Orthodox writer Valentina Ivanovna Tsvetkova was born in 1936 in the village. Nikolskoye, Saratov region. Later she moved to study in Samara. A teacher by training, she had direct contact with children for many years. And this is felt in her stories. Knowledge of child psychology allowed Valentina Ivanovna to write her stories in a language that children can easily and naturally understand. Therefore, her works are read with interest not only by children, but also by adults, because in essence, we are all, to some extent, big children.
V.I. Tsvetkova has collaborated with various Orthodox newspapers, in particular with the Samara “Blagovest” and the Ryazan “Blagovest”. She has lived in Ryazan since 1999 and continues to work on new works, which we hope will soon be published.
Wonderful
Granny, please buy me some markers today,” Vitya asked his grandmother in the morning.
“I’ll buy it,” she answered, tying a scarf on her head.
- Well then, grandma, let’s go quickly!
“Wait, Vitenka, I’ll take the pies out of the oven, we’ll treat Agafya Semyonovna on the way.”
- Oh, this is the one who always sits in the same place, and whoever doesn’t approach her bows deeply to everyone, even if I walk and don’t give her anything. The boys and I deliberately walked past her several times, and each time she stood up and bowed. Something wonderful!
- But you shouldn’t do this! - Grandma got angry. “Firstly, she is my first teacher, and secondly, you yourself noticed that she doesn’t bow for alms.” You should have thought about this.
- Why think about it, she’s just wonderful. And they say she had a double-headed eagle.
- Vitya, you misunderstood and are retelling it to others, and this is a sin. - Grandma, but that’s what everyone says.
- And you keep quiet. After all, you haven’t seen it yourself, it’s better to listen to what I tell you about it. In those distant years, when I was little, students were not allowed to wear crosses. The teachers, of course, knew that we were wearing them, but tried not to notice. Our young teacher Agafya Semyonovna took the crosses off two girls and threw them into the corner. We were so scared, we thought the teacher would die right away. And she said: “You see, nothing happened!” And she continued teaching the lesson. After this incident, many lost their fear of the shrine. After some time, Agafya Semyonovna gave birth to a child. I saw him myself: instead of one head, he had two small heads. From then on, she seemed to close herself off from everyone, although she was among people and bowed to everyone passing by. And the Lord forgave her and even rewarded her with a gift. She sees a mark on everyone passing by, as it were, about what kind of person he is. And to those who knew her closely, Agafya Semyonovna said that we should greet each other with bows and honor God with bows. So that they bow before the icons several times a day.
“Grandma, I’m ashamed to pass by her now.”
- And you give her a pie and bow too.
“She’ll see that I’m lying,” Vitya hesitated. - After all, I have felt-tip pens, but I’m still asking for them.
- Well, it’s good that I confessed.
- So, now you don’t need to go to the store. And granny, come on, I’ll take the pie to her anyway. She will see that I am no longer lying!
Akathist
“When I was not yet in the world, one aunt bought a cow at the market and took it home. I must say that she lived in a distant village. The cow was skinny, at first it walked quietly, then it lay down in the middle of the road and didn’t want to walk. Aunt caressed her and whipped her, but she did not get up. Aunt cried and began to ask God. I remembered that I also need to call for an ambulance assistant - Nikolai: “Our assistant, saint of God Nikolai, help me bring the cow home. I have children without a breadwinner-father. They are waiting for milk, but the cow dies.”
Auntie bursts into tears. God, seeing this, sent an old man. He comes towards me with a twig, he pats the cow, she gets up and walks away. When the old man began to leave, he said goodbye: “You, young lady, drive the cow into the courtyard of the last house, and whatever they give you there, take it, don’t refuse.”
That's exactly what she did. Two old women let her spend the night and fed her. And the cow was not left without food and drink.
The next morning they gave us a hotel for the trip. And the cow rested overnight and quickly ran home...
Her friends laugh at Lida: “You haven’t lived in the world yet, but you tell it as if you saw everything with your own eyes.” Lida smiled: “But it’s true! It was! The young woman is alive. This is my own grandmother, she told us everything. And St. Nicholas the Wonderworker herself did not forget, and she taught us to honor him. She and I read the akathist every Thursday.”
