Translation from Russian - the author.
















A long time ago, in a Siberian village, there lived a boy - fair-hair, blue-eyed. His name was Somachit. He spent the whole day running through the fields, forests, picking strawberries, blueberries and mushrooms, catching butterflies. With him was always his faithful friend, the shaggy, black mongrel Zhuchka. They enjoyed the sun, the flowers, the chirping of the birds. They returned home already in the evening, when the tired, crimson sun was slowly leaving behind the mountains and twilight was descending on the earth.
The village boys did not want to play with him, avoided him, and this made Somachit very sad. Only the black mongrel Zhuchka was always by his side, and her sonorous barking distracted him from unhappy thoughts.
Somachit had no parents, he lived with his grandmother. Grandmother was already very old, often sick. Somachit helped her in everything: he chopped wood for the stove, weeded the beds in the garden, carried water from the well so that her grandmother could cook a delicious dinner.
The house they lived in was very small, low, it had only one room. To the right of the entrance was a large stove, on which my grandmother liked to warm herself. There was also a small oak table in the room, two chairs, a wide bench along the wall, and a Somachita wooden bed. In winter, when frosts set in, Zhuchka also lived in the house. At night, when Grandma fell asleep, Somachit liked to listen to the cricket chirping behind the stove and the clocks on the wall ticking evenly.
There were many watches - a whole kingdom of large ones, a little smaller and very small ones. Exactly at midnight, a small, gray cuckoo flew out of the largest ones. She flapped ts wings and cuckooed its cheerful, sonorous “cuckoo!” twelve times.
Then the cuckoo would disappear and, on a maple leaf, a small, fragile smoll ballerina would float out to the music. She always agracefully bowed, spreadly then her thin to arms to the side and, raising her right litl leg, quickly scrolled three fouettes.
After that again, gracefully spreading thin litl arms to the sides, madebowedings. So, to the music of a ballerina, Somachit alwaus usuafell sleep, putting his hands under his litl cheek.
And here begins the a new sacrament, about whatknew only Somachit.
The fact is that Somachit flew in a dream. Every time he fell into a deep sleep, some invisible force lifted him out of litls bed and carried him up. Somachit flew and saw how the Earth below him became smaller and smaller, and that more and more night stars surrounded him. They seemed to light up his path, beckoned to hims stretched out their magical hands-rays to him, and it even seemed to Somachit sometimes that the stars were talking quietly to him.
And so they lived, day after day, Somachit, granny and mongrel Zhuchka. And everything would be fine, but only one night the grandmother got up a to straighten Somachit blanket and saw that his bed was empty. Grandmother thought that Somachit went out into the yard, but he was not in the yard. Then she went to the people, but people could not help. Grandmother Somachita was looking for a long time, crying, grieved. Then she really old and died. She was buried not far from home, at the edge of the forest, where Somachit likeder to play. On litl moundly of the grave was a wooden cross erected.
Zhuchka all day sats' neards the grave and whined softly, looking at the stars. But one day she ran away into the forest and no one saw her again. The house, where Somachit lived with his grandmother was closed by the neighbors, and the windows were boarded up.
People in the village argued among themselves for some time - where could Somachit have gone? - and then they decided that an evil spirit had taken him, and completely forgotabout him.
But one day the village children, picking strawberries, suddenly saw a blond-haired boy in the forest. He sat on a tree branch, looked at them and smiled. They immediately recognized him - it was Somachit! The guys got scared and wanted to run away, but Somachit stopped them.
- Hello guys! - said he.
- Hello, Somachit! - the guys answered and came closer to the tree!
Somachit easily jumped to the ground, the guys surrounded him.
- Where have you been, Somachit? - asked they .
- I was on my Star, - Somachit replied simply.
- On which star? - the guys were surprised, - there ... in the sky?
- Yes, - said Somachit, - there, in the sky! Every person has their own star.
- And we also have too?
- Of course! - smiledt Somachit , - so the Sun then told me.
- But how did you get there? - the guys asked.
