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Koschei frowned and entered the house, which became much lighter and more comfortable. The housemates stepped back quietly, giving as always angry owner the way. He went into the kitchen, made tea and began pouring it into cups. The teapot in his hand froze in a surprise, when he realized that Koschei had poured tea not only for himself, but also for the guest.

Then Koschei entered the hall, sat down in a deep, soft armchair, covered with dust and artfully spinned cobwebs, and began sipping his hot tea, examining the patterns on the wall that now were visible. He didn’t notice how the girl found herself next to him until she touched him timidly over the shoulder and looked inquisitively into his eyes.

– Are you upset? – the girl asked sympathetically, and sat down in the second armchair without any invitation. But before she could sit down, the helpful little broom swept the dust and cobwebs away. This made the armchair lighter, brighter and more beautiful.

That’s it, Koschei thought. They don’t even please me that way. Why, actually? After all, they know everything, unlike passing-through knights ...

He didn’t hurry to answer Hope. The girl shrugged her shoulders, got up from the chair, and began pacing the room, trying to take her mind off where she was and how to get back home. She was looking at various things: books, vases, teapots and cups... Brushes?!

Koschei noticed her astonishment and realized before it was too late. No one was supposed to know that once he’d been so fond of drawing and was so talented that he could become an outstanding artist. If only he didn’t quit drawing. He bounced out of chair, switched out the brushes of her hands and threw them into the furthest corner.

But the curiosity had already settled in the little girl’s heart. And now it became even more interesting for her to find out what else was hiding in the strange abandoned forest house, where this old man lived. She went round the rooms one after another with growing courage, looking behind all doors until she opened that one of them, the furthest. The room appeared to be completely filled with beautiful paintings floor-to-ceiling. However, even there the skilful little spiders had spinned their crystal cobwebs, which were wrapping the canvases and trembling in the air.