Scarlet Sails - Green A.S. Scarlet Sails Scarlet Sails read full summary
“Longren, a sailor of the Orion, a strong three-hundred-ton brig, on which he served for ten years, and to which he was attached more strongly than another son to his own mother, had to finally leave the service.” His wife Mary, in the absence of her husband, found herself in a difficult financial situation. She asked the tavern owner Menners to lend her money, but he demanded love in return. Mary refused and went into town to pawn her engagement ring. On the way, she was caught in a downpour, caught a cold and soon died. For three months, before Longren returned, a neighbor looked after little Assol. Then she left their home because Longren wanted to raise his daughter himself. Longren makes his living by making toy boats. He hardly communicates with anyone, and he doesn’t even buy matches at Menners’ shop. Longren still loves the sea and goes ashore to watch the storm. On one of these days, he walks along the pier. Menners' boat is carried away from the shore along with its owner. He begs Longren for help, but he stands silently on the shore and watches as the waves carry the boat into the raging sea, and then shouts: “She asked you the same thing! Think about this while you’re still alive, Menners, and don’t forget!”
Menners miraculously escapes, and having recovered, he tells the whole Kaperna (the village where the action takes place) a terrible story about the bloodthirsty Longren, who dreamed of drowning him. Since Longren himself, due to his own lack of communication, does not refute Menners’ story, people take what he says on faith. Longren's isolation becomes almost complete, the shadow of his gloomy reputation falls on little Assol. The girl grows up without friends, but gets used to her loneliness and lives in her own, imaginary world, where toys made by her father - sailboats - operate. One day she goes to the city to sell toys, on the way she launches a boat with scarlet sails along the stream, runs after it, gets lost on the road and meets the storyteller Egle. Egle tells Assol that when she grows up, a handsome prince will come for her on a ship with scarlet sails, who will make her happy. Assol tells a wonderful fairy tale to his father. Longren says that everything Egl said is true. Their conversation is overheard by a random beggar who tells the whole Kaperna story about the scarlet sails. They laugh at Assol even more, tease her with scarlet sails and are finally convinced that she is out of her mind.
Arthur Gray was born into a wealthy family. Since childhood, he did not want to live like his parents. Arthur was friends with the cook Betsy, to whom he told amazing stories he had read in books. One day Betsy scalded her hand with boiling water, and Arthur asked if it hurt. The girl angrily invited him to try it himself, and the boy stuck his hand into the cauldron. He took Betsy to the doctor, and only after she was bandaged did he show the doctor his hand. Arthur even gives Betsy all his savings as a dowry. The father is practically not involved in raising his son, but the mother, who lived “in a half-sleep of security, providing for every desire of an ordinary nature,” passionately loves her son and tries to understand his thoughts. One day in the library, Arthur sees a painting of a ship with a captain on board. From that moment on, he understands what the purpose of his life is, and he also understands that his parents will never agree to have their son become a sailor. At the age of fifteen, Arthur secretly runs away from home and joins a ship as a cabin boy. The captain is initially skeptical of the “aristocrat”, but seeing perseverance and extraordinary determination young man, changes his mind. Under the guidance of Captain Gop, Gray becomes a real sailor, matures, studies navigation, shipbuilding, maritime law, pilotage, and accounting. Arthur receives a letter from his mother. Shocked by her grief, he goes to visit his home, where he has not been for five years. The father has already died; mother turned grey. Gray buys the Secret ship with his own money, says goodbye to Gop and decides to visit his mother every six months.
Gray's ship enters Kaperna. Arthur goes fishing with the sailor Letika. By chance, on the shore he sees Assol sleeping. Her beauty and youthful charm amaze the imagination of a young man. Gray puts his antique ring on her finger. He enters the tavern and, with the help of Letika, learns as many details as possible about Assol. In particular, Hin Menners, the son of old Menners, tells him scary story about the drowning of Menners by Longren, as well as the tale of scarlet sails. Gray decides that Assol is a completely normal girl, it’s just that her beautiful romantic nature is not created for life in the rough and primitive Kaperna. He announces to his sailors that he will soon get married. Gray goes to the shop and selects two thousand meters of scarlet fabric for the sails under which his “Secret” should approach Caperna. He invites an orchestra to play when the captain’s bride, Assol, appears on the shore.
Meanwhile, Longren's toys are no longer selling at all. Homemade boats have given way to expensive wind-up toys. Longren decides to re-enter the ship. Assol is already old enough to hold out until his return.
In Assol, “two girls mixed in a wonderful, beautiful irregularity. One was the daughter of a sailor, an artisan, who made toys, the other was a living poem, with all the wonders of its consonances and images, with the mystery of the proximity of words, in all the reciprocity of their shadows and light falling from one to another. She knew life within the limits set by her experience, but beyond the general phenomena she saw a reflected meaning of a different order... She knew how and loved to read, but even in a book she read mainly between the lines, as she lived. Unconsciously, through a kind of inspiration, she made at every step many ethereal-subtle discoveries... More than once, worried and timid, she went at night to the seashore, where, having waited for dawn, she quite seriously looked out for a ship with Scarlet Sails. These moments were happiness for her; It’s hard for us to escape into a fairy tale like that, but it was no less difficult for her to get out of her power and charm.” When, waking up on the shore, she discovers a ring on her finger, she is at first frightened, but, having listened to the voice of her heart, she understands that the fairy tale predicted to her by the wizard Egle is beginning to come true.
Longren goes sailing for ten days. Assol feels that during her father’s absence, her home should, for some reason, become alien to her. In the morning she sits by the open window reading a book. The Secret appears in sight of Kaperna under scarlet sails. An amazed crowd gathers on the shore. The name Assol is on everyone's lips. The girl herself looks up and sees her dream in the sea. She rushes to the shore, people respectfully make way. The orchestra is playing. The boat is separated from the ship. Assol runs into the water and shouts: “It’s me!” Gray picks her up and takes her to the ship. He promises to take Longren on the ship when he returns, and arranges a grand feast for the crew. The next day, “Secret” leaves Caperna.
Nina Nikolaevna Green
offers and dedicates
Author
I
Prediction
Longren, a sailor of the Orion, a strong three-hundred-ton brig on which he served for ten years and to which he was more attached than another son to his own mother, had to finally leave this service.
It happened like this. On one of his rare returns home, he did not see, as always from afar, his wife Mary on the threshold of the house, throwing up her hands and then running towards him until she lost her breath. Instead, an excited neighbor stood by the crib - a new item in Longren's small house.
“I followed her for three months, old man,” she said, “look at your daughter.”
Dead, Longren bent down and saw an eight-month-old creature intently looking at his long beard, then he sat down, looked down and began to twirl his mustache. The mustache was wet, as if from rain.
- When did Mary die? - he asked.
The woman told a sad story, interrupting the story with touching gurgles to the girl and assurances that Mary was in heaven. When Longren found out the details, heaven seemed to him a little brighter than a woodshed, and he thought that the fire of a simple lamp - if all three of them were now together - would be an irreplaceable consolation for a woman who had gone to an unknown country.
Three months ago, the young mother’s economic affairs were very bad. Of the money left by Longren, a good half was spent on treatment after a difficult birth and on caring for the health of the newborn; finally, the loss of a small but necessary amount for life forced Mary to ask Menners for a loan of money. Menners ran a tavern and a shop and was considered a wealthy man.
