GOLONO, STRZYŻONO
by Adam Mickiewicz · from Bajki
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, there was a farmer and his wife. They had a dog they loved very much.
The Farmer and The Farmer's Wife lived in a house. They had a dog. One day, The Dog went away. The Farmer and his wife were sad. One week later, The Dog came back. The Dog looked very funny. Half of its fur was gone.
The Farmer saw The Dog. He was very surprised. He said, "Oh no! The Dog is shaved!" He said, "Bad people did this." He was very angry. This made him mad.
The Farmer's Wife looked at The Dog. She said, "No, dear. Dogs are clipped." She said, "They are not shaved." She knew this very well. She was sure.
The Farmer said, "It is shaved!" The Farmer's Wife said, "No, it is clipped!" They talked loudly. They did not agree at all. The Farmer said, "Shaved!" The Wife said, "Clipped!"
They argued louder and louder. Their voices were very big. The neighbors came out. They wanted to listen. Everyone heard them.
The neighbors tried to help. They all said, "The Dog is shaved!"
The Wife walked home quietly. But she saw The Dog. She whispered, "Hello, clipped dog!"
The Farmer was very, very angry. He took his wife's hand. He pulled her to the big pond. He said, "Say it is shaved!" He was so angry. He pushed her away from him. She was near the water. He wanted her to say he was right.
The Wife was very sad. She could not speak. But she made a little sign. She moved her fingers like scissors. It meant "clipped."
The Farmer saw her sign. He felt very sad. He felt very, very angry. He walked away quickly. The Wife went to a different house to stay.
The Farmer left their home. He went far away. They did not live together anymore.
It is not good to argue too much. Small things can make people sad. It can break things apart. It is better to talk kindly.
Original Story
GOLONO, STRZYŻONO.
U nas, kto jest niby chory,
Zwołuje zaraz doktory,
Lecz czując się bardzo słaby,
Prosi chłopa albo baby.
Ci ze swego aptekarstwa,
Potrafiają i podagrze,
I chiragrze i głuchotom,
I suchotom i głupotom
Radzić—a u nich wszakże
Niemasz na upór lekarstwa.
Mieszkał Mazur blizko Zgierza,
Któremu zginęła suka,
Straż domostwa i spichlerza.
Gdy jej z żalem i kłopotem
W okolicy całej szuka,
Wróciła się w tydzień potem.
Ledwie poznał, że to ona,
Bo była wpół-ogolona.
„O zbóje! żeby ją skryli,
Używając takich figli,
Że biedaczkę wygolili!”
„Powiedz raczej, że ostrzygli,
Robi mu uwagę żona,
Bo psów nie golą lecz strzygą.”
„A no patrzcież-bo mi go,
Ozwie się Mazur z przekąsem,
Jaka ty mi dyć uczona!
Mając gołe jak pięść lice,
Chcesz nauczyć nas pod wąsem,
Co jest brzytwa, co nożyce?
A nasz pan, co mu łysina
Prześwieca się jak ta psina,
Myślisz, że jest postrzyżona?”
„A wąsiki ekonoma,
Odpowiada zaraz żona,
Co mu wiszą jak u sosny,
A błyszczą jak namaszczone,
Sąż golone, czy strzyżono?”
„Bierz ci licho twego pana
I pana i ekonoma,
Dobrze, że jest suka doma,
Choć tak szpetnie ogolona.”
„Toć i jam się ucieszyła.
Odpowiada zaraz żona.
Że się suka powróciła,
Choć tak szpetnie ostrzyżona.”
Głupiaś z twemi nożycami!”
„I ty z twojemi brzytwami!...”
„Że golona, przypatrz-że się!”
„Że strzyżona, pokaże się.”
Tak się kłócą mąż i żona;
Miasto Zgierz całe się zbiega,
A krzyk wkoło się rozlega.
Ogolona! ostrzyżona!
Idzie sąsiad: „Niechaj przyjdzie,
Niech się wpatrzy i przekona.”
Idzie żyd: „Powiedz-no, żydzie,
Czy golona? Czy strzyżona?”
Od żyda aż do plebana.
Od plebana, aż do pana,
Sprawa zapieczętowana;
Co sąsiad i żyd dowodził,
Na to się ksiądz i pan zgodził,
Że wygrała męzka strona,
Że suka jest ogolona.
Wracają do domu strony,
Po drodze chłop pyta żony,
Czy wyroku treść pamięta?
Ona milczy jak zaklęta.
U progu suka ich wita.
„Pójdź tu, moja ogolona!”
Wola mąż. A kobieta:
„Pójdź tu moja ostrzyżona!”
Mazur wściekły już nie gadał,
Ani żonie odpowiadał;
Tylko wziąwszy pod rękawki,
Wlecze ją wprost do sadzawki
I topi jak kadź ogórków.
Ona nienawykła nurków,
Już się zachłysnęła nieraz;
On, trzymając za ramiona,
Gnębi, krzycząc: „A no teraz:
Czy golona? czy strzyżona?”
Biedaczka ze śmiercią w walce,
Czując skonu paraliże,
I na odpowiedź palcami,
Jakby dwiema nożycami,
Mężowi pod nosem strzyże.
Na ten widok uciekł z wody
Ona poszła do gospody;
On się puścił aż do Zgierza
I tam przystał za żołnierza.
Story DNA
Moral
Stubborn pride and the refusal to concede, even on trivial matters, can lead to absurd and destructive outcomes.
