FRAGMENTS FROM THE BOOK "SECRETS OF THE HEART"

CHILDREN's STORIES
ABOUT
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE

WHO DO THE SUNBEAMS COME TO SEE?

A. Lopatina

In the morning when Redback poked his nose out of the burrow, the sun was already poking its first rays over the mountain, and the whole forest, glistening with dewdrops, was dancing and singing in the breeze.

The little mouse ran towards old pine tree as fast as he feet could carry him, hoping he could still meet the first sunbeam. He wasn't even halfway there when he felt the warm and gentle touch of the morning sun, and heard a voice calling out to him.

"Hi, Redback. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Redback stopped in his tracks.

"Oh, Sunbeam, you came back! I was afraid you wouldn't want to talk to me any more."

The sunbeam stroked the mouse's soft fur affectionately.

"I come to see everyone who's waiting for me, and I talk to everyone who will hear me."

"But I thought you wouldn't come after I didn't give any water to the wolf, or the flowers, and all the drops left me…" Redback said with a soft sigh, and a tiny tear began to roll down his cheek, but the sunbeam touched it lightly, and it disappeared.

" I'll never leave you, little mouse, even if you forget all about me," the sunbeam whispered. "I'm always here. I'll always shine on you, to light your way and keep you warm. That's what I'm here for."

The sunbeam's soft voice seemed full of the very same warmth and light he spoke of, and Redback's heart swelled with happiness. He felt joy fill his whole being, from the tip of his ears to the point of his tail, and he hugged himself tightly, as if he were trying to all the sunshine as close as he possibly could.

"Still, it's better if you don't forget me," the sunbeam went on gently. "That way I won't just warm you up on the outside. I can show you all sorts of wonderful things, too."

Redback closed his eyes and smiled blissfully under the sunbeam's gentle caress. He felt like he was floating away.

"Oh, Sunbeam, I could never forget you! And I think I will try to help the flower, and … and the wolf, too, and maybe even…"

Redback's promise trailed off, and after a moment the sunbeam spoke again.

"I asked the morning dew to help the flowers. They are all freshly watered, and happy now. The wolf is still in trouble, though. She's licked up a few dewdrops and munched on some grass, but that's not enough to perk her up, poor thing."

"But what can I do? If I come near the wolf, she'll eat me up," Redback asked, and a feeling of despair crossed his heart like a dark cloud.

"If you want to help the wolf, follow me. When the sun is just a little bit higher in the sky, I'll pop down for a moment into the hollow behind the young fir trees over there. There's a magic plant growing there. If you can dig it up, roots and all, and the wolf eats it, she'll get her strength back. As soon as I can reach the magic plant, I'll light up three emerald dewdrops on one of its leaves. That will be your sign. They'll shine for one minute, like little green flames, and then they'll be hidden in the shade of the trees. And now I have to go," said the sunbeam, and he hugged Redback for one last time, and then was gone.

Redback climbed up to his favorite branch and sat down to wait for the flaming emerald dewdrops to appear on the magic plant.

SHOULD WE REALLY HELP OUR ENEMIES?

Redback has just made himself comfortable in his usual spot when the sunlight reached the edge of the little hollow beyond the fir trees, and hundreds dewdrops in the grass and bushes sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow.

"Three emerald drops, three emerald drops,…" he repeated to himself to be sure he wouldn't forget, and his shiny black eyes glanced here and there, looking for the sign of the magic plant. He finally spotted it just as the sunlight was already leaving the hollow in shade. He dashed down the tree and through the tall grass, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the three bright points of light.

"Please don't let them go out before I get there!" he thought.

The plant wasn't very big - it had only a few small leaves shaped like little paws, with five toes each, and they grew on a narrow stem. Redback even wondered for a moment if he'd made a mistake. How could this tiny plant save a creature as huge as the wolf? Yet when he began to dig out the root he it turned out to be much harder than he thought, and he worked away until lunchtime. The root was large, yellowish, and covered with bumps which were also shaped like little paws.

There was no way Redback could drag the heavy root through the tangle of plants on the forest floor - the little mouse didn't have enough strength for that. He had no choice but to make his way along the path, in full view of everyone. The curious squirrels peppered him with questions, but Redback, puffing and panting away, didn't answer, but just tugged even harder.

When he finally got to the clearing where the wolf was lying, she was asleep. The little mouse was shaking with fear as he drew closer and closer to the huge and vicious creature, but he forced himself to go on, dragging the root right up to the wolf's black nose. There he left it, and scurried away for some distance before stopping to look behind him. The noise had woken the wolf, and her yellow eyes met the mouse's' with a furious glare.

"So now you've come, too, to watch me die? The rabbits and the squirrels have already had their laugh."

Her voice was a faint but nasty growl.

"N-n-no, honest,…" the mouse stammered in reply, "I.. I brought you a magic root. I felt sorry for your cubs."

The wolf gave a sniff, and, noticing the root Redback had brought lying in the grass, grabbed it between her sharp teeth and, after a few chews, she swallowed it.

"The root of life!" she said, her voice sounding a touch less cruel and a touch more lively. "Where did you get it from, mouse, and why did you bring it to me?"

"I dug it out myself and brought it to you, so you'd feel better," Redback said. His voice was braver now, but he was shaking all over, imagining that any second the wolf would pounce and eat him.

"Well there's a miracle for you," the wolf muttered, not quite knowing what to think. "So the mice are helping the wolves now. Something strange going on here." And she closed her eyes again.

Very quietly Redback turned around and set off running for home. He was nearly at the burrow when he felt someone coming up behind him.

"Hey, mouse, hold on there," he heard the wolf's voice say.

Redback froze on the spot. A moment later the wolf nudged him roughly with her paw and spoke to him again.

"Get a hold of yourself, little mouse, I'm not going to eat you."

She tilted her head to one side and gave the little mouse a strange look.

"I'm on my way home to my cubs," she said. "But there's just one thing I do have to know: where did you find that root and why on earth did you bring it to me?"

"Well… I told you already. I dug it up myself and brought it to you, so you'd feel better," the mouse answered.

"That goes against every law and rule of the forest," the wolf growled.

"I don't know anything about laws, I'm just a little mouse, but I did everything exactly like Sunbeam said."

"Sunbeam? What kind of creature is that?" the wolf asked, and without waiting for an answer, she added, "Never mind, mouse, we'll get to the bottom of this some other time. I have to get home. My children are waiting."

And, limping on one paw, she ran off.

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