Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  And then it disappeared behind turn of a footpath … more Shchenok any more never saw it because Prinze was very strictly forbidden to go to this party. Borders with the next sectors were densely closed by special spells, and without Owner or the Hostess Shchenok, of course, could not visit the Kid …

  Since then passed nearly five years, but the Puppy quite often thought of the little friend wistfully. He several times wanted to ask the Fairy to release its one, without Prinze to meet the Kid, but every time was distracted by some affairs, cares - with Prinze it is necessary to go somewhere, with kids to play, on the house to do something, the Kitten … Only sometimes, at night, having got rid of burden of day cares, the Puppy remembered the plush friend and sometimes it dreamed it in a dream …

  Here and now the Puppy decided to dream a little bit. What time to lose in vain, really? And it presented that once it went on some business to the wood and suddenly, because of turn of a forest footpath directly on it with joyful bark the Kid rushed … well, of course!

  The puppy would not confuse it with anybody on light! The pleasure of the Puppy was not a limit.

  - Are small-y-ysh! Buddy! I cannot believe! How you appeared here? A-av!

  But the Kid did not answer it but only he was filled in with joyful bark and rushed directly on the Puppy, began to lick his muzzle the long and tender pink uvula. And really, to what words if so everything is clear? They together - and this most important!

  Without lingering more, both friends right there started playing the "dogonyashka" which are not finished then and "zabirashka", as if and there were no five years of separation! And again - the Kid runs away, and the Puppy catches up, being enough with teeth ridiculously fluttering tip of a pink silk scarf.

  And the Kid so ridiculously delighted squalls! So ridiculously pulls a thin mouse tail! And then the Kid runs after, and the delighted Puppy squalls now. And it was so healthy! And then too most - but already with a stick!

  Having in plenty played enough both in dogonyashka, and in zabirashka, they decided to be engaged together in not less interesting dog business - to oblaivat protein and daws, to look for minks of badgers and mice and, of course, in plenty to be run on any marshy puddles, surely having splashed up to the neck in smelly dirt! As a result, the pink silk scarf of the Kid was simple be not to learned - from pink it became dirty-brown …

  - Oh, the Kid, and the Hostess will not abuse you for a scarf? - being anxious for destiny of the friend, the Puppy asked.

  - Not-e-e-e! - the Kid waved a hand. - My so soft hostess, such quiet … She never swears, is silent more, reads books yes dreams. And still likes to iron me when I sit down to it on knees …

  - And my Hostess does not abuse me, here too! Here my Owner from it gets the truth when he to be taken out to dirt, this da-a-a-a!

  - Yes, your Hostess really will not give to descent … - the Kid agreed, obviously hinting at that scene. - My hostess from yours all night long sobbed then, the poor thing!

  - Your young it is simple still, - the Puppy indulgently answered. - Mine too such was at its age. Here will marry, will become same as mine. All of them, our hostesses, such - to descent give nobody, - the Puppy philosophically noticed. He liked to feel the superiority before the Kid - at last it found someone is younger than itself(himself)!

  The kid wanted though something to be allocated before the Puppy too, and therefore it suddenly returned to a scarf subject:

  - And to wash a scarf - not a problem. You know how many I already these scarves for the life dirtied? And - and - in! Million!

  - Million? - not trustfully the Puppy gave a yelp. - Yes well, you tell lies, there cannot be at you so many scarves!

  - Yes not scarves, the silly fellow, and washings was - one million, - the Kid twisted a pad at a temple.

  - Yes there cannot be it, the Kid, you what - for the little fool you hold me?! I though not the master any, unlike some, but the hostess taught to consider me. If to you only two thousand years, and you soiled them one million times, it what turns out? - the Puppy reflected for a moment, making calculations in the head. - You soiled them on five hundred times every day perhaps? - and right there roared with laughter, happy with the fact that so dexterously exposed an invention of the companion. The kid laughed too because he vividly imagined how he will wash on 500 times a day the pink scarf. Both friends got on a grass and began to ride on it, having clasped with pads tummies, not in forces to stop.

