Mama’s adorable friend
25.02.2023 | Marina Kurishko
My mama has a gorgeous girlfriend. Her name is Natalia. They studied together with their third friend Luba at school and they have been friends for all their lives.
I remember Natalia since I was five years old. There were three families: my mother with my dad, me and my sister, then Luba with her husband and two children, and Natalia - we all spent a lot of time together. Natalia was at all parties and birthdays. We were together resting in the nature, spent a holiday near the sea. When I was born, it was impossible to Christen children, so my mama said that I would be Christened later and Natalia would be my godmother.
Natalia worked as a pharmacist at a Chemist’s. There wasn’t the Internet at that time, so everybody called Natalia to ask her opinion about their issues. One day I drank tea while playing with a cat and spilled hot tea on my legs. The burn was very serious and Natalia got some shark fat from somewhere to help me. It was particularly difficult taking into account that it was still the Soviet time and it was not very easy to find some medication. That’s why she was a very influential girl.
She wasn’t married. All her money she spent on beautiful dresses, shoes and accessories. She told that when she studied at college, she could eat only canned cucumbers during a week, because she spent her scholarship on a new bag and there wasn't any money left for any food. The only thing she could have was her mama’s canned cucumbers.
Natalia was very charming. She had light brown wavy hair. Her teeth were uneven, but smile was really attractive. And when she laughed, it made you want to look at her closely and feel her happiness with all your skin. She has greenish-brown eyes and wears trendy fox-sunglasses in summer. She had a lot of fans, as she traveled to different cities and visited many interesting places. My mama’s life was very boring compared to that of Natalia. She was an easy-going person and had lots of talents. On summer holidays she taught me to embroider and I have loved to do this all my life. She gave me my first handbag for my birthday. It was outstanding - made of transparent plastic with yellow lines. And I believed - she was the one who knew what women need.
She craved to have a family and it was harder to find a partner as she was getting older. Her career had run well, as she became a head of pharmacy, but her private life was unhappy. It was painful for her to meet with my mama’s and Luba’s families, so their relationships began to drift apart.
One day she met a man who was a widower with three daughters. He proposed to her to marry him and she left our city and moved into its outskirts. It was a long time ago. They raised his daughters and their common son. Now he is in his mid-twenties and has become a doctor. Her life hasn’t been easy, but I’m sure she's a happy woman.
The Little seed’s life
12.10.2022 | Marina Kurishko
Part 1. Awakening
Once upon a time, a Little seed woke up in a dark place and thought, “Why am I sitting here? Is this place my home or is there something more interesting in the World, than to observe worms and moles that crawl around?”
He was a really curious and unstoppable seed with a brave soul. He pulled up and …”Crack!”
“What’s going on?”, thought Little seed, “Is it me that made that crack noise or the soil around is cracking?”
This unusual noise was from the Little seed. He has been sitting in the soil since last summer and cracked with the coming of spring. The sun rays warmed up stronger and stronger every day, so the soil warmed up, giving warmth to the little seed inside.
Our seed was not only brave but was also really pry, so, after the cracknoise, he felt that he can wove in two directions, up and down. Well, he started to move and he felt colder soil under him and warmer soil above him. So he started moving up to find out why it was so pleasant in this area. It seemed like many years had passed and the little seed saw some bright blinding light around. He stopped for a moment enchanted by the warmth and light and a miracle happened: his leaves blossomed and the little seed realised that he has become a sprout. What a wonderful world!
Part 2. The Sprout.
The sprout was growing when the sun rose and when the moon appeared in the sky. He was growing when a rabbit passed him and a ladybug sat on his leave.
A lot of thoughts came up to our sprout about who he was, what would happen with him, when he grows even more?
The little sprout grew very fast, but not enough to see what happened behind the tall plants ahead. So, our curious sprout made the decision to grow only in one part of himself. And in the next moment between his little leaves a hollow tube began to grow. The tube grew during the whole day and night and the next morning the sprout opened his petals and the world saw a lot of wonderful yellow fluffy petals that looked around with interest and surprise.
Part 3. A Dandelion.
A bee flew into a clearing with our dandelion. He saw the new flower and felt the sweet smell of his nectar. “Aha-ha” , laughed the dandelion, “I’m so ticklish!” - the bee pawed numerous petals and licked the sweet nectar with a proboscis. Then, the bee pushed off the head of the dandelion and flew away. The dandelion swung in different directions and saw a huge amount of different flowers and herbs around. It smelled some strong aroma to its right - there were thyme and rosemary. He saw a wild duck taking off from the shiny surface of the lake nearby.
Suddenly, something big and smooth covered him. The dandelion felt the ticklish movement of the proboscis and swayed with laughter again. It was a butterfly that saw a bright color of dandelion. The butterfly opened and closed its wings, enjoying food and resting on the hairy dandelion inflorescences.
The dandelion was very tired. On that day a bumblebee and two bees also flew, and a fat caterpillar tried to eat a piece of a leaf, but it was frightened away by a bird on long thin paws. The dandelion didn’t notice how he fell asleep and his inflorescence closed together as a single bud.
A thick dew fell the next morning and the dandelion was chilly. So he decided to be closed the next day. And he also felt something unusual in his inflorescences, so he decided to take a break from annoying insects.
The hot sunny rays woke him up, he felt completely dried and happily opened up to greet the world. Its inflorensces turned into hundreds of fluffs and joyfully swayed from the breath of the breeze.
The next moment some furry paw touched the head of the dandelion. It was a rabbit. Hundreds of fluffs soared into the sky. Fluffs were picked up by the morning breeze and started circling over the glade, observing the lake. Some of them attached themselves to the rabbit’s paw and were already in a small forest nearby. “What a beautiful environment!”, exclaimed the dandelion. He couldn’t believe that just a few days ago it had been a tiny seed and froze in the darkness of the soil and now it can enjoy the bright colors of the world.
Part 4. Autumn adventure.
During the spring and summer the dandelion blossomed many times. Its fluffy seeds sprouted and the glade was full of dandelions. Autumn has come. The days got shorter and colder. The grass around and the leaves on the trees began to turn yellow. The Dandelion thought that it would turn yellow too and would sleep all winter underground. But the next moment he felt something was trying to gather its leaves and pull it out of the ground. Dandelion root has grown a lot in different directions. It was difficult to pull him out of the ground. Something sharp loosened the soil and the dandelion was uprooted. The Dandelion was put into a basket. Through the holes in the basket the dandelion saw the world beyond the glade where he grew up. He saw a road, the lake with ducks, the herd of cows, the barking dog and the little house with lots of beautiful flowers. The hands that uprooted him from the soil pulled him out of the basket. “What’s that, Mama?”, asked a small voice. “This is a dandelion, Pumpkin. It is a very important cleansing herb with lots of vitamins and minerals. I will put his flowers in the water all night and we will drink a beautiful healthy cold tea tomorrow morning. I will make a salad with a few dandelion leaves. And I will dry its roots to prepare hot tea in winter.” The Dandelion was very surprised and proud that he is not only beautiful but also a very healthy plant. He was glad that thousands of its seeds would sprout next spring. New dandelions will delight with their beauty, will feed insects with nectar and have health benefits.
Totec
14.04.2014 | Katherine Ratsiborskaya
Totec was falling down from the rock and thought that it was the end. The altitude was really significant. It gave time to recall all his life within seconds. He had run to the rock escaping from the lava coming from eruptive volcano. Just a day before when he came back to his village he saw that the whole village was burnt down by the volcano and some of the local people were buried while the others survived in the mountains and forest. He also tried to find a safe place and in this case he ran to the rock. He had spent all the night on the top of the rock but in the morning the volcano activated again. And a powerful wave of lava reached his mountain also. Retreating by the pressure of lava he slipped and fell from the cliff.
Suddenly he came back to senses. Totec realized that someone caught his leg and now is not falling any more. He was rushing through by an unknown force. It lasted some minutes. He was smashed against a brunch of a tree. He faded. The next moment he saw he was in a big nest and he was tightened by something not understandable so he couldn’t move.It might have been that he was brought into the nest by a huge bird.
Totec looked around, not for away from him he saw a part of a human arm. At once he realized that he would repeat the fate of the person who this arm belonged to. He regretted he hadn’t crashed. The whole night he spent in torturing thoughts about what would be and how it would all end up. To his own surprise the night was really quite and from time to time he could hear a violent scream of an unknown beast. Being exhausted by his inner anxiety and worries by the morning he fell asleep. When he woke up he realized that now he was not alone in this nest. Under the pile of brunches and leaves there was someone alive. Judging by the sobbing he heard coming out from the pile he guessed it was a child or a woman.
He said, “Hello! A complete silence came for a short while. The person in the pile did not want to communicate. So, he started to talk about himself. When he finished the person said something but he did not understand what it wasexactly. The speech was very unclear – he could hardly understand some words. So Totec understood that it was a woman from another tribe whose the language was similar to but still different from his own. She told that all her village immersed into the mixture of lava and stones. A lot of people died and she tried to save herself but when she was running in the forest and the last thing she remembered was that she stumbled over a stone and fell. The next thing she saw was the nest.
They understood that they need to unite their efforts to save their lives.
On the other side of the nest there was another pile of brunches and leaves. Unexpectedly the pile moved and a sound of crack broke the silence. It was a scary, weird nestling. It stretched the wings and yelled frantically, saying that it was starving. They understood what they were there for. The first thing that the nestling noticed was Totec. It started to approach him trying to eat him in parts. Totec realized that now it was the chance for him to escape. It seemed as though he was one step away from his death, conversely now he saw a good opportunity to stay alive. He rolled and turned trying to use the beak of the nestling to loosen the ropes. At the beginning his arms got freed and got the chance to take a nearby brunch and he started to defend himself. At one moment when the nestling had almost reached him with his beak Totec injured the eye of the nestling. The nestling started to scream furiously. Totec used the moment to completely free himself from the ropes. Understanding that the mother of the nestling may come now any time he realized that they needed to run straight away. He tried to untangle the woman but he couldn’t. So he took her onto his arms. Trying to find out the way to escape he looked out of the nest. And he saw only one way out it was to jump into the sea above which the nest was. So, not thinking much he jumped holding her in his hands.
They nearly drowned ...
Totec miraculously managed to grasp a piece of a large tree which served them as a raft. Gradually he was able to get rid of the shackles from his companionand now they could fully manage their raft. They drifted in the sea all day and all night and only in the morning, in the distance they saw a coast. By the evening they reachedit.
It was a small island with a lot of trees and other plants. Only now they could feel safe. Half-dead, emaciated and not believing in their salvation they have were not able to recover.
Only now Totec was finally able to observe his companion. It was a young woman with red hair and bright green eyes. Such woman would not be accepted in his tribe because she was not like their ordinary women,but now it all did not matter. It seemed they were too far from home.
He also noticed that there was a tattoo on her shoulder with a word which as it turned out later was her name "Uma", which meant "born from god." And indeed this girl was something incredible, supernatural, perhaps thanks to her or her gods they survived...
The Horror Story
14.09.2020 | By Maria Milienko
Фото из постера к фильму Кукла 2: Брамс
This story started many years ago…
Once upon a time one happy couple lived in a beautiful castle. It was the famous brave knight Harold with his beautiful wife Elisa and a nice baby. Their life was so ideal that there were a lot of people who wanted to destroy it. And evil came… One day there was an annual tournament. Harold won it and Elisa as the queen of the tournament laid a diadem on his head. The cruel Kind Jon saw how elegant [eləɡənt] and beautiful she was and fell in love with Elisa. But it was not a real love, it was more of an obsession. After Elisa had refused the Kind, he decided to kill Harold and Harold’s son. The murder was made and Elisa was accused [əˈkuzd] of this crime. She was walled up in one of the towers of the castle where they had led their happy lives. And Eliza went down in history as the «evil Eliza».
For many years this castle remained empty and deserted [dəˈzərtəd].
Two years ago one famous and rich designer Tomas decided to buy and rebuild this castle. Tomas had a son named Albert. Tomas liked the son, but he never had time for him and spent all days working. Albert was growing by himself. He was a sad short-spoken boy. But everything changed when they started living in the renewed [rəˈn(y)ud] castle. Some terrible things started to happen at that time: light switched on and off, doors opened and closed …Tomas was really afraid of this noise, but his son was happy. Albert often laughed and spoke with someone in the night. He said that now he had a friend called Ramon. Ramon played with him, told a story about the knight and kings. Tomas decided that his son was going crazy and tried everything to help him, but nothing did. One day Ramon told a horrible story about his parents’ life. He said, «Help me please find one document and my parents’ souls can go with peace». Albert told this story to his father and Tomas believed him. They started to look for this document together.
Day after day was passing by … but nothing was found. One day after one wall of the castle had fallen, the father and son saw a box with some paper. The language of this document was not understandable. So they took this paper and went to the Institute of history of England. It was the Kings Jon’s order to kill Harold and his son.
Elisa was acquitted and she and her husband's souls could go with peace.
After this story Tomas and Albert became a real family and spent a lot of time together.
Kulya
11.09.2020 | By Vladimir Denisenko
Two years ago seven puppies were born in a large city in a pipe near the Lybed River. It is not known how their fate would have developed if a volunteer named Anya had not heard their squeak.
She brought these seven lumps home - washed them up and combed them out. Then she carried them to a vet doctor. After that she carried these puppies to a private shelter. And she began to look for people who would become their new owners.
While the search was underway some puppies fell ill with a terrible disease. But they grew up on the street, so they recovered and survived. In May 2018 one of these dogs found its home. A couple had wanted a dog for a long time, but did not want to have a purebred dog. Therefore, when they saw a message on the Internet with a photo of a beautiful dog, they immediately went to the shelter. A very beautiful long-legged and very smelly dog was waiting for them.
The new owners named the dog Kulya. They washed her again and combed her out. Then they did it again and again. And Kulya stopped stinking. She was very funny exploring her new home. She climbed with her muzzle into all rooms and bedside tables. She quickly got used to it and became a family favorite. Since her new owners were journalists, she was shot for several TV programs and several articles were written about her in the first year of her life. She became famous.
Kulya lies on her favorite sofa every day. She eats very tasty food. Her owners scratch her belly and pamper her. She even has her own room in the dacha. But do you remember about her 6 brothers and sisters? Only half of them found a family, and the rest remained in the shelter forever. No family, no love.
Therefore, if you ever want to have a dog, then take it from a shelter. Make happy not only yourself, but also a dog from a shelter. You just won't believe how much love and affection are there in these shaggy lumps.
