Dr. Aibolit (novel)

• 1923 - 1924 - arrangement of the text of the first book of Hugh Lofting for young children.
• 1925 - the stories The Adventures of a White Mouse and The Lighthouse (according to Lofting).
• 1935 - The first publication of The Adventures of a White Mouse.
• 1936 - an expanded edition of "Doctor Aibolit" in 2 parts. It was reprinted with minor changes in all reprints until the final version of 1954 .
• 1938 - extended edition in 4 parts. Before the 1954 version appeared, it was reproduced only once - in 1950 .
• 1954 - canonical (final) version in 2 parts.

Part 1. Travel to the Monkey Country

The good doctor Aibolit treated animals and people and never refused help to anyone. Beasts always lived in his house. He had an evil sister, Varvara, who did not like animals and was angry with the doctor because the latter lived in his room. The doctor did not take money from the poor and animals, but once he was left without bread. Then the animals began to feed him: pig Oink-Oink and owl Bumba arranged a garden in the courtyard, the cow gave its milk, and the hens laid eggs to the doctor. Avba's dog and Chichi monkey were cleaning the doctor’s house.

The doctor was very pleased:

“I have never had such purity in my house.” Thank you, children and animals, for your work!
The children smiled merrily at him, and the animals answered with one voice:
- Karabuki, marabuki, boo!
In animal language, this means: “How can we not serve you? You are our best friend. ”

Once a swallow flew into the doctor’s house and asked him to go to Africa to cure sick monkeys:

There is only one person who can save them - it is you. Take your medicine with you and go to Africa soon! If you do not go to Africa, all the monkeys will die.

Can a doctor refuse help? His old friend, the sailor Robinson, whom the doctor had once saved from a fever, gave his ship. Having taken some of his friends aboard the ship, the doctor went to Africa to help sick monkeys. The ship raced on all sails, but then a terrible storm arose. The heroes remained safe and sound, but, unfortunately, the ship crashed.

As soon as the travelers landed ashore, they were immediately captured by the evil robber Barmaley. The doctor and his friends fought off his servants with all their might, but the latter were stronger. They put the heroes in prison, the key to which Barmaley hid under his pillow. The Karudo parrot was able to squeeze between the iron bars of the grate and get out. He flew to Barmaley, pulled a key from under his pillow and brought it to the doctor. The doctor opened the dungeon with a key and got out with his friends to freedom. Upon learning that Dr. Aibolit had escaped, Barmaley sent a fugitive chase.

The doctor fled with all his might. The monkeys saw him from afar and looked forward to it. But on the doctor’s path there was a wide river, which was impossible to cross, and it was impossible to hesitate for a minute - the servants of Barmaley overtook the heroes. Then one of the monkeys grabbed the tree that grew on the bank of the river, the second monkey grabbed the first by the tail, and thus the monkeys built a bridge so that the doctor moved to the other bank. Barmaley's servants followed the doctor, but in the middle of the bridge one of the monkeys opened its fingers, the bridge crumbled, and Barmaley's servants flew into the river. Thus they were defeated.

There were a lot of sick monkeys, and the doctor and his assistants could not cope with the work. Then the doctor decided to seek help from local animals. He asked for a lion, rhinos and tigers, but none of them wanted to help the doctor. Soon a small lion cub fell ill, and the lion, asking for forgiveness from the doctor, helped treat the sick. And when other cubs needed help, rhinos and tigers also apologized to the good doctor Aibolit.

In gratitude, the animals gave the doctor an unusual animal - Tianitolkaya. This beast has two heads: one in front and one in the back. When one head is sleeping, the other is awake, and therefore no hunter has been able to catch him. Tianitolka was never seen either in the circus or in the zoo. The good doctor really liked Tianitolkai, and the latter agreed to go with him. Returning, the doctor again returned to the country where Barmaley lived. There, the servants of Barmaley again tried to capture the brave travelers, but they again defeated the enemies, captured the ship of Barmalei and safely returned home.

At home, friends joyfully met the doctor. He presented Barmaley's ship to sailor Robinson. Tianitolkai quickly got comfortable with his new friends. He boldly walked the streets and rolled children. The evil Barbara also decided to ride in Tianitolkai and hit him with an umbrella. Tianitolkai became angry and threw Barbara into the sea. A sailor Robinson sailed past. He pulled Barbara out of the water and drove to a distant uninhabited island, where she could not offend anyone.

Part 2. Penta and Sea Pirates

One day, walking with friends along the seashore, Dr. Aibolit saw a cave locked in a large castle. Owl Bumba, possessing a delicate hearing, heard a man crying behind a locked door. Cutting the cave door with an ax, the doctor saw a boy named Penta. As it turned out, Penta was fishing with his father, and their boat was captured by pirates. Pirates took the red-haired fisherman with them, and Penta was locked in a cave. The doctor called for help dolphins, who were happy to serve him. They searched the whole sea and questioned all the crayfish and fish, but Penta's father was never found.

Then the doctor called the eagles. The latter were also happy to come to the aid of Dr. Aibolit. They examined all the land, all forests and fields, all mountains, cities and villages, but also to no avail. Then the dog Avba got down to business. She sniffed Father Penta's handkerchief and, by the smell of the wind, determined which direction to look. The doctor asked the ship from his friend, the sailor Robinson, and the heroes set sail. At sea, they found a high rock, on which Avva sniffed every crack and in the pit found Father Penta. The doctor took the fisherman with his son to their native village.

