Natali Stoyanov - The forest’s legends

Translator Інгрід Туріс

© Natali Stoyanov, 2020

© Інгрід Туріс, translation, 2020

ISBN 978-5-4498-6494-9

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

High in the mountains, in a dense forest, away from human eyes the lake with healing water is hidden. These places kept the legends of which birds sang at the dawn and drifted strange dream-vision to all who heard them at the same time. I heard the story of the emergence of a magnificent lake in one of these ghostly dreams.

Once, in the darkest morning time, a bright star fell to the ground. It fell and seemed to be faded. In place of its fall, among scorched trees, a wasteland was formed. And for a long time there grew neither grass nor a blade of grass. But the penetrating wind learned about that quiet place and drove together a flock of white clouds there for the night. Among these playful friend clouds, there was one gloomy cloud.

– She is so strange! – the friends whispered – she could cry, if it is too hard for her!

– Indeed, it is impossible to accumulate emotions all the time – whispered friend clouds but strange cloud was not going to protect herself and kept aside.

It was the night and all was quiet. The morning breeze could lift only light clouds in the sky. Playful and obedient, they rushed afield joyfully and even didn’t care about the fate of sad friend. And the wind rushed to seek and he did not immediately realize that the sad cloud turned into… the quiet forest lake.

– You will not be able to travel with us in the sky! – the wind concerned.

– I want to stay alone. Do not worry! Recently I have failed to fly carelessly and foolishly in the sky and I did not want to cry. So I turned into a lake.

– You are variable! – the wind remarked happily.

– Yes, but my attitude toward you hasn’t changed. Fly to me sometimes, I’ll be waiting!

The wind feasted his eyes with remarkable changes of the cloud and being full of joy, felt such a thirst for adventure that promised the cloud (or rather, not the cloud but the crystal lake) to come back with tales of his long journeys. Once he flew away, all was quiet again. This silence was so solemn and beautiful that even the stones would like to speak to utter their delight, but they didn’t dare to break the silence and they were silent.

Since then, the beautiful and mysterious pond became the heart of fabulous mountain forest. The lake-cloud slept and his dream was clear and clean. It was so unusual, deep and initially clear that everything became silent next to it. The lake was giving nourishing moisture not only to the residents of the forest, but the magic tree on which wonderful fruit grew. (And about this secret, I will tell a bit later.) So for the unusual lake it became completely normal to help fantasy creatures to quench thirst.

And then, one night when the moon shone everything around with pearl luster that reached the sight of its sad look, the beautiful unicorn reflected on the surface of the lake. He was as if wreathed with silver threads of lunar rays, stars shine and water reflections.

– Good night! – so the unicorn welcomed the fairy forest environment. His voice was so quiet that only those could hear it which had clear intentions and peace in the heart.

Suddenly two shining diamonds broke out in the blue depth. It was the eyes of his faithful friend, eagle owl Yarok.

– Uh-hu! – forest keeper Yarok responded who bore a night watch. – We welcome you, MirrEl!

Yarok came down to a tree branch like a quiet shadow to be closer to the friend that appeared so rarely in the forest. They were silent as only true friends could be. They felt the same when they were looking at usual things and both enjoyed such a tacit understanding.

And the night was fabulously fantastic! It opened its secret knowledge of the infinity for those who could respect it. The sky was like a thin shining cloth in the hands of a good Storyteller that covered a long-awaited surprise with it. Everything was the evidence of the appearance of a miracle, even more than the surprising emergence of the lake. But no one knew what would really happen.

Big dreams of tiny inhabitants

The morning of a new day was clear and cloudless. Unattractive in appearance nightingales were the first who sang praise to it. But one more voice sounded in their party. They would be so happy to hear their fellow mockingbird in the morning! After returning from long trips, he always brought the melodies of splendid, unusual and oddish songs with him that tell about unseen birds.

The eagle owl Yarok nested in that predawn time as usual preparing for a nap but even he listened to the traveller’s stories with interest who returned to his native forest. Rather, not stories but songs. A mockingbird was called Khahai and he was the best singer of the forest after nightingales, of course.

It was the perfect start of the day. The forest was filling with sun rays, joy and chirping of other small birds. Khahai was singing as if no typical day had been beginning but some great holiday. It was rumoured that in one weird language from a far country his name actually meant «holiday».

Khahai was choosing the highest branches of the magic tree. Two little mice were running around the roots of the tree that amazing songs were sounding from the top of it. They were squeaking and jumping from the joy and their Mother-mouse whispered softly:

– Hush-Hush! Do not lose your vigilance! There is every reason for mice to be afraid even at the roots of the magic tree.

– Mo-ther, are you now about the eagle owl Yarok? I know that for mice there are no enemy more terrible than owls and eagle owls.

– No, our wisest guard Yarok is not frightening for us – the Mother-mouse explained calmly. – He is just like MirrEl does not eat ordinary food because he was eating fruit of magic tree!

– Mother, tell us about the magical fruit! How do we get them? – younger daughter-mouse began to squeak eagerly.

– Yes, it would be nice to try them and do not waste time looking for food – the mouse mumbled smiling.

– And what would you like to spend time on? – the Mother-mouse asked.

– I do not know yet…

– Who do we have to fear then? – mouse-baby didn’t restrain.

– I will tell you everything! Now let’s gather some more dried leaves and seeds! Perhaps we are lucky and we will find the fallen seed or leaf from magic tree.

– What are they? – baby asked.

– The most unusual – the Mother-mouse smiled. – Let us run home and I will tell you all about the magic tree before going to bed.

On the way home and a mouse hole was a bit far from the magic tree mice were always naughty. But today the Mother-mouse was particularly silent and pensive. She loved the songs of distant countries so much that she always sang Khahai’s new tunes. She was mentally practicing musical phrases while she was drawing the pictures where she sang. Oh, how great it is – to be free like a bird! Fly! Her dream was to fly and sing. The thought of it gave her extraordinary delight but instead she somehow became a little uncomfortable. Somehow it was scary for her to share her feelings and dreams with someone and she hid it from everyone – from Khahai and nightingales, from mice and even from herself. But when the Mother-mouse looked at her babies, all obscurities were gone and her heart was filled with cheerful melody that was consonant with the little mice’s laughter.

Baby-mouse Dili was jumping carelessly with joy because she also loved songs but she liked all sorts of secrets even more. Especially when it was about treasures or at least such tasty things as sweet fruit. But the secret of the magic tree contained both treasures and sweets! If only it can be done that the mouse pantry were filled with sweet nuts from those distant countries, from where Khahai brought his songs then Baby-mouse would also sing with joy. So, little Dili’s dreams were about sweets and other treasures that could be found in the pantries of the palace as Khahai sang.