To‘xtaboyev Xudoyberdi

With their nature, form, and content, one can compare innocent childhood to a world of puzzles. All the problems related to why roosters crow until dawn, why some birds fly to warm lands in winter, to the sacredness of the Motherland's soil like a place of worship, and to the eternal conflict between good and evil, are the constant mysteries of this magical world.

Biography

Xudoyberdi Tuxtaboyev was born on December 17, 1932, in the village of Katta Tagob, Fergana region. Orphaned by his father at a very early age, Xudoyberdi was brought up by his grandfather Erkaboy and grandmother Robiyabibi.

He graduated from the Kokand Pedagogical Institute in 1949 and Tashkent State University (now the National University) in 1955. He began his career as a school teacher in the districts of Fergana region, and later worked as the head of the academic department and as a school principal. The author, who began his journalistic career in 1958, published more than 300 feuilletons in the newspapers «Toshkent oqshomi» and «Sovet O‘zbekistoni» over 14 years. He worked at the «Yosh gvardiya» and «Kamalak» publishing houses, and at the magazines «Guliston», «Sharq yulduzi», «Gulxan», «Guncha», and «Yosh kuch».

Entering the field of artistic creation in 1958, the author saw his books «Shoshqaloq», «Yosh gvardiya», «Sir ochildi», and «Sexrli qalpoqcha» published within a short time.

Over the past years, the writer's novels such as «Omonboy va Davronboy», «Sariq devni minib» (Riding the Yellow Giant), «Sariq devning o‘limi» (Death of the Yellow Giant), «Besh bolali yigitcha» (The Five-Child Boy), «Qasoskorning oltin boshi» (The Golden Head of the Avenger), «Yillar va yo‘llar» (Years and Roads), «Sexrgarlar jangi yoki shirin qovunlar mamlakatida» (Battle of the Sorcerers or in the Land of Sweet Melons), and «Jannati odamlar» (Heavenly People) have come into the world.

The beloved children's writer was awarded titles such as «Honored Cultural Worker of Uzbekistan» in 1982 and «People's Writer of Uzbekistan» in 1991.

His works have been translated into Russian, English, and German and published in foreign countries.

An immensely heavy responsibility is placed on children's literature, which is considered educational literature, in introducing little ones deeply to that world of puzzles and guiding them into a big life.

In guiding children on a journey into the world of puzzles, every writer chooses his own unique creative path. It is more appropriate to express this concept, related to the writer's creative individuality, with the term 'creative style.' Thus, while a realistic style prevails in the works of H. Nazir, H. Po‘latov, F. Musajonov, E. Raimov, and S. Barnoyev, a fantastic style is considered the adornment of the work of writers such as X. To‘xtaboyev, S. Anorboyev, H. Shayxov, and A. Obidjon. Among them, the works of Xudoyberdi To‘xtaboyev, the famous master of Uzbek children's prose, stand out particularly.

Xudoyberdi To‘xtaboyev's name has reached the farthest corners of the world through his novellas and novels, which are the products of intense and endless creative hardship. The single novel «Sariq devni minib», which has been translated into many languages of the world, significantly expanded the horizon of Uzbek children's literature.

«In 1970, my work «Sehrli qalpoqcha» (The Magic Cap) was published in Moscow,» writes Xudoyberdi To‘xtaboyev. «In 1971, Gianni Rodari held the «World Forum of Children's Writers» in Rome, Italy. For that forum, the department head of the «Detskaya literatura» publishing house in Moscow took my book along with other books to be displayed at the exhibition.»

«On the day the forum opened, Gianni Rodari gave a page dedicated to children in the «Unita» newspaper, and wrote the following words on that page: «Among the writers presented to me for acquaintance and recommendation for translation, Xudoyberdi To‘xtaboyev's work «Sehrli qalpoqcha» was approved because it is rich in humor and its fantasy is infinitely broad. I translated a chapter from this work so that Italian children might also enjoy this humor and fantasy.»»

In 1972, Germans published my work «Sehrli qalpoqcha». It was translated by the Uzbek studies scholar and linguist Dolerasi Shuls. When talking about X. To‘xtaboyev's creative maturity as a writer, it is more correct to look for his success in the environment in which the writer grew up. Fate confronted the future creator with severe tests from childhood.

