"Mom is sick, Dina thought sadly, and Dad walks around with his head down. His blue eyes have become gray and very sad. Dad made breakfast today. Of course, the porridge isn't as delicious as Mom's. And the pancakes are flat and dry. And the tea isn't fragrant at all... And even the bedtime stories from the big book, read by Dad, aren't as interesting as before".
After breakfast, Dina went to see her mom. Her long black braid had turned gray. Her face was white as a pillowcase, and her eyes were huge, with no sparkle of life in them.
Mom, how are you? When will you be like before? I miss you so much, Dina asked with a tremor in her voice and began to cry.
My wonderful princess, Mom said weakly, it seems I won't get up anymore. My strength is fading, I'm getting weaker and weaker. Don't cry, I'll be gone soon, but I'll always be with you.
Mom closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep.
There you are, Dad said, quietly opening the door. Come on, Dina, don't bother Mom while she's resting. Your grandmother will arrive soon, she'll help us.
Dad and Dina went out into the yard. They lived in a small but very cozy house on the edge of the village. They had a wonderful garden with fruit trees, bushes with different berries, and flowers: two beautiful well-maintained flower beds with roses and annuals. There were also swings in the garden, which Dina and Mom loved to swing on and watch the clouds.
The path from the house to the gate was covered with pink stone, with white borders on the sides, and marigolds grew along them. Dina and Dad went out onto the street. A carriage drawn by a pony with a long forelock was coming down the road, raising dust.
It's Grandma! Dina cried out and clapped her hands, forgetting for a moment about the sorrow that had settled in their home.
Dad opened the gates, and the pony entered the yard. Dad unharnessed Buyan and led him to the barn to give him spring water brought from the forest that morning, and filled his manger with barley. Meanwhile, Grandma was already in her daughter's room. She didn't take Dina with her, and the girl went to Buyan instead. They knew each other and were friends. Dina had brought several pieces of sugar in advance and treated the pony.
Dad brushed him with a special brush and left. Dina combed his forelock and mane and began to braid little braids with bright narrow ribbons. Buyan touched Dina's cheek with his lips, as if kissing her, and looked at her intently. His blue-violet eyes radiated tenderness and love. Dina hugged the pony around the neck and began to cry. Buyan neighed sadly, and tears flowed from his eyes. Both were crying.
Dina saw something fall to the floor. It was a bracelet woven from horsehair with a silver thread, with a small horseshoe hanging from it. Dina was sure she hadn't braided Buyan's mane with a silver thread. And certainly hadn't cut a braid. The girl put the bracelet on her arm and hugged Buyan tightly around the neck.
Grandma came into the barn.
I knew you'd be with Buyan, she said. What's that bracelet? Why did you cut a braid from the pony, Dina?
I didn't cut anything, Buyan gave it to me himself!
Himself? Well then, Grandma was surprised and patted her friend's mane with a smile. I always knew my pony wasn't as simple as he seems. He can do even more tricks!
Grandma, tell me what Buyan can do! Dina asked.
Once I went to visit a friend in a neighboring town, Grandma began to tell, and a heavy rain started. Not a single drop fell on us, even though streams were flowing on the road! And recently I went to a neighboring village to the store. The sun was beating down hard, and the wind raised dust, it was hard to breathe. It was still ten minutes to the village, but literally a minute later we were near the store! The wind died down, the dust settled. I think my Buyan arranged all this. So, Dina, keep the bracelet, it's your talisman.
Grandma gently stroked Buyan and went out of the barn with Dina.
Let's go prepare lunch, and then great deeds await us: we need to prepare you for a journey. Only magic can save your mother! And you'll have to go to the enchanted forest to see the witch. She'll give you medicine. Only don't tell your parents, Grandma asked. I'm afraid your father won't let you go. But only a child can enter the enchanted forest.
Dina couldn't believe her ears. How could she, still a small girl, save her mother? But for her sake, she was ready for anything!
Is the witch evil? Dina asked.