The car
31.08.2020 | By Vera Bessarabova
Once upon [əˈpɒn] a time there was one small car. It was not something remarkable [rɪˈmɑːkəbl]. This car was in the city Togliatti. Her parents were ordinary [ˈɔːdnrɪ] cars. Once the small car became an adult [ˈædʌlt] and had to part [pɑːt] with her parents. The car moved to the city of Volgograd. It was a good city for any car. In the city in summer it was hot and dry, which had a good effect on the body of the car. She did not have to worry about rust [rʌst] and rotting [ˈrɒtɪŋ]. In winter, her new owner [ˈəʊnə] kept her in a warm [wɔːm] garage [ˈgærɑːʒ]. The new owner loved the car. He used to wash her often, wipe [waɪp] it and rub [rʌb] it with oil.
He did not drive often, so the car was always clean and well maintained [meɪnˈteɪnd]. The car loved to drive, but it was only in summer. The car liked it because she did not like cold weather. Years went by and the owner [ˈəʊnə] of the car died. The car was inherited [ɪnˈherɪtɪd] by the owner's [ˈəʊnəs] son. This son lived in another city and the car with the new owner [ˈəʊnə] went to Moscow. It was a difficult way for the car. The road from Volgograd to Moscow had a bad cover [ˈkʌvə]. There were many big cars that the car had not seen before.
But she was brave [breɪv] and overcame [əʊvəˈkʌm] all the tests. The new owner [ˈəʊnə] also loved the car and it lived in a warm garage. It went more often than with the previous owner and in winter too. But the new owner got old and could not see well. He stopped driving the car and bought himself a bicycle. Soon, this owner also died. The car was standing in the garage and was sad. But soon a new owner came to get the car. It was not the son of the previous owner. This man was keen on car racing. He took the car to his workshop. There he began to transform the ordinary small car into a sports and confident supercar. The car had a new racing steering wheel, sports suspension, and big shiny wheels. And it had a new engine from the corvette. And now the car began to participate in races. It was a new life for her as a new breath of air.
The New Friend
27.03.2020 | Iryna Potjuk
A little mouse lived in an old house on the edge of the forest. Before she found the house she had gone through a long way with many adventures. She lived near a mill. Before she went through different adventures she had been a carefree mouse because she always had something to eat and time to run from the cat. The mill had stopped before the mouse left it. She realized that she needed to look for a new home after she had eaten the last grain.
The mouse adventure began as soon as she ran out onto the forest path. The mouse was running fast because she wanted to find a new home as quickly as possible. When she felt hungry, she realized that she had not had anything to eat. She was looking for something useful, but unfortunately there was nothing. The mouse saw a squirrel with a nut, she asked to share it with her after a long time watching how the squirrel got it from the tree. The mouse realized that she had never asked anyone about anything before that and that she had always had easy food. The squirrel gave a part of the nut to the mouse after she had realized that the mouse was completely exhausted. The mouse invited the squirrel to a dreamy new home after she had eaten the nut.The mouse went on the road after she had quenched its hunger.
On the way to the dream the mouse was caught by bad weather. А strong wind forced the mouse to hide behind a tree. A raccoon offered help to the mouse when he had realized that the wind would destroy her. The mouse thought she was happy when she was visiting the raccoon because a broken mill gave her the opportunity to see the world and meet new friends. She found her new home when she left the raccoon after the bad weather had stopped. The mouse understood the importance of having friends after she had met the squirrel and the raccoon. She welcomed her new friends to her new home on the edge of the woods after she had cooked their favorite treats.
Three Sisters
24.05.2019 | Anna Moroz
There were three sisters who lived by the sea. The first sister Dayana had a gift. She could speak to the sea animals. The second sister Xanna had a gift, too. She could talk to the birds. The third sister Kristiana could speak to the trees.
Every day Dayana walked to the sea and talked and played with the sea animals. Before walking Xanna took corn, water and her bag and went to the mountain to the birds. She put the food for birds on the ground and talked with them. Kristiana put on a beautiful dress and went to the forest. In the forest she sang songs for the trees. The sisters lived in peace, joy, and love.
There was a neighbor Ariadna who lived nearby. She had a gift, too. She could swop the day into the night. Every day Ariadna watched the sisters. She wanted their gifts. Ariadna hated her gift. She thought that her gift was useless and simple. She wanted to talk to the animals and nature.
The time was passing by - month after month, summer after summer, and year after year. But darkness filled the heart of Ariadna. One night she went to a witch and asked her for help. Then the witch sent a spell: Dayana would have laziness, Xanna would envy and Kristiana would have pride.
The last day came. Ariadna got up, opened her eyes and smiled. “Good day” - she said. She ran to the forest and sang to the trees, after that she ran to the sea and sea animals talked and jumped around her. Then she ran to the mountain and birds spoke with her and flew around her. She was happy. After that she ran close to the sisters’ house where she saw that Dayana slept on her bed, Xanna swore and shouted at Kristiana. Ariadna laughed and ran away.
A week after Ariadna noticed that all that week there was only darkness. When she came to the sea, she saw dead animals. Then she quickly ran to the mountain but there were no birds. The nature changed, the leaves fell, the grass became gray. All around was dark and silent.
Ariadna understood her mistake. She was wrong. She sat down on the grass and cried, “I am sorry, it’s my fault, I was jealous. I get it now - my gift is very important. I don’t want animals, nature to die.” And she put down her head on her hands and cried out loud.
Soon after that sunshine rays came out. Everything began to wake up. The darkness was replaced by the light.
Ariadna appreciated her gift for the rest of her life.
Strange Hotel
18.08.2014 | Maria Milienko
It was a dark night. It was raining. Then our car broke down. We had been searching for a hotel for three hours. It was a comfortable and beautiful place. It was deep night, but many people were there. Despite the fact that it was 3 o'clock in the morning, guests were eating in the restaurant, drinking cocktails in the bar, and speaking in the lobby. It was really strange… They looked like people from another century. Old, good natured woman met us at the reception. We said that we wanted a double room for one night. The Lobby boy took our baggage and carried on to our room. It was a good, light and comfortable room. We were so tired that… we decided to go to bed. Then we woke up. We understood that we were lying on the floor of some destroyed house. It was creepy … There was nothing - neither the hotel, nor the people. Then a local man told us a story, that hundred years ago there had been a hotel. But the staff were … quite interesting people. They were pale, cold and very polite. If you asked some things they would answer very slowly. Sometime after some guests started to disappear. No bodies or things were found. This horrible things drew the attention of the police. The police studied the personalities of the staff. However, no interesting information was founded. It was as though these people have never existed. And one day all guests and staff disappeared and no one lived in this hotel ever again. Who knows what it was.
Travel Blog Entry
01.11.2017 | Alexander Belyi
This happened when I and my wife were traveling across Albania. We arrived to Albania at least one week ago and from that day rode from one location to another.
It was not a long travel, approximately 60 kilometers and took 2 hours. Of course, you will immediately ask a question: why so long, only 60 kilometers and two or two and half hours for driving? The First cause for this long journey was the way that ran through the mountains. There are a lot of curves, way turns, steep slopes and lifts of the road. Because of this an average speed of our moving was no more than 30 kilometers per hour. And the second cause of this slowly driving was the stunning views of mountains that surrounded our path, the sea and extremely blue sky. Because of this we stopped and took photos. And finally, when we arrived to the location near our next guest house, I was ready to call the owner of this guest house.
I prepared to call the owner, because the GPS navigator in my car lead me to the road near the city and said "This is your destination". But there was only one little problem: my phone didn't work. I couldn't call on any number. I sent a request to the support center of Kyivstar. To be honest, I received a callback from the support immediately. But the girl from Kyivstar's support center told me, that nowadays there are some problems with outgoing calls in Albania and the problem would be fixed soon. Of course I asked, how long time this would take. And I received absolutely genius answer: during one day. One day! ONE DAY!!! But I stayed on a mountain's road now!
After I had been attempting to call during ten or fifteen minutes, my wife proposed to go back to a near petrol station and ask for help from local workers. We immediately did it and after only five minutes I called to guesthouse owner. And after ten minutes we drank cold beverages in a beautiful olive trees garden.
Book review
26.10.2017 | Dmytro Shkvyra
Maybe “Robinson Crusoe” has been the most popular book during the last 200 years. What makes it so popular? Why hundreds of thousands of young readers still read this novel?
I believe that the success of this book is caused by the possibility of youngsters to associate themselves with the main character, a person who left his homeland and family to find his own place under the sun. The Adventures of Robinson reminds the readers that the world could be a cruel place but it does not mean that you can't change it in way as you wish.
Before Robinson appeared at an inhabited island, he had had a lot of extremely dangerous adventures. This adventures just strengthened his moral and prepared him to his main adventure in life.
Daniel Defo was honest when described the motivation of young men who were led by greed and starvation. But this part of the novel is usually remembered by nobody. Why?
In my opinion, the following parts of adventures eclipsed the first part. When Robinson appeared at the island he was absolutely alone, his crew had been dead and even the nature was against him.
The human nature also rebelled against him. To be absolutely honest this part of the book does not show fabulous scenes and just describe how Robinson was suffering due to lack of resources and how he tried to survive there during those years. Therefore, the main character was able not only to survive but made his life more or less comfortable enough before he started suffering from loneliness. And this part showed our real nature, our needs to be in a group, needs to have frenship…
I think, the theme of loneliness, friendship and dedication made this book a bestseller for centuries.
Travel Blog Entry
25.09.2017 | Marina Kozhuschenko
July 23, Athens, Greece
We arrived five days ago and now we are used to living in their pace. We are staying in a hotel near Athens, about 40 minutes by car. There is a really amazing landscape. It was the first thing that caught my eye. The only things that you can see are the dry grasses and single bushes. What is interesting is that there are only hills and all buildings are built on them and when you look at them you can’t say what the exact number of floors there is. The road from the hotel to the city runs along the coast. I’m not able to describe all my emotions and feelings that I have each time when we cover this path. It’s so beautiful, fascinating and breathtaking!
In our first excursion we visited Parthenon. I think it's expected. This place has so many stories and mysteries. Each of us have watched it in a countless number of broadcasts and films but the real thing is even more impressive than I have thought. First of all, this construction is really impressive and overwhelming. When you stay near it you feel as though you were an insect! This is all because of the extreme beauty of Parthenon and an incredible mathematical calculation that was used in ancient time. The new part of the city has its own features. The altitude of many buildings is less than the level of the height of Parthenon. Even after so many years the a government and citizens revere Parthenon!
The summer in Greece is incredibly hot, so locals have siesta. Once we were sitting in a cafe and became witnesses of a situation where visitors chose a table, sat and started to eat the food that they had brought with them and a waiter offered them a glasses of water. After the dinner the visitors stood up and left. It was indeed a big surprise for us but this is normal for them.
Tomorrow we are going to visit three islands. As I have heard each of them has its own features and an absolutely different history. I’m looking forward to this journey. I’ll report on the visit in my next blog.
We can have a cat
29.08.2017 | Katerina Kuznetsova
Once upon a time there was an old man with his wife. They lived in a big and clean house. But they were not happy because they did not have any children. “If we had a child, we would be happy and not lonely”, said the old woman. “We can have a cat”, said the husband. “Yes, this is a good idea!” “Then I will give you a beautiful cat, my dear”, said the old man.
Grant Wood
And he went to a zoo store and saw three cats there. They liked him very much and he liked them too. One cat was white, another was black, but the third was of a very beautiful color: white with black and ginger. He bought the third cat and presented him to his wife. “Oh, what a beautiful cat! I think it is the prettiest cat I have ever seen and he will live with us. And we will not be lonely and he will make us happy. “Thank you, my dear husband!” said the old woman.
For happiness, you need very little moments to please your beloved wife and husband with small things. And how important it is for happiness to take care of someone.
A grain of sand…
06.2015 | Larisa Vasilyuk
A huge amount of sand on the bottom of the ocean…
Every grain of sand can turn into an excellent pearl. It may become a pearl different in shape, in color. The people admire pearls, they are delighted with them.
Which one creates the beauty in this case? – Is it the grain of sand that turns into a pearl, or the pearl, which based on the grain of sand?
Maybe, it is the shellfish that makes this individuality, picking a grain in the sand? Or the shellfish just cultivates the possibility of each grain of the sand?
Can every grain of the sand be a possibility of a new style for a pearl?
Where is the source of unpredictability, imagination, creativity, which transforms the grain of sand into in pearl? Is it a shellfish which holds it?
Who feels more comfortable – a grain of sand, which can become a different pearls, or a pearl, which is already there?
A grain of sand has a possibility of creation. What about a pearl? Does a pearl have this possibility?
But a pearl is so attractive and people use it with pleasure. A grain of sand does not bring people such emotions.
People have learned how to grow pearls. So, why despite a huge variety of cultured pearls it is the natural pearls that are rare and unique in design are most appreciated?
Why the feeling of brilliance, joy, excellence is there with the variants of pearls of the nature?
Perhaps, it is because this is a unique thing?
Anyway, what is the base of perfection – a grain of sand, which will become a pearl, or a pearl, on the basis of which there is a grain of sand?
What is the base of harmony in this case ?
Love
03.2015 | Natalia Miloserdova
It was many years ago.
There was a forest king who lived in a Fairy Forest and reigned there. The forest king had a daughter - princess Blade.
Near to the fairy forest there was a fairy swamp. The swamp king reigned in the fairy swamp. He had a son - prince Bulrush.
The forest king and swamp king were longtime competitors and enemies. They had common border and fought for the territory. They moved border back and forth again and again.
People of the forest king couldn’t walk into the Fairy swamp, and people of the fairy swamp couldn’t walk into the fairy forest.
One day prince Bulrush went to the fairy forest for strawberry, because he liked it and because strawberry didn’t grow in fairy swamp. In the fairy forest prince Bulrush met a beautiful girl. He asked her what her name was. She replied, «My name is princess Blade».
So that was how the children of the enemies met. They fell in love.
During a year they met in secret, because they were afraid of their parents.
Then they decided to confess to their parents.
It turned out that the forest king and the fairy swamp king have always wanted to compete, but they were very proud.
They united their kingdoms and started to wait for grandchildren.The four races
15.10.2014 | Marina Kozhuschenko
Our world is more significant than we can imagine. Some people can see more than others. They see and feel another, one more realm. There are a lot of forests and mountains, rivers and seas, towns and villages. In this world other creatures live. They live with us and among us. They are also unlike each other.
There are four races in this world. The first is the race of People. They are very similar to us. The only difference is that People see the full world. The race of Elves lives there too. They are in harmony with the nature. They can communicate with animals and birds. The third race is that of Icehearts. The representatives of this race can’t feel anything. And the last race is the race of Meditators. They can control their bodies with the power of a thought.
All races lived in peace with one another. But the Icehearts calculated that in the near future the water will be of an extreme deficit. They saw only one way to deal with it that was to start war. The main goal of this war was the extermination of all other races.
