Наталья Дмитриева
Tales of the Rain: bedtime stories
© Natalia Dmitrieva, 2021
© International Writer’s Union, 2021
Natalia Dmitrieva
Natalia Dmitrieva grew up in a small northern town, constantly swept by sea winds. She lived in the vibrant Pervomayskaya Street, along which the Vyg River, running into the White Sea, noisily and cheerfully jumps over the rapids. After school, Natalia worked as a Pioneer Leader, Correspondent and Local Radio Announcer. She graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the University and moved to the city on the banks of Volga River, where she teaches the Russian Language and Literature to children.
The writer lives in a protected area of the city, which preserves the charm and architecture of the XIX century. The metallic roof of her wooden house with a mezzanine always sings very loudly in the rain. It is just impossible not to write at least one tale here! Moreover, having talked to some birdlings in their sms language, Natalia realized that they had to be moved to “greater, stronger, more honest and freer” branches and began to write books for children and their parents.
Advice from the Author
“…and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”
(Lewis Carroll “Alice in Wonderland”)
The book you are holding in your hands is intended for joint communication between an adult and a child. How to make this communication productive?
Advice 1.Remember that sometimes the simple words are incomprehensible to a child. Stop reading and find out what is a window leaf, weather vane, calm, aboriginal. What do expressions like an enchanted circle or bring you to the surface mean?
Advice 2.Be sure to make conversation stops.
For example, why does a cloudlet appear on the window? How does the rain become a cloud again? What does a merchandiser do? Or what is “unselfish love”?
Advice 3.Take part in events together with the heroes.
Come up with a sequel to the fairy tale of a beautiful flower or suggest your own version of saving the little dragon. Explain to Tomboybreeze why he was in trouble. Help Alinka figure out the name of the village where the brothers Breezes lived [1].
Advice 4.Create illustrations for fairy tales.
Do not mix up the colors when painting the houses of the seaside town. What color are the shutters in the yellow house? And which ones are in blue?
I wish you creative success!
Natalia Dmitrieva
The first rain
Friend or enchanted circle
Alinka ran a finger over the glass. The droplet obediently slid after it, then overtaking, then again, as if glued. The girl spread out her hand, began to smear the thin silver paces with concentration. But they did not obey, continuing to wriggle like transparent snakes. Alinka was snuffling with zeal. The window was covered with a light cloud, which quickly disappeared under the diligent hand, but on the other side of the barrier, the picture did not change: it was as if strange seaweed had joined the sky and the earth together. They swayed incessantly, sometimes smoothly, sometimes breaking. They seemed to be transparent, but because of them, everything lost its own color. At first, very funny rainbow lights flashed outside the window every now and then, as if millions of small fireflies were starting a merry carnival. But this carnival was going on and on and on, and the lights stopped being funny, and they somehow dimmed, and everything around faded with them… Alinka moved from her chair to the windowsill and pressed her forehead against the glass.
Don't be angry, Alinka. Don't be sad.
– Really?! “Don't be angry,” – the girl sighed resentfully. – You feel good, you walk all the streets! And because of you, I stay at home all day long. I want to go out too.
– But I'm not here forever, and I haven’t been there for a long time. Haven’t you missed me?
– How can I miss you, please? I can die of boredom with you!
– But I saw you looking at me. You were interested. See how the leaves on the trees rejoice at me, all the blades of grass and flowers offer me their tops and palms…
– "Tops and palms", – Alinka turned away from the rain and sat down more comfortably. – You're lying! No one is happy to you – all the flowers are closed from you, all the birds are hidden and everyone is waiting you to finally stop. You're boring to everyone! Understand? My mother tells me that a person can't be a meddler. And you're a meddler!
– But I'm not human.
– So what! This is even worse! I can't even talk to you, you don't understand anything, all you know is that you go and go and go, and you don't go anywhere. It's not fair!
– Who are you talking to now, then? You are talking with me, aren’t you?
– I don't know! Probably, I am not talking with you. They don't talk to the rains! There's nothing to talk about with them!
– It is very sad. I thought we were going to be friends…
– Be friends?! And why do I need a friend who walks where he wants and how much he wants, and I sit at home alone and I am bored?
– Do you want me to tell you stories?
– What stories? Do you think I'm a little child? And what kind of stories can you know? You only know how to tramp the mud!
