• For kids
• Russia
• Fairy tales
• Prose

Early in the morning Buratino counted the money - there were as many gold coins as there were fingers on his hand - five.

Clutching the gold coins in his fist, he skipped home and chanted:

I’ll buy dad Carlo a new jacket, I’ll buy a lot of poppy triangles and lollipop roosters.

When the booth of the puppet theater and the waving flags disappeared from his eyes, he saw two beggars sadly wandering along the dusty road: the fox Alice, hobbling on three legs, and the blind cat Basilio.

This was not the same cat that Pinocchio met yesterday on the street, but another one - also Basilio and also tabby. Pinocchio wanted to pass by, but Alice the fox said to him touchingly:

Hello, dear Pinocchio! Where are you going in such a hurry?

Home to dad Carlo.

Lisa sighed even more tenderly:

I don’t know if you’ll find poor Carlo alive, he’s very ill from hunger and cold...

Have you seen this?

Buratino unclenched his fist and showed five gold pieces.

Seeing the money, the fox involuntarily reached out to it with his paw, and the cat suddenly opened his blind eyes wide, and they sparkled like two green lanterns.

But Buratino did not notice any of this.

Dear, pretty Pinocchio, what will you do with this money?

I'll buy a jacket for Carlo's dad... I'll buy a new alphabet...

ABC, oh, oh! - said Alice the fox, shaking her head.

This teaching will not bring you any good... So I studied, studied, and - look - I walk on three legs.

ABC! - Basilio the cat grumbled and snorted angrily into his mustache.

Through this damned teaching I lost my eyes...

An elderly crow was sitting on a dry branch near the road. She listened and listened and croaked:

They're lying, they're lying!..

Basilio the cat immediately jumped high, knocked the crow off the branch with his paw, tore off half of its tail - as soon as it flew away. And again he pretended to be blind.

Why are you doing this to her, Basilio the cat? - Buratino asked in surprise.

“The eyes are blind,” the cat answered, “it seemed like a little dog in a tree...

The three of them walked along the dusty road. Lisa said:

Smart, prudent Pinocchio, would you like to have ten times more money?

Of course I want! How is this done?

As easy as pie. Go with us.

To the Land of Fools.

Pinocchio thought for a bit.

No, I think I’ll go home now.

Please, we don’t pull you by the rope,” said the fox, “so much the worse for you.”

“So much the worse for you,” the cat grumbled.

“You are your own enemy,” said the fox.

“You are your own enemy,” the cat grumbled.

Otherwise your five gold pieces would turn into a lot of money...

Pinocchio stopped, opened his mouth...

The fox sat on its tail and licked its lips:

I'll explain it to you now. In the Country of Fools there is a magical field called the Field of Miracles... In this field, dig a hole, say three times: “Cracks, fex, pex”, put gold in the hole, cover it with earth, sprinkle salt on top, fill it well and go to sleep. The next morning a small tree will grow from the hole, and gold coins will hang on it instead of leaves. It's clear?

Basilio (aka “Vasily”, “Vaska”, but only in the Italian manner) is, of course, one of Tolstoy’s brightest and most original “Pinocchio”. In Russia at that time, almost a good half of the cats were called Vaska, so this name is quite a common noun, implying not only cunning, a tendency to cheat, stupidity (everyone knows “Vaska listens and eats”), but also simplicity, which often makes us touch this hero .

Getting to know Pinocchio

The cat Basilio, Karabas, Duremar, and Alice undoubtedly personify the so-called “evil forces” in this fairy tale. And Tolstoy continues to ridicule them throughout his tale. We laugh at how the annoyed Karabas, with his beard stuffed in his pocket, sneezes non-stop. And how the “blind” cat Basilio fights for Pinocchio’s money with his “partner” the fox Alice, and how ridiculous these characters sometimes look.

But the actions in the fairy tale develop so rapidly that sometimes you don’t even know which of the heroes should be considered a villain and which should be sympathized with. Even negative characters, such as the swindler Basilio, sometimes evoke our sympathy and touch our hearts. After all, trying to deceive Pinocchio, the cat Basilio often gets into trouble himself, arousing pity and sympathy from the reader. This is because Tolstoy's fairy tale "Pinocchio" is initially good. It is fun and easy to read, so to speak, “in one breath.”