«My childhood and adolescence,» writes the writer, «coincided with the war period. I heard the grief and regrets of my fellow villagers who were orphaned without parents. I saw mothers who had received black letters from their sons tearing their chests and screaming; I saw the secret tears of sisters waiting longingly for their brothers and of young widows early deprived of their husbands. After my stepfather, the craftsman Abduqodir, went to the labor battalion, eight children remained in our family. I «toured» from children's home to children's home with them. I even had times when I walked from Tashkent to Kokand.»

It should be noted that his religious grandmother also played an important role in the fate of young Xudoyberdi, who passed through the difficult filters of life. It is natural that in the works of the writer, who was raised in the spirit of stories and fairy tales told by his grandmother that provide comfort to the soul, figurative images such as giants, magicians, sorcerers, devils, witches, and jinns are given wide space, and figurative expressions specific to legends are used, such as «as high as a cloud,» «arms as thick as...» — «one is as thick as a baby's waist,» «when he lets out a roar, it feels like the ceiling of the room is being lifted.» This feature, related to any writer's skill in character creation, can be called one of the factors that ensured the uniqueness of the plot and artistic language of X. To‘xtaboyev's works.

Indeed, X. To‘xtaboyev took lessons in the school of a meaningful life and creativity. While the writer's first works saw the light of day in the early 50s, during his student days, they attracted the attention of literary criticism in the 60s, began to be studied at all levels of continuous education in the 70s, and became the cause of many debates and discussions.

In literary criticism, X. To‘xtaboyev's work is conditionally studied by dividing it into 3 groups.

The first group includes his first satirical works of the type «Jonginam, shartingni ayt», «Maxsus topshiriq», «Bevaqt aytilgan azon», and «Xarakteristika», which emerged as a continuation of his feuilletons published in the periodical press.

The second group includes purely realistic works written in various years, such as «Aka-uka Omonboy bilan Davronboyning qishloqqa gaz olib kelganlari haqida jajji qissa», «Sir ochildi», «Jannati odamlar», «Mungli ko‘zlar», «Yillar va yo‘llar», and «Kichkina rais».

Adventure works imbued with light humor, such as «Sariq devni minib», «Qasoskorning oltin boshi», «Shirin qovunlar mamlakatida yoki sehrgarlar jangi», and «Besh bolali yigitcha», constitute the third group. It is known from the history of literature that one cannot measure all the works of any great writer with the same yardstick. This statement also applies directly to X. To‘xtaboyev's work.

It was natural that a satirical spirit was dominant in the first works of the writer, who sharpened his pen as a feuilleton reporter for the newspapers «Toshkent haqiqati», «O‘zbekiston ovozi», and «Sovet O‘zbekistoni». Thus, in his stories for adults such as «Hadik», «Maxsus topshiriq», «Xarakteristika», «Tilxat», and «Bevaqt aytilgan azon», and in the novella «Jonginam, shartingni ayt», vices such as swindling, womanizing, bribery, and faithlessness are ruthlessly exposed. It is noteworthy that the heroes of these works — ordinary village people and intellectuals known to the writer since childhood — helped him to artistically depict their character traits in a believable way.

The certain experience gained in writing novellas led to the emergence of works in a realistic style intended for little readers, such as «Sir ochildi» and «Omonboy bilan Davronboy».

The timely noting of the schematism in the plot of these novellas by literary criticism gave a serious impetus to the writer's work. Our opinion is evidenced by his novels «Sariq devni minib» and «Besh bolali yigitcha», written under the influence of events he witnessed directly in childhood, the historical «Qasoskorning oltin boshi», and «Mungli ko‘zlar», which is an artistic expression of a moral-ethical problem.

It is known that the novel «Sariq devni minib» constitutes a separate page not only in X. To‘xtaboyev's work but also in Uzbek children's literature. The symbolic image of the magic cap in the work can be called a serious creative discovery by the author. The magic cap not only provides convenience in executing the author's artistic intention but also acts as a means of holding the reader's interest.

