Smoke in the Forest facts for kids

"Smoke in the Forest" (Dym v lesu, Дым в лесу) is an exciting short story for young readers. It was written by the famous Soviet children's author Arkady Gaidar. The story first appeared in the Pioneer magazine in February 1939. Later that same year, it was published as a separate book. In 1955, a film based on Gaidar's story was made, also called Smoke in the Forest.

About "Smoke in the Forest"

This story takes readers on an adventure during a time of danger. It shows how brave ordinary people, even kids, can be when faced with trouble. The main character is a boy named Volodya. He finds himself in a difficult situation and has to act fast.

What's the Story About?

The story begins with some bad guys, called 'White Guardians', setting a forest on fire. Their goal is to destroy a nearby factory. A pilot named Fedoseyev is sent to check things out, but he doesn't come back on time.

Volodya, an 11-year-old boy, travels with Fenya (who is 5) and her mother. Fenya's mother is Pilot Fedoseyev's wife, and Fenya is his daughter. They are traveling in a truck to the airfield.

While playing with a puppy named Brutik, Volodya gets lost in the forest. As he rushes through the trees, he suddenly finds the injured Pilot Fedoseyev. The pilot's plane was shot down by the bad guys.

Volodya is sent back to the airfield for help. But he gets lost again! He tries to swim across a river and almost drowns. Luckily, a brave sheepdog named Lutta and some Red Army soldiers save him. Sadly, the puppy Brutik does not survive crossing the river.

Memorable Lines

• Fenya feels sad about Brutik, the puppy who drowned. She says, "If we hadn't fed him that sweet, he wouldn't have tagged along behind us."
• Volodya tries to cheer her up. He says, "But who knows, maybe animal catchers would have come for him. They might have hooked him up, thrown him into a cage, and skinned him. Would that kind of death have been better?"
• At the end of the story, the narrator says, "As for what they make in this factory, me and Fenya, we don't know. But if we knew, we'd tell nobody except for just one person - Comrade Voroshilov." This shows their trust in important leaders.