The cat Basilio and the fox Alice meet on Pinocchio’s path almost at the very beginning of the work and accompany the protagonist almost until the very end, one way or another participating in the events unfolding before us. They are, as it were, secondary characters, but at the same time, this “sweet couple” makes us pay attention to themselves with the brightness of their characters. Pinocchio sees two beggars wandering along a dusty road. These are our characters: Basilio the cat, Alice the fox. The boy wants to pass by, but Alice calls out to him touchingly, calling him “kind Pinocchio.”

Country of Fools and five gold

When the scammers (Basilio the cat, Alice the fox) find out about the gold coins, they invite the wooden boy to take a trip to the imaginary Land of Fools. There, in the Field of Miracles, Pinocchio’s money will need to be buried. And the next morning, from this money a Money Tree will definitely grow, and there will be gold on it! Pinocchio agrees. But halfway to the Land of Fools, the boy loses his companions, and at night in the forest he is attacked by disguised robbers, surprisingly similar to a cat and a fox!

Pinocchio puts the coins in his mouth, and in order to get the gold ones, the robbers hang the wooden boy upside down on a tree and leave. Here he is discovered by Malvina, who, together with Artemon, escaped from Karabas. The girl will try to re-educate the boy, but in vain. After all, stubborn Pinocchio is difficult to train in any way! And the wooden boy ended up in a dark closet, from where he is rescued. Here, having met again with the fox and the cat, Pinocchio finally arrives at the Field of Miracles... In general, the plot is exciting! I recommend reading a fairy tale!

It only remains to add that the role of Basilio in the film “The Adventures of Pinocchio” was brilliantly played by a famous actor

He whispered to the dolls:

- There is some kind of secret here.

On the way home, Pinocchio meets two beggars - the cat Basilio and the fox Alice.

Early in the morning Buratino counted the money - there were as many gold coins as there were fingers on his hand - five.

Clutching the gold coins in his fist, he skipped home and chanted:

– I’ll buy Papa Carlo a new jacket, I’ll buy a lot of poppy triangles and lollipop roosters.

When the booth of the puppet theater and the waving flags disappeared from his eyes, he saw two beggars sadly wandering along the dusty road: the fox Alice, hobbling on three legs, and the blind cat Basilio.

This was not the same cat that Pinocchio met yesterday on the street, but another one - also Basilio and also tabby. Pinocchio wanted to pass by, but Alice the fox said to him touchingly:

- Hello, dear Pinocchio! Where are you going in such a hurry?

- Home, to Papa Carlo.

Lisa sighed even more tenderly:

“I don’t know if you’ll find poor Carlo alive, he’s completely ill from hunger and cold...”

-Did you see this? – Buratino unclenched his fist and showed five gold pieces.

Seeing the money, the fox involuntarily reached out to it with his paw, and the cat suddenly opened his blind eyes wide, and they sparkled like two green lanterns.

But Buratino did not notice any of this.

- Dear, pretty Pinocchio, what will you do with this money?

- I’ll buy a jacket for dad Carlo... I’ll buy a new alphabet...

- ABC, oh, oh! - said Alice the fox, shaking her head. - This teaching will not bring you any good... So I studied, studied, and - look - I walk on three legs.

- ABC! - Basilio the cat grumbled and snorted angrily into his mustache. “Through this damned teaching I lost my eyes...

An elderly crow was sitting on a dry branch near the road. She listened and listened and croaked:

- They’re lying, they’re lying!..

The cat Basilio immediately jumped high, knocked the crow off the branch with his paw, tore off half of its tail - as soon as it flew away. And again he pretended to be blind.

- Why are you doing this to her, Basilio the cat? – Buratino asked in surprise.

“My eyes are blind,” answered the cat, “it seemed like a little dog in a tree...

The three of them walked along the dusty road. Lisa said:

- Smart, prudent Pinocchio, would you like to have ten times more money?

- Of course I want! How is this done?

- As easy as pie. Go with us.

- To the Land of Fools.

Pinocchio thought for a bit.

- No, I think I’ll go home now.

