OPENING

  There was an evening, and the sun stood low. It shined the pink walls which have slightly faded from rains of our house, a cosy green court yard and the wide asphalt strip dissecting half-and-half thickets of trees, bushes and a dense juicy grass with dandelions. I have stepped in a grass and have bent, looking in the view-finder.

On a thick green trunk someone crept big, krasnovato-brown. Clumsy and powerful, it reminded the knight in a copper armour. It methodically crept upwards, incessantly moving with the moustaches similar to steel lashes. From a stalk has got over on a flat hillock of sheet. The hillock under it has begun to rock. On the brink the strange being has stopped. Far below immense jungle, boundless green ocean were extensively stretched. Where now? For about a minute the knight has thought, remaining in immovabilities, only its moustaches moved without a stop, upwards, downwards, to the right, to the left, at last is lazy has pulled down the armour on a back, vyprostal from under them thin transparent wings and … has departed.

I have moved an objective. polyhnulo the yellow. The huge solar cap of a flower – set of yellow lilies, and on them, carelessly rumpling silky gentle petals, with concentration potters about a shaggy animal. A wool long, chestnut with black strips, on a back flat mica wings, and eyes almond-shaped, shining, attentive. Thriftily having clasped thin pads a little tsvetkov at once, the animal puts by turns in each lily a short black trunk. The head and its wool are soiled yellow …

I have begun to investigate vicinities, feeling as in a dream.

In a crimson bowl of a flower someone fussed black, plastic. Who it? What does it do? Whence it here? As this black, brilliant armour is perfectly well combined with orange, fiery petals! From magnificent height the thick liner, and green, equal, covered with dense short hairs, as if a carpet, an airfield softly spruzhinila under it has flopped at once on all six paws-chassis. povorochav every which way a head, "liner" suddenly has begun to wash, as a cat, to be cleaned. Transparent wings have begun to sparkle on the sunset sun.

Bug-fireman in a knightly armour? A bumblebee in the soiled flower pollen to a fur coat? Zlatoglazka? A small bug? An ordinary fly? … cannot be!

I have returned to a room with sensation of the slightly opened secret.

It was necessary to share immediately with someone, and I have immediately gone to ring from a call-box to familiar girl Vick. Choking, I described to it bright, absolutely extraordinary surprising world which so happily and has suddenly opened to me here just.

- Bear cub? What bear cub? Whence? – Did not understand Vick. – a bumblebee? In what it was soiled? What knight-bug? … Zlatoglazka, similar to the ballerina? Who it – zlatoglazka?

Though I also have spoken with Vikoj about an hour, nevertheless there was a sensation nevyskazannosti. Having come in municipal apartment, has called from a corridor to the niece. She studied then in the fifth class and has started to be interested already in biology, was engaged in club of young biologists of a zoo.

- Oh you! … oh you! … – it is hot, though and a little tersely it reacted to my story. And then a tube at it took mum and has told, that Lile it is necessary to do lessons, and me, to the adult uncle, it is a shame …

To me it is quite often acted in film colour dreams, and this night I expected fantastic travel, but, alas, slept like a log. Having woken up at daybreak, has immediately looked out in a window. Here bad luck! On cosy our small court yard, on a lawn with dandelions and nails, on a thicket of bushes and trees – on all green mysterious continent opened only yesterday occupied, it appears, fantastic beings, the small sad rain … drizzled

Once I have read the surprising book. In it it was told, how the boy and the girl, Karik and Bringing down, have got into laboratory of the familiar professor and have drunk any tasty pink liquid which smelt as peaches. Then the boy and the girl have sat down on a window sill, stirring feet, and here … All round them the beginning uncontrollably to grow, and Karik and Bringing down became such small, that have without ceremony gone in on a back of a dragonfly which has just fallen on a window sill. The dragonfly has carried away them in dense thickets on the bank of a stream. Travel of two little men to the green country occupied by surprising "animals" – also has begun ants, wasps, butterflies, bugs. The book was called "Adventures Karika and Bring down". Its perfect writer Jan Larri has written.

