What are the main characters in Don't Shoot the White Swans? Composition based on the story “Do not shoot white swans Do not shoot white swans” very brief content

Boris Vasiliev

When I enter the forest, I hear Yegorov's life. In the troublesome babble of aspen trees, in pine sighs, in the heavy wave of spruce paws. And I'm looking for Yegor.

I find him in the June red forest - tireless and cheerful. I meet him in the autumn wetness - serious and disheveled. I'm waiting for him in frosty silence - thoughtful and bright. I see him in spring bloom - patient and impatient at the same time. And I am always amazed at how different he was - different for people and different for himself.

And his life was different - life for himself and life for people.

Or maybe all lives are different? Different for yourself and different for people? But is there always a sum in these differences? Presenting ourselves or being different, are we always one in our being?

Egor was one, because he always remained himself. He did not know how and did not try to seem different - neither better nor worse. And he acted not for reasons of the mind, not with an eye, not for approval from above, but as his conscience commanded.

Yegor Polushkin in the village was called the poor. When the first two letters were lost, no one remembered it, and even his own wife, stunned by chronic bad luck, frantically shouted in a voice as corrosive as a mosquito ring:

Inhuman overseas curse my orphan God save and have mercy on the poor devil ...

She screamed on one note as long as there was enough air, and did not use punctuation marks. Egor sighed sadly, and ten-year-old Kolka, offended by his father, was crying somewhere behind the shed. And also because he was crying, because even then he understood how the mother was right.

And Yegor always felt guilty from shouting and swearing. Guilty not by reason, but by conscience. And therefore he did not argue, but only executed.

For people, men are so earners, so their house is a bowl full, so their wives are like swans! ..

Kharitina Polushkina was from Zaonezhye and easily switched from swearing to lamentations. She considered herself offended from the day she was born, having received from a drunken priest a completely impossible name, which the affectionate neighbors reduced to the first two syllables:

Our Kharya again criticizes his breadwinner.

And she was also offended that her own sister (well, a tub of tubs, by God!), So her own sister Marya swam around the village like a white fish, pursed her lips and rolled her eyes:

Tina was unlucky with a man. Ah, bad luck, ah!

This is with her - Tina and sponges with a tail. And without her - Kharya and mouth to ear. But she herself lured them to the village. I forced the house to be sold, to move here, to endure ridicule from people:

Here, Tina, culture. Movies are shown.

Movies were shown, but Kharitina did not go to the club. The economy is sickly, the husband is a fool, and there is almost nothing to wear. In one dress every day, looming in public - you become familiar. And Maryina (she, therefore, is Kharya, and her sister is Maryitsa, that's it!), Marya has five pieces of woolen dresses, two cloth suits, and three whole jersey suits. There is something to look at the culture, there is something to show oneself in, there is something to put in the chest.

And Kharitina has only one reason: Yegor Savelich, dear husband. The spouse is legal, though unmarried. Father of an only son. Breadwinner and breadwinner, gore his goat.

Incidentally, a friend of a respectable man Fyodor Ipatovich Buryanov, Marya's husband. Through two alleys - the house own, five-walled. From branded logs: one to one, without a hitch, without a hitch. Zinc roof: shiny - like a new bucket. In the yard there are two wild boars, six sheep and a cow Zorka. A milking cow is a carnival in the house all year round. Yes, even a rooster on the ridge of the roof, as if alive. All business travelers were taken to him:

The miracle of a local craftsman. With one ax, imagine. It was done with one ax, as in the old days.

Well, it’s true, this miracle had nothing to do with Fyodor Ipatovich: it was only placed on his house. And Yegor Polushkin made a rooster. He had enough time for fun, but, as it were, for something sensible ...

Kharitina sighed. Oh, the dead mother did not look after her, oh, the father-father did not leave her with the reins! Then b, you see, not for Yegor would have jumped out, but for Fedor. She would live as a queen.

Fyodor Buryanov came here for a ruble back then, when the forests were noisy here - the edge could not be seen. At that time, there was a need, and they felled this forest with gusto, with a roar, with a progression.