“Please, we don’t pull you by the rope,” said the fox, “so much the worse for you.”

“So much the worse for you,” the cat grumbled.

“You are your own enemy,” said the fox.

“You are your own enemy,” the cat grumbled.

- Otherwise, your five gold pieces would turn into a lot of money...

Pinocchio stopped and opened his mouth...

The fox sat on its tail and licked its lips:

– I’ll explain to you now. In the Country of Fools there is a magical field - it’s called the Field of Miracles... In this field, dig a hole, say three times: “Cracks, fex, pex” - put the gold in the hole, fill it with earth, sprinkle salt on top, pour it well and go to sleep. The next morning a small tree will grow from the hole, and gold coins will hang on it instead of leaves. It's clear?

Pinocchio even jumped:

“Let’s go, Basilio,” the fox said, turning up his nose offended, “they don’t believe us - and there’s no need...

“No, no,” shouted Pinocchio, “I believe, I believe!.. Let’s go quickly to the Land of Fools!”

In the tavern "Three minnows"

Pinocchio, the fox Alice and the cat Basilio went down the mountain and walked and walked - through fields, vineyards, through a pine grove, came out to the sea and again turned away from the sea, through the same grove, vineyards...

The town on the hill and the sun above it were visible now to the right, now to the left...

Fox Alice said, sighing:

- Ah, it’s not so easy to get into the Country of Fools, you’ll erase all your paws...

Towards evening they saw on the side of the road an old house with a flat roof and a sign above the entrance:

THE THREE MOUNTAINS TUBLE

The owner jumped out to meet the guests, tore the cap off his bald head and bowed low, asking them to come in.

“It wouldn’t hurt us to have at least a dry crust,” said the fox.

“At least they’d treat me to a crust of bread,” the cat repeated.

We went into the tavern and sat down near the fireplace, where all sorts of things were being fried on spits and frying pans.

The fox was constantly licking his lips, Basilio the cat put his paws on the table, his mustachioed muzzle on his paws, and stared at the food.

“Hey, master,” Buratino said importantly, “give us three crusts of bread...”

The owner almost fell backward in surprise that such respectable guests asked so little.

“Cheerful, witty Pinocchio is joking with you, master,” the fox giggled.

“He’s joking,” the cat muttered.

“Give me three crusts of bread and with them that wonderfully roasted lamb,” said the fox, “and also that gosling, and a couple of pigeons on a spit, and, perhaps, some livers too...”

“Six pieces of the fattest crucian carp,” the cat ordered, “and small raw fish for a snack.”

In short, they took everything that was on the hearth: there was only one crust of bread left for Pinocchio.

Alice the fox and Basilio the cat ate everything, including the bones.

Their bellies were swollen, their muzzles were shiny.

“Let’s rest for an hour,” said the fox, “and we’ll leave at exactly midnight.” Don't forget to wake us up, master...

The fox and the cat collapsed on two soft beds, snored and whistled. Pinocchio took a nap in the corner on a dog bed...

He dreamed of a tree with round golden leaves... Only he extended his hand...

- Hey, Signor Pinocchio, it’s time, it’s already midnight...

There was a knock on the door. Pinocchio jumped up and rubbed his eyes. There is no cat, no fox on the bed - empty.

Who said supporting actors don't contribute to the plot? Who said that the secondary is invisible? Who can say that the background is not important? If such thoughts are present, then you can once again watch your favorite film about Pinocchio from childhood and objectively evaluate what a rogue and talented cat Basilio is, and what a cheat the fox Alice is. And what an incomparable tandem they represent! There are no equal Soviet actors. This opinion is shared by everyone who has ever seen “The Adventures of Pinocchio” with Rolan Bykov and Elena Sanaeva in supporting roles, who gave their all on the set so much that the viewer perceived them only as a cat and a fox - even without masks and without “real animal” makeup.

Hey scammers!

According to the plot of A. Tolstoy's fairy tale, the cat Basilio and the fox Alice appear almost at the beginning of the story and accompany stupid Pinocchio until the happiest ending, demonstrating that it is not how stupid the wooden boy is, but greed and meanness are much worse than stupidity.

