The backwoods
Olga Kholodova
© Olga Kholodova, 2016
ISBN 978-5-4483-4151-9
Created with intellectual publishing system Ridero
Autumn came quickly. Dense foliage of the mighty trees, yielding to the breath of a cool wind, almost turned yellow and then fall to the ground. The sun was rising with each passing day later and later. It is discouraging old grandmother Helga. She didn’t want to part with warm summers and meet the exhausting cold winter. But time not slow down and not stop nature can only live life and enjoy a new day.
Barely dawn when Helga, stepping on the yellow leaves, went to the forest for medicinal herbs. She often helped cure disease villagers, where she lived with her granddaughter Elsa. The girl’s parents died early, so Helga and replaced her mother and father.
Helga snuck into the thicket taiga and stopped at the three tall fir trees. The branches of spruce trees were so strongly intertwined that made it impossible to get through them.
Helga looked around and whispered:
“Fir branches lift. Let me in the house in the ground. I need advice from the earth, as a disease to be answered.”
Helga bowed firs and froze. Shaggy spruce branches creaked and began to slowly rise. When the trunks of spruce trees were bare, Helga went to one of them. She leaned over and put her hand on the ground near the roots of trees. Helga found the old rusty iron ring and pulled him over. There was a creak, not oiled door hinges, which opened Helga. The old woman began to gently descend into the ground on the stone steps. She went to the hanging on the wall of the old torch and lit it. The narrow dirt tunnel was almost completely illuminated. Helga went on the earthen tunnel and entered a small room. The room on the walls various herbs, roots and bark, as well as dried mushrooms hanging. In the corner stood on the chair of the bank with insects. One of the walls of the room stood a white stone table. On the table were the icons of the saints. On the floor beside the table it was made of marble rectangle that resembles a tomb.
Helga went to the table and pushed a big old icon. For an icon, she took an old book. She flipped through its pages and put into place. Then Helga went to the wall has gathered a bunch of dry grass and went to the door. Before leaving their rooms, she went to marble quadrangle and knelt down. She ran her hand along the cold marble, rose and left the room to the tunnel. Helga in a moment was on the ground near the trunk of spruce. She closed the old wooden door and stepped aside. Again creaked shaggy spruce branches and woven into an impenetrable wall. The sun was already high, and Helga hurried home.
Helga lived with her granddaughter in the village of Polesie. The village is so called because on one side it was surrounded by mountains, and on the other the taiga. Helga and her family were the original inhabitants of the village were not going to leave him. Land and forest gave the old forces Helge. The old woman was slightly stooped, and always wore a blue shawl. Under the shawl could see a lock of black hair. Facial features Helga was a little rough, but when she smiled, from the stern face of the old woman did not remain also a trace.
On the way home, Helga went to visit an old friend Hilde. They had been friends since childhood, and sometimes helped each other on – farm. Hilda was a very friendly lady, but she didn’t like the mess that organized the neighborhood boys Martin, Willie, Hans, and Jacov.
“Again all the grass trampled by my house,” muttered Hilda, when she came to the meeting to Helge.
“Are you grumbling again?” asked Helga the girlfriend and sat on a bench at the fence.
“Burcu,” croaked Hilda. She sat next to Helga and laid his stick on his knees. At Hilda was very ill leg, therefore to dispense with the cane she was extremely difficult.
“I brought you some eggs,” said Hilda, and gave Helge box.
“Thank you girlfriend,” thanked Helga.
“Where are you from going so early?” asked Hilda. She straightened his red handkerchief and looked at Helga beautiful gray eyes.
“A walk in the woods,” said Helga, “gathered medicinal herbs to treat Gleb. His wife came to me and asked for help. She Says Gleb legs not feels. I feel sorry for him. He’s a good man. Never in the help will not refuse.”
“You’re a good friend,” said Hilda, “All willing to help. Just remember that people do not remember the good.”
You should not think so,” replied Helga, “thank you again for the gift. I have to go.”
“Good way,” said Hilda. Leaning on a cane and limping badly, the old woman went to the house.
“Goodbye friend,” said Helga and went home.
Helga and Hilda were living close to each other. Ten minutes later, Helga was standing at the gate of his house. She went into the house. Helga went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Elsa has not slept. She fed the cows and she cooked breakfast. At Elsa had beautiful thick brown hair and gray eyes. She was eighteen years old, and she gladly helped her grandmother with the housework.
“What are we going to eat?” asked Helga.
“I cook a casserole of mushrooms,” replied Elsa grandmother Helga. She looked in the oven and took a towel to get the pan with the casserole.
“I’ll feed you grandmother,” said Elsa.
“Okay, honey,” said the old woman and began lay out on the table cutlery.
“I went into the forest for medicinal herbs for Hleb. You will carry it to Gleb?” asked Helga.
“Of course, my grandmother,” said Elsa, and put on the table a casserole, “And now we will have breakfast.”
Elsa and Helga had breakfast and do their own thing. Elsa, as promised, went to Gleb and Helga sat in his favorite chair by the stove, and continued to knit socks.
Day, like other autumn days, went almost unnoticed. Elsa in the evening with grandmother watched TV and went to bed. Helga was almost fell asleep, when entered the room Elsa. She wrapped herself in a blanket with his head almost.
“Grandma, I can not sleep,” murmured Elsa.
“Lie down to my bed,” said Helga granddaughter and turned on the lamp.
Elsa lay down next to his grandmother on the feather bed and hid. It was light and cozy in the room. The walls are decorated with children’s drawings Elsa. At the window stood a beautiful wooden chair and old wooden dresser. On the wall beside the bed was a huge beautiful blue carpet.
“Grandma, tell me about anything,” asked Elsa.
“Well, granddaughter, you’re already quite mature, and I can tell you one unusual story. She told me my grandmother, “said Helga, and continued,” there was this unusual story for a long time. In one village, I do not remember his name, had lived a beautiful girl Maria. She was a white magician, and often helped people in trouble. Mary was married to Victor. They lived together, but here’s the problem: for a long time they had no children. Maria is desperate, when one day I saw a strange dream. In the dream, Mary had a girl with curly hair. She pointed the way to the old stone at an abandoned Church and told her to go to him. Maria went. She found a stone at the old Church and, kneeling, asked the Lord to give the baby. The miracle happened. A year later, Mary and Victor’s born daughter, Bertha. The blond girl with curly hair was very inquisitive. Mary and Viktor were happy, but not for long. When the little girl was five years old, died, the husband of Mary. Many tears were shed, but can not do anything. As people say, “This is destiny.”
Maria and daughter were alone. Mary was glad when she looked at the little girl Bertha. The girl became for her only consolation. Bert grew sociable girl. She had a lot of girlfriends and friends. One day she and her friends Elena and Natalia went into the woods to pick berries. Girls running on the grass and decided to play hide and seek. Bert did not like to lose. She decided to hide away in the woods. Berta did not notice how she astray. She called for help, but her girlfriends did not hear. Natalia and Elena looked Bertha until the evening. When it became