Good evening, my friend. Are you still awake? No?
Then quickly go to bed and listen to a fairy tale.
Do you know why the moon and stars shine in the sky at night? Don't know?
Then listen. It was like this.
Auntie Night always came to work on time, just like you did to kindergarten. I was never late.
She went to heaven, took over earthly affairs from Uncle Evening, and opened her huge dark blue umbrella.
This umbrella even has a name - “night sky”.
Well, of course you know what the night sky is, my friend.
This is when the yellow night light of the moon lights up in the dark blue sky, and stars sparkle with colorful lights around it.
And this time everything was as always.
Aunt Night woke up and looked at the clock. It was time to get up.
Having dressed and washed, she drank a glass of warm milk, with Milky Way, and left the house, taking with her her favorite umbrella.
Uncle Evening was about to hand over her earthly shift.
Yes, but here it should be noted that every time, leaving the house, Aunt Night opened and inspected her umbrella, whether the month was firmly sewn on, whether all the stars were in place.
But what is this?! Now it turned out to be simply impossible to do this.
The night umbrella, which always opened so easily, did not open this time.
And this way and that way, poor Aunt Night tried to open her umbrella, but he, well, didn’t do any good.
What to do?!
And now Uncle Evening is coming towards you.
“I can’t,” says Aunt Night, “It’s evening, I’ll change you.” The umbrella is ruined.
Uncle Evening examined the umbrella, and the knitting needles were broken.
And then Aunt Night remembered that the day before the mischievous Wind had been frolicking a lot, chasing the clouds. I accidentally damaged the knitting needles with my breath.
- Where can I get new knitting needles? - Aunt Night was upset. - If I don’t open my umbrella, there won’t be a starry sky.
Yes, the task is not an easy one,” agreed Uncle Evening. - And you go visit the mischievous Wind. He flies everywhere. Perhaps he will advise.
Aunt Night went to look for the Wind.
And he’s right there.
When the Wind found out what happened, he was very upset. He felt ashamed for letting Aunt Night down like that and breaking his night umbrella. He began to repent and ask for forgiveness. Yes, and advised her to contact her on Rainy Day. Like, he definitely has knitting needles for an umbrella.
Aunt Night went to Rainy Day.
“Help, Rainy neighbor,” says Aunt Night. - The spokes in my umbrella are broken. Maybe you can give me some new knitting needles for the umbrella?
“Why not,” answered Rainy Day. - Of course, I will.
Rainy Day replaced the old knitting needles in the night umbrella with new rain ones.
Aunt Night opened her umbrella. He looks, and the spokes of these rainy lands touch. And there are so many of them that you can’t see either the month or the stars behind them.
Aunt Night Rainy Day thanked her for her help, and she again went to look for the Wind.
And he himself hurries to her.
- How are you? - asks. – Did Rainy Day help you?
“He helped,” Aunt Night answers, “But behind the rain spokes you can’t see the month or the stars in the night sky.” We need to look for new knitting needles.
The Wind thought, thought, and said:
- And you go to Clear Day. Perhaps he will have knitting needles for your umbrella.
Aunt Night went to Clear Day. And he is already getting ready for bed.
“Help, Clear Day,” says Aunt Night. - The spokes in my umbrella are broken. Maybe you can give me some new knitting needles for the umbrella?
“Why not,” answered Clear Day. - Of course, I will.
Clear Day replaced the old spokes in the night umbrella with new, sunny ones.
Aunt Night opened her umbrella. He looks, but behind the bright sunny spokes he can’t see either the month or the stars. And the umbrella, instead of dark blue, suddenly became white.
And I’ll tell you, my friend, that it was precisely for this white umbrella that in some places people called Auntie Night “white”, “white night”, therefore.
The Night thanked the Clear Day, and she again looked out for the Wind.
And the Wind is right there.
- How are you? - asks. – Did Clear Day help you?
“He helped,” Aunt Night answers, “But behind the sun’s spokes you can’t see either the month or the stars in the night sky.” We need to look for new knitting needles.
And then suddenly they hear - knock-knock, knock-knock... It’s the blacksmith Grasshopper, a jack of all trades, who has begun his work.
- What if we ask Grasshopper to help you? - says the Wind, - Maybe he will make new knitting needles for your umbrella?
“Indeed,” agreed Aunt Night. - How come I didn’t guess right away?
Aunt Night went to the Grasshopper.
“Help, master blacksmith,” Aunt Night tells him. - The spokes in my umbrella are broken. Maybe you can make new knitting needles for my umbrella?
“Why not,” answered the Grasshopper. - Of course I will.
And the Grasshopper made new knitting needles for the night umbrella. Yes, they are better than before!
Aunt Night opened her umbrella and was happy.
And there was something to be happy about. After all, the yellow night light of the moon appeared again in the dark blue sky, and the stars sparkled with multi-colored lights.
Here Aunt Night thanked Master Grasshopper for his work and gave him a small star, like a glowing coal, for his forge.
That's it.