The village was built, electricity was installed, water supply was established. And as the branch from the railway reached out, so the forest all around ended. Being, so to speak, at this stage overtook someone's consciousness, giving rise to a comfortable, but no longer needed village among the stunted remnants of the once sonorous redwoods. With great difficulty, regional organizations and authorities managed to declare the last massif around the Black Lake a water protection area, and the work stalled. And since a transshipment base with a sawmill built with the latest technology already existed at the village, the timber was now brought here on purpose. They drove, unloaded, sawed and loaded again, and yesterday's lumberjacks became loaders, riggers and workers at the sawmill.

But Fedor Ipatovich predicted everything exactly to Maryitsa a year ahead:

Chana to the progressives, Marya: there will soon be nothing to bring down. We should find something more capable, while the saws are still murmuring in our ears.

And he found: a forester in the last security array at the Black Lake. Mowing for free, fish in bulk, and firewood for nothing. It was then that he made a five-wall for himself, and made good things, and set up the household, and dressed the hostess - any-expensive. One word: head. Master.

And he kept himself in line: he didn’t crawl, he didn’t move. And he knew the price of the ruble and the word: if he dropped them, then with meaning. With another in the evening he will not open his mouth, but he will teach the mind to the other:

No, you did not turn life, Yegor: it turned you. Why such a situation? Penetrate.

Yegor listened obediently, sighed: oh, he lives badly, oh, badly. He brought his family to the extreme, he dropped himself, he was ashamed in front of the neighbors - that's right Fyodor Ipatych says, everything is right. And before the wife ashamed, and before the son, and before the good people: No, it is necessary to end it, this life. It is necessary to start another one: maybe for her, for the bright and reasonable future, Fyodor Ipatych will pour another glass, swell up? ..

Yes, to turn life - to become a master: that's how the old people used to fight.

Your truth, Fyodor Ipatych. Oh, really!

You know how to hold an ax in your hands, I do not argue. But it's pointless.

Yeah. That's for sure.

You need to be guided, Yegor.

It is necessary, Fyodor Ipatych. Oh, you must!

Yegor sighed, lamented. And the owner sighed, thought. And then everyone sighed. Not sympathizing - condemning. And Yegor lowered his head even lower under their gaze. Ashamed.

And to penetrate if, then there was nothing to be ashamed of. And Yegor always worked in good conscience, and lived quietly, without pampering, but it turned out that he was to blame around him. And he did not argue with this, but only grieved greatly, scolding himself for what the world was worth.

From the nest where they lived in their native collective farm, if not in abundance, then in respect, they suddenly fluttered from this nest. It is as if the birds are unintelligent or some kind of beans, who have neither a stake nor a yard, nor children, nor a household. Eclipse found.

That March - blizzard, chilly - the mother-in-law died, Kharitina and Maryitsa's dear mother. Exactly, she passed away to Evdokia, and relatives in sledges gathered for the funeral: cars got stuck in the snow. So Maryitsa arrived: alone, without a master. Wept for mother, sang, commemorated, completed the full rank. Maryitsa changed her black dress for a downy shawl and blurted out:

You have lagged behind cultural life here in your manure.

That is how? Yegor didn't understand.

There is no real modern. And here Fyodor Ipatych is building a new house: five windows to the street. Electricity, department store, movies every day.

Every day - and new? Tina was amazed.

Boris Vasiliev's novel Don't Shoot White Swans (in some editions Don't Shoot White Swans) was first published in Yunost magazine in 1973. In 1980, director Rodion Nakhapetov shot a film of the same name.

The Buryanov family moved to live in a remote village built at a woodworking factory. The head of the family, Fyodor Ipatovich, got a job as a forester and very quickly became the richest and most respected person in the village. Fedor's wife Maryitsa has a married sister Kharitina. Maryitsa persuaded her sister to move to the same locality in order to be closer to her relatives.

Kharitina with her husband and children move to the village. However, instead of helping close relatives to get a good job, Fedor Ipatovich is trying in every possible way to use his kind and simple-minded brother-in-law Yegor Polushkin. At this time, Yuri Petrovich Chuvalov was appointed to the post of forester. The new forester discovered that Buryanov's house was built from the state forest. Seeing that the forester is a dishonest person, Chuvalov appoints Yegor Polushkin to this position.