Mary went to see him at six o'clock in the evening. At about seven the narrator met her on the road to Liss. Mary, tearful and upset, said that she was going to the city to pawn her engagement ring. She added that Menners agreed to give money, but demanded love for it. Mary achieved nothing.
“We don’t even have a crumb of food in our house,” she told her neighbor. “I’ll go into town, and the girl and I will get by somehow until my husband returns.”
The weather was cold and windy that evening; The narrator tried in vain to persuade the young woman not to go to Liss at nightfall. “You’ll get wet, Mary, it’s drizzling, and the wind, no matter what, will bring downpour.”
Back and forth from the seaside village to the city was at least three hours of quick walking, but Mary did not listen to the narrator’s advice. “It’s enough for me to prick your eyes,” she said, “and there is almost not a single family where I would not borrow bread, tea or flour. I’ll pawn the ring and it’s over.” She went, returned, and the next day fell ill with fever and delirium; bad weather and evening drizzle struck her with double pneumonia, as the city doctor said, caused by the kind-hearted narrator. A week later, there was an empty space on Longren’s double bed, and a neighbor moved into his house to nurse and feed the girl. It was not difficult for her, a lonely widow. Besides,” she added, “it’s boring without such a fool.”
Longren went to the city, took payment, said goodbye to his comrades and began to raise little Assol. Until the girl learned to walk firmly, the widow lived with the sailor, replacing the orphan’s mother, but as soon as Assol stopped falling, lifting her leg over the threshold, Longren decisively announced that now he himself would do everything for the girl, and, thanking the widow for her active sympathy, lived the lonely life of a widower, focusing all his thoughts, hopes, love and memories on a small creature.
Ten years of wandering life left very little money in his hands. He started working. Soon his toys appeared in city stores - skillfully made small models of boats, cutters, single- and double-decker sailing ships, cruisers, steamships - in a word, what he knew intimately, which, due to the nature of the work, partly replaced for him the roar of port life and painting work swimming. In this way, Longren obtained enough to live within the limits of moderate economy. Unsociable by nature, after the death of his wife, he became even more withdrawn and unsociable. On holidays, he was sometimes seen in a tavern, but he never sat down, but hastily drank a glass of vodka at the counter and left, briefly throwing around: “yes”, “no”, “hello”, “goodbye”, “little by little” - at all the calls and nods from the neighbors. He could not stand guests, quietly sending them away not by force, but with such hints and fictitious circumstances that the visitor had no choice but to invent a reason not to allow him to sit longer.
He himself did not visit anyone either; Thus, a cold alienation lay between him and his fellow countrymen, and if Longren’s work—toys—had been less independent from the affairs of the village, he would have had to more clearly experience the consequences of such a relationship. He purchased goods and food supplies in the city - Menners could not even boast of the box of matches that Longren bought from him. He also did all the housework himself and patiently went through the difficult art of raising a girl, which is unusual for a man.
Assol was already five years old, and her father began to smile softer and softer, looking at her nervous, kind face, when, sitting on his lap, she worked on the secret of a buttoned vest or amusingly hummed sailor songs - wild rhymes. When narrated in a child's voice and not always with the letter "r", these songs gave the impression of a dancing bear decorated with a blue ribbon. At this time, an event occurred, the shadow of which, falling on the father, covered the daughter as well.
It was spring, early and harsh, like winter, but of a different kind. For three weeks, a sharp coastal north fell to the cold earth.
Fishing boats pulled ashore formed a long row of dark keels on the white sand, reminiscent of the ridges of huge fish. No one dared to fish in such weather. On the only street of the village it was rare to see a person who had left the house; the cold whirlwind rushing from the coastal hills into the emptiness of the horizon made the “open air” a severe torture. All the chimneys of Kaperna smoked from morning to evening, spreading smoke over the steep roofs.
But these days of the Nord lured Longren out of his small warm house more often than the sun, which in clear weather covered the sea and Kaperna with blankets of airy gold. Longren went out onto a bridge built along long rows of piles, where, at the very end of this plank pier, he smoked a pipe blown by the wind for a long time, watching how the bottom exposed near the shore smoked with gray foam, barely keeping up with the waves, the thundering run of which towards the black, stormy horizon filled the space with herds of fantastic maned creatures, rushing in unbridled ferocious despair towards distant consolation. Moans and noises, the howling gunfire of huge upsurges of water and, it seemed, a visible stream of wind striping the surroundings - so strong was its smooth run - gave Longren's exhausted soul that dullness, stunnedness, which, reducing grief to vague sadness, is equal in effect to deep sleep .
On one of these days, Menners’s twelve-year-old son, Khin, noticing that his father’s boat was hitting the piles under the bridge, breaking the sides, went and told his father about it. The storm began recently; Menners forgot to take the boat out onto the sand. He immediately went to the water, where he saw Longren standing at the end of the pier, with his back to it, smoking. There was no one else on the shore except the two of them. Menners walked along the bridge to the middle, descended into the madly splashing water and untied the sheet; standing in the boat, he began to make his way to the shore, grabbing the piles with his hands. He did not take the oars, and at that moment, when, staggering, he missed to grab the next pile, a strong blow of the wind threw the bow of the boat from the bridge towards the ocean. Now, even with the entire length of his body, Menners could not reach the nearest pile. The wind and waves, rocking, carried the boat into the disastrous expanse. Realizing the situation, Menners wanted to throw himself into the water to swim to the shore, but his decision was late, since the boat was already spinning not far from the end of the pier, where the considerable depth of the water and the fury of the waves promised certain death. Between Longren and Menners, carried away into the stormy distance, there was no more than ten fathoms of still saving distance, since on the walkway at Longren’s hand hung a bundle of rope with a load woven into one end. This rope hung in case of a pier in stormy weather and was thrown from the bridge.
- Longren! - shouted the mortally frightened Menners. - Why have you become like a stump? You see, I'm being carried away; leave the pier!
Longren was silent, calmly looking at Menners, who was rushing about in the boat, only his pipe began to smoke more strongly, and he, after hesitating, took it out of his mouth in order to better see what was happening.
- Longren! - Menners cried, - you can hear me, I’m dying, save me!
But Longren did not say a single word to him; he didn't seem to hear the desperate scream. Until the boat carried so far that Menners’ words and cries could barely reach him, he did not even shift from foot to foot. Menners sobbed in horror, begged the sailor to run to the fishermen, call for help, promised money, threatened and cursed, but Longren only came closer to the very edge of the pier so as not to immediately lose sight of the throwing and jumping boats. “Longren,” came to him muffledly, as if from the roof, sitting inside the house, “save me!” Then, taking a deep breath and taking a deep breath so that not a single word would be lost in the wind, Longren shouted:
“She asked you the same thing!” Think about this while you are still alive, Menners, and don’t forget!
Then the screams stopped, and Longren went home. Assol woke up and saw that her father was sitting in front of a dying lamp, deep in thought. Hearing the girl's voice calling him, he went up to her, kissed her deeply and covered her with a tangled blanket.
“Sleep, honey,” he said, “the morning is still far away.”
- What are you doing?
“I made a black toy, Assol, sleep!”
