Текст книги "Спасти Кощея"

Автор книги: Ангелина Крихели

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 5 страниц)

Quite a few children gathered in a room – both small girls and boys and high schoolers. Some were buzzing around with brushes looking for inspiration, others were standing in front of the blank canvas, having their pencils behind their ears or in the hair. In a word, the working process was under way in a usual, at first glance, art workshop.

From time to time the teacher showed up here and there, glancing captiously at canvases and making critical remarks, and erased the lines and colors with one of his brushes. Sometimes he simply ran his finger over those fragments he thought least favourable, pointing out the mistakes and suggesting better, more appropriate solutions.

Finally, he clapped his hands drawing attention to himself. The students turned to him right away, ready to listen, remember and learn. Each of them knew how priceless are lessons of a master whose workshop was even difficult to get to – parents signed up their fresh talents a year in advance. However, this famous artist became known not only for his mastership and excellent taste, but also for not charging any money for learning. Anyone who wanted to study under him was given a canvas, paints and brushes, and asked to draw what he or she wanted the most. After that, a potential student was left alone in a huge room for exactly one clock hour. The artist didn’t stand over, persuading to draw something specific, and didn’t observe drawing technique or mood. He let children to feel themselves free and easy artists and say what they wanted to say. This way he picked out fresh talents to his group.

– Well, the warm-up has finished. You all, no doubt, were good. But it’s time to go ahead with today’s task, – he said.  

The younger pricked up their ears, like little rabbits and foxes. Everything was still a wonder for them. The older met teacher’s words more calmly. Some of them were whispering to one another, getting distracting and missing some art school teacher’s words. 

The man smiled archly in anticipation of his students’ brushes and pencils moving fast in their hands, touching canvases with bright colours and pastel shades.

– Today we’re going to draw our favourite fairy tale characters.  

One of the girls sniffed and put her brush aside, wiping her hands on a towel. Since she forgot her special tablier at home, some places of her clothes were already spotted with oils she used to finish the last touches of her sketch. 

– Why did it sound so funny? – the teacher asked.

– How is it possible to draw something that doesn’t exist!  – the girl resented. – There’s no such thing as magic. How can we know how it looks like, when it doesn’t exist? – she folded her arms obstinately.

– Don’t you have a favourite fairy tale character? – the teacher frowned.

– I don’t believe in fairy-tales, – the girl threw up her head, looking like she outgrown the fairy-tales.

The teacher thought for a moment, but then his face lit up with a smile.

– Then draw a forest, which you’re doing adorably. Let it be a fairy tale forest, though. – he nodded, pleased with himself and a found decision. The art school principal often friendly admonished him for departures from the educational programme, but always admitted that it gave amazing results – the finalists of his courses were said to be the best in their field. 

The girl looked at him thoughtfully but didn’t object. And the teacher continued:

– Today you won’t have time to complete the work on the given topic. You can only make markings, think over the plot. So this very task will be your homework as well. Please, take your priming canvases, they’ve already dried out. But please, don’t cheat in the search of the best canvas like last time. They’re all signed with your names. Go ahead! – and again he clapped his hands cheerfully, making it clear that students can start working.

The girl looked at the new, absolutely blank canvas and thoughtfully ran her little fingers down the chin.

The teacher often told her that she’s among his most talented students, and that drawing nature is what she does the best. Well, then she will cope with this task without much difficulty. And the sense of a fairy-tale…The imagination of her audience will add it, if they want to see a fairy-tale. After all, everyone finds what they want in what they’ve seen…

The girl was boldly applying the lines of the future forest to the snow-white canvas. She knew it well enough – every autumn she went there with her parents for mushrooms. So pleasant memories helped her, encouraging and inspiring to draw.

The bell rang soon – at this school lessons alternated with breaks. The girl pried herself away from the sketch and glanced at the clock gloomily. Time flies when you’re doing what you like – and she liked drawing.

Having finished her other home tasks in the evening, she started working again. She was looking at the dozens of touches she had done with a pencil and shifting her gaze to the palette, was thinking about the shades of green she should use for this painting. She was only nine, but since she turned five she didn’t leave her brush for a minute. And when it was impossible to take the brushes with her (for example, at PE lessons), she always had a little notebook and favourite stub of a pencil with her. Sometimes classmates laughed at her. But what could she do? Drawing was her biggest weakness, and her greatest talent.