The girls chose books and left, and the adults were surprised by the deep faith, simplicity, sincerity and decided: “Let the children read the thick Bible, because they receive wisdom not from adults, but from the grace of God.”
Blind boy
This one was a long time ago. In the winter, in the evenings, our whole family sat on a large Russian stove. There were six of us children. It’s frosty outside, there’s a blizzard, the wind is humming in the chimney, but it’s so nice on the stove, warm from the bricks. If you want, lie down, if you want, sit. And so that they could see each other, they lit a lamp with a glass bubble in the shape of an elongated pear. And in the corner of the hut, in the most visible place, a lamp was burning in front of the icon. And everything is so cozy, joyful, calm, quiet. Some people made a “royal palace” out of pumpkin seeds, others simply peeled them and ate them. The younger ones did this, and the older ones knitted lace, sorted wool and fluff. We so wanted to touch the fluff and fur with our hands and roll them into little balls, but we couldn’t. They are needed for socks and mittens. And the elders rolled the balls for us from cow wool, which is not suitable for use. The ball turned out well: it’s soft and bounces like rubber. And the cow enjoys being scratched. So. We are sitting on the stove, but we are not silent. Mom sings a prayer quietly. “To the King of Heaven...” Every business is always started with her because the Holy Spirit is called upon to help. And then they tell stories one by one: scary ones, funny ones, and ones like this one, about a blind boy.
This boy was born sighted, but one day he became very ill and went blind.
At first no one had any idea, because he was still a baby and was crawling on the floor. And when his mother put a ball of wool near him, the baby began to look for it with his little hands and did not find it. We went to the doctor, but it was too late. You get used to any grief, and you get used to your blind son.
But the Lord made him so wise that you would not immediately think that he was blind. The boy's eyes were clear, beautiful, open. He moved carefully, but reached the door without a wand. He himself went to the well to get water for the cow. That’s how they understood each other, like true friends. He took care of her bed: he carefully sorted out the straw so that there was not a pebble or a lump of dung. And he fed her fragrant hay with strawberries. Zorka chews hay, and the blind boy strokes her. The little cow will lie down, and he will sit down on her warm side and fall asleep next to her. Zorka will turn, sigh and warm him with warm steam. Mom is looking for her son, everyone is already getting ready for dinner, and she always finds the boy at Zorka’s side. One day dad announced: We’ll sell Zorka for meat. The blind boy quickly left the hut. Mom hears: someone is crying in the barn, telling someone something. She listened, looked closely, and it was her blind son praying to God for help so that Zorka would not be sold for meat. Then he hugged the cow by the neck and cried. But Zorka understands everything, but she can’t say anything, and tears flow in streams from the huge cow eyes with long eyelashes. Mom saw all this, but said nothing. And at dinner, dad clarified: although Zorka gives not enough milk for such a large family, God willing, she will bring us a calf and add more milk. Everyone was happy, but most of all the blind son.
Jesus Prayer
The blind boy had other friends besides Zorka the cow. I'll tell you about everyone in order. Dick the cat and Whitelegs the cat hovered around his feet all the time and never left. If in winter a blind boy went to see Zorka in the barn, they would wait for him at the doorstep. As soon as the door creaks, they immediately run to the boy as fast as they can. He liked to sit not on a chair, but on the floor. The cats were happy about this, rubbed their sides, purred, and sat on his legs. When the boy had something edible in his pocket, he took it out of his pocket, always blew it away from the crumbs, crossed himself and said: “Lord, bless!” That's what he always did. And then he ate it himself and gave the cats a piece.
If a blind boy got up at night to pray while everyone was sleeping, Dick and Whitelegs would find him and sit next to him, turning their faces to the icons. Everyone left together: the boy went to the stove to sleep (or in the summer on the floor), and the cats under the floor to scare the mice.
And so the blind brother gets water from the well, and the younger sisters and brothers run races and pour it into their little beds and holes. It was always fun, the blind brother encouraged and praised the waterers for their good work.
