Antipyretics for children are prescribed by a pediatrician. But there are emergency situations with fever when the child needs to be given medicine immediately. Then the parents take responsibility and use antipyretic drugs. What is allowed to be given to infants? How can you lower the temperature in older children? What medications are the safest?
One of the hemules stood on the roof and shoveled snow. The hemulus had yellow ones
woolen mittens, which eventually became wet and began to bother him. Then
he put them on the pipe, sighed and got back to work. Finally he got there
to the attic window.
“Aha, here it is,” he said. “And these sleepyheads lay down below.” Everybody sleeps,
sleep and sleep. While others are struggling here. And all for the sake of it happening
Christmas.
He stood on the window and quietly stomped on it, because he didn’t remember
whether it opens inward or outward. It immediately opened inwards and
a hemulen, shrouded in a snow cloud, fell onto a pile of various household items
belongings that the Moomins took to the attic for storage.
The Hemulen was extremely annoyed, he also did not remember very well,
where he put his yellow mittens. And these were his favorite mittens.
The Hemulen stomped down the stairs, threw open the door and shouted angrily
in a voice: “Christmas is coming! I’m tired of you and your sleeping, Christmas may
coming any minute!"
The Mu-troll family, as always, plunged into winter hibernation. They
They had been sleeping for months and were planning to sleep until spring. Quietly
swaying in the gentle embrace of sleep, they floated through the long, endless
summer afternoon. Suddenly something alarming and cold disturbed the sweet dream
Moomintroll. And someone pulled the blanket off him and shouted that he was tired and
that Christmas is coming.
“It’s already spring...” muttered Moomintroll.
- What spring?! - the hemulen exploded. - Christmas, you know. Christmas. A
I didn’t do anything, didn’t prepare anything, and at this time they are still sending
me to dig you out. The mittens are probably missing. And everyone is running around like
crazy, and nothing is ready...
And the hemulen stomped up the stairs and climbed out through the attic window.
“Mom, wake up,” Moomintroll whispered in fear. “Something has happened.”
terrible. They call it Christmas.
- What do you mean? - Mom asked, leaning out from under the blanket.
“I don’t know exactly,” her son answered. “But nothing is ready, and something
disappeared, and everyone is running around like crazy. Maybe there will be another flood.
He carefully shook Miss Snork and whispered:
- Don’t be scared, but they say something terrible happened.
“Calm,” said dad. “Only calm.”
And he went and wound up the clock, which had stopped in October.
Following the wet footprints of the hemulen, they climbed into the attic and climbed out onto
roof of the house.
The sky was blue, as usual, and therefore about the volcanic eruption this time
there was no question. But the entire valley was filled with wet cotton wool - both the mountains and
trees, and the river, and the whole roof. And it was very cold, even colder than in
April.
- Is this your Christmas? - Dad was surprised. He got a full paw
cotton wool and began to look at her. “Interesting,” he said, “I wonder if she
grew straight from the ground? Or did it fall from the sky? If it falls all at once, then
This must be very unpleasant.
“But dad, it’s snow,” said Moomintroll. “I know it’s snow, and it’s not
the whole thing falls down at once.
- Really? - Dad was amazed. “But it’s still unpleasant.”
Aunt Hemulya with a Christmas tree drove past on a Finnish sleigh.
“Ah, we finally woke up,” she said, almost without looking in their direction.
Don't forget about the Christmas tree before it gets dark.
“But why...” began Moominpappa.
“I have no time for you now,” the aunt threw over her shoulder and drove off.
“Before it gets dark,” whispered Miss Snork. “She said, until it gets dark.”
It got dark. The worst thing will happen in the evening...
- Apparently, in order to avoid danger, it is necessary
“Prepare a Christmas tree,” Dad thought. “I don’t understand anything...
“Me too,” my mother said obediently. “But still tie it around your neck.”
scarves when you go to pick up the Christmas tree. In the meantime, I'll try to light the stove.
Despite the danger threatening them, dad decided not to touch his Christmas trees,
because he took care of them. So they climbed over the Gafsin fence and chose
herself a large spruce tree, which Gafsa would not have needed anyway.
- Do you think we will need to hide under it? - with doubt
said Moomintroll.
“I don’t know,” said dad, continuing to wield the ax. “I’m completely
I don't understand anything.
They had almost reached the river, when suddenly they saw Gafsa, who
rushed towards them, clutching a bunch of different bags and packages to her chest.
Flushed and unusually excited, she, fortunately, did not recognize
your Christmas tree.
- Noise and crush! - Gafsa shouted. - Ill-mannered hedgehogs are not allowed to
should be allowed... And I just said that this is a shame and
shame...
“And the Christmas tree...” said Moominpappa, clutching its fur in despair.
collar.- What do they do with the Christmas tree?
“Christmas tree...” Gafsa repeated mechanically. “Christmas tree?” Oh, what a horror! No, I
I can’t stand this... After all, I still have to dress her up... I won’t have time...
Her bags fell on the snow, her hat slipped over her eyes, and she almost
burst into hysterical tears.
Moominpappa shook his head and picked up the tree again.
Meanwhile, my mother cleared the snow from the veranda, took out life belts and
aspirin, daddy's gun and hot water bottles. After all, anything could happen.
In the living room, a tiny Knut sat on the very edge of the sofa and drank tea.
Mom saw him in the snow under the veranda, and he seemed so pitiful and
unhappy that she invited him into the house.
“Here it is, the Christmas tree,” said Moominpappa. “Now we’d better find out what’s wrong with it.”
do. Gafsa believes that she needs to be dressed up.
“There are no such big outfits,” my mother said worriedly. “What Gafsa
did you mean by this?
- How beautiful she is! - exclaimed little Knutt and, out of embarrassment, drank up to
bottom of the whole cup. He immediately regretted that he had attracted attention to himself, and sat as if
on needles.
- Don’t you know how to decorate a Christmas tree? - asked Miss Snork.
Knutt blushed terribly and whispered:
- Beautiful things. To be as beautiful as possible. That's what I heard. - And
Burning with embarrassment, he covered his muzzle with his paws, knocked over the cup and disappeared behind
veranda doors.
“Now be silent a little, I’ll think about it,” said Moominpappa. “If
it is necessary for the tree to become as beautiful as possible, which means that this is not about
to hide under it from Christmas, but to appease him. I,
I think I'm starting to understand what's going on here.
They immediately took the tree out into the yard and planted it securely in the snow. A
then they began to hang it from top to bottom with all kinds of decorations.
They decorated it with shells from the flower bed and a pearl necklace.
Miss Snork. They removed the crystal pendants from the chandelier and hung them on
branches, and on top they placed a red rose made of silk, which dad gave
Moomin-mama.