The girl started putting the paint in sure brush strokes when suddenly the painted forest turned covered with mist. She stepped away, blinked a few times, as she thought her eyes were just playing tricks on her, and started working again. But the forest turned misty once more. It seemed that nothing worked, and the painted trees sprawled out into different directions, completely disobeying the brush in the hand of the young artist.

– What a fuss! – the girl shouted. The hard work had lasted for several hours, and the wood on the canvas was still «unsettling» naughtily.

Eventually, she got angry and threw the canvas on the floor.

– There’s no such thing as magic! – the girl muttered angrily. – Then what should I draw?!

She was going to stamp the canvas with a blurring forest on it, when suddenly… she fell in. Yes, that’s right, in the truest sense of the word she fell in her own canvas and ended up in the forest. But this forest wasn’t familiar to her.  

 

Chapter 2

– What a miracle! – the girl resented and laughed, realizing what she had said. – I guess I was just very tired and fell asleep. I'll try to wake up.

She stretched out, blinked and rubbed her eyes with her hands. But the dream did not disappear anywhere. The girl frowned.

– But this can’t be happening! – she stubbornly stuck her chin out with her habitual gesture and looked around. –  Mo-om ... – the girl moaned diffidently, – Da-ad…

But there was no response. Close enough came a heavy sound:

– Hoo… – scared, the girl shuddered unwittingly.

– Bear? – she asked somebody and looked about again. – Well, it would be wonderful to draw a bear from life… – the girl was trying to put on a brave face hoping it was just a dream and nothing bad could happen to her.

But she heard the same dreaded «hoo» again and it seemed even closer. Then, something heavy fell to the ground with such a loud sound that the earth began to tremble.

«What if that beast is injured and needs help?» – the girl thought and made a step forward timidly, running back in her mind over all the mother’s lessons about which herb to use for different maladies. Whenever they went with mom and dad for mushrooms, mom took her daughter to the forest, showing different herbs and telling about the diseases they treat. She was telling about how rich nature is with healing medicines. After all, the forest is a real first aid kit for its inhabitants.

Meanwhile, the girl got close enough and looked out from behind the trees.

– Oh dear! – she exclaimed, unable to restrain herself. In front of her, in the clearing, there was a grimy broken-backed house nailed-up with boards and sheet metal. From the outside, all in patches, it seemed shabby. And in the middle of the clearing a huge beast laid. Puffs of smoke were billowing out of his nostrils as if it was harsh winter, and its flanks were heaving heavily. – How hard it twisted you… – she clucked her tongue, coming closer. Of course, the mother taught her that the wounded beast is twice dangerous. But she was so sorry for the poor creature which was breathing heavily, trembling, sniffing, and floundered with huge paws, covering its eyes with pain.

Suddenly the monster’s eyes opened. It was as surprised at the other’s presence in the forest as the little girl. It raised its head and the girl cried from fear. The beast sat down and cried too. They looked each other in the eyes and didn’t stop crying. And it would be quite amusing, if the monster she felt sorry for didn’t have three heads, and hence six eyes. Fortunately, it had only four paws, like all animals. The two hind ones obviously served it as feet, and the two fore ones as arms-wings.

Of course, it couldn’t be that the grimy shabby house belonged to the monster. After all, it was almost as big as the house itself. That’s what the girl thought. At that moment, an old man came out of the house, following their cry. He was frowning awfully and it looked even scarier than the monster. Sometimes the mood and facial expression can distort the person so much that no monster can be compared to him. So the girl fell silent immediately and looked at the owner of the strange house. The monster also fell silent, waved its huge tail and sighed heavily. It looked so funny that the girl even smiled. And the fear had gone.

– What’s going on here, Gorynych?  – the owner of the house  grumbled petulantly as if the girl wasn’t here.

She looked at the monster with surprise and narrowed her eyes distrustfully.

– It can’t be! It’s a circus act! Confess! It’s Matvey Ivanovich asked you to play a trick on me, so I believe that miracles happen? – and the girl curiously tilted her head to one side, looking at the strange forest inhabitants one after another.

– Who is Matvey Ivanovich? – the monster asked with a deep voice and blinked in confusion with all its huge eyes.

– What do you mean, miracles don’t happen?! – the old man frowned even harder.

– Come on! – the girl waved her hand. –  I do not believe in anything like that! These are just fairy-tales, fiction!

The girl smiled, and two of her interlocutors couldn’t but blink in a surprise and look at this miracle. A little girl with two wonderful braids was looking at them and couldn’t believe they were real. 

