Translated from the Ukrainian by Oles Kovalenko and Vasil Baryshev It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that it is the story-writers who actually introduce kids to the world they live in... Using words, they paint a bizarre yet convincing pattern of the essential human values Love, Beauty, Honesty, Courage as opposed to Hatred, Uglyness, Meanness, Cowardice... This is a massive, wide-ranging collection of tales full of action, ferocious energy and imagination offered by leading Ukrainian authors of several generations. .j Rocking with laughter and dissolving in tears, praising the good and grappling with the evil — these entertaining and brilliantly plotted mysteries have it all!
When the news that none other than Karmelyuk was the leader of the band in the Black Forest spread about his native village, it caused quite a stir among old and young, good and bad alike. The men appeared concerned, while the women were visibly worried and troubled. The story also reached Karmelyuk's mother and wife. The widow was in tears as she told her daughter-in-law: "Wicked and shameless --that's what people are! Isn't it horrible, how they're lying? They're slandering my dear son! It simply can't be true! I don't believe it! I'd sooner die than believe it. What do you say, Marusya? What about you?" "I'll just keep living and loving him," Marusya said. "And so will I!" prattled her little daughter who stood beside her, listening. Days went by. Then there was a night — a lovely night when the moon and stars were shining bright in a cloudless sky, the orchards were in bloom, the houses looked peaceful and dreamy, and the nightingales were singing. Karmelyuk's daughter was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly. Worn down by anxiety and sorrow, the widow was also asleep, but her sleep was troubled; she was continually sighing, crying out and sobbing. Sleep had overcome the frail old woman; but it failed to bring her peace. Karmelyuk's wife wasn't asleep, though. She had spent many sleepless nights and would most likely spend many more; for she was young and too vigorous for the lack of sleep to tell on her, and her anxiety grew by the day and by the hour. So she stayed awake, thinking about the man she loved. Suddenly, she heard the door being opened cautiously - - ever so cautiously -and saw him step inside; the next thing she knew he was in her arms. And then she couldn't tell whether everything suddenly burst into light or dimmed to darkness before her eyes, or whether it was ecstasy or agony - - only when she came to her senses, she was out in the orchard where she could feel the fragrance of the flowers and saw the bright moon and brilliant stars. For quite a long time she wasn't aware or conscious of anything except that he was there with her and that she was in his arms. She looked at him and slowly found herself again. Then they began to talk, softly and gently, and spent the rest of that night talking. The moon had disappeared from the sky, the stars had faded away, the nightingales had fallen silent, the sky had started to colour in the east and the morning breeze was already brushing the leaves in the trees, when Karmelyuk embraced his wife, kissing her goodbye. They walked together across the fields down to a valley outside the village where three black horses were grazing and two of Karmelyuk's comrades were waiting for him, puffing away at their pipes. There Karmelyuk parted with Marusya, and his comrades heard him tell her, "I'll be back!" Then the three of them jumped into their saddles and galloped off, the horses' hooves raising sparks, until they disappeared from sight. Marusya walked back home. Both at their house and at the neighbours', everybody was still asleep, and all was quiet. Only the sky was glowing brighter and the leaves in the trees were fluttering faster. As time went on, the band of robbers in the Black Forest grew stronger and stronger with every passing hour and with every new day. Also, with every passing hour and with every new day, the well-to-do and the titled grew increasingly concerned and alarmed. Finally, they decided to have the leader captured by might and main, no matter how. So they hired detectives and informers, offering them lavish fees and promising high rewards, only asking in return that they "get that man." Before long, detectives and spies swarmed all over in search of trails and traces. More time went by, and the leader was still at large. More than once the news spread that he had been captured; and crowds of people would then gather to have a look, driven by the desire to make sure for themselves, attracted by the heady atmosphere, aroused by disbelief, genuine interest or just common curiosity. However, the news proved to be false every time. It was true, though, that a suspicious-looking man was detained in the forest, but that was either some poor devil with nothing to do with the band, whom want and need had forced to take to robbery, or even harmless, innocent traveller seized by mistake. As rumours had it, the leader enchanted people and could turn away glances and touch the heart; no living soul could hear his voice, meet his eyes or see his beautiful face and remain unmoved and unimpressed. He was said to charm and captivate everyone, and it was even claimed that several detectives had actually tracked him down but had then fallen under his spell and let him go, becoming totally unfit for similar jobs for the rest of their lives. It takes all sorts to make a world, though; there are always people who can't be charmed by any charm or deceived by any deceit. It was such man who now joined the hunt and went to trace and pursue him as tirelessly and incessantly as he escaped from them - - by day and by night, from dawn to dusk, through thick woods and across boundless steppes, down in deep valleys and high in the mountains...
