In a dense forest grew a magical tree with a large hollow right at its roots in the form of a big mysterious door. Everyone who entered the door-hollow would fall into a magical sleep. They would dream of what they wished for. And in their sleep, they would receive hints on how to achieve their dreams.
Few knew about the magical tree in the forest: a wise owl and several animals who came to her for help and advice. Among them was a she-bear who wanted to start a family, but she lived alone in the forest. The she-bear asked the wise owl for help, and the owl sent her to the tree.
The she-bear entered the hollow-door and fell into a magical sleep. She saw that she had a large family: a bear husband and five bear cubs. They ran together through green grass and hugged each other.
How wonderful that you are with me.
The bear said to the she-bear.
Just to think, what if I hadn't gone to the underground lake that day, we would never have met.
The she-bear said.
Then the she-bear woke up. From such a wonderful dream, her heart felt so warm and good. The next day she went to the lake she had seen in her dream. And she met the bear from her dream there. So the she-bear found her family.
Even earlier, a vole had come to the wise owl for help. In winter, her family was left without food. All their supplies, which they had gathered throughout the autumn in their burrow, were destroyed by a fox when she dug up the burrow. And now the vole family had no food. The owl told her about the magical tree, but warned that no one should know about it.
The vole ran to the magical tree, bowed to it, and jumped into the hollow. The vole immediately fell asleep and saw a magical dream. She and her family were in a large abandoned barn where there was plenty of grain and seeds. The vole ran outside to see what the barn looked like. It was green in colour, and around it were many lilac trees. And then the vole woke up.
The vole remembered that one of her sisters had told her about an abandoned lilac garden. She ran to find this garden. And she found it. And in the very depths of the garden stood that same green barn, and it really did have plenty of grain in it. The vole was delighted and ran to get her family. So the vole successfully made it through the winter.
One day a hare came to the wise owl. He had lost his mother in childhood, but had always dreamed of finding her. The owl told him about the magical tree, but warned him that he must not tell anyone about it.
The hare went to the place the owl had indicated. He jumped into the hollow and fell into a magical sleep. In his dream, he saw himself as a small hare, playing together with his brothers and sisters in a meadow. Then a mother hare came out of the burrow and called them home for lunch.
Mother, how I love you.
The hare whispered in his mother's ear.
And I love you. Remember, if you ever get lost, I will always be waiting for you in our home in this meadow.
The mother hare said.
And then the hare woke up. He knew where the meadow he had seen in his dream was located. Long ago, while running from a wolf, the hare had run past this meadow. And now he set off straight there. Arriving at the meadow, the hare began to search for the home where his mother should be. And then he saw a mother hare coming out of the burrow. It was his mother. They hugged tightly.
The hare couldn't wait to share his joy. He forgot that the owl had forbidden him to tell about the tree. The hare ran to the edge of the forest and began telling everyone what had happened to him. This story was heard by an evil wolf who dreamed of having everyone in the forest obey him and bring him food.
The wolf ran to the magical tree and jumped straight into the hollow while running. But he didn't fall asleep; quite the opposite. He became so energetic that he couldn't sleep for almost 4 days. Only on the fifth day of being awake was he able to sleep, but he stopped having dreams altogether.
The magical tree had a secret. The tree helped only those who came to it for help with good intentions. And those who had evil intentions, the tree punished.
