Yura and Andrey are brothers. They live in the suburbs. Of course, it is good to live in the very center of a big city. But the fact that children settled on the edge also has its advantages. In Borovikovo, as their cozy village is called, the air is cleaner, and the forest is very close.
On Sunday, the brothers gathered for berries together with friends, classmates Petya and Vova.
“Bring berries, I’ll make jam, I’ll treat everyone,” Petya’s grandmother promised.
In the forest, having collected buckets of blueberries, the guys sat down to rest in a clearing. Around the pine and spruce, birch and aspen. The sun breaks through the dense crowns of tall trees. And on earth there is a blooming paradise: grasshoppers chirp, bright-winged butterflies fly, the aroma of forest flowers tickles the noses. Here are just Petya, a talker and a dreamer, catching up on everyone's fears.
- If you want, I will tell you a story about our forest. My grandmother once told me about it. She had a friend as a child. Then she left the village. One day something incredible happened to her.
- Aren't you lying? Yura hesitated.
“By God, I’m not lying,” Petya assured and began his amazing almost fairy tale story.

- Once a grandmother's friend, then she was already a young girl, went into the forest for mushrooms and got lost.
- So what, - Yurka intervened in Petya's story. “I would have called on my cell phone and they would have found her.
“Or would she have gotten out herself because she didn’t have GPS in her phone?” he added.
- Stupid! Vovka shamed him. There were no cell phones at that time.
- Oh yes! I completely forgot about it! Yura grinned.
“Well, that’s it,” Petya continued. - She walks through the forest, looks in different directions, looking for forest signs, by which you can find your way back. And then something stirred in the grass. Grandmother's friend peered and saw a little chick. He clung to the stems with his beak, rearranged his paws and tried to flap his wings. But he couldn't fly. His wings had not yet grown and were weak.
"Baby bird is lost!" - the girl took pity on him and lifted him from the ground. She completely forgot that she herself got lost in the forest. The girl began to look for the chick's nest, but did not find it. And when it began to get dark, my grandmother's friend was afraid that she would have to spend the night alone in the forest. She was afraid of wolves. After all, they were still here then. Petya looked around the forest. Do you know how scared she was? And then the girl began to pray and ask God for help. She looked up at the sky, and it seemed to her that she saw some kind of light in the darkness and even someone's smiling face. Understood - this is her Guardian Angel! He suggested that you need to follow him.
The girl stood up and followed the Angel. She soon noticed big bird on a branch near the hollow and put a chick in it. Another exactly the same chick was sitting in the hollow. The mother of the chicks immediately jumped into the hollow. Of course, she was very glad that her cub was found.
And the grandmother's friend went further. All the way, until she emerged from the dark forest, she was led by a bright light. He flickered between the trees, but did not go out.
Then the girl told my grandmother about this mysterious light, which, like a magnet, led her along. It was probably a candle, and it was carried by the Guardian Angel, illuminating the girl's path.
With this, Petya ended his story.
The children were silent. They thought that in a difficult moment a Guardian Angel comes to the aid of people. If you believe, he will definitely come to suggest something, help, save.
– I believe that this is true, – Yurka said.
“So do I,” Andrey supported him.
“Of course, it’s true, my grandmother doesn’t know how to lie,” Petya confirmed.
- We have a good forest - kind, bright and beautiful! - Vova praised his native place.
“That’s why we come here and we’re not afraid of anything!” the children shouted in unison.
- Ho-dee, ho-dee, ho-dee ... - echoed the forest echo. - Come-ho-oh-de-te, children! I am waiting for you!

It is rightly said that a talented person is talented in everything. Irina Evgenievna Bezborodova sent a wonderful fairy tale to our competition. She not only brings up four children, but is also a teacher of the structural unit "Family Kindergarten" at GOU No. 2501 in Moscow. By the way, she also created illustrations for the fairy tale.

TALE ABOUT AN ANGEL

Little Nikolka could not fall asleep for a long time. He was waiting for his mother to tell him a bedtime story. But mother, rocking her little sister Mashutka in the cradle, fell asleep herself.