Fedor Ipatovich decided to take revenge on his brother-in-law. Hearing how someone kills fish in the local lake at night, Yegor hurried to the reservoir. The poachers attacked the new forester and severely beat him. Polushkin recognized his offenders, among whom was his brother-in-law Fyodor, but he did not betray anyone to the police. Buryanov came to the hospital to Yegor to ask for his forgiveness. The forester forgave his brother-in-law and soon died.

Buryanov family

The head of the family, Fyodor Ipatovich, is characterized as a cunning and ruthless person, capable of doing anything to achieve his own goals. Buryanov considers even a close relative as a free labor force. Having moved to a new house built by Yegor, Fedor “graciously” left the old hut to the family of his brother-in-law, from which he even took the floors. Knowing that Polushkin would forgive him, Buryanov organized an attack on his relative.

To match the father and son Vovk. Already in his youth, the boy knows how to manipulate others, playing on their weaknesses. To get his cousin Kolka Polushkin's new compass, Vovka threatens to drown the puppy. The compass should be ransom. However, even after receiving the desired thing, the boy does not stop there. Vovka continues to keep the puppy, claiming that he is not worth one compass. Something else needs to be given.

Polushkin family

Polushkin got his name in honor of Yegor (George) the Victorious. His acquaintances call him a poor-bearer because Yegor constantly gets into unpleasant situations. Most of these situations arise only because Polushkin is a kind and honest person who does not tolerate violence even in relation to insects. The case of Yegor's refusal to dig a ditch for sewerage in a straight line, as it was necessary, is indicative. While working, Polushkin noticed an anthill and did not want to destroy it.

Egor is a talented carpenter. He knows how not only to build, but also to decorate, carve bizarre figures from wood. However, the master does not stay in any of the jobs for a long time. He works with his soul on every detail, which means that he always takes a lot of time to work. No carpenter's artel wants to cooperate with such a carpenter. Polushkin misses deadlines, which leads to conflicts with customers. Yegor never sees his own benefit and does not try to seek it. The desire for beauty makes the carpenter forget about everything in the world. Once in the capital, he, first of all, goes to the zoo, and not to the shops, as visitors from the outback usually do. Struck by the beauty of the swans, Yegor could not help but buy beautiful birds to settle on the lake.

Kindness in the Polushkin family is distinguished not only by the head, but also by his wife and son. Kharitina is a grouchy woman. She believes that her life has not worked since childhood, since a drunken priest gave her a strange name during baptism. The most important test for Kharitina was her husband. A wonderful family man and faithful husband, Yegor, however, cannot get along well in life. Despite constant discontent and grumbling, Kharitina is able to give the last, like her husband. The Polushkins' son Kolka is madly in love with his unlucky father and is always offended when Yegor is called a poor bearer. Kolka spared neither the compass nor the spinning rod in order to save the puppy.

Yuri Chuvalov

The secondary character of the novel, thanks to which Polushkin got the job of a forester, appears as a positive hero. He denounces the dishonest Buryanov and removes him from his post.

Gradually, the image of Chuvalov begins to "blacken" and finally reveals itself after the forester spent the night with the village teacher Nonna Yurievna. Only in the morning Chuvalov admitted that he was not free. Once he seduced a girl named Marina. After the wedding, Marina left her husband for Moscow, where she "lost" her passport and received a new one, in which there was no seal of marriage.

At the end of the novel, Chuvalov managed to rehabilitate himself. He married a pregnant Nonna Yurievna. The ex-wife of the forester had already had a different family by that time.

main idea

A moral deed does not always receive a material reward. However, a much higher reward awaits those who act in good conscience - this is the right to feel like a Human.

Analysis of the work

Even a summary of "Don't shoot white swans" can make a lasting impression on the reader. The author uses images that “grab” the audience, hold their attention for a long time, make them follow the course of the story, empathize with the characters.

Living and inanimate nature helps to draw the line between the kindness and soullessness of the characters. If the life of a puppy and an ant is precious for the Polushkin family, then other heroes of the novel do not consider animals or insects to be living creatures at all. The tourists, who were disturbed by the anthill, simply doused it with gasoline and set it on fire. Yegor was so struck by the sight of burning ants that he allowed himself to drink too much.

It is unlikely that anyone will be left indifferent by the story

Vasiliev is the author of the story “Do not shoot white swans”, which revealed the relationship between man and nature. Boris Vasiliev wrote the work “Don’t Shoot White Swans”, which is still relevant today and teaches us to treat the environment with respect and attention, to be like the main character Polushkin - a man with a heart and a good soul.

