jemelja lies on the stove all day long and does not care about anything. Once his two brothers went to market, his sister-in-law succeeds in sending him to fetch water. Jemelja knocks a hole in the ice and draws water, thereby he can catch a pike (5-pfennig value). The pike promises him to fulfill all wishes when he releases him. As a rehearsal, he lets the buckets go home alone. Jemelja only needs to say, "By the pike, by my will's sake." Jemelja climbs back onto the stove, recalling the pike and ordering the ax to do it for him when his sister-in-law tries to make wood out of him. As he drives into the woods and lumbers, he drives the carriage without a horse through the city at a fast pace, killing many people, after he has had the ax cut in the woods and the wood has to be recharged ( 10 Pfennig value), he drives back through the city, where he is immediately intercepted, insulted and beaten.He can be liberated from his club, which he had made of the ax, The Tsar had heard of Jemelja's pranks and sent an officer to bring him into the castle, but Jemelja says he does not feel like it, and when the officer slaps him, he lets him beat him (15-pfennig value) .The Tsar sends his highest dignity He who lures Jemelja to the castle. Jemelja now orders the oven to bring him to the tsar (20-pfennig value). As soon as he sees the Tsar's daughter, he orders her to love him. The Czar's daughter asks the father to give her a jemelja. The Czar is outraged and orders the highest dignitary to bring him Jemelja. The Czar puts Jemelja, who had been made drunk, and the Tsar's daughter in a large barrel and rolls into the sea (25-pfennig value). When Jemelja wakes up, he lets the barrel drift ashore, build a castle there, and transform himself into a beautiful boy. When the Czar comes to this area, Jemelja says who he is and that he can devastate the whole of the Tsar. The Tsar asks for mercy and gives him his daughter as a wife and the Tsarist empire (35-pfennig value).