The next day, all the residents of Kaperna could talk about was the missing Menners, and on the sixth day they brought him himself, dying and angry. His story quickly spread around the surrounding villages. Until the evening wore Menners; broken by shocks on the sides and bottom of the boat, during a terrible struggle with the ferocity of the waves, which, tirelessly, threatened to throw the maddened shopkeeper into the sea, he was picked up by the steamer Lucretia, heading to Kasset. A cold and shock of horror ended Menners' days. He lived a little less than forty-eight hours, calling upon Longren all the disasters possible on earth and in the imagination. Menners' story of how the sailor watched his death, refusing help, eloquent all the more so since the dying man was breathing with difficulty and groaning, amazed the residents of Kaperna. Not to mention the fact that very few of them were able to remember an insult even more severe than that suffered by Longren, and to grieve as much as he grieved for Mary for the rest of his life - they were disgusted, incomprehensible, and amazed that Longren was silent. Silently, until his last words sent after Menners, Longren stood; stood motionless, sternly and quietly, like a judge, showing deep contempt for Menners - there was more than hatred in his silence, and everyone felt it. If he had shouted, expressing his gloating with gestures or fussiness, or in some other way his triumph at the sight of Menners’ despair, the fishermen would have understood him, but he acted differently from what they did - he acted impressively, incomprehensibly, and thereby placed himself above others, in a word, did something that cannot be forgiven. No one else bowed to him, extended their hands, or cast a recognizing, greeting glance. He remained completely aloof from village affairs; The boys, seeing him, shouted after him: “Longren drowned Menners!” He didn't pay any attention to it. It also seemed that he did not notice that in the tavern or on the shore, among the boats, the fishermen fell silent in his presence, moving away as if from the plague. The case of Menners cemented the previously incomplete alienation. Having become complete, it caused lasting mutual hatred, the shadow of which fell on Assol.
The girl grew up without friends. Two to three dozen children of her age who lived in Kaperna, soaked like a sponge with water, a rough family principle, the basis of which was the unshakable authority of the mother and father, overbearing, like all children in the world, once and for all crossed out little Assol from the sphere of their patronage and attention. This happened, of course, gradually, through suggestion and shouting from adults, it acquired the character of a terrible prohibition, and then, reinforced by gossip and rumors, it grew in children's minds with fear of the sailor's house.
In addition, Longren's secluded lifestyle has now freed the hysterical language of gossip; They used to say about the sailor that he had killed someone somewhere, which is why, they say, he is no longer hired to serve on ships, and he himself is gloomy and unsociable, because “he is tormented by remorse of a criminal conscience.” While playing, the children chased Assol if she approached them, threw dirt and teased her that her father ate human flesh and was now making counterfeit money. One after another, her naive attempts to get closer ended in bitter crying, bruises, scratches and other manifestations public opinion; She finally stopped being offended, but still sometimes asked her father: “Tell me, why don’t they like us?” “Eh, Assol,” said Longren, “do they know how to love? You have to be able to love, but they can’t do that.” - “What is it like to be able to?” - "And like this!" He took the girl in his arms and deeply kissed her sad eyes, which were squinting with tender pleasure.
Assol’s favorite pastime was in the evenings or on holidays, when her father, having put aside jars of paste, tools and unfinished work, sat down, taking off his apron, to rest, with a pipe in his teeth, to climb onto his lap and, spinning in the careful ring of his father’s hand, touch various parts of toys, asking about their purpose. Thus began a kind of fantastic lecture about life and people - a lecture in which, thanks to Longren’s previous way of life, accidents, chance in general, outlandish, amazing and extraordinary events were given the main place. Longren, telling the girl the names of rigging, sails, and marine items, gradually became carried away, moving from explanations to various episodes in which either a windlass, or a steering wheel, or a mast or some type of boat, etc. played a role, and then From these individual illustrations he moved on to broad pictures of sea wanderings, weaving superstition into reality, and reality into the images of his imagination. Here appeared a tiger cat, a messenger of a shipwreck, and a talking flying fish, disobeying whose orders meant going off course, and the Flying Dutchman with his frantic crew; omens, ghosts, mermaids, pirates - in a word, all the fables that while away a sailor's leisure time in calm or in his favorite tavern. Longren also talked about the shipwrecked, about people who had gone wild and had forgotten how to speak, about mysterious treasures, convict riots and much more, which the girl listened to more attentively than perhaps she listened to Columbus’s story about the new continent for the first time. “Well, say more,” Assol asked when Longren, lost in thought, fell silent, and fell asleep on his chest with a head full of wonderful dreams.
It also gave her great, always materially significant pleasure, to see the clerk of a city toy shop who willingly bought Longren’s work. To appease the father and bargain for excess, the clerk took with him a couple of apples, a sweet pie, and a handful of nuts for the girl. Longren usually asked for the real price out of dislike for bargaining, and the clerk would reduce it. “Oh, you,” said Longren, “I spent a week working on this bot. — The boat was five vershoks. - Look at the strength, what about the draft, what about the kindness? This boat can withstand fifteen people in any weather.” The end result was that the quiet fuss of the girl, purring over her apple, deprived Longren of his stamina and desire to argue; he gave in, and the clerk, having filled the basket with excellent, durable toys, left, chuckling in his mustache.
Longren did all the housework himself: he chopped wood, carried water, lit the stove, cooked, washed, ironed clothes and, besides all this, managed to work for money. When Assol was eight years old, her father taught her to read and write. He began to occasionally take her with him to the city, and then send her even alone if there was a need to intercept money in a store or carry goods. This did not happen often, although Liss lay only four miles from Kaperna, but the road to it went through the forest, and in the forest there is much that can frighten children, in addition to physical danger, which, it is true, is difficult to encounter at such a close distance from the city, but still... it doesn't hurt to keep this in mind. Therefore, only on good days, in the morning, when the thicket surrounding the road is full of sunny showers, flowers and silence, so that Assol’s impressionability was not threatened by phantoms of the imagination, Longren let her go into the city.
One day, in the middle of such a journey to the city, the girl sat down by the road to eat a piece of pie that had been placed in a basket for breakfast. While snacking, she sorted through the toys; two or three of them turned out to be new to her: Longren made them at night. One such novelty was a miniature racing yacht; This white boat carried scarlet sails made from scraps of silk, used by Longren for lining steamship cabins - toys for a rich buyer. Here, apparently, having made a yacht, he did not find suitable material for the sails, using what he had - scraps of scarlet silk. Assol was delighted. The fiery, cheerful color burned so brightly in her hand, as if she were holding fire. The road was crossed by a stream with a pole bridge across it; the stream to the right and left went into the forest. “If I put her in the water for a little swim,” Assol thought, “she won’t get wet, I’ll dry her later.” Moving into the forest behind the bridge, following the flow of the stream, the girl carefully launched the ship that had captivated her into the water near the shore; the sails immediately sparkled with a scarlet reflection in the clear water; the light, penetrating the matter, lay as a trembling pink radiation on the white stones of the bottom. - “Where did you come from, captain? - Assol asked the imaginary face importantly and, answering herself, said: “I came... I came... I came from China.” - What did you bring? “I won’t tell you what I brought.” - Oh, you are so, captain! Well, then I’ll put you back in the basket.” The captain was just getting ready to humbly answer that he was joking and that he was ready to show the elephant, when suddenly the quiet retreat of the coastal stream turned the yacht with its bow towards the middle of the stream, and, like a real one, leaving the shore at full speed, it floated smoothly down. The scale of what was visible instantly changed: the stream seemed to the girl like a huge river, and the yacht seemed like a distant, large ship, to which, almost falling into the water, frightened and dumbfounded, she stretched out her hands. “The captain was scared,” she thought and ran after the floating toy, hoping that it would wash ashore somewhere. Hastily dragging the not heavy but annoying basket, Assol repeated: “Oh, Lord! After all, if something happened...” She tried not to lose sight of the beautiful, smoothly running triangle of sails, stumbled, fell and ran again.