And when the younger ones got tired and asked: “Will we finish soon?” To this he replied: “No, only half of it has been watered.” The waterers objected to him: “No, no, everyone was watered. You can’t see!” The blind boy, smiling, said: “I see, water your beds again, otherwise I hear them asking: drink, drink!” Children listen and even lay their ear to the garden bed and actually hear that the earth is “huffing” from the heat. Then they watered again, and the earth no longer asked for water. The blind boy suddenly announced to his sisters and brothers: “That’s it, take the last bucket and we’ll finish.” How did he know that the beds were saturated with water? It turns out that he read the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” He will prepare the stones in advance and place them at his feet. As soon as he pulls the bucket out of the well, he says a prayer, and throws away the pebble from his foot. When the pebbles run out, then all two hundred buckets of water are pulled out. This moisture is enough for the garden, but for the soul I read the prayer two hundred times. This is how the Lord made him wise: he, blind, protected us with his spiritual eyes.
Pea
Once a grandmother came to help her grandchildren sow peas. They were happy with her, because she always spoke kind words. Even dad became kinder, didn’t scold his children, and called grandma mom. It's so simple. “And where it’s simple, there are up to a hundred angels, and where it’s tricky, there’s not a single one,” says the grandmother. - Without an angel, as without a guide, it is impossible to find the way on an unknown path, much less enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There you need to go through three doors at the same time.” - “How is this possible, grandma? - the grandchildren ask, “Tell me!” - “It’s difficult, my dears. These doors are located one after another and open only for one moment. These doors are tall and heavy, and the person standing in front of them is like a small pea. He steps into the first one, and the second one immediately closes in front of him - and the person is trapped, in pitchless darkness. For a moment, all the doors open again, you step into the second door, and the front one closes... You can’t get through alone without help. So an assistant is needed - an angel or a holy saint, so that he can hold the doors and the person can run through them. Behind them is freedom, such a vastness that you can’t even glance at it.
There is a sloping mountain ahead, but you can’t see what’s behind it yet. If a person turns back, the doors are gone. Only he will clearly see his footprints, as in the snow. They are crooked and at random, straight and in circles. Go, brother-man, look ahead and say prayer all the time - then you will reach the Kingdom of Heaven.” - “Granny, are there any sweets in this kingdom?” - “What more! The person has no idea what awaits him there.”
Granddaughter Mashenka swallowed her saliva and felt the pocket with her pen - she wanted candy so much. He sees that the grandmother is holding something in her mouth. “Grandma, please give me one piece of candy.” - “This is not candy, my dear, but a pea.” - “Why do you keep it in your mouth all the time?” - “I say a prayer - it means I say: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” But the pea in your mouth gets in the way and reminds you: do good deeds and don’t forget prayer - together they will lead you to the Kingdom of Heaven. Just don’t stop.”
Granddaughter Mashenka put a pea in her mouth, took a basket in her hands and quickly went to plant it in order to keep up with her grandmother. After all, everyone must achieve the Kingdom of Heaven through their own labor.
Carousels
Granny, look at the striped beetle that flew into the window and is hitting the mirror,” said Nastya. “I drove him away with a handkerchief, but he didn’t fly away.”
“This, granddaughter, he saw someone like himself and got carried away,” the grandmother answered with a smile.
Nastya and her little brother began to wave their arms and direct the beetle towards the window.
“He’s stubborn, like you, Vasya,” the girl got angry, “he’s flying towards the mirror again.”
And the grandmother lightly pressed the beetle and released it out the window. He flew and buzzed.
Nastenka and Vasya are happy - that means he’s alive. Granny, looking out the window, sighed:
— Until someone enlightens and guides, the weak may die. Especially if he forgets the way back.
- Grandma, how to find the way back? - Vasya asked.
- According to signs, my dear. You have to hold on to them, like an invisible rope.
- Is it like on a carousel? - Nastya clarified.
- My good girl, you suggested very well. When you spin on a carousel, everything around you flashes quickly, it’s interesting and the height takes your breath away. But don’t forget to hold on to the rope, otherwise you might fall and get seriously hurt. Then you will forget about everything. And who is to blame? Himself, of course. I got carried away and forgot about the string and let it slip out of my hands. You will harm yourself and offend the good owner of the carousel. You promised him to hold on. And he tied the other end to himself and decided to show you all the beauty of heaven so that you would strive there.
“Granny, our Vasya is afraid of heights,” Nastya said.
Grandmother smiled:
“But he loves to pray to God and he has obedience.” For this, our Creator will raise Vasya to great heights. And with the Lord God, nowhere is scary.
- Can girls go to such a height? - the granddaughter is interested.
