The Defender (Kalashnikoff novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Nicholas Kalashnikoff |
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| Illustrator | Claire Louden and George Louden, Jr. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Literature |
| Publisher | Scribner |
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Publication date
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1951 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 130 pp |
| ISBN | 0-8027-7397-4 |
The Defender is an exciting children's book written by Nicholas Kalashnikoff. It takes place far away in the snowy mountains of Siberia. The story is about a shepherd named Turgen who is left all alone. He becomes friends with wild mountain rams and works hard to protect them from hunters.
This book was illustrated by Claire Louden and George Louden. It first came out in 1951. The next year, in 1952, it won a special award called the Newbery Honor. This award is given to really great books for kids.
Contents
Story Summary: Protecting Mountain Rams
The story follows a man named Turgen, who belongs to a group of people called the Lamut (Evens). A sad illness took his whole family, leaving him alone in his traditional home, a Yurt. He used his skills to help people with medicine.
Turgen's Lonely Life
Feeling very lonely, Turgen started to make friends with a group of rams that lived near his yurt. This made the people in his village suspicious. They thought it was impossible for a man to befriend wild animals. Because of this, strange rumors started that Turgen must be a sorcerer, and the villagers began to avoid him.
Unexpected Friendships
One day, while Turgen was returning from fishing and hunting, he heard crying. He decided to help and found two children inside a yurt. The older child, Tim, came up to Turgen. Turgen, being very kind, stayed to look after the younger child, Aska, who was just a baby.
Later, the children's mother, Marfa, came home from work. She was surprised to find Turgen taking care of her children. It turned out that Marfa's late husband had not believed the rumors about Turgen. He had told Marfa that Turgen was a good man who helped anyone in need. Seeing Turgen with her children proved this to Marfa.
Building Trust and Helping Others
From then on, Turgen often visited Marfa and her children. He brought them meat and salt. This helped Marfa so she didn't have to work so hard. She could spend more time with her kids. During these visits, Turgen shared his own story. He used to hunt rams for sport, but it made him sad to see these creatures hunted for their horns and meat when they were just living peacefully.
Turgen decided to build trust with the rams. He fed them every day. Over time, he formed a strong bond with the herd. He watched them eat his offerings. When the rams faced dangers like bears and wolves, Turgen did everything he could to help them, even if it meant risking his own life.
The Hunting Season Challenge
In the middle of September, hunting season began. This was when Turgen's biggest challenges started. Hunters came to the mountains specifically looking for rams. Turgen took on the important job of guiding the rams to a safer place in the mountains.
With the help of Marfa and her children, he managed to lead the rams to safety. The hunters watched them and threatened Turgen because of his actions. Marfa bravely stood up and asked the hunters to understand why Turgen had helped the rams.
Acceptance and a New Life
The hunters remembered the shaman's words about Turgen and ignored Marfa. Then, Turgen spoke to the hunters. He told them that the shaman's words shouldn't be believed. He explained that he had been visited by a spirit for helping the rams. The Lamut people were very religious and had believed a spirit haunted Turgen. Now, they believed he was free since the rams were gone.
In the end, Turgen was welcomed back into the village. He married Marfa and was able to live a normal, happy life.
Main Characters
- Turgen - A man who was accused of using magic and was forced to live alone. He becomes friends with rams and later protects them.
- Shamanist - A village shaman who was jealous of Turgen. He started the false rumors about Turgen using magic.
- Marfa - A woman who had lost her husband. She did not believe the rumors about Turgen and became his friend when he needed it most.
- Tim - Marfa's first child, a son.
- Aska - Marfa's second child, a baby daughter.
- The Rams - The group of rams that Turgen protects and feeds. There are three female rams, four male rams (including their leader), and two baby rams.
