CHŁOP I ŻMIJA
by Adam Mickiewicz · from Bajki
Adapted Version
It was a very cold day. The Kind Farmer walked outside his home. He saw a creature by his gate. It was The Snake. The Snake was very cold. It did not move much. The Snake looked very sick. It was almost dead. The Farmer felt sad. He saw its small, still body.
The Kind Farmer felt pity for The Snake. He picked up The Snake. He held its tail with great care. He carried it to his warm home. He wanted to help The Snake. He was a very kind man. He brought it inside his cozy house. He wanted to make it well again.
The Kind Farmer put The Snake down. He put it in a very warm place. He found a soft, thick cloth. He put the cloth on The Snake. He blew warm air on it. He wanted The Snake to live. He kept it very warm. The Snake started to move. It wiggled a little. It was getting better now.
The Snake woke up. It was not cold now. It did not look happy. It made a loud, angry hiss. It moved its body fast. It coiled up very tight. It looked at The Kind Farmer. It wanted to bite him. The Snake was mean. It was very angry. It showed its sharp teeth.
The Kind Farmer was very surprised. He did not know this at all. "Why are you mean?" he asked. "Be kind. Snake did not care." It still looked angry. It made a bad, loud sound.
The Kind Farmer saw the great danger. He quickly picked up The Snake. He took it outside his home. He put it back on the cold ground. He closed his door very fast. The Snake could not hurt him now. It was very cold outside. The Farmer was safe inside.
The Kind Farmer learned a big lesson. It is good to be kind. But at times you must watch out. Not all people are kind back. This is a very big lesson. Always think of this idea. Be smart and be safe.
Original Story
CHŁOP i ŻMIJA.
W pamiętnikach bestyo-graficznych Ezopa
Jest wzmianka o uczynku miłosiernym chłopa
I o pewnego węża postępku łajdackim.
Chłop wyszedł zimnym runkiem po chróśniak do sadu,
Aż tu pod bramą wąż mu do nóg plackiem.
Przeziębły, wpółskostniały, przysypany szrónem,
Już zdychał, już ostatni raz kiwnął ogonem.
Chłop zlitował się nad tą mizeryą gadu,
Wziął go za ogon, niesie nazad w chatę,
Kładzie go na przypiecku,
Podściela mu kożuszek, jak własnemu dziecku.
(Nie wiedząc, jaką weźmie od gościa zapłątę;)
Póty dmucha, póty chucha,
Aż w nieboszczyku dobudził się ducha.
Nieboszczyk wąż jak ożył, tak się wnet nasrożył,
Rozkręcił się, do góry wyprężył się, syknął
I calym sobą w chłopa się wycela,
W swojego dobrodzieja, w swego zbawiciela
I wskrzesiciela!
„A to co się ma znaczyć?—zdziwiony chłop krzyknął;
To ty w nagrodę dobrego czynu
Jeszcze chcesz mnie ukosić? A! ty żmiji-synu!”
I wnet porwawszy dubasa,
Tnie węża raz pod ucho, drugi raz w pół pasa.
Odleciał ogon w jeden, a pysk w drugi kątek;
Rozpadło się żmijsko na troje żmijątek.
Donno drgają
I biegają,
Ogon za szyją, za ogonem szyja,
Już nie zmartwychwstanie żmija.
Przytrafia się to często, ic dobry człek jaki
Niewdzięcznika przygarnie;
Ale trafia się częściej, że niewdzięcznik taki
Przepada marnie.
Story DNA
Moral
Do not expect gratitude from the ungrateful, and be wary of those whose nature is inherently malicious.
Plot Summary
A kind peasant finds a snake freezing to death and brings it home, warming it back to life. However, the revived snake immediately turns on its rescuer, attempting to bite him. Realizing the snake's inherent evil and ingratitude, the peasant quickly kills it. The story concludes with a moral about the futility of kindness towards the ungrateful and their eventual downfall.
Themes
Emotional Arc
compassion to shock to righteous anger
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Adam Mickiewicz was a prominent figure of Polish Romanticism, often drawing on folk traditions and moral allegories in his works.
Plot Beats (8)
- A peasant goes out on a cold day and finds a snake frozen and near death by his gate.
- Out of pity, the peasant picks up the snake and carries it back to his hut.
- He places the snake on the warm hearth, covers it with a sheepskin, and breathes on it to revive it.
- The snake revives, but instead of showing gratitude, it hisses, coils, and prepares to strike the peasant.
- The astonished peasant confronts the snake, calling it ungrateful.
- The peasant grabs a club and strikes the snake twice, killing it.
- The snake's body is dismembered, ensuring it cannot revive again.
- The narrator concludes by stating that while good people sometimes encounter ingratitude, the ungrateful often meet a bad end.
Characters
Chłop
A sturdy, broad-shouldered man of average height, with hands calloused from manual labor. His build suggests a life of physical work in the fields and forests.
Attire: Wears practical, durable clothing suitable for a Polish peasant in winter. This would include a thick, coarse linen shirt, woolen trousers, and a heavy sheepskin coat (kożuszek) for warmth. He would likely wear sturdy leather boots and possibly a simple cap.
Wants: To live a simple life, to perform acts of kindness, and to protect himself from harm.
Flaw: His naivety and trusting nature, which leads him to help the ungrateful viper without considering the consequences.
Starts as a compassionate and naive individual, but learns a harsh lesson about the nature of ingratitude and the need to defend oneself from betrayal.
Compassionate, naive, quick to anger when betrayed, practical, hardworking.
Żmija
A viper, initially appearing stiff and lifeless from the cold, then becoming agile and menacing. Its scales are likely dark, possibly with a distinct pattern, indicative of a venomous snake.
Attire: None, as it is a snake.
Wants: Survival, then instinctual aggression and betrayal.
Flaw: Its inherent treacherous nature, which leads to its demise.
Rescued from death, it immediately turns on its rescuer, leading to its own violent end.
Ungrateful, treacherous, aggressive, self-serving.
Locations
Orchard Gate
The entrance to an orchard, likely a simple wooden gate, where the peasant discovers the frozen viper. The ground is covered in hoarfrost.
Mood: desolate, harsh, quiet, foreboding
The peasant finds the dying viper, covered in hoarfrost, and takes pity on it.
Peasant's Cottage Interior - Przypiecek
The interior of a traditional Polish peasant's cottage, specifically the 'przypiecek' – a warm ledge or bench next to the large masonry stove, often used for sleeping or keeping warm. It's a cozy, humble space.
Mood: warm, humble, initially compassionate, later tense and violent
The peasant revives the viper here, only for it to turn on him, leading to its violent demise.