Everyone carried all the most beautiful things to appease this incomprehensible and
terrible Christmas.
When the Christmas tree was already decorated, Aunt Hemulya rode past again in
their Finnish sleighs. Now she was heading in the opposite direction, and,
She seemed to be in even more of a hurry, if that was even possible.
“Look at the Christmas tree,” Moomintroll shouted to her.
- Oh my God! - exclaimed the aunt. - However, you were always with
quirks. However, I'm in a hurry... I need to cook Christmas dinner.
- Dinner? - Moomintroll was amazed. - What, Christmas is having dinner too?..
- Do you think we can do without Christmas dinner? -
She said a little irritably and drove off down the hill.
For the rest of the day, my mother did not sit down for a minute. And before it got dark,
when Christmas dinner was ready, the treat stood under the tree, laid out
small cups. There was juice, and sour milk, and blueberry pie, and
eggnog, and other delicacies beloved by the Moomins.
- How do you think. Is Christmas very hungry? - Mom got worried.
“Hardly more than me,” Dad said with sadness in his voice. Almost with
with his head wrapped in a blanket, he sat in the snow and patiently froze. But simple
mortals must humble themselves before the formidable forces of nature.
All over the valley, candles were lit in windows. The candles lit up and
trees, and in each nest on the branches, and in the snow they darted back and forth
flickering lights. Moomintroll looked at his dad.
“Yes, of course,” Dad nodded. “Just in case.”
And Moomintroll went into the house and collected all the candles he could find.
He stuck them in the snow, surrounding the tree with them, and began to carefully light one
after another, until they all burst into flames to temper the wrath of Christmas.
Gradually all movement in the valley stopped: everyone probably went their separate ways.
home and now sat and waited for trouble to strike. Only a lonely shadow
wandered among the trees. It was a hemulen.
“Hey,” Moomintroll called out to him. “How long will we wait?”
“Don’t interfere,” the hemulen grumbled, burying himself in a long list in which
almost everything was crossed out.
He sat down near one of the candles and began to count something.
“Mom, dad, Gafsa,” he muttered. “Cousins, sisters...
older hedgehog... the younger ones will kill each other. Sniff me last year nothing
gave. Misa and Homsa, aunt... you can go crazy.
- From what? - Miss Snork asked in fear. “Is there something wrong with them?”
It happened?
- Present! - the hemulen screamed. - Every year more and more
gifts!
He marked something on his list with a clumsy cross and wandered on.
- Wait! - Moomintroll shouted. - Explain to us... And your mittens...
But the hemulen disappeared into the darkness, disappeared like all the other inhabitants of the valley,
so scared about the arrival of Christmas.
. And then everyone quietly, trying not to make noise, went into the house to
find gifts. Dad chose his best spinner, which was stored in a very
beautiful box. “Christmas,” he wrote on the box and put it under
Christmas tree Freken Snork took off her ring and, sighing quietly, wrapped it in
silk paper.
And mom opened her treasured drawer and took out a book with colored
pictures, the only book with color pictures in all of Moominvalley.
What Moomintroll packed was so personal and intimate that
no one was allowed to look at this thing. Even then, already in the spring, he
I didn’t tell anyone what kind of gift it was.
Then everyone sat down in the snow and prepared for the worst.
Time passed, but nothing happened. Only little Knutt appeared from behind
barn, that one. drank tea with them. His relatives and their friends came with him -
all, as one, small, gray, pitiful and chilled.
“Merry Christmas to you,” Knutt whispered timidly.
“This is the first time I’ve heard people say Merry Christmas,” said dad. “What are you saying?”
Are you not afraid of him at all? What if it comes?
“But it’s already here,” Knutt muttered, sitting down in the snow. “You can
look? You have such a wonderful tree...
“And such a treat,” one of the relatives added dreamily.
“And real gifts,” said another relative.
“All my life I’ve dreamed of looking at all this up close,” he finished with a sigh.
Knutt.
Everyone fell silent. The night was quiet and windless, and the candles burned evenly.
flame. Knutt and his relatives looked with bated breath at the
gifts and Christmas dinner. And their admiration was so great that mother
In the end she couldn’t stand it and, moving closer to dad, whispered:
- What do you think, huh?
“Yes, but what if...” Dad objected.
“Nothing,” said Moomintroll. “If Christmas gets angry, we’ll run away.”
veranda. And he turned to Knutt and said:
- Please take it, this is all for you. Knutt couldn't believe his ears. He
carefully approached the tree, and followed with enthusiastic trembling
a string of relatives and friends stretched out like a mustache.
They had never had their own Christmas before.
“Now we’d better get out of here,” Moominpappa said alarmedly.
They tiptoed up to the veranda and hid under the table.
But nothing bad happened.
Feeling a little bolder, they looked out the window. The whips were sitting around the tree, they
they ate, drank, looked at gifts, and they were having more fun than ever. Then they
climbed onto the tree and attached burning candles to the branches.
“And there should probably be a star at the top,” he turned to Knutt.
uncle.
- Do you think so? - said Knutt, looking thoughtfully at his mother’s silk
rose.- What difference does it make if the idea itself is correct...
“We also had to get a star,” whispered Moominmama. “But this is
impossible! - And they looked at the sky, so distant and black, everything
strewn with stars, which were a thousand times more numerous than in summer. And the most
the big one hung right above their tree.
“I kind of want to sleep,” said Moominmama. “And I’m tired of all these
riddles Moreover, nothing terrible happens.
“For example, I’m no longer afraid of Christmas,” said Moomintroll. “Probably
Gafsa and the hemul and aunt understood something wrong.
They placed the hemulen's yellow mittens on the veranda railing so that he could immediately
I saw it and went to get some sleep and wait for spring.
THE STORY ABOUT THE LAST DRAGON IN THE WORLD.
One day in the middle of summer, on Thursday, in a large hole with dirty yellowish
water, in the same one to the right of the trees between which dad hung his
hammock, Moomintroll caught the little dragon.
Moomintroll, of course, did not intend to catch the dragon. He just wanted
catch a few water bugs that infest the muddy bottom to get better
look at how their legs move and check whether they really
swim backwards. But when he pulled him out of the water with a sharp movement
glass jar, it contained something completely different.
“Wow,” Moomintroll whispered reverently. He was holding a jar
with both paws and looked at her without looking away.
The dragon was no bigger than a matchbox, and he was rushing around the jar,
flapping its charming transparent wings, as beautiful as
goldfish fins.
But no goldfish was as luxuriously gilded as this one.
miniature dragon. He sparkled all over in the sun's rays, he seemed
sculpted from gold. His tiny head was a soft light green
colors, and the eyes are yellow, like lemons. Each of its six gilded legs
ended with a tiny paw, and the tail, closer to the tip, went from
golden to green. It was an amazing little dragon.