Don't shoot white swans summary

So Polushkin came to the village with his family and settled in a house that a relative allocated. In the village, he became famous as a “freak”, no matter what he took, everything turned against him. So he changed one job for another and could not stay anywhere until he became a forester. Here was his calling, here he did the work at the call of his heart, trying to protect nature from poachers.

He protected trees, animals. Once, he wanted to revive the lake, which was called Lebyazhy, and, having arrived from Moscow, he brings swans that he bought there. But these birds were not destined to survive. Polushkin's brother-in-law Fyodor Buryanov, together with his friends, kills birds. These shots were heard by the main character, who rushed to protect nature, for which he paid with his life.

And although the main character dies, his successor remains, the son of Kolka, who, perhaps, will be able to achieve the goal that his father set in the future and the lake will be reborn. Therefore, this is not the end.

Analyzing the work of the author "Do not shoot at white swans", in the essay I would like to note how important the goal was pursued by the author of the work. And his goal was to show us the problems that exist among people, to show how indifferent a person can be, who can easily cut down the last grove, burn an anthill, and destroy nature.

At the same time, the author of the work “Do not shoot white swans” was not completely disappointed in people, because among people with a predatory nature, among the destroyers in the form of Fyodor, there are guardians, defenders who love nature and will do everything to save it, even sacrifice their lives, how the main character Polushkin Yegor did it.

Vasiliev's work “Don't Shoot White Swans” touches upon the problems and questions of the relationship between man and nature, touches upon the human conscience, shows the measure of people's responsibility for what is happening around.

At the end of the work “Do not shoot white swans”, in my analysis of the story, I will note the relevance of this work. No matter how scary it sounds, even now in our society there are cruel people, including children, who deal with nature with ease and great cruelty. The only good news is that there are still defenders, they were then and are now, which means that our nature will live.

Good day. We need a comparative description of the heroes of the novel: P. P. Kirsanov and E. Bazarov

1.) Portrait characteristic (use of text)
2.) Social background (text use)
3.) Education (use of text)
4.) Linguistic features (use of text)
5.) Vital interests (use of text)
6.) Attitude towards the peasantry, land issues, life and political examples (use of the text + own conclusions)
7.) Attitude towards love, friendship (use of the text + own conclusions)
8.) The attitude of the author to the characters of the novel (use of the text + own conclusions)
9.) Your attitude towards the heroes of the novel (own conclusions)
I would be very grateful and appreciate the full answers! :)

Help whoever can

I Literature of the 19th century.
1. Name the literary trends of the 19th century.
2. What events in world and Russian history created the prerequisites
for the birth of romanticism in Russia?
3. Name the founders of Russian romanticism.
4. Who stood at the origins of Russian realism?
5. What is the main literary direction of the second half of the XIX
century.
6. What task did A.N. Ostrovsky set for himself in the play "Thunderstorm"?
7. Express the philosophy of the writer A.N. Ostrovsky by example
play "Thunderstorm".
8. What task did I.S. Turgenev in the novel "Fathers and
children"?
9. Why is the novel by I.S. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" critics called
anti-noble?
10. Express the main ideas of the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and
punishment".
11. Formulate the basic principles of the philosophy of F.M. Dostoevsky and
the protagonist of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov.
12. Why, in your opinion, the novel "War and Peace" critics
called the "encyclopedia of Russian life"?
13. What distinguishes the positive characters of L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and
world"?
14. Name the stages of the spiritual evolution of one of the heroes of the novel: Andrei
Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Natasha Rostova.
15. What do the fates of Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov have in common?
II Literature of the XX century.
1. What phenomena of the social life of Russia influenced the development
literature of the 20th century?
2. What was the name of the literature of the turn of the 19th - early 20th centuries?
3. What are the main literary trends of this time?
4. What is the philosophy of I. Bunin's story "Cold Autumn"?
5. What unites the stories of I. Bunin "Cold Autumn" and A.
Kuprin "Garnet Bracelet"?
6. "What you believe in - that is." Which hero of the work of M. Gorky
do these words belong? Explain his philosophy.
7. What is the role of Satin in the play "At the Bottom"?
8. The image of the civil war in the stories of M. Sholokhov "The Mole"
and Food Commissar.
9. What are the features of the Russian character in the story of M. Sholokhov
"Destiny of Man"?
10. What kind of village did you see in the story of A.I. Solzhenitsyn "Matryonin"
yard"?
11. What philosophical and moral problems does the author raise in
story?
12. What plot episode is the climax in the story “Matryonin
yard"?
13. What unites the characters of Andrei Sokolov (“The Fate of a Man”) and
Matryona Vasilyevna ("Matryonin Dvor")?
14. Which of the Russian writers was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to
world literature?