An ordinary girl lived in this hard time. She was from the race of Icehearts. And when the war began the girl felt a lot of unknown to her feelings. It seemed as though they tore her from within.
Then one day a mere man heard the cry of soul of this girl. At that time the man saw a new world. He was surprised, but quickly adopted to this reality, because he had a pure heart and mind. The two different persons met. What it will lead to? Would they be able to stop the war? Only strong feelings can change the world.
The war went on. A lot of creatures were killed. The man and girl went to the world and conversed with inhabitants of the planet. Once, when they were staying in a small village of the Elves’ race, they heard a story. This story told that all in this world has one single source of water. And if that source lost the balance, everything would begin to collapse. It would lead to the problem with water in all parts of the world. So, they had to stabilize the source for peace.
The travelers encountered new problems. What disrupted this balance? They began to search the answer to this question. They were willing to lose everything for peace. And they were remuneration for their work (not clear). So, the representatives of the Icehearts race could feel many hundreds of years ago. But they wanted to refuse from it, because some were tired with their negative feelings and some of them believed that emotions interfered into their evolution. Therefore, they asked the sages of Meditators to block their sensors of senses. The bodies of the Icehearts began to feel nothing. This is how the balance on the planet was broken.
The man and girl put a lot of effort and persuaded the sages to unblock the Icehearts’ ability to feel. After all these events the war finished. The inhabitants of the planet gathered at the Roundtable and began to address problems with water.
The biggest power is the ability to feel and see the world with the open eyes.
The boy who wanted to change the world
8.10.2014 | Yuriy G.
One day a little boy, whose name was Bogdan, woke up at his place. He was only 10 years old. But in spite of his age he was a clever and open-minded boy. His motherland was Ukraine and he lived in the capital – Kiev. Best of all he liked dancing and sweats. He didn’t like when somebody cried and was rude to him. The boy was growing up in love and care. His parents often were surprised at his mind and curiosity. He asked a lot of questions and always had his own point of view. “Why are there wars in the world? Why do people die from hunger when there is a lot of food in the world? Why does God let kids die from cancer? Why do people kill each other?” he asked. It was difficult to explain these complicated things to the little boy.
Once when he was sleeping in his bed he saw an angel in his dream. The angel said to him, “Don’t be frightened! I’ve come to bring and show you another world. Trust me and don’t worry.” And the angel took the boy by his hands and they started to fly up extremely fast. In 10 seconds they appeared at a lovely place like a forest. There were lots of beautiful plants and animals around. The kids were playing with animals without any danger. “Bogdan, look at those kids. They are your brothers and sisters at our Galaxy. They love you very much and wait for you to return to them.” Bogdan asked the angel, “Why have I been on the Earth? What have I been doing there?” The angel answered. “You need to understand that God gives all of you a choice to realize he loves you. There is always a choice. But people forgot God and are doing evil.” The boy said, “I want to change the world on the Earth!”
When the boy woke up in the morning he told nobody about his dream. But since that moment his life has been changed.
The Bee Maya
16.07.2014 | Iryna Potjuk
The bees flew up to the lawn with multi-colored and fragrant flowers. Each little bee chose her own flower to collect the nectar. Each time, they flew into the air then flew back to the delicate petals of a colorful, еnchanting aroma of lawn decoration.
One flower was different from the other aroma and appearance, which seemed suspicious to the bees. Each bee flew past this flower, not wanting to know if its nectar was as beautiful as the fragrance.They were afraid of what they had never known and had not tried. One day, one bee came to this lawn, its name was Maya. She was interested in everything, often she made strange things, and she liked to experiment. Her adventures were often difficult for her and her neighbors.
Maya saw the flower and headed straight to it. The friends tried to stop her and discourage the action that was wrong in their opinion. Maya still flew to the petal of a strange flower. At that moment a strong wind blew and the bee was brought to another flower. Maya thought that friends apparently were right and the wind carried her to another flower. She typed a nectar, she flew to the hive. The mysterious flower captured all the thoughts of the bee.
Another time Maya again decided to try to collect the pollen from the flower. And now her dream came true. She collected the pollen of the flower. It was this pollen that gave a wonderful note of honey's taste. It was a blossom of strawberries that enriched the taste of honey. All bees spoke about Maya’s courage and determination.
One day in the woods
7.10.2014 | Dmitriy Shkvyra
One day I got up very early because I couldn't sleep well. I had some nightmares about troubles with my job. It made me nervous and I became suspicious. So, I decided to stroll through the park near my house.
In the park it was silent and dark. When I was walking along the old elms I suddenly heard a sound as of a baby crying. Everything inside of me became cold. I couldn't imagine that somebody would lose their child there. I felt terrified since this part of the park was old and there were no people around even in the afternoons. I went closer to the sound through bushes, broken branches, logs, bunches of grebes and heaps of old leaves. When I reached the place where the sound was coming from I saw that there were some puppies with their mother, which was a big black dog, about a half as tall as me.
The dog gave me a menacing growl and I immediately forgot that I had tried to save somebody's life. I tried to make up a plan of my own rescue feverishly. Suddenly, the dog jump to me... and began licking my face. :) I was all in drool. By then I had forgotten about my job and nightmares. On the top of all, I was most worried about what I could get to eat for my new friends. I went back home fast, grabbed some proper food for puppies and their mother. I felt happy, nobody was hurt, except my clothes and my conceit. Since this moment I haven't been worried about my job as much as I used to be, because I have understood that always there is someone who needs help much more than me. Life is going on.
Obsession
26.08.2014 | Виталина Морозова
Every time humans want more and more. They don’t appreciate what they have at present. God always helps us to reach our success if we want that sincerely and if we do our best to reach the aim. Some people go crazy about their career or work, some think only about their style and reputation. And unfortunately they forget the most important things in life – these are soul, love, friendship and feelings.
Only our feelings and inner voice give us the push to discover this huge world. We form frames. We have one chance in life. And very often we miss it.
So, my story is about a family that began its marriage with nothing. Yes, they had nothing. Of course, their parents helped them as much as they could but it was not enough for the young couple. The Browns family was obliged to rent a room with terrible conditions but it was not so important for them because they lived together amicably. Money didn’t mean much to them.
As any other person Petya had a dream. Since his childhood he has been writing short stories about his adventures and feelings. Petya has always carried a little notebook in his hands. It was a gift from his mother who died a while ago. She used to write her thoughts and other extracts, which she found instructive, there. So that gift has been very special for the boy and someday he dreamed to write his own short stories, even novels. He was fond of writing. Every moment of life seemed to him unforgettable.
When Petya went to College to study journalism he met her, Rosi. She was the only kind of inspiration he had after the death of his mother.
They fell in love with each other. It was so pleasant for them to spend time together. Days were passing by unnoticed. Then Petya decided to make Rosi a proposition.
It wasn’t a kind of life other have would have. They dissolved in each other. The way of life forced Petya to think about the future and job. He decided to apply for a vacancy in one of the greatest companies in Los Angeles. «The Bay Mirror Company» had been in his mind for a long time and his aim for that time was to publish his unusual works there.
At first he just rewrote articles which were written by others. It was a shame for him to realize that he had to work like that yet having written stories coming from his own heart. One day, risking to displease his boss he took the courage and gave him his works.
Winter came soon. Petya managed to forget that he had given his stories to the boss.
But suddenly Rosi got a message that the boss had already read all of his works. He was impressed and shocked about how an ordinary worker and just a journalist assistant could have written such brilliant things. Rosi was crying at that moment, she didn’t realize their happiness yet. It was the beginning of becoming another person.
Petya always wrote just short stories but now he wanted to try himself in writing a romance. He was trying hard to write just the first chapter. He became nervous and spent nights with cigarettes and the laptop. Rosi noticed that the idea of becoming a great writer was driving him crazy more and more. He became another person. It was not that man who cared about his wife.
One day Rosi took the laptop and noticed that something was wrong. It didn’t work.
When Petya came back home he was very angry and even punched Rosi. She was frightened to death. Petya shut the door with a bang. That moment Rosi realized that she did not love that animal who had just gone. She wrote a letter and disappeared.
Next morning Petya realized his mistake but couldn’t change it. He understood that he was absorbed with his thoughts about writing and his fame. But she was the only hope and inspiration in his life and without her support he’d never have been who he was. Then he started to search for her but it was in vain. Though, more than that he couldn’t find himself without her.
So, we must appreciate what we have and never seek fame and satisfaction of our needs. Every one of us has what he or she deserves. Never try to forget the main reason of your success.
It is a tale about time. A Month
14.07.2014 | Nataliya Ko.
My dear fellows and friends, do you know that God created the Earth and all its living things?
And he created the earth with great love and great imagination as a living creature. The planet turned into an extraordinary beauty: blue paint alternated blue, turquoise and smooth transition into the green color. White clouds make the Earth a very romantic place and they decorated it as a moving, not irregular train.
All living things that inhabit the Earth: the rivers, seas, oceans, mountains, plants, animals, birds, fish and humans – all of it has dependent value from the planet Earth. They are her (the Earth’s) little children.
The Earth defines their whole life. As a living organism, one day the Earth was born and then she started to grow. She has always been a very active girl – the Earth revolved unceasingly like a whirligig. As a young girl, the Earth attracted her little friend- the planet Moon. The Moon also began to rotate along with the Earth, inheriting the character of the older friend.
The huge hot sun, an ancient star, observed the rotation of two friends the Earth and the Moon from an enormous distances. The sun warms and lightens the Earth and the Moon, but only the side which they turned up to it. The other side of the Earth and the Moon always remained without light – there was the night. The Sun called the Moon the satellite of the Earth because she is often hidden in the shadow of the Earth.
The Moon was tiny and every 30 days she kept rehearsing her dance around the Earth; every day she ran one step away from the sunlight in the Earth's shadow. When most of the Moon was hidden from the Sun in the shade, the Earthlings saw only a small thin piece of the Moon like a slice of orange. They called this Young Moon. Yes, this is how each of the 12 months begins – chronology on the Earth.
After that, each day the Moon began to come from the shadow of the Earth out to the sunlight more and more. And every night all life on Earth sees the Month becoming thicker and thicker, until it reaches the size of a half moon. These days and nights all life on Earth is growing rapidly, and the oceans and seas are spread. When the moon is completely in the sunlight out from the shadow of the earth, all life on the Earth sees the full moon. It is a round bright, bright Moon. The full Moon does not last long, we see it 2-3 nights.
At the full Moon time, many animals, birds, fish, humans, plants go through a renewal. After the full Moon time the Moon loses its round shape slowly: night after night she loses her side little by little. So, the Moon begins to drift back into the shadow of the earth, until an absolute circle turns into a thin crescent Moon.
Both phases of growing and waning Moon last for two weeks. Together, they account for about thirty days and called a month. While most of the Earth makes one circle, rotating around the Sun, the Moon makes the twelve times of her circular dance-month-long.
Day & Night
17.07.2014 | Nataliya Ko.
Hello, my dear friend. Of course, you know that today is the day, which began in the morning and then the noon came with lunch, and then the evening crawls up. Evening is the time of our tale! And the evening is the time that separates the day and night.
I cannot tell you exactly what evening is: it's the end of the day or it is the beginning of the night? Then, after the evening, comes the night. The night as well as mid-day has the time which is called midnight. The night ends at the sunset. With the sunset a new day always comes.
The Earth unceasingly repeats this cycle of time. You remember yesterday well, it also had the morning, noon, evening time, and then it all changed overnight. And you do not doubt that tomorrow
everything will be repeated.
Of course, you saw that during the day the Sun, a huge bright hot star, shines in the sky. The light and heat of the Sun is so strong that you cannot look at it for long, as the light blinds you! And you already know that the Sun is like grandfather, who is of a very old age. Besides its age, the grandfather Sun has a huge, incomprehensible force for us, inhabitants of the Earth. The Sun holds several planets and our home-planet Earth, as well.
Do you remember that the Earth is a restless young girl that is constantly spinning, like a whirligig? So, during its rotation, the Earth rotates itself turning to the sun its one and then the other sides. You know that a whirligig spins in one direction only? And the Earth always spins in one direction only. People named the four sides of the Earth: East, South, West and North. The Earth does not show its two sides for direct sunlight. And this is the coldest place on Earth, it is where the snow never melts. This is the South Pole and the North Pole. But the East and West sides of the Earth show up to the sunlight in turns. While the sun shines on the Eastern Hemisphere of the Earth, the Western Hemisphere is in the shade. This means that: children, adults, birds, fish, animals, plants, living on the Eastern Hemisphere (e.g. China, India, Russia, here in Ukraine, in European countries, African countries) have a day. All living creatures grow, reproduce, move, eat to recuperate the energy.
This means that: children, adults, birds, fish, animals, plants, living on the Western Hemisphere (e.g. Canada, Argentina, USA, Brazil, Peru, Australia) are in the night. During the night all life rests and restores strength for the next day. But children continue to grow even at night, so they need to eat more often during the day than adults.
The point on the globe where you live, my dear friend, spins around the Earth axis and returns to the same ray of the sun in exactly 24 hours. This is the time from yesterday midnight to midnight today.
The earth carries you on its surface at the same rate so that you would have time to rest and grow at night, wake up and wash in the morning, in the afternoon to play and learn and grow and grow up in the morning, afternoon and evening. The day and night last for about the same number of hours. The day and night together is 24 hours. You knew already that 24 hours is the speed of rotation of our home planet Earth. This determines the length of time of the day and night.
The end.
Whale shark
27.05.2014 | Alexander S.
Each person has a number of different impressions over a life time and I now would like to tell about mine. This was one of my first exotic travels and, if to be exact, it was the second.
At that time, I started to get interested in diving and once I was offered to go to Ecuador, the world renowned Galapagos islands. My imagination drew fantastic pictures of the landscape and animals of the place I knew very little about. It was because all my efforts were devoted to studying diving. There are very difficult conditions going down into the depth of water even for experienced divers. It is because there is very insufficient visibility, strong currents, cold water and vast number of sharks, so you get the real extreme sport.