Moomintroll screwed on the lid (with a hole for air) and carefully
I lowered the jar onto the moss. Then he lay down on his stomach and began to look
a dragon that swam up to the wall and opened its small mouth,
all lined with white teeth.
“He’s evil,” thought Moomintroll. “So tiny, but evil.
something to do to please him... And what does he eat? What do dragons eat?.."
Excited and concerned, he again took the can in his paws and carried it
home, trying to step as carefully as possible so that the dragon does not hurt himself on
glass walls. After all, he is so tiny, so tender...
“I will love you, I will take care of you,” Moomintroll whispered. “You
you can sleep on my pillow at night. And when you grow up, you and I
let's make friends, you can swim in the sea with me...
Moominpappa was busy with his tobacco seedlings. Of course you can have a dragon
it would be nice to show it. But Moomintroll decided that it was not worth it. He better hide it
for a few days to let him get used to it a little. After all, you can make it out of this
secret and wait for the most interesting thing, the moment when he reveals
dragon Snusmumrik.
Moomintroll clutched the can tightly to himself and with the most indifferent look
headed to the back porch. At this time all the household were in the yard, about
verandas. When Moomintroll tried to slip into the house, the curious
Little My's face peeked out from behind a barrel of water:
- What you have there?
“Nothing,” muttered Moomintroll.
-o This is a jar,” said My, craning her neck. “What do you have in it?” Why do you
are you hiding her?
Moomintroll rushed up the steps and flew into his room. He
put the jar on the table; a storm was raging in it, and the little dragon sat curled up
in a ball, covering his head with his wings. After a while he gradually became
straighten up and show teeth.
“This will never happen again,” Moomintroll promised. “I’m sorry.”
me, please.” He opened the lid so that the dragon could look around, and
then he went and locked the door. You never know what to expect from
this Mu.
When he returned to the baby dragon, it had climbed out of the water and was sitting on the edge
banks. Moomintroll carefully extended his paw to pet him.
And then the dragon opened its mouth and released a small cloud of smoke. Red
the tongue burst out of the mouth like a tongue of flame and disappeared just as quickly."
“Ay,” said Moomintroll, because he got burned. Not much, but still.
He was completely delighted with the dragon.
- You're angry, huh? - asked Moomintroll, drawing out his words. - You are terrible
scary and bloodthirsty, right? Oh my sweet little prankster!..
The little dragon snorted.
Moomintroll climbed under the bed and dug out his box of supplies:
a few pancakes, already a little dry, half a sandwich and an apple. He
I cut off a piece of everything and laid it out on the table near the dragon. That
sniffed the treat, looked at Moomintroll with a contemptuous look and suddenly
With incredible speed he rushed to the windowsill and attacked a large fat fly.
The fly buzzed desperately when the little dragon grabbed her scruff
with his green paws, he blew a cloud of smoke into her eyes.
And now the jaws, studded with white teeth, began to work, and from time to time
After a while, the mouth opened wide, into which the fly gradually disappeared.
Having dealt with the fly, the little dragon licked his lips, scratched behind his ear and
looked mockingly at Moomintroll.
- That's what you are! - exclaimed Moomintroll. - Oh, my little one!
At that moment, mom hit the gong, it was the signal for dinner.
“Now be a good girl and wait for me here,” said Moomintroll. “I
I'll try to get back as quickly as possible.
He stood for a second or two, not taking his eyes off the loving, enthusiastic dragon
glance, he, however, was clearly not inclined to tenderness, and Moomintroll,
whispering “bye, buddy,” he quickly went down the stairs and ran out onto the veranda.
Before Myu had time to dip her spoon into the porridge, she immediately began:
- And some people here are hiding something in glass jars...
“Hold your tongue,” said Moomintroll.
“You might think,” continued My, “that someone in our house collects
leeches
and woodlice, and maybe even centipedes.
“Mom,” said Moomintroll. “You know that if in our house and
There are leeches that you can't get rid of, and that's...
“Boo-boo-boo-boo-boo,” said My, blowing bubbles into a glass of milk.
- What? - Dad looked up from the newspaper.
“Moomintroll brought a new animal,” Mom explained. “Does it bite?”
“He’s too small to bite,” muttered the son.
- When will he grow up? - asked Mu. “Will we see him soon?” He can
speak?
Moomintroll. did not answer. They ruined everything again. But as a human being it is necessary
like:
first you keep something secret, and then you give a surprise. But if
you live in a family, what surprises and secrets there are. They know everything in advance, and they
nothing will surprise you.
“I’m thinking of going to the river after breakfast,” he muttered arrogantly.
Moomintroll.-
Mom, tell them not to come into my room. And then in case something happens
I am not responsible for the consequences.
“Okay,” said mom and looked at Mu. “Not a single living soul
will come to you.
Moomintroll finished his porridge with dignity and left.
Snusmumrik sat near the tent and painted a cork float. Seeing him
Moomintroll again thought with pleasure about his little dragon.
“Oh, these are my relatives,” he said. “Sometimes they just
unbearable.
Without taking the pipe out of his mouth, Snusmumrik grunted in agreement.
They sat in silence for a while, soaking in the spirit of camaraderie and
male solidarity.
“By the way,” Moomintroll suddenly spoke. “You during your
travels, have you ever met a dragon?
“You’re not interested in salamanders, lizards, or crocodiles,” after
Snusmumrik said after a long silence. “You mean exactly
dragon? No. They all transferred.
- Or maybe there was one left, and someone caught it in a jar?
- Moomintroll said thoughtfully.
Snusmumrik raised his eyes and looked closely at his friend
more closely, I realized that he was simply bursting with delight and
impatience. Therefore, he rejected such an assumption without hesitation:
- I don't think so.
- It may very well be that it is no bigger than a matchbox and spews
“flame,” Moomintroll continued, yawning.
“This is impossible,” said Snusmumrik. He already knew how to behave,
when they are preparing a surprise for you.
His friend rolled his eyes and said:
- A dragon made of pure gold with tiny, tiny legs that could
would become unusually devoted and accompany you everywhere... - And
Moomintroll jumped high and shouted: “I found him!” I now have
have my own little dragon!
TermList of DefinitionsAddressesQuotesReadyAs they walked up to the house
Snusmumrik went through all stages of disbelief, amazement and delight. He was
inimitable.
They walked up the stairs, carefully opened the door and entered the room.
The jar of water was still on the table, but the dragon had disappeared.
Moomintroll looked under the bed, looked behind the chest of drawers, he rummaged around
room, he looked into every nook and cranny and called:
- Come here, my friend, come here, my smart little dragon...