Of great importance for understanding a work of art is its summary. Don't Shoot the White Swans is a 1973 novel by the famous Soviet writer Boris Vasiliev. The popularity of this work is evidenced by the fact that it was filmed in 1980. Currently, this book is considered one of the best in the work of this author, but at one time it caused criticism. Nevertheless, now the essay is rightfully recognized as a deep philosophical narrative about the life of a simple Russian person from the village.

Introduction

To begin with a small description of the place of action of the work, its summary follows. "Don't Shoot White Swans" is a story about the hero's life in the village, as well as about his environment, which could not understand his neighbor, who lived not according to his mind, but according to his conscience. First, the author describes a small settlement in which the characters live.

He immediately focuses on the fact that they did not take care of nature and cut down almost the entire forest that was located at the woodworking factory. It was to this place that the main character, Yegor Polushkin, moved to live, along with his children and wife. He settles next to his brother-in-law, who was a local forester. A preliminary characterization of the actors should be included in the summary. "Don't Shoot White Swans" is a story about a man who was never understood even by his close relatives.

Families

The writer immediately draws a line between these characters. Fyodor Buryanov did not receive his relative very well: he gave him a bad hut, while Yegor built him a beautiful house. From this episode it is already clear that this man is a pure, trusting person who is ready to work for free. His son Kolka grew up the same way, who was an honest and decent boy, sensitive to other people's grief. For the most complete description of the characters of the novel, schoolchildren will be helped by its summary. “Do not shoot white swans” is a work that tells about a simple man from the people, so it is close and understandable to every Russian reader.

The life of a hero in the village

Yegor Polushkin was engaged in the most diverse work, but he could not get anywhere properly, due to the fact that he did everything in good conscience, as if for himself.

At first, he became a member of the construction team and carried out the plan too conscientiously, which is why he constantly missed the deadlines for completing the order. Then he began to dig a trench, but, taking pity on the anthill, he laid it crookedly. At the same time, Vasilyev constantly emphasizes the talent of his hero. “Don’t Shoot White Swans” is a book about the difficult fate of an ordinary Russian peasant who could not find a place in this life because he was too straightforward, sincere and honest.

The plot of the action

One of the most dramatic scenes of the work is the incident that happened to Polushkin during his work at the boat station. Once he was assigned to become a guide for tourists. During a halt, he was upset because his clients set fire to an anthill, drank too much, rashly hit his son, and also lost all the equipment of a motor boat. Vasiliev wrote about how difficult it was for this simple person to get out of trouble. "Don't shoot the white swans" is an essay that draws a clear line between business people and Polushkin, who was too gullible to improve his situation on his own.

He was deceived in the market when he was selling a piglet, and Buryanov not only did not lend money for help, but cut down a linden grove, the bast of which Yegor wanted to sell in order to pay for the boat.

Development of events

The book "Don't Shoot the White Swans", whose genre is usually defined as a novel, in its narrative is very much like a folk tale. The author tells the story of a simple Russian man from the people in such a language that the book sounds like a folklore work.

After the accident with the boat, bad times came for Polushkin. Out of grief, he took to drink, however, fortunately, his teacher Kolka helped him, who provided him with a job: she instructed him to repair her hut. Thus, the life of the hero more or less improved, since the young woman did not rush him, and he worked for his own pleasure. The novel "Don't shoot the white swans" is built on the principle of contrast. The analysis of the essay should include a description of two storylines, the second of which concerns the image of the hero Buryanov. He was a dishonest man, and the chief forester Chuvalov decided to remove him from his post.