  And then, otsmeyavshis, the Puppy told:

  - Well, you give, the Kid, well and the inventor you, is purer than my Owner! On what that inventor, but to you to it far about - au-au!

  - And what not to invent, buddy, we is all the same with you - in a dream! - the Kid answered, having slapped a pad on a back to the Puppy.

  - How … in a dream? - puzzly the Puppy said, having right there ceased to laugh. - Means, you - not real …

  - Well why, I - real, I am a Kid, only we with you each other dream, that's all!

  - But it means that there will be … neither you, nor this wood, nor your scarf … soon - the fallen voice the Puppy said, having sadly lowered a plush head.

  And when it lifted it, really, neither the Kid, nor the wood, nor a scarf was any more. Only dark cold suspiciously silent desert endlessly and without edge. Even the Kitten was not near.

  The puppy sadly looked on the parties, curled on a mattress up and decided to blink and imagine again very strong the Kid - suddenly, it to dream it again and then they will be able to continue the begun conversation!

  But he should have narrowed only eyes as to it some strange voices were heard. Having raised a plush trailing ear, the Puppy listened and the thin dog hearing distinguished … ringing yelping!

  Yes, yes, yelping of any little puppy, and not just a puppy, and the Kid - he will not mix his ringing voice with anybody on light! As our Puppy wanted to rush to him towards again and to play enough in plenty with little "colleague".

  "Down with boredom and melancholy and game is well!" - and the Puppy, even without having thought of that from where to the Kid to undertake in the night lifeless desert, joyfully waved a tail and loudly bark, on all fours skipping ran in darkness.

  But what his surprise when the Kid instead of rushing to the Puppy towards, suddenly so pripustit from it that the Puppy could not catch up with it in any way was! It especially was strange because in the game Puppy always caught up with the Kid, and here his pink scarf fluttered somewhere away ahead all the time and the distance it was not reduced in any way …

  And further there was the same, as to the Kitten.

  Suddenly the Kid suddenly stopped, but the Puppy was so surprised with such sharp change of game, by rules the Kid needed to continue to run away that is forces that sharply stopped. It also rescued it.

  Because "Kid" began grow suddenly sharply as though he was inflated with the pump from within, and turned into the huge black toothy wolf similar to those that live in thickets beyond the Limit. He oshcherit the predatory sharp-toothed mouth and with we howl rushed directly on the Puppy. But the Puppy already ran back, having caught up on the way of the companion in misfortune - the Kitten …

  Slava Sozdatelyu, that they knew where to run because heard a voice of the Fairy and saw the pillar of a blue flame burning in the distance …

  So, having hidden behind fire wall, till the morning travelers shook with fear, being afraid as if fire did not die away. And persuasive hungry ghosts wandered yes near around and by the voices demented them. "Prince" whined all the time that to him it is cold and hungry that he was tired and only wants that he was embraced, "Kid" modulatingly barked, and "Ushastik" peeped. But our travelers did not trust them any more and looked forward to dawn...

  6.

  Dawn came and ghosts were gone. All three moved further, trying to keep mum and not to remember horrors of last night. However day only seemed disposal - it brought other tests.

  At travelers water came to an end. Having terribly felt thirsty. And in
the sky - neither a cloudlet, nor a breeze … The ruthless sun sent fiery beams which evaporated the moisture remains in bodies of unfortunate travelers.

  - Oh, Creator! - the first the Puppy gave up, - would give life for a mug of cold water!

  Only he told it, how on you - in the middle of the desert directly on sand - the mug full of cold water with ice. The Fairy and the Kitten and words did not manage to tell how the Puppy headlong flew up to a mug.

  - Stop! - the Fairy stridently cried out, - same a trap!

  But the Puppy already grabbed to a circle by the handle, intending to empty one drink it.

  But here the let-out stone got to a mug neatly, and it slipped out plush pads of the Puppy. The stone was thrown by the Kitten - to it was not to occupy eye estimation accuracy.