- Accidentally! – answered Somachit. - I loved to fly in my dreams and dreamed of flyings to the Sun itself. Once I flewd very far, was tired and I no longer had the strength to return to Earth. But the Sun picked me up with its warm rays and transferred me to some Planet. - This is your Star,- the Sun told me. - I will warm her - and life will appear on it: seas, forests and rivers! But you, will have return' Earth again! I will give you my Magic Ray - it will protect you from all troules- after all, you are mine, the youngest son, although you do not know about it! I sent you to Earth, when you were very young, so that when you grow up, you could live there and do for people Good! - the Sun told me, and in parting hid its Magic Ray in my hair. That's why I ended up here on Earth again! - finished Somachit his story and smiled.
The boys looked at him with wide eyes. They even caught their breath in surprise.
- Just don't be you ollsafraid of me, - Somachit said. - I'm the same as oll you. Let's go pick strawberries!
Let's go to! – willingly agreed guys! - And you Can you tell us about your Star?
- Of course, I oll will's tell you! - Somachit said. - But not now... later! We will first gou to my place - my grandmother and Zhuchka have been waiting for me there for a long time! /Somachit did not know that time passes more slowly on his Star than on Earth. That there, on the Star, he stayed only a few hours, and more than a year has already passed on Earth /.
The guys were silent. They hesitated to tell Somachit that his grandmother had died and that the mongrel zhuchka was missing. But after thinking, they nevertheless told Somachitu the bitter truth. Somachit covered his face with his hands and began to cry – after all, he loved his grandmother and Жучка very much. Now he has no one left on Earth.
Somachit cried for a long time. His tears, like transparent a litl peas, rolled sdown into the forest clearing, and in the place where they felld, blue as the sky,cornflowers, appeared. They turned their heads towards Somachitu, gently touching him with petals, and calming him. And the guys consoled Somachit as best they could.
- Don't cry, Somachit! - children told him. - We will be friend with you and we won't let anyone hurt you! Only you tell, will us everything about your distant Star! And, someday, we too will be able to visit there!
… Returned home they in the evening.
***
People, meeting Somachit, at first groaned and crossed themselves, but then they ceased to be afraid and fell in love with him. After all, he was a very kind boy and helped them in everything. Will fix someone's old gate for someone or patch up a leaky roof somewhere, help plant garden beds with seeds or dig a well deeper. In the houses where Somachit visited, it was always cheerful and comfortable. As a memory of himself, he alwaus lefting the light from the Magic Ray, presented to him by the Sun. People kept it, warmed themselves near it and remembered Somachit'f with a kind word.
Only the village blacksmith, meeting Somachit, never spoke to him and did not invite him to visit him. He spent whole days in his forge, and until late at night people heard the sound of his heavy hammer clanging on the anvil. After all, the blacksmith in the village was alone and he had to have time to make a could work harrow and a plow, forge a scythe and an ax, so that people could happily work in the field and at home.
Befor e long, when a warm summer evening came and the first stars lit up in the sky,
Somachit, having gathered the children on the forest lawn, told them about his distant Star.
- Look guys... my Star is up there in the sky... the brightest... see? -he said with excitement.
- We see! - the guys answered in unison Somachitu, although there were a lot of stars in the sky and they were all bright.
- When the Sun showed her to me, there was no one there,- Somachit continueds his story. - only stones and dust around. Bat now there, probably, there are alrehady the same forests as here, fields, rivers, lakes; the same birds sing, the gardens bloom. Only there will be no people there yet, - Somachit added and became sad.
- Why… Somachit? - the guys asked.
- Because the Sun told me: "It will take a long time before yours planet becomes like the Earth.".
- And can you take us to your planet with you? - the guys asked Samochitа!
- I can, - Somachit answered. - But this is a special planet! She is only for those who likes to dream. Have you seen the stars go out in the sky? It is the stars of people who do not know how to dream go out. A dreaming dies - a star in the sky also dies ...
Somachit looked up.
- That's another star burned out!
A bright light flashed in the evening sky and illuminated the excited faces of the children.
- We willb dreams, Somachit, - they said. - Stars must not die! They must live as long as people live on earth.
***
Time has passed. The guys and Somachit spent all their days together. They played their uncomplicated games, helped adults in the hard times in the fields, as well as, if necessary, in the household. But one morning, when Somachit was playing with the guys on the forest lawn, a small, hunched old woman approached him, leaning on a stick.