Nikolka tossed and turned from side to side, remembering how the day had gone. He has a lot of impressions. All morning he played with the shaggy yard dog Trezor, and after dinner he fed the cat Timofey with delicious milk, then he chased the chickens, which flew out from under his feet with a loud cluck.

Nikolka kept waiting and waiting for sleep to come, listening to the hooting of the owl coming from the depths of the garden. Suddenly the room was lit up with bright light. Nikolka saw that someone sat down beside him on the bed and stroked his head affectionately. “Who are you?” Nikolka asked the stranger in fright. “Do not be afraid of me, Nikolka, I am your angel,” the stranger answered. “Do you have wings?” Nikolka asked, overcoming fear. “Of course there is,” said the angel. And he spread his huge wings. “Wow, you,” Nikolka was surprised. And can you fly? “Of course,” said the angel. Do you want us to fly a little together? Of course, Nikolka was afraid that his mother would scold him if she didn't find him in bed. Still, he said he wanted to. The angel took Nikolka by the hand, and they left the hut.

The stars shone brightly in the sky, so much so that Nikolka even closed his eyes. The angel flapped its wings and took off from the ground. Firmly grasping the angel by the hand, Nikolka flew after him. I'm flying like a bird," Nikolka shouted joyfully.

Below was a lake, then a field flashed by. The angel began to descend lower and lower until they landed on a high hill. Angel and Nikolka silently sat with bated breath, and looked at the stars.

Nikolka thought about how great it would be if the shaggy Trezor, and the cat Timofey, and the hen Pestrushka were with him. The angel stroked his head and nodded. Angels already know all our dreams. Suddenly, right across the sky, a Hen flew, and a fluffy cat, and Trezor, and even a huge owl.

Nikolka's eyes began to droop. "I'm having a strange dream," flashed through Nikolka's head.

Early in the morning, Nikolka was woken up by the loud crow of a rooster. Mom kneaded the dough. Little sister Mashutka gurgled in her cradle.

Mom, and mom. Nikolka went up to his mother and pulled her by the hem.

I flew with an angel at night. Mom, shaking her head, continued to knead the dough.

I'm not lying, Mom, honestly. Although he himself did not really believe that he had not dreamed all this.

Mom, taking a bowl of dough, went out. Nikolka was hurt to tears. He sniffled and crawled back into his bed. Burying his face in the pillow, Nikolka wanted to sob loudly. But then, something pricked him in the nose. He took a huge pen in his hand. The same feathers were on the wings of an angel. So this is not a dream. Nikolka smiled. He did not even notice how a kind angel tiptoed up to Mashutka's cradle and began to gently rock it. Nikolka's heart felt somehow joyful. Mashutka's loud laughter spread through the room. It was her first laugh.

My dear children, every boy and every girl has their own angel. You have it too. When night falls, he quietly whispers fairy tales in your ear and shows good dreams. Let's close our eyes and quietly wait for our angel. Sweet dreams, kids!

“Peace be with you,” the Angel said affectionately, sitting next to the Cat on a thick branch and shaking off the snow from it. “Hello,” the Cat opened his green eye, looked at the Angel lazily and turned away.

Angel hid under the wings bare feet and looked down. Beneath them lay a white courtyard full of laughter, screeching, flying snowballs and creaking footsteps.

“You have climbed high,” said the Angel, estimating the distance to the ground. “But even Sashkin’s snowball won’t fly here.” The angel nodded in understanding and picked up his lowered wings. They were silent.

- What are you, for my old lady came? asked the Cat without turning his head. His voice was just as lazy, but the Angel immediately saw how pain and anxiety thickened around him.

- No, I'm not following anyone. - A! The cloud of anxiety has thinned. “She says every day that soon the Angel will take her away,” the Cat considered it necessary to explain. - It can be seen that another one will arrive ... Again they were silent.