- Everyone is allowed, my sweeties. Just hold on to the rope, and don’t tear yourself away from the Creator God.
- Grandma, I understand. I will, like Vasya, pray and always obey my elders.
Grandmother crossed them and began to cry. The grandchildren were scared:
- Grandma, what’s wrong with you?
- Nothing, my dears. I am so glad that you understood everything so well.
“I believe” for the faithful
In the village everyone knows about each other: who went where and why... If I go to the left side of the house, then to the club, and if to the right, then to the church.
That day I went to church, because it was the great holiday of the Nativity of Christ. I didn’t understand what they sang and read in the church, but I remembered for the rest of my life how candles were burning in everyone’s hands, how they sang in chorus, the whole church.
I felt solemn and joyful in my soul. Suddenly I heard someone quietly say: “Without people, the earth is an orphan.” These wise words were spoken by blessed Nyurushka, or “the simple one,” as she was called in our village. I was amazed at how her face brightened when they sang “I Believe.” People were moved to tears when she told someone that they were “pleasing to God.” The man said: “Nyurushka, I am a sinner.” “But you’re still faithful,” she reassured. I liked this word: somehow reliable, happy. For myself, I concluded: if you are faithful, then you don’t need to wish for anything better.
When leaving the temple, I again heard a whisper:
- Were you married, Nyurushka?
- No no! I made a vow to God.
- Take this pie... Maybe you have nothing at home...
- What are you... That's a lump of butter. I never eat it on Wednesdays and Fridays, so it will last for a long time.
- Why?
“I don’t want to enjoy myself with the traitor Judas these days.”
Then I thought: “That’s it! But I didn’t know that.”
- Aunt Nyura, here's some candy for you. Pray for me.
- You will be saved, son. “I Believe” I sang with the faithful. But give the prosphora to your neighbor, she is sick. Stay with God.
She bowed and left. These Nyurushki are the faithful, they are God’s Pleasers, and from them we are saved.
Live pictures
Nikita, today we will learn to write numbers, we need to get ready for school.
- Dad, I already know them well. And he quickly wrote down the numbers of the first ten. His father gave him a three. Nikita approached Barsik to complain. The cat followed the numbers with his green eyes, then scratched the piece of paper with his paw and hid under the table.
- Even Barsik noticed your mistake with the number six, the curl is written on the right side... Well, the reading lesson will be in the garden.
Dad moved his hand from left to right and somehow solemnly said:
“This is everything you see, our Lord, the Creator, created, and everything is in this living book.” Look carefully at everything,” dad continued, “notice, and in a small bug you will discover a miracle, because the Creator created everyone and everything for the common good. How can I explain it more clearly to you? For example, a mail beetle flies with an order, it’s not a difficult matter, right? But if the flight slows down willfully and does not arrive on time, disaster will happen for everyone. Even morning may not come if the sun is late to rise. And the darkness will remain, the night will be eternal - scary! So I say, everyone must fulfill the will of the Creator impeccably and urgently. In this “living” book, a person needs to unravel a lot. Why does a tree grow in a garden? Find out, pick, eat. Why does the violet bloom in different colors? Why does the sunflower turn its head behind the sun? Some flowers close their petals tightly at night, like a padlock, and in the morning they invite bees to visit and collect pollen. And why doesn’t honey sour? But it is always sweet and fragrant, and it is not made by a person, but only by a bee insect. Know! That life was given to man on earth mainly for the purpose of solving these problems. Learn to distinguish the Master - the Creator Himself - from His counterfeits.
Nikita laughed: “How can you, dad, compare a living artist with some of his pictures—“daubs.” The artist will want to erase the picture or draw it again with wings or horns. What can a picture do for an artist? — The Creator? She herself can only fade and turn into aphids.”
- Okay, son, you reason, I’ll be calm for you. And now you still have to love the Creator more than yourself. After all, He also made us, people. Don’t forget, our fatherland is Heaven. Be worthy of the Creator to be returned there! And life on earth is short, like a dream. Remember this, dear child! Just don’t get carried away by artificial pictures, because trouble came to people from them.
Mysterious clearing
On the road we met an old man, so handsome and attractive: thick white hair on his head, a thick, curly beard and greenish eyes with languid eyes. A good-natured, apologetic smile. He kept looking out the window and seemed to be calculating, calculating something in his mind, and then suddenly he perked up and called us to the window. “Look carefully,” said the old man, “remember everything you see in this place.”