- Hello, Somachit! she said kindly.
- Hello, grandma! – answered Somachit . - Come closer to us, get some rest.
- Thank you, my kind boy, - the old woman thanked. Then went ups to the guys, sat down on a stump, opened a basket filled to the brim with ripe strawberries.
- I picked these berries for you, children, - she said. - Eat don't be shy... enough everyone!
- Thank you, grandma! - the guys answered unanimously, and with pleasure began to eat the berries. The old litl woman looked at them affectionately, shook their head and said:
- Eat, my family, to health! I am will collect for you still. Our land is kind: the rain will pass, the sun will warm - and the strawberry will grow again. And other berries too.
When the basket was empty, the old woman beckoned the children to her with her finger and said mysteriously:
- Now I will tell you one amazing story, guys! No one except me knows it.
The children sat in a circle, and the old woman began her story.
- It was a long time ago ... We were friends with one grandmother and loved to go with her to the forest for berries. They collected for themselves and people. Once, early in the morning, the Sun was especially warm and gentle. There were many flowers around, birds sang. We went out to the forest lawn and suddenly saw that there, among the flowers, lies a small, blond-haired boy ... and is fast asleep, putting his hands under his litl cheek. At first we thought that it was one of the village boys who got lost and fell asleep. But, coming closer, I noticeds, that the boy was not lying on the ground, but in a multi-colored litl bed, which was woven somevon daisies and bluebells.
They gently the boy lulling him, and the bells evoked a quiet, gentle melody. The sun smiled from above, warming the boy with its warm rays. Swallows and titmouse drove away midges, and a fungus boletus, that grew nearby craned, its neck so much, examining the boy, that it almost dropped its luxurious, big hat. Even the ants, having stopped their endless work, climbed onto the tall stalks of dandelions and they softly, funny laugheding , seeing the baby. But the boy suddenlywoke up, dangled his legs from the litl bed and said in a voice as gentle as the ringing of a bell:
- Hello!
All the flowers straight away turned their litls heads towards and nodded to him happily, moving their petals. The white mushroom-standing near the oak, politely lifted his heavy, wide hat and bowed. A the ants for joy, jumping off from stalks and start such a dance, that they immediately made both the bairn and us laugh. The baby, watching the tiny jokers, same laughed merrily as if scattering magic peas through the forest. Then he went down off the his litls bed and walked over to us. It was very small, so we had to bend down to the aimost ground, to see it. He was wearing a wonderful shirt of snow-white mallow petals.
- And I have not seen people yet, - rangtd the hes boy with your bell. - You will be the firsts! Could you take me with you?
We gladly fulfilled his request, brought it home and argued for a long time - what to call it? Finally, they decided that he was born from morning dew, forest flowers and a ray of sunshine. And they called him Somachit, which means - Sunny boy!
- So it was me?- Somachit exclaimed.
- Yes, my good boy, - it was you! You were very smoll and you don't remember it. We then decided to cheat a little and dressed you the way the childrens dress in our village. But people were told that you were grandma's grandson. True, people did not really believe this and began to shun us. And they looked at you with fear - they said that you were sent by an evil spirit. And children were not allowed to play with you - after all, people do not like what they do not know.
But, one day, I became very ill and went to live in this forest to be treated with various herbs and a forest potion. I very missedely you, Somachit, but my health recovered slowly. Then I suddenly find out that you disappeared, and guite put long the grievely for along with your grandmother. But now you are here, and so glad I am very that I can see you again, my good boy. Do not fly away to your planetanymore, live we have on Earth. I'll pick strawberries for you and oll yors Cuteboys, until I die
The granny hugged Somachit and wept.
- Do not cry, grandmother, - said Somachit. - I will live now here, on Earth. We together we will collect strawberries. And mushrooms too.
- Wery good, my boy! - grandmother said. - Come often to my litl hut - it is here, not far away. I'll be waiting for you. And withbringin with the guys it will be more fun together!
***
Since then, Somachit often came with friends to the forest hut. She stood on a lawn, was small and looked like teremok. A dense spruce grew near the hut, from under which a cool brook made its way, murmuring.