I remember then the fascinating mental wanderings somewhere on a wood glade. I laid on a stomach directly in a thicket of green grasses – blades were pricked, ants got under a vest, desperately tickled, bit, in a nose sverbilo from a sharp aroma of flowers, grasses, the earth, 

I clambered on the thick bent lianas of stalks, trying to reach seductive these fruits, hung on cool pinkish blades chashelistikov and at last plunged in delightful, odorous, is gentle-pink in depth pulp of berries, being spoilt in scarlet sticky juice …  

Then, having washed by a dew drop, jumped on a back of a bug-zhuzhelitsy and, keeping for its sharp edges ridge, mutno a brilliant armour, rushed on unknown roads of dense jungle faster the fastest car …

At last to a descent caught at any thick trunk, climbed up it is not known where as Tarzan, tried to catch the bright, motley butterfly for a paunch – a firebird … Then mentally got to ant hill twilight – this many-storeyed labyrinth with suites of rooms, galleries, halls and cellars. And strict security guards-ants captiously felt short moustaches me, the stranger, but for some reason did not touch … I lived in a jungle of any bush or in a flower as Djujmovochka, flied on a back of the tamed dragonfly over boundless ocean of grasses as Karik and Bringing down …

Ah, what a pity, that all it only in imagination, what a pity!

"Happy, irrevocable it is time – the childhood!" Why so it quickly passes? Why we so it is easy and as though even willingly we leave it? What for? Unless the children's enthusiasm, attentiveness, vivacity would prevent us to be engaged in "adult" affairs? And what such in effect "adult" affairs? Than such especial they differ from nurseries? Remain in us children's imagination, children's sensitivity, children's selflessness and cleanliness, unless we would be worse? Whether children's enthusiasm, attentiveness, ability to see and be surprised many greatest scientists, writers, artists, travellers differed? They were above depressing, monotonous routine of a so-called adult life is and has helped them to make opening, to create works of art, to go on researches of the new earths. Our sad "adult" habit not to be surprised to anything, incessant restraint of emotions, fast conviction, that is important only that it it it it is useful (though, that actually is useful, we so in general and we do not know; representations about advantage and harm of this or that vary eventually polarly), - whether is it is a sign of true wisdom? Aspiration to especial materiality, an incessant estimation of all on light from the point of view of utilitarian, momentary, whether pretty often only economic advantage have led other of us to the terrible illness of the twentieth century most, maybe, – to materialism? To materialism with all consequences following from this sad phenomenon: coldness in relations with each other, insincerity, loss of consciousness, egoism, oblivion of that necessary true, that people all the same brothers, that the person the part of the nature also what to address to us with each other, and with the nature, it is necessary on chelovecheski …

There was one more book which has for a long time captured my attention. This book – "the Life of insects" French scientist Jean-Anri Fabra. Recently I a volley have read it again. And again was surprised. So zahvatyvajushche to write about bugs, grasshoppers, bembeksah, bees, bugs! The scientist did not approach to these small creations from the point of view of utilitarian advantage or the harm brought by them to an economy. No, he respected first of all their originality, their right to existence. The attentive person, it has tried to penetrate into their way of life, their habits, characters … "Bembeks-muholov", "Ammofila – a hunting dog","Remarkable surgeons – sfeksy","Filiant – a beer wolf were deeply interesting to it","Skolija – the underground hunter" – one headings of its stories of that stand! Long hours, days, months were spent by Jean-Anri Fabr, observing small "neighbours". Its book abounds such here with recognitions: " I weigh – sight, all – attention. Not for the world I would not concede the place at that performance which will now be played ". What it for performance? In that case about which narrate the resulted lines, - struggle zheltokrylogo sfeksa with a cricket who should become food for the future sfeksovogo posterities … you Read – and with quite clear confusion you are convinced: all in the world surrounding us from different directions, being even under our feet, extremely seriously, truly, zahvatyvajushche is interesting, and we so a little so annoyingly it is not enough so we know about him shamefully a little.

Millions people have become engrossed in reading and will become engrossed in reading of books Fabra, they have brought to the author world glory. And here that is especially curious: almost all supervision which have given a material for a writing multivolume "Entomologichesky memoirs", rural teacher Jean-Anri Fabr has made on the small waste ground which has grown with weeds. The area of this "historical" waste ground – is less than hectare. Jungle on waste ground!