1 Kiss of the sky
2 Depth
3 Why did Heaven appear one day?
4 The Mystery of the Blue Sky
5 A Tale about the Sky and the Stars
6 Tattered Robe of Heaven
7 About Heaven
8 Deceived Cloud
9 About Oblachka's sadness and joy

1 KISS OF THE SKY

In the blackness of space it is lonely, obeying the laws dark universe, the Earth floated. She was black and stern, but in her depths her heart was bubbling with the flame of life. The lonely Planet made its mournful and languid course around the Sun, whose face was bright and scorchingly welcoming. The Earth did not dare to approach the Sun closer than it was, although at times it really wanted to...

Sometimes she dreamed of being the Sun, jealous of his royal position. And at times, out of this envy, the Earth wanted to get lost in the cosmic darkness, so as not to see the one whose rays warmed it. And then it happened somehow that the Earth again, having let into itself the soul-tearing swords and daggers of bitterness, shuddered and sobbed. Her heart, boiling with pain, tried to jump out - as if trying to separate itself from the Earth. Her whole face darkened and she, destroying herself from the inside, almost died...

Her black face, imprinted with fierce hatred and pain, was touched by the coolness of the bright-eyed Sky. The heavens, whose presence the Earth had not noticed before, showered the face of the Earth with tender kisses of love, healing wounds, quenching anger, driving away the pain generated by black envy...

Who are you? - the Earth, embraced by the transparent wings of the high Sky, marveled.

“I am your Heaven,” the Sky responded to the Earth, wiping away her tears with white clouds.

“I always thought,” the Earth said thoughtfully to the Sky, “that I was lonely and by some evil fate sentenced to a lonely march, but it turned out that you were always with me...

Yes, - nodded the Sky, - from the beginning I am following the path prepared for you and will continue to do so as long as it is destined... I will overshadow you with coolness so that the glory of the Sun does not burn you and I will wash your eyes with my tears, because I was created for you, and you were created for me...

But why didn’t you immediately, from the very beginning, appear to me the way you appeared now? - Earth was perplexed.

“I have always been with you,” the sky smiled with transparent blue, “but never before have you noticed me, directing your gaze to the glory of the Sun. Never before have you allowed me to touch you to accept my love...

But what did I do to deserve that you are with me, and not with the Sun, for example? - the last notes of resentment escaped from the lips of the Earth.

The sun is the fullness of light, in which there is not even a drop of shadow... It was created solely to shine... But you are not like that...
You are the Earth and sometimes incompatible phenomena coexist in you - dark passions, bright hopes, black elements, bright feelings - everything that makes up life...
But sometimes you, drowning in the contradictory feelings overwhelming your being, cannot understand what is light and what is darkness... Behind the doubts, you cannot discern who is your friend and who is the enemy...
I am above you not at all in order to humiliate you, my dear Earth, but only for this purpose: my wings will embrace your face, to help you see something that is hidden from you until time and that I see, for my height extends far -far beyond the limits of the visible...
Will you accept my kiss of love - I will share your fate...
If you reject me, I will not be able to help you and will only mourn your destructive path into the void...

The Earth raised its black eyes to the blue of the bottomless eyes of the Sky and wished to drown in their depths, rejecting its envy of the glory of the Sun and His bright face. Now the Earth was not alone and reveled in the glory of its Firmament, which protected it with its wings from the black emptiness of space...

Naro-Fominsk, SaYuni

2 DEPTH

Under the transparency of the blue sky, covering the immensity of the sea depths, lived a small grain of sand. She lived on the rocky shore of the sea, brought here by the gray Wind. The Golden Sand of the great desert has been to many places, seen many things, wandering with the wandering wind across the earthly vale. And it happened that that golden grain of sand grew tired of earthly wanderings. Realizing that everything is vanity of vanities and thinking that everything is known to her, everything is familiar, Sandy decided to settle down to live in the coastal stones. Having accompanied the elder Wind on a long journey, the golden grain of sand remained to live in the stones, observing the movement of the sea waves. A grain of Sand lived for a long time in the cracks of the cold coastal stones, telling them what the world was like there, beyond the horizon. Most often, Sandy loved to tell the stones that they are the best thing in the world, because their hardness is indestructible, and their time is measured in millennia and knows no bounds!..

This is the meaning of existence, the fullness of life, - that Grain of Sand told them, - and the essence of everything! How I envy you, stones! And what is the use that I saw the whole world in flight and have knowledge about everything? What good is it to me when I cannot have your indestructible firmness in me!

Stupid Sandy! - the oldest of the stones thundered, catching the blue sea wave, crumbling on the firmament of its stone forehead with splashes of airy foam, - You say, you have seen the whole world, traveling with the gray-headed Wind? I don't believe it! - continued the granite Stone, - for if you really explored the depths of the universe, you would be silent about it, and you would understand what the essence of everything is and where your place is in it...

Hmm... - the Grain of Sand frowned, stung by the speech of the granite Stone, - What can you even know, terdolob, about the world and its structure? You lie here for centuries, warm your sides with the midday sun, water your stone forehead with the sea wave and think that this is the whole world?
You are too heavy to see the world from heavenly heights and you are too stubborn to understand what the heavenly world is really like...
I forgive you for your ignorance! - the golden Grain of Sand busily climbed onto the gray head of that granite Stone and from there continued her speech, filled with petty greatness, - I forgive, because I know the essence of everything and the price of life! Believe me, stones! Everything in the vale of earth is vanity! Everything is transitory and nothing has meaning! Flowers fade in the fall, butterflies live only for a moment, the elements absorb the groans of creatures that have the spirit of life within them, turning them into nothingness! And only you, stones, not knowing the torment of instantaneous existence, live holistically...
For time does not concern you and only you are subordinate to the foundations of the planet lost in blackness outer space! Neither fire, nor water, nor any other elements are afraid of you, for you are harder than life itself... Each of you in your being, being colder than emptiness, is similar to death itself!

