Our Notes & References

A very rare edition published in Dushanbe, Tajikistan — the only edition in Russian. OCLC locates only one holding (Berlin State Library).

The poem tells a whimsical story of toys in a shop that come to life at night. Upset that their high prices keep customers away, the toys gather to find a way to reduce the costs and finally be sold. In the end, they take matters into their own hands—rewriting the price tags. The next morning, thanks to their efforts, all the dolls and toys are sold.

Subtly satirising Soviet economic policies, the poem was written by the prominent Tajik poet Gaffar Mirzo (also known as Gafor Mirzo or Gaffar Mirza, 1929–2006).

It was translated into Russian by Marianna Fofanova (1921–98), a poet and noted translator from Tajik. The illustrations are by Vladlen Budnyi (b. 1931), a graphic artist and illustrator based in Dushanbe.