I will skip the description of the flight and excursion to the city and islands and move on straight to the boat, on which we were about to dive safari in Galapagos. The boat was called Lammerlaw. It was a luxurious sailing yacht. Now we are in the middle of our journey and coming to the furthest point of archipelago, to the island Darwin. And here we are under water observing the firework of life – sharks, moray eels, and all possible fish. By the end of my diving I heard a signal from my dive guide (in order to attract the attention of the group they hit the balloon with the metal stick). This time the signal was especially strong and long. I was intrigued and swam to him as fast as I could. When there was just about five meters to reach him I couldn’t understand where he was pointing to with his hand. In front of him, as it seemed to me at the beginning, there was a flock of fish. It took just another meter before I was completely stunned – right in front of me, out of nowhere, there appeared a giant shark – it looked as though it was a real submarine, definitely not an animal. And what I thought to be a flock of fish turned out to be a picture on its body. Because of bad visibility it was like a ship coming out of fog. Just a second ago you saw nothing and then suddenly you see an eighteen-meter-long giant. It was a dream of all divers to see a whale shark. It is difficult to describe my emotions at that moment. It was more of a shock, hysterics and atomic bomb explosion - all happening at the same time. It’s quite possible I forgot how to breathe while this whopper was going passed me. Later we saw this unbelievable creature yet five more times, and every time it was unforgettable.
Sharks
30.03.2017 | Alexander S.
Probably, the most exciting events in my life are related to diving, and today I want to talk about one of them.
It was the first night dive near to Cocos island. When a dive guide was speaking about the conditions, currents, using equipment and so on, I couldn’t understand what it meant, “You will never forget this dive.”
All became clear when after we had dipped under water - hundreds of white tip reef sharks were hunting around us. It looked like a moving shark carpet and from time to time we weren’t able to watch the bottom because of the sharks. I was a little afraid during the first fifteen minutes of the dive. Especially, when I noticed how one shark finally found fish under stones and started to tear her into pieces. Over two seconds later twenty sharks joined the lucky one and the fish was eaten immediately. There were very big and not so big sharks but each one tried to bite off a bigger piece. Sometimes they bit each other. I could clearly see the traces on their bodies.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough experience in photography at that time, so I couldn’t shoot that amazing scene. Sharks just pushed me away after I had dipped to their level. They didn’t pay any attention to us while they were hunting. It proves how polite and friendly these beautiful creatures are. Diving with sharks is the most exciting and unbelievable adventure!
Vasiliy Grigoryevich
19.05.2014 | Vladimir Kiyashko
Moments of happiness can sometimes look peculiar. Just imagine, it’s Friday, you come home tired, all the tasks have been done, everything is settled. You take a seat in an armchair in front of the TV, poured glass of wine. And tomorrow is Saturday, and you can lie in bed all day.
But the moment of happiness can look slightly different, like in the story by Vasiliy Grigoryevich.
Vasiliy Grigoryevich lived in a village; he had a family, wife and four children - three girls and one boy. The family lived in harmony and enjoyed every day. This man worked as a bookkeeper in a sugar factory. His workplace was located in the countryside - 5 kilometers from home. Transport did not go there, and all that distance he had to cross either on foot or by bike, which was at the time a rarity. Autumn, winter and spring made commuting by bike almost impossible, because it was impossible to pass through dirty road that was not paved and at the same time blurred by rain and snow.
So, he had to walk the distance of 10 kilometers on foot in any kind of weather most time of the year. His footwear was one for all seasons and therefore was worn out very quickly. Clothes and shoes at that time were very hard to obtain, so they were sewed by local artisansthemselves from material provided by the customer. He came home from work, which as it seemed never ended because he always had to do a lot on the farm.
All the food they had to grow and harvest themselves. In fact, the family worked all year round. It was hard, but in general, no one in the family complained. Anyway, in those days there was a war and the land where Vasiliy Grigoryevich lived with the family was occupied by foreign troops. Near to this site partisans acted. The man helped the partisans to resist the invaders, passed on information, facilitated the movement trough territory, gave shelter in his house for a short period of time - night, maximum a day, and assisted the transfer of arms.
Such actions were highly dangerous. His 6-year-old son did not understand what his father did, but he was very pleased with his father. Despite all conspiracy processes there were two times when the son saw weapons. And one day, when some of the arms, due to lack of storage space, were temporarily put into the stove, he even got luck to touch these with his own hands.
It happened at one autumn night. The parents had already put the kids to bed, and began to carry arms from the shed in the stove. At this time, the boy woke up, but did not show it and saw his mom and dad put something in house. When the parents went outside for a while, the boy quietly crept to the stove, opened the stove door and stood still, his eyes were large and round, his heart was beating so hard that for the moment his hands became cold. This was what he had never seen before - the entire stove was filled with arms, automatons, guns. He wanted to escape in bed immediately. But how could a real boy see arms and not touch them? The boy reached out to the trunk with his hand and touched it. It was one of the most memorable moments of his life.
So, Vasiliy Grigoryevich helped the partisans for one and a half years. But, as it usually happens in a war time, there were always traitors who helped the invaders in their activities. Guerrilla activities of Vasiliy Grigoryevich were exposed. He was arrested and sent to the district jail. In it the man spent four months. The district prison was located 15 kilometers from home. All these long four months, sometimes by hitching sometimes walking, his wife brought him parcels with foods and underwear once in two days. Not all parcels reached her husband. But everything that did - helped him survive.
Thanks to an underwear set, which reached Vasiliy Grigoryevich, he negotiated for a transfer to the camera with a smaller number of prisoners. Without minimum of food, he would starve to death, as many other prisoners did. After four months in the local jail, Vasiliy Grigoryevich was sent to Lukyanovskaya prison in Kyiv for further investigation related to aiding the guerrilla. Sending to the Kyiv prison meant almost death, as in Kyiv the most intense interrogations were conducted. In prison wards agents of invaders were integrated and the decisions on the fate of prisoners were taken pragmatically and without delay.
It was the fifth month of his imprisonment inLukyanovskaya prison. Once in two days someone was shot. Exposure scheme[skim] in most cases was the same. In a ward with the other prisoners there were one or a couple of agents who gained trust and received at least a hint of necessary information and then the prisoners were questioned and shot. Vasiliy Grigoryevich got very thin and exhausted from the constant questionings, malnutrition and staying in appalling conditions. Because of the specifics of the interrogation Vasiliy Grigoryevichfelt could either be shot or dead from a disease, even the most insignificant.
And he decided to do something incredible – he wanted to escape from Lukyanovskaya prison. The entire territory of the prison was clearly seen by the guards in at the watchtowers. How to escape from the ward, how to escape from the prison territory? There was not a strict plan. But there was also nothing to lose. During the walks, which were periodically conducted for the prisoners in the yard, Vasiliy Grigoryevich saw a wooden closet, which was near the wall of the prison. During one of walks he asked permission to go to the toilet. But while he was approaching it, Vasiliy Grigoryevich did not go into it, but slipped behind the toilet. To his left just 15 meters away there was the prison’s building, fenced by an outer wall.
But to reach the prison’s building he had to cross an incredibly long 15 meters. Before ending of walk, prison warden inspected the toilet, making sure there was no one inside. The prison wardens and prisoners were changed quite often, the former were replaced by the invaders to exclude the possibility of collaboration, the latter were shot and new ones were brought in. Therefore, nobody remembered the faces of each other. At the time when a warden was placing the last three prisoners into the prison building and turned back to the Vasiliy Grigoryevich, he slipped from the toilet into the passage between the fence and the building.
He was a lucky because none of the wardens in the watchtowers and below saw anything. But now Vasiliy Grigoryevich had to overcome a flat wall. The distance between the building and the wall was very small, about 1 meter and the height of the wall was about 4 meters. To get the top of the fence Vasiliy Grigoryevich leaned back against the wall and took a firm stand by his legs in the prison building. So, he was going slowly upstairs. It was incredibly difficult to climb, as he was very weak. But it had to be done no longer than in two minutes, until they noticed the absence of the prisoner. Every meter of the wall was getting hard and harder, but the feeling that he would be shot anyway forced him to climb higher.
With great efforts Vasiliy Grigoryevich got to the top of the wall, and for the first time in 9 months of his general imprisonment term he looked at the world not through the bars. He was filled with joy for a second until the man looked at the height of the fence from the top down and realized that he needed to jump very quickly. 2 minutes had been over. He knew that by that time he might have been detected absent from the prison. Actually 5 minutes passed already. It was necessary to act immediately. Holding hands against the wall and taking firm fence by elbows, Vasiliy Grigoryevich began to descend along the wall. Fully hanging on while holding the edge of the fence by his hands the man looked down; there were about 2.5 meters to the ground. Pushing away from the wall by the foota littleVasiliy Grigoryevich jumped off the wall and fell to the ground. “Here is the freedom” - thought Vasiliy Grigoryevich, but from the prison he could hear voices of the wardens and noise. The absence of the prisoner was detected.
Vasiliy Grigoryevich jumped up and with all his last forces and ran as far away from the prison building as he could. He did not know where he is running to, because he could recognize neither streets nor houses. It was not the Kyiv that he had known where he used to come personally to sell grown foods locally. Many buildings were destroyed, some streets had lost their forms, and he could not go through some of them because of their destruction. It had already been dark outside. He could hear sounds of patrol from the prison’s side who had left the prison in search for the fugitive. But they also couldn’t go far to walk or drive. The man knew an approximate direction to the railway station, as he previously had traded near it. By 3 o'clock in the morning Vasiliy Grigoryevich got to the station. But it was dangerous to go inside, as the invader’s patrols were walking everywhere. The man decided to wade directly to the train that would go towards his home and negotiate with the machinists to take him in.
Detecting a station patrol, Vasiliy Grigoryevich hid behind one of the corners to wait until it passed and then ran to the trains. He waited for a few minutes until the patrol walked away. The man hunched his shoulders and bent down slightly, looking around at the sides and making sure that he could go, quickly came around the corner. But suddenly to his own surprise he bumped into at an old woman. Being frightened by his own surprise the man took one step back. He looked at her and apologized, he wanted to run further. But suddenly the old woman spoke to him: "Do not worry son. I see where you are from and where you run to. You will do it, you will see your wife and children. Take this small knot to anyone you haven’t seen" - said the old woman and put a handkerchief with tied knot into the hand ofVasiliy Grigoryevich. Uncomprehending it with amazement the man took the knot silently, thanked and ran to the trains.
Having found the train that was heading to the direction he needed, the man waited for the driver. He explained the situation to machinist, and asked him to help to get to the destination, so that no one could check the documents. The machinist agreed to help, and said that Vasiliy Grigoryevich had to pretend being a second machinist in case of a check when leaving Kyiv. There were usually two machinists in the cabin, but on that day the train was leaving Kyiv with one machinist only. It was because the second machinist went to see relatives and on the way back he had to be picked up. After the pick up the real second machinist, Vasiliy Grigoryevich had to go into coal wagon, which was right behind the machinist cabin, and machinists had to bury him in coal so that only his face could be left.
…and that was agreed.
Before leaving Kyiv the invader’s patrol checked the train and cab of machinists, looking carefully at the face and checking all possible places where somebody could have hidden anything or anyone. But all was going well and the train left Kyiv. After 50 kilometers away from Kyiv, the second machinist got into the train, and Vasiliy Grigoryevich was buried in coal, leaving only the face. At the entrance to one of the small bridges, the train was being passed by the watchtower with the warden, who inspected all wagons of all trains. There was exactly the same watchtower with a warden on the other side of the bridge. Machinists warned Vasiliy Grigoryevich about wardens and told him to close his eyes until they passed both watchtowers. Before entering the bridge the man closed his eyes, the train slowed down and passed the bridge.
The bridge was passed, and even some yards of the ground were also passed. The man opened his eyes and saw the leaving look of warden. Would Vasiliy Grigoryevich open his eyes for a second earlier, he would have already been dead. But judging by the fact that the man was still alive, he was sure that the warden had not detected him. At this time, the coal was warmer than Vasiliy Grigoryevich. About 20 minutes later the train was approaching the next station. As the train entered into the station, the invader’s soldiers with dogs appeared on the platform. Machinists saw this and reported it to the passenger. "This is the end," thought machinists. "The warden on second watchtower detected me still," thought Vasiliy Grigoryevich. The train stopped at the station, soldiers with dogs got on the train and checked each car, all passengers and the cab of the machinists. The check lasted for about 15 minutes. Of course, nobody reported the reason for checking. Suddenly, the soldiers left the train as unexpectedly as they had appeared, and the train was allowed to move on. There were no more checks and Vasiliy Grigoryevich even slept a little bit, lying in the corner.
In the late afternoon the train arrived at its final destination. "Man, you're lucky," said the machinists. In parting, the machinists gave him a piece of bacon and a couple of slices of bread. Vasiliy Grigoryevich greedily ate them as he had not eaten for almost a day, thanked the machinists for everything, said goodbye and left. It was the homeland. But he still had to cross 30 kilometers to his native village. Not knowing what the situation in the village was, what was with family, whether the wife and kids were alive, it was dangerous to hitchhike. He had to go on foot so that nobody could see him. Thanks to the sleep he had while traveling and the piece of bread with bacon Vasiliy Grigoryevich felt a small surge of energy. So, he hit the road without delay. He walked through the fields and unknown road. It was an uncharted road for him.
He knew only a rough direction. It was complicated to move at night. The man wandered all night. And then about 4 o'clock in the morning he was exhausted, feeling an enormous sense thirst, he saw an outline of his native village. Vasiliy Grigoryevich went through the vegetable garden to his home. When he got into the garden, he fell prostrate in the beet leaves, which had already been quite large and thick to hide in. There were about 150 meters away from the home. But the man decided not to risk and wait for someone who would come out of the house. The thirst and hunger tormented enormously, but it was impossible to identify himself.
The man has incredible sense of thirst. But there were only the beet leaves around him. He wanted to try to chew them to get at least some moisture. But the man remembered the stories of his father how the beet leaves could be nasty taste and how bad feelings could be after their eating. There was dawn. He could hear some sounds of moves in the house. The man began to gaze anxiously at the door, from which someone would walk out. It could have been that his family had already been shot, and there in his house could live someone else. But there at home the door opened and his wife came to the courtyard. "Finish, I’m home," he said. Vasiliy Grigoryevich leaned back, pulled a bunch of beet leaves, shoved them all entirely in the mouth and chewing eagerly to quench his thirst, he said to himself: "Today is Friday. And tomorrow is Saturday; I can lie in bet all day. And then… … death for all invaders to the Ukrainian land!"
The fate
1.05.2014 | Victoriya Yanishevskaya
Some people believe in it, some hope that their destiny is in their hands, but this story will be about a girl who wanted to know it. Her name was Vera, she lived in a big city full of opportunities and temptations. The one thing that she always knew was that life brings problems to let person choose their own route.
So, this was why Vera was a good child and diligent student. Her desire to understand why she came to this world has followed her since she remembered herself. One day, on her 21st birthday, when she was mature enough to learn it, she went to a numerologist, a medium and a fortune–teller. The predictions of the first ones were ordinary and almost similar to the horoscopes she adored to read in every magazine she bought. They didn’t make a “prediction”, they tried to guess future events that would never come true, like marriage of her brother she had never had. At one moment she was ready to give up, but an advertisement of a fortune-teller was very persuasive and some magic power took her to the Baba Yanga’s house. It was a strange granny in a long dress with bright dots on it. Even her cloths were hypnotic but when Vera looked into her green eyes she understood that this woman was not a fraud.
