Mayakovski's poem Oblako v shtanakh ("Trousered
Cloud," 1915) is subtitled "a tetraptych." VN's stories Oblako, ozero,
bashnya ("Cloud, Castle, Lake," 1937), Istreblenie tiranov
("Tyrants Destroyed," 1938), Vasiliy Shishkov (1939) and
Volshebnik ("The Enchanter," 1939) form a tetraptych. VN's
plays Sobytie ("The Event," 1938) and Izobretenie Val'sa ("The
Waltz Invention," 1938) form a diptych. The tetraptych and the diptych are
signed with the phrase na bokovuyu ([time to] go to bed) that occurs in
Sobytie and in Volshebnik.
In Pushkin's Skazka o zolotom petushke ("Fairy Tale
about the Golden Cockerel," 1834) the cockerel on the spire cries to Tsar
Dadon:
"Kiri-ku-ku,
Tsarstvuy, lyozha na
boku!"
("Reign, lying on your side!")
The golden cockerel was given to Tsar Dadon by a
stargazer (i. e. astrologer). In "The Event" Meshaev the Second (who lives in
the country and breeds hens) toyed with occultism. Antonina Pavlovna's
story that she reads at her birthday party is from her cycle Ozaryonnye
ozyora ("Illumined Lakes").
In "The Waltz Invention" the Colonel says that he set wrist
watch correctly, po bashne (by the tower):
Министр. Извиню. О-го -- без десяти
двенадцать.
Полковник. Ваши отстают. У меня без двух, и я поставил их
правильно, по башне.
Министр. Нет, вы ошибаетесь. Мои верны, как карманное
солнышко.
Полковник. Не будем спорить, сейчас услышим, как пробьёт. (Act One)
According to the Minister, his watch is as punctual
as the little pocket sun.
In "The Enchanter" the protagonist has a designer watch with
no hands.
Alexey Sklyarenko