– And you know, Alinka, when I get offended, I can't leave right away: I keep crying and crying, stronger and stronger, sadder and sadder… Although I have seen a lot of things in the world, I am almost eternal. When the cloud that I need to shed here to water the soil is over (the plants have no mouths, and they can only drink by taking moisture from the soil with their roots), only then the sun will come out and I will leave. But I won't disappear! Many, many magical adventures will happen to me, and then I will become a cloud again. But it won’t be at the same moment! Do you know that during thousands and thousands of years, in different streams and rivers, light weightless clouds and heavy thunderclouds, I have flown around our planet hundreds and hundreds of times and have seen and heard a lot of interesting things…
– I don't understand everything you've told me, but you should know that I'll ask my dad and bring you to the surface. Well, if you're going to cry all the time here, I won't hurt you – it isn't worth the effort… No, well, it's just an enchanted circle: in order you to leave, I have to be friends with you, so that you don't get offended. And in order to be friends with you, I need you to stay. And if you stay here, I won't be able to be friends with you! Well, actually… All right, I'll be friends with you. Firstly, friends should always tell the truth, and secondly, they have to respect the wishes of each other! I'm telling you the truth: I want you to stop. So if you're my friend, you'll leave. And also, please come at night, but don't come during the day. Well, you can, when I'm being punished or I get sick – friends help each other and visit each other in a difficult moment. Well? Why aren't you talking? You're not offended, are you? I have been just sharing my thoughts with you as a friend.
– But I thought that people don’t forget their friends. You remember, Alinka, about five years ago we went for a walk together. I was so glad that you didn't run away from me like other children, hiding under mother’s umbrella. You spread your hands like pink leaves, and looked at the drops, then you began to wash your cheeks and eyes. So funny! Your mother wanted to hide you from me under an umbrella, but you were running away from her and laughing. You squatted down by one of the puddles and looked at how the droplets were splashing into it. I had so much fun with you! We were happy together, like real, real friends. And I presented you a rainbow. The first rainbow of your life. I looked into your eyes and admired their reflection. Don't you remember this?
– I don’t remember. But my mother told me that when I was little, I did not like to walk under an umbrella, and always ran out and started catching droplets… But was it you?
– Of course, it was me. And in the spring, at the farewell matinee in the kindergarten, do you remember when Serezhka said that you had a stupid hairpin? How we used to cry together when you walked home alone and held your face up to me and whispered: "It's not me crying, it's you, rain…" And then you sat here, on this windowsill, and told me that I was good, because no one guessed how offended you were. After all, you specifically put on this hairpin then, to please to Serezhka. Now you know that he likes you very much, and then.
– How do you know all this? And he doesn't like me at all! And you're lying on everything! And I don't like him at all, not even a bit! And it was not for him…
– Alinka. I never and never tell anyone else's secrets to any single person. And how many of them I know! Don't worry, they're just boys. And not just boys! You know, people often say and do things that they don't really want to do.
It just happens that way. Sometimes a person wants no one to guess about his feelings, and sometimes – so that someone will certainly guess, only himself, without any hint. Now, do you believe that I can do more than just tramp the mud?
– But how is it so? How can it be? Here you are now so boring (I'm sorry, but it's true), so cold, so gloomy, I'm so tired of you. How can it be that the warm and cheerful one who gave me the rainbow, and the sad and sensitive one who cried with me, are the same rain? It doesn't happen that way! Are you lying to me?
– No, I'm not lying. Why doesn't it happen so? After all, the little girl who loved to splash through puddles and catch raindrops, and the one offended and misunderstood by the most wonderful boy in the world, and this prickly one who wants to command everyone and is angry that the world does not obey her rules, is also that Alina. Is not it so? Now I'll tell you one secret. I didn’t leave to annoy you. I just knew from the very beginning that you were such a shrew and prickly (I'm sorry, but it's true), such a haughty person is just today, because you're in a bad mood. Because I thwarted your plans: after all, today is the day off and you… Don't frown. Still, I think that a friend can be trusted with a secret? Listen up! He's sitting on the windowsill right now, too, and he's mad at me! Yes, yes! But by tomorrow, he will have time to really miss you. Just don't give me away. And tomorrow, don't let on that you're guessing. Well, maybe just a little bit.
– Rain, honey, how do you know it? Is it true? Really?
– Well, how can I not know? Do you think I see only one of your windows? I can see Sere- zhka's window just as well as yours, and I can see many, many other things. Now, I hope you understand that I have come here not to annoy you? It's just my job. I wanted to say to you at parting that if your friend is angry with you today, he is still the same one who has amused and helped, you just need to be patient. I waited. You're not mad at me anymore. And I'm leaving.