The fortune-teller said something weird and unexpected, “Everyone’s destiny, everyone’s fate is happiness and in the majority of cases people achieve it but in a different time and place. There is only one interesting thing: every day you can either come closer to it or make the distance bigger. From my personal point of view if you want to help your friend now, try not to be jealous or biased and eventually your destiny to be a head of a multinational company will be more realistic.”
The girl was so surprised after her words. How this small granny had known about her conflict with Anna? Mysterious words were so catchy that she immediately went to her best friend and asked her for forgiveness.
Maybe Baba Yanga’s house or her appearance influenced the girl so much but this simple advice has always followed Vera and her good emotions and actions have made her a happy woman, mother and person.
A baby boy was born ...
5.05.2014 | Svetlana V.
A boy was born in a well-known clinic. He felt scared and uncomfortable in this strange world. The child knew that somewhere near him there had to be his mother. He had been closely related to her for nine months and thought that he would feel so warm and safe all the time.
The boy however did not know that he was ill. His illness could be cured, but it required a lot of patience, time, special care, and a considerable amount of money. His mother was afraid that all her energy and time would be spent on the child and nothing would be left for herself. Thus, she left her baby-boy in the hospital.
The boy cried a lot: he felt pain and fear. Once a kind and tender Angel visited him. It leaned to the boy and whispered to his ear: “Don’t be afraid, I’m with you.” This Angel also went to a very warm-hearted family. It whispered to the woman who had already had a son with the same illness that there was the baby-boy that suffered a lot. Without wasting any time, the lady came to the hospital with all necessary medication. The most important thing she brought with her was love of a big family.
The boy didn’t feel sad and lonely any more. It still hurt him a little bit, but he smiled and was sure: “Everything will be fine, he is much loved.”
Way to the Castle
8.04.2014 | Maksym Achkasov
Roberto, a seventeen-year-old boy, lived in a small village, Wheelhill, which was surrounded by beautiful lakes and forests. Wheelhill wasn’t an ordinary place to live in. It was a community of religious people who preached the kingdom of the Castle and followed the very strict rules of the holy scriptures. The majority of these people were farmers; some of them were bakers, builders, teachers, and a few of other professions which were needed to make the life of the village pretty independent from the outer world.
Surely, none of the villagers would use any worldly things, such as watching TV, reading newspapers of any kind, or listening to the radio. All these satanic instruments, they believed, would inevitably lead them to hell, as all the other people except for them – the ones who belonged to the faith of the Castle.
One might think that Roberto was one of those guys who would try to disobey all these rituals and senseless rules as a normal guy would and as actually the other chaps did in their own community. You know, the things like sneaking out from daily religious prayers, services and that kind of stuff. But not him, he was very much the opposite. He was wholeheartedly dedicated and committed Castler, the one who you may identify as a true believer. There was no time for him to play with the other boys. All his free time he prayed, studied the holy Castle scriptures and really believed that his life was full of meaning and purpose.
He regretted that so many other people living outside their village would very soon be dying eternally in hell because they had rejected the faith in the kingdom of the Castle. He didn’t have all the answers yet, but he was sure that quite soon he would reach the place where all ambiguity would fade away and he would get a complete enlightenment at the very place that is called the Castle. Yes, he was happy. Every day he would wake up in the morning with a sincere smile on his face, greet the villagers with cheer and do all his duties honestly, with care and diligence.
One day Roberto decided to go to the Castle. His parents were shocked to hear the news. Nobody from the community had ever gone to the place. Although everyone knew everything about it and its location, no one had really expressed the desire to go, partly, because the journey was long and difficult, and, partly, because the kingdom of the Castle would very soon spread its boarders and embrace the whole earth on the day of the great Judgment. Anyway, soon the parents of Roberto gave in as they couldn’t resist god’s calling in the heart of their son. Having gathered all his savings and borrowed some money from his friends he was ready to set off. One day before his announced departure he was asked to visit the office of the senior elder of the community. To his own surprise, instead of the words of encouragement and blessing, Roberto heard an order to bring two thousand golden coins to the community. He was shocked. However, he wasn’t going to concentrate on it. An adorable journey was right ahead of him.
It took him three and a half years to get to the final, the seventh, hill of his pilgrim’s journey. Roberto met many interesting people on the way. Perhaps, another story may be written to just briefly outline all the adventures that he faced and bumped into to reach the sacred place, but we should focus on the key things. By this time he had spent all his money mainly on the teachers of the Castle, who had talked about the difficulties of the way and how to get to the place, which he had clearly known anyway. Also he had many times spoken to those who were going back disillusioned and disappointed, not believing in the kingdom of the Castle anymore, trying to explain how incorrect they were.
Now there he was almost at the peak of the hill. It was the moment he had been waiting for so many years. His heart was pumping hard and the body was shivering. That was the moment for all his dreams to come true. No need to imagine, guess or speculate – that was the time for all to fall into place. He made one step, then another and one more. He reached the top. He could see everything right behind the hill. And there he saw … Roberto couldn’t believe his eyes – there was just another valley and further away one more hill. No, he wasn’t feeling stupid or angry – he would come to know these feelings a bit later. That day he spent searching for the Castle. All inner side of him rejected to believe that all what his all life was based upon was a lie. He did everything to find at least some evidence of any kind of a castle that might have been there. He looked at the map over again and again trying to check if that was really the place where the Castle should have been. All was correct, except for one thing – the Castle.
It seemed as though Roberto had lost someone very close and important to him. The whole spectrum of different emotions, which are typical for the people experiencing a significant loss, he needed to go through before he was able to speak to anyone. The entire life appeared empty and meaningless. There was nothing to live for. He knew that he had been deceived, continuously been lied to and brainwashed for absolute no reason at all. He tried to make sense out of it, but couldn’t.
After a while he came back to his home village and said about everything he had seen along the journey to the Castle. Nobody believed him. The news that Roberto backslid from the faith was immediately spread all over the village. His parents, as never before, were ashamed of their own son. Not before long he was announced a heretic and betrayer of the true faith in the kingdom of the Castle. Nobody was allowed to greet him in the streets and he personally was advised to leave the village.
Having lost his faith, the core of his entire worldview and life, that day he lost his family, friends and community – the only place where he really felt home.
Roberto had nowhere to go but to the people who, as he had previously believed were sinful, perverted, ferocious and predestined to burn in the eternal fire. At that time it didn’t really mean much, what’s more, he wasn’t sure any more that all such judgments were really true. To his surprise, he found out that the people in the neighbor village were not bad at all, perhaps, even the opposite. He saw them welcoming strangers regardless their faith or believe, cooperating and working together without asking what confession he or she belonged to.
Somehow he saw in them an unembellished honesty, the quality he appreciated the most in people, and simplicity in the acts of goodwill, which as it seemed to him these people were doing not to please an almighty one or avoid heavenly punishment, but just because they wanted to do so, without expecting anything in return. Despite all recent troubles and disappointment, the life for Roberto was just about to begin.
Wednesday evening
24.09.2014 | Maxim A.
It was Wednesday evening. I was getting ready to go home. Suddenly, I heard somebody’s voice which was coming down the corridor. At first, I thought I had been mistaken. I was wrong. That strange sound repeated and yet it was there again. To tell the truth, I had been working long hours that day and wasn’t keen on any adventure. The only thing I could think about was to get home and have a shower … Someone continued to scream. It seemed to be a woman’s voice. It wasn’t clear but it sounded as though she was asking somebody to stop and leave her alone. I didn’t know what to do and stepped out of the office. Now, that was clear. The voice was coming out from the restroom at the end of the corridor. I came in and saw … two teenagers playing and joking with each other. I asked if everything was ok. They said, “Yes” and giggled again.
On the way back I saw a woman who had just opened the door of her office room. She asked me whether everything was alright. I said, “Yes”.
My faith
4.02.2014 | Olena D.
A human being can live without food for 45 days, without water – 10 days, without sleep – 5 days, without air – 5 minutes, without faith – no second. Faith can move mountains! Faith compels us to move. When I make a step I BELIEVE that I don’t fall, that my flag won’t be broken and I’ll go further. When I breathe I BELIEVE that it’s useful, not toxic and I need it. When I pray to God I BELIEVE that He hears me and prepares response to my requests even in small instances of my life. When I educate my daughter I BELIEVE that she will grow into a good person. When I am near to my husband I BELIEVE that this man will make me happy. When I embrace my mother I BELIEVE that she is the best woman in the whole world. When I call my best friend I BELIEVE that just she can help me. When I dream about my Dad I BELIEVE that he feels good out “THERE” and he protects me. When I do my work I BELIEVE that it’s useful not only for me. When I drive I BELIEVE that it gives me freedom. When I read a book I BELIEVE that it gives me important knowledge. When I go to EuroMaydan I BELIEVE that people around me and I – we can change this dirty system. When I remember most painful moments in my life I BELIEVE that they changed my world for the better. When I love I BELIEVE that I BELIEVE. Because a human being can live without food, water, sleep and even air, but a human being can’t live without faith.
Blog entry
22.10.2013 | Lilia M.
So, today is the 26th of September and this is the day, I arrived to Bombay, India. I’ve already been in a bus and come to the mu hotel. I’m feeling quite excited, because, if you want to know, 9 hours in a plane is too much. But I’m here and everything is going well…still. There is a humid climate here and at the beginning it was difficult to breath but with the time I forgot about this.
In the outdoor the view is so multicolored. There is a huge variety of nationalities. Buildings, the people of different social classes. Everything come together here – cars, animals, peoples, carts.
Everything is moving all the time. The people’s clothes are loincloths and Indian traditional suits of different colors. After our dark subway I feel like in a cartoon.
Before this travel I had read about this town. The articles or stories warned me to be careful with the citizens and that there were embroil doubtful adventures and food (because Europeans stomach isn’t adapted for this kind of food). But I know you are interested in all of this the same way as I am, so I decided to try a bit on the ban. After my hotel settlement I’m going to meet with an Indian person from Bombay, because I want to feel an inner atmosphere of Bombay and nobody knows it better than the citizens. Then I’ll go to a street restaurant (the food is everywhere) to try the national cuisine.
One more thing, I’ve noticed everybody, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a man or a woman - they chew and then spit out something red. Looks awful, but I will find out what it is.
So, my dear readers, I’ll upload photos and videos every day. If you have questions about this place, just ask and I’ll try to find the answer. Hope you will enjoy my travel and find something beneficial for your next trips.
Speak to you soon again.
Sincerely yours. L
The Murder
29.01.2013 | Marina Orlovskaya
Private detective Alex Zorman looked at the clock in his office. It was exactly 19.00. It was getting dark outside and the rain had just started. He took an umbrella, which had been standing in the corner, picked up the key to his BMW from the table, the cell phone, a pen and the notebook with records. Then the detective closed his office and walked down the hall to the elevator. Having pressed the button of the elevator, Zorman was drilling his shoes with his eyes – he was thinking. He thought about a strange call. An hour before a man had called from an unknown number and asked for an urgent meeting. Alex had set up a meeting at 19.10 in the parking near his car. When the elevator door opened, Alex saw a puddle of blood was spreading over the floor, it was getting closer and closer to his new suede shoes.
He jumped back and looked inside. The body of a man was lying on the floor. His hand pressed his throat, as if he wanted to fix his tie, but instead of a tie the blood was flowing on his shirt, running down on the jacket and on his pants. Zorman took his cell phone and called 911. Then, intuitively, he dialed the stranger’s number and brought the phone to his ear. He heard the beeps and at the same time the standard Nokia ringtone rang in the pocket of the stranger. "This is him" -lightning of thought flashed in his head, "an hour ago, he was still alive and talked on the phone with me." Alex rushed into the elevator and pressed the first floor button while the cab was coming down, he searched the body. He found little: a box of matches, Camel, keys and a phone. The detective looked through the last dialed numbers. "Let's see, there is one missing call on my mobile phone at 19.05, he tried to call me at 18-00, but at the 17-55 there is one incoming call from someone called William ... well, you see William scared this poor man to death" - grimly joked to himself inspector. These were all that day’s calls.
"The ground floor" - said an artificial female voice and the elevator door opened. "Thank God, nobody’s here" - thought Zorman - "I don’t want any women’s shrieking or panicking”. Having found nothing to prop the elevator door up, Alex took the body's legs and pulled halfway out of the elevator. ”There is no blood anywhere on the ground floor," - noted the professional look of the detective. “It means he was stabbed inside the elevator”. Having stepped over the body, he went towards the security room. "Everything is straightforward and clear - Alex supposed, - Just watch the video from surveillance cameras, one of the cameras was right in front of the lift". At that time there were oncoming and increasing sirens of 911 from outside. "Well done" - detective smiled thinking about the services of 9111 and looked inside of the security room. It was empty. "And these guys do not work, especially when they have to" - thought the detective. He sat down at the table in front of the security guard monitors. Having switched the monitor of the right camera on, he pressed the rewinding button, took a cigarette out of the pack, smoked and picked the ashtray which had always been at the security gourds desk. Having looked at it, Alex saw the engraving: “To William from Inga”. Zorman took the badge with his two fingers, he read: security - William Milington ...
The elevator door breached silence of this crazy night. It could not close for obvious reasons.
Helen
05.04.13 | Yana Kazmirenko
Helen opened the window and breathed in the fresh air. Suddenly she heard a scream; she turned to close the window and saw a corpse. Her husband Mike had been lying on the red carpet for three hours. Then the doorbell ranged.
- Helen, could we help our charity unit, - asked an old neighbor Alice Don.
- Oh, maybe next time, - answered Helen. – I am used to paying big taxes.
- You always refuse, - offendedly said Alice and closed the door.
Helen returned to the room. What did she have to do with the body? Would she bury it in the garden? Or she would take it to the forest or dissolve it in acid? Smell of his cigars was still in the air. “Fire!” – sprang to her mind. Helen went to the car for five minutes. “Your car would be your last house” – she thought. She used the matches to fire the car. While the car was burning, she recalled the youth. She used to work in an office of a small company, when Mike proposed her to start working as a curator in a gallery. Women in the last century used to be nurses or teachers, but not curators. Mike was a tyrant in business, his day started from 7 a.m. and finished at nearly 11 p.m. But he was always in a good mood and had always something positive to say. He was a unique manager. She remembered the first success – the exhibition of the sketches by Van Gogh. The irony of fate was that her husband was killed because of the stolen Van Gogh’s last picture from the gallery and now she had to go to court and be punished for someone else`s crime.