We obeyed and began to closely examine the clearing from the train window and hastily informed him: “There is a horse grazing, a motley cow, a white goat, lilac bushes, birch trees, dandelions. And a very wide clearing, but no human habitation is visible.”
A little later the old man calmed down and told us a story...
“One day my horse brought me to this clearing. I was amazed by its beauty, silence and something else, inexplicable. I get off my horse and go, enjoying the contemplation of the wondrous beauty. And I stop in surprise: near my feet lies a nest of chicken eggs. There is no human habitation, but the chicken lives and lays eggs. Now, I think there will be scrambled eggs. I’m wondering where I should put them so they don’t break. And, without raising my head yet, out of the corner of my eye I see some kind of shadow. I look: it’s a girl! Speaks:
- Don’t take the eggs from the nest, otherwise you will deprive Velvet of her joy!
-Where is the chicken? - I asked.
- She will come soon.
- And who are you? - I asked her again.
- I'm Maryushka. I take care of animals.
-Who are you guarding?
- Fry. He is more beautiful than your horse. I decided to argue with her: it couldn’t be more beautiful than my horse! She warned:
- Malek will not come out of the thicket if he hears our conversation.
-Where should I hide to look at him? At least with one eye. Maryushka said:
- There is no need to hide. Keep your eyes open, just be silent, otherwise you'll scare them away.
I promised to remain silent. She called in a shrill, gentle voice:
And he immediately appeared from the thicket of the forest, with a silky long mane, with a swan neck... I froze with delight, and then whistled: “What a horse!” At the sound, Malek began to run headlong and disappeared into the thicket.
I began to explain to Maryushka: “You can’t keep such a handsome man alone, without friends.” She paused and answered:
- We are his friends!
And I mockingly:
- Is it you with the chicken?
And Maryushka said without offense:
- Well, why, there’s also Kalinka.
- Who else is this? — I asked, barely containing my irritation, because I was completely impressed by the wonderful horse.
And Maryushka, not noticing my inappropriate anger, told me that Kalinka had recently given birth to a daughter. She says and rejoices, and I keep looking at the forest to see if the horse will run out...
“Well,” I urge the girl, “call your Kalinka, we’ll see her too.”
- No! We must approach it ourselves.
I had to give in - let’s go have a look. I saw a motley cow, Kalinka, with a calf that was swaying, standing on four legs, and they were moving apart in different directions. I thought: “What a miracle—a cow!” What is there to admire here? It’s not a horse!”
And Maryushka, as if reading my thoughts, says:
- She is an extraordinary cow - destitute and undeservedly punished. At the owner's house, she broke everything in her path, overturned it, and once ended up in the cellar herself. And the owner decided to get rid of her. And when we ran to this clearing, I took a closer look and realized: she turns out to be blind. The owners took pity, did not take her away from me, and Kalinka and I began to live in this clearing. She is an orphan and I am an orphan. The blind horse was also brought here, and we accept all the disadvantaged. Love each other. People call me a servant, a nun.
The old man asked with concern: “So, Maryushka still has a white goat?” - and continued:
“How do you live,” I asked her then.
- God helps. He doesn’t forget about us, he consoles us and doesn’t give us offense. Our dugout is like a barn, but in our soul it’s heaven! When I sing a prayer, the angels sing along with me, and the aroma then is like in a garden in spring. You can't say it in words. And someone is lighting our dugout.
I asked Maryushka:
- Does this often happen? She answered:
- Always when the Lord Himself wishes. I have asked:
- Girl, pray for me! I'm full of sins. He set his foot on the holy place. Just as Moses was shown a burning thorn bush, so now, in the time of half-believers, it has been revealed to me on whom the light stands!
Maryushka smiled and prayed. And at parting she punished me:
- You pray yourself. The Lord will not save you without you.
That's all I know about her and I never forget...
You saw for yourself just now - Maryushka now has the goat.”
Grandfather fell silent. We, the “half-believers,” were very surprised and realized that our land was full of secrets.