– How are you leaving?! Don't go, please, we're friends. Really, we are friends. I'm sorry I have forgotten everything! No, I didn't even forget – I just didn't know it was all you. It's so hard to understand! I'm not an adult yet, after all! Don't get offended, please!
– I don’t get offended: this is not easy for an adult to understand. Trust me. But I have to go…
– Don't go, please! Let's talk to you again. I didn't know it was so interesting to talk to the rains! How can you leave me here alone? I'll take offense at you.
– It is really an enchanted circle! You'd better go and ask your dad to tell you about the magical transformations of rain. If he has no time, see how the droplets will shine, gradually evaporating, how the puddles will disappear first from the ground, and then even from the asphalt. And then.
– Then what? Then what? I can't hear you! – Alinka got up on her knees and opened the window leaf. Will you come back?
She thought she was going to burst into loud, loud tears, right through the open window leaf, all over the street. He will hear it, come to his senses, and be sure to come back and tell about Serezhka's secrets and much more. How it is interesting to talk to the rain! Alinka looked up at the evening sky. It was strange to see that it was light outside. It was as if the evening ended and morning came instead of night. How beautiful it was all around! Everything was just shining, so bright, so fragrant, that it made me feel a little dizzy.
So many different sounds woke up! Only the sound of the rain was a little lack… Alinka got to her feet and leaned out of the window leaf, trying to reach the branch closest to the window. "Will you come back?" – she touched the leaf and gently shook it, as if saying goodbye to someone by the palm of her hand. The branches swayed, droplets rolled to the edges of the leaves, and little rain whispered, "Of course, I'll be back! I'm practically eternal. I'm leaving, but I'm not disappearing…»
The second rain
Beautiful flower
Alinka was sitting at the table and doing her homework. More precisely, she wasn’t doing her lessons, but only pretended to do them, because she had long ago tired of this boring textbook and, running her eyes over the lines, thought about whatever turns up. There were grayish clouds in the sky, and the girl kept glancing out of the window to see if he was coming today after all. Clouds have been wandering around here for the third day, and there is still no rain! Alinka hoped very much that the same rain, that came last time, lived in these clouds, but she was very afraid that he would not recognize her. After all, where the water, that has spilled past her, is unknown. But for herself, she was determined that when it rained, she would remind him that he had promised her a story.
The street was suddenly very quiet. Alinka put down her textbook and went to the window. There were no more clouds to be seen, just the sky had turned all gray. Finally! He's coming right now, we need to open the window as soon as possible… She was very afraid to miss the first drops: what if he would be offended because she didn’t meet him?
– Hello! – Alinka said to the first drop that touched her palm, which was stretched out to the street. But no one answered her. – You don't want to talk to me today? I've been waiting for you for a long time.
She took her hand away and, catching on the frame, tried to stick her head out of the window leaf. There hasn't been any rain yet. Alinka sighed sadly and sat down on the windowsill, she didn’t want to read the textbook anymore.
– Alinka! Hello. Are you waiting for me? I am very glad. – There was a sudden noise outside the window, as if someone had turned on the sound. And for some reason, the room became quiet and cozy.
– Rain! Haven’t you forgotten me? I'm glad to see you, too. Will you tell me a story today? You promised, do you remember?
– I remember. Of course, I remember. I brought you a story about a beautiful flower. Listen up!
Far, far away from here, there is an amazing country. There are wonderful herbs, flowers and trees growing there. There are tiny ones, like your fingernail, there are huge ones, bigger than your house, soft and fluffy, hard and prickly, standing and hanging, and even crawling. Yes, yes! Silent in any wind and singing in calm weather. Believe me, I have heard it myself! They are all very different, of course, but… green. Green always: in spring, summer, and autumn. And trees, and grass, and even flowers! Why are you surprised? After all, even here you will not find two equally green plants. Really? And there. Oh, there were so many shades of green! Light green, malachite, turquoise, emerald, eucalyptus, with tints, stripes, speckles. But there were no other colors, except for all shades of green.
And then one day in early spring, an unusual flower grew on a large meadow. It quietly, almost imperceptibly, pulled out his bud on a thin stalk, and when he opened, everything around him just gasped in amazement. The petals of this amazing flower were… colorful! The thin blades of grass, among which such a miracle had suddenly appeared, stopped whispering to each other, and stood motionless in perplexity – they had never, ever seen anything like it. The light breeze that had been playing with the leaves had subsided. And the trees around began to spread their branches, allowing their leaves to admire an unprecedented curiosity.