But, apparently, the Cat was still worried about the presence of the Angel, and he asked as indifferently as possible:

- Why are you here? - Yes, I sat down to rest. He saved a boy in your city from himself. Oh, this is hard work! Now I'm flying home. - So you, this ... and from the disease can you? - Look at the disease. But I can do a lot. I am the keeper. "So why are you sitting here?" the Cat suddenly roared. - Well, let's go!

And he flew like a whirlwind to the ground. The angel landed quietly beside him. The old woman was so thin that the Angel did not immediately see her among the white pillows. The old woman's eyes were closed, and her chest was shaking, filling the whole room with wheezing, whistling and sobs.

The angel leaned over her, put white wings on her chest and began to whisper something - affectionately and quietly. While he was standing like that, the Cat threw firewood into the stove, moved the cooled kettle onto the stove and put a large mug of milk, pouring some herbs into it - he was preparing a drink for the hostess.

When the Angel straightened up, the old woman's breathing was even and quiet, her sunken cheeks turned pink. “Let him sleep,” he said to the Cat. She has weakened a lot. The cat turned away and quickly wiped his eyes.

The old woman was sleeping, and the Cat and the Angel were drinking tea, and the Cat was still pouring cream into his tea, and the Angel was smiling, looking at him. “I’ll probably stay with you for a while,” he said, stirring the honey, “until Mikhailovna gets up.” “And how do you know that she is Mikhailovna?” - I'm an angel. I already know your name is Charlie. “So, we kind of got to know each other,” Cat chuckled. - And how to praise you? We don't have names. Just an angel.

The cat silently handed him the cream and took a sip from the mug. Walkers ticked over the table, firewood crackled in the stove, and the wind picked up outside the window. “So you asked why I climbed high,” the Cat suddenly grinned. - Looks like you've been waiting. - And he added thoughtfully, listening to the wind: - You need to tie your socks. Why are you barefoot in the snow? ..

There lived a girl. Her name was Nastya, Nastenka. She lived with her father, mother and little brother in a small wooden house with a beautiful carved porch. The girl was the most ordinary. She, like everyone else, went to school and was friends with a variety of boys and girls. But, no one knew that her most devoted friend was the invisible Guardian Angel. The girl had never seen him, but she knew well that he was near. She felt his presence, his warmth, his protection. When he flew in, silently folding his little light wings on her shoulder, her heart was filled with joy, warmth and love. These feelings overwhelmed her heart, soul to everything that surrounded her: to her mother, to her little brother, to her father, and even to the freckled Kolka, who constantly pulled her pigtails and offended her at school.

Nastenka loved her friend Guardian Angel very much. I often talked to him for advice. When she went to bed, she wished him good night. Waking up, overshadowed myself sign of the cross, and thanked her angel and God for the coming new day. The girl believed with all her little hot heart that the Lord loved her. He loves every boy and girl, and gives everyone his own guardian angel, who invisibly protects and protects them.

Mom told her when the soul is pure, when she does not wish harm to anyone, then the Guardian Angel is always there. And if, evil thoughts, deceit, resentment take possession of the soul of a girl or boy, then demonic forces come to her. The soul begins to suffer, to torment. A girl or boy spoils the character and mood. Thoughts become evil, cruel, envious. The angel flies away crying from the poor soul and prays to the Lord for forgiveness. And only a prayer to the Lord God, through repentance for one's bad deed, through the prayer of the Guardian Angel, God, helps the soul to be cleansed again, to be bright and joyful.

Nastenka was a good obedient girl. She always felt that her friend was there. But, one day, a story happened to her. She taught her a lot, and most importantly, to cherish the purest and brightest - God's protection, Guardian Angel.

Nastenka was very fond of her mother's things. She especially liked the small box, covered with old green velvet. He was so old that the velvet lost its former gloss, but he still retained his grandeur and mystery with all his appearance. Mom sometimes took the chest on her knees, carefully opened it, and from there it smelled of Russian antiquity and a fairy tale. There were amazing handmade bracelets, necklaces, earrings, wedding rings. They were made by talented Russian master jewelers. It was a small legacy. It was inherited by my mother from my grandmother, and my grandmother from my great-grandmother, as a family heirloom. Mom sorted through these jewelry and told amazing stories about those distant times. Each item held its own secret. Nastya knew them by heart, and everything connected with them, but still she asked her mother to tell her again and again every time. It was very interesting. The girl always sat with bated breath, listening to these stories about her distant grandparents. When she took some thing in her little hands, it seemed to her that someone's soul came to life. She felt her warmth, the breath of a loving heart.

