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If there were not Own Fool, One would Laugh at Oneself

There is the Park named after Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817-1875), situated in the centre of the city of Bryansk, Middle Russia. At the end of this article one can see the photo gallery of the wooden statues from it. Above all, the wooden image of Russian humor-satire Kozma Prutkov, a biting satire on arrogant and bombastic imperial bureaucrats. Kozma Petrovich Prutkov is a fictional author invented by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy and his cousins, three Zhemchuzhnikov brothers, Alexei, Vladimir and Alexander, during the later part of the rule of Nicholas I of Russia.

The four distinguished satirical poets used this pseudonym as a collective name to publish aphorisms, fables, epigrams, satiric, humorous and nonsense verses in the 1850-1860s, most notably in the literary magazine “Sovremennik” (The Contemporary).

According to the Biographical data on Kozma Prutkov, Prutkov was born on April 11, 1803 and died on January 13, 1863. He worked for the government of the Russian Empire his entire adult life, and in 1820 entered military service as a Hussar only for the uniform. He worked at the Assay Office from 1823 until his death, ending up as its director.

Here are some of Kozma Prutkov’s “Fruits of Reflection” (1853-1854):

“Throwing pebbles into the water, look at the ripples they form on the surface. Otherwise this activity will be an empty amusement.”

“Where is the beginning of the end that comes at the end of the beginning?”

“If you have a fountain, shut it down. Let even a fountain have a rest.”

“If you see a “buffalo” sign on an elephant’s cage, do not trust your eyes.”   Watch:  Don’t believe your eyes!

“If ever asked: That’s more useful, the sun or the moon, respond: The moon. For the sun only shines during daytime, when it’s light anyway, whereas the moon shines at night.”

“Nobody can take hold of limitless.”

“Beware!”

“Every expert is like a gumboil: his fullness is one-sided.”

“Snap a mare on the nose and she will flap her tail.”

“God placed death at the end of life to give us time to prepare for it.”

“if you want to be happy, be so.”

“If you want to be handsome, enroll in the Hussars.”

“Diligence overcomes everything.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Zoya the Author

“Don’t tell jokes to the ladies, for these jokes are stupid and obscene.”

“Even an oyster has enemies.”

Humor helps us to live. So, among us, girls and boys, to say the truth, there is hanging around a couple of “Zoya’s Humorines” (her photo is in the middle):

1″. A young sheep made an abortion,

The Lion with the tart popped in,

The Beaver contributed his portion,

To bring her a free tourist trip.

The Bear gave a gift of double set,

The cunning Fox – two fat chicks,

The Wolf – two bras as a complete:

He’s keen about those things.

But Husband the Ram brought the lilac,

He thought his Wife suffers of migraine.

Moral:

When one brings flowers to wife,

Think if is one the Ram of a kind?”

2. DISPUTE  ABOUT  LOVE

“Chairman: Love is a disease as it needs to lie in bed.

Doctor: What kind of a disease is it if it takes so much energy. It is work.

Engineer: What the heck the work it is if the tool gets up – it is a process.

Judge: What sort of process is it if one gives to the other – it’s a bribe.

Prosecutor: What a bribe is it if both are satisfied – it’s an art.

Artist: What an art is it, if there are no spectators. It’s a science.

Professor: What type of science is it , if each and every student can do it but I cannot. It’s a deal.

Merchant: What a deal is it, if you put more and take out less. It’s devastation.”

Not long ago our friend Anna Borosh and we visited the Comedy Club shows at the Travel Lodge Hotel at the McLeod Trail, SW, Calgary.

Every week new comedians come to the “Comedy Cave” to entertain a bunch of laughter loving people and, believe me or not, look to the root, and so we do, as Kozma Prutkov said very strongly once: “Look to the Root!”

Listen to:Alexey Arkhipovsky “Kupala na Rozhaike” fest

Watch Photo Gallery: “Bryansk Park named after A.K.Tolstoy:

2 Comments

  1. Валя! Прекрасная статья, не лишенная юмора автора!Хороши фото скульптур, не говоря уже о фото Зои.Жду с нетерпением следующих опусов.Эмма

  2. Эммочка, спасибо за понимание. Так держать!
    Целую, обнимаю
    P.S.Приветы от Янко и Иоланты.

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