“Listen,” said Snusmumrik, “there he is on the curtain.”
The little dragon was actually sitting on the curtain.
- How did he get there?! - Moomintroll exclaimed in horror. - What if he
it will fall out of there... Just don’t move. Wait a little... I'll now...
He pulled the mattress and bedding from the bed and spread it
it's all on the floor
under the window. Then he took an old butterfly net and brought it to
right under the dragon's nose.
- Jump! - he whispered. - Well, come on. Just little by little...
“You’ll scare him,” said Snusmumrik.
The little dragon opened its mouth and hissed. He grabbed the net with his teeth and
whirred like a small motor. And suddenly, flapping his wings, he broke away
from the curtains and began to rush around the room right up to the ceiling.
- He flies, he flies! - Moomintroll shouted. - My dragon flies!
“Naturally,” said Snusmumrik. “Don’t jump like that.” Calm down.
But the little dragon, having interrupted its flight, hovered in the air, and its wings
vibrated like a moth's. Then he dived straight at Moomintroll,
bit him on the ear, so much so that he howled in pain, and, flapping his wings,
flew over to Snusmumrik's shoulder.
He moved close to Snusmumrick's ear, closed his eyes and
chirped.
“So small, but such a prankster,” Snusmumrik was amazed. “He’s all
heated up. What is he doing?
“He liked you,” said Moomintroll.
In the afternoon, Miss Snork, who was visiting her grandmother, returned home
little My, and, of course, immediately found out that Moomintroll had caught the dragon.
The dragon sat on the table near Snusmumrik's cup and licked its paws.
He had already eaten everyone except Snusmumrik, and "every time, angry,
burned a hole in the tablecloth.
- How cute he is! - said Miss Snork. “What’s his name?”
“Nothing special,” muttered Moomintroll. “An ordinary dragon.”
His paw, slowly moving along the tablecloth, reached out to the little dragon and
touched one of the gilded legs. At the same moment the dragon sharply
turned, hissed and blew out a small cloud of smoke.
- Oh, how sweet! - Miss Snork exclaimed.
The little dragon moved closer to Snusmumrik and sniffed his pipe. On
in the place where he was sitting, a round brownish stain formed on the tablecloth.
hole at the edges.
- I wonder if he can burn a hole in oilcloth? - said mom
Moomintroll.
“Of course,” said little My. “Yes, he’ll just grow up a little and
will burn down the whole house. You'll see! - And she grabbed a piece of cake.
Immediately pouncing on her like a little fury, the dragon bit her
by the paw.
- What a little devil! - Myu squealed and waved a napkin at the dragon.
“If you talk like that, you won’t go to heaven,” immediately
Mymla intervened, but Moomintroll interrupted her:
- It’s not the dragon’s fault! - he exclaimed passionately. - The little dragon thought,
that you want to eat the fly that was sitting on the cake.
- Go with your little dragon! - My shouted, in earnest
angry. - And in general, he is not yours, but Snusmumrik, because he loves
only him!
For some time everyone fell silent.
“There’s nothing to argue about,” said Snusmumrik, getting up. “It’ll take a while.”
an hour or two, and he will know who his master is. Come on now. Fly to the owner!
But the little dragon sitting on his shoulder clung to him with all his
paws and chirped like a sewing machine. Snusmumrik took this strange thing
creation with two fingers and covered it with a coffee pot lid. Then he opened
glass door and went out into the garden.
“He’ll suffocate,” said Moomintroll and lifted the lid.
Instantly breaking free, the little dragon flew to the window and, leaning
paws on the glass, staring at Snusmumrik. A minute later he started
squeak, and its golden color acquired a grayish tint.
“Dragons,” Moominpappa suddenly spoke, “have disappeared from public
consciousness about seventy years ago. I found them in the encyclopedia
dictionary The species that lasted the longest belonged to that emotional
variety that had the greatest thermal capabilities. They
very stubborn and never change their views...
“Thank you for the coffee,” said Moomintroll, rising from the table. “I
I'll go
to yourself.
- Son, shouldn’t we leave your dragon on the veranda? - asked
Mom. - Or will you take him with you?
Moomintroll remained silent.
He walked to the glass door and opened it. Flashing like lightning,
The dragon flew into the garden, and Miss Snork screamed:
- You won’t catch him again! Why did you do that? I didn't even have time
Women did not create “War and Peace”, did not write “Eugene Onegin” and “The Bronze Horseman”... but only an idiot would deny that the best books for children were written by women. And the most talented women lived in the northern countries.
This may seem blasphemous, but I consider Tove Jansson stronger than even the great Andersen, Astrid Lindgren and my beloved Edith Nesbit. Strongest of all. If these masters in their fairy tales filled the real world with magic, then Jansson created a completely new universe, completely different from ours, but at the same time so close and understandable that almost no one else is capable of; Having looked for analogues from other authors, you will understand that this is so. Literarily, Jansson is stronger than Lindgren: she has a wonderful intentionally folksy style... But Jansson’s style is universal.
Books about the Moomins are the most accurate embodiment of Christian ideas, without the slightest religious themes. And that's the best thing. It is impossible to show Christ as the center of good in a children's book, I say this despite the fact that I believe in God. Because a child may well have the most dangerous delusion that WHO IS FOR CHRIST IS GOOD. And if you remember all the “good” people who were previously burned at the stake for their faith, and then began to be humanely kicked to death, it will become clear how dangerous and harmful the concretization of Christianity is. Even such a true Christian as the creator of Narnia, C. Lewis, understood this well...
And Jansson’s heroes live outside of any religious dogmas. And they accept their neighbor as he is. And they do good because they cannot see the suffering of others, and not because “God commanded so.” And even the terrible Morra, who hates everyone and is hated by everyone, always wandering in the darkness, in an unsuccessful search for light that could warm her, will one day find it with the Moomins.
If you want to raise your child to be a good person, read “Moomins” to him. And he, most likely, will never hit another person because of his appearance, religion, or skin color, will not step over a wounded person, will not go over their heads. Vysotsky said correctly in his song: “It means you read the right books as a child.”
Rating: 10
Someone smart (to my shame, I don’t remember who) said that you need to write for children in the same way as for adults, only better. And here we have a living example of how to write books for children.
For many of us, Jansson's books have become reference books. Many re-read them in adulthood, and they definitely recommend (I actually forced them) to read these fairy tales to their offspring in order to develop good literary taste, so that from a young age they learn to understand “what is good and what is bad.”
