Fairy tale on a cherry mountain

From our village to Cherry mountain, likely, versts five it will be typed. Anybody precisely did not measure. In the spring and to reach it it was difficult in the summer. Around where step, bogs standing. Birch колков here it is not enough, but тальников and willows though take away. You will want, happened, to pass, take an axe and road an axe cut through.

Before this mountain Lihomannoj was called. It Also carried such name knowingly. Affect, as if there was there a cave, and in it vein Лихоманка which illness on people filled.

In the mornings and to evenings from bogs fogs creep, as a smoke, by the ground стелются. Under their cover also came Лихоманка to village. That the maid young is, the old woman-nishchenkoj, and that absolutely will seem to nobody, but the business will execute. You look, for other day when on a court yard the sun bakes and from a heat to disappear there is no place, in one log hut in another people from a fever suffer.

The person will put on a fur coat, a cap, пимы, to tea of the hot will get drunk moreover on the warm furnace will get, and cannot be warmed. Pulls out it Лихоманка, знобит. So all the summer long at the person mocks: day will release yes day pulls out, day will release yes day pulls out.

Лихоманка spared nobody: neither small, nor old. Other muzhik so will exhaust, that it all will turn yellow, as autumn sheet. Every week the bell church called. It, you can be sure of that, Лихоманка someone has exhausted. Life did not become, though from village run.

That only our rural did not do, that from damned Лихоманки to get rid! Молебны served - does not help. With religious procession went - does not help. Sorcerers and знахарок on feet have lifted, but also from them to sense have not achieved.

On the very brink of village there lived Platon Speckled. Huge there was a muzhik: пятипудовыми bags as balls, played and, happened, on a bet hardly closed door a forehead opened. Will knock a forehead - a door wide open. But also it Лихоманка has overcome.

Sorcerers have advised to Platon on fright Лихоманку to take. As soon as it will begin it знобить, it now will plunge into cold water. Heart stops also spirit grasps from water, and Лихоманке though that!

There would be it one so still somehow would began to suffer. And at it a family. People were eliminated, steams to lift have begun, breads already have gone to an ear, and Platon did not sow, did not plough. The autumn will come - put on суму yes on the world go.

It sits once on a zavalinka, in овчинный тулун has muffled, heated on the sun. Looks, there is by its court yard a lame old woman, on батожок leans. It is visible, to wood has gone.

Platon has called up her to itself and asks:

- Whether you know, баушка how Лихоманку from body to survive?

Терпежу is not present more! All family with hunger will be lost, if I do not recover.

The old woman этак on it was lop-sided, something about itself прошамкала and has answered:

- I know, the lovely sonny, true means.

- Oh, баушка, tell! A century you I will remember.

- Yes, it is visible, it is necessary to tell. Here listen. Find in a cellar an old radish. Полезай with it in подпол yes there, in a forward corner of a log hut, earth its tail upwards. Then wait, when the sun for the midday will rise, take полковшика steam tar and bitterns. The fever as a hand will remove.

The old woman has told it, and there was no it.

And Platon so was delighted, that has not thought at all: whether it is good, whether badly old woman присоветовала.

It has cluck the elder son Nikitku:

- Well, run behind a radish. Yes in passing steam to tar pour.

Никитке then already there was a sixteenth year. There was it all in the father, same здоровущий. And by mind has not been offended.

The guy also has begun to doubt:

- To what to you, тятя, tar? Обутки, whether that to smear?

- I will be treated. Do not talk, now bear! - Platon has cried on it.

Никитка, clearly to argue did not become, has brought.

And for the second day on Platon it was necessary to celebrate commemoration.

In actual fact left, that under the pretext of the old woman to Platon itself Лихоманка was. A fever of the muzhik could not fall down, so эвон what piece has thought up!

After Platon and its wife, Настасью, has ruined.

There was Nikita in the court yard for the mistress and for the owner. With it two more: Санька yes Аринка. Soon and little girl Lihomanka has started to torment.

Whom another, and sister Nikitke it was most a pity. It for it the nurse was. The father with mother, happened, in the field will leave, and it with Аринкой is found: in зыбке swings, from a small horn milk gives to drink, fairy tales tells. And девчоночка its caress understood. To sleep will not lay down in the evening, while its Nikita on a head will not stroke.

As the girl, the guy absolutely a dream was ill has lost. For days on end and nights from it did not depart. Warm bricks обкладывал that it is better to warm. A gain from a grass стародуба gave to drink. With ant spirit rubbed.

Has then heard from neighbours, that any grandma from other village helps against Лихоманки slander. Has run to it, last pood of wheat has given and has asked, that has told fortunes over Аринкой.

The grandma has put the girl on the very brink furnaces, naked its section and the beginning on it small knots to knit. On hands and standing each finger threads has wrapped up, small knots has fixed. Knits small knots, and itself whispers:

- Чур, чур, перечур! The hawk on the sky flies, the wolf across the field runs. And you, Лихоманка, escape, and you, Лихоманка, depart.

Чур, чур, перечур. Clouds are black run up, winds are violent birches bend. Чур, чур, чур, Лихоманка, disappear...