Yes! - the granite stone shook off a grain of sand from its forehead, - From the beginning it was so, - he said in a deep voice, - that the cornerstone was placed at the head of the corner! From the beginning, the law of the dispensation is such that my essence (as well as the essence of any stone resting here, on the border of the worlds) is steadfastness and firmness, capable of enduring everything! Even death, but! - The stone extended its stone hand, in the palm of which the Grain of Sand rested, over the agitated sea waters, - But this is not our merit...
Yes! I’m just a granite Stone, unable to survey the worlds from the heavenly heights, for, as you correctly noted, I’m too heavy for Heaven and cold, but... - the Stone sighed, shaking the earth, - But the merciful Sky laid us down like this, what can we ripen in depths of the sea and understand the greatness and significance of a moment of life! So you tell us that you know everything... - the Stone turned to the Grain of Sand, revealing the abyss of the sea before her petty gaze, - Explain the meaning of depth, if you can embrace it! - and he released the Grain of Sand into the sea waters...

Just think, - the Grain of Sand slowly sank into the depths of the sea, - This is unprecedented! A simple river... - a sandy speck watched the flow of external sea waters, caressing it with the transparency of its blueness.

However, the sea waters soon became dark and cold. They furiously threw the grain of sand from side to side, revealing new facets of their nature to her gaze. Going deeper and deeper, through the earth's waters, the Grain of Sand became more and more modest, because with each new depth she realized that she knew nothing about life...

Having reached the very heart of the sea abyss, a grain of sand contemplated for a long, long time the languid movements of its inhabitants, the existence of which she could never even imagine! She knew that this was not the limit. She knew that her small eyes were not capable of containing the real essence of the world, once laid down by Heaven for life outside of time and petty limited judgments...

When the Grain of Sand realized this, the depths clothed her temperate being with the substance of liquid fire. The Grain of Sand sobbed that she vegetated, not knowing the depths of the universe. And the fire of her heart was much more painful than volcanic lava...

The time has come when the fire of repentance in the Grain of Sand went out, permeating its substance with the firmness of awareness of the immeasurable greatness of Life. And then the Sky bent over that Grain of Sand to bring it out of the depths into the sunlight...

And now, on the border of the worlds, lies a young granite Stone, not daring to raise its eyes to Heaven. He lies for centuries, writing into his heart every moment that passes away, so as not to think empty thoughts about himself! And on it, on this Stone, rests the Fullness of Life, flowing with the water of time into the Eternity of Heavenly Heights!

11/19/2009, Naro-Fominsk, Sauni

3 WHY THE SKY APPEARED ONE DAY

Once upon a time, there was no Heaven in the world. True, true! There were only the Sun and the Wind! The living knew almost everything about the Sun. Everyone knew where the Sun came from and where it went. But no one knew where the Wind came from! No one could ever guess where the Wind came from (or rather flew in) and where it went...
And everything would have been fine, but that Wind was essentially a rebel. Wherever he flew, wherever he appeared, everywhere above the earth the Wind sowed confusion...

Sometimes the wind would fly to the green meadows. He lies down like a baron in the lush fibers of meadow grass and begins to whistle:

Eh, you pathetic creatures! You are basking here in the Sun and probably thinking that there is no more beautiful corner than this meadow field of yours! Stupid herbs! But nothing! Listen to what I tell you! - and the Wind jumped like a whirlwind from the green grass bed, rushing almost to the Sun itself:

There, far, far away, behind the cold ridges of the mountains, lie the bottomless waters of the seas. In the depths of those seas live herbs like you! True, those herbs, unlike you, have experienced with their being the most incomprehensible depths of the sea! “Here they are,” the Wind whistled, “it was not in vain that they were born into the world!” What about you? Eh! - the Wind of the Grass was outraged by the swiftness of his speech, - Sit here, looking with your green eyelashes at the radiance of the blond Sun and are happy! And tomorrow a herd of cows will come here and lick you with their rough tongue! May the cows trample you with their hooves and remember the name of each of you! You are fools and you are fools!

The grasses were worried, listening to the speech of the Wind, they groaned... Some of the herbs even tried to leave their roots... Fortunately, the Wind was restless and did not stay in one place for a long time:

But life,” the Wind rose laughing over the dense thicket of meadow grass, “it is one and you must live it in such a way as to experience everything!” Find out everything! - and, having said this, the Wind rushed away, into worlds unknown to the grasses... The Wind quickly rushed beyond the horizon, for the Sun followed in its wake, knowing that it could do terrible things if left unattended!..

The grass, agitated by the words of the Wind, calmed down, warmed by the tender words of sunny love. Calmed by the love of the Sun, the meadow grasses bloomed with lush greenery. They were washed with dew and each of the herbs knew that her life was not in vain...