Well, it seems like a fairy tale - and a fairy tale, but not everything is so simple. The works of this Finnish writer describe a whole world, very unique and original, without superheroes or supervillains. But the very cute creatures that inhabit it leave a mark on the soul that is much more noticeable and significant than Conan and his colleagues. The events taking place in Moominvalley are closer and clearer to us than the exploits of the Eternal Winners, because such adventures happen to Moomintroll, Snusmumrik, Sniff and other characters that do not require the shedding of seas of blood and thousands of ruined lives. Kindness is the main motto of this fantasy saga for kids. Descriptions of funny incidents from the life of a fairy-tale family are imbued with the author’s sincere love for his young readers.
The books are permeated with the atmosphere of a warm home, a good, proper family. Moominpappa is similar to a human dad, Moominmama is the same busy housewife as in the human world. And we met Hemulen, Uncle Muskrat, Tofsla and Vifsla more than once in reality. In general, we have before us life as it is, described in a form accessible to children.
Rating: 10
Jansson's stories are amazing. Years pass, but I keep coming back to these touching stories. This is one of those books that you carry with you throughout your life. Because she herself is like life, changeable and unpredictable. Every time you find something new in it. I still remember how one day I clearly realized the pain and loneliness hidden behind these seemingly sweet children's stories. This is especially evident in the latest stories. Through the mask of pastoral, exaggerated fairy-tale serenity and happiness, such an abyss of misunderstanding and emptiness appears, such suffering that seems beyond the capabilities of a single person. It’s even better that this understanding does not come suddenly, otherwise it would be extremely difficult. Some find God in these books and draw parallels between the Moomin family and the Christian pantheon. But, in my opinion, there is no fundamental difference: voices in the head or the voice of God. Perhaps the latter is more comforting for some.
There are no happy endings here. Here you are always left alone with loneliness, on the other side of happiness, trust, love. And now I’m very scared to read Jansson’s “serious” books. Because if we take the Moomin cycle as a starting point as a children's fairy tale, then the drama on this scale will be somewhere near absolute zero. An inhabitant of sunny, warm worlds will simply freeze the air in his lungs.
Rating: 10
Moomintrolls are one of the most famous fairy-tale creatures in the whole world. I think no one will argue that Tove Janssen’s fairy tales have long become classics of world literature, and the original world of bizarre creatures she invented is bright, recognizable and beloved. A bad person cannot write well for children - this is an axiom. And these stories are small, but very bright, very kind, truly bright works, after reading which you want to become a better person. Yes, it's for children. Oh tell me, wise adult: can you follow these obvious and banal truths yourself?
Yes, this is a story for adults too. After all, the topics there are often not at all childish. Loneliness. Sadness. Closedness. The last stories are winter and autumn, already subdued, but equally bright and kind stories. They're just very sad. And mature. And the Moomins are not just fairy tales. This is faith in the best. To the good. The fact that the good in a person always wins.
Rating: 9
Unfortunately, as a child I only read one of the Moomin stories - "The Wizard's Hat". And it still seems to me the best in the series. And I looked at other stories about the Moomins through the eyes of an adult. But I must say that I found these books no less interesting. All the characters are very good - the cheerful Snusmumrik, the timid Sniff, the eccentric Hemulen, the imperturbable Moominpappa and the busy Moominmama, and, of course, the cheerful and mischievous Moomintroll. They all turned out bright, unusual, different from each other. Well, if the character is negative, like the same Morra, then the coldness blows from the book pages. And the world in which this whole motley crew lives is filled with amazing wonders that one is tempted to explore together with the heroes. But among these fun adventures, the author teaches us, his readers, various useful little things, and many smart and important things. Sometimes even unchildish notes slip through. So the books really turned out to be for readers of all ages.
Rating: 9
A peerless cycle, unfading and ageless. A magical fairy tale for little ones, therapeutic reading for nervous and depressed adults.
H. Meinander, in the documentary narration “Finland, 1944”, devotes several pages to Tove Jansson and her heroes: “The current pastel-colored cartoons about the Moomins, which have received worldwide distribution, as well as commercial trinkets with the Moomins, are far from Jansson’s idea, which reflected in his books, the inhabitants of the Finnish rear are thrown between hope and despair in 1944.”
Rating: 10
I often wonder: why did the Moomins make it into the title of the book? There are many other fantastic animals in it, no less (and sometimes more) characteristic and interesting. Why do even the heroes of the book themselves look at the Moomin family as some kind of example, a model?
For myself, my answer to this is this: the Moomins do not reject anyone. Any creature, no matter how unfamiliar, even unpleasant, can always count on a friendly welcome in their home and an attempt at understanding. And first of all, this is, of course, the merit of Moominmama (this is one of my favorite female characters in world literature: lol:)
Rating: 10
The warmest, most pleasant, most delightful memories from childhood are connected precisely with Tove Jansson’s books about the lovely Moomins, where every line, every page is imbued with magic, kindness, and humor. The most amazing thing is that over the years, these stories are read with unflagging interest, as if opening a book for the first time, but you are enveloped in warmth, nostalgia and you are immersed in the world of childhood, carefree and happy.
Tove Jansson, Astrid Lindgren, Pamela Travers and Lyman Frank Baum are those writers who gave real Childhood to everyone who opened the world of their amazing books, plunging them into the most beautiful time of human life.
Rating: 10
Cozy, magical and very bright books that are never forgotten were created by the wonderful writer Tove Jansson.
Only a very kind person could have come up with such wonderful creatures.
There probably won't be anyone who won't like these funny characters. After all, in each of us there is one of them, the stupid and fussy Sniff, the boring Muskrat, the thoughtful and absent-minded Hemulen, the restless traveler Snusmumrik and, of course, the wonderful and gentle Moominmama, Moominpappa and Moomintroll themselves.
Jansson describes the adventures of small creatures so wonderfully and excitingly that you yourself want to join them and go looking for the Mysterious Path in the forest or climb the Lonely Mountains to the Observatory...
Despite the very simple and accessible language, the book is full of deep philosophical reflections and observations.
Personally, having become a little older, I enjoyed reading the Moomin stories again. And I’ll probably re-read it again with my child.
Rating: 10
The book about the adventures of the Moomins looks the most tortured and shabby on my shelf. Because starting from the age of 6, I rarely let her out of my hands. This is the most wonderful memory from childhood - sometimes sunny and joyful, sometimes a little sad... But unforgettable.
Rating: 10
0 0 1
A little forgetful squirrel, mentioned in the book "The Magic Winter", where he freezes under the gaze of the Ice Maiden, and comes to life in the spring.
0 0 0
Alicia's grandmother lives in the forest. Mentioned only in Japanese cartoons.
0 1 0
Endowed with magical powers, but cannot fulfill his own desires. The Wizard appears in the book "The Wizard's Hat". Moomintroll, Snufkin and Sniff find his hat in the first chapter. The Wizard himself is first mentioned in chapter five and finally appears in chapter seven. He collected rubies before becoming the owner of the “king of rubies”.
