New Year is a magical holiday. As New Year's Eve approaches, many people are overcome by a strange feeling that something magical and fairy-tale-like should happen.
Winter was outside the window, and there were only a few days left until the New Year that everyone loved. As Maria was putting her children to bed, who were being fussy and refusing to sleep, she remembered an amazing and mysterious adventure that had happened to her in childhood.
Alright,
Said Maria.
If you don't want to sleep, I'll tell you a magical story that happened to me when I was still little.
And Maria began her captivating tale:
I was nine years old, and my brother Mike had just turned five. We loved New Year very much, and most of all we enjoyed helping mom with all the preparations for the long-awaited holiday. Dad would bring a live Christmas tree into the house a few days before the celebration (I'll never forget that captivating scent of fresh pine needles). For my brother and me, this became the best moment.
Mom would take out a large box of Christmas ornaments from the closet. In the box, it seemed to me, lived a mystery in the form of bright colorful balls, glass icicles, funny figurines, and tinsel. We would start decorating the forest dweller, mom would wrap it in a bright multicolored garland, and Mike and I would hang the ornaments, and our little tree would become a fairy-tale beauty.
And at the end of it all, mom would open a small box containing an old Grandfather Frost. He was already worn and tattered, since he had belonged to our mom when she was little. To us, this Grandfather Frost seemed the most real, and we couldn't imagine how the decorated tree could stand on New Year's Eve without him. Only Snow Maiden had gotten lost somewhere.
Probably during the move from the old house to the new apartment. But I brought mom my favorite doll, which I had received for my birthday. Mom (your grandmother) sewed the most beautiful dress for her from white tulle, attached a fur ruffle, and even my dad helped and wove her a crown from thin copper wire. What a beautiful Snow Maiden we created, she practically glowed with mother-of-pearl. Even to me it seemed that the old Grandfather Frost was happy with his new granddaughter.
And so the tree was decorated. I did my homework, told Mike a fairy tale, and we went to sleep. And when I woke up in the morning, I went into the big room and saw that our beloved Grandfather Frost was missing from under the tree.
Mom!
I exclaimed.
Where did Grandfather Frost go! We put him under the tree yesterday, I remember it exactly?
Mike came into the kitchen with the same question, and tears were already welling up in his eyes.
Dad decided that he was already very old and worn out.
Mom answered us.
And decided to take him to the dacha with the old things, we want to decorate a tree in the yard there, so we'll put Grandfather Frost under it. And tomorrow we'll buy a new one at home, besides, look how beautiful our Snow Maiden turned out, and she doesn't look right with the old Frost.
No, mom, that's not fair!
Mike objected.
After all, he lived with you through all your childhood and guarded your gifts under the tree on New Year's Eve, so you treated him unfairly!
I was even surprised that my brother, who always seemed so small to me, spoke so wisely. Of course, I was also sad, because our old Grandfather Frost meant much more to me than just a New Year attribute. But there was nothing to be done, dad had already left, and no one could convince him in time.
It turned out that, finding himself at the dacha, in a dark box, among old things, our Grandfather Frost was also very sad, he felt bad and bored in this place and, of course, very lonely. There was neither us nor Snow Maiden next to him, to whom he had become very attached during the past night. And the next day and night he spent completely alone in sorrow.
Our little Snow Maiden turned out to be very brave and decided to find her grandfather herself. She missed him very much and didn't want another companion. She became sad, and Snow Maiden also saw that we were very upset too. Mike was crying, and I was sad.
The brave Snow Maiden decided to do whatever it took to bring the old Grandfather Frost back, especially since, being an ordinary doll, she had traveled with us to the dacha more than once and remembered the way.
When we all went to sleep, the fearless Snow Maiden jumped down from the table where the little tree stood, ran across the room and climbed out onto the street through the open window. We lived on the first floor, so it wasn't difficult for her to get down from the window.
After that, Snow Maiden inconspicuously made her way to the main road, where a homeless dog was sleeping at a stop on the corner.
The dog was surprised to see such a beautiful doll alone on the street. Little Snow Maiden shared her story with him, and the dog decided to help her. Taking the doll carefully in his teeth, the Dog headed in the direction that Snow Maiden pointed to him.
