CID Course, Workbook 1-2-A, Appendices

TRIZ Textbooks: CID Course for Children, 1-2WA
Appendices for Children 1. "Yes-No" from the Fairy Tales 2. Commentaries to Propp's Cards 3. Proverbs for the Work in Class
Fairy Tales School: Course of Creative Imagination Development (CID), 1st Grade, 2nd Semester, Children Workbook
Natalia V. Rubina, 1999 [published in Russian] English translation by Irina Dolina, March 13, 2001 Technical Editing by Toru Nakagawa, May 1, 2001
Published in this "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" in English on May 8, 2001 under the permission of the Author. (C) N.V.Rubina, I. Dolina, T. Nakagawa, 2001

Guide-Book of this chapter

Guide-Book

Appendices for Children

Appendix 1. "Yes-No" from the Fairy Tales

Problem 1. Ariadne and Thesus

Long time ago the city of Athens in Greece every year had to pay contribution to the king of Crete Minosus. This contribution was the most beautiful maidens and youths. Minosus himself would feed them to a monster, named Minotauris. Minotaurus lived in the Labyrinth. Those who got into this Labyrinth, could never find the way out. They wandered inside for a long time until the monster ate them. Once when it was time again to pay contribution by Athens, among those chosen by a lot was a brave hero Theseus. When the captives arrived at Crete they were met by the king Minos and his suite, among whom was his daughter Ariadne. Ariadne liked Theseus so much that she decided to save him and secretly provided him with a sword to kill Minotaurus. But what is the character going to do if he defeats the monster, as nobody so far has ever found the way out of the Labyrinth so far?

Problem 2. Tractor for Uncle Fiodor

     Uncle Fiodor obtained a tractor from the plant. At first everybody was happy, the tractor turned to be small, comfortable and nice. But soon the problems started. The tractor needed to be fed but not with the gasoline, but with the food. They had enough milk and suppplied the tractor regularly. But this was not enough. As soon as the tractor was taken into the village, it smelt where there were pancakes or soup were being cooked, stopped and didn’t move until it was fed. Uncle Fiodor got cross:
     - Are we going to stop near every house? And near canteens as well? This isn’t a tractor, it’s some kind of a hippopotamus!
     - What is necessary to do to make the tractor go in the right direction without stopping?

Problem 3. Prometheus's Ring

Prometheus felt pity for the people and once gave them a small part of the Haven fire from Gefestus’s forge. Zeus got angry and ordered to punish the Titan and to chain him for ever to a rock! So it was done. But one day great hero Heracleus released Prometheus. Zeus, seeing as the people are strong, is ready to let Prometheus go, but the Thunderer can’t break his word: the Titan has to be chained to the rock for ever.
How did the God of the gods act?

Problem 4. Jumack and King's Sword (Pamirs' Fairy Tale)

     A shepherd Jumack together with a king’s daughter eloped to another country and entered a service of another king. Once his counceller saw Jumack’s wife (king’s daughter). And he was so carried away by her beauty that he decided to get rid of Jumack.and marry his wife. He incited the king to give Jumack difficult and dangerous assignments. Jumack alone would never handle them, but his wife, the king’s daghter, was not only beautiful but also wise. She helped her husband to cope with the assignments. From each journey Jumack brought himself wives one beautful than other.
     The king and his councellor didn’t know how to get rid of Jumack. And so the king designed a ruse. He called Jumack and said:
     - Jumack, my father died 100 years ago. Then we put the sword together with the body. If you bring this sword it will fine and if not – I will kill you and your kin.
     Jumack asked the king:
     - Do you know where your father’s grave is?
     The king replied:
     - If I do or if I don’t, it’s my business! I have given you an order – you have to do it!
     Jumack was unhappy. He came home. His new wife asks him:
     - What’s wrong? Why are you so unhappy?
     Jumack told her about his problem.
     His wife burst out laghing and said:
     - And this made you so sad!? I’ll help you. I have the king’s sword. Don’t worry about it. Go to the king and tell him to build a bonfire and to put you in the center of it. Then let them start the fire to send you to the Havens and ask the king’s father where his grave and his sword are. Then I’ll bring you back and we‘ll write a letter on behalf of the king’s father and mother. This letter you‘ll give to the king.
      Jumack went to the king and told him everything his wife had taught him.
     You have guessed already what was in this letter from “the king’s mother and father”. The wise wife saved Jumack and got rid of the king and his councellor. How did she manage to do this?

Problem 5. A Fox and a Farmer (Pamirs' Fairy Tale)

Long time ago a Fox and a Farmer became friends. They began to work together. The Farmer worked at the mill, and the Fox shepherded a flock of sheep. The fox ate a sheep every day. Soon there was only one black sheep left. Then it was time to return the sheep to the Farmer.
The Fox, as it is known, is ruse and cunning, but how to set accounts with the farmer if there is only one sheep left?