Development of a lesson on “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture” for children 7-9 years old, including the author’s fairy tale. Theme: “Mystery: God is Trinity. Image of the Trinity in Russian icon painting"
Knyazheva Marina Viktorovna, teacher of MBDOU No. 12 “Berezka”, city of Kirzhach, Vladimir region.Purpose: For home and extracurricular reading. The fairy tale is intended for children 7-9 years old. This material may be useful to Sunday school teachers, teachers of “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture”, primary school teachers and parents for studying and understanding the topic “Holy Trinity”. She explains to the little reader such a concept as “The Holy Trinity. God is a trinity"
Target: Help in revealing the mystery and essence of the Holy Trinity. Revival of family reading traditions.
Tasks: To form a respectful attitude towards the material and spiritual values of Orthodoxy, to cultivate respect for the traditions of the Orthodox world, the historical past and present of our Motherland. Contribute to the formation of moral qualities. Develop children's creative potential. Cultivate a sense of responsibility for other people.
Description: The world of childhood and the world of fairy tales are simply inseparable from each other. A fairy tale is a necessary stage in a child’s mental development, just like, say, a game. The language of fairy tales is understandable to children. The child does not like instructions, and the fairy tale does not teach him directly. A fairy tale educates, solves problems, calms and, of course, teaches. Children need fairy tales, like they need air. The guys live them, breathe, grow and develop inside them.
One wise man wanted to know what God is like. But he couldn't. Read - read, thought - thought. Tired, he one day went to the seashore. He sees a child playing with sand there - building a well from the sand and filling it with water from the sea. "What are you doing, baby?" - asked the sage. - “You see: I want to pour the sea into my well, but it just doesn’t work.” - “How is this possible?! - exclaimed the sage. “Can the whole sea fit in your little well?” The child looked at the sage and said: “Well, if it is impossible for the sea to fit in my well, then how do you want to fit God into your weak mind?” Having said this, the child disappeared. The sage realized that it was an angel whom God had sent to enlighten him.
Indeed, it is impossible for us (humans) to fully understand the mystery of God - the Trinity. We can only get a little closer to it.
A tale of quiet joy.
Once upon a time there were spiders in the world. Ordinary spiders, family of spiders - mother, father and son. The little spider son grew up as a cheerful boy and loved to admire the drops of dew on the cobwebs.
But one day something happened, and the little spider fell ill. He hid in the darkest corner of his mother's room and did not come out anywhere. No, his legs didn’t hurt, he didn’t sneeze or cough. He just sat in the darkest corner and didn’t go out anywhere, he didn’t want anything.
Dad invited many doctors home, but they all unanimously insisted that the spider boy was not in pain. His legs don't hurt, he doesn't cough or sneeze. Doctors do not know what kind of disease this is and how to treat it. Mom loved her son very much and prayed to God a lot for him. And then one day a little caterpillar, which you can’t immediately see in the grass, advised the mother spider to go to the wise owl. “Maybe he will help,” my mother thought and got ready to go. The wise owl listened to the mother, they prayed together for the baby’s recovery and the owl said: “Only light, warmth and joy will help your baby.” Mom hurried home.
At home, after consulting with dad, they lit a lot of lights so that there was a lot of light, but the little son only squeezed even more into the darkest corner. Mom lit the stove to make it warm, but the little spider was just capricious and crying. Then they invited friends to have fun, but the little spider, and for some reason the spider friends themselves, were not having fun. The advice of the wise owl was not useful; neither one nor the other, nor the third helped.
The upset and distressed mother sat down by the window, and the exhausted baby climbed onto her lap. Suddenly the first ray of sunlight illuminated my mother’s shoulder - it was dawn.
“What is this, mom?” asked the spider.
.- A ray of sunshine.
- How bright and warm he is, and how joyfully he jumps on your shoulder. Mom, I want to see all the sun.
-Well, then let's go. After all, what could be more beautiful than a new coming day and the rising sun. Let's go, baby. I'll show you the sun.
-Mommy, how warm, light and joyful my soul is. You know, I think I have recovered!!!
Mom and son admired the dawn for a long time. Mom held her son in her arms, and she herself thought about how great the Creator is, who united light, warmth and quiet joy into one. The joy of the coming day.