The fact that the main character of the work, Hoshimjon, enters and exits different worlds with the help of the magic cap plays an important role in the construction of the novel's plot. The little reader becomes convinced that even if the all-powerful magic cap helps, one cannot find one's place in life and be happy without acquiring knowledge and mastering a profession. And this is a thousand times more effective than dry preaching that says «get an education» and «learn a trade.»

«The reason for my work «Sariq devni minib» being translated into world languages,» says the writer in one of his interviews, «were the warm words of J. Rodari about this work at the World Children's Writers' Conference held in Rome, Italy, in 1971.»

So, what is the secret of this work that made the writer's name famous?

Why is the novel named exactly that?

At this point, it is appropriate to first express the figurative meaning of the phrase «Yellow Giant.» Why exactly «yellow»?, not black or white?

It is known that yellow signifies meanings of fire-desire. In our people, those who cannot restrain their desires, who have become slaves to their desires, that is, servants of desire, are also called «Fires of Desire.»

Indeed, whoever cannot restrain his desire will, one day, burn and turn to ashes in the fire of Desire. And fire, naturally, is yellow in color.

The «giant» in the phrase is considered a symbol of mythical evil. As described in fairy tales, no living being that falls into the throat of an evil giant ever remains alive. The hero of the work, Hoshimjon, also gives too much freedom to his desires: he starts on his way riding the giant of Desire.

The events in it are narrated in the language of the main hero, Hoshimjon, simply, accurately, and, moreover, through childish thoughts. The preservation of the childish way of thinking in Hoshimjon's speech and actions served to ensure the success of the novel's plot. One of the main reasons why the novel is liked by a wide mass of readers is the participation of the «magic cap.» Hoshimjon experiences wonderful and strange adventures precisely through the magic cap.

Hoshimjon is a naughty, energetic, quick-witted, sharp, and understanding boy. But at the same time, he also has a bit of cunning, boasting, cowardice, and lying. The little hero, who would jump to the sky if beaten to the ground, is given to passionate dreams, thinking that it is possible to become a person without studying with the help of the magic cap. He even argues many times about this with the school principal O. Azizov and his teacher Qobilov. He writes a letter to the school principal and asks not to study the subjects he considers complicated for his acquisition.

Hoshimjon, who has not yet studied or learned, and who is unaware of many of life's secrets, often finds himself in a difficult situation. In such moments, he turns to the cap and asks, «Teach me wisdom, show me the way,» but his friend, the magic cap, shows him the right path, saying, «Wisdom does not obey magic; even if I add height to your stature, I cannot add wisdom to your mind; in any case, you need to study and learn, Hoshimjon.»

It is appropriate to say that there is a unique attitude of the writer toward the life-giving didactics that are the blood vessels of children's literature. In particular, in stories such as «Qizg‘anchiq», «Shoshqaloq», «Orif cholning o‘rigi», «Xatosini tushungan bola», and «Nihollar nolasi», the natural conclusion that comes from the depiction of an important event taken from the life of little ones is provided more in the form of the situation the hero of the story finds himself in because of that event.

The story «Qizg‘anchiq» (The Stingy One) is instructive in this respect. The hero of the work, Shavkatjon, does not give anything to anyone. When he finds himself in the same situation, his friends do not deny him anything. Exactly this attitude shakes his heart and fundamentally changes his way of life.

The re-education of the stingy boy in the image of Shavkatjon is a truly exemplary model for little readers who cannot yet distinguish white from black. The ideological-artistic and educational task in such novellas and novels of the writer is placed on the adventures experienced by the heroes. And any adventure that is a mirror of the development of character does not leave one indifferent. After all, it is impossible to read without emotion the adventures connected with the fate of Hoshimjon in the novel «Sariq devni minib», Orifjon in the novel «Besh bolali yigitcha», Akrom qovunchi in the novel «Shirin qovunlar mamlakati yoki sehrgarlar jangi», and Namoz botir in the novel «Qasoskorning oltin boshi».