Among all these amazing jewelry, she especially liked the small silver wedding ring. Once, without her mother's permission, Nastenka secretly opened a chest to admire it. She got him. The ring was uncomplicated. It looked simple next to the ornate decorations, but the girl loved it. I loved it because in the very center of the decoration there was a small Orthodox cross. She put it on her finger, and as if the very history of the ring began to come to life. The girl imagined the sacrament of a wedding in a church, the crackling of old, swollen wax candles, candelabra, the whisper of prayer, and the rustle of a wedding dress. Nastenka had never seen a wedding, but her mother told her how beautiful and solemn it was. She imagined a distant great-grandmother, who, terribly worried, reading a prayer to herself, with trepidation puts on a thin wedding ring to his betrothed. Her great-grandfather, under the censer fragrance of incense. Nastenka loved this smell so much that she immediately wanted to light a lamp with a censer. She ran to her room, found a censer. With careful movements, she quietly poured oil into the lamp and, crossing herself, lit the wick. A merry light from a lamp illuminated the faces of the saints. The girl silently admired them and ran on. She couldn't wait to get outside. I wanted to see how the ring would play in bright sunlight. As soon as she opened the door, she suddenly stopped for a second. As if someone touched her on the shoulder. Nastenka thought about it and felt that it was her friend Guardian Angel. At that very moment, she remembered that she had taken the ring without permission and that her mother would be very unhappy with this. That she is not doing well, and it would be necessary to put him in his place. The girl understood that the Guardian Angel was warning her, but the desire to admire and play with the ring was very strong. And for the first time she decided not to listen to her friend.

The girl ran out onto the porch, took the ring off her finger and held it up to the bright rays of the sun. It sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow. How beautiful it was! Her little ring became like luminous rays of the sun. They reflected all the light. Nastenka laughed, clasped her hands with joy, spun in place, and at that moment the ring suddenly slipped out of her hands. It hit the wooden floor several times, quickly rolled and slipped into a crevice under an old carved porch, dully boarded up on all sides.

At Nastenka, as if everything was broken inside. She froze in place. She realized that the ring had fallen under the tightly sealed porch, and she herself could no longer get it. From surprise, Nastenka's soul went cold. It became somehow empty, dreary, lonely. But she didn't realize it right away. She was afraid that her mother would find out everything, scold her, and she would never see the treasured chest. Never hear from mom amazing, favorite stories about those distant and wonderful times. And most importantly - her beloved, dear ring to her heart lies under the porch. In dampness, humidity and dirt, it can turn black and break. She felt sorry for him, but she felt even more sorry for herself. There were tears in her big gray eyes, but they were tears of resentment. Swallowing them, Nastenka stood and pondered whether to tell her mother or not. On the one hand, she was ashamed, and on the other, she thought that her mother might not know anything, would not notice. She must go, she thought, close the casket and pretend not to touch it. They will ask about the ring, I will say that it rolled somewhere by itself. And mom won't scold her.

“Everyone will be fine,” she decided.

And she didn’t say anything to her mother about the ring, she hid it.

Events continued to unfold as usual. Time has passed. The girl had already begun to forget about her act, when suddenly her mother suddenly asked her about the ring, had she seen it? Everything went cold in Nastenka's chest, and she answered, as if in a strange voice, that she had not seen him. The girl became somehow uncomfortable. She thought that for the first time in her life she had deceived her mother, she had told a lie. At first, Nastenka was very worried, but then, over time, everything began to be forgotten. Mom did not ask her, and everything calmed down. But, after Nastenka concealed her misdeed for the first time in her life, deceived her mother, a lot began to change in her life.