Fear of the dark
18.07.2012 | Alexander Byrdin
I decided to write a story about a little girl, whose name was Katie. She lived with her parents. But she was very afraid of something. This something hid under her bed. Every night when Katie was going to bed was scared to death.
But she didn't tell anyone about it even her parents. She felt the presence of someone or something under her bed. Because of it she couldn't sleep throughout the night. When one morning came, she understood that she was sleeping. She decided that her fears can't go on any further. But she didn't want to tell her parents about it. She wanted to overcome her fear herself. One night she woke up because she felt cold. Then she saw that her blanket disappeared. She didn't see it even after she carefully looked for it around. She was afraid to move. It was very cold and she knew she had to do something about it.
At first she thought that it would be good to look under the bed. But it wasn't easy. Her fear overwhelmed her, so she couldn't move. Even the light of the moon wasn’t illuminating her room. There was darkness. At that moment she remembered about a flashlight, which was lying on the nightstand besides her bed. When she took it she lit under the bed, but there wasn't anything. She was surprised, because she considered that her blanket was there. Now she was confused. She had no other ideas about where it could be. She was getting colder.
She had to think up new ideas about where she had to looking for.
She couldn't leave the room because the door of the room was at the other end.
She was afraid to come down on the floor. She thought that under her bed there was someone who wanted to kidnap her. But suddenly the light was turned on in the room. She looked anxiously toward the door and saw her mother. She held the blanket in her hands. Katie sighed with relief. Her mother came to her bed and covered her with the blanket and said, "Have sweet dreams my dear daughter." Katie didn't know how her blanket turned out to be in the other room.
Crane Zahariy's Story
12/10/2011 | Anna Ustenko
Crane Zahariy was huge and strong. He built big a new bridge across the river Dnepro. Many people looked at him every day when they were passing by it while going to work. He was yellow like the sun. One morning Zahariy woke up. He didn't see the blue sky. It was a nightmare. But it wasn’t dream. He was lying in water and ugly brown oil was all around him. He didn't understand how it had happened. Many people stood around him and laughed at him.
Zahariy was depressed and confused. More and more people were coming to look at him.
Somebody was taking a photo of him. Somebody was trying to climb on him. This continued for many days. Crane understood that these people with photo cameras weren’t his enemies. They talked with him and brought him some presents.
But Zahariy felt lonely. He couldn’t work and he didn't remember how this accident had happened. Crane opened laptop and started write in twitter. He was describing all his emotions and that he was very thankful to all people who helped him.
Soon Zahariy became a star. And one day people on big cars set him on foot. Crane was happy and pleased. He could build the bride again. And he promised to himself that he wouldn’t drink alcohol any more.
Little Village in Woods
12/10/2011 | Svetlana Chernova
It happened in a small town. It seemed it wasn’t even on the map, because it was really tiny. This town was located among beautiful and high mountains.
One could get there only accidently. This place wasn`t seen in the mountains, it was closed away by thick flowering trees. And from the road it was completely invisible. The way to it was protected by a wide river and hills.
Friendly and happy people lived there. They were hardworking and kind. On Sundays they went to the street market and visited each other.
There was one man who lived in one of the houses. He was a respected astrologer. He had a long gray beard. None of the townspeople knew when he was born. It seemed he had always lived there.
When he used to leave his house, the kids ran to him to said hello. He gave sweets and cheerfully joked with them. And all the children thought he was a magician who could turn a stone into an insect and usual a stick into a beautiful flower. But, honestly saying nobody ever saw it. The kids just believed it was true.
Townspeople respected him also. They always asked for his advice when crops should be planted or ripped. When a baby was born in a family, the first thing they did was bringing this child to the astrologer. And astrologer always predicted the future of the baby. And this continued for many years. And it seemed that nothing would happen.
One night the astrologer watched the stars. They were unusual that night. They were particularly bright. It seemed that something unusual was to be born. And the next morning the astrologer already waited for special guests.
In the morning someone knocked on the door. It was a husband and wife. The woman held an envelope with her child. The man bowed to astrologer and asked him, "Tell us, astrologer, who would our son be, Mark?"
Astrologer looked into the eyes of the kid and said, "Your son will be a hero. The time will pass and he will be exactly the one who will save us". And now let him do what he wants. The husband and wife were surprised, but they said nothing. They trusted him.
The kid grew up clever, strong and healthy. All the time he spent in the woods or mountains, he learned to understand the language of birds and animals. A Falcon was his best friend. Once the falcon flew to Mark and told him that the regiment of soldiers approaching town. And if they found his town, they would kill all the people and the city would be burnt. Mark knew that he had to save the city from the disaster. But how? He could’t find the answer.
And at that time the astrologer appeared in front of him. Mark was surprised by that. How did he get there? But the astrologer, as if he was reading his thoughts, said, "I know how to save the people. Only you can help them". "But how? I am so young. I can`t fight"- Mark said. "We have to make a wall of stones on the road. They will decide that they got lost and will leave"- replied the astrologer. "But I will not be able to do it myself" - said Mark. "It is true! But the stars told me that you can communicate with animals. They will help you".
And at that time, Mark began to speak in the language of animals and birds. And in second there were animals: bears, mooses, wolves, hares. Over the glade there were birds flying. They were all as one. Mark told them about the stones and all animals begаn to throw stones on the road. They only stopped when piles of stones were high. No one could pass through it.
Everything happened, as the astrologer told. A regiment of soldiers approached the stones, but then turned around and never came back. It was a victory!
When the astrologer was back in town, he gathered all people in the main area and told them everything. Mark was a hero. Since then people began to communicate with the animals. And animals loved people.
The Aliens
12/10/2011 | Irina Ovchinnikova
Once upon a time there were aliens who came to the city New York. They arrived there quietly and unnoticeably. The purpose of their arrival was to gather information about the human kind. They decided to work in small groups, because it would give them the possibility to do the mission more effectively. That's why that prepared a big map where they indicated places which they needed to visit.
The aliens divided themselves into three groups allocating four of them in each. One of the groups (A) had to stay in the space ship to maintain the communication with the head office. The second group (B) had to go to the Wall Street to gather information concerning gold resources and prospects of capturing the financial resources of America. The last group (C) had to go to Pentagon to find out about the military forces and explore their weaknesses. One of the conditions for their collaborative work was to connect the group A every two hours …
The group C took off first because they were the strongest aliens out of all and they needed more time for their task. The group B was also ready to go. They took the last important instructions and left the board. In two hours when the time to get in touch with the A group was due the group C had already come to the place of destination and was ready to start the operation. The group B got a bit lost but on the whole they were also ready to start the operation. The group A at the time was waiting to receive the confirmation order from the head office to start the operation.
The group B, while approaching the point of destination, saw the Manhattan Street with a lot of discounts and because they were still waiting for the order to come they decided to try on some designer clothes with good discounts. Having tried several items of clothing they decided to buy a few. Unfortunately, they didn't have American dollars, so they decided to exchange their walkie-talkie thing for money in the place called pawnshop. So, they got money – as they thought – a lot of money. And with a happy stupid smile they went back to the store ... At that time everybody had already got the order. The group A got the order to control both other groups. The group C got the order to start the operation in Pentagon. The worker of pawnshop got the order to start the financial operation.
Each group started to realize the orders but the group B already exceeded the plan having tried on all the clothes from five boutiques. After they missed connection with the group A three times the head office and the group A decided to cancel the order of the group C and send it to find the group B. After five hours of searching they finally found them with a lot of designer clothes and fridge magnets. The group C also wanted to buy something for themselves but the head office insisted on returning to the spaceship. When they returned to the ship, both groups with failed tasks, everybody was angry, except the group B - with new great clothes. That's why the group A and C decided to share the clothes with the whole team and leave all magnets to head office.
Theme for Astroforum
15.07.2010 | Dmitri Vaga
On 15th of June at 23.30 p.m. my mom got a call from my aunt Lesya, she is actually our neighbor, too. Lesya said that she saw a UFO in the sky. My mom and I ran outside and saw 12 white clouds over us which were moving clockwise. I thought that that was funny and, of course, I didn't believe in any UFOs. Then I ran to my other neighbors and showed them that phenomenon. My mum said that some Europeans saw similar strange things before a hurricane. So she began to worry. Everybody who observed that didn't know what it was. I wanted to shoot the UFO, but my camera had limited features.
Next morning I called my uncle Alex in Kiev and he said, "You must draw what you saw and send it to me". I did that and Alex started a theme in the astroforum. People started to discuss these 12 white clouds in a night sky. Some said that they were just spotlights, others thought about aliens and some connections to inhabitants of the earth. I said, "If I am lucky, I will see that thing again at night".
And so it was. I observed exactly the same picture the following evening. Though, at some moment I remembered about the circus which stopped in our village. My neighbor Pablo suggested me checking it out. So we went to the circus. When we arrived, we saw the UFOs that landed. I shot that device and told this funny story to the circus workers. We just laughed and then understood that that was only a Mirazh, so-called plant. I called my uncle and he closed the theme in astroforum.
Black BMW 7th
05.2010 | Pavel Rusnak
Once upon a time there was a man. It was a very poor and unhappy man. He had no family, no hobby, no friends... nothing except his boring job in the office in a little unknown shoe manufacturing company. Every day he was staying in his office till midnight because he didn’t have anyone to hurry to. He had no plans and thought that he lost his childhood.
One evening when he was returning home he got under rain and got completely soaked. He reached his pocket to take out a pack of cigarettes, but there was none. He dropped the pack into a dustbin, but missed. Again he thought he was the biggest loser in the world. Then he took his eyes up and saw a billboard on the other side of the road. In capital letters there was written a strange phrase, “You are a blacksmith of your own happiness” and a telephone number a little lower but he couldn’t see it exactly since the numbers were really tiny. He moved towards the billboard across the road and nearly fell under the wheels of a big black BMW 7th, which was passing by with high speed and loud signal.
555-73-45 clicked a man on his mobile telephone, but in the answer heard only a voicemail, saying, “When you want to solve your life problem, do all things vice-versa”. “Oh, thank you”, - said the man and thought, that it was somebody’s stupid joke. He sat on the wet ground and started to cry. After a while he really decided to do all things vice versa. He had nothing to lose. So he steeply jumped and began to laugh very much and very loudly. The patrol cops car, which was passing by him stopped.
The next moment he already was sitting in a prison cell, and from the words of other prisoners understood, he was suspected in drug dealing. Unexpectedly for himself, though, during the next two weeks in the prison he met a lot of friends. When he was finally freed he began to create a radically new and strange model of new shoes, which had a big demand at that time. He met also a young girl and was ready to become a father. The secret of his success was that he was doing all things vice-verse.
When he was attending one party, which was organized in his honor, he decided to joke – he said he was going to jump out from the roof of his house into the swimming pool in the court. All his friends screamed, “Don’t do it, Johny!” But as we know he was doing always vice-verse … and he jumped.
When he opened his eyes he saw only wet hot asphalt, small pieces of glass and crump bonnet of a big black BMW 7th.
Snowy Storm
04.2010 | Alexey Sasimov
It was a usual Monday morning. Sam got up early at seven o’clock because he got fixed up in a new job. There he could earn 500$. It was a lot for him. It was his first work. He had taken a high education in the main university of Switzerland. He was a secretary. In twenty minutes he had a breakfast and went out from home. The day was usual but Sam felt that something might happen. When he was working his best friend named Luka called him. Luka invited him for a trip to mountains. Sam didn’t want to go there but there was his girlfriend Jane. He couldn’t miss a meeting with her, because he loved her. Next Saturday they took the skis and went by car to the mountains. The mountains were near the city so it wasn’t a big problem to get there. In thirty minutes our friends arrived and then they started their trip.
It was a sunny day. Nothing was to happen. Jane was listening to music but Sam and Luca were speaking about the weather. They heard on the radio that that day a snowy storm was ready to start, but nothing foreboded it. They pleased landscapes but suddenly sun disappeared and the snow began. It was nothing terrible, because it wasn’t a snowy storm, so trip continued, but Sam understood that we were in danger. They were four hours away from the town. Sam understood it but could do nothing, because he thought that if he said something about coming back, he would look like a coward. It was evening. The weather was getting colder and colder. Then we prepared the tent for sleeping. And in spite of everything it was his best evening in his life. They brought a lot of food with them and ignited a fire. Everything was ok. The nature around was beautiful. After eating they went to bed.
After a little while Sam woke up because it was windy. He understood that the weather changed. He went out and saw the snowy storm. Suddenly, the wind started to blow the tent off. Sam woke Luka and Jane and said that they must do something because they were in real danger. Luka offered to go to the town, but Sam said that it would be impossible because it was really dangerous weather. But Luka insisted on returning back and said that he would go to the town alone or with Jane. Jane decided to stay with Sam, then Luca left them and went to the town alone. Sam understood that Luca didn’t have a chance to survive. But at that moment Sam had to think only for himself and for Jane. He was face to face with the enraged weather and with his girl that he loved. Sam started to dig a hole. There they could hide from the storm. When Jane wanted to take things from the tent she couldn’t see tent because it was taken away by the wind. In fifteen minutes Sam finished digging then they climbed into the hole and started to wait. Sam remembered about his mobile phone. He wanted to call the rescuers, but there was no connection.
In two days they waited till the storm calmed down and climbed up to the surface. Everything was covered by snow. Sam called the rescuers and asked them for help. In thirty minutes they came and took them to the hospital. When they arrived to the hospital, they knew a bad news. Luca died. His dead body was found near the camp. Sam thought that that situation would be a lesson for their whole lives.
Ukri
04.2010 | Nikolay Zazulyak
I think you must know it! It is one of the world’s endless questions, - Who we are and how we appeared.
I have decided that now I could tell you it because my life is protected. My facts will go through all historical and scientific truths.
When our earth wasn’t populated, it was one single continent. It was the place where the fist human civilization was born. We don’t know what it was called, though these people named themselves Ukri.
Ukri was developing very fast and every settlement has its personal vector of development. But they had open relationships and were populating all the earth. That’s why now we can find somebody who looks like us in all the places of the world.
But then for certain incomprehensible reasons everything changed. It was because an asteroid of enormous size hit the earth and split it apart. Everything was destroyed. However, there were some people, the smartest and most organized of that civilization, which saved their lives on one little part of land that suffered the least, we call it Atlantida. They made everything for the renewal of the majestic civilization and human settling all over the world. It was difficult to do since their world network of communication was destroyed and their language bit by bit changed and human being became more and more different.
