Teffi - «не топтать травы»

[R. M. Cleminson]

I have a definite recollection (but unfortunately not so definite that I can quote a reference) that «Травы не мять, цветов не рвать и птиц не пугать» was a notice commonly displayed in parks in Imperial Russia, much like "Keep off the grass" in ours, and it seems to have acquired similar connotations of law-abiding good behaviour.  There is something similar in Chekhov's «Переполох» (and I think it may have been from an annotated edition of Chekhov that I got the above information), but it evidently sank into the Russian consciousness much earlier - cf. Zhukovsky's «И Феб и музы известились...», c.1820.

----- Pôvodná správa -----
Od: "Robert Chandler" <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
Komu: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Odoslané: sobota, 26. apríl 2014 6:35:54
Predmet: [SEELANGS] Teffi - «не топтать травы»

Dear all,

It is late 1918.  Teffi and her companions are approaching Kiev by train.  There is an argument about where they are going to stay.  Olyonushka intervenes in this argument:

— В крайнем случае я возьму все на себя, — кротко сказала она. — У меня в Киеве есть подруги, может быть, можно устроиться у них…
Личико у Оленушки было озабоченное и грустное. Ясно было, что она приняла твердое решение «не топтать травы»…

I'm not sure of the last words.  Is it that she had taken a resolution not to say anything that might offend anyone?

All the best,

Robert

Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD

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