Hiding from the eyes of the bright-eyed Sun, the restless Wind sowed confusion wherever he appeared! Once he got to the mirror lakes... He flew in and plopped down into the calm coolness of the lakes! Spread out on their mirror-like surface and let’s pluck them with our hair:

Lie down, darlings! - The Wind tugged at the surface of the lake, - Stare with your blue eyes at the golden eye of the faceless Sun and, probably, think how nice it is to be blue lakes! Fools! - the Wind ruffled the quiet waters with its indignation, - And by the way, there on earth, - the Wind rolled over the crumpled folds of the waving lakes, - in its very heart there live other lakes! They are green and subtle, for they are made up of the life of each individual blade of grass! They sparkle with droplets of dew at dawn and feed every four-legged creature! They don't live in vain! And you,” the Wind stirred the blue of the lake waters disturbed by it, “What good are you?” You lie here like a lifeless spot and think that your world is a wonderful world! Fools and nothing more! - and the Wind, finally muddying the water of the lakes, hurried away... For the Sun was already in a hurry to the waters of the lakes, blackened from excitement...

For a long time afterwards, the lakes, warmed by the Sun, drowned the silt and sand, torn by the Wind from their depths to the surface, in order to become fresh and transparent again....

The Sun could not keep up with the playful Wind and it cried out to the Creator to help Him guard the earth from the rebellious speeches of the Wind. The Creator heeded the prayers of the Sun and spread the blue shroud of the high Sky over the entire face of the earth. Now the Wind could not speak his outrageous speeches to the creatures... From now on he could only silently bite, push and even whistle!

10.24.2009, Naro-Fominsk, Sauni

4 THE SECRET OF THE BLUE SKY

Once upon a time, the sky was gray and inhospitable. That’s why it was unfriendly because it was boring for him to hang high, high above the ground and do the same thing every day - look from his height at the ground.

At one time, a small flower with a pale blue head grew on the green plain. A flower like a flower - it lived in the grasses of the green plain, and it lived, but it tinkled very loudly. It was this tinkling that attracted the Sky’s attention to the turfy Bluebell so that it only began to look at him -
Both day and night, on gloomy days and on sunny days, the Bluebell rejoiced in its flower life and tinkled on its green leg... “Tink-ding, ding-ding...” - sang the blue head of the Bluebell, smiling with its blue flower every blade of grass and every insect.

I don’t understand,” the gray Sky could not stand it and one day leaned towards the flower, “Why are you tinkling?” You don’t have legs - you can’t run... And you don’t have arms, and therefore you can’t do anything either... Autumn will come, the color of your head will fade and you will die... Aren’t you scared? Shouldn't you cry, because you have so little time to live?

Ding-ding, - answered the flower to the Sky, - you say correctly that my life is fleeting... However, although my life is fleeting, I am glad that I have it... But you, Sky, live long (so the wind told me), aren’t you happy? You should live and be happy, but your face is sad, why, tell me?

Hmm, - the Sky thought, - I’m tired, - sighing heavily, it began to explain its sadness to the Bell, - I’ve been hanging above the earth since creation and looking... I’m hanging day, I’m hanging night, and centuries flow by like two drops of water similar to each other. friend... Why should I be happy?

And that’s why they are faceless, these centuries flowing away,” the Bell tinkled to the Sky, “that you look down on them... And you try to cling to them and you will see that in every moment of the centuries passing by you, there is a unique soul... In each in the movement of this soul the fates of many lives are hidden... Read them and write their names into yourself, then your long life will be filled with meaning for those living under you... And, probably, you definitely won’t be sad...

Autumn has come. The life of the Bell has faded, but the Sky remembers his song, absorbing the colors of the world lying beneath it. A gentle blue flows across the fresh face of the Sky when someone laughs. His face turns purple when the earth is filled with pain. The surface of the sky is filled with heavy lead when the living are at enmity. Violet and pinkness touches the sky when a new life is born under the Sky. The heavenly face turns green when it observes untruth and is illuminated with a golden glow when it observes love and understanding in the heavenly world. And this goes on for many centuries...

No one can remember the tinkling song of the Bluebell, lost behind the veil of time, but Sky, having colored its soul with the soul of that wild flower, will never forget that moment in the infinity of time when the Bluebell taught Sky to live and not to vegetate...

08.10.2009, Naro-Fominsk, Sauni

5 A TALE ABOUT THE SKY AND ABOUT THE STARS

One day I witnessed a little girl ask her brother:

Why don't the stars talk? - She looked with her lovely eyes at the night sky, strewn with pearls of stars.

I don’t know,” the boy shrugged, “They’re probably too proud...” and the boy looked at me, “What do you think, huh?” Why don't stars talk?

Well... - I thought for a moment, and then answered, - Probably they really were once proud, but now they are too meek and therefore make their way silently, delighting us with their radiance...

Why? - the boy sat down next to me.

Yes, why? - the girl also joined us, so I had to tell this story:

Once upon a time, as well as now, there, on the velvet shroud of the dark night Sky, silvery stars flaunted each other in front of each other:

How beautiful we are! - some said, dancing their mysterious dances in the round dance of time.

