As two boys have met in Hedalsky wood of trolls

Once for a long time in place Вог, in the Gudbransky valley, veins one poor person with the wife. Children at them was so much, that on all there was no soup and porridges. Therefore the senior two boys often had to wander from village in village to earn or elicit to themselves a bread piece.

So, wandering with a bag behind shoulders, boys have learnt all mountain paths and wood footpaths.

Once they were going to go to Hedalsky wood.

They heard, that fowlers, hunters on falcons, have constructed there, near to place Мэл, a hut. It wanted to boys to look at birds and if it will be possible, to find out, as them entice and catch.

Brothers knew the shortest way in Хедаль.

They have curtailed with проезжей roads and have gone straight through a wood thicket.

Business was in the late autumn when woods and mountains become deserted.

Girls who graze cattle on mountain pastures in the summer, during this time already at home, are heated before an oven, spin the wool which has been just removed from sheep, yes embroider to itself a dowry, and their shepherd's izbas in mountains stand empty and driven in.

So boys had no place neither to eat, nor to take rest in a way.

Autumn day is short. Hardly протоптанная the footpath hardly was visible, and is fast boys it have absolutely lost.

While they searched for a footpath, began to darken. Huts of fowlers it was not visible anywhere. Boys were one in a dense thicket of Hedalsky wood. And the darkness around was condensed more and more.

There has come night.

Boys have thought-have thought and have decided, that till a dawn it from here not to get out in any way. It is necessary to spend the night in wood. They have typed the whole heap to brushwood and cones and have dissolved a fire. Then small топориком which was behind a belt at the big brother, have cut fur-tree branches and have made of them a tent. They suited bed to themselves from a heather and a soft moss, the blessing and that and another around was more than enough.

After that they have settled more close the friend to the friend that was become warmer, and at once have fallen asleep, because rather have got tired for a day. It is not known, how many they have overslept, hour or two, but suddenly they have at once woken up, as if who has woken them. High pines over their heads bent and rustled, as during a storm. And something hard puffed over tops of pines, snuffled, sniffed...

Who is any huge terrible animal or, still it is not easier than that, a wood spirit, the troll?

Boys and have stood.

At this time somewhere over pines the crash as if the thunder has swept on the sky, and a voice creaking as a crude tree, has told was distributed:

- As the person smells!

Here the earth as if has trembled and someone's steps were heard.

Steps were such heavy, that from them stones broke up, and ship pines shivered from a top to the root.

- Trolls! - the senior boy to the younger has told.

- Oh, I am afraid!. What to us to do? - The younger has told.

- Become here under a pine, - the senior has told, - and hardly trolls will approach here, suffice our bags and get away that is to spirit. And I will take an axe and I will remain here. Perhaps also we will not be gone.

He has not had time to tell it how old trees near them were moved apart, as if a small bush, and there were trolls.

They were huge - above the highest pines - and walked a trace in a trace, having put on shoulders each other the ручищи.

Them was three, but the eye at them was only one. The One and only eye was at them on all three, and they by turns inserted it into an eye hollow which was on a forehead at everyone.

Now round, light as the moon, the eye shone in a forehead at the forward troll. It was the guide, and other two followed it.

- Run! - the big brother has whispered to the younger. - but it is not too far. Hide there, in a windbreak, and look, as I will be quit with them. They look on top, moreover one eye. Where it to make out, that becomes at them underfoot!.

The younger has rushed to run, and trolls have moved behind it.

Here the senior boy has jumped out because of trees and, having swung very much, has struck the топориком on a heel of that troll that went behind. The troll has directly roared from a pain. He has cried such terrible voice, that the guide even has shuddered and has dropped the unique precious eye from an eye hollow.

The boy has dexterously picked up it hurriedly and was that.

The eye was size about a clay pot and light, as month in полнолунье. The boy has looked through it and has seen all around clearly-clearly: each bush of the heather, each pine cone, each stone on the earth. As though now there was not a black night, and white day.

And trolls stood, being afraid пошевельнуться, frightened, blind, and could not understand, that with them happens. At last they have guessed, that someone has stolen their unique eye.

They began to growl, quarrel, rummage among pines and fur-trees long knotty fingers, but and could not catch the boy.

- I am not afraid of you, trolls, - he has shouted dared. - at me one now three eyes, and at you a three - any. And I have still an axe. Earlier, than you will catch me, I will chop up you on pieces the axe, as a dry tree.

- Be protected, the boy! - trolls have cried. - give our eye, instead of that we will transform you into a stone or a stub.

- Well, - the boy has told, is your magical business. But all the same you already never receive the eye.

Trolls have become silent - they have understood, that this boy it not to intimidate any threats, and have decided to get on with it good. They promised to it both gold, and silver, and everything that he only will wish if it returns them an eye. It was pleasant to the boy.

- Well! - he has told. - descend to myself home and bring here so much gold and silver that we with the brother have up to the top filled our road bags. Yes, besides, take for us on good steel onions. Then I will give you your eye. And until then not to see to you eyes and anything else.

Trolls even have begun to creak teeth for a rage.

- The unusable boy! - they have told. - as we will reach to the house without our eye?

- And it your business. You are able to conjure!

Then trolls by turns have begun to call the mistress.

And here from apart, because of mountains, someone's voice similar on has responded howl an autumn wind.

She is the wood mistress, old троллиха, has heard, that her name is, and has responded.

One of trolls has combined hands a pipe and has shouted through the rivers and mountains that it has more soon brought two steel onions and two full buckets of silver and gold in Hedalsky wood.

Has passed a few time, and the earth has hooted, have rustled, trees have cracked. She is the wood mistress has come running on call of trolls with onions and the buckets full of gold and silver.

Having learnt in what business, she so has become angry, that has pulled out with roots the big pine and has broken it about a knee as if it there was not a centenary pine, and a dry twig. Then it has pulled out at herself from a head long green hair and became them as a cord, to catch the boy. But trolls who would like to receive more soon back treasure, began to persuade her not to touch this boy. It stings, as a wasp, and is artful so, that that kind, will invent any new dodge and will take away an eye and from it.

The wood mistress has begun to roar, as a furious she-bear, but did not begin to argue. It has thrown on the earth two steel onions and both buckets - with gold and silver - and has run back in mountains, jumping on run through fur-trees and pines.

And trolls faced to the boy and stretched to it the knotty hands.

- Well give!!! Give! They.-spoke.

- All right, take! - the boy has told and has given to trolls of their eyes.

They have laughed for pleasure and, shaking the earth, have run after the wood mistress. When trolls have disappeared behind mountains, because of mountains has come up the sun.

Boys have filled bags gold and silver, have thrown up steel onions for shoulders and, having taken new buckets from brilliant copper, have cheerfully walked home.

Since then anybody has never heard, that trolls wandered in Hedalsky wood.