THE GREEN WOLVES

Part one. Albina

Oak, birch, and lime groves stretched as far as the eye could see. Pine and spruce forests ran towards the horizon as if racing with small streams and forest streams. What is left of the endless forest sea today? Almost nothing. Only the names of villages such as Khvoevo, Linden, Podlesye, Orekhovka, Zaelnya and Podlaseiki remind us that once there were huge forests here. And since ancient times, various beautiful legends have come down to this day. Here is one of them.

There was a benevolently erected house in a birch grove on the bank of a forest stream. A quick glance was enough to understand that this place was unusual and magical. Everywhere in the clearing near the house there were idols carved from wood and boulders covered with mysterious signs. It was as if they were guarding this place, protecting both the house and its inhabitants. Occasionally people saw two wolves at the house. People were not afraid of them, as it never happened that they offended anyone. Legend has it that these wolves were green. Their fur shone this color in the sun and even in cloudy weather.

Alba's witch, Albina, had a girl of about fifteen. Some said that this was her granddaughter, left to Albina by her daughter, who herself ran away with a visiting merchant. Others claimed that she was an orphan saved by a witch from an incurable disease.

Yes, there was a witch in this house. A good witch who has never done anything wrong to anyone. She always helped people in their infirmity and misfortune. She was especially willing to treat young children and teenagers. People respected her for her unselfishness and reliability, and they were grateful for her help. But there were also those who hated her stubbornly. She refused to help those who had a black soul and were going to maliciously perform bad rituals at the expense of their Neighbor's grief. She refused them implicitly, despite rich alms, and sometimes vile threats.

And then one day there was a rainy spring and a hot summer: neither the ear broke off, nor the fruit ripened, everything dried up. There was a famine of cattle, terrible diseases, and people were overwhelmed. Many villages have been abandoned, and the cemetery has increased significantly. The time has come for the long-awaited revenge. People with a black soul rushed to spread bad rumors that all the misfortunes were caused by the witch.

"Damn the rooster!" May her Shatan nest bend in fire and smoke! "Stop it!" they shouted.

The house was set on fire at dawn. The whole building, surrounded by dry hay and straw, was immediately occupied. When the flames raged out, they began to look for what was left of the hated woman on the bonfire. We found her in a small pillage under the floor, and she choked up. But the granddaughter was nowhere to be found. But they found a narrow tunnel from the side of the forest. From the side that was not visible during the fire. It was assumed that the wolves were trying to save their mistress. But the tunnel was not wide enough -only the girl managed to escape. They also began to say that they are now waiting for those who committed this crime to pay back. And so it happened. By autumn, all those who took part in the arson began to die one by one. Some will be found in the field with torn breasts, some drowned in the river, some in the pits of hunters on stakes... and they always noticed green wolves near the bodies of the undead, who returned to the forest thicket. And at night the screaming was terrible.:”Albi-i-Inna-ah, Albi-I-Inna-ah." The deep forest echoed, and the beginning and the end of this cry in the night reached the human ear: ”Alba-ah."

By winter, everything had calmed down, it was over. The wolf's cry also stopped. The green wolves are gone. No one else saw the witch's granddaughter in these parts. They were gone, it turned out, forever.

Part two. Meeting

They had never seen him so discouraged. With a pale face, as if stealthily, he entered the house and slowly sat down on a bench by the door. Then he silently took a Koretz, drank water from an oak tub, and began to move his hands in the air in silence, trying to explain what had happened to him recently.

The hunt didn't go well. The day, clinging to the tops of the pines, hurried to rest. The man turned home when suddenly he did not hear something -although his hearing was trained over many years of hunting in the woods – rather, he felt some kind of movement nearby to the left. He was immediately alerted, since no animal from those who lived in these parts was so inconspicuous and dexterous in its movements. It was someone unknown to him, who was famous for being the best tracker and earner. Hiding behind the trunk of a fallen larch tree after a hurricane, he waited. The wolves appeared first. Some kind of creature was following him, either a man or something... He couldn't identify who this two-legged creature was. However, in the silent movements, in the figure and the manner of avoiding branches, the habits of the animal could be guessed.

But what struck him even more was that the wolves that were walking in front of this creature were green. He lost his self-control, and a branch cracked treacherously under his foot. Time seemed to have stopped. The wolves froze. The creature stopped. And for some reason, the hunter stood up to his full height, without a gun, speechless from an unknown, unusual horror. Even the evening seemed to freeze in the treetops, and the day stopped to watch this meeting.

The first shelled creature. She slowly straightened up and threw off her hat made of grass or some blackened cloth. It was a girl. His blond hair was a rare color-gray or almost white. And the eyes. Big dark eyes looked straight into his soul, right into his trembling heart. It's hard to say how long they stood in front of each other like that. But after a while, the wolves bared their teeth and slowly advanced on the hunter. The girl stopped them with a wave of her hand. Then she shook her head slightly and spoke softly to the hunter.:

"Don't hurt them. If you want, we'll meet where the rivers meet.

He immediately knew where this place was. She put her hat back on her head and took the first step. They disappeared as suddenly as they appeared.