Assol has never been so deep in the forest as she is now. She, absorbed in the impatient desire to catch the toy, did not look around; Near the shore, where she was fussing, there were quite a few obstacles that occupied her attention. Mossy trunks of fallen trees, holes, tall ferns, rose hips, jasmine and hazel trees interfered with her at every step; overcoming them, she gradually lost strength, stopping more and more often to rest or wipe the sticky cobwebs off her face. When sedge and reed thickets stretched out in wider places, Assol completely lost sight of the scarlet sparkle of the sails, but, running around a bend in the current, she again saw them, sedately and steadily running away. Once she looked around, and the forest mass with its diversity, passing from smoky pillars of light in the foliage to the dark crevices of the dense twilight, deeply struck the girl. Shocked for a moment, she remembered again about the toy and, letting out a deep “f-fu-u-u” several times, ran with all her might.
In such an unsuccessful and alarming pursuit, about an hour passed, when with surprise, but also with relief, Assol saw that the trees ahead freely parted, letting in the blue flood of the sea, clouds and the edge of a yellow sandy cliff, onto which she ran out, almost falling from fatigue. Here was the mouth of the stream; having spread not widely and shallowly, so that the flowing blue of the stones could be seen, it disappeared into the oncoming sea wave. From a low cliff, pitted with roots, Assol saw that by the stream, on a large flat stone, with his back to her, a man was sitting, holding a runaway yacht in his hands, and was carefully examining it with the curiosity of an elephant who had caught a butterfly. Partially reassured by the fact that the toy was intact, Assol slid down the cliff and, coming close to the stranger, looked at him with a searching gaze, waiting for him to raise his head. But the unknown man was so immersed in the contemplation of the forest surprise that the girl managed to examine him from head to toe, establishing that she had never seen people like this stranger.
But in front of her was none other than Aigle, traveling on foot, a famous collector of songs, legends, tales and fairy tales. Gray curls fell in folds from under his straw hat; a gray blouse tucked into blue trousers and high boots gave him the appearance of a hunter; a white collar, a tie, a belt, studded with silver badges, a cane and a bag with a brand new nickel lock - showed a city dweller. His face, if one can call his nose, lips and eyes, looking out from a rapidly growing radiant beard and a lush, fiercely raised mustache, a face, would seem sluggishly transparent, if not for his eyes, gray as sand and shining like pure steel, with a bold look and strong.
“Now give it to me,” the girl said timidly. - You've already played. How did you catch her?
Egle raised his head, dropping the yacht, as Assol’s excited voice suddenly sounded. The old man looked at her for a minute, smiling and slowly letting his beard fall into a large, stringy handful. The cotton dress, washed many times, barely covered the girl’s thin, tanned legs to the knees. Her dark thick hair, pulled back into a lace scarf, tangled, touching her shoulders. Every feature of Assol was expressively light and pure, like the flight of a swallow. Dark eyes, tinged with a sad question, seemed somewhat older than the face; his irregular, soft oval was covered with that kind of lovely tan that is inherent in healthy white skin. The half-opened small mouth sparkled with a gentle smile.
“I swear by the Grimms, Aesop and Andersen,” said Egle, looking first at the girl and then at the yacht. - This is something special. Listen up, plant! Is this your thing?
- Yes, I ran after her all over the stream; I thought I was going to die. Was she here?
- At my very feet. The shipwreck is the reason why I, as a shore pirate, can give you this prize. The yacht, abandoned by the crew, was thrown onto the sand by a three-inch shaft - between my left heel and the tip of the stick. - He tapped his cane. -What's your name, baby?
“Assol,” said the girl, hiding the toy given by Egl in the basket.
“Okay,” the old man continued his incomprehensible speech, without taking his eyes off, in the depths of which a smile of a friendly disposition gleamed. “Actually, I shouldn’t have asked your name.” It’s good that it’s so strange, so monotonous, musical, like the whistle of an arrow or the noise of a sea shell; What would I do if you were called one of those euphonious, but unbearably familiar names that are alien to the Beautiful Unknown? Moreover, I don’t want to know who you are, who your parents are and how you live. Why break the spell? Sitting on this rock, I was engaged in a comparative study of Finnish and Japanese stories... when suddenly a stream splashed out this yacht, and then you appeared... Just as you are. I, my dear, am a poet at heart, although I have never composed anything myself. What's in your basket?
“Boats,” said Assol, shaking her basket, “then a steamer and three more of these houses with flags.” Soldiers live there.
- Great. You were sent to sell. On the way, you started playing. You let the yacht sail, but it ran away - right?
-Have you seen it? — Assol asked doubtfully, trying to remember if she had told this herself. - Did someone tell you? Or did you guess right?- I knew it. - What about it? - Because I am the most important wizard.
Assol was embarrassed; Her tension at these words of Egle crossed the border of fear. The deserted seashore, the silence, the tedious adventure with the yacht, the incomprehensible speech of the old man with sparkling eyes, the majesty of his beard and hair began to seem to the girl as a mixture of the supernatural and reality. Now if Egle made a grimace or screamed something, the girl would rush away, crying and exhausted from fear. But Egle, noticing how wide her eyes opened, made a sharp volte-face.
“You have nothing to fear from me,” he said seriously. “On the contrary, I want to talk to you to my heart’s content.” “It was only then that he realized what was so closely marked by his impression in the girl’s face. “An involuntary expectation of a beautiful, blissful fate,” he decided. - Oh, why wasn’t I born a writer? What a glorious story." “Come on,” Egle continued, trying to round out the original position (the penchant for myth-making, a consequence of constant work, was stronger than the fear of planting the seeds of a major dream on unknown soil), “come on, Assol, listen to me carefully.” I was in the village where you must be coming from; in a word, in Kaperna. I love fairy tales and songs, and I sat in that village all day, trying to hear something no one had heard. But you don't tell fairy tales. You don't sing songs. And if they tell and sing, then, you know, these stories about cunning men and soldiers, with the eternal praise of cheating, these dirty, like unwashed feet, rough, like a rumbling stomach, short quatrains with a terrible motive... Stop, I’m lost. I'll speak again.
After thinking, he continued like this:
“I don’t know how many years will pass, but in Kaperna one fairy tale will bloom, memorable for a long time.” You will be big, Assol. One morning, in the distant sea, a scarlet sail will sparkle under the sun. The shining bulk of the scarlet sails of the white ship will move, cutting through the waves, straight towards you. This wonderful ship will sail quietly, without shouts or shots; a lot of people will gather on the shore, wondering and gasping; and you will stand there. The ship will approach majestically to the very shore to the sounds of beautiful music; elegant, in carpets, in gold and flowers, a fast boat will sail from him. - “Why did you come? Who are you looking for?" - people on the shore will ask. Then you will see a brave handsome prince; he will stand and stretch out his hands to you. - “Hello, Assol! - he will say. “Far, far from here, I saw you in a dream and came to take you to my kingdom forever.” You will live there with me in the deep pink valley. You will have everything you want; We will live with you so friendly and cheerfully that your soul will never know tears and sadness.” He will put you on a boat, bring you to the ship, and you will leave forever to a brilliant country where the sun rises and where the stars will descend from the sky to congratulate you on your arrival.