Our government knows it but they don’t want to unite the world because they would lose their power and influence over us. We can see different political processes of supporting one or the other political interest, vector of development, and etc. But it is we who must do everything possible for our better future. It is because we are famous Ukris – the direct successors of our ancestors. We feel our forefathers. Besides, just in case if you don’t know, the abbreviation UA, it means, “Ukrainians Amazing”!
The Lake
03.2010 | Andrei Koval
It was a usual morning. Mao woke up in a good mood. There was a very good weather and he was ready for his usual day. His boat was prepared for fishing and he hoped to catch a lot of fish that today. He got up from bed and went out from his hut. All people in his village did the same as usual. Some of them were going to go fishing, other were repairing instrument, and women were cooking breakfast and playing with children.
They lived in very beautiful valley, on the bank of a lake. Their village was surrounded with green forest and high mountains. The lake was full of fish. It was the best place to live in.
Mao went through the village to his girl Oki. She was very beautiful and Mao thought about their wedding next autumn. He went and greeted villagers. All were affable, and there seemed to be nothing special. But something was. There was something inconspicuous in the air. Something, that made this day special. That day was a day “choice”.
Every year one of the inhabitants of the village had to leave. He was supposed to go to a far gorge, stand on a big stone and after that he would disappear. After that nobody would ever see him again. Every villager knew if nobody goes there would be a great disaster to their village. And that day all people had to choose the one who would have to leave this year.
Mao came to Oki. She ran towards him from her hut. As soon as they embraced, a loud bell has sounded. It was a signal for the Meeting. Mao and Oki went to the center of the village.
When they came, all people were there. All were worried and scared. The shaman began the ritual. He started his wild dance. There was something primeval in that dance, something from animals. It was a fascinating spectacle. At the end of his dance shaman had to show who would go this year.
Suddenly shaman stopped his dance. He walked through the crowd and pointed to Oki with his spear. The choice was made. Mao couldn't understand. All his life was broken at once. Oki became pale, but seemed calm.
Oki said good bye to the relatives, hugged Mao and went to the side of the far gorge.
Mao stayed alone. He stood and didn't know what he could do. After several minutes he also went to the far gorge. He followed Oki. And as soon as she approached the big stone, he jumped on it instead of her.
All around him turned dark. He didn't see and didn't hear anything. After several seconds he appeared in a very strange place. He was standing over an abyss and a lot of flying rocks were flying under him. He didn't know what he could do further. After several minutes he realized that he had to get to the other side of the abyss. He started jump from one flying rock to another. It was very difficult. Several times he almost fell. But in the end, after a great deal of suffering he reached the other side of the abyss.
As soon as he jumped down from the last rock, the world around him darkened again.
And, thus, he appeared on the next strange place. It was a flat plateau. And nothing was there. Suddenly, somewhere from behind the rocks a huge monster jumped to Mao. Monster tried to catch him and Mao ran. Monster almost caught this little man, so Mao had no choice but to climb the rock. He understood that the rock wasn't a problem for the monster and that he had to do something to save his life.
Abruptly, he saw a big stone from the other side of the rock. He went there and started to call the monster. When monster came, Mao pushed a stone on the head of the monster. When the monster was no longer moving, a strange sound appeared and something like a huge window opened in the sky.
Through this window Mao saw the large creature that looked like a man, it stared at Mao. The creature was sitting in the strangest place of those that he had ever seen in his life. This was something even more amazing than the flying rocks and the huge monster…
One Day Story
03.2010 | Dmitiri Vaga
Oh, my God, again that unbearable noise! I am so fed up with it. How can it be? And this is happening every single morning. It doesn’t give me enough of sleep. That’s it, I change my registration! I'm leaving! Has every heard me? - And Ms. Roger invites Danila and Catherine for lunch. Mr. B, a husband of Ms. Roger, furiously is slurping his coffee. I did nickname him in such a way because he was too big for the chair he sits on.
No, this is a bad idea to leave the Roger’s family! They sheltered me when I was only two months old. I am very grateful to them for such kindness and generous hospitality. And I am used to tasty pies with apples and bilberry from Ms. Roger. She makes them in the days when I don’t have upset stomach. I have been in a good family, but they often forget about my existence.
I have a big sib. Except my parents, who went on a trip around the world by a cruise ship St. Mary, I only have Uncle Sam. He lives not far from me in a house nearby. His home is in a box of rice. My cousin Marty works in a restaurant on the 5th Avenue. He deals with exquisite European cuisine, - Yummy! But we are unpretentious in food. We do not need foie-gras, cheese with red mold, sushi or even a hamburger from McDonald's. We always find something to eat.
According to the stories of my uncle, who replaced the parents, our ancestors served in NATO forces, were in the Vietnam, Kosovo wars, and are currently working for the benefits of the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq. They entrusted an important mission connected with the destruction and disposal purveyance of enemy troops. Many of my relatives have awards from the motherland. After his release from the ranks of the U.S. Army my peaceful brothers share the experience with others and govern in hostess storeroom. We also have great importance for science. Without our help it is not possible to progress in medicine, we invented the cure to many diseases, the price of their health, even life, but will not go into detail, children read us.
As you understand, I am a little mouse. My name is Leedsy. But my friends call me, “Acute sense of smell”. So, for you, I am – Leedsy - “Acute sense of smell”. I celebrated the 2nd birthday this winter. The first was when I was born, and second, when I escaped from the embraces of the cat Gary. He left on my body a lot of scars that decorated me and the girls like it. If we are talking about girls, I have my beloved Betty. She has probably no idea of my existence, but I love her. Once we our eyes met and it was love at the first sight. I could not do anything else at that moment and since that I’ve never seen her, but the eyes, and her silhouette I'm still holding in my memory. Most of all I would like to see her again.
If to talk about my own weekdays, I like lively lifestyle. To lie on the sun, warm gizzard up and sip the juice from the tubes - it's not for me. I love to run on the block, to stir up all the cats around, to visit Central Park with Uncle Sam and to analyze the demand of visitors for the content of garbage boxes, to play football with friends in the kitchen in some cozy cafes, at the end of the day to go down in underground and meet the sunset on the shore of the ocean, then to return home. This is my life - full of adventures and unplanned events.
So, you have enough information about me, and in this way I am confident that I can start telling about one day in history. No! One story from history. Oh, my God, I'm confused. So let’s begin!
The day began, as you already know, from the morning commotion. Having woken up, I stretched myself and instantly realized that I was hungry. My acute sense of smell noticed oatmeal cookies on the shelf above. It is so attractive! I decided to taste it. When I got to the breakfast, I heard screams and a weird noise. Children shouted and a chair where Mr. B. set fell down. I decided to flee without looking back. Host ran after me. I ran to the balcony, jumped on the rails and could not keep myself and flew down. Having realized that the life started to shorten drastically, I remembered everything. After closing my eyes, I was ready for the worst to happen, but I was lucky and I found myself on the roof of the summer cafes. After a couple of tricks, I appeared on my own four paws on the roadway of Manhattan. I felt free and decided to walk.
New York - the capital of the world. The crowd, the huge taxi, hot-dogs at every step, bright advertising and a sense of freedom - all these show the greatness of a megacity. I'm just a little mouse, midget in the country of giants. Two minutes of capture and thinking passed. I realized that I have the chance to see my uncle and once again I feel the beauty of life in the big city.
Jumping into the passing by bus, I got on the other side of the block, where my uncle lived. He was not at home. Probably he had an important business in town.
My stomach sang incomprehensible melody and I decided to visit my cousin Marty. He worked on the 5th Avenue. I met him and he kindly bought me cheese and fresh milk. But he was not alone. He was with her, Betty. I blyushed immediately. Marty began to taunt me. I was embarrassed; my heart went to the heel, my pulse rate increased. Everything was interrupted by a waitress, who raised a mad cry having seen our meal. We ran wherever we could! Marty began to pretend as if nothing had happened and continued to chew. I rushed with Betty to where I thought we would be safe. When everything was over, we rested. After that we got to know each other.
She was wonderful. Its unmatched appearance, charming smile, brilliant hair, perfect figure, elegant dress - all these made me to forget about Marty.
We talked about life, about preferences, about food, about tastes, about the world around us. The time was running unnoticeably. I immediately thought that I knew her for a hundred years. She suited me perfectly. The evening came and I suggested seeing the sunset. After having received a favorable response from her, we were at the Coney Island, in the Lower New York Bay. Last rays of the evening sun warmed us; seagulls circled low over the water, there was a romantic atmosphere. I felt sympathy from Betty’s side and it was great. My dream came true. My soul sang. I was ready to turn over the mountains.
I concluded that in life everything is not accidental. My morning awakening, acute sense of smell, Mr. B, employment of Uncle, unbearable Marty, the waitress - all helped me from the morning. Life is beautiful; I do not want to complain about it!
Do not be afraid to dream, do not be afraid to take risks, live each day with enthusiasm, remember that you are needed, do not forget about your loved ones – I am telling you, I am a little mouse, Leedsy, “Acute sense of smell”. Good luck! ;)
Fate changes
03.2010 | By Victoria Yanishevskaya
Once upon a time in a small village lived an ordinary girl. Although her life was going on like those of others, she understood that she was special and mysterious. She did not say about that to anyone. It was her secret. As the time passed by she was becoming older and older. Something was good, something bad. And one day she started to notice that someone was chasing her. Everyday there were a yellow car and men in black. She was not afraid, she understood something was about to happen.
So, one day on her 16th birthday an old man came to her. That man told her that she had the power to feel people, understand their wishes. She thought that she knew it all her life. She entered life of mysterious people but, unfortunately, this power had its own disadvantages. Because she was behaving in a very strange way, her father teased, thinking that she was influenced by a bad company of friends. But she couldn’t reveal her secrete to him. Every time when she was among people her head was just splitting in pain. Despite this fact she helped many people to realize their dreams. And she also knew that everyone from their planet will help her. There were a lot of people with the power. They were able to see through walls and to see the future. From that time on her every day became wonderful and very different from that past. Later her daddy accepted the changes he saw in the life of his daughter and understood that only these changes could make her happy.
I won’t tell you what happened to her after that, what she went through, because it would be a very long story, the idea is that miracles are real and you never know how your fate would change your life...
The Bridge
03.2010 | Alexander Andreev
He walks along the street and thinks, “What will I do with it?” Grey clouds on the sky don’t promise the day will without rain. Strong north wind forces him to be muffled up.
In a distance he detects a bridge. That is the bridge where he has to meet her in 10 minutes. His palm feels the rough and cold surface of a gun handle. And this feeling gives him more strength, so he starts walking faster.
Her hair uncurled downwind. She looks from the bridge to the river and it seems that she doesn’t feel the cold of the coming winter.
- Hi Helen, how are you? – he said.
- Hi Tom, fine, what about you? – said Helen.
- Very bad without you.
- Please, Tom doesn’t start it again. – whispered Helen.
- How can you do it? How can you leave me? What is wrong? – starts crying Tom.
- Tom it is my decision and I don’t want to discuss it with you.
- Why? Please, explain it to me, Helen!
- Tom! I don’t want talk about it! Don’t … Her voice was broke by a shot.
-Tom comes to the body and shoots again. “In the movies killers always do the final shot into the head” – thinks Tom. The last shot sounds.
After a while Tom thinks:
- What have I done? Did I kill her?!
- Yes. So what is the next step? I don’t remember what I should do the next!
- Stop! Be calm… First of all you need to hide the body.
- I don’t want to go into prison…
- Relax, mate! Nobody goes into prison! In a few minutes the body will be hid.
He is standing over the body. His palm squeeze gun handle. The gun tube is smoking slowly.
Dreams come true
01.2010 | Julia Dudernia
Once upon a time, there was a little girl, whose dream was to be a famous singer. She lived in the countryside of New York City. Her name was Christina. She was a great person and a beautiful girl, but she was very poor and hadn’t a possibility to learn in popular schools and universities. Christina’s parents were teachers and worked in a high school. They taught her all the most important things, especially to be a good and honest person in every situation.
The time passed by and Christina became a woman. As her parents were too old to work, she had to work in the city restaurant as a waitress. It was popular place to have a rest and there was a great piano. When all clients went home and they started to close Christina always played and sang. When she was a child, her father took her to his school, where he worked and learned how to play and sing. He was very talented and Christina had as great voice as her dad did. Her friends and colleagues were jealous because of her amazing voice.
One dark night, when the restaurant was being closed Marc went home. Although he was one of the greatest producers even they had bad days. It was one of them. His car broke down and his best singer resigned. As a person, Marc was self-confident, stubborn and vain. As all heroes with character like his, he was unbelievably handsome and his heart was kind. When he walked round Christina’s restaurant, suddenly he heard a beautiful voice. He stopped and entered the place, where he was hearing that voice. It was Christina. She was singing as usually, but for him it was like a dream. Marc looked at her and couldn’t stop looking. He fell in love with Christina the moment he saw her beautiful eyes, which were full of hope and love.
After this meeting he became her producer and Christina’s dream came true. They couldn’t stop loving each other and lived together till they died. As for Christina’s wish to be a popular singer, she didn’t wait for the world fame, which was waiting for her for all this years. She understood that all she needed is faith. Faith in one’s own strengths, in people who supported one and, of course, in love, because of which one may only live.
Before death, Christina said these words, which became popular very fast:
P.S: when you believe in something, and believe very strongly, it will certainly come true. All you need is to believe in yourself and you will be happy. Really. Believe me. I know what I’m saying …
Denis and Mary
12.2009 | Dmitiriy Vaga
Once upon a time, when people didn’t know about cars, the Internet, supermarkets and rided on horses, ate primitive food, in some fantastic country, which was called Cornwelland, lived young boy Denis. He was 16 but he was very small that was why all children laughed at him and taesed him, also he didn’t have any friends. He felt very bad and alone, but her mother asked God that he would help her son. Mother bealived that the miracle will come. In some time, Denis fell for one girl but he couldn’t tell her what he felt about her.
There was a snowy winter. The weather was very nice, the sun was shining brightly and all children were waiting for the New Year and Christmas holidays. They presanted some things to each other. These could be somekind of wooden characters, animals, soft toys, which they made by thenselves. He also prepared some gifts for Mary, it was a girl which he loved. But he couldn’t give her that toy.
One day when his village celebrated the New Year holiday he was sitting at home and had a bad mood because all teenagers were spending time outside, they were playing snowball, jocking, dancing around the New Year tree, drinking hot tea but he felt lonely and abundant. Nobody wanted to play with him.
His mother looked at his sufferings and God heard her. And he send an angel for her son. When Denis was sleeping in his room, a bright light got into his room through the window and the angel appeared in the middel of his room. Denis woke up and he was very afraid because he thougt that his house was in fire. But when he saw the angel he calmed down. The angel said, “God heard the request from your mother and can help you!” Suddenly the angel disappeared and the boy felt than he grew up. It happend at night between the 6th and 7th of January when all Christian celebrate Christmas holiday.