«A real miracle!» – Koschei thought and scratched his head. The door behind his back creaked quietly, showing hidden earlier different household items – one by one they started sneaking in a yard to have a look at a strange guest.

– Who are you? – looking dreadfully at her, Koschei asked.

– My name is Hope, – the girl introduced herself and did a giggly curtsy, holding the edge of her dress.

Gorynych continued to snuffle heavily, so it was impossible not to pay attention to him or forget about him even for a minute. Besides, he didn’t look like a toy, unreal or fictional to Hope at all. She had to put herself together to turn back to the monster again. Having assured that everything is for real, it turned out to be much more difficult than before, when she thought that this was just a circus act arranged by her drawing teacher.

Gorynych was curiously watching the girl, the old man was looking at him, mumbling something petulantly, and the girl herself couldn’t take her eyes off huge Gorynych’s arms-wings, laying on his belly. 

Mother always said that the best cure for the pain and fear is to help those who need you at this moment. Therefore, the girl tried bravely to focus on Gorynych’s behaviour (and now she couldn’t deny it was really him!) and came to the conclusion that the three-headed dragon clearly suffered from colic.

– Well,  – Hope concluded with confidence, turning her face to the house and its angry owner, – it’s good that you appeared here…

– It’s you the one to «appear»... – Koschei grumbled petulantly.

– I think your friend needs our help, – claimed Hope and turned to Gorynych.  – Could you tell me, how was your day?

The girl looked so self-confident that neither Gorynych nor Koshchey even thought to put her in her place or argue.

Gorynych blinked in surprise and broke forth into descriptions of how he was walking along the lawn, admiring the flowers and the beautiful sunrise. He closed his eyes dreamily, remembering his wonderful walk. Suddenly, as if coming to his sense, he looked dreadful and even seemed to growl. But that was not entirely convincing, thought Hope, coming closer. For some reason she was sure that a huge monster would not offend her, although in fairy-tales people wrote all kinds of horrors about him.

– I didn’t mean what you were doing, – the girl smiled, referring to Gorynych as if he were the youngest in this clearing, and not she. And besides, the most  inapprehensive. – Better tell me, where it hurts.

Zmey Gorynych frowned, rubbing his belly with his huge paws and waving his tail at the same time. Confused Koschei was standing near the house, observing this very amusing scene, and had no idea what to do. For the first time in hundreds of years, he met a person who wasn’t a bit afraid of him or rushing at him and shouting that his time has come.

Watching him, teapots, plates and brooms grew even bolder and started to slowly getting out into the clearing, gathering around the little funny guest with a snubby nose and curious eyes. No one like her hadn’t dropped in on them for a long time. They were stumbling and running into each other – the plates jangled, hitting the cups, and the forks clinked, touching the spoons and a ladle.

Gorynych was openly enjoying the undivided attention, literally bathing in the beams of kindness and care.

– So, patient, – Hope started to talk and everyone focused on her words,  – what did you eat today?

Gorynych even made a hiccup in amazement and started to list his numerous meals, bending his plumpy fingers.

– No-no-no, – Hope interrupted him. – That’s unacceptable! The diet should be healthy, balanced and full of vitamins… – She thought to herself for a moment, trying to remember what else her mother told her in such cases, as she had been a nutritionist for many years.  – Would you like to lie down?

– Oh, yes! – Gorynych nodded joyfully with all his heads and lied down immediately.

Little Hope could hardly keep from laughing, looking at his amusing happy snouts.

– I also want to do this… – Gorynych said with his deep voice and began chafing against the grass. – And I also want to drink… And as for eating… I don’t really want to eat... –  he added sadly. Apparently, the absence of appetite was a new but not the most pleasant feeling for him.

– Sit down immediately! – Hope ordered strictly and even tried to help him, what made Koschey's brows go up in astonishment, and a sort of smile flashed across his face. Having noticed that, all magic household utensils froze, afraid to move. The last time the owner smiled ... Yes, no one really remembered when it was!

– But I want to lie down… –  whined Gorynych, refusing to move.

The little girl kept pushing him in the back, trying to seat him.

– Now I have to brew some sage for you and... – Hope forgot what other herb she would need, but she headed confidently to the mysterious house, hoping to find everything needed there. For some reason she thought that the herbs would definitely be in this house. Along the way, she kept talking but much quieter, so it might seem she was talking to herself. – And you should take 10 grams of propolis on an empty stomach . Yes, absolutely... And it would be better to take vitamins for healthy development and growth. Or has he already grown up?

