38 Parrots

38 Parrots (Russian: 38 попугаев, translit. Tridtsat vosem popugaev) is a series of ten children's cartoons produced in the Soviet Union between 1976 and 1991 by Soyuzmultfilm. Featuring animated puppets, the series portrays the amusing adventures of four friends: the talkative marmoset Martyshka, the shy young elephant Slonionok, the eccentric parrot Popugai, and the thoughtful boa Udav.

The title of the series comes from the very first episode, where Udav has his length measured in parrots. In most episodes the heroes solve paradoxes related to language and meaning. In one, for example, they discuss the number of nuts it takes to make a whole pile. In another, they tackle the problem of how to convey a greeting without it disappearing in transit.

The series was created by director Ivan Ufimtsev and artist Leonid Shvartsman, and scripted by children's author Grigoriy Oster. The characters were voiced by popular actors Nadezhda Rumiantseva (Martyshka), Mikhail Kozakov (Slonionok), Vasilii Livanov (Udav) and Vsevolod Larionov (Popugai). The series includes songs by Gennadii Gladkov and Yuri Entin.

List of episodes

"38 Parrots" / 38 попугаев (1976)

"38 Parrots: Udav's Grandmother" / 38 попугаев: Бабушка удава (1977)

"38 Parrots: How to Cure Udav" / 38 попугаев: Как лечить удава (1977)

"38 Parrots: Where is Slonenok Going" / 38 попугаев: Куда идёт слонёнок (1977)

"38 Parrots: And What if It Works!" / 38 попугаев: А вдруг получится! (1978)

"38 Parrots: Hello to Martyshka" / 38 попугаев: Привет мартышке (1978)

"38 Parrots: Tomorrow Will be Tomorrow" / 38 попугаев: Завтра будет завтра (1979)

"38 Parrots: Gymnastics for the Tail" / 38 попугаев: Зарядка для хвоста (1979)

"38 Parrots: The Great Covery" / 38 попугаев: Великое закрытие (1985)

"38 Parrots: Unobvious Textbook" / 38 попугаев: Ненаглядное пособие (1991)