How warm we are! - others glowed with a soft glow, making their way through the dark heavenly mantle.

How extraordinary we are! - others exclaimed, showing their superiority over the others...

And most importantly, others noted, we are surprisingly alive, in contrast to the dead emptiness of the bottomless Sky, which is of no use at all!

Heaven listened to the speech of the proud stars and decided within itself:

How ungrateful they are, these stars! Since the beginning of existence, I have held each of them within myself, I myself have paved the way for each of them in time, I have kept the light of each from fading, and here is their gratitude! Let me leave them at least for a moment and see if they come to their senses and stop boasting about themselves, for their radiance without me is emptiness...

Having reasoned this way, Heaven sighed heavily and rolled up its night shroud, leaving the stars in the space of infinity, where the radiance of the eternal day does not fade and the glory of which eclipses the light of the brightest heavenly bodies...
The stars suddenly saw that their light was stingy without the dark veil of Heaven that had left them... The stars realized that they were too insignificant in the face of eternity and completely inconspicuous in the shining glory of the eternal day...
Even more than that...
Against the background of the golden radiance of eternity, these proud heavenly stars looked like faded spots, staining the flowing light of timelessness...

Oh woe, woe to us! - the stars cried, - What will happen to us now?

We are simply lost, alone wept.

“We are faceless,” others cried, “and empty...

Our light is just a filthy garment, others languished.

Heaven has abandoned us, others lamented, and without it we have neither glory nor honor...

The sky looked at the cries of its stars and took pity on them. Heeding the pleas of the wandering stars lost outside of time and space, Heaven spread its dark shroud over the sleeping world in order to cover with it the ignominy of the small luminaries. And from that time on, the stars, I completed my story, emit their charming light in meek silence, so as not to offend Heaven with an inappropriately spoken word, for it, as they once understood, is their glory, their strength and their path...

Naro-Fominsk, SaYuni

6 TORN CLOTHES OF THE SKY

The Curly Sky, curls of its white clouds, lazily spread over the transparency of the calm waters, reflected in the pool of their mirror eyes. It spread with its blueness over the sharp ridges of gray mountains, combing the snow-white curls of its clouds. Above the valleys, dressed in velvety robes of soft grasses, the Sky flowed with its transparent tunic. And it flowed over the dust of distant roads, on the sides of which - here and there - wild, bare and prickly burrs stuck out:

Hey,” the prickly hand of one of the burrs clung to the sky, “wait a minute!” Why are you, Sky, running away? Or do you not care that I’m standing here, by the dusty road, naked and defenseless? I stand, an orphan, and there is no one to pity me! I am all overgrown with dust, completely stiff from the rays of the hot sun, and there are no colors of the heavenly world in my being, and I, after all, am Heaven, by the way, a flower!

What do you want from me? - Sky bowed its transparent clothes to the prickly heads of the wild Burdock...

I want you to clothe me with your clothes, just as you clothe them with the greatness of the wise mountains; how you crown the depths of calm waters with your cloudy halos; how you envelop the crowns of tall trees with the silk of your clothes. I want, Heaven, for you to throw your royal tunic over me too...

Well,” the Sky smiled at the prickly heads of the Burdock, “choose for yourself the robe you want to wear!” Here, - the Sky, before the smoky purple eyes of burdock heads, took out the snowy clothes of snow-white clouds, scorching with snowy coolness...

No,” Burdock pushed away this heavenly vestment with his pale green burdocks, “I’ll freeze to death in this.”

Then look at these robes, Burdock, - the Sky took out the black-gray shaggy thick fur coats of thunderstorms.

What are you doing?! - Burdock waved away the dark clothes offered by Heaven with burdocks, - Are you completely crazy?! They'll crush me, those thunder coats of yours! Come on, offer me something else... Something elegant!

Okay,” the Sky gave in to Burdock, removing the storm clouds, “What do you think of this robe?” - The sky offered Burdock a thin web of transparent clouds, thin threads flowing around the transparency of the air.

No, - the prickly Burdock again threw away the heavenly vestment, - In this I’ll be as if I’m naked... Don’t fool me, Sky! Give me something that will suit me... Do you see the smoky violet of my hair? Do you see the gray-green skin of my burdocks?

“I see,” Sky obediently answered Burdock.

Here you go! - Burdock slapped Sky on the head with his burdock, - If you see, then give me clothes worthy of me...

Well,” Sky quietly whispered to Burdock and took out from its transparency a violet haze of silvery fog, “Here,” Sky threw a dense shroud of gray fog over Burdock’s head, “wear it to your health!”

Wow! - Burdock was incredibly happy with his attire, - These are clothes! Clothes for everyone! That’s it,” the prickly Burdock Sky let go, “now swim wherever you want... Don’t be an eyesore for me!” - and he once again spanked the sky with his mugs.

Look, you pathetic thorns, what am I dressed in! Heaven itself submitted to me, clothing me in royal robes! Now I'm in charge! Now listen to me!

Here's more! - his brother, no less impudent and prickly, snorted to Burdock, “Well, give me your robe here,” and the plant tightly clung with its thorns to Burdock’s foggy shroud.

No! - the third Burdock stuck his thorns into the foggy vestment, - you both will give me this tunic, for I am older than you...