0 0 0
A small creature. First appears in the story "The Fillyjonk Who Believed in Catastrophes." She is also present in the story "Yolka" and is mentioned in the book "At the End of November."
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A relative of Moominmama. Mentioned in the book "Moomintroll and the Comet".
0 0 0
A large dodo, looks like a dragon with big eyes. Not malicious. Edward the dodo first appears in the book "Memoirs of Moomintroll Dad" in the second chapter. He is also present in the story "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence".
0 0 0
Sniff's mother, Shnyrk's wife. Present in the book "Memoirs of Moomintroll Dad", where he appears for the first time in the eighth chapter.
0 0 0
A small agile animal with sharp teeth, similar to an otter. Klipdass live at the bottom of reservoirs, forming large colonies. The surface of their bodies is very sticky; thanks to their stickiness, they can even climb sheer walls. They wear sideburns. Present in the book "Memoirs of Moomintroll Dad", first appearing in the third chapter.
0 0 0
A tiny furry creature, quiet and shy.
0 0 0
A little guy with a brave character, he has a liking for the Hemulen skier. Present in the book "Magic Winter", first appearing in the fifth chapter.
0 0 1
The embodiment of winter. The character is mentioned in the book "The Magic Winter". Wherever the ice maiden passes, the harshest winter season begins. Under her gaze, any animal freezes.
0 0 0
An incorporeal creature that lives in trees in the forest, often not alone, but in colonies.
Little My
0 5 0
Sister of Mymla and Snusmumrik, daughter of Mymla-mother. The smallest mummy in the world. She looks like a person, wears a dress, and has her hair in a high ponytail. She has an independent character, is not afraid of anything, knows how to stand up for herself, is smart, and independent. The Moomin family adopted her. Baby My first appears in the seventh chapter of the book "Memoirs of Papa Moomintroll". She is also present in the books "Dangerous Summer", "Magic Winter" and "Moominpappa and the Sea"; in the stories “The Story of the Last Dragon in the World”, “The Invisible Child”, “Yolka”. Little My is mentioned, but absent, in the book "At the End of November", in the story "The Secret of the Hatifnatts".
0 0 0
Human. The size is comparable to the Moomins. Mentioned in the book "Little Trolls and the Great Flood".
0 0 0
Inhabitant of Moominvalley. The monkey is present in the book "Moomintroll and the Comet", first appearing in the first chapter. Translated by V. Smirnova - Monkey, translated by N. Belyakova - Kitten.
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Present in the book "Dangerous Summer", first appearing in the second chapter. She is also mentioned in the story "Yolka".
5 2 2
A frightening creature that terrifies most characters. Lonely and cold. If Morra sits in one place for an hour, the ground beneath her will freeze so much that nothing will ever grow there. Strives for warmth and light. Morra first appears in chapter six of The Wizard's Hat. She is also present in the books “Memoirs of Moominfather”, “Magic Winter” and “Moominfather and the Sea”.
0 0 0
Lives in the sea, dances in the moonlight. The hooves are shod with silver shoes. The sea horse enchants Moomintroll in the book Moominpappa and the Sea.
Moominmamma
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Moomintroll's mother, Moominpappa's wife. He wears an apron and a handbag containing everything he needs. Neat, economical, hospitable. She embodies the image of an ideal mother and wife. Present in the books “Little Trolls and the Great Flood”, “Moomintroll and the Comet”, “The Wizard’s Hat”, “Memoirs of Moominfather”, “Dangerous Summer”, “Magic Winter” and “Moominpappa and the Sea”; in the stories "The Story of the Last Dragon", "The Invisible Child", "The Christmas Tree", "The Secret of the Hatifnutts" and "Cedric". Moominmamma is mentioned but absent from Late November.
Moominpappa
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Moomintroll's father, Moominmama's husband, head of the family. An orphan, he was raised in an orphanage with hemulens. Before meeting Moominmama, I traveled a lot. He built the Moomin house and all the buildings himself. Has research and writing skills and loves the sea. Moominpappa was first mentioned in the book "Little Trolls and the Great Flood", and appears in the book "Moomintroll and the Comet". He is also present in such books as "The Wizard's Hat", "Memoirs of Moomintroll Daddy", "Dangerous Summer", "Magic Winter" and "Moominpappa and the Sea"; in the stories “The Story of the Last Dragon in the World”, “The Invisible Child”, “The Christmas Tree” and “The Secret of the Hatifnatts”. Moominpappa is mentioned but absent from Late November.
Moomintroll
3 9 1
The main character of the story, the son of Moominmama and Moominpappa. Appearance: similar to a hippopotamus or hippopotamus, white in color, with a large nose, small ears and eyes, short legs and a tail. By age - a child, closer to a teenager. Open, friendly, loves adventures. Moomintroll is first mentioned in the book "Little Trolls and the Great Flood" in the first chapter. He is also present in the books "Moomintroll and the Comet", "The Wizard's Hat", "Memoirs of Moominfather", "Dangerous Summer", "Magic Winter" and "Moominpappa and the Sea"; in the stories “The Story of the Last Dragon in the World”, “The Invisible Child” and “The Christmas Tree”. Moomintroll is mentioned but absent from Late November and the short stories Cedric and Spring Song.
0 0 0
An evil character who lives in the sand. Mentioned in the books "Little Trolls and the Great Flood" and "The Wizard's Hat".
0 1 0
Sister of Little My, half-sister of Snusmumrik and daughter of Mymla-mama. Much taller than Little My, looks human, wears a dress, and has long beautiful hair that she wears in a ponytail. The head is big. There is a small tail, but it is not visible under clothes. She first appears in the book "Memoirs of Moomintroll Dad", in the fifth chapter. Present in the books “Memoirs of Moomintroll Dad”, “Magic Winter”, “Dangerous Summer”, “At the End of November” and in the story “The Story of the Last Dragon in the World”, mentioned in the story “The Secret of the Hatifnatts”.
0 0 0
Mother of Snufkin, Little My, Mymla and countless other myumlas. Mymla is present in the book "Memoirs of Papa Moomintroll", first appearing in the fifth chapter.
0 0 0
A semi-fictional character from a non-fiction book that Homsah Toft read. A prehistoric animal that was once very small, and then grew larger and began to show aggression. Smells like electricity. Khomsa Toft revived Nummulit and set him free. Mentioned in the book "At the End of November".
2 1 0
Muskrat (aka Muskrat) is a philosopher. First appears in the first chapter of the book "Moomintroll and the Comet", also present in the book "The Wizard's Hat".
0 1 0
A relative of the Moomins. Onkelskrut appears only in the book "At the End of November" in the first chapter as an "old man's voice" talking to Snusmumrik, present in the story from the seventh chapter. Old (about 100 years old). Onkelskrut is not his real name (he forgot his real name, invented a new one for himself).