In the end a broom took yes dry broom Аринку попарила and from a piece of coal сбрызнула.

- Well, - speaks, - now to your little sister полегчает.

And as night has approached, Аринке became even worse. On bed rushes about, heat from it as fire, scorches.

Here Никитка has not sustained, has risen посередь log huts and has shouted:

- Эх who to me would help Лихоманку to find? I would not regret a life, and it have destroyed!

And only he it has shouted, behind the furnace the cricket has cracked. There was therefrom запечный a cricket-old man and has told:

- I will help you, if you to the word do not change.

- No, I will not change! If only from Лихоманки to relieve the people and that Аринка we оздоровела.

Well, also the old man, запечный a cricket as well as where Лихоманку to find has told to it.

Next morning Nikita in a smithy iron to a jail in length of one and a half sazhen, at daybreak, has forged. The belt has attached to it, that the hand did not break. Has properly ground teeths, their ice-hole has rubbed, as the old man, запечный the cricket, ordered.

On a return way home has come. Аринку has kissed also to the brother has punished:

- You, Санька, for Аринушкой look after. If that is necessary, neighbours call. Well, and if I will not return, the people in need will not leave you.

To mountain where Лихоманка a vein, Nikita reached of half-day.

On bogs from a hummock on a hummock jumped. About a hand sedge as a knife, has cut up. In тальниках a shirt in shreds has torn. Bare feet dry бодыльями has wounded. Mosquitoes from all places clouds have risen also it have stuck round. Bite, to mountain a course close. Лихоманка, whether you see, for them mother native.

On a grass grief the touched grow dense, high, never the Lithuanian. Here it is even more mosquitoes.

Nikita смолья has typed, has lighted it. Комариную flight a smoke has doused. Well like became полегше.

Nikita Lihomankinu has started a cave to search.

Long went on a grief up and down. At last has found.

In the middle of three old birches the stone plate, and near to it a course in a cave lays. The crack absolutely чутошная, under the earth leaves. There, can, only the mouse will run, or the snake will creep, and to the person even a hand to push there is no place.

On a plate at night Лихоманка in a moonlight bathed, plaits braided also dancings danced.

Nikita has not had time to look round around, there is because of one birch an elegant woman: a sundress green, under colour of a sedge marsh, eyes too the green.

- Hi, the fellow! How you on mountain have got also that to you here it is necessary?

At Nikita on a body the fever has run. Was frightened. At once has not understood: whence the woman undertook? And then, as has looked narrowly more close, has seen, that instead of hands at it a paw frog. It, means, and was itself Лихоманка marsh.

- For you I search.

- Has really become bored?

- On you to a jail has ground. People will suffice you to torment!

Лихоманка in the answer to laugh loudly the beginnings, as if a toad заквакала.

Nikita to a jail has lifted on it, has threatened, and to thrust was not in time: on that place where Лихоманка stood, the dark cloudlet was formed and as if a fog, in a grass has thawn. After this again the toad заквакала, then from a grass of a dragon has crept out, has stared at Nikita green eyes and has hissed:

- Well, sh-sh-shto, saw now how on me hand to raise?

- Saw. But all the same from me you will not leave!

- S-S-go ogs-with-with-here while it zh-zh-is live...

- No. Back to me it is expensive it is closed. Not then I here went! - Nikita has shouted in the answer and has again aimed in it острогой.

The snake about the earth has hit - from eyes was gone.

Nikita has recollected here words which to it the old man, запечный the cricket, spoke:

"As she will start to hide from you, during that moment open at itself a sharp tooth jails on the left hand blood (this blood close from heart goes) and sprinkle a little it around on a grass. Лихоманке through it not to pass, that is why further a cave it will not disappear. There its house. If a stone plate over a cave you can not lift, and on it of the blood drip".

Nikita and has made.

Only blood drops have fallen to a grass, the snake a tail has flashed and in a crack, under a plate has left.

Nikita undertook a plate both hands, from all force has jerked, and it has not stirred at all. Then it and on it of blood has scattered. The plate aside has left at once, and under it the cave has opened. Therefrom dampness and a mould has pulled.

The guy under the earth has gone down. In a cave the fog, a ceiling is entangled by a snare, on walls rotten water flows. Here whence bogs typed water.

The snake on a vault was swept up, by a ring was curtailed, a sting has let out and only wished to rush on Nikita, and it here острогой and has nailed it...

What after that was?

Nikita Lihomanku, but also itself ослаб has finished off, it is a lot of blood on a grief has left. On a return way has stumbled about a hummock, has fallen, and bogs have drained in it.

Аринка has recovered. Its neighbours and Саньку to themselves took, have grown up and in people have deduced. Every spring Аринка on mountain went, a wreath from colours spun and on a birch hung up, in memory of the brother.

The cave under the warm sun has dried out, the earth over it has fallen off, and, except a hole, now there anything is not present. And without that cave water of a bog have dried up. On their place now mowings.

And on the mountain, everywhere, where Nikita went, when Лихоманку searched, and where the blood on a grass splashed, cherry bushes have grown. When the cherry will keep up, under berry leaflets as if blood drops, hang.

Since then the mountain also is called as Cherry.