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Спасти Кощея

Крихели Ангелина

– Spreading my wings widely... – the dreamy look on his cute snout changed into another. Gorynych waved his wings at the doorstep, getting comfortable. – The forest and lake are spreading under me, birds are making the nests, and people are nesting fu

Then a neighboring head interjected:

– And they dare to claim themselves as the cleverest! The top of a food chain! But they took everything from beasts and birds. Nothing new!..

Hope couldn’t not help smiling while listening to enamored with his native land Gorynych. How many of her classmates loved their city as much as he did? When did we start feeling embarrassed about loving the motherland, calling it with a capital «M»? And how many adults had she seen, who felt as much inspired when telling about flying in the sky, looking at the green spaces and blue waters? And even if they’re flying not with the help of their wings, but inside the great metal bird, the view stays the same! Gorynych needs his huge green home, it is important for him, and what about people? They’re only interested in the ultimate goal of the journey, Hope realized with bitterness. In places where birds sing differently, other fish swim in the sea, other animals trample the ground, other flowers grow. But what make those «others» better than our own, native? On the other hand, her mother always said: «If you eat your favourite chocolate every day, you will get sick of it soon». Maybe people just need a change? But can’t you make a change without ru

Getting her mind back to the talker, Hope noticed that she’d missed a good half of the story, and the third Gorynych’s head had already followed the second, telling with the same inspiration about the adventure he had with Koschei.

– ...And I fired at him! – Gorynych jumped to his feet in excitement, then hit his head on the doorway and hissed angrily at the other heads. – Couldn’t you just move a little, or what?!

They were answering something to him, but Koschei, who shook up from the noise, occupied her attention.

– Why did you quit drawing? I mean, the paintings over there are so beautiful, – the girl waved her hand towards the room where Koschei had gathered many of his amazing works.

He looked doubtingly at the young guest, but didn’t argue. He, for one, never thought much of his skill, though he knew he could hold the brush.

By that time Gorynych had calmed down, his heads were put on the floor, his paws were placed under them, and sighed dreamily. They hadn’t have a heart-to-heart talk with each other for so long. Everyone had locked himself in own grief and endured it as they could. If only they tried to support each other, maybe everything would turn out differently. But no one could know how this would end, since there are no ifs in history...

– My drawing teacher, – the girl continued, – says, that you shouldn’t give up on your talents. And if you do something great, then, you should work hard to surpass yourself.

Chapter 6

Koschei raised his head as soon as he heard that Hope can draw too. While earlier she was evoking his curiosity, now he was struck by this brave little girl, who understood and shared his delight of touching the canvas with a brush for the first time, putting bright colours softly and creating real paintings. The waves of sheer magic are going through you body, pouring out onto the canvas, paper or board, and forming whole, brights images. He remembered the trembling the young artist was holding one of the portraits with. It was his early work. What would she say if she saw his late ones? It became incredibly interesting and important for him to hear her opinion. But he didn’t dare to ask. It would be too harsh, too early. To trust so soon could cause new pain.

What a catch! No, he wouldn’t send her away and let her go at all, Koschei decided. At least, until he finds out her opinion about each of his paintings. He whistled at the amount of paintings in his house silently. His heart filled with the joy of anticipation, as if thousands of butterflies spread their wings in his chest all together, flying up to the light.

But then she continued her story, making him sad again.

– But I will never draw again, – Hope said and explained. – Because I can end up anywhere. I got here, for instance, when I drew the forest.

– So you got here through the canvas? – Gorynych perked up after her words, raised his head and looked carefully at Koschei.

The girl was shifting her gaze from one fairy-tale creature to another, baffled. Koschei answered his friend:

– Yes, Gorynych, it seems like I’ve found my last canvas.

– But how? – Hope asked.

Koschei started his story, slowly recalling the most forgotten days.