Crocodile (fairy tale)

It quickly became very popular, due to its utter nonsense, previously unseen in print, and skillful wordplay.

I'm afraid that when I die, on my monument will have an inscription "Author of Crocodile"[2]In 1939 Yury Tynyanov wrote that "Crocodile" opened up a completely new avenue for the development of poetry for children, whose new sounds of "a quick verse, a change of meters, a rushing song, a chorus" were cancelling "the previous weak and motionless fairy tale of icicle candies, cotton snow, flowers on weak legs".

[3] Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature characterized "Crocodile", along with other Chukovsky's verse tales as follows, "clockwork rhythms and air of mischief and lightness in effect dispelled the plodding stodginess that had characterized pre-revolutionary children's poetry.

As Chukovsky wrote: Why is the hero of "Crocodile" called Vanya Vasilchikov?

Is he not a relative of a Prince Vasilchikov, who, it seems, held a important post under Alexander II?