0 0 0
Human. Mentioned in the book "Little Trolls and the Great Flood"
0 0 0
Arrests Moomintroll and his friends in the book "Dangerous Summer". First appears in chapter seven.
0 0 0
The ancestor of the Moomins, lives in the oven in the Moomin house. Covered with wool. Mentioned in the book "At the End of November".
0 0 0
The professors work at an observatory in the Lonely Mountains, study the stars, and smoke a lot. The exact time of the comet's appearance was predicted in the book "Moomintroll and the Comet."
0 0 0
The Fisherman, also known as the Lighthouse Keeper, is present in the book "Moominpappa and the Sea", where he appears in the second chapter. Small, old, thin. Birthday: October 3, exact age unknown.
0 0 0
A man who owns an island loves spectacular spectacles. Mentioned in "Memoirs of Moominpappa" (chapter 5).
0 0 0
A small animal with horns.
3 4 0
Friend of Moomintroll, son of the animal Shnyrok and the animal Sos. Outwardly it looks like a little rat, small in stature, with a long tail. Younger than Moomintroll. Lives in a separate house next to the Moomin house, often visiting the Moomin family. A little cowardly and capricious. Sniff appears from the very beginning under the name Little Beast in the book "Little Trolls and the Great Flood". Present in the books "Moomintroll and the Comet", "The Wizard's Hat", "Memoirs of Moomintroll's Father", in the story "Cedric".
The Snork
0 1 0
Friend of the Moomin family, elder brother of Freken Snork. Outwardly similar to the Moomins, but changes color depending on the mood. Inventor, pedant. It is first mentioned in the book "Moomintroll and the Comet" in the sixth chapter, and appears in the seventh chapter. He is also present in the book "The Wizard's Hat".
14 10 0
Moomintroll's best friend, son of Mymla-mama and Yuksare. Outwardly similar to a person, age closer to adolescence. The first meeting with Moomintroll - the book "Moomintroll and the Comet". Since then, he spends the summer in Moominvalley, and in the winter he goes on a trip to the south. He is also present in the books "The Wizard's Hat", "Memoirs of Moomintroll Father", "Dangerous Summer" and "At the End of November"; in the stories “The Story of the Last Dragon”, “Spring Song”, “Cedric” and “The Secret of the Hatifnatts”. Snusmumrik is mentioned but absent from The Magic Winter. He lives in a tent, plays the harmonica, smokes a pipe, and knows how to tell interesting stories and compose songs. Independent, loves solitude. Hates prohibitory notices and watchmen.
The prototype of this character is the Finnish journalist and politician Atos Kazimir Virtanen, a friend of Tove Jansson.
0 0 0
Appears only in the animated series "Moomintroll". Negative character.
0 1 0
An inseparable couple, “foreigners” (they speak a dialect foreign to the inhabitants of Moominvalley, adding the ending -sla to the words). Small in stature, timid. Present in the book "The Wizard's Hat", first appearing in the sixth chapter.
Is it possible to say that fiction educates a person? The fact that literature forms the reader’s system of moral values is beyond doubt. And the fact that literature (especially those intended for children) is a powerful tool for personal development is undeniable.
Literature conveys the thoughts, views of the author, his attitude to life and reality in the best possible way, even if he is not writing about himself. The moral position of the author unobtrusively influences the reader, is embedded in his “subcortex” - it’s like “frame 25”, which is not visible at first glance, but which is embedded in the subconscious and emerges throughout life.
Can a person with a “non-traditional” sexual orientation, who does not have children and has little idea of what family and family spiritual and moral values are, write useful books for children? What model of family, human relationships and role model can the author of his books convey?
Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson is known to everyone as the author of a series of books about the Moomins. The baggy characters, who have no signs of gender, are completely exhausted by their contour black and white drawings, executed by the author. In essence, however, this is an autobiographical work in which T. Jansson described the events and real people who were present in her life.
In her youth, T. Jansson was engaged to journalist Atos Virtanen, but the wedding never took place. The failed groom became the prototype for a character in her works named Snusmumrik. He wore the same old green hat as Virtanen and was just as eschewed of family ties.
Even before breaking up with Virtanen, Tove Jansson felt her bisexuality and went to theater director Vivica Bandler. They worked together on dramatizations of the writer’s works. Jansson portrayed herself and Vivica in characters named Tofsla and Vifsla. Tuulikki Pietilä became T. Jansson's regular partner, with whom she lived for no less than 45 years (they openly talked about their relationship at a press conference in 1993).
The writer also depicted her chosen one in books about the Moomins under the name Tuu-Tikki, endowing her with the most positive qualities. In general, as befits a real writer, her characters were taken “straight from life.” And in T. Jansson’s books, if you believe the accuracy of the characters’ portrayal, they appear exactly as they are in life.
But having studied the book, we never learn anything about any of the characters - where they came from, what they are like, what they strive for in life. The author is not interested in this. And his characters are not interested in each other either. Moreover, the heroes are absolutely unchanged throughout the narrative, they have no character, unless one or two bright traits are considered character (like Sniff’s vanity, Muskrat’s grumbling, the eternal restlessness of the hippie Snufkin).
It is symbolic, by the way, that the characters do not have their own names. Moomintroll is just a Moomintroll, Mom is his mother, Dad is his dad, Snusmumrik is some kind of mummik, Muskrat is clear, Hemulen is also just a hemuly. The only exceptions are Sniff and some characters appearing in later stories.
The relationship between the characters arises by itself once and for all. They do not change, do not depend in any way on the course of the plot and the actions of the heroes, and the heroes themselves do not make any effort to change them, strengthen them, etc. Everything happens by itself.
The actions of the heroes also have no effect on anything. Everything happens spontaneously and for the most part not by the conscious will of the heroes. Even when they perform almost heroic deeds (for example, Moomintroll’s fight with a poisonous bush that grabbed Miss Snork), it is obvious that this is only a spontaneous impulse. At the same time, Snusmumrik, Sniff and Snork just stand there all this time, not even making an attempt to help. In other words: such a character is an impulse - there will be an action, and if there is a different character, there is no impulse, and there will be no action. And the characters seem to lack will and reason in the usual sense.
It is worth noting that in stories about the Moomins, character, a momentary impulse (more precisely, one characteristic feature replacing it) predetermines actions. For example, Mom is caring, Muskrat grumbles, Dad is always busy with something, Snusmumrik is constantly being pulled somewhere. The variety of situations makes our world inexhaustible, complex, interesting and moving forward. But not the world of Moominvalley.