- It's all for me? — the girl asked quietly. Her serious eyes, cheerful, shone with confidence. A dangerous wizard, of course, would not talk like that; she came closer. - Maybe he has already arrived... that ship?
“Not so soon,” Egle objected, “first, as I said, you will grow up.” Then... What can I say? - it will be, and it’s over. What would you do then?
- I? “She looked into the basket, but apparently did not find anything there worthy of serving as a significant reward. “I would love him,” she said hastily, and added not quite firmly: “if he doesn’t fight.”
“No, he won’t fight,” said the wizard, winking mysteriously, “he won’t, I guarantee it.” Go, girl, and don’t forget what I told you between two sips of aromatic vodka and thinking about the songs of convicts. Go. May there be peace to your furry head!
Longren was working in his small garden, digging up potato bushes. Raising his head, he saw Assol running headlong towards him with a joyful and impatient face.
“Well, here...” she said, trying to control her breathing, and grabbed her father’s apron with both hands. - Listen to what I’ll tell you... On the shore, far away, there’s a wizard sitting...
She started with the wizard and his interesting prediction. The fever of her thoughts prevented her from conveying the incident smoothly. Next came a description of the wizard’s appearance and, in reverse order, the pursuit of the lost yacht.
Longren listened to the girl without interrupting, without smiling, and when she finished, his imagination quickly depicted an unknown old man with aromatic vodka in one hand and a toy in the other. He turned away, but, remembering that on great occasions in a child’s life it is proper for a person to be serious and surprised, he solemnly nodded his head, saying:
- So-so; according to all signs, there is no one else to be but a wizard. I would like to look at him... But when you go again, don’t turn aside; It's not difficult to get lost in the forest.
Throwing away the shovel, he sat down by the low brush fence and sat the girl on his lap. Terribly tired, she tried to add some more details, but the heat, excitement and weakness made her sleepy. Her eyes were stuck together, her head fell on her father’s hard shoulder, a moment - and she would have been carried away into the land of dreams, when suddenly, troubled by a sudden doubt, Assol sat up straight, with eyes closed and, resting her fists on Longren’s vest, she said loudly:
- Do you think the magic ship will come for me or not?
“He will come,” the sailor calmly answered, “since they told you this, then everything is correct.”
“When he grows up, he’ll forget,” he thought, “but for now... it’s not worth taking such a toy away from you. After all, you will have to see a lot in the future not of scarlet, but of dirty and predatory sails; from a distance - smart and white, up close - torn and arrogant. A passing man joked with my girl. Well?! Good joke! Nothing - just a joke! Look how tired you were - half a day in the forest, in the thicket. And about the scarlet sails, think like me: you will have scarlet sails.”
Assol was sleeping. Longren, taking out his pipe with his free hand, lit a cigarette, and the wind carried the smoke through the fence into the bush growing on the outside of the garden. A young beggar sat by a bush, with his back to the fence, chewing a pie. The conversation between father and daughter put him in a cheerful mood, and the smell of good tobacco put him in a prey mood.
“Give the poor man a smoke, master,” he said through the bars. “My tobacco versus yours is not tobacco, but, one might say, poison.”
“I would give it,” Longren answered in a low voice, “but I have tobacco in that pocket.” You see, I don’t want to wake up my daughter.
- What a problem! He wakes up, falls asleep again, and a passerby just smokes.
“Well,” Longren objected, “you’re not without tobacco after all, but the child is tired.” Come back later if you want.
The beggar spat contemptuously, lifted the bag onto a stick and quipped:
- Princess, of course. You drove these overseas ships into her head! Oh, you eccentric, eccentric, and also the owner!
“Listen,” Longren whispered, “I’ll probably wake her up, but only to soap up your huge neck.” Go away!
Half an hour later the beggar was sitting in a tavern at a table with a dozen fishermen. Behind them, now tugging at their husbands’ sleeves, now lifting a glass of vodka over their shoulders—for themselves, of course—sat tall women with thick eyebrows and hands round like cobblestones. The beggar, seething with resentment, narrated:
- And he didn’t give me tobacco. “You,” he says, “will be one year of age, and then,” he says, “a special red ship... Behind you.” Since your destiny is to marry the prince. And that,” he says, “believe the wizard.” But I say: “Wake up, wake up, they say, get some tobacco.” Well, he ran after me halfway.
- Who? What? What is he talking about? - curious voices of women were heard. The fishermen, barely turning their heads, explained with a grin:
“Longren and his daughter have gone wild, or maybe they’ve lost their minds; Here's a man talking. They had a sorcerer, so you have to understand. They are waiting - aunts, you shouldn’t miss it! - an overseas prince, and even under red sails!
Three days later, returning from the city shop, Assol heard for the first time:
- Hey, gallows! Assol! Look here! Red sails are sailing!
The girl, shuddering, involuntarily looked from under her hand at the flood of the sea. Then she turned towards the exclamations; there, twenty paces from her, stood a group of guys; they grimaced, sticking out their tongues. Sighing, the girl ran home.
Reviews of the book “Scarlet Sails”, which are given in this article, allow you to get a full impression of this work. This is an amazing story by Alexander Green. The author himself defined its genre as an extravaganza. She teaches everyone faith and dreams and that everyone can create a miracle for a loved one. It is especially noteworthy that Green wrote this book in Russia during difficult times. From 1916 to 1922.
Extravaganza "Scarlet Sails"
Reviews of the book “Scarlet Sails” classify it as one of the most significant and popular works of this author.
Green himself claimed that the idea for this work came to him while he was standing in front of a toy store window. The writer saw a boat with a sharp sail made of pure white silk. Then for the first time he thought whether a red sail, or even better, a scarlet one, could tell more. After all, it is in scarlet that there is a certain jubilation.
The manuscript was tentatively completed back in 1920. After this, the author made minor changes to the text until the first publication. In May 1922, the chapter of "Grey" appeared in the newspaper "Evening Telegraph". The book “Scarlet Sails” was first published as a separate edition in 1923. Green dedicated the story to his second wife Nina Nikolaevna.
The story begins with a description of an unsociable and unsociable hero named Longren. He devoted his entire life to making and selling models of steamships and sailing ships. In the past he was a sailor, but now few people remembered this. Those around him were not very fond of him, recalling to him an old and unpleasant incident.
Once there was a strong storm. The local innkeeper and shopkeeper Menners was carried far out to sea on his boat. The only one who saw this was Longren. But instead of coming to the rescue, he continued to calmly and calmly smoke his pipe. At the same time, carefully observing how Menners desperately asks for salvation. Only when it became obvious that the innkeeper would no longer be saved, Longren shouted to him that in the same way his Mary had prayed to a fellow villager for help, but never received it.
Six days later, the shopkeeper was picked up by a steamer. He was dying. Just before his death he managed to tell everyone who was responsible for his death.
Revenge for the death of his wife
At the same time, he kept silent about another important episode. About how five years ago Longren’s wife asked the innkeeper for help: she urgently needed some money on loan. Then she had just given birth to a girl, who was named Assol. The birth turned out to be very difficult, so all the accumulated money had to be paid for treatment. The husband was on a long voyage at that time; it was completely unknown when he would return home.