Now this waste ground – a place of pilgrimage of scientists and tourists from all light, and Jean-Anri Fabr – the recognised father entomologii, sciences about insects.

… Becoming the adult, I looked a film of well-known animator Uolta Disney "Imagination". In this film as if there was nothing real. Pure imagination … On a scene orchestral players are going to. One behind another they enter on a scaffold, take seats, try tools. Here the first cautious sounds of a violoncello … the Trial passage of a piano … the violin Tremolo … the Last enters the conductor. Becomes for the panel. The orchestra is ready. Silence. Elbows of the conductor are lifted, the conductor's baton has fallen asleep. A wave – sounds … Surprisingly nevertheless music influence also have poured down! We have got used to perceive the world more eyes, and - short of intelligent human speech – heard gives us less information, than visible. But here – music … the Eternal riddle! It is possible even to close eyes. With five feelings for perception of the world there is only one. But how much experiences!

In a film "Imagination" attempt to illustrate music is made. More correctly to dream up under it. The adult people who to the full have filled a viewing hall, looked a fairy tale, colour imagination, being wonderfully transferred to that "a happy and irrevocable time" when the forthcoming life seemed such magic, inexhaustibly mysterious, perfect … big-bellied live mushrooms – "Dance of small swans" Here dance Tchaikovsky. Here the intemperate pupil of the Magician who has seized elements of magic, nearly does not lead up the world to accident under music Djuka. Here the touching history of flying horses, Light and Dark, - Beethoven … the Tragical episode from the past of the Earth, gloomy cataclysm in which prehistoric animals perish, - Wagner … And at last, flitting under Tchaikovsky music in paradise thickets elfy – thin harmonous little men with wings … Music did not accompany the image as usually, on the contrary, it gave rise to it, and the image was perceived as music.

I long remembered this film. That has created the drawings which have been picked up under music, Uolt Disney, is after all as though materialised dream. "Happy, irrevocable it is time – the childhood!" But why all the same "irrevocable"? Here after all the American artist has returned for some time us it! I remembered, that people left a hall clarified, excited. They have not forgotten about complexities and difficulties of the daily, real world, however now their eyes were shone by children's delight. And kindness. Certainly – kindness! Unless the happy person can be malicious? If to you it is good, after all so it would be desirable to share the happiness with others. The divided pleasure - pleasure doubly …

Most of all I was afraid, that seen in the evening in a court yard will not repeat. Suddenly it simply imagination washing was played, and actually and there was nothing? But the rain poured and poured. With grief I looked at wet domestic "jungle" where, appear, except the wet hung grass, and there is nothing. Really, really the fantastic world has only dreamt to me?

All this day, Friday, the rain poured, and I tested really tantalovy torments. Yes, here and happens: when very much you wait for something …

But the patience and fidelity to dream are remunerated! On Saturday since the morning the court yard volshebno has revived. Small lamps of dandelions were lighted, bumblebees have hooted, have got out to be warmed on the sun of a fly … There was a day off, and I have decided to go at once to one of the Moscow parks, Izmajlovsky, on the cosy clearing opened by me still in the spring. Took the camera with nasadochnymi rings and nedosnjatoj the day before yesterday a reversible film, has jumped in a saddle of the correct fad-gorbunka – a road bicycle "Progress", has flown on wide Moscow streets, passed gloomy ancient wood on park suburb, has reached on paths a glade which all sparkled now from dew, has with a sinking heart adjusted the camera, shivering fingers has screwed between an objective and the case transitive rings that it was possible to photograph at a short distance …

The bicycle remained to lay under a bush, and I who have concealed breath the traveller, have stepped in a wet, green jungle sparkling on the sun.

… Also has seen an interlacing of the smooth light green trunks, the extended tropical leaves covered in tens of bluish diamonds. Then, there it is dazzling rainbows flashed.  