She herself did not notice how she began to quarrel with her girlfriends, to be offended. Previously, the girl was very sincere in her words. Now she could say one thing, but think something completely different, deceive, dissemble. She stopped reading prayers, going to church. She didn’t even think about her friend Guardian Angel. Joy and love, which used to overwhelm her heart, were replaced by suspicion and jealousy. Nastenka, who was a clear sun for everyone, loved everyone, pitied and helped, suddenly changed beyond recognition. Sin entered her heart through deception, paralyzing all the best feelings, her soul. The worst thing is that the girl did not notice this at all. It seemed to her that nothing had changed in her life, that she was the same as she was before. For some reason, her friends started avoiding her. The little brother, whom she loved so much, for some reason began to cry with her often. Even the yard dog Tishka, who was always so happy with her, began to bypass her. "What's going on with everyone?" she thought. But it actually happened to her. She began to get into various unpleasant stories.

Once I nearly broke my leg, and another time I was so frightened that I stuttered for a while. The girl began to be afraid of everything, the dark, people, which had never happened to her before. There was a feeling of insecurity and loneliness. Poor thing, she didn't even know that her friend Guardian Angel was not around. Nastenka herself, unwittingly, let evil into herself through deceit. Her soul was entangled in an invisible web of ugly and scary spirits evil. The girl did not suspect this, because they were invisible. The guardian angel stood aside, shed tears and begged God to forgive the poor girl, to give her soul repentance.

In addition to the Guardian Angel, there was another person who knew about her act. It was her mother. She guessed everything, understood what was happening to her daughter. She did not dare to ask a second time about the ring. I did not want to plunge the girl into deceit again. She only silently prayed to the intercessor of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel. She asked for prayer help to enlighten her daughter. Nastenka knew nothing about it. And again the Guardian Angel, who loved the girl very much, by God's grace came to her aid. And it was like this...

Once in the evening, Nastenka decided to go to bed early. She cleaned everything on the table, washed herself, carefully combed her hair and lay down. Soft moonlight from the window quietly fell on her eyelashes, she closed her eyes and dozed off. It seemed to her that she was plunging into some amazing state of lightness, peace and quiet joy. As if in her soul something was shining, filled. She, through this wonderful light, began to distinguish the outlines of light, transparent wings. The light gradually began to dissipate - and a face appeared. His features were beautiful and amazing. Although the girl saw him for the first time, she felt something dear, close and infinitely loved. For a long time she struggled to remember: with whom these forgotten sensations were connected.

- Who are you? she asked quietly.

I am your guardian angel, he replied. - I have always been with you, protecting you, protecting you from various misfortunes. But you, without knowing it, drove me away, and then forgot. Know that I do not dare to approach you, because you are in the power of dark forces. I call and pray for you to God. Your salvation is your mother, remember her ...

The vision stood a little in the air and dissolved, and with it an amazing, wonderful, light feeling of joy and peace. Nastenka woke up. She remembered that she had not wished her beloved mother good night, and that she had not visited her for a long time. Jumping off the bed and slapping barefoot on the floor, the girl quickly ran to her mother's room. Having reached the place, she slightly opened the door and saw her mother kneeling in tears in front of the image of the Most Pure Mother of God. Nastenka thought that something had happened. She wanted to rush to her to console her, when she suddenly heard her mother's tearful prayer whisper.

“Holy Mother of God, Mother of God, I appeal to You for help. Cover my child with your heavenly cover. Protect her from the misfortunes of demons. Thou enlighten her unreasonable. Bring her to repentance, because she herself does not know what she is doing. Forgive her foolish deceit. Beg for it from the Son of Your Lord our Lord, Jesus Christ"

Nastenka stood at the door and could not move. She suddenly understood everything, as if a veil had been lifted from her soul. She remembered everything down to the smallest detail. A casket, a ring, her friend's Guardian Angel, a terrible deception. She realized that her mother knew everything. She knew and remained silent. She imagined how much her beloved mother must go through during this time. And she seemed to be blind. Somewhere inside her, shame began to burn, she felt ashamed. Step by step, she once again remembered all the events: how she took the ring without permission, how she offended her friend Guardian Angel without listening to him. How she deceived her mother, and for a long time behaved not in the best way. Tears gushed from her eyes. Nastenka opened the door wide open with one movement and ran into her mother's room. She threw herself on her knees, weeping in shame and remorse. Tears flowed from her large gray eyes. She could not utter a word from excitement, but her mother understood everything. She hugged the girl, hugged her. And for a long time with reverence, quiet joy thanked Holy Mother of God and Guardian Angel for prayerful help, giving praises to God's mercy, our Lord Jesus Christ!