Explanations on the topic: Once Saint Constantine the Philosopher was asked: “How do you Christians divide the One God into three?” “Do not speak in vain,” answered the sage, “The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not three Gods, but three Persons of a single Divinity. Look at the sun: it is one, but it has three features - circle, radiance of light and warmth. Compare this to the Blessed Trinity. The solar circle is a likeness of God the Father, for just as a circle has neither beginning nor end, so God is beginningless and infinite; and just as radiance emanates from the circle of the sun, so the Son is born from God the Father. And warmth is the likeness of the Holy Spirit, which eternally emanates from the Father. The sun consists of three components, but is not divided into three suns. Likewise, the Most Holy Trinity, although it has three Persons, is not divided into three Deities.”
Our great Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev depicted the Holy Trinity in the form of three beautiful angels lovingly bowing to each other. This is the "Old Testament Trinity".
And you can glorify God the Trinity with this prayer: "Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever (that is, always), and forever and ever. Amen."
Evening comes, darkness falls over the city and the children go to their beds to fall asleep sweetly. But before enjoying pleasant dreams, every child loves to listen to fairy tales that remain in the heart for the rest of their lives. Then why not combine business with pleasure and read to your child at night? useful and instructive parables for children.
A parable is a short story that contains the wisdom of our ancestors. Often, parables for children are instructive stories on some moral topic. Previously, they were used as one of the ways to raise children, since they are understandable to every child, easy to remember and as close to reality as possible. In this way, parables differ from fables, which are very allegorical and not always understandable to young listeners. Children's parables talk about friendship, family and family values, good and evil, God and much more.
Biblical and Orthodox parables for children
For many centuries, the Bible has been the most famous book in the whole world. These are not only sacred texts for Christians, but also the greatest monument of the cultural heritage of mankind. Biblical parables are found on the pages of the Old and New Testaments. Of course, it will be difficult for young children to understand all the sacred meaning that is hidden in the biblical texts, but with the help of their parents, the child will be able to understand them. The most famous Orthodox parables for children include the parables “About the Prodigal Son”, “About the Publican and the Pharisee”, which tell children about mercy and forgiveness, the parable “About the Good Samaritan”, which teaches kids kindness and compassion, and many others. Jesus Christ very often communicated with his followers in parables, since they help to understand the meaning of all hidden things.
Short parables for children
Some children, especially very young ones, do not like long stories; it is much easier for them to understand short texts with simple conclusions. In this case, you can read short parables for children to your child every evening. And every time an instructive and interesting story will await him, which will remain in his memory.
We especially recommend parables about friendship for children- for example, the parable of the nails. Very often children say something angry and bad to their friends and family. This parable will help them understand how important it is to value loved ones and not offend them with careless words.
Children's parables about good and evil are probably the most useful for our younger generation. After all, a child has no life experience, so it is difficult for him to distinguish bad from good, good from evil, white from black. It is necessary to teach the child such basic concepts, and parables about good and evil will be most useful for children. We recommend reading: “The Good Little Fox”, “Grandfather and Death”.
Parables can teach you everything. The most important and useful little stories are parables about family and family values, because there is nothing more important in our lives. It is especially useful for children to read parables about mothers, about love, about good and bad, about truth and lies.
Teach and educate your child from early childhood, then in the future he will grow up to be a good and kind person, responsive to the suffering of others, merciful and honest. This is the only way our world will become kinder and cleaner!
There is no need to separate children from reading books. The word is a person’s guide at any moment of his life; it can both hurt and educate. Orthodox books for children lack universality. The family chooses each specimen to their own taste.
What to read to preschoolers
Childhood is not only a period of learning about the world, but also a time of character formation and soul development. It is important for parents not to miss this important point.
Children's literature is the foundation on which a child will build his spiritual life; it is one of the first steps along which a child will rise to Christ.
Stories and Orthodox fairy tales for children tell readers about the faith itself and its great followers; they contain the meaning of good and evil, good attitude towards family and friends. That is why respectable parents often ask for such books in bookstores.
Bible for children
- Often found on church store shelves Bible for children. Colorful illustrations and a simple language of presentation of information that is understandable to a modern child allows you to understand the essence of good and evil, choose the right guidelines in life, learn about your forefathers and what is said in the Old and New Testaments. Your child may not be able to finish the entire book at once, so it is recommended that you return to it periodically. Biblical parables form a special spiritual framework, which the child will subsequently enrich with his life experience. Without knowledge of the Bible, we cannot understand how to resist vice.