Menners replied that he was ready to help, but only if Mary was not so touchy. Longren's wife refused such a shameful proposal. In order to somehow survive, she went to the city in bad weather to pawn the last thing she had left - a ring. Returning home, she became seriously ill. She turned out to have pneumonia. Soon Mary died. Longren was left a widower with a little girl in his arms and could never go to sea again. There was no one to leave the child with.
Hatred for Longren
In reviews of the book “Scarlet Sails,” readers often note with surprise that the news of Longren’s demonstrative inaction struck his fellow villagers more than if he had dealt with him with his own hands. And, for example, he drowned.
As a result, this ill will almost developed into hatred. This also affected Assol, who was not to blame for anything. Reviews of the book “Scarlet Sails” note that the girl grew up almost alone, without friends. She was surrounded only by her own fantasies and dreams. At times it seemed that she didn’t even need to communicate with her peers, the girl was so immersed in her imagination. As a result, one father replaced her mother, and all her friends and fellow villagers. She didn't communicate with anyone else.
When Assol was eight years old, her father sent her to the city to bring new toys that he had made. Among them there was one especially beautiful and unusual. A miniature yacht with scarlet silk sails. On the way, the girl launched the boat into the stream, and the fast stream began to carry it towards the mouth. She began to worry that she would lose a valuable toy. Soon she saw that the yacht was being held by a man she did not know.
He turned out to be the old and wise Egle. Local collector of fairy tales and legends. Naturally, he returned the toy to the girl, and at the same time told her that many years later, a prince would sail for her on exactly the same ship with scarlet sails, only a real one. He will take her to a distant country, in which they will certainly be happy.
Alexander Greene in “Scarlet Sails” describes how the girl was surprised and amazed by this prophecy. When she returned home, she immediately told her father about it. At the same time, she was so emotional that a beggar passing by heard her. An angry and envious man immediately spread the rumor throughout the area that Assol was waiting for an unprecedentedly beautiful ship and a handsome overseas prince. Since then, all the children certainly shouted after her that they saw red sails floating past. Soon among her fellow villagers she was known as crazy and a girl out of this world.
Arthur Gray
An important episode in the summary of the book “Scarlet Sails” is the appearance of a new character, Arthur Gray. This is a young rich and noble man. He grew up in his own family castle. His life was predetermined almost from birth. He himself and everyone around him knew what his next step would be. At the same time, the boy turned out to have a lively and romantic soul, who sought to realize his destiny, no matter how incredible it might turn out to be. His most important qualities are determination and fearlessness.
In the castle where Arthur grew up, there was a wine cellar keeper named Poldishok. He told the boy a legend that in one place there are kept two whole barrels of amazing Alicante, from the time of Oliver Cromwell. The color of this wine is darker than cherry, its taste is incredible, and its consistency is thick, like good country cream.
The barrels themselves are made of ebony noble wood, with double copper hoops mounted on them, on which there is an inscription stating that only one person will drink this wine. Grey, when he ends up in heaven. In fact, no one on earth has ever tasted this wine. Having learned about this legend, Gray confidently decided for himself that he would definitely not only try, but also drink all this wine. To confirm his words, he even stamped his foot and clenched his fist tightly in his palm. “Heaven is here,” he said confidently.
Gray grew up to be a kind and sympathetic young man, ready to respond to the misfortune of another, even a stranger. The summary of Green's book "Scarlet Sails" notes that his sympathy was not only in words. It always resulted in real and tangible help.
Service on a schooner
Gray determined his destiny when he came across a painting by the famous marine painter in the castle library. The sea has since swallowed him up. The picture helped him understand who he is and what he wants from life.
As soon as the hero of the book “Scarlet Sails” grew up, he secretly left home and entered service on a schooner called “Anselm”. The schooner was controlled by Captain Gop. By nature a kind person, but a stern sailor.
He almost immediately appreciated the young man’s intelligence and tenacity, his love for the sea and his desire to realize himself. Gop decided that he could make a real captain out of this cabin boy. He himself began to teach him everything he needed. Navigation, maritime international law, pilotage and ship accounting.
Own galliot
When Gray turned 20, he purchased his own three-masted galliot called the Secret. The book “Scarlet Sails” says that he sailed on it for four whole years, until fate threw him into Liss. A city, not far from which was the village of Kaperna, where Assol lived. It was about an hour and a half away.
One night, Gray, along with the sailor Letika, went on a boat in search of a suitable place for successful fishing. It was in the Kaperna area that they landed on the shore and lit a fire. Letika went to fish from the shore, and Gray stayed by the fire. In the morning, as soon as it was dawn, he went to wander around the area and came across Assol sleeping in the thickets. The book “Scarlet Sails” describes how long Gray looked at the sleeping girl, amazed by her beauty, while being afraid to disturb her. At parting, he decided on an unexpected act. He took off the old ring from his finger and put it on Assol’s little finger.
Having reached the Menners tavern with their friend Letika, which was now run by the son of a shopkeeper named Khin, they found out what her fellow villagers thought about Assol. They immediately admitted to them that she was a crazy girl who, from early childhood, had been dreaming of a prince who would sail for her on a ship with exclusively scarlet sails. Her father is hostile to all the residents of Kaperna, since everyone considers him directly responsible for the death of the owner of this tavern.
Gray immediately had doubts about what people were saying about Assol. And soon they intensified. The drunken coal miner assured the guests that the innkeeper was blatantly lying. And Gray himself had already managed to understand something about this extraordinary girl while he watched her sleep. He realized that although she lived exclusively within the limits of her experience and her own ideas about the world around her, in fact she saw in the phenomena of this world a meaning of a completely different order than most people. She managed to make many discoveries every day, seemingly insignificant at first glance, but important to her. At the same time, unnecessary and completely incomprehensible to the rest of the inhabitants of Kapera.
Scarlet silk
Reviews of the book “Scarlet Sails” always note that Captain Gray himself was not entirely of this world. Therefore, he immediately went to Liss, where he found scarlet silk in one of the shops. There he met his old acquaintance - a traveling musician named Zimmer. He asked him to arrive on his ship in the evening along with his orchestra.
The entire crew of the Secret galleon was completely bewildered when the captain ordered to replace the sails with scarlet ones, and then also turn towards the small and insignificant village of Kaperna. But Gray's order was still carried out. In the morning, the Secret left the port under scarlet sails and by noon was at the Kapera pier.
Dream Assol
Assol's dream, which no one but her alone ever believed in, finally came true. She was deeply shocked by the sight of a snow-white ship with scarlet sails. At the same time, amazing and romantic music flowed from the deck of the ship. She immediately rushed to the sea, where almost the entire population of Kaperna had already gathered.
As soon as Assol appeared, everyone immediately fell silent and at the same time made way for her, confidently walking towards the water's edge. The ship dropped anchor, and soon a boat detached from it, which began to rapidly approach the shore on which Assol stood. The captain of the Secret, Gray, was standing in the boat. After some short time, the girl was already in the cabin. Her dream was coming true right before her eyes. Everything happened exactly as the old and wise magician predicted many years ago.