A string of plates, forks, teapots and other residents of the house followed her every step of the way. Koschei even had to stand aside so that this funny parade could sail into the house.

Gorynych suffered from colic daily, because he stubbornly kept eating the herbs he shouldn’t have to eat. And Koschei warned him about this several times. But after cutting out meat from his ration and turning into a vegetarian, Zmey insisted that only this herb was so surprisingly tasty. So every day Koschei had to brew the herbs for his three-headed friend to alleviate the sufferings of this diehard.

He thought about telling the girl this, but decided that it would be more interesting to observe her behavior. After all, he’s immortal, he has plenty of time and not so many entertainments. So why not await the ending and then figure out where she came from.

Before he had time to think about it, the loud clattering sound of crockery came from the kitchen, much different from the usual muted fuss. When he entered the house, an unusual scene materialized before him: the plates were swashing in the sink like young ladies in the waterfall splashes, putting under water one side or the other. And for many years it was the first time when he could see again the drawing on the plates he made once himself.

No, no, you can’t think about it, Koschei was trying to convince himself not to show his weakness to the unknown guest who immediately won the attention of all his housemates. What if all these are his enemies intrigues? Otherwise, why is she so brave? And Koschei frowned again. But he admitted to himself that he liked to observe a beautiful pattern appearing on the plates.

The teapot was pushing a Gorynych’s favourite metal mug of just boiled brew with her big belly. The spoon immediately jumped into the mug of her own will and began dancing around the bottom in the Spanish manner, stirring the brew, the smell of which spread throughout the kitchen. The dusters seemed to follow the spoon and went dancing, seizing the moment of the sudden owner’s kindness. And it turned out that the walls had their pattern too, just like the floors and… a hall?! Wow, they got even there!

Meanwhile, Hope surprisingly quickly got her bearings in the forest house and went back singing with a mug of brew in her hands that looked more like a small pail. Brooms, scoops and mops were fussing upon her heels,  leaving a train of cleanliness. In a hurry, one of the brooms stepped on Koschei's foot, quickly nodded «Excuse me!» without any fear or embarrassment and, as if nothing had happened, continued her way. 

Well, that’s a bit of a cheek, Koschei resented. But for some reason he didn’t dare to stop them all. In these letter days, all his thoughts were focused on how to keep his terrible secrets, and what to do with himself during the eternity he should spend. It seemed to him that there could be nothing more terrible than eternity, when there’s nothing to do but fight with intruders, who wished him dead.

 

 

Chapter 3

Gorynych, as Koschei suspected, was rather pretending than really sick. It was clear that he liked the girl's attention a lot. She carefully tied a whole cloth around his neck, which looked like a small bib on him, and gave him a mug with brew. She even saw that he drank it all, constantly telling something. Notable, usually Gorynych went into dramatics, demanding a sweeter and tastier medicine, but now he was drinking the brew without any complaints, only twisting his mouth occasionally.

Koschei was struck with wonder to see what little girl’s care made with his powerful friend. What a vague and strange feeling, Koschei thought, hunching his back even harder, which was crooked under the weight of pain and offences.

– I wish I could enjoy this life like Gorynych… – he murmured sadly, looking at Gorynych and Hope who had already made friends.

The girl herself couldn’t believe that she got over her fear and believed that this wasn’t a dream so quickly. So, maybe, the one who says that miracles never happen just wants to see them much more than others?...

Koschei couldn't comprehend what to do with this uninvited guest, which excited the whole house and never even noticed the owner’s sullenness and anger. And it was always the first thing others noticed in him. He got used to it, and he even liked it. And then he, unexpectedly for himself, decided that he should find out more about her and only then think what to do.

«Maybe, – Koschei thought, – I’ll send her to Baba Yaga. For sure, she’ll get a handle on this wacky girl…».

For some half an hour Gorynych had turned into a pet puppy from a terrible Zmey, ready to eat anything from the hands of his young «doctor» as long as she babysited him. 

That's why he was so angry, Koschei realized. His friend just didn’t have enough attention and kindness. And what’s more – the pain made him a bit angrier than he really was. But is it right to encourage such behavior or should he undertake the re-education? Is he allowed to re-educate another? Yet, what is better: to give the paunched Gorynych his favorite delicacy to save both their nerves, or forbid it categorically and take care of his health? But then he’ll get into a fuss. And could it be not that bad to monitor his moderate consumption of sweets?..

