What is a hint? Definition and examples

"A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it, a lesson to good fellows" - we all remember this saying from our childhood. These simple words contain a profound meaning, once encrypted by our ancestors in small instructive stories passed from mouth to mouth for several centuries. A little is known about what a saying is and why it is needed, but in this small foreword the clues of the heroes and stories of Russian fairy tales are often hidden.

Definition

There are several known interpretations of this word. Thus, the poetic vocabulary calls the phrase "a kind of Russian joke", which can be located in different parts of the fairy tale. The literary encyclopedia treats in its own way what a saying is: it is a special genre of very small fairy tales, used in the introduction to the main text.

The definitions agree on the fact that this element is non-existent, repeated in different texts and necessary to set the reader on the subsequent story. More often it has a somewhat ironic, joking form with an Old Russian color: "Oh, as in the far-away kingdom-state ...".

Despite the apparent simplicity of the structure, such prefaces have a very complex semantic and rhythmic construction. The narrator should cause strong emotions in his listener, so the phrases are built on the principle of a strong syllable to a weak one.

Meaning

Reading your favorite fairy tale, we do not think about what it is - a saying, about what the message of these lines. Russian fairy tales - a reflection of the centuries-old history of our country, with their help, our grandmothers taught their children and grandchildren morality, honor and love for their native land. From generation to generation, the stories of the ancient heroes and the great victories of our people adapted for children were transmitted.

Almost all linguists on the question of what a saying is, say: the main purpose is to prepare and adjust the listener for the perception of the text. The preface always has a special rhythm: "It was on the sea, on the ocean, On the island of Kidane ...". After these words, the narrator usually says: "This is not a fairy tale, but a story, a fairy tale ahead ...". This preface is not directly connected with the idea of the folklore tradition itself.

But if this element is after the main, then it is already directly related to the meaning of the tale. This may be a hint of a thought, summing up or moralizing for the reader: "Fairy-tale is a lie, but in it a hint ..".

Reasons

Of particular importance are small creeds, adopted both in folk and author's tales, they are also part of the story. What is the beginning, remember all: "Once upon a time," "In a certain kingdom, in a certain state." There are similar endings: "they began to live, live, make good", "and who listened - well done" and others. They are also found in the middle of the text, these are some kind of lyrical digressions, designed to designate the narrator: "How long is it ...", "The forests are dense, the swamps are lost ...", etc.

Sometimes the hint or the beginnings are in the form of a proverb, a well-known phraseology or even a riddle. From ordinary usage they differ in that they can be found in several texts, and here they acquire a special fairy-tale meaning, sometimes not coinciding with the original.

Examples

What is a story in a fairy tale? A special mood or necessary introduction? Folk tales were born from ancient legends about gods and monsters, they were told on general gatherings, holidays, acquainted young people with the traditions of their ancestors. Therefore, a melodic and vivid beginning was required, which would emphasize the solemnity and importance of the narrator's speech. But over time, the sentence overgrew the original meaning, it began to predict the story in many ways or to explain it.

Some famous writers adopted the manner of using quotations from Russian folk tales and used them already in their works. For example, Pushkin's "The Golden Cockerel" sounds such a beginning: "In the far end of the kingdom, in the thirtieth state ...".