Even though each of X. To‘xtaboyev's heroes has a unique appearance and manner of speaking, it is not difficult to see that the cheerful and life-giving humor that has found polish in the writer's work from work to work connects them. «To tell the truth,» says Hoshimjon, «I am not that bad of a boy myself. My wit and intelligence are in place, my manners are not bad either, I am one of the disciplined students of the sixth grade. Unlike those naughty boys, I don't walk around kicking up dust on the street all day. What should I hide, playing soccer divided into teams or going to a quieter place, for example, a place where your mother can't reach you no matter how much she calls, and playing chillak (a traditional game) is a thousand times better than walking around kicking up dust on the street.»

«My waist is a little bent,» introduces himself the hero of the novel «Besh bolali yigitcha», Orifjon, «I admit this myself, I have become like this from carrying my younger brothers. My height is also a little shorter compared to my peers, I don't deny this either. While I said I would grow upward, my brothers climbed on my shoulders and kept pressing me downward. That's why I've become a bit stunted. To tell the truth, I don't get that angry when they call me 'five-child.' Because, believe me, I truly have exactly five younger siblings. I raised all five of them myself, my mother is a tractor driver, she has been in the fields night and day since the war started.»

The novel «Qasoskorning oltin boshi», concerning the history of Namoz Pirimqul o‘g‘li (1865-1907), who left a deep mark on the history of the region in the early 20th century under the names «Namoz botir» and «Namoz polvon», also occupies an important place in the writer's work.

The author depicts the famous image of Namoz botir, who was dreamed of by A. Qodiriy in writing a work, and appeared in Anna Almatinskaya's trilogy «Zulm» and Izzat Sulton's drama «Noma'lum kishi», with special love and affection.

The hero of the work, Namoz botir, sets out for a crushing battle on the path of the triumph of social justice. On his banner of revenge is written the wisdom by Alisher Navoi: «As much as I could from my hands, I broke the oppressor's blade and applied the balm of revenge to the wounded oppressed.»

Namoz botir considers it his duty as a child of this land to set out to fight «for the sake of the orphans who walk hungry and lost in the streets, for the sake of the maids and servants who work at the doors of the rich and cannot receive their rights, for the sake of the aggrieved whose heads are broken by the whip of governors and officials, for the sake of the poor whose dignity has been trampled, for the sake of the oppressed men and women whose backs have been bent by insults and discrimination.» Namoz botir understands that «it is not God, but the oppressed themselves who should punish the oppressors.»

««Qasoskorning oltin boshi»,» wrote Professor Ozod Sharafiddinov, «is a new phenomenon in our literature according to its genre and characteristics. From the beginning to the end of the work, the author strictly adheres to the requirements of this genre, striving for the plot to be solid and tight, and for the events to turn out interesting. There are many unexpected turns and extraordinary situations in the development of events. The heroes often find themselves in helpless situations and get out of such situations with ingenuity.»

The heroes' conduct in extremely difficult situations, overcoming tests in a manly way and striving for bright destinations, and coming to vital conclusions from a moral-ethical perspective through the depiction of loyalty to kindness is considered the important point connecting X. To‘xtaboyev's works.

While the historical conditions of the early 20th century and the people's striving for freedom are woven into the adventures of Namoz botir in the novel «Qasoskorning oltin boshi», the aftermath of the Second World War left in the people's life, the anxiety, and the confusion give life force to the adventures of the heroes of the novel «Besh bolali yigitcha», Orifjon and his younger siblings.

It is clear that X. To‘xtaboyev's creative success cannot be imagined without his searches in the field of creating artistic plots. Additionally, the artistic language of the writer's works and his mastery of creating laughter can be mentioned. The faint smile, quick-wittedness, and intelligence that move from the writer's works to works also move into the reader's heart. This is a sign of artistic perfection that all writers dream of, but which does not fall to the lot of many.

People's Writer of Uzbekistan X. To‘xtaboyev can be called a globetrotting writer according to the geography of the distribution of his works. The writer, who has won the love of children of several generations with his works, is now at an age full of creative strength. Every story, novella, and novel authored by the writer serves the education of little readers as an artistic expression of important problems connected with the innocent world of childhood, the history of the people, and their fate. The dozens of combative heroes created in them have become the favorite like-minded friends and advisors of children.