The meaninglessness of existence, idleness and individualism are the main characteristics of the main characters. They do not work, do not engage in any creative or productive activities (only Moominpappa builds a bridge or writes memoirs). There is not even a mention of any professions, any kind of agriculture or industry, although there is mail, “foreign grade” pears, gardening tools and always a full pantry with food. Everyone does what they want, but there are inexplicably no conflicts of interest. Nobody strives to get anywhere, doesn’t set any big goals for themselves - everyone just wants to have fun and travel a little for their own pleasure.
The result is a picture of some strange parallel reality, where chocolates grow on trees and you can rest and relax forever. And only when your stomach and teeth hurt from sweets do you begin to notice that the sun is artificial, and everything around is flat and schematic.
A work for children should speak at least about something other than the general thirst for entertainment.
There is no meaning or logic in this fairy tale (for example, the heroes are sailing on a raft along the river - to the mountains!), the characters are just functional masks, and events follow each other, obeying only the whims of the author's imagination.
In general, almost all books contain elements of the absurdity of the plot. Travel, adventure and everything else are just an external outline, schematic and used, by the way, only in the first two books. Events are strung with unrelated episodes on a common thread and, with rare exceptions, are in no way determined by the plot. The actions of the heroes are unmotivated, or motivated only by momentary desires, impulses and emotions.
It should also be mentioned that the main characters allow themselves to swear, smoke, drink punch, etc. They do all sorts of irresponsible and dangerous things (like rolling stones down a mountain), and sometimes they just do bad things (like Sniff who “opened” the grotto, or Moomintroll who lured the antlion into a trap to try out the wizard’s hat on him). In addition, Moomin trolls constantly break some rules.
But the theme of horror, melancholy, some kind of constant hopeless loneliness, death is revealed, definitely, excessively for a children's fairy tale. This, to put it mildly, is not entirely typical for heroes of children's literature, especially domestic ones.
A child can always take something away from any good fairy tale, some kind of “hidden” meaning. The heroes of almost all fairy tales overcome difficulties, win love, work, resolve conflicts - and thereby reveal some facet of human capabilities. Tove Jansson's characters only have fun and sometimes languish with unclear feelings, yearning for the unrealizable.
It is fundamentally important that T. Jansson’s fairy tales are internally contradictory. On the one hand, they are filled with the dreams, situations and communication style of teenagers of 12-13 years old, and on the other hand, the world of ideas and values of these heroes is amazingly infantile - somewhere at the level of 2-3 years.
That is why T. Jansson’s books fell into the category of children’s literature, but, in fact, they are not such. They are childish in the outlook and mental development of the characters, but by no means childish in the sequence of events, characters and range of interests of the characters.
Books about the Moomins are therefore not the best example for reading to young children.
Finnish woman passed away 17 years ago writer Tove Jansson. All over the world she is known as the “mother” of the Moomins, although she herself did not consider herself either an author of books for children or a writer in general - creative fulfillment as an artist was much more important for her, and she considered literary activity her hobby. Both children and adults all over the world know what her creations look like. Moomins, which have become national symbols of Finland, but most readers do not even suspect who was really hiding behind the characters in children's books, and what secrets Tove Jansson did not like to talk about with journalists.
Her fate was largely predetermined from birth: Tove Jansson was born in 1914 in the family of a sculptor and illustrator and grew up in a creative atmosphere conducive to the development of talents. And the girl had plenty of them: in addition to her native Finnish and Swedish, she was fluent in English and French, already at the age of 10 she illustrated the children’s magazine “Garm”, and from the age of 15 she interned at art schools in France, Italy and Germany. Around the same time, the first Moomintroll appeared, drawn, according to family legend... on the wall of the toilet.
Tove Jansson's first personal exhibition took place in Helsinki in 1943. In addition to illustrations for the works of J. Tolkien, L. Carroll and other authors, the artist performed work on the design of building facades and interior design. The Moomins, before becoming heroes of literary works, were characters in comics created by Jansson for a children's magazine in 1940. And in 1946, the artist made her writing debut: she published the story “Moomintroll and the Comet,” which was followed by others works about funny creatures from the magical valley.
It was her literary activity that brought Tove Jansson worldwide fame, although she herself perceived it only as a hobby. Books about the Moomins were translated into 30 languages, and the funny characters themselves soon became national symbols of Finland. Trolls were actually borrowed by the writer from Scandinavian folklore, but her heroes were significantly different from fairy-tale characters. Firstly, they acquired a visible appearance, and secondly, in many of them one could recognize real people who were especially dear to Tove Jansson.
The writer did not like to communicate with journalists and kept her personal life secret for a long time. Only in the 1990s. details became known that shocked the public and shed light on many significant features of her work. In her youth, her personal life was very turbulent, but she was going to get married only once - to journalist, member of parliament Atos Virtanen. Many saw them as an ideal couple; the writer’s chosen one was also an intellectual and cosmopolitan. But he was too keen on political activities and constantly busy with his own affairs, and the engagement that took place in 1947 never ended in a wedding. As it became known later, the failed groom became the prototype for a character in her works named Snusmumrik. He wore the same old green hat as Virtanen and was just as eschewed of family ties.
Even before breaking up with Virtanen, Tove Jansson realized her bisexuality and went to Vivica Bandler, a theater director. They worked together on dramatizations of the writer’s works. And Vivika Jansson portrayed herself and herself in characters named Tofsla and Vifsla.
In 1956, the writer met the artist Tuulikki Pietilä, with whom she lived until the end of her days. They did not part for 45 years, and although they did not advertise their relationship, they did not hide it either. For the first time they openly stated this only at a press conference in 1993, but did not give further interviews on this topic.
Later, art critic and biographer of the writer Tuula Karjalainen published a book about Tova Jansson, where she said: “At that time, same-sex relations were a crime, and by law were punishable by imprisonment. Homosexuality was considered a disease, and back in the 50s in Finland there were cases where women were sent to prison for relationships with members of the same sex. However, Tove Jansson initially acted as if she had nothing to hide. As far as I know, they were the first same-sex couple to appear at the Independence Day reception at the presidential palace as a married couple, without hiding their relationship. Tove didn’t hide, but she didn’t try to talk about her preferences either. This was her personal life, and she was not going to apologize for it. Her adult texts often feature same-sex couples, their relationships are the basis of the plot and the action unfolds around them.”
Tuulikki came into her life when she began to lose interest in the Moomins, and she helped her look at them from a different angle. The writer portrayed her chosen one in books about the Moomins under the name Tuu-Tikki, wise and kind. The cold chills Moomintroll's feelings, but when he meets Tuu-Tikki, she proves to him that winter can be beautiful too. And in Jansson’s life the same “magical winter” that she wrote about occurred.
The writer’s characters amaze with their wisdom: .