Nothing of the kind! - shouted the other burrs, tearing apart the thin shroud of silvery fog with their thorns.

Torn by the thorns of burrs fighting each other, the fog chiton tore into many pieces, falling to the ground in droplets of transparent tears. The prickly brothers calmed down and fell silent, looking at the pure tears of heavenly vestments. To this day the burdocks remain silent, looking up at the Sky with their prickly heads, not daring to ask for his favor, for the tears of fog still wash their gray-green burdocks...

10/21/2009, Naro-Fominsk, Sauni

7 ABOUT THE SKY

High above the worlds hung transparent Sky. It hung over the world and reflected on how unlucky it was with its fate. I just got tired of it one day blue sky cover with the colors of the heavenly world. One day he got tired of contemplating from his heights the subtle movement of life on the face of the earth, absorbing its shades. Heaven wanted to live on earth himself, without delving into the destinies of others:

What boredom it is to hang above the earth, - it reasoned to itself, - and look, look, look... Isn’t it better, - Heaven suddenly decided, - to go down and live an ordinary life, like everyone living on earth lives? ..

Having thought this way, Heaven threw out everything that filled its transparent depths in time. Having expelled other people's joys and tears from itself, the sky became heavy and fell with empty blackness onto the ground. The faceless Sky now spread across the earth like a cold shroud of emptiness, infecting every living soul with despondency and the cold of indifference. The flowers were fading. The leaves were falling. The grass was wilting. The birds did not pour out their wonderful trills, each huddled in lumps in its own nest. Each animal hid in the corner of its home, not daring to stick its nose out into the street. Only fierce predators crept under the lead weight of the sky that had fallen to the ground in search of their prey. Only the blackness of the bottomless Cosmos breathed alarm from above onto the bald earth, making the living tremble... Only the Wind, whistling its sad song, walked on the heels of the fallen Sky and bit its dirty tunic.
Heaven felt pain, but there was no one to pity him, for everyone hid from the empty eyes of heaven in the farthest corner of his world. It became scary for Heaven to look from the earth into the cosmic abyss, which with its blackness absorbed the beauty of the lonely planet...
The violent wind, which knew no feelings, with its cold breath froze the wounds of the Sky with such fury that it shuddered from its unbridled cold and began to cry black rain...
Heaven wept about its past, washing its dirty clothes with large tears of repentance, and became purer and more airy, until it finally ascended to its heights, from where it had not slept.
And only now did Heaven understand that his fate was the best of all destinies. That his calling is the best of all callings and from now on, not for a moment did Heaven desire any other destiny...
It sheltered all living people from the black cosmic abyss. It treated everyone kindly with its participation and for this it was again crowned with a halo of the golden Sun, even to this day!

10/01/2009, Naro-Fominsk, Sauni

8 THE DECEPTED CLOUD

Soaring high, high above the lower earth, somewhere closer to the Upper World, a light Cloud floated. Its plumage shone with such purity and freshness that at times it, this Cloud, seemed golden, for the golden rays of the radiant Sun were reflected in its plumage.

The Cloud made its heavenly journey a long time ago. So long ago that I can’t even remember the beginning of my journey. And everything was sweet to that Cloud, everything was kind to him - everywhere there was space, everywhere the beginning and infinity of bright hopes.

For a long time the Cloud wandered in the ether of heaven and once he had a chance to meet the Wind, whose essence was full of contradictions, due to which he could not decide where to be - on earth or in heaven? That is why he spent a lot of time rushing between heaven and earth, mixing both in himself, and as a result, having nothing from the world above or below.

The Troublemaker Wind saw that light-maned Cloud from afar and envied its pure flight. So, as soon as the Cloud caught up with him, the Wind immediately turned to the Cloud, with the tenderness of his seductive speeches:

Hello, snow-white Cloud! - caressing the transparent cloudy wings, the Wind said to the Cloud, - How beautiful you are in your robes!..

Hello, Wind! - the air bowed to the Troublemaker, - Thank you for your kind words! - Having said this, the Cloud was about to fly further, but only the Wind held it back.

Eh,” the Wind sighed anxiously, “if only you were a little more, then with your purity you could embrace the entire rebellious low world to help it rise with a clean and easy flight above everything that oppresses and crushes it so much...
But no,” the Wind whispered his speeches into the ears of the good-natured cloud, “You are too proud of the world that lies far below... But you could... Could change the fate of the earthly vale...

Really? - the Cloud was amazed, listening to the speeches of the Troublemaker, - I was told from the beginning that I should soar over the earth with a shining halo in order to sow hope with my flight, and is there anything else that I could do for the vale of the earth?

Certainly! - the Troublemaker Wind nodded his eccentric head, - Turn around, - the Cloud asked the wind and it looked around, - What do you see, white-woven?

“I see,” the Cloud timidly answered the Wind, “many clouds like me...

Here! Here! Here! - the Wind whistled, rising above the Cloud, - And if at least one of you were wiser and took on the feathers of your brothers, then it would become big, so big that its white-woven substance would be enough to remove the black spots of the vale of the earth and turn it into the Mountain World!!!

You think? - Cloud was completely imbued with the Wind’s thoughts, unaware of the danger that was hidden in the good words of the Troublemaker.