The journey turned out to be not easy at all. The Dog hadn't eaten anything in a long time and had little strength, so he often stopped to rest. And after gathering a little strength, he continued on his way.
And finally, our travelers reached the dacha village where the house was located where Grandfather Frost should have been. Snow Maiden helped the Dog find the right house and asked him to lift her higher to the window.
But the window was closed, our Snow Maiden was in despair, did they really travel such a distance only to freeze outside now.
But suddenly she heard a raven cawing above her head:
Why do you need to get into the house?
Asked the curious raven.
My Grandfather Frost is lying alone in the dark in a box in this house, I really want to help him get back home!
Answered the little Snow Maiden sadly.
Surprisingly, it turned out that the raven also loved New Year very much, because after the holiday you could always find something to eat. The bird helped her. With her hard beak, she managed to open the window.
Snow Maiden climbed into the house.
Grandfather, grandfather!
Called the little doll.
Grandfather Frost!
Grandfather Frost didn't expect that anyone still needed him.
I'm here!
He answered uncertainly.
Who is calling me?
It's me, Snow Maiden! I came for you, Maria and Mike are very sad without you, and I don't want to celebrate New Year with another grandfather!
How did you get here?
He could barely be heard through the closed box.
Now Grandfather, I'll try to open you.
She ran to the window and called the raven for help to peck through the hard sticky tape with her beak.
Grandfather Frost was free and very happy about it. He was glad to see his Snow Maiden. She told him about all the adventures that happened on the way to the dacha. And she said that without him they wouldn't celebrate New Year, even if they couldn't make it back to the city in time. Because love and friendship are the most precious things in the world!
And at this time in the city the following was happening.
In the morning, Mike and I woke up and, of course, saw that our Snow Maiden had also disappeared.
Mom!
I called out to mom in despair.
Look, Snow Maiden is also gone, did dad send her to the dacha too?
At that moment dad came into the room.
Who did I send where?
He asked.
Dad, you took the old Grandfather Frost away yesterday, and now you've also sent Snow Maiden to the dacha?
Mike asked crying.
Mom and dad exchanged glances, not understanding what was happening.
Here's what we'll do.
Dad began.
We'll all have breakfast now, get ready and drive out to the dacha together.
Hooray!
Mike and I exclaimed in unison and ran to get ready.
On the way out of the city, we were all tense and silent the whole way. We were all curious about where our Snow Maiden had disappeared to. While mom and I were getting ready, we looked around the whole apartment, looked in every corner and under every piece of furniture, Snow Maiden had vanished without a trace.
We drove into the dacha village and from a distance we could already see that some big dog was sleeping on our porch.
Everyone stay in the car!
Said brave dad.
He got out of the car and walked toward the house, but to our surprise, when the Dog saw dad, he wagged his tail in a friendly way. We all got out of the car and caught up with dad.
The puppy turned out to be very sweet, but it was clear that he hadn't eaten anything in a long time. Good thing mom had brought plenty of food for the whole day, which the Dog was very grateful for.
Dad, open the house faster!
Shouted Mike.
I can't wait to find our Grandfather Frost!
What a surprise awaited us all when dad opened the door! On the table near the open window stood Snow Maiden and Grandfather Frost side by side! And it's true what they say, that miracles happen at New Year. How Snow Maiden ended up at the dacha, so far from the city, remains a mystery to us.
The Dog, as we named him, turned out to be very loyal and pleasant. He stayed to live with us at the dacha, dad built him a warm doghouse and constantly went to feed him.
And we all returned to the city, because there were only a few hours left until New Year. Mom took the old Grandfather Frost and Snow Maiden out of her bag and placed them under the tree, where they were supposed to stand.
Since then, they have become my favorite New Year toys. Maria finished her story, who had long since become a mother herself.
And in the morning, when the children woke up, they saw that dad had brought a large live spruce, and mom had taken out boxes of Christmas ornaments. Next to the large box stood a small one, in which the old Grandfather Frost and Snow Maiden patiently waited their turn. They had worn with time, but were, as always, the most beautiful and beloved.
