Instructive tales for naughty children

A long time ago, when our great-grandparents were very young, they also read bedtime stories.

And each of them will contain some "good fellows a lesson", which was supposed to teach kids all kinds of virtues. However, in this case chosen such terrible scenes, in comparison with which modern horror movies simply fade - amazing how after such fairy tales children can fall asleep at all. Judge for yourself:

1. "The story of a little boy suck his thumb"

The collection of ten didactic poems "Shtruvvelpeter" (literally translated as "disheveled Peter"), composed in 1845 by psychiatrist Heinrich Hoffmann as a Christmas present for my three year old son.

In it collected stories about a variety of children's offenses and the most sadistic punishment imaginable. A boy named Augustus, for example, did not eat soup, withered and died. Henrietta played with matches and burned alive. But the most dreadful thing happened to poor Conrad, who was in the habit of thumb sucking.

Mama Conrad, going on business, strictly forbade his son to suck in her absence finger. The child, of course, disobeyed. And then came the tailor and otstrig boy thumbs up with his sharp scissors:

Creek Krak! Suddenly the door opened, Taylor rushed like a wild beast; By Petrusha I ran, and - snip!

He snapped his fingers suddenly.

Petrushka shouting: ah, ah, ah!

At other times you listen to know!

In general, other times not imagine - the boy died from loss of blood.

By the way, this book enjoyed a crazy popular. By 1876 it held 100 publications. The Russian version was called "Stopka-Rastopka" and was also in great demand.

2 "Cry-Baby"

Another masterpiece Dr. Hoffmann, included in the collection "Betsy-Slut" was published in 1911. Mom warns daughter cry-baby, so she was not capricious, but she does not want to hear anything, and continues to be flooded with tears. She cried, weeping, and crying her eyes out - there were only empty sockets.

In the same collection there is a horror story about a girl Polly, which is prohibited to play with the boys. She disobeyed and her boyish brawl severed leg. Or the story of a proud Anne, who turn up their noses higher and higher, until finally, her neck is not stretched out so far that the girl had to carry his own head on the carriage.

3. "Tomboy, which turned into a boy"

This story is from the book "Little Miss Consequences," published in 1880. Daughter of the Count loved to play with the boys, and eventually she became a boy, first appeared rough manners, then began to break the voice, and, finally, there was the final transformation. The parents were not able to come to terms with gender reassignment and sent his child to serve as a sailor on the first available ship.

4. "Red Riding Hood"

Later versions of this tale, as we all know, the hunters cut the wolf's belly and save Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood. However, the original is no salvation was not - both victims were safely digested by the stomach of a predator.

"Children, especially cute and well-bred young ladies, in any case should not talk to strangers. Otherwise, they risk get all the wolf for lunch, - wrote Charles Perrault. - The wolves are very different. It happens that in appearance he seems charming, modest, polite, helpful and attentive, and the opportunities just waiting to attack you and devour. Unfortunately, it is this kind of wolves and is the greatest danger. "

5. "Max and Moritz"

Seven stories about young hooligans came up with the German writer Wilhelm Busch in 1865. First, these children are terrorized the inhabitants of the village. One widow, for example, were the chickens. The boys come up to feed them bread balls are rolled in a rope. Chickens pecked bread, swallowed the rope entangled in it, and in a panic all crippled. Widow had no choice, how to fry the poor birds. And then Max and Moritz have picked up a fishing rod chicken, pulled out and eaten. But as they say, as a string does not curl ...

Once the boys of hooliganism ripped sack of grain, which is a local farmer drove to the mill, but was caught in the act. The farmer did not lisp with them, I sewed in the same bag, and handed over to the miller. Milled Max and Moritz fed to poultry. None of them did not.

6. "Rebecca, who liked to slam doors, for which he paid"

This poem Anglo-French writer Hilaire Belloc appeared in 1907 and in the Russian version is called "About a girl Anna, who for fun slamming the door and died." Rebecca / Anne was a girl, in principle, quite good, but capricious, and as it is now said, hyperactive. Very she liked to be worn around the house and slam the door. And then one day ...

"It happened that on the door directly, was a bust of Abraham Lincoln.

Just thundered out the door, and - wham! -

He fell to Anne Abraham, and Anna immediately died:

That's what brings a prank! "

A cautionary tale, do not say anything.