At that time he was very happy and because of this he woke his mother up and started to danced with a great joy.
After this he got a lot of friends and made a proposal to Mary. And they were very happy thereafter.
One 'Sunny' Day
09.2009 | Anna Bulytko
That day was sunny and nice, it was a memory day. A friendly family decided to visit a house, where one year before their best friend, Robert, had disappeared. Marta and Frank got acquaintanced with him, when they had a weekend off in Florida. He helped them to look after July, their daughter and they had a good time together. From that time they phoned each other almost every day and met together on holidays. One day they called Robert, but there was no answer… from that day nobody saw him, and all people tried to avoid his house… People had a legend, that Robert was stolen by a priest.
When they arrived, they saw a nice place near the river. Frank said: «O, God, this place looks like a paradise, oh Robert… why today you cannot be with us»? Than he said louder: «Robert…come back..Robert»!
«Come down, we have to spend this day with a smile and good memories…. Ce can't bring him back, but nobody will steal our good memory about Robert”, said Marta.
When the night came, July was watching TV, then she felt a little wind…and then she saw an open window. “Father, are you here?” she asked and felt a hand on her mouth and knife on her throut…Few minutes later her mother heard somebodies steps out of house. She ran out to the yard… There was a hand with a ring, that was the ring wich Robert presented to their daugter. She stard to scream. Frank ran to her and they saw a woman and July’s body near the river.
They tried to pull her out, but she wonted to kill them also… Frank took her knife off and in a moment she was on the grass, the knife was in her hear... In tears Marta has shouted why? Why my daughter?
The women said, «I loved Robert very much, but he loved July…I killed him and was waiting the moment to kill July… now, I have nothing to do in my life... I can die» and close her eyes.
Marta and Frank came back home. They will never see their best friend. They will never hug their daughter. They will never forget that day. But in their hearts there will always be warm love to their lovely persons.
Story about little girl
03.04.2009 | Intermediate | Anna Bulytko
This is a story about a little girl. When she was a child – animals found her in the woods and she lived with them... animals helped her to build a house and brought her all things for living… She was so nice and wanted to know everything about life. She saw a lot of pictures from real life, where people like her lived, but she was afraid of that word. Once a big tiger came to the woods… he killed a lot of animals and wanted to eat a little girl without a name. Her best friend monkey helped her to run away… She ran and ran…then fell down and fell asleep.
When she woke up, she saw a strange man…he was looking at her and gave her a hand to stand up. She wondered. He was very handsome…but she had never seen people… she started shouting…but he hugged her and said – “everything will be ok”. All his life he had lived alone… he’d liked nature and thought that he would never fall in lone …But when he saw her eyes…that was love at first sight. They were very happy to find each other. Then they found an article in a newspaper that said that there was an airplane crash 18 years ago and so she was just one person who survived…She lived to meet him and to be happy.
Acute sight
26.03.2009 | Intermediate | Victoria Yanishevska
Once upon a time there lived a girl in a little village who was very intelligent and pretty. However she had a very strange completion and she didn’t look as anybody else. She had short dark hair, black eyes and straight nose. She had never dreamt about a beautiful prince on the white horse. Although she wanted to meet her love but she knew that he would be completely different from the other men. Also I want to tell you why she was so strange. Everyone thought that she was a witch because her eyes were deep and acute. If she looked into your eyes she would read your mind and wishes. So she looked for a man who would have a clean soul and good desires.
On her 17th birthday her father presented her a beautiful white balloon. She was playing with it in the meadow of the dark and very old forest. Suddenly, it started to rain and her balloon was taken away by the strapping wind. She went home being dramatically upset and she sat near the window for a week and expected her balloon wholeheartedly. All of a sudden she saw it and understood that it was calling her to go after it. She ran for a couple of hours vigorously. Suddenly balloon stopped near a clean picturesque lake. As soon as she looked at it she remained there forever.
She stood there since there wasn’t any pure soul that she could look into …
Moidodyr
12.09.08 | Upper-Intermediate | Vyacheslav Kulko
Were you afraid of Moidodyr when you were a child? If you say no, you either have no memory or had no imagination. Well, just try to imagine now a creature that consists of sink, toilet, buckets, brushes... And this creature is alive, it moves and tries to catch you and... wash you to... holes..? Or how should we otherwise translate Moidodyr (Wash-to-holes)?
So, there was one boy six years old who just investigated that Moidodyr exists. It was not very scary near the mother and sitting on the chair in the park sunny day. The boy had wasted his hands by soil and didn't want to clean up. When mother told him a story about Moidodyr the boy was not surprised, even boring a bit. “Of course, when you waste you hands, don't expect story about gremlins that steal the bad boys who don't eat soup. This story is waiting for you at a dinner” - the boy thought. He knew all mother's tricks very well.
In a month boy was moved to the countryside to his grandma. The official version told that boy had to take vitamins and sun. But the boy suspected that mother and farther don't love him anymore and want to get out of him. Now he very regretted about some of his faults that were the most annoying for his parents.
So, the boy rambled by the house and one day he opened the door of the room which resided under the roof. The room had steeped wall (actually it was a roof) with a windows on it. The half-round window started straight from the floor. Faint light spreaded across the wooden squeaking floor. There is only old sofa was in this room... and... It was the GIGA cupboard. It was abnormally huge and improbable old. There were billions of one hundred years old teapots, cups, strange porcelain figures... It was.. Well, it was Moidodyr's boss.
At this moment grandma lifted by stairs to this room. She had a brush with paint in her hands. “Oh, you've founded this room yet, good boy. This is just on time, because I am painting you room so you have to sleep in this room tonight” - she said.
The boy cried all the day but grandma was inflexible. So at the evening the boy went to this room. Those evening he dried his teeth as never before, he cleaned his ears perfectly, he even brush his hair what he didn't do never in his life. Than the boy went to the room switch on an old lamp near the bad (the lamp made a circle of light across his bad) and laid down on the sofa. Grandma kiss his and went out of the room.
Nobody knows what happened those night. But when at the morning grandma opened the door, the boy was sitting on the floor where cupboard should stay, watching into the window and don't hear her. When grandma touched him, he turned back and grandma saw that the boy absolutely grey.
In a week boy's parents took him to the city, and he became the only grey first former in the world. And than he became a TV star. But he still don't like Moidodyr. And his children don't know nothing about Chukosky's books.
Strashil-ka
12.09.08 | Upper-Intermediate | Victoria Kulko
One day we decided to travel to London.
- It will be great! – we thought and went to the railway station to buy tickets. We bought two tickets and began preparing for our trip. We packed two pair of checked coats (all people of GB dress in checked coats, of cause), two umbrellas (there is always rain, of cause) and complete set of Shakespeare (we prepared to visit Globe).
When the time came we went to the railway station and got on the coach. Coach was very strange. It had a very sinister look. Wild stench was in the air. Windows were so dirty that passengers couldn’t see the view. Doors squeaked like a displeased dead man. Children were crying all way long without any adequate reason. Adults were sitting with absolutely glassed eyes. Some people were sleeping and saliva was dropping on their breasts. Sometime later a strange cripple with crosswords entered in our coach and children began to cry much more.
Five hours later locomotive driver asked for free coaches. It was quite strange because the way to London takes more than twenty-four hours.
- It's nothing! – we thought and said «Good afternoon» to the first comer Englishmen. Englishmen went very quickly without any questions.
- We must improve our English, of cause! – we thought with sorrow.
- How can we get to Globe? – we asked the next stranger with a true English pronunciation.
- Pashka? Globa? Tak vin ge tut davno vge g ne give… - a local citizen answered to us without any hint of English.
The name of that homestead was Poddon (full name is Gnilij Poddon). You find it easily between Shepetovka and Gmerenka. Or – if bought tickets in kiev ticket office where deaf cashier sits.
SKAZ_KA
1.08.08 | Intermediate | Victoria Kulko
Her name was Nobody but people called her simply Zero. Honestly saying - they called her very rarely. And if to be absolutely honest we will say that people never called her because they never noticed this girl. Those people were not very bad or indifferent. The reason was in the girl – because in the place where other people had face that girl had only dark and fuzzy blot (such faces one can find only on a very-very old and damaged photos).
And in general that girl was insignificant. She had empty thoughts, she saw not memorable dreams, talked too quiet, did useless things and lived an unnoticeable life.
- It is not so bad… Millions people certainty live like me… Am I right? – asked she often, but nobody answered her. It was because her question was too quiet and too unimportant.
- I am Zero – she used to say. – But it’s very comfortable to be Nothing. All the more, people remember about me very often and think good about me. For example they say: «What a day! Nothing good!» Or: «What a life! Nothing good!»
She had had many empty years and saw a lot of vacuous dreams until one day she met him. At first she didn’t notice him. She didn’t notice him when she saw him second time, too. But in the third time she suddenly saw his face. It was the same like her ones. It was nothing. And it was very strange because she never saw her reflection like in a mirror….
- Nothing good! – people said about that. – Ha! Two zeros! No sense! They need at least one “One” (единичку).
…Two zeros didn’t know what they had to do. That was why they simply took hands of each other. Nothing good happened and made up.
Except new symbol that looked like this ∞…
The Letter
30.07.08| Intermediate | Vyacheslav Kulko
It happened one day when I was at work.
The phone rang and when I took the receiver men's voice said, "Hmmm, It is ‘Lost-and-found’ service speaking.
Are you mister Kulko?
"Yes" - I said
"We have something for you. You've lost your life".
I had no time for jokes so I said something impolite and interrupted this dumb conversation. Next day receptionist said to me: "Mister Kulko, please come to the reception. The ‘Lost-and-found’ service has something for you".
It was very good opportunity to finish this joke so I went to reception.
I was quite surprised when I saw a messenger. It was a dog. Not small dog, which I don’t like (honestly, I think that there are two different kinds of animals - small dogs and big dogs). It was big, healthy and proud creature. Everyone who see him will trust him definitely. The dog was glad to see me. He raised and came to me as an old acquaintance. There was an envelope on his neck.
I took the envelop and saw: "Read it". There was just one word in the letter: "Enough".
"Enough" I read and took a look at the dog. He was laughing as only a good dog was able to.
"Enough", I said and walls of the building disappeared. I was not scared because I felt fresh air, sunny... It was quite unusual for Wednesday when all things tend to be unresolved and you have no time... You have no time for anything.
Then I saw my wife. She stood on the roof of the neighbor building and there was another big dog near her.
"Hmmm, you said enough to your work? I did not expect it" - she smiled.
Building under her legs slowly became invisible and disappeared in a minute. And... we came... higher and higher... The four of us... And now we are happy without... how does spell that word?
A Story I Heard of
31.05.08 | Intermediate | Andrey Koval
This story I heard a few years ago from a stranger in small café. It was a small not young man, in big brown hat. The host of the café told me not to listen him, but I was alone and have some time, therefore when stranger told to me I didn’t stopped him.
He told me that he had lived in small village near there. He had family it was wife and two young daughter. One time he left his house and went for a job. He went back at night. It was a dark night. He was sleepy. Suddenly his car bumped into something. He stopped, went out from his car, looked around. But he didn’t find anything. And he went on. But when he come back home, he didn’t find there his family. He had started searching them. But nobody was there. It was a complete darkness in the house. He went upstairs and saw lighting behind the door. He opened the door and saw lighting firework of a woman to young girls. But it wasn’t his family. He was frightened, but he wanted to know what had happened with his own family and he asked ghost of a woman what had happened. She answered him that when he came back home he killed her and her daughter on the road and they came and replaced his own family. And they would live in this house forever. Man ran away from the house. But later, he came back many times, but he never saw his family or ghosts.
I didn’t believe this man that time. I only paid for my coffee and went away.
Night Horror
09.2009 | by Julia Duderina
A few months ago, a young family couple was driving along the road. It was a dark, cold, and horrible night. Suddenly, Danila heard a terrible noise. His girl Jane was confused because she didn't know about cars even the simplest things, but the reason was obvious for him, - they ran out of petrol.
They stopped the car and went out. Jane proposed to stay near the car but Danila told her that they had to find a near town or village or even someone, because it was an old abandon road in the forest. The time past by. Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything that was related to human.
Jane started to be nervous, naturally, so they stopped and sat under a tree. Unexpectedly, they heard extremely strong, loud and terrifying animal's voice, which echoed from the depth of the forest. It seemed that it was a scream of a beast. Danila and Jane never heard such a cut deep noise.
Their hearts almost stopped because of the fear they had. They could neither move no carry on. Young people understood that if they didn't do somewhere and would sit on the same place, they would die. Jane and Danila stood up and started to walk slowly and very carefully without any sound. But after few steps they stopped in fear because of the thing they saw: on the forest meadow, which was all in the moonlight, stood the beast.
It was something with red eyes what's had a bright yellow shade and with sharp as razor claws and teeth. It wasn't a man but it wasn't an animal. It seemed that he was from hell. Lovers started to run out keeping each other's hands. Unexpectedly, although Danila felt Jane's hand in his one, when he turned round Jane wasn't there. At that very moment he heard a horrible scream. It was his girl. Danila ran and ran towards the sound really wishing to save Jane but it was too late. He started to shake with fear and his face was in tears. All the glade was in human blood. In the middle of the forest meadow Danila saw torn Jane's body. In despair he ran to her, he wanted to kiss her lips which were in blood for the last time, but suddenly he saw the beast's shade behind him...
Several days later he got back to his consciousness. He was in a big forest-guard's house near the road. Danila opened the window and saw his car. He remembered events of that terrible night. That day he found out that this forest was damned and the beast was a guard of it. He killed everyone who came in. Man told Danila that he was the first who stayed alive after meeting with devil's son. But why? This is the biggest secret of Danila 's life.
Important memory
27.11.2013 | Anna T.
It happened one day when the whole family was having dinner. At that time I was about six years old. We were all sitting in the kitchen and eating, when all of a sudden the cornice fell loudly hitting the floor. Now I think that that was a sign. In about two hours the telephone rang and we were told the grandmother died.
The next day we went to the village. My mother undertook all the organizational matters related to the funerals. She had a lot of different things to worry about that day.
None was sitting near the coffin where the dead body of my grandmother was lying. I understood that it wasn’t right. I approached my mother and said that I could sit there and that I wasn’t afraid. Surely, my mother was shocked, though she let me do that and returned back to all the other things at the funeral. That was the day of my greatest memories.
Now, I can tell that I am very proud of myself at that time. I loved my grandmother and still remember all the fairy-tails which used to create for me and tell me. I remember her warmth. I am very happy every time I am thinking of her.
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