Moydodyr is a 1923 fairy tale poem for children about a magical creature of the same name by Korney Chukovsky. The name "Moy do dyr" is literally translated as "Wash 'til Holes"; the common English translation is "Wash 'Em Clean".
Overview
Moydodyr is a 1923 poem for children by Korney Chukovsky about a magical creature by the same name. The name "Moy do dyr" is literally translated as "Wash 'til Holes"; the common English translation is "Wash 'Em Clean".
Plot summary
The poem is about a little boy who does not want to wash. He gets so dirty that all his toys, clothes and other possessions decide to magically leave him. Suddenly, from the boy's mother's bedroom appears Moydodyr—an anthropomorphic washstand. He claims to be the chief of all washstands, soap bars, and sponges. He scolds the boy and calls his soap bars and sponges to wash him. The boy tries to run away, chased by a vicious sponge. The chase is described as happening on Petrograd streets. Finally they meet another recurring character from Chukovsky's books—the Crocodile. The Crocodile swallows the sponge and becomes angry with the boy for being so dirty. Scared by the Crocodile, the boy goes back to Moydodyr and takes a bath. The poem ends with a moralistic note to children on the virtue of hygiene.
Adaptations
Influence in culture
