Спасти Кощея

Hope couldn’t not help smiling while listening to enamored with his native land Gorynych. How many of her classmates loved their city as much as he did? When did we start feeling embarrassed about loving the motherland, calling it with a capital «M»? And how many adults had she seen, who felt as much inspired when telling about flying in the sky, looking at the green spaces and blue waters? And even if they’re flying not with the help of their wings, but inside the great metal bird, the view stays the same! Gorynych needs his huge green home, it is important for him, and what about people? They’re only interested in the ultimate goal of the journey, Hope realized with bitterness. In places where birds sing differently, other fish swim in the sea, other animals  trample the ground, other flowers grow. But what make those «others» better than our own, native? On the other hand, her mother always said: «If you eat your favourite chocolate every day, you will get sick of it soon». Maybe people just need a change? But can’t you make a change without running away? So that others can enjoy these changes too, if they’re so necessary for adults ...

Getting her mind back to the talker, Hope noticed that she’d missed a good half of the story, and the third Gorynych’s head had already followed the second, telling with the same inspiration about the adventure he had with Koschei.

– ...And I fired at him! – Gorynych jumped to his feet in excitement, then hit his head on the doorway and hissed angrily at the other heads. – Couldn’t you just move a little, or what?!

They were answering something to him, but Koschei, who shook up from the noise, occupied her attention.

– Why did you quit drawing? I mean, the paintings over there are so beautiful, – the girl waved her hand towards the room where Koschei had gathered many of his amazing works.

He looked doubtingly at the young guest, but didn’t argue. He, for one, never thought much of his skill, though he knew he could hold the brush.

By that time Gorynych had calmed down, his heads were put on the floor, his paws were placed under them, and sighed dreamily. They hadn’t have a heart-to-heart talk with each other for so long. Everyone had locked himself in own grief and endured it as they could. If only they tried to support each other, maybe everything would turn out differently. But no one could know how this would end, since there are no ifs in history...