She's neither evil nor good, just a witch. She's evil to evil people, but you're a child with a pure soul, you don't need to be afraid of her. My grandmother told me that the witch doesn't hurt children.
How old is she? Dina asked in surprise. Maybe she doesn't even live there anymore.
If there's an enchanted forest, then there's a witch! Grandma said firmly.
Dina didn't need to be persuaded to go to bed that evening. After all, she had to set out at the first rays of the sun.
Behind the village was a small birch grove, and no one ever went beyond it. There stood a thick wall of white fog day and night, winter and summer. A barely visible path led into the mist, but no one knew where it came from.
As soon as the horizon began to pale in the east, Grandma woke Dina. The girl washed, had breakfast, and put on a yellow hoodie that Mom had knitted before she got sick. On her back was a light backpack. Grandpa had woven it from willow branches cut on the day of the spring equinox. Grandma put a bottle of spring water, pies with rhubarb, and at the very bottom, under a napkin, a small bag of loose soil from under the currant bush in the garden into the backpack. Everything that could protect or save the little girl on her way to the witch, the woman had gathered.
The very edge of the sun appeared, and Grandma and Dina were already in the birch grove.
I don't know what's beyond the fog, Grandma said, whether it's the enchanted forest right away or not. But I know for sure that you can't leave the path under any circumstances, no matter what happens! And don't look back, or you might stumble and lose the path.
Grandma hugged her granddaughter tightly, waited for the girl to disappear into the fog, and went home.
In the Fog
Dina walked along the path. Through the thick fog, nothing was visible. The path led to a turbulent wide river, across which a narrow bridge without railings was thrown. You couldn't even see the other shore. How could she cross the river?
Suddenly, a thick rope appeared from nowhere. It stretched parallel to the narrow bridge. Dina grabbed the rope tightly with both hands and confidently moved forward. The girl saw that the rope was made of horsehair with a silver thread. "Buyan took care of me," she decided.
Sometimes the bridge slipped from under her feet, something formless floated in the river, it was hard to see through the fog, but the saving rope seemed to hold Dina herself, not letting her fall. Finally, the bridge ended, the rope disappeared, and Dina was back on the path.
Suddenly the fog began to turn pink. Dina remembered an old fairy tale that said such mist was very dangerous and could gnaw anyone down to the bones. The girl decided to calm herself and pulled the hood of her yellow hoodie over her head. She pulled it over her entire face, and through the yellow threads, the fog stopped being pink.
She walked strictly along the center of the path, catching with her peripheral vision how tentacles stretched from the fog and tried to reach her, but they were literally a centimeter short. How long this lasted was hard to say. Dina was very scared, but Mom's hoodie protected the girl from the tentacles. Finally, the fog turned white again and began to thin out.
The path, straight as an arrow, suddenly began to wind. Dina had to keep looking at her feet. She wanted to drink and eat, but the girl was afraid to stop: she'd have to take off her backpack, and she could leave the path.
After another turn, the path became straight again. It led the girl to a clearing and branched off in three directions. Three paths led into tunnels. One was rainbow, the second was golden, and the third was covered with small white flowers with a pleasant delicate aroma.
"Which way should I go? the girl wondered. Grandma didn't tell me about other paths".
Dina took off her backpack, ate a pie, drank some spring water, and suddenly heard her mother's voice.
A rainbow is not real, gold won't restore health, and any plant can be medicinal. You'll choose the right path, my princess! Mom whispered.
Dina put on her backpack and boldly entered the flowering tunnel. Through the branches of the plants, the sun shone and you could see the blue sky, no fog at all!
At the Witch's House
The tunnel ended, and the path led Dina straight to the witch's cottage at the edge of the forest. The house was fitting for a witch: carved, covered with ivy, with a tower with a rooster weathervane. The rooster was like a real one, with a bright multicolored tail. A light breeze blew toward Dina, the rooster weathervane ruffled and proudly crowed its "Cock-a-doodle-doo". A red-haired girl about eight years old, Dina's age, came out of the house.