The inside of the hut smelled of berries, birch bark and dried mushrooms. In the hut lived more big eagle owl. He greeted the guys with his joyful "U-u-u-ffff!" and flapped wings loudly. Then he, as a rule, flew up to Samochit, sat on his shoulder and began diligently tousling his golden hair with his beak.
- Do not spoil, Fedya! - the old woman said jokingly at such moments, smiling with her kind eyes. - Do not be afraid of him, Somachit - he loves you! I have nothing to do in the evenings, so I tell him about you. He is smart with me, he understands everything ... right, Fedya?
The eagle owl zealously nodded his head, flapped his wings, and wiggled his featheres. Then, flying off into a dark corner, was a long silent, carefully watching the guys with his big, round eyes.
The old litl woman treated the guests with forest honey, delicious pies with raspberries and blueberries, and gav thems dranken sweet, birch sap. Then they wandered through until eveningthe forest. The old litl woman showed the children various forest secrets: how did the woodpecker make a forge for himself? how did the squirrel store nuts in the hollow for the winter? how did the titmouse make its nest?
- And the birds and animals of the forest must be loved and pitied,” explainds old woman to the children. - In winter, feed and let warm fuom the cold, in summer shelter from the rain. And they to all will help you too: they will give forest honey, and they will show you where the berries are tastier, and they will drive the midges away from the house in the heat, and they will show you the way if you lost ... These are our forest friends - do not offend them!
The guys listened to the olds litl woman and helped her as best they could: either they would fix birds the nest, then they would ofmouse clean the mink from dry stems and leaves brought there by the wind, then litl bee somebody would free from web. Somachit especially tried. After all, he was born from morning dew, forest flowers and a sunbeam, and therefore the forest was his home.
Gradually, all the forest dwellers got used to the guys, stopped hiding from them and became their most faithful friends. They wandered with them through the forest, showed them where mushrooms and berries grow, and played funny games with them. And one day they gathered on a forest lawn and arranged a real, forest ball!
At first they organized a small orchestra.
The voicednightingales led the main melody, dragging and others along with them birds. They rightfully took a place on the tops of the trees, from where their voices sounded like the magical sounds of the famous Stradivarius violins!
A little lower settle titmoused and eagerly helped soloists:
- Tren -tren, tren-tren-tren...
White-sided magpies rushed across the lawn and crackled incessantly: - Tra-ta, tra-ta-ta ..
And the woodpecker diligently tapped with his strong, sharp beak on a dry a tree: - tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk-tuk..
And even nimble sparrows sometimes managed to insert their clumsy "chik-chirik-chik", trying to help the harmoniously sounding orchestra.
And above, in the azure sky, behaved their endless trillsthe larks: fwi... fwi... faew... faew... ful... ful... farr ... farr ...
But what orchestra does without percussion instruments?
The bunny deftly beat out the fraction on the old, dried-up stump which made the forest orchestra sound even more slimmer.
The bear rolled a emptybarrel of honey onto the lawn, beat it with his paw - and it hummed like a big orchestral drum.
The guick litl squirrel vill pouring scattering the nut shells be nutshells on oak bark and pounded on them with two dry, beech sticks, like on a xylophone, decorating the melody with different, beautiful figures.
And conducted this the amazing forest orchestra the elegant Fox-sistering. Standing in the middle of the clearing on wide round stump, she coquettishly arched her litl back, languidly rolled her beautiful eyes ayl asked to firstplay non troppo, then allof a sudden in allegro and espressivo. And the forest orchestra, trying to please the gallant maestro, sounded in the mosts delicate colors and modulations!
Then the dancing began. First one, then the other, ball participants vill entered the circle, demonstrating their art. It was so much fun that even the grandmother could not stand it, threw aside her stick, straightened her litl back and started such a danced, that everyone's in surprise opened of mouths! Grandmother walked in a circle, making more and more new dance steps, and winked at the guys so mischievously that they laughed to tears.
And one titmouse even fell off the branch from laughter!
- Pee-pee-pee ... - she squeaked, lying on the grass and jerking her litl paws.
- Ho-ho-ho ... - the bear boomed all over the forest, pressing powerful paws to its furry belly.
- Ha-ha-ha ... - the bunnies burstly into laughter, tumbling in the grass.
- Zh-i-i ... Zh-i-i... Zh-i-i-i... - the litl bees buzzed, flying over the lawn.