Koschei frowned and entered the house, which became much lighter and more comfortable. The housemates stepped back quietly, giving as always angry owner the way. He went into the kitchen, made tea and began pouring it into cups. The teapot in his hand froze in a surprise, when he realized that Koschei had poured tea not only for himself, but also for the guest.

Then Koschei entered the hall, sat down in a deep, soft armchair, covered with dust and artfully spinned cobwebs, and began sipping his hot tea, examining the patterns on the wall that now were visible. He didn’t notice how the girl found herself next to him until she touched him timidly over the shoulder and looked inquisitively into his eyes.

– Are you upset? – the girl asked sympathetically, and sat down in the second armchair without any invitation. But before she could sit down, the helpful little broom swept the dust and cobwebs away. This made the armchair lighter, brighter and more beautiful.

That’s it, Koschei thought. They don’t even please me that way. Why, actually? After all, they know everything, unlike passing-through knights ...

He didn’t hurry to answer Hope. The girl shrugged her shoulders, got up from the chair, and began pacing the room, trying to take her mind off where she was and how to get back home. She was looking at various things: books, vases, teapots and cups... Brushes?!

Koschei noticed her astonishment and realized before it was too late. No one was supposed to know that once he’d been so fond of drawing and was so talented that he could become an outstanding artist. If only he didn’t quit drawing. He bounced out of chair, switched out the brushes of her hands and threw them into the furthest corner.

But the curiosity had already settled in the little girl’s heart. And now it became even more interesting for her to find out what else was hiding in the strange abandoned forest house, where this old man lived. She went round the rooms one after another with growing courage, looking behind all doors until she opened that one of them, the furthest. The room appeared to be completely filled with beautiful paintings floor-to-ceiling. However, even there the skilful little spiders had spinned their crystal cobwebs, which were wrapping the canvases and trembling in the air.

– Oh deear! – Hope drawled with admiration, picking up one of the canvases and looking at it with rapture. An incredibly beautiful women was looking at her from the picture with her green eyes, framed by golden eyelashes. And there was so much warmth and light in her gaze, that Hope was lost in admiration, having forgotten where she was. Besides, she wondered how did the artist manage to achieve such an effect? Just how deeply one needs to feel the human soul to reflect with impeccable technique not only the facial features, but also the inner world of a person. The picture was so brilliant, that the girl in it seemed alive, ready to wink and smile tenderly any minute.

– Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s bad to take other people’s things?! – yelled Koschei behind her back. He snatched a picture from the girl's hands and threw it aside. But Hope had time to notice the wrench he looked at the canvas with. A wonderful portrait landed on a bunch of others. The edge of the pastoral picture emerged from the bottom, where one could easily recognize the forest near the house.

Not allowing her to see other pictures, he snapped his fingers, and the next moment they appeared in front of a locked door of the room. Hope frowned, refusing to understand why to hide such beautiful paintings. She felt how much these works and images in the pictures meant to him. So why is he hiding them and from whom? Now she didn’t care about the other rooms or stuff that was hidden from view on the second floor, where a wide staircase led.

– It is you who draws so well, isn’t it? – the girl asked. And then she began to remember that she found herself in this forest, when she was drawing a different, unremarkable forest; and when, in anger, she touched the canvas with her foot. So, maybe, and the way out can be found in one of the paintings? Well, then she has to get into this room again by all means. Or beg the old man to draw such a forest. Indeed, he's a wizard and can help her. Or at least let her take one of his wonderful canvases, so she could try to draw that forest on her own.

 

Chapter 4

Gorynych put his head in the doorway, though he could hardly fit. It seemed that if he moved a little more, the house would fall apart from the press of this big amiable guy, who stroke terror into the hearts at first sight only. The girl even casted a fearful glance at the ceiling, almost sure to see the cracks. But it was fine. Gorynych shifted, moving away from the door a little, and said shyly with his deep voice:

– Uh huh, that’s Koschei who draws…

– Koschei?! – Hope exclaimed, immediately remembering reading about him in fairy-tales.

– Ha! – Koschei made a shout of triumph, and an ominous smile spread across his face. – Finally you’re scared! And all this time I was wondering, why aren’t you scared? I thought you were brave! And you’re an ordinary coward who simply didn’t know whose house she was in!