Plot Summary
A Mazur and his wife engage in a furious argument over whether their lost dog, which returned half-groomed, was 'shaved' (golono) or 'clipped/sheared' (strzyżono). Despite the entire town of Zgierz, including local authorities, siding with the husband, the wife stubbornly refuses to concede. In a fit of rage, the husband attempts to drown her in a pond, demanding she admit the dog was 'shaved'. As she is dying, the wife defiantly signals 'clipped/sheared' with her fingers, causing the husband to flee in horror, leading to their permanent separation.
Themes
Emotional Arc
amusement to exasperation to shock
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Adam Mickiewicz was a key figure in Polish Romanticism. This tale, though seemingly simple, reflects social dynamics and the often-petty nature of human conflict in rural 19th-century Poland. The ending, while extreme, serves to highlight the destructive power of obstinacy.
Plot Beats (12)
- The story begins by noting local folk healers and their limitations, particularly against stubbornness.
- A Mazur near Zgierz loses his guard dog, a female, which returns a week later half-shaved.
- The husband exclaims the dog was 'shaved' (ogolona) by thieves.
- The wife corrects him, saying dogs are 'clipped/sheared' (ostrzyżona), not shaved.
- They argue, with the husband citing the lord's bald head as 'shaved' and the wife citing the steward's mustache as 'shaved' or 'clipped'.
- The argument escalates, and the entire town of Zgierz gathers to witness the dispute.
- A neighbor, a Jew, a priest, and the lord are consulted, and all agree with the husband that the dog was 'shaved'.
- Despite the verdict, the wife remains silent on the way home, then greets the dog as 'clipped/sheared' upon arrival.
- Enraged, the husband drags his wife to a pond and begins to drown her, repeatedly demanding she admit the dog was 'shaved'.
- As she is dying, the wife makes a scissor motion with her fingers, indicating 'clipped/sheared'.
- The husband, horrified, flees the water, and the wife goes to an inn.
- The husband leaves town and joins the army in Zgierz.
Characters
The Mazur (Husband)
A sturdy, broad-shouldered man of average height, typical of a Polish peasant from the Mazovia region. His build is strong from manual labor. He has a prominent nose and a ruddy complexion from working outdoors.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant attire of the 19th century Polish countryside. Likely a coarse linen shirt (koszula) in white or off-white, worn under a dark wool or linen vest (kamizelka). Trousers (spodnie) of homespun fabric, possibly striped or plain dark, tucked into tall leather boots. A wide-brimmed felt hat might be worn outdoors.
Wants: To assert his authority and be proven right, particularly against his wife's differing opinion. He wants to maintain his status as the head of the household.
Flaw: His extreme stubbornness and pride, which lead him to violence and irrational behavior. He cannot tolerate being contradicted.
He escalates from a verbal argument to physical violence, ultimately abandoning his home and becoming a soldier, showing a complete failure to resolve conflict peacefully and a destructive inability to compromise.
Stubborn, prideful, traditional, easily angered, and somewhat aggressive when challenged, especially by his wife. He values his own opinion above others.
The Mazur's Wife
A woman of average build, perhaps slightly smaller than her husband, but with a resilient physique from daily chores. Her movements are likely quick and purposeful.
Attire: Traditional 19th-century Polish peasant woman's attire. A long-sleeved white linen blouse (koszula), a full, patterned skirt (spódnica) often in bright colors or stripes, and a contrasting apron (zapaska) tied at the waist. A headscarf (chusta) covers her hair. Practical leather shoes or wooden clogs.
Wants: To prove herself right and correct her husband's perceived ignorance. She seeks intellectual validation and to assert her own knowledge.
Flaw: Her own stubbornness and inability to concede, which fuels the conflict with her husband and puts her in danger.
She endures physical abuse for her stubbornness but ultimately triumphs by making her point even in the face of death, leading to her husband's departure and her own survival and independence.
Intelligent, quick-witted, equally stubborn as her husband, and unwilling to back down from an argument. She is resilient and resourceful.
The Dog (Suka)
A medium-sized dog, likely a common farm dog breed, sturdy and capable of guarding. Its most distinguishing feature is its half-shaved or half-clipped coat.
Attire: None, other than its partially shorn fur.
Wants: To return to its home and owners.
Flaw: Vulnerable to human actions, as seen by its partial shaving/clipping.
Serves as the catalyst for the central conflict, but otherwise remains unchanged.
Loyal (returning home), resilient (surviving its ordeal), and a source of contention for the human characters.
Locations
Mazur's Cottage and Farmyard
A traditional Polish Mazovian cottage, likely a simple, single-story wooden house with a thatched or shingled roof, surrounded by a farmyard. The yard would be unpaved, possibly muddy, with outbuildings like a spichlerz (granary). Burdock leaves might grow wild along the edges.
Mood: Initially domestic and concerned, later tense and argumentative, then violently desperate.
The initial return of the half-shaved dog, the escalating argument between husband and wife, and the final, violent confrontation.
The Village of Zgierz
A bustling Polish village square or main street, typical of the Mazovian region, with half-timbered or wooden houses, possibly a church, and a general atmosphere of community gathering. The crowd gathers to witness the dispute.
Mood: Curious, gossipy, public, and judgmental.
The public trial and judgment of the dispute by the neighbors, the Jew, the priest, and the lord.
The Farm Pond (Sadzawka)
A murky, natural pond or large puddle on the farm, likely surrounded by reeds, tall grasses, and possibly a few willow trees. The water would be still and dark, reflecting the sky or surrounding vegetation.
Mood: Desperate, violent, cold, and life-threatening.
The husband's attempt to drown his wife to force her to admit the dog was 'shaved', and her final, defiant gesture.