In chaotic chaos the yellow cosy islet shone a lustrous cup of a buttercup. The tiny big-eyed midge was tempted with a cosiness, villages on a petal, but, obmochiv in crystal water the shaggy pads, Each drop really has immediately flied up … reflected all world, but most of all it reflected the sun and the sky. What laid in deepenings of leaves were especially picturesque, - heavy, ldisto-volume, nevidanno large jewelry, krugljashchiesja in a greenish frame.

The clearing could be crossed for some seconds – all steps fifty in a diameter, but, having plunged in its jungle, I have felt myself in the presents of a mysterious, full vigorous, unknown life, boundless jungle.

Here the white flowers-asterisks which have become extraordinary big. Black both bright red stamens and pestles bathe in the convex drop which has overflowed decorative white, as if porcelain, a plate, made of plumose petals. The drop does not pour out … Perhaps, from such plates gnomes drink water? What is this flowers? Really ordinary zvezdchatka, almost imperceptible usually in a grass?

Huge lilac with reddish live proveins on a velvet magic loud-speakers – flowers of a meadow geranium. Perhaps, we simply do not hear sounds which they publish? Perhaps, if it is better to listen, it is possible mysterious to hear something? For certain! And to what this is bright-violet colour is beautiful!

The present miracle – sadly hung on the thin shaggy, beautifully bent stalk a bud! From under red chashelistikov the is gentle-pink, chastely curtailed petals cautiously look out. The "pack" of the ballerina which have grown in this fairyland? The fixture lighting the pink lantern at night? Really, really this habitual plant familiar to all with the oddish name "gravilat"?

I had only one reversible film. It has come to an end very quickly.

... 2  

...Summer I have spent in constant excitements. Wanderings in domestic jungle on kortochkah and on all fours, calling unhealthy interest of neighbours. New and new travel to a jungle of a glade of Izmajlovsky park. An unforgettable pursuit of the butterfly-golubjankoj which coquettishly departed every time as soon as I on sufficient distance came nearer to it. An unexpected gift – the peacock eye flown in a court yard and easy posing for me on a burdock. The first departures further, on station Black, near Moscow, and even on lake Seliger …

 ... 3

...I have definitively understood, that in my life there was something rather "historical". The world has changed. It became bright, huge, interesting and light. Has returned, let partly, but has returned, has returned "happy, irrevocable it is time".   

Unless I could assume earlier, what, not leaving in any far countries, and simply leaving in a court yard or in park, it is possible to make travel? And what! Despite "Adventures Karika also Bring down" and on "Imagination", to me earlier all the same did not come to mind, that ottsvetshy the dandelion, ordinary "fukalka", can be similar to a silver sphere,  

On island of the southern sea, porosshy white palm trees,

On a fantastic scene where ballerinas act, - depends on how to look.

Well and whether I could know, what jaichki a bug on a birch bark – brilliant droplets of amber? Certainly, from me it has been hidden, that the bug-zhuzhelitsa is shaped from a steel, and an armour of a bug-fireman - from copper. Now all it for me not a secret. As well as, for example, that the caterpillar of the butterfly alder strelchatki at mature age carries that ostrich feathers, and a caterpillar strelchatki maple it is simple naprosto a creeping fox collar. Me already droplets does not surprise, that the head of a dragonfly is a head of the cosmonaut in a helmet with aerials,

Bug-tell-tale back – an American Indian ritual mask, and a back nazemnika lean – African. By itself, that a web after a rain – a lace finished with diamonds, and the dry web penetrated by solar beams, - iridescent, fantastic light.

But it is fine. Observing all of them at a short distance, I have found out a strange thing: the behaviour of these creeping, running, jumping and flying creations sometimes wonderfully reminds that I see in much larger scale. Having noticed it, I began to think, that the world of small beings is connected by any suspicious image with the world of the large. Also has begun to read books about insects. What do you think? My suspicions have amplified. Analogies – darkness. Eventually I sometimes began even to be confused, with what world I deal at present – small or big. But once subtracted somewhere known saying Anaksagora: "All – in all". Also has understood, that in my supervision there is in effect nothing surprising.

I and more subtracted one wise saying which has sunk down to me in soul: "Whatever form of a life we studied – from a virus to mamontova a tree, we study ourselves"...