The guardian angel was next to them. His soul rejoiced and sang! Bringing unceasing praises to the Creator of this world. He rejoiced and was touched by the happy faces of mother and daughter, gently covering them with his large white wings ...

small silver ring soon found when they began to dismantle the old, broken porch. It was under him. With the ring, thank God, nothing happened. It returned back to the cherished, velvet casket, which became the owner of another secret. Nastenka's mother, just as before, in the evenings, carefully opened it, and told amazing stories about distant times, similar to a fairy tale. Yes, and the casket itself still seemed fabulous, and from there it wafted with Russian antiquity and epics ...

“Peace be with you,” the Angel said affectionately, sitting next to the Cat on a thick branch and shaking off the snow from it.
“Hello,” the Cat opened his green eye, looked at the Angel lazily and turned away. The angel hid his bare feet under the wings and looked down. Beneath them lay a white courtyard full of laughter, screeching, flying snowballs and creaking footsteps.
“You have climbed high,” said the Angel, estimating the distance to the ground.
“But even Sashkin’s snowball won’t fly here.”
The angel nodded in understanding and picked up his lowered wings. They were silent.

- What are you, for my old lady came? asked the Cat without turning his head. His voice was just as lazy, but the Angel immediately saw how pain and anxiety thickened around him.
- No, I'm not following anyone.
- A! The cloud of anxiety has thinned.
“She says every day that soon the Angel will take her away,” the Cat considered it necessary to explain.
- It can be seen that another one will arrive ... Again they were silent. But, apparently, the Cat was still worried about the presence of the Angel, and he asked as indifferently as possible:
- Why are you here?
- Yes, I sat down to rest. He saved a boy in your city from himself. Oh, this is hard work! Now I'm flying home.
- So you, this ... and from the disease can you?
- Look at the disease. But I can do a lot. I am the keeper.
"So why are you sitting here?" the Cat suddenly roared.
- Well, let's go! And he flew like a whirlwind to the ground. The angel landed quietly beside him.

The old woman was so thin that the Angel did not immediately see her among the white pillows. The old woman's eyes were closed, and her chest was shaking, filling the whole room with wheezing, whistling and sobs. The angel leaned over her, put white wings on her chest and began to whisper something - affectionately and quietly. While he was standing like that, the Cat threw firewood into the stove, moved the cooled kettle onto the stove and put a large mug of milk, pouring some herbs into it - he was preparing a drink for the hostess.
When the Angel straightened up, the old woman's breathing was even and quiet, her sunken cheeks turned pink.
“Let him sleep,” he said to the Cat.

She has weakened a lot.
The cat turned away and quickly wiped his eyes.

The old woman was sleeping, and the Cat and the Angel were drinking tea, and the Cat was still pouring cream into his tea, and the Angel was smiling, looking at him.
“I’ll probably stay with you for a while,” he said, stirring the honey,
- Until Mikhailovna gets up.
“And how do you know that she is Mikhailovna?”
- I'm an angel. I already know your name is Charlie.
“So, we kind of got to know each other,” Cat chuckled.
- And how to praise you?
We don't have names. Just an angel.
The cat silently handed him the cream and took a sip from the mug.

Walkers ticked over the table, firewood crackled in the stove, and the wind picked up outside the window. “So you asked why I climbed high,” the Cat suddenly grinned.
- Looks like you've been waiting.
- And thoughtfully added, listening to the wind:
- You need to tie your socks. Why are you barefoot in the snow? ..

(c) Lyudmila Sosnina