I don't think, but I know! It’s not for nothing that I was placed between heaven and earth! It is not for nothing that reason was given to you, for the time has come and you must take from your brothers their snow-white tunics in order to once and for all wed with its purity the two worlds - the low and the high...

Fine! - answered the Cloud, - I agree to fulfill my destiny... Only, - suddenly the white Cloud somehow crumpled up, - I don’t have the strength to pull off the white tunics from the backs of my brothers... I’m too soft... After all, I’ve never had the opportunity to take on someone else’s clothes before?..

Ha! - The Wind whirled around the Cloud like a dusty top. - What do you need me for? Merge with me and my hands will become yours!

The Cloud listened to the Troublemaker and let him into the very heart. As soon as the Wind settled in the cloud entity, the Cloud went crazy - it rushed across the sky in a violent, disheveled spot, throwing itself like a whitish, angry ghost at its brothers. With merciless force, the Cloud tore off their clean clothes from their kind relatives, barely leaving them alive. The Cloud's body became denser, its transparency disappeared like steam. The heavy and clumsy Cloud, which became a ragged black cloud, very soon could not stay in the heavens, because it did not have moderation in itself and devoured so many white clouds that there was no lightness left in it and it plopped into the earthly vale.

The wind, laughing, left the broken cloud to lie in the dust like an earthly viscous puddle, and he went on further - to catch the naive clouds so that not a single one would remain, for he hated them all and the heavenly world hated them!

Much time will pass before the broken Cloud finds the strength to return to its higher world. To do this, he will have to go through the lowness of decay, through the fire of the bright-eyed Sun, through the dying of a heavy shell turned into steam...

All this will happen, but for now it’s only the very beginning - a dirty puddle in which you will never recognize the face of the fresh young Cloud...

01/18/2010, Naro-Fominsk, Sauni

9 ABOUT CLUB'S SADNESS AND JOY

Ding-ding, - asked the Bluebell to Cloud, - Who are you?

I am Cloud... - Cloud answered the Bell, - and who are you?

And I am a flower... I am a bell... I was born in this field and live here, where are you from? “Tink-ding,” the Bell asked Cloud.

My home is the sky,” Cloud answered the wildflower.

Why are you so sad, ding-ding? - Bell was perplexed, - After all, you live in the sky, very close to the sun and very far from the earth!

It’s precisely because I live far from the earth that I feel sad... Sometimes I want to fall to the ground and tell at least someone how it’s cold and lonely in the sky...

“Tink-ding, and tell me about how cold and lonely it is there,” Bluebell smiled at Cloud.

Is this interesting to you? - asked the heavenly guest of the field flower.

Of course,” the Bell tinkled, “I’ve always been interested in what’s going on there in the sky and who lives there.”

Oh,” Cloud finally calmed down, “How bright everything is... Alive...

“Tink-ding,” said the Bell, “It has always been like this, it’s just that your tears prevented you from seeing it... Now fly home, Cloud, and tell all the inhabitants of the sky who live alone that we are the inhabitants of the earth, although we cannot fly.” , we can simply share the joys and sorrows of their mysterious high life...

That's what Cloud did. Rising high, high, she told all the inhabitants of heaven about what happened to her. Not all heavenly brands heeded the words, but many responded. So, for example, the Wind often wanders the earth, sometimes chatting with that same field Bell. Sometimes clouds visit the inhabitants of the earth, and sometimes stars fall from heaven to live on earth...

This was a long time ago; there was no earth, no people, no grass, trees, or different animals.

The mother of heaven turned over her cauldron in which she was preparing food for her children. I drew different deer on it. She drove that nail into the cauldron - the motionless Polar Star - and began to rotate it.

So a mysterious hole appeared in the sky into that other world that is higher than the sky. Through that hole, much that descends from heaven to earth, much that rises from earth to heaven.

In the far north, the North Star hangs high above the horizon, directly overhead. But in our area it hangs low, and the circle of constellations drawn on it by the mother of the sky glides along the tops of the snow-capped mountains.

The star deer gallops higher and higher, rising into the heavenly mountain of the winter sky, towards the dawn. As soon as his golden horns, dimly glittering in the night, are equal to the North Star, they will flash in last time and go out in the light of the morning dawn - the deer will rush off into the invisible distance, hiding from the Black Bear pursuing him.

The Black Bear climbs higher and higher into the invisible mountain, and it seems that he is already overtaking the “Golden Horns” deer, but in the light of the morning dawn the starry world is rapidly melting, and it is no longer visible what is happening there in the high sky.

Dawn! Grandma-sun has a big family who lives in the eastern mountains. She has many daughters, many sons, many deer, many dogs to look after the deer.

The first to wake up is the youngest daughter of her grandmother, the sun, and opens the tent (a house made of reindeer skins, with a fireplace in the center and a hole for smoke at the top) - the light from that hearth spreads throughout the sky and throughout the earth. In winter, the girl lives in a den with the Black Bear, who sends cold and frost to the earth in winter.

Following her, the grandmother-sun wakes up, throws dry branches into the fire - the world becomes warmer. The sons and daughters of the sun-grandmother wake up. They run and play across the sky. Either the sun grandmothers will run ahead, or they will fall behind. That’s why those stars that wander across the night sky and predict people’s fates sparkle either at sunset or at dawn.