- Probably every child has been to church at least once. And if a child grows up in a believing family, then he should know the saints depicted on the icons. It is for such families priest S. Begiyan wrote the book “Lives of Saints for Kids”. In it, he talks about the earthly path of ordinary people and explains why they became saints and look at us from icons with severity and love, so that it seems as if they know everything about us.
- Orthodox teacher B. Ganago published a book with many answers to children's questions, “For Children About the Soul.” Short stories and educational stories make children think and reflect, charge them with positivity and teach kindness and tolerance. Young readers learn to contemplate the beauty of the world, cultivate self-sacrifice, kindness, generosity and loyalty. All of B. Ganago’s works are imbued with the idea of the need to rely on the Almighty for support in any life situations.
- Children's prayer book published by the Novo-Tikhvin Convent is not just a collection of prayers. Each of its sections is preceded by an article telling about faith, the Sacraments of the Church, and the correct attitude towards prayer and its creation. A special place is given to the Jesus Prayer, which helps every person grow in piety.
- “The earthly life of the Blessed Virgin Mary for children” as presented by V. Nikolaev. A large colorful book tells about the life on earth of the Virgin Mary and Her Son Jesus Christ. Good stories will be of great benefit to little Christians and will help them choose life priorities and a worthy path in life.
- Book "Biblical Traditions" was invented by K. Chukovsky specifically for preschool children. It describes eternal truths over which time has no power. The book includes legends about the creation of the world, about Adam and Eve, about Noah and his ark, about the global flood, about the Tower of Babel, and the prophets. This publication will be interesting to read in a warm family circle.
- The book “The Summer of the Lord” by I. Shmelev written in 1923. The writer talks about the life of the country at the end of the 19th century. The depth of the world, its traditions, holidays, trips to holy places is shown to children through the eyes of a merchant’s son. He sees all situations from different sides, feels good and evil, understands the need for repentance and life changes. The reader, unnoticed by himself, becomes a participant in the events taking place.
“Summer of the Lord” by I. Shmelev - The work of C. Lewis “The Chronicles of Narnia” created at the beginning of the twentieth century. The publication consists of seven books, the writing style is fantasy. The reader discovers a magical land, into which several ordinary guys from England find themselves. Here the animals understand human language, talk and make friends with people. There is a lot of magic in the country, good fights evil, friendship and compassion are tested by difficult trials. At the end of the book, the author tells children about the sacrificial love of the Creator of the World, about His Resurrection. Lewis reveals to readers many Christian truths, thereby filling children's hearts with drops of faith in God.
- "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry- a novel in the form of a fairy tale-parable by a writer-pilot from France. The Little Prince is a hero from a distant planet, who the author supposedly met in the Sahara. The boy tells the writer that his homeland is a small asteroid that needs to be put in order every day, because his favorite beautiful rose grows there. Although the main character, before meeting the author, traveled to many planets and met a whole string of human passions, his fragile childish soul, despite everything, remained pure. The book teaches readers to love and see the depth of real feelings hidden behind external, sometimes negative qualities.
On Christian parenting:
Literature for teenagers
The modern world is full of vices and temptations that destroy the psyche of children and contribute to personality degradation. That is why the interests of a child, especially a teenager, must be directed in the right direction.
In one small village, at the very edge of the forest, there was a forester’s house. The girl Aksinya lived there with her father and mother. They lived modestly, but amicably: in the summer they went picking mushrooms and berries together, and in the winter, warming themselves by the stove, they quietly sang psalms. Aksinya’s parents were believers, and that’s why they tried not to spoil their daughter, but to raise her in the fear of God...
In one of the picturesque corners of Russia there is a small village with the cheerful name “Dobroe”. This is where the little girl Sofia lived.
Every now and then incredible stories happened to her. And all because the little girl believed in miracles...
One day, a hedgehog slowly walked through the forest, thinking about what he should do today. Suddenly he was called out by a bear cub, who told the hedgehog that he was looking for raspberries in the forest.
The hedgehog remembered how one day, when he went to look for apples and mushrooms, he came across a bush covered with ripe raspberries. Then the hedgehog ate only a few berries that were lying on the ground, but he liked the raspberries, and the hedgehog said to the bear:
- Come with me, I know where you can find a lot of raspberries!
And they went...