  Mug, having fallen to sand, spilled precious moisture, but... Instead of just being absorbed in sand, as well as it befits any water, it hissed, the zavonyala as sulfuric acid, and on yellow sand appeared awfully ugly black bald spot...

  Puppy pulled out directly on sand...

  Went silently further. The puppy trudged, having bent the head. Were afraid to speak. Everyone thought of the.

  Suddenly, then, there around them date palm trees began to grow, to beat streams, to appear lakes, ponds, and on palm trees multi-colored parrots cheerfully screeched. Invincibly pulled travelers to go there - to lie down in a tenka, to get drunk fresh water, but now all three knew what stands behind all this …

  - I told nothing, - hasty with alarm in a voice the Puppy spoke.

  - I know, - the Fairy scaredly told - but can be, someone thought of it?

  - I... - it is guilty the Kitten admitted, - I just wanted to dream a little bit, and that getting very thirsty and it is boring to go...

  - Everything is clear. This desert reacts even to thoughts. Animals, remember that we were told by Cora, during a way on the desert try not to think! Do not think, do not dream, do not speak! Only in it our chance to survive! And well, quickly we consider in the head: time, two, three, four, five... Any more - nothing, understood?

  Animals scaredly began to nod plush heads. And now our small group plunged into transfer of figures: 1,2,3,4,5,...10,...100....10000....100000…

  Also helped! Oases, parrots, lakes right there were gone, and the desert, having spitefully roared, calmed down. Bye. Numbers are not fruits of imagination, and it is difficult to call them desires, and therefore they could not turn into dangerous ghosts.

  So there passed day, and travelers settled down on a lodging for the night again. Now the task became complicated. You are awake so far, it is possible to occupy the mind with counting rhymes and when you sleep? Here then imaginations and the hidden desires also come to light! What to do?

  And here the Fairy was dawned by ingenious thought.

  - Hey, the Puppy, well get the musical instrument, that of what you frightened fairies, you remember?

  - Yes, madam, I remember, but what for? - the Puppy puzzly asked, - I also am not able to play on her …

  - Means, you will sing, and the Kitten will play, he, is remembered, there was a great master to whistle melodies!

  And it is valid, the Kitten was able to whistle melodies and even to play them on a harmonica. But after all it is much more difficult to play a flute … However the Kitten did not dare to contradict the Fairy and took a wooden flute from the Puppy.

  - Do not worry you so, the Kitten, - the Fairy smiled, having stroked him on a greyish plush hair on the head. - A flute at us not usual, but magic. You remember how venerable fairies from a fright jumped? To a simple flute to make beyond its powers! And if it magic then and to play on it it is not necessary to be able, she will play, we need to sing a melody with the Puppy. You only blow in it - and all! - Here the Fairy turned back to the Puppy, smiled broadly and conspiratorially winked at him. - And well, the Puppy, let's sing ours with you a favourite song! Let's sing, play and have fun all night long!

  Animals puzzly exchanged glances, but did not dare to contradict.

  - And what we will sing, the Beautiful Fairy? - the Puppy asked.

  - The kindest, the lightest, the most cheerful of our fairy tales! - with a smile the Fairy told and, having armed with the favourite lute, began to set the main melody of a song.

  The melody was simple, sonorous and well the acquaintance Zveryatam so the Kitten, at first having whistled it about itself, began to blow it on a wooden flute. It blew it simply as though played on a harmonica, at all without touching by fingers of air valves of a flute. A flute, "having as if remembered" a melody, suddenly played.

  Yes how to play! - so that legs of the Puppy and the Kitten broke into a dance. They intolerably wanted to jump, run, have fun, to play and, the most important, to sing!

  Here so miracle flute! Here so Cora's gift! And really, its properties were absolutely unpredictable!

  And Animals really broke into a dance and started singing, however, so far without words - one melody. And a flute, having escaped from pads of the Kitten, continued to play, at the same time as if hopping in air.

  - Ouch and, flute! Ouch and, present! - the Fairy smiled and, having stopped playing introductory part of a song, suddenly started singing the gentle, high voice which so was pleasant to Prinze!