The news spread to nearby villages instantly: there are green wolves in the forest. They immediately remembered that once one of the local guys, having gone to work, returned from afar with his young wife. And she told me that in her homeland there was a legend about green wolves, how one day their mistress was burned in the house, and her granddaughter was saved by wolves.

The local landowner who was most interested in this incident was very eager for various rare trophies. A witness to the forest incident was called. After talking with him, the landowner announced that he would reward the one who would find him Wolves with such unusual fur, alive or dead. There have been several large-scale raids. An incredible number of traps and traps were set in the forest. But it's all in vain.

Then the owner of the estate suggested that the hunter start searching for green wolves on these terms: if he does not get a trophy, he will have to return the plot that was given to his father for his heroism in the fight against the French. According to legend, the events unfolded instantly after that. By the next night, the hunter had disappeared from the village. But he was guarded by the landowner's servants, who handed him over to where the fugitive had gone.

Soon a new roundup was organized. Even the owner of the estate himself arrived at the scene. On the outskirts of the swamp, an old house was surrounded, in which, as it turned out later, a girl, a hunter and green wolves were hiding. They were asked to surrender, and shots rang out from the house in response. The landowner ordered the burning of the fugitives' monastery. Under a clear and clear sky, a black, fetid column of smoke rose above the boundless forest sea once again. With fire, the man was once again trying to swallow stupidity and greed!

No one left the house.…

Only two bodies were found on the bonfire-the girl and the hunter. In the corner there is a tunnel filled with water. Those present whispered in horror and disbelief.:

"They drowned. Definitely drowned…

After midnight. And the estate is as bright as day. The tables are cracking under expensive dishes, music, dancing-and suddenly everything is upset, has subsided. And only the soul-rending cry of a wolf came from the park. Close, literally outside the walls of the manor.

Part three. Revenge

The boys went to the Night Watch willingly. Especially those who liked to listen to various legends and stories around the campfire. Many of the narrators were already of advanced age. But it was necessary to look for someone like Grandfather Sazon. Closer to midnight, a wide bonfire was lit so that everyone could fit in a large circle around it. Fragrant bacon with homemade bread and green onion feathers was fried on twigs. They ate everything with great taste. Then the remains of bread and even crispy cucumbers were put on the same twigs. What's so-so at home, around the campfire, you can lick your fingers.

Under the moonlight, the horses walked in the fog as if on water. It was as if they were floating without touching the ground, not far from the fire, from the silent children who were attentively listening to another legend about green wolves.

Grandfather was sitting, leaning on the saddle, and smoking a strong samosad. He began his story like this:

- The landowner and all his henchmen were sure that the green wolves were finished once and for all. That's why I had a dinner party at the estate. His household people were all at work: who cooked, who served dishes on the table, who cleaned up for the distinguished guests. It was noisy, hot, lots of music and light. Several bonfires were lit in the courtyard. Livestock and wild animals were fried, and vegetables were stewed on large baking trays with various sauces.

The wolves appeared suddenly. Their howls were heard not only in the estate, but also in the nearby villages – and everyone immediately realized that the animals had come to avenge their young mistress and the hunter, who had recently been innocently killed in the fire. In the estate, they grabbed guns-and let's burn in the dark of the night. But the howling did not stop-it only intensified from the side, then from behind the house of the landowner-builder. And the guests began to slowly leave the celebration. The owner hurled curses and curses after them. He understood that the Green Avengers had come only for him. He grabbed the guests by the collars and pushed them back into the house. But they resisted, they jumped into carriages and carriages anyway and immediately left. And it was obvious that the wolves hadn't touched them. The owner started running around the house, closing the doors and windows himself, as the people who were in his service also ran away.

And the green wolves came out of the darkness, and the animals began to take Firebrands from the campfires in the courtyard with their teeth and carry them under the walls of the house. The fire quickly ran through the log cabin, igniting the estate... whoever jumped out of the windows was not touched by wolves. And the landowner himself tried to escape, but logs fell out of the canopy and blocked his exit from the flames. So he burned down in his own nest.

For a while, silence reigned at the former estate, only now and then you could hear the crackling of wood from the campfire, the peaceful fluttering of horses, and the faint whistling of air under the wings of low-flying forest birds.…

"And the wolves saved the girl from the fire," one of the kids said softly.

–Yes," Grandfather Sazon confirmed after a short silence. - There was such a thing. The woman from the child slowed down. She was afraid of hurting her baby. The flames were already raging behind her when one of the wolves jumped into the room, grabbed the baby by her clothes with his teeth and carried her out of the house. The mother also escaped after them.

This woman lived on a farm near our village. The girl grew up, she began to go to the forest often, but more and more alone. And when her mother didn't, she disappeared from the house altogether. Some claimed that she went to her rescuers, that this was how the green wolves found a new mistress.

"That's it," the narrator said sternly. "Let's go to bed." And those who are on patrol – look into all eyes.

.. In a low hut, a beautiful young woman sings a lullaby to her babies:

- Bye-bye-bye... The little grey top is coming…

- Is the green top coming? - The older boy asks sleepily.

"No, my dear. Green wolves only come for evil people. And you are my good children.