Old Man Khottabych

Lazar Iosifovich Lagin 1903 – 1979 – a Soviet writer and poet. The novella-fable Old Man Khottabych 1938 was published in parts first in the newspaper Pioneer Truth and then in the magazine Pioneer. Moscow schoolboy Volka Kostylykov, while swimming in a river, finds a mysterious bottle. Volka's amazement knew no bounds when instead of treasure, he found a genie in the ancient bottle. The old genie named Hassan Abdurahman ibn Khottab promised to faithfully serve Volka and fulfill all his wishes in exchange for his liberation. But pioneer Kostylykov does not need palaces and immeasurable riches of Khottabych. Volka teaches the old man to read and write, arranges a job for him in the circus, and makes him a real human being. Khottabych, in turn, helps Volka learn to value friendship and take responsibility for his actions. For middle school age children.