Silver hoof: Ural tales

Pavel Petrovich Bazhov (1879-1950) - a famous Soviet writer, folklorist, creator of the Ural tales. Born in the family of a mountain worker in a small Ural town of Sysert. He was one of the best students in a factory school. Having finished the Perm Theological Seminary, he worked as a teacher of the Russian language. Every year during the school holidays P.P. Bazhov went on a journey through the native land, studied the work of stonezers, edges, gunsmiths and other Ural masters, recorded legends and legends. This “working folklore” became the basis for its famous Ural tales.
The first fairy tale P.P. Bazhova "Girl Azovka" was published in 1936. And in 1939, a collection of folklore stories about life and everyday life in the Urals “Malachite Casket” was published, which brought the writer world fame. Until the end of his life, the writer continued to replenish this "casket" of tales. The main characters of the tales of P.P. Bazhova - ordinary people, honest, working miners who find happiness in skill. Mythological characters often come to the rescue of them - the mistress of the Copper Mountain, the fire -screening and others.
The mistress of the copper mountain is an underground princess, the keeper of treasures, secrets of skill, the patroness of brave, creative people. She often intervenes in people"s lives: she helps someone, and punishes someone for greed, cowardice and laziness. The mischievous fire-screening indicates where the gold deposit is located, but it will not seem to everyone, but to the one who believes in his luck does not lose heart and does not greedy. The Kozlik Silver Hoof is also for a reason by the orphan Darenka and Grandfather Kokova - kindness, generosity, compassion and faith in miracles are always rewarded