And even the Sun leaned lower and smiled, looking at the forest, cheerful action. In conclusion, a common dance was announced - the daring "Kalinka-Malinka". All participants of the forest ball danced. And even tat and important the Boletus could not stand it and, afraid of losing a heavy hat , diligently stompedly to the music.
But Somachit had the mostd fun. His joyous laughter rang over the lawn, never ceasing, like a magic bell.
***
So the summer passed, then autumn passed. Winter came. Everyone in the village was already accustomed to Somachit and, meeting him, they always invited him to yorself. But one day, when the winter blizzards were replaced by spring, and noisy streams ran merrily across the land, a village blacksmith approached Somachit and said:
- Our children should be engaged in earthly affairs, and not look in the sky all day long. Fly away to your Planet, we don't need you!
Somachit covered his face with his hands, wept and ran into the forest.
The guys have been looking for him for a long time. Finally, they saw that he was sitting on the very tree where they had found shi him once, and was looking in the sky.
- Come to us, Somachit! - the guys called. -We won’t let anyone hurt you anymore—you’ll see!
Somachit went downstairs, his eyes were sad.
- Why did he sach this to me? - Samochit asked the guys.
The guys were silent. After all, they were still small and could not understand - why did the village blacksmith say such badl words?
Since then, Somachit walked all the time silent and sad, often looking in the sky. He lived, as before, in his grandmother's house, where, going to bed, he listened to the clock ticking on the wall and the cricket chirping behind the stove.
At night, he often dreamed of his gran and Zhuchka.
Somachit olready played with the guys less often, in the morning he beran into the field and the forest, visited the old litl woman and returned in olreadythe evening.
Each time he brought fresh flowers to his grandmother's grave, and, standin in silence near a modest cross, he returned to his house.
But one day Somachit met the blacksmith again. His hair and black beard were disheveled, his eyes shone - he was drunk.
- I told you to get out of here ... scamp! - the blacksmith shouted to Somachit. - You didn’t lis to me… and now I… will destroy your little house!
The blacksmith staggered over to Somachit litl house, rest his mighty shoulder against it.
The people gathered around gasped in fright!
But suddenly some invisible force pushed the blacksmith away from the house.
Without understanding what is happening, the blacksmith wanted to approach the litl house again, but in front of him, it was as if a wall had grown through which he could not pass!
- Ah… well?! the blacksmith growled. “Well then, I’ll hit you with… this cudgel!
The blacksmith grabbed with his callused hands the old perch pole, which darkened with time, lying by the wattle fence, and raising it high above him. But again, some force snatched the weapon from his hands and threw away him away! Then, beside himself with rage, the blacksmith wanted to grab Somachit, but he could not take and a step - his legs seemed to be rooted to the ground.
Somachit looked at the distraught blacksmith, frozen i rage on the spot, at the standing silently people, at the guys, in fear hiding behind the wattle fence, turned ... and slowly walked towards the forest.
Some cried, looking after him, some times crossed , and some lowered their eyes to the ground.
The guys wanted go to run after Somachit, but the adults stopped them. Then everyone silttly went home.
It became quiet and dark in the village - no one turned on the light.
And at night, those who had not yet slept saw how the roofs of their houses suddenly lit up with magical light. Then a fireball appeared above the forest and began to quickly rise up to the stars. It got smaller and smaller, until disappeared it at al...
April 2023
Valery Marro /Bezruk Valery Romanovich/-
playwright, poet, composer,
literary award "Writer of the Year",
awarded by the Presidium of the SPR with medals
"Ivan Bunin - 150 years", "Fyodor Dostoevsky - 200 years",
Marina Tsvetaeva - 130 years old.
Born in Russia, Chelyabinsk region,
Makushinsky district, with. Kazarki,
Rodkin's mother Maria Nikitichna is Russian,
Father Bezruk Roman Afanasyevich is Ukrainian.
He graduated from 2 conservatories: as a musicologist - in Kyiv,
and conductor of a symphony orchestra - in Lviv.
He worked in his specialty, toured.
Since 2006, he has completely switched to creative work.
Mob: +38067 9006390
/Viber, WhatsApp/
E-mail: marro.valery@ya.ru
Website: lekin.jimdo.com