Tashik the bear and Christmas miracle. Valentina Basan

bear was sculpting a huge snowman near his house. Having finally made the head of a huge snowman, Tashik put it on the other two balls of snow, walked away a few steps, resting and admiring his winter creation. For the eyes, he obviously prepared black pebbles, for the nose, he pulled a cone from a jar of jam from the shelf in the kitchen, and he made a mouth out of twigs. The snowman turned out to be somehow serious. Tashik moved away and looked at the results of his work. The twig instead of a mouth was too big. There were small twigs sticking out of it, which created the appearance of teeth, so it seemed that the snowman looked so serious, or rather strange, with grinning teeth. Tashik replaced the twig with a curved thin twig and the snowman immediately smiled. Satisfied, Tashik smiled at his wonderful winter sculpture in response.

      The snow crunched and creaked under the paws of the little bear. Tashik left small footprints behind him, sinking deep into the path. Since the morning, the bear cub has been looking out into the street, looking closely at whether enough snow has already fallen in the forest for the snowman. Snowflakes swirled in a fascinating, magical dance and fell to the ground in fluffy, snow-white flakes. Tashik caught snowflakes with his paws, admiring their different patterns and laces, which, like a frozen cobweb, melted from the heat, leaving only identical water droplets from the former beauty. The bear wanted to find two identical snowflakes, but could not. He tried many times to compare one snowflake with another, but while he was catching the second one, the first one was already disappearing on his paw.

      – Tashik, go to lunch!

      Mama bear looked out of the house and called the bear cub home. Tashik sniffed the air and licked his lips. Mom's pie from wild berries filled the clearing in front of the house and Tashik thought that the snowman also came to life from the aroma of mom's pie, flashing his eyes with pebbles. Tashik shook off the snow and went straight to the smell, anticipating a berry pie.

      – Mom, what is a Christmas miracle?

      Tashik was finishing his third piece of pie and drinking lime tea with honey. He listened to his mother and grandmother discussing Christmas, how they were waiting and rejoicing at the upcoming holiday. He caught the words about the Christmas miracle and about magic out of the corner of his ear, he heard these words for the first time and decided to ask his family more about it. Granny bear and Mama bear exchanged glances and approached the bear cub. The mother patted her son on the head and smiled.

      – Tashik, you are already big, so this year grandmother and I decided to tell you about Christmas and about the Christmas miracle. Sit back and listen. – She said.

      – There is a magic glade in our forest and on the night before Christmas, if you make the most cherished, strongest and kindest wish on this glade, then it will certainly come true. Tashik dreamily closed his eyes and licked his lips.

      – Can I make a wish for a whole meadow of honey and jam?

      Mom smiled and shook her head.

      – Tashik, this is a magical clearing for the kindest and brightest desires, when you want something with all your heart and soul, for example, something that you don't have and you can't live without it. For example, five years ago I made a big wish for you!

      – Me?

      – Yes! I came to the clearing on the night before Christmas and asked the forest gods to give me a little bear, the smartest, the strongest, the bravest, the most beautiful and the best. I wanted to meet you so much and the forest gods fulfilled my wish. You were born to me! You are my Christmas miracle!