Moydodyr

Moydodyr (Russian: Мойдоды́р) is a 1923 fairy tale poem for children by Korney Chukovsky about a magical creature by the same name.

He gets so dirty that all his toys, clothes and other possessions decide to magically leave him.

Finally they meet Crocodile, who swallows the sponge and becomes angry with the boy for being so dirty.

The poem ends with a moralistic note to children on the virtue of hygiene.

There are statues of Moydodyr in Sokolniki Park, Moscow (2012)[1][2] (55°47′42″N 37°39′58″E / 55.795054°N 37.666111°E / 55.795054; 37.666111), its twin in Kazan (2013),[3] in Novopolotsk, Belarus (55°31′33.37″N 28°39′59.27″E / 55.5259361°N 28.6664639°E / 55.5259361; 28.6664639), in Noginsk.

Moidodyr shown on Russian postage stamp . 1993