Hi, Dina! the girl said.
Hi! Dina answered. How do you know my name?
Grandma said you'd come soon, so I'm waiting for you.
Your grandmother is the witch? Dina exclaimed.
Yes, the girl confirmed proudly. When I grow up, I'll be a witch too!
What's your name?
Tonya. Come in, you're tired, you need to rest.
Where's your grandmother? Dina asked impatiently. I have very important business with her.
Grandma told me to meet you and give you tea.
My mom is sick, my grandmother said only a witch can help me! Dina exclaimed. I don't have time for tea!
But until you drink tea and rest, you won't know what you need to do to save your mother. That's what my grandmother told me! Tonya said firmly, pressing her lips together.
There was nothing to do. Dina washed up from the road and sat at a round table with a lacy lilac tablecloth. On it stood a cheerful samovar, jam, and fragrant buns. The girls drank tea, but suddenly Dina's eyes began to close. Tonya helped her to the sofa. A soft down pillow embraced Dina's tired head. Before falling asleep, Dina saw a pleasant old woman with a lacy lilac shawl draped over her shoulders.
Dina, you must bring me a mother-of-pearl button from a Roly-Poly doll, the old woman said.
Dina didn't have time to ask where to find the Roly-Poly or how to take a button from it. Grandma disappeared, and the girl fell asleep.
Dina's First Dream
I'm walking through an unfamiliar city, it's flooded with ocean up to the second floor. Everything is frozen, and the ice is greenish. That's why it seems to me that this is ocean water, even though I already know it!
I'm walking on the roof of a tall building, very slippery. To avoid falling, I slide down the roof like a slide. Not scary at all! I look, and the building is five stories tall—wow!
A plump woman is walking in front of me, suddenly she falls through the ice! I carefully approach and can't believe my eyes: a neat little hole, as if drawn with a compass. How could such a plump woman fall through such a small hole? I wander on, but then I feel very ashamed: a person is in trouble, I need to save them!
I go back. Everything is quiet, and no one is beating against the ice. As if nothing happened. I carefully get on my knees and lower my hand into the hole. The water is warm. I feel a head, pull by the scarf, and suddenly in front of me is a small Roly-Poly doll. She blinked her eyes and squeaked: "Thank you!" The Roly-Poly carefully tore off the top mother-of-pearl button and handed it to me. And left. Surprisingly, she was completely dry. I clench the mother-of-pearl button tightly in my fist, afraid to lose it. I turn around and see that the Roly-Poly is gone, and instead a plump woman is walking away into the distance.
At the Witch's House
Dina woke up. She was standing on the clearing again in front of three tunnels, but with her fist clenched. The girl carefully opened her palm, saw the mother-of-pearl button, and rushed into the tunnel toward the witch's house. A light breeze blew toward her. The rooster weathervane ruffled and proudly crowed its "Cock-a-doodle-doo". A red-haired boy, Dina's age, came out of the house.
Hi, Dina! the boy said.
Where's Tonya? Dina asked in surprise. What's your name?
Tonny, the boy answered with a smile. We can't waste a minute, you need to drink tea again and rest! It's already noon, there's not much time until sunset!
Where's the witch? Dina asked.
But Tonny didn't explain anything, he held out his hand to the girl and almost forcibly dragged her to the table. Dina placed the mother-of-pearl button on a crystal plate that stood next to her cup.
Drink tea and sleep! We need to hurry!
A soft down pillow embraced Dina's tired head. Before falling asleep, Dina saw the old woman in the lacy lilac shawl again.
Dina, you must bring me a pirate's arrow, she said.
Dina's Second Dream
I'm a grown girl, dressed in a dress with a corset. I've only seen such things in a big book about princesses. A young man in dark blue velvet pants and a torn white shirt with puffy sleeves runs toward me.
Hurry, pirates are approaching the shore! he cries.
There's no time to think, pirates are no joke.
