Sea Stories

Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov (1882-1938) - a famous children's writer, teacher, and traveler. The future writer spent his childhood in Odessa and befriended K.I. Chukovsky during his gymnasium years. After graduating from the Imperial Novorossiysk University (1906), B.S. Zhitkov struggled to find a job that suited him. An acquaintance advised him to become a sailor, and Boris decided to test himself and went to sea several times; shortly after that, he passed the exam for the navigator of sailing ships.
At 27, the future writer was appointed captain of a research vessel, and at 30, he was fortunate enough to be a participant in a round-the-world voyage, visiting India, Japan, and China. It is no coincidence that the first collection of stories by B.S. Zhitkov is dedicated to the sea and is called "The Evil Sea" (two stories from this collection - "Maria" and "Mary" and "Squall" - you will find in this book).
After the publication of "The Evil Sea," B.S. Zhitkov seriously became interested in writing. He wrote primarily for children: telling them about the sea and the countries he visited, about animals, about various professions, and, of course, about the people who honestly do their work day after day, sometimes risking their lives. Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov wrote numerous adventure stories and novellas ("Sea Stories," "Tales of Animals," "What I Saw," "What Happened").
This collection includes works by the author that are impossible to read without excitement: each of them speaks of an extreme situation, of the battle between people and the sea, about life and death. B.S. Zhitkov tells his young readers about conscience, responsibility, courage, and the value of human life.
The texts of the works are presented without abbreviations.