Children's theme

An important role in the narrative is the description of the life of the sons of these heroes. Both boys seem to repeat the fate of their fathers. Kolka was too shy and kind, so he, being in love with his classmate Olya, could not establish a relationship with her. Like Polushkin, the boy was very fond of nature and animals. So, once he saved a puppy, whom Buryanov's son, Vovka, wanted to drown. The latter was a dishonest child, like his father. So, he led the tourists to the protected area so that they could go fishing there.

Change in the fate of the hero

The work "Do not shoot white swans" is interesting not so much in the plot as in the image of the main character. Egor Polushkin immediately fell in love with Chuvalov, who instructed him to protect the protected area. Thus, he became a forester instead of his brother-in-law, and Buryanov harbored a grudge against a relative.

And Polushkin quickly put things in order in the forest: drove the poachers away, cleared the forest. His success became interested in the capital and summoned to the All-Union Conference of Foresters. In the city, the hero bought a pair of white swans. He wanted the lake in the forest to become Lebyazhy again. However, a terrible tragedy soon broke out, which claimed the life of the protagonist.

climax

The novel "Don't Shoot the White Swans", the problematic of which is the confrontation between a simple person who lives in good conscience and ordinary people, is distinguished by a calm, measured narration even in the most dramatic scene. Once Yegor heard a noise in the forest. When he hurried to the place, he saw poachers who killed the swans and drowned the fish. The hero tried to protect the animals, but they beat him half to death.

Egor managed to crawl to the house. During the interrogation, he did not betray his killers, although he recognized some, including his brother-in-law. Soon Polushkin died, and Buryanov left the village with his family. A new forester appeared in the forest, but the lake never became Lebyazhy.

Character skins

One of the most famous works of Soviet literature is the novel "Don't shoot the white swans". The main characters of the book are Yegor Polushkin, nicknamed the "poor bearer" in the village, and his son Kolka. Both images carry the main semantic load. The author tried to portray in them an ideal simple Russian person who lives not according to his mind, but according to his conscience. Polushkin is somewhat reminiscent of traditional heroes from Russian folk tales, who are always unlucky due to excessive gullibility towards people and kindness.

That is why the book "Don't Shoot White Swans" is so close to folk art. Quotes of the main characters reveal their characters even more fully.

Polushkin

This person expresses the main idea of ​​the author that one needs to live the way a person tells his heart, not his mind. Therefore, Yegor's actions cause misunderstanding of others. He is too simple and naive, kind and sympathetic. He is ready to work for nothing, always ready to help. Polushkin loves nature and is unable to harm even the smallest living creatures. The hero sees only the good in people and is not capable of getting seriously angry with anyone. He says to Kolka: “There is no need to be offended by people, son. The last thing is to hold a grudge against people.

Buryanov and his son

This character is the antipode of Polushkin. He is secretive, cunning and even insidious. Without a twinge of conscience, he uses his brother-in-law to build a house. Instead of gratitude, Buryanov participates in the beating of a relative. However, at the end of the novel, he feels remorse and sincerely asks for his forgiveness. His family also sets off the negative qualities of the hero. Buryanov's son Vovka is completely different from Polushkin's son Kolka. Vovka is dishonest, mercenary: he points out to tourists a protected area, although his father works as a forester, and the boy knows that fishing and hunting are not allowed in this place. In addition, the child is distinguished by cruelty: he almost drowned the puppy and agreed to leave him life only for a fee from Kolka. It is not surprising that in the finale of the work Buryanov loses his job and leaves his home.

Kolka

A large place in the work is occupied by the image of Yegor's son - Kolka. The reader immediately understands that this boy is a copy of his father, that he will grow up and be the same kind and simple person. Polushkin educates him in respect for work. “The main thing, son, is that you always have a pleasantness at work,” he tells him. It should be noted here that the teacher Nonna Yuryevna, who acts as a moral guide, had a great influence on the development of the boy. It was she, one of the village, who believed in Polushkin, whom she instructed to rebuild her dilapidated hut. She teaches the boy kindness, honesty and justice. A woman instills in her student a sense of patriotism: "The motherland is always right, Kolya."

Other characters

In conclusion, it is necessary to describe the images of secondary characters. A significant place in the narrative is occupied by Chuvalov - the head of the forest rangers in the village. He, like Nonna Yurievna, believes in Polushkin. He alone saw in him a talented person, a good jack of all trades, and therefore entrusted the management of the local forest.