The guy grabs my hand, and we run to the sea. Why to the sea? A small hill with dried tall wormwood branches right at the water's edge—that's all the shelter! I peek out from behind the hill. Something incredible! There's no ship with a pirate flag. Not far from us are stakes, and on them are skeletons. Someone has a tricorn on their skull, someone has a red bandana, someone has an eye patch, the rest of the clothes have decayed. The skeletons have long and tangled hair. The skeletons saw me, and clouds of arrows flew toward us. There were about a dozen skeletons, but hundreds of arrows.
The guy caught three arrows, stuck two in the ground, and the rest of the arrows flew to them like magnets. He gave me the third arrow, and we walked away, cheerfully chatting about nothing.
At the Witch's House
Dina woke up. She was standing on the clearing again in front of three tunnels with her fist clenched. Carefully opening her palm, she saw a small arrow.
The girl ran to the witch's house. A light breeze blew, but the weathervane became different, now it was an owl. The owl ruffled and growled: "Hoo-hoo-hoo". Grandma, whom Dina had already seen before falling asleep, stood on the threshold.
Hello, Dina! Give me the pirate arrow, please. You have very little time left. Did you notice that instead of a rooster, there's now an owl? You need to get home before sunset, or you'll stay here FOREVER and won't be able to help your mother!
What do I need to do?
Drink tea and sleep! But you need to come back very quickly. Bring me a spike from a dragon's tail.
Dina drank tea without a word and lay down on the sofa.
Dina's Third Dream
A shore, gray sky, dark sea, on the shore a flat mountain. It's multilayered. Light gray and almost black layers alternate. Tree roots stick out of the mountain, they're intertwined with each other. Some embrace each other in a friendly way, and some fight.
White stone buildings and coniferous trees are scattered chaotically on the mountain. These are their roots sticking out of the sheer walls. The trees are very dark, you can't even tell what color they are: blue or green. In the center of the mountain is a round square, as if drawn with a compass. On the square is a large dragon of a light gray color.
He looks at the houses and sometimes grabs people from the street. He throws a person high and swallows them. For a while, legs stick out of his mouth, twitching in convulsions. A terrible noise hangs over the city. These are people screaming in fear. A giant emerges from the sea, but he doesn't come ashore. His height is about 50 meters. And he reaches straight from the sea to the dragon and removes his head, impales it on a metal spike sticking out here on the compass square.
Silence reigns in the city. The giant goes back to the sea. New people in gray identical clothes appear on the tree roots. They seem to bud: before your eyes, they grow from something formless into adults. The roots throw them into the city.
There's no way to escape the city, the roots don't let you. All people look the same and are dressed in gray. No children are visible.
I know that after some time, the giant will return, put the dragon's head back on his body, and everything will be as before.
How do I get a dragon spike?
Suddenly I see a black raven as tall as me. He walks importantly and pretends not to notice me. I shout to him:
Hello, respected Raven!
Ah, it's Dina, the Raven growled. Hi there.
Respected Raven, could you help me?
Help? Amazing arrogance! Why should I help you?
You see, I need a spike from the dragon's tail, but I can't fly, and it's impossible to get to the mountain, the tree roots won't let me, Dina said calmly.
What do you have to pay for my service? the Raven asked.
In my backpack are two incredibly delicious pies with rhubarb. Would you like one?
A tempting offer, give me a pie!
Dina took off her backpack and gave the Raven one pie. The Raven ate it quickly and flew off. He had to gain a lot of height. The roots stretched after the Raven, and at some point, it seemed to Dina that the Raven wanted to come back. But now he's near the headless dragon. He grabbed the biggest spike with his beak—it popped out of the tail like a carrot from a garden bed. Dina gave the Raven the second pie, and put the spike in her backpack.
At the Witch's House
Dina woke up on the clearing in front of three tunnels. The girl ran to the witch's house. A light breeze blew, the owl weathervane ruffled and growled "Hoo-hoo-hoo". Grandma stood on the threshold of the house.