Residents of the village presented Avve with a beautiful collar on which was written in large letters: "Avve - the most intelligent and brave dog." Three days later, on the way back, the travelers met the pirates, but the doctor called a swallow for help. She led the cranes, who pulled the ship forward so fast that the pirates could not catch them. But a hole appeared in the ship, and the travelers gathered their things and left the ship. When the pirates saw the abandoned ship, they seized it, and Dr. Aibolit and his friends slowly made their way to the pirate ship.

Nevertheless, the pirates noticed the heroes and rushed after them in pursuit of the doctor’s ship. But as the ship leaked, the pirates ended up in the sea, where the sharks swallowed them all to one. At home, they already knew that the doctor had defeated the pirates led by Barmaley, and had an unprecedented holiday. But the doctor could not enjoy the fun for long - sick animals were waiting for him. Penta helped the doctor, and the latter quickly got the job done.

Part 3. Fire and water

Sailor Robinson traveled to Africa to bring his little son Dick to Pull. When Robinson's ship was already very close, the lighthouse that illuminated the harbor entrance went out. It was urgent to light a fire on it so that the ship would not crash against the rocks. The doctor went to the lighthouse, and the seagulls flew towards the ship to detain him. The lighthouse watchman, the old Negro Jumbo, was unconscious, but the doctor did not have time to help him - he rushed to look for matches on the lighthouse. Finally, they were found, the lamps lit, and the ship safely reached the shore.

Now I had to deal with Jumbo, who had a wound on his forehead. When Jumbo recovered, he said that he was hit by a fugitive pirate Benalis. The latter escaped from the uninhabited island to which the doctor sent him, and now wants to take revenge on Aibolit: set fire to his house and kill the animals living in it. The doctor ran home, but the pirate grabbed him and threw him into the well, and he himself set the house on fire. Sitting in the well, the doctor began to call for help. He was heard by an old green frog and brought cranes. They brought a rope and pulled the doctor out of the well.

The doctor rushed to the burning house and rushed into the fire itself to save the animals, but suffocated from the smoke and lost consciousness. But the animals saved by him pulled him out of the fire, and the doctor came to his senses. Birds came to help him from all over, animals came running, even huge bowhead whales came and extinguished the fire with their fountains. But the doctor’s house burned down, and the latter had nowhere to live. All friends offered him their homes, but the doctor chose to live in a cave on the seashore.

In the meantime, Benalis decided to steal the ship from the sailor Robinson, go to sea on it and again kill and rob people. He sailed in a boat to the ship. The birds covered the lighthouse, and in the darkness Benalis's boat crashed on the rocks, and the pirate drowned. The doctor, getting wet in the well, caught a cold, but could not find a suitable cave. Then beavers came to the rescue. With their strong teeth, they knocked down trees, worked the logs and built a new strong house, and friends gave him (that is, the doctor) medicine so that he would recover as soon as possible.

Part 4. The Adventures of the White Mouse

Once upon a time there was a white mouse named Belyanka. All her brothers and sisters were gray, and she was white. Once the mice went for a walk, and Belyanka was not taken with them, so that the Black Cat would not see her. But Belyanka ran after them. The Black Cat grabbed her with its scary claws. Fortunately, Penta, the son of a fisherman, saw this. He saved Belianka and put her in a cage. Penta was a good boy, and Belyanka lived well with him, but she wanted to get out. Once she gnawed the bars of a cage and ran away.

There was snow on the street, and Belyanka could walk freely around the city, since it was invisible in the snow. Suddenly she saw an old gray rat that was sitting on the threshold of the barn and crying. The rat could not go outside and get food - it would be immediately noticed in the snow. Belyanka brought the rat food throughout the winter, and in the summer the rat began to bring food to Belyanka. Once, the brothers and sisters of Belyanka walked past the barn. They went to the forest to dance, but they did not take Belyanka with them - because of her, an owl will see them. Seeing that Belyanka was crying, the rat came up with the idea to paint it gray.

In the barn there was a dyer workshop, where Belyanka plunged into a trough with paint. But the rat mixed up the colors in the dark, and for some reason Belyanka turned yellow. Angry at the old rat, Belyanka decided to leave her. But as soon as she ran out of the barn, the Black Cat, schoolchildren and dogs chased after her. No one has ever seen a yellow mouse. Finally, Belyanka got to her home, but her mother did not recognize her and drove her out:

My Belianka was whiter than snow, and you are yellow, like a daisy, like a yolk, like a chicken. I have never had such a daughter! You are not my daughter. Get out of here!

Crying, Belyanka ran to the sea, trying to wash off the paint in the water, but to no avail. Then she decided to return to Pente, but on the way she met a mouse, who advised Belyanka to contact Dr. Aibolit. The latter really liked the yellow coat of the mouse, and he did not treat it, but left it for himself. Belyanka became Fiji (that is, a golden mouse) and now she sings their funny song with other animals:

Shita rita, tita drita!
Sivandada, Sivanda!
We are a native Aibolit
Never leave!

• the film "Doctor Aibolit" ( Soyuzdetfilm , USSR , 1938 ), dir. Vladimir Nemolyaev ;
• the film " Aibolit-66 " by Rolan Bykov;
• Cartoon " Aibolit and Barmaley " ( "Soyuzmultfilm" , USSR , 1973 ), dir. Natalia Chervinskaya .
• cartoon "Doctor Aibolit" ( Kievnauchfilm , USSR , 1984 ), dir. David Cherkassky . Dr. Aibolit was voiced by Zinovy ​​Gerdt .

Sometimes Aibolit is borrowed for other stories as a character, for example, as for the cartoon “ Gray Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood ”.

• Aibolit (character)
• Aibolit (1929, a fairy tale in verse)

• Korney Chukovsky - The Story of My Aibolit