– Look, look, – the leaves fluttered. -Oh, how lovely! How wonderful! Where did he come from? Hush, hush, don't obstruct him, let us admire him too!
– I know where he has come from, – said a voice from the top branch. – He fell from the sky!
– He couldn't have fallen from the sky! What kind of fiddlesticks is this? – Leaves rustled from the lower branches.
– Not fiddlesticks, not fiddlesticks! See what kind of petals does he have? – the topmost leaf insisted. -Do you remember what I have told you about the rainbow? Well, such a bridge in the sky.
– Yes, yes, yes, that's right, that's right, – said the leaves from the upper branches. – We saw it, too! Really, really! He has the same petals – colored, multicolored.
– And the middle, do you see? – the top leaf continued. – It looks like a night star.
– Lovely! Lovely! – the lower leaves rustled. – Now we know what the night stars look like and of what color the rainbow is. Hurray! How great that such a wonderful flower has grown here!
– Tearley-teoley! Tearley-lee! What a joy! – he came straight from the sky so loudly and joyfully that everyone fell silent on the meadow at once. – Oh, what fun it is here now!
– Tearley-teoley! If you could only see him! Tearley-lee! I'll fly, I'll tell everyone, everyone, everyone! Wait for the guests! Tearle-teao!
And everyone suddenly joyfully began to hum, rustle, get excited, get preened.
Only the light green flowers on the meadow were sad. "Of course, this is the most beautiful flower on the earth, – they thought in silence, not even daring to admit aloud to each other, – but he probably won't want to communicate with us on equal terms – he is perfect! And besides, the bees will no longer notice us at all. After all, how wonderful it is to be so colorful!"
I must tell you that the seed from which the flower grew, which caused such a stir with his appearance, was brought by the wind from the very far place. It was very different there! At the home of the flower, everything was of the most unthinkable bright colors. What kinds of flowers were not there! But there were no green ones! Not that there was no green color at all, it was there. But it was… just green and that was it. Therefore, the casual guest was completely amazed with such an abundance of various shades. And besides, the language spoken by the inhabitants of this place was completely different from the native language of the guest, and he did not understand a word of their exclamations. Probably that's why he was so sad.
He quietly shook his colorful head, dumbfounded, looking at such an unusual world around. "What amazing plants are here! – the flower thought admiringly. – What an extraordinary shimmer of green, what richness! What a grace! How unpleasant it must be for them that I should appear here so ordinary and rude among this entire jewelry splendor. Oh, how sad that my petals are just different colors! Everyone seems to be shouting: I'm red, I'm blue, I'm yellow! How tasteless! Even my green stem looks banal green against their background. And what a miracle grows nearby! The stem shimmers with dark shiny specks on a matte background, and the petals are light transparent with a dense pattern… What a charm! It just takes the breath away! Look how loudly a bird sings in the sky! How happy all they must be in the midst of this beauty! Ah, the songstress paused. I think she has seen my squalor and flown away… Oh, they all have seen me. Of course, how such a spot cannot be noticed? Let the evening come sooner in order to close up, hide. I hope my sepals are also green. Of course, they are not as beautiful as the flowers have here, but still, I will not be so annoying. Let the evening come sooner!"
Alinka gave a sad, very sad sigh. Rain, of course, immediately heard.
– Why do you sigh so sadly? You don't like the story?
– On, no. I really like the story. Simply… I think how strange it is.
– What is strange?
– That the flower was afraid. After all, he was so beautiful! You know, we have a girl in the class who is very beautiful – she is not afraid of anyone!
– Does everyone like her?
– N-no. I don't know. Well, she's kind of, you know, just beautiful and that's it. It is banal! And what does it mean "banal" – like a banana? Ordinary?
– Why, like a banana? – Rain surprised. – Not necessarily like a banana. But yes, without a twist! Not original.
– What happened further to the beautiful flower? – Alinka reminded him.
– And what do you think? What happened to him?
– What do you mean, what I think? – Alinka surprised. – It is you who are telling me a story! How can I know what happened further to him?
– I don't know too, – whispered the waning rain. – Think of it yourself…
– Hey, hey! It's not fair! Where are you going? Stop!!! No, well, he can't stand, I guess. Go back! Gone, finished… and what about the story? Was he get offended? Well, that's fine. Well, let it be. I haven't finished my homework yet. And the rain, it's not going anywhere – it's autumn after all! He'll come back without the least effort! So, what page were we on?…