On the same day, another omen came true. They opened a barrel of hundred-year-old wine that no one had ever tasted before. The next morning, the ship sailed far from Kaperna, taking with it the lovers Gray and Assol. The crew, defeated by the extraordinary wine, carried the ship further and further. And the wandering musician Zimmer continued to quietly play his cello and think about real happiness.
The main thing that the book “Scarlet Sails” teaches is that you should never stop believing in your dream and strive for the goal you have set for yourself. And also to the fact that true love can create the most incredible miracles for family and friends.
“Scarlet Sails” is the most romantic story, the repetition of which all little girls dream of repeating in life. It tells how, despite a hard life full of grief, you can never stop believing in a dream that will definitely come true. Below you can find a summary of “Scarlet Sails” by chapter.
The main characters in the book are:
- Gray,
- Longren.
Other characters:
- old man Egle,
- innkeeper - Hin Menners,
- coal miner
A.S. Green summary of the work:
In this book, the main character named Assol is the true embodiment of innocence and purity, the little girl dreams that a prince will come for her on a ship with scarlet sails. But the townspeople don't understand her, so she becomes an outcast. At the same time, a rich heir is being raised in a distant country, but the palace halls are alien to him and the norms of etiquette are boring to him.
The guy runs away from home and becomes a sailor, and many years later - the captain of a ship. One day a ship comes to the town where Assol lives, the young man falls in love with a girl and learns her dream of scarlet sails.
Note! For a more complete introduction to the plot of the story “Scarlet Sails”, you can read summary by chapter, presented below.
Chapter 1 Prediction
One day, sailor Longren returns from a long voyage and learns that his wife died, but before that she managed to give birth to his daughter.
The family's difficult life in the absence of her father became the cause of Assol's mother's illness. There was practically no means of subsistence; all the money was spent on restoring the mother’s health after childbirth. The woman tried to escape as best she could.
The wedding ring, which meant so much and was the only thing of value to her, went as payment for the bread. It was hard for Longren to hear all this from his friends and neighbors.
A man has to leave his job to take care of the child. He starts a small and not at all profitable business: he made toy boats out of wood and sold them.
But Longren was not accepted by society, and as a result, Assol faced the same fate. Unsuccessful attempts to find friends ended in bruises, bitterness and ridicule for her.
One day a girl saw her father’s white yacht with bright scarlet sails, while playing with a boat by the stream, the girl came across old man Egle, who was considered a collector of fairy tales and fables. The old man told her that in many years such a ship with scarlet sails would sail for her, and the captain of the board would be a handsome prince in love with her, who would want to show her his land and make her a princess.
Assol believed the old man and told this story to her father, who said that it would be so. But the people heard about it, began to tease the girl even more and branded her crazy, but she simply believed in a miracle.
Chapter 2 Gray
And there, across the seas, lived the young Prince Arthur Gray. He was a descendant of a rich and noble family, but since childhood he did not fit into the accepted framework. The boy was bored in the palace, he dreamed of something else.
Gray was brave, smart, self-confident, but at the same time had the kindest heart and pure soul. While wandering around the castle, Gray invented games for himself and played alone all the time.
There was a unique aloofness in the whole behavior of the young man, as if he was living in his own fantasy and was not like anyone else. One day the young heir wandered into the library; there hung a painting depicting a stormy seascape with a ship on which stood a brave captain. At that moment, Arthur realized what he really wanted.
Having run away from home, Gray joined a schooner as a sailor. The captain of the schooner immediately saw in him an ardent mind, agility and youthful courage, and decided that he would raise a real captain from the young man. The guy diligently studied maritime affairs and soon learned everything.
Many years later, Arthur Gray was able to buy himself a small yacht “Secret” and, having hired a crew, set off on his own voyage, which, by the will of fate, took him to a town located very close to where Assol lived.
Chapter 3 Dawn
The ship stood nearby for a little over a week, Captain Gray became sad, and then decided to take the sailor and 
go fishing. It wasn’t long before they found a place suitable for fishing, which was located right in the town where the girl lived.
While walking the next morning, Arthur came across a girl sleeping in the forest; she seemed beautiful to him. This living embodiment of tenderness and spirituality so struck the mind of the young captain that without understanding how, he put his family ring on her finger and promised himself that he would return.
In the town, the innkeeper told him about Assol, adding that this girl was crazy and it was better not to hang out with her. He also mentioned that the girl believed in a stupid dream that a ship with scarlet sails would come for her.
But to the young captain it seemed like a simple-minded desire worthy of fulfillment. The innkeeper decided to tell about his father, because of whom, according to the whole city, the fisherman died, which, of course, was not true. But Gray realized that the girl was much smarter than everyone else, she believed and noticed what other people could not understand.
And these thoughts were confirmed by a drunken coal miner who was sitting right there in the tavern. He said that it was all a lie, that the girl was absolutely normal, besides, she was smart and sweet. Suddenly the source of the conversation walked past the window, and looking at her again, Gray realized that without a doubt the coal miner was right.
Chapter 4 The day before
The day before, Assol went into town with her father’s toys to give them to the store for sale. But unfortunately they no longer wanted to accept them for sale in shops and stores in the city.
Wooden crafts went out of fashion; no one needed them anymore. Having learned about this, Longren decided that he would go to sea again, since they had no other way to earn money. They really didn't want to leave. The father could not imagine how he would leave his daughter alone, and how he would live without her.
The girl, overwhelmed with sadness, went wandering through the forest, got tired and fell asleep. In the morning she discovered a ring on her finger, it scared and amazed her a little, but in general she considered it someone’s stupid trick. And yet she put the gift away and decided not to tell anyone about it.
Chapter 5 Combat preparations
Gray was fired up with the idea of fulfilling Assol’s cherished dream, because he was in love with this girl. She was so unusual, exactly the one who could understand him, exactly the one he needed. Returning to the ship, he ordered the sailors to head to the city in search of scarlet silk for sails. At first, the assistant captain even thought that Gray had decided to engage in illegal transportation of goods. Having found the desired shade, several thousand meters of the scarlet silk that was found in the city were purchased.
And Gray, walking through the streets of the city, met a musician he knew and asked him to gather all the musicians he knew to serve on the ship. The musician gave his consent and by the evening a whole street orchestra had already settled down in front of the ship.
Chapter 6 Assol is left alone
Returning from the sea, his father told Assol that he would have to go on a long voyage. He did not want to leave the girl alone, because he was very afraid for her. And she was for him, but there was no choice, the man had to go sailing.
The girl was terribly lonely, she could not live without her father, without her only loved one who took care of her, with whom she shared all her sorrows and joys.
Their house became unbearable for her, it was difficult and bitter to remain alone in it, everything here reminded her of her father. Once having met that same drunken coal miner, the girl said goodbye to him, saying that she was going to leave the city.
Chapter 7 Scarlet "Secret"
Having straightened the sails, Gray's ship moved towards the city along the river. The ship had already begun to approach the city, the entire crew was surprised, and the captain was in joyful anticipation that he could finally fulfill the dream of the angelic creature.
Assol was sitting at home at this time, busy reading a book. But a small bug was crawling along the sheet, which was terribly annoying; it kept getting caught in my hands and getting in the way of reading. The girl wearily raised her head to blow the bug into the grass, and lo and behold, she couldn’t believe her eyes: the very desired scarlet sails could be seen from the window.