And those who are older help their grandmother with the housework, go hunting and fishing, herd deer, and collect mushrooms and berries.

The sons of the sun-grandmother wake up, carry her hearth into the sacred sledge and carry her across the blue sky. All day long they drive the heavenly deer to the west, to the plague of the old moon. As evening comes, they go into the tent and prepare dinner - that’s why there’s a red glow in the sky. And as they puff up that tent, the light from the fire streams through the smoke hole. And when that fire goes out, the deer of the grandmother-sun wander across the night sky back to the east.

Kristina Naumtseva
Fairy tale for children “Star”

"Star"

High, high in the sky, where thunderclouds are born, a little star was born.

She was so beautiful that even her fellow stars admired the amazing beauty of the Star. Our beauty grew quickly, and the older she became, the more magnificent she was.

Stars are very hardworking people. In the morning they get up, clear the sky of clouds, warm everything around with warmth, shine brightly, show the way to wanderers setting off on a long journey. They really love to work and always do the work together.

But Star didn’t want to work; it seemed to her that she was special. And so she thought that there was no place for her with simple by the stars and decided to leave Houses:

I will go where I am valued and loved! - Star exclaimed and went home.

Wait, Star! We love and appreciate you, but mothers need to work and do good! - the other Stars shouted after her, but she no longer listened to them, walking off into the distance.

Whether long or short, she walked and walked and reached the edge of the sky. The little star looked at its reflection in the Heavenly River and accidentally fell to the Earth.

She splashed down a lot, and while she was getting up, rubbing her bruised sides, she saw people and animals crowding around her:

What kind of wonderful miracle is this? What a beauty! - exclaimed in the crowd.

I am real star. I fell from the sky! – explained the fallen Star.

You are beautiful, Star! - people admired.

From that day on, people came to admire Zvezdochka All: people painted pictures from it, took photographs Asterisk, wrote poems, odes and poems in honor of the extraordinary guest, sculpted sculptures and monuments Stars.

Now our Star has become real « star» .

This is how the star traveler’s life on Earth began. During the day, Zvezdochka was surrounded by many people, animals and even birds. And at night they dispersed, scattered and crawled into their homes, holes and nests. A « star» I was left completely alone. She wandered through deserted streets and roads, hoping to surprise at least someone with her beauty, but everyone was busy with their own affairs or shared this time with their friends and loved ones.

Time took its course and the Stars began to get used to the splendor, because external beauty is not so valuable compared to internal beauty, which is confirmed by good deeds and good deeds. They began to admire our beautiful Star less and less, and visit her less and less. And the star guest herself is tired of being just « star» . No one became her friend, no one saw her as a person, no one expected help from her.

And she yearned so much for her Stars in her native sky that hot tears began to roll from her beautiful eyes.

And Zvezdochka decided to definitely return home. She got ready for a long journey, said goodbye to the people, animals and birds, and went to where Heaven meets Earth.

Asterisk walked for a day, walked for a second, and on the third day, at the end of the day, she approached a dense forest. It was very dark in the forest, but the Star was bright and easily passed through the gloomy forest jungle.

Suddenly she heard desperate crying nearby.

Who's crying? – asked Star.

It was a little girl:

It's me! I'm lost. I decided to take a shortcut home from my grandparents, and I still don’t know how to get home. What should I do? - the girl sobbed.

I'll help you, girl, don't cry. I will light your way and you will find your home! – our Star reassured her.

Together, things go well. Less than half an hour had passed before the girl returned to her home.

Thank you, dear Star, I will never forget you! – the girl thanked her assistant.

And Star felt so pleased by her words that she began to shine even more beautifully and boldly continued on her way.

And she became stellar a traveler to help everyone she met on her way.

In one town she met an unhappy lover wandering in the night. He shed bitter tears because he had lost the ring he was carrying to his beloved. The star illuminated the earth for him, and the unhappy lover found what he had lost.

In another city, she warmed the poor beggars, chilled by the terrible cold. The star hugged them with her warm rays, and with her kindness warmed not only the body, but also the heart.

And in the third place, passing by the house, she heard quiet crying. The Star Traveler looked out the window. It was a small blond boy with frightened, tear-stained eyes.

Why are you crying? – asked Star.

I'm afraid of the dark, I'm very scared alone. - the baby stammered.

Let me stay with you until the morning. I'm bright and you won't be scared.

And Zvezdochka sat until dawn with the little boy, who, having calmed down, immediately fell asleep, snoring pleasantly.

The next morning, Star continued on her way. She now realized that the greatest happiness is giving joy to others.

And finally, she reached the place where Heaven meets Earth. Time passed towards evening.

How I would like to be with my Stars now! – the traveler sighed.

And suddenly she saw the brightest and most amazing thing that she could only see in her life - Starlight. These were lovely Stars. They had been waiting for her to return home for a long time.

Forgive me, dear ones. - said the Star.

And they, of course, forgave her, because they had been waiting for Zvezdochka back for a long time.

And Star now began to work from the heart, to shine brightly with all her might, because she was now an adult and smart Star.

Here's ours the end of the fairy tale. And whoever listened and read it is truly a great guy!