The cat with a magnificent foreign nickname turns out to be the most typical Vaska - cunning and very greedy for both money and food. Knowing the weaknesses of her accomplice, Alice twists them as she pleases, and the cat willingly obeys the fox and follows all her instructions - in this fraudulent duo the leader is clearly visible. And it's not a cat.

And yet they are quite cute, these ragamuffins, always trying to make dishonest money, steal, deceive. Perhaps because their roles were super-talentedly played by their favorite actors... Perhaps because even swindlers in children's fairy tales are quite cute creatures.

Married couple

Did you know that in real life the cat Basilio and the fox Alice were married? Rolan Bykov and Elena Sanaeva are one family, one whole, one aspiration, one love for art.

And one for two headache. This is when on the set, the good-natured cat Basilio, snacking on milk with a chicken leg, suddenly became seriously angry, noticing that his wife was not acting out the episode properly.

“You are not an actress, but a mediocre actress,” Bykov could not restrain himself in front of the entire film crew. For the completely self-sufficient Sanaeva, this was not just an insult - a trampling of her undoubted talent into the mud. In front of everyone!

No one knows how “the fox and the cat Basilio” reconciled later, but the following episodes went without a hitch - the acting was perfect.

“Lap-tobu-dibu-doo-give”!

A popular, timeless and relevant song deserves a separate discussion, with which Alice and the cat Basilio conquered even the seasoned tavern owner, who knows how to put noodles on the ears of visitors.

These scammers... they know everything about ordinary people and are great at playing on their emotions and habits. You can fool a greedy, a fool and a braggart - so it was and will be. And as long as bad traits are alive in a person, not a single fraudster will be left without work and without income.

The first (original) performance of the funny-realistic song was from Bykov-Sanaeva. The acting couple did not just sing the words set to the melody, they lived every line and every note. And although the work is far from tragic and not romantic, a lot of feelings were invested in it.

Just look at the episode in which the cat Basilio sings and purrs, never ceasing to lap up milk from a huge bottle, repeating like a mantra: “Dibu-give-give-give,” with the emphasis on “give.”

What were they like when they were young?

What if you fantasize a little and imagine the cat and the fox as young and inexperienced? What could make them pretend to be lame and blind? Where and under what circumstances did they meet and when did they begin to engage in criminal activities?

And wouldn’t the cat Basilio sit quietly and peacefully at home, on his master’s lap, sometimes going down to the bowl? And wouldn’t Alice the fox live in her hole in the forest? But the desire to have fun and make easy money haunts even fairy-tale characters.

Viewers of “The Adventures of Buratino” (Belarusfilm studio, 1975) remember these heroes as already experienced swindlers, rather tattered and “worn out”. What could they have been like at the beginning of their careers?

A young stray cat, too lazy to catch mice, decides to do something simple that brings a stable daily income in the form of a glass of sour cream. The young charlatan fox, who has come to the city in search of easy prey, is not averse to ordering someone around. The couple sang.

The cat does not yet wear his “signature” plaque on his chest with the inscription “Blind”, and the fox’s fur is not yet worn out, but very shiny and attractive. And this is what unlucky life has turned these two handsome men into - mean-spirited, boorish, homeless individuals who do not take care of themselves.

But here’s the paradox - they like this way of life, and all generations of viewers really like them, despite the fact that they are negative heroes.

Without them the film would be bland

Who would have come up with the Field of Miracles in an ordinary landfill, if not for the subtle fantasy of a fox? Who would show Kakrabas-Barabas the huge jug - Buratino’s place of residence? Who, after all, would have deprived the Doctor of Puppet Science of his notorious beard if not for this couple?

Basilio the cat and Alice the fox do nothing selflessly. They don’t care who they deceive and from whom they “rip off” gold - they can easily give a damn about their yesterday’s benefactor if he suddenly becomes impoverished, and go over to the side of the enemy if he is solvent.

The disgusting qualities of the pair of swindlers were nevertheless managed to be played up, softened, and introduced into the comic series by the brilliant Sanaeva and Bykov. Without them, the film wouldn't be as great. Their images turned out to be so vivid and memorable that many children associate the fairy tale about Pinocchio first with “the cat and the fox”, and only then with the boy in the cap.