She rushed headlong to the pier, and when she reached the shore, she saw in front of her an embittered, incomprehensible, arrogant, stupid crowd that still did not believe in the fulfillment of the dream and did not understand where the scarlet sails came from. In front of the heroine, everyone fell silent and began to part in slight fear and bewilderment.
A boat was launched into the water, in which Gray was sailing to his beloved. Assol rushed into the water towards him. He picked her up and the young couple boarded a ship with scarlet sails, music flowing all around.
But the girl was still worried about one important question: whether he would take her father with him, and, having received an affirmative answer, she set off with her fiancé on the way back to the distant country from which Gray had arrived. Both heroes were absolutely happy, the guy turned out to be exactly the one the girl had been waiting for for so long.
The tragic story of the exile of Assol and her father ended truly happily. Perhaps this is a reward for the troubles and difficulties experienced, or maybe a reward for the girl’s unchanging faith. But the fact that the old man’s prediction came true and Gray sailed for her on a ship with scarlet sails makes you believe in the fairy tale.
To better experience the ending of “Scarlet Sails,” we suggest reading an excerpt from the text, because no description can compare with the author’s style:
“soft music flowed into the blue day from the white deck under the fire of scarlet silk... Again Assol closed her eyes, afraid that all this would disappear if she looked. Gray took her hands and, knowing now where it was safe to go, she hid her face, wet with tears, on the chest of her friend, who had come so magically.
Carefully, but with laughter, himself shocked and surprised that an inexpressible, inaccessible to anyone, precious minute had come, Gray lifted this long-dreamed-of face up by the chin, and the girl’s eyes finally opened clearly. They had everything best man. They had all the best of a person.
- Will you take my Longren to us? - she said.
- Yes. “And he kissed her so hard after his iron “yes” that she laughed.”
Note! If you don’t have time to read the book, but you still want to know the full story with all the details, and not an abbreviation, then you can listen to “Scarlet Sails” on the audiobook website.
Listening to the text online will take much less time than reading, and while listening to the story you will be able to do your own thing.
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Conclusion
The book “Scarlet Sails” is deservedly recognized as an achievement of world literature. It shows how pure and kind a person can be, and how evil and stupid society can be. In the summary, we tried to tell you this story as accurately as possible, but still this does not convey all the beauty and subtlety of the author's narrative.
In contact with
Longren was an unsociable and reserved person; he was engaged in the manufacture and sale of models of steamships and sailing ships. The former sailor was not too favored by his fellow countrymen, especially after one incident.
One day, during a strong storm, Menners, who was a shopkeeper and innkeeper, was carried far out to sea in his boat. Longren was the only one who saw what was happening. He calmly watched, smoking a pipe, as Menners asked to be saved.
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When it became clear that he would not be saved, Longren shouted to him that his Mary had once cried out to a fellow villager for help, but did not receive it.
On the sixth day, the shopkeeper was picked up by a steamer, and before his death he told about the culprit of his death.
He only hid the fact that Longren’s wife five years ago asked him to borrow some money.
She had just given birth to little Assol, the birth was very difficult, almost all the money was spent on treatment, and her husband was still at sea. Menners gave her advice not to be hard to touch, and then he would help her. The unfortunate woman had to go to the city in bad weather to pawn the ring. She caught a cold, contracted pneumonia and died. Longren was left a widower with a little daughter in his arms; he could no longer go to sea.
However, with all this, the news of Longren’s behavior outraged the villagers even more than if he himself had drowned the man. The villagers treated Longren so unkindly that it resembled hatred and turned on Assol, an innocent girl who seemed to not need peers, she was fine with her dreams and fantasies. Her father was at the same time a mother, a friend, and fellow countrymen.
One day, when Assol was an eight-year-old girl, her father sent her to the city to bring new toys, among which was a small yacht with scarlet silk sails. Assol lowered the boat into the stream. He was carried away by the stream, the girl ran after the boat and ran to the mouth, where she met a stranger who was holding her boat in his hands. The stranger was old Aigle, a collector of fairy tales and legends. He returned the toy to Assol and talked about how someday a prince would sail for her on the same ship with scarlet sails and take her to a distant country.
Assol told her father about this meeting. Unfortunately, a beggar accidentally heard her story and spread rumors throughout Kaperna about an overseas prince and a ship with scarlet sails. The children now shouted after her: “Hey, gallows! Red sails are sailing! Assol began to be considered crazy.
Arthur Gray was the only heir to a rich and noble family; his childhood was spent not in a hut, but in a castle. His every present and future step was predetermined. But Arthur was a boy with a very lively soul, he was ready to fulfill his life's destiny. He was distinguished by determination and fearlessness.
Poldishok, the keeper of their wine cellar, told the young man that there was a place where two barrels of Alicante were buried from the time of Cromwell, it was thick, like good cream, and its color was darker than cherry. The barrels are made of ebony, they are surrounded by double copper hoops, and there are inscriptions on them: “Gray will drink me when he is in heaven.” No one has tried this wine and no one can try it. Gray stamped his foot and declared that he would drink this wine. Then, clenching his fist, he added that heaven was here.
At the same time, Arthur was very responsive, he always helped those who needed help.
In the library of the family castle, he saw a painting by a famous marine painter, which amazed him. This picture helped him understand himself. Gray secretly left home and entered service on the schooner Anselm. The captain was Gop - a kind but stern sailor. Gop appreciated the intelligence, stubbornness and love of the sea that the young sailor experienced, and decided to “make a captain out of a puppy.” He trained Gray in navigation, pilotage, maritime law and accounting. When Arthur was twenty years old, he purchased the three-masted galliot "Secret", on which he sailed for four years. One day, fate threw him to Liss, which was an hour and a half walk from Caperna.
As night approached, Gray and the sailor Letika, taking fishing rods, set off on a boat to fish. They left the boat under the cliff behind Kaperna and lit a fire. Gray lay down by the fire, and Letika began to fish. In the morning, Arthur went for a wander and saw Assol sleeping in the thickets. He looked for a long time at the girl who amazed him, then he took off the old family ring from his finger and put it on the girl’s little finger.
On the way back, Gray and Letika reached Menners' tavern. Now the owner there was young Hin Menners, who said that everyone considers Assol crazy because she dreams of a ship with scarlet sails and a prince, and her father is to blame for the death of the elder Menners and in general he is a terrible person. Gray doubted the veracity of these words, and his doubts became even stronger when the drunken coal miner said that the innkeeper was lying. Arthur could understand a lot about this amazing girl even without outside help. Life was known to her within the limits of her experience, but she knew how to see a different meaning in phenomena, which was incomprehensible and unnecessary to the inhabitants of Kaperna.
In many ways, the captain himself was like that - out of this world. Going to Liss, he bought scarlet silk in one of the shops. Having met an old acquaintance of Zimmer, a traveling musician, in the city, he asked him to arrive in the evening with his orchestra for “The Secret.”
The crew was surprised by the scarlet sails, as well as by the captain's order to advance to Kaperna. But still, by noon, the “Secret”, under scarlet sails, was approaching Kaperna.
Assol was amazed to see a white ship with scarlet sails and hear music flowing from its deck. The girl rushed to the sea; the residents of Kaperna were already on the shore. Seeing Assol, they fell silent and parted. Everyone watched the boat, which separated from the ship and headed towards the shore. Gray stood in it. Some time later, Assol was already in the cabin. Everything happened as old Aigle predicted.
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