  Behind it lyrics were caught up by the Kitten and the Puppy and is so cheerful and vigorous as they never sang. As though some supernatural force gave them both pleasure, and energy. And the Puppy never differing in either hearing, or voice suddenly started singing not worse than the Fairy - also loudly, musically and joyfully …

  The song poem was composed by the Fairy in a co-authorship with Oslenk (he prompted it rhymes and some subjects here and there), based on Prinze's fairy tales. In it it was told about beauty and harmony of the nature.

  How the golden sun gives life to all universe, awakening the smallest blade or a floret to life. As florets reach for the sun, stretching the lepestochka to it as children the handles to mummy. As small rivers and streamlets bear the pure waters life-giving hrustalno, irrigating green meadows. The emerald grass is eaten by well-fad cows who give warm pair milk to pink-checked children. Little leverets and little squirrels run on the wood and play a tag.

  Here hard worker hedgehog. It on itself(himself) drags unreasonable freight - two big cepes and one aspen mushroom on the needles. He prepares stocks for the winter. And here gently cooing pigeons twisted a nest in which little dlinnoklyuvy baby birds will appear soon. Hardworking bees fly from a flower on a flower that then to make fragrant golden honey which the bear clumsy will come to try of pollen. It has such healthy appetite! It already big, to it was executed year, and it almost does without mother...

  About many other it was sung in this song - about a nature miracle, about its beauty and a reasonable order of the device, about all kind and light that is under the sun, and not only - about stars, the moon, other planets, boundless distances of interstellar space.

  The fairy sang, accompanying on a lute, and the magic flute did not lag behind it on a step. Animals as captivated sang along and podtantsovyvat - it was their favourite song!

  And oh, miracle! Ominously dark, cold desert suddenly somewhere was gone, and around them the meadows which are filled in with a soft sunlight really blossomed, there were bears, honeycombs, pigeons, cows, leverets and baby squirrels. Began to smell a clover, a camomile and needles. Everywhere blue cool streamlets zastruitsya …

  - And now, - smiling from ear to ear, the Fairy exclaimed, - forward, my Animals, and we do not stop singing! Let our transition will be with the song and a smile!

  So they also went. The benefit, the song was long, this was the whole poem, however five times on the way were necessary to repeat it.

  And from where only forces undertook!? Did not sleep …

  Of course all this was thanks to a wonderful gift of Cora - from her magic game there was no wish neither to sleep, nor to sit, and there was a wish to run, run and run without stopping, and on the run - to dance an
d sing. And here still this soft meadow carpeted from fragrant flowers (let and not the presents), the hooting bees, bears, hares, baby squirrels … Well as it is possible to despond here?

  But the most surprising that all this illusive beauty projected by the desert in response to the song was not dangerous at all. Bear cubs and bees, cows and leverets did not hurry to turn in blood-thirsty carnivorous ghosts at all. They peacefully were engaged in all those affairs which relied them on a poem plot. Bees collected nectar, leverets ate a grass, bear cubs collected honey... The spiteful ghosts suppressed by a magic power of a flute could not cease to play the roles ordered them. Truly, properties of a wonderful flute were unpredictable!

  But neither the Fairy, nor Animals thought of it. They were entirely captured by the song, a ringing and melodious sound of a magic flute, a look in the face of the blossoming desert. They went, sang and hopped on the way, and more they needed nothing.

  And so it was cheerful, so good to them to run and sing, sing and dance that absolutely unexpectedly the meadow ended. Travelers closely rose to a chain of high mountains with the real snow caps at tops.

  The song ceased, the flute obediently returned to plush pads of the Puppy, from the living dancer having turned into an ordinary musical instrument. At once both the meadow, and a bear, and bees disappeared... Behind remained dead, spiteful, but - the won Desert of Desires.

  Chapter 12. The Rocky Mountains.

  1.

  The Rocky Mountains met travelers very unfriendly. Cold wind scolded to bones. Continually from steep slopes some stones, ice blocks broke, uterine sounds and klekot the huge eagles soaring behind clouds were distributed. But in the afternoon nobody attacked travelers.