Dina, you've collected everything I needed. While you were getting treasures, I prepared medicine for your mother. She'll definitely become healthy again, just like before. You can't stay with us, the sun will set soon. Hurry and drink magic tea and sleep. You'll find out everything at home!
Dina drank a cup of tea, lay down on the sofa, and immediately fell asleep.
Dina's Fourth Dream, or Dina's Return
I'm in the room where I drank tea and slept. The table is set, but no one is there. Suddenly a tall double door appears on the wall that wasn't there before. It slowly and creakily opens. My body is covered with goosebumps, but the dark opening beckons me. I enter. Tall windows let in the last rays of the setting sun. In this room are cabinets with books, like in a library. I walk down a wide aisle, and the thought beats in my head: "Time to go home, the sun will set soon!"
At the end of the library stands a cabinet with mirror doors, I approach it and open the door. In the cabinet are dolls the size of a child: some small, some adult. On the lowest shelf stand dolls of Tonya and Tonny. A sinister voice of the witch sounded:
If you don't get home before sunset, you'll become such a doll, there's a place for you on the shelf!
And suddenly everything disappeared. I can't see anything, I reach out my hand and can't see it. I touched my nose, my ears—everything is in place, but I can't see my arms or legs. Absolute darkness, it's warm, soft, as if alive, embraces me from all sides, it's cozy in it, but I need to go home! How did I get here?!
Suddenly small bright flashes appear in the darkness, there are more and more of them. And now I myself have become one of these small flashes and I'm flying in a rainbow tunnel. It spirals, the darkness disappears, I feel very happy, cozy, and don't want to go home at all.
And then I hear a loud neigh. Who is that? It's Buyan calling me! I need to go home, Mom is waiting for me, she's very sick, and I should have medicine for her!
And Dina opened her eyes. She was sitting in a manger full of barley. As if she hadn't gone anywhere, in her yellow hoodie and with her backpack on her shoulders. She jumped to the floor, took off her backpack. In the backpack was only her bottle of spring water and under a napkin some kind of bag. Dina untied the bag, and there was just soil. But where was the medicine?! Did Dina not go anywhere and just sleep the whole time?
Dad came into the barn to Buyan:
Dina, what are you doing here? It's time for breakfast, Grandma is waiting for us! Dad took Dina's hand, and they went to the kitchen.
"What's happening?" Dina wondered. "Dad didn't notice I was gone? And why breakfast? I was supposed to come back before sunset, and this is dinner..."
Grandma was bustling about in the kitchen, and when she saw Dina, she barely contained her surprise and said:
Sit down for breakfast, just don't forget to wash your hands.
Dina took off her backpack and put it on her chair and went out with Dad. Grandma quickly opened the backpack and pulled out a bottle with golden water. A white paper rolled into a tube was tied to the bottle with a silver thread. Grandma untied the silver thread and unrolled the paper. Words began to appear on the paper. As soon as Grandma read them, they disappeared and new ones appeared. Like a living letter!
"Give the sick person a tablespoon of medicine at breakfast, and then she must eat at least a crumb of bread. At lunch, give two spoonfuls of medicine and a piece of bread with cheese. At dinner, she must drink all the rest, and the sick person will come to eat herself. That's all! Health to your daughter!"
Dad and Dina returned.
I don't feel like eating at all, Dad said quietly and left the kitchen.
Dina, how did you get back so fast? I just finished making breakfast and you're already here! I saw with my own eyes how you went into the fog.
Grandma, I spent the whole day at the witch's! I only lay down to rest before sunset. Everything happens through dreams there.
Okay, Dina, tell me everything later. It's time to give Mom the medicine, Grandma said.
But Grandma, I didn't see any medicine! Dina exclaimed. I didn't find anything in my backpack!
The medicine is in the bottle instead of spring water.
And Grandma showed her granddaughter the bottle with golden liquid.
Grandma did everything as written in the letter, and at dinner the whole family gathered. Mom became just like before: cheerful and beautiful, and everyone was happy!
