Autumn came quickly. Dense foliage of the mighty trees, yielding to the breath of a cool wind, almost turned yellow and then fall to the ground. The sun was rising with each passing day later and later. It is discouraging old grandmother Helga. She didn’t want to part with warm summers and meet the exhausting cold winter. But time not slow down and not stop nature can only live life and enjoy a new day.
Barely dawn when Helga, stepping on the yellow leaves, went to the forest for medicinal herbs. She often helped cure disease villagers, where she lived with her granddaughter Elsa. The girl’s parents died early, so Helga and replaced her mother and father.
Helga snuck into the thicket taiga and stopped at the three tall fir trees. The branches of spruce trees were so strongly intertwined that made it impossible to get through them.
“Fir branches lift. Let me in the house in the ground. I need advice from the earth, as a disease to be answered.”
Helga bowed firs and froze. Shaggy spruce branches creaked and began to slowly rise. When the trunks of spruce trees were bare, Helga went to one of them. She leaned over and put her hand on the ground near the roots of trees. Helga found the old rusty iron ring and pulled him over. There was a creak, not oiled door hinges, which opened Helga. The old woman began to gently descend into the ground on the stone steps. She went to the hanging on the wall of the old torch and lit it. The narrow dirt tunnel was almost completely illuminated. Helga went on the earthen tunnel and entered a small room. The room on the walls various herbs, roots and bark, as well as dried mushrooms hanging. In the corner stood on the chair of the bank with insects. One of the walls of the room stood a white stone table. On the table were the icons of the saints. On the floor beside the table it was made of marble rectangle that resembles a tomb.
Helga went to the table and pushed a big old icon. For an icon, she took an old book. She flipped through its pages and put into place. Then Helga went to the wall has gathered a bunch of dry grass and went to the door. Before leaving their rooms, she went to marble quadrangle and knelt down. She ran her hand along the cold marble, rose and left the room to the tunnel. Helga in a moment was on the ground near the trunk of spruce. She closed the old wooden door and stepped aside. Again creaked shaggy spruce branches and woven into an impenetrable wall. The sun was already high, and Helga hurried home.
Helga lived with her granddaughter in the village of Polesie. The village is so called because on one side it was surrounded by mountains, and on the other the taiga. Helga and her family were the original inhabitants of the village were not going to leave him. Land and forest gave the old forces Helge. The old woman was slightly stooped, and always wore a blue shawl. Under the shawl could see a lock of black hair. Facial features Helga was a little rough, but when she smiled, from the stern face of the old woman did not remain also a trace.
On the way home, Helga went to visit an old friend Hilde. They had been friends since childhood, and sometimes helped each other on – farm. Hilda was a very friendly lady, but she didn’t like the mess that organized the neighborhood boys Martin, Willie, Hans, and Jacov.
“Again all the grass trampled by my house,” muttered Hilda, when she came to the meeting to Helge.
“Are you grumbling again?” asked Helga the girlfriend and sat on a bench at the fence.
“Burcu,” croaked Hilda. She sat next to Helga and laid his stick on his knees. At Hilda was very ill leg, therefore to dispense with the cane she was extremely difficult.
“I brought you some eggs,” said Hilda, and gave Helge box.
“Thank you girlfriend,” thanked Helga.
“Where are you from going so early?” asked Hilda. She straightened his red handkerchief and looked at Helga beautiful gray eyes.
“A walk in the woods,” said Helga, “gathered medicinal herbs to treat Gleb. His wife came to me and asked for help. She Says Gleb legs not feels. I feel sorry for him. He’s a good man. Never in the help will not refuse.”
“You’re a good friend,” said Hilda, “All willing to help. Just remember that people do not remember the good.”
You should not think so,” replied Helga, “thank you again for the gift. I have to go.”
“Good way,” said Hilda. Leaning on a cane and limping badly, the old woman went to the house.
“Goodbye friend,” said Helga and went home.
Helga and Hilda were living close to each other. Ten minutes later, Helga was standing at the gate of his house. She went into the house. Helga went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Elsa has not slept. She fed the cows and she cooked breakfast. At Elsa had beautiful thick brown hair and gray eyes. She was eighteen years old, and she gladly helped her grandmother with the housework.
“What are we going to eat?” asked Helga.
“I cook a casserole of mushrooms,” replied Elsa grandmother Helga. She looked in the oven and took a towel to get the pan with the casserole.