Problem 6. The Man and the Bear (Pamirs' Fairy Tale)

     Once a man was ploughing his land on his bullock. Suddenly he sees a bear coming from the forest with a stick in his paws. The bear gave the stick to the man. And he began to urge on his bullocks. The man ploughed his field, watered it, sowed the wheet, reaped it, grinded it and put into the sack.
     Then the bear came out of the forest with a big sack. “Give me my share!”
     “What do you mean?" - the man was surprised.
     “I have brought you a stick, half of the wheet is mine”.
     The man started to think. To give the wheet to the bear means to go hungry himself, and not to give means trouble.
     What should he do?

Appendix 2. Commentaries to Propp's Cards
(Extracts from the Popular Fairy Tales)

1. Absence of a family member

Once upon a time there was a goat. She has seven little goats and she loved them as much as only a mother could love. Once she decided to go to the woods to get some food… ("A wolfe and seven little goats", The Grimm brothers.)

2. Interdiction, imposed on a character

"Daughter," said the mother, "we’ll go to work. Look after your little brother. Don’t leave the house, be a good girl and we’ll buy you a shawl" ("Geese-Swans", Russian Folk Tale)

3. Violation of the interdiction

At the time Ivan, the prince, left secretely, ran home, found the frog’s skin and threw it into the stove, burnt it in the fire… ("The Queen Frog", Russian Folk Tale)

4. Sabbatage (or shortage)

     The wolf went to a river, put his tail into the ice-hole, sat and said:
     - Get the fish, small and big. Get the fish small and big!
     The fox is walking around the wolf and is saying:
     - Twinkle, twincle, the stars in the sky. Freese, freese the wolf’s tail!
     ("The Fox and the Wolf", Russian Folk Tale)

5. Obtaining the magic article

- Now, pull me up, old hag!
- Have you got a steel? - asked the witch.
- That’s right,- replied the soldier,- It has nearly slipped my mind.-
He came back and fetched the steel.
The witch pulled him up and now he is on his way home again. But his pockets, boots, backpack are full of money.
- Why do you need the steel? – asked the soldier.
- It’s not your business! - the witch replied. - You got what is yours, now give me mine. Well!
- No way! - said the soldier. Tell me right away, why do you need it, or I’ll cut your head off by my sword!
- I won’t tell you! - insisted the witch.
So, the soldier cut her head off. The witch fell dead. And he put all the money into her apron, mounted it on his back, placed the steel into his pocket and went right to the city…
("The Steel", Hans Christian Andersen).

6. Character is placed, taken or led to the place where there is an object of his search.

The noble man left and Emelia lay down for a while and said:
"By a wave of the wand,
By my will,
Stove, go to the king."
Then the corners of the house cracked, the roof waved, one of the walls fell out and stove by itself went along the street, along the road, right to the king…
("By a Wave of the Wand", Russian Folk Tale)

7. Problem or shotage is eliminated.

The gates opened and when a girl was under them, it suddenly started to rain and it was a gold rain, and all the gold remained on her, so she was covered by the gold completely.
- This is for your decent work,- said Lady Blizard. And also gave back her spindle, that she had dropped into the well.
("The Lady Blizard", The Grimm Brothers)

8. Return of the character

     Long time passed - Ivan began to miss his parents, and wanted to come back to sacred Russia.
     - Why are you unhappy, my dear husband? – Vasilisa the Wisest asked.
     - Oh, my beloved wife, I saw in a dream my father and mother, my home, a big garden and many children running around there. Maybe they are my brothers and sisters and I have never seen them with my eyes.
     Vasilisa the Wisest hung her head:
     - Now the great trouble has come! If we leave, the chase after us will be big. The King of the Sea will be very cross and will kill us fiercely. But we have nothing to do but find some way out.
     ("A Fairy Tale About Vasilisa the Wisest", Russian Folk Tale)

9. Character is offered a difficult assignment.

        The priest’s heart felt more cheereful,
        He began to look Balda braver.
        And he shouts: “Come here,
        My good servant Balda.
        Listen: the devils promised to pay
        Me contribution till my last day.
        It’s a very good arrangement, but
        They have not paid for three years.
        When you finish your meal,
        Get the money they owe me, in full.”
        ( "A Tale about A Priest and His Servant Balda", A. S. Pushkin)

10. Victory, Gift, Happiness

Ivan and the Queen had a wedding party and there was a sumptuous feast.
("Sivka–burka", Russian Folk Tale)

Appendix 3. Proverbs for the Work in Class

1. Morning is wiser than evening – grass is greener than straw.

2. The pike has been drowned but the teeth are left.

3. Like fibre, like linen.

4. The sun is low, the night is close.
The sun rises and the day comes.
5. The sledge can slide but can not go without a horse.

6. When the wood is being cut, the wood chips are being flying to your place (in town).

7. The frost is not strong, but it keeps you moving.

8. If there is a wood, there is an ax.

9. Sing together, speak separately.

10. Much was being spoken, but little was being said.

11. Better to do well, than to say well.

12. The crow has gone overseas, but come back unchanged.

13. Your fame depends on which river you are swimming.

14. No matter how much a crow praises itself, it’s a long way to go to become a falcon.
(Proverbs of The Russian People. "Collection of Proverbs" by V. Dal, Moscow, ”Hudozhestvennaya Literatura”, 1984).