VI
One dark night, when everybody was asleep, Karmelyuk's wife waited under a cherry tree in her orchard. She stood motionless, like a statue, until she spotted his tall figure approaching fom the valley and dashed towards him-- like a soul flying to Paradise. Karmelyuk was breathing hard, weary and exhausted. Embracing Marusya, he could not hold her for long in his frozen hands. He spoke with effort. "They're hunting me like a wild beast, Marusya," he said. "I've been on the run for three straight days and four nights -never once stopped... I've had to disband the company also..." "Oh, my darling," Marusya said. "They were here yesterday, asking about you, but we all told them we knew nothing. Yesterday — ' she paused. "What's this?" she gasped as something clanged and banged near by. Then suddenly, the lights went on in the house, and there were loud voices inside, clamouring and shouting. The next thing they knew, more voices rang out in the orchard, all about them, and men fell on them from all sides. "Hold him! Seize him! We've got him! We're holding him!" Shouts resounded in the quiet of the night. Karmelyuk was overpowered. He quickly turned to his wife. "Marusya!" he whispered. "Just tell them you don't know anything. Do you hear?" "All right," Marusya whispered back. Karmelyuk's mother came running, unable to believe her eyes. She was inconsolable, seeing him seized, and pleaded with his captors to release her son. His little daughter also awoke and rushed to her father as she was -- wearing only a nightshirt, her hair dishevelled — and clutched at him with her tiny hands. They dragged everybody away from Karmelyuk, flung him into a carriage and drove off. The whole village had turned out to watch him being taken away, people thronging and buzzing like a swarm of bees. Karmelyuk's wife walked after the carriage with her daughter in her arms. His old mother was unable to walk; she kept fainting while several sympathetic young men, who had been deeply moved by the entire scene, got a horse and waggon ready for her. Karmelyuk was brought in irons to a big town and thrown into a sombre stone cell. "Karmelyuk's had it!" shouted the rich. "His day of reckoning has come!" The poor talked one to another in hushed voices. Young women and girls wept; older people crossed themselves, saying. "Lord, have mercy upon us!" Karmelyuk's wife and daughter followed him to the town, walking all the way. The widow was brought in the waggon. Karmelyuk was put on trial which dragged on for quite a long time. Whoever then happened to walk or ride across the square past the lifeless-looking jail would see at all hours an elderly woman whose final remaining strength seemed to be fast ebbing away. She sat on a large stone, weeping. If spoken to, she would tell about her misfortune, wailing over it. There one could also see a young woman, sitting still and silent, whose lack of any colour in her face seemed to suggest the loss of all that was dear. At her side was a little girl whom nobody ever saw merry or playful and who was never seen in a nearby street, where, as she must have known, sweets and toys were sold — never! She just sat quietly beside her mother, sometimes questioning her softly about something or just speaking to her, sometimes snuggling up against the older woman who wept as she hugged her with her feeble aged hands. It was as though they lived there — around that large grey stone about which nobody knew who and why had put it there on the square outside the prison. It was there that they ate their lunch and supper. It seems they would have slept there as well, but since the town rules didn't allow it, every night they had to return to a hut where they had found shelter, and slept there. Every night their last glances and thoughts were directed to the dark windows of the jail; every morning their first thoughts were about the jail, and they couldn't wait to again see that forbidding sight. As time went on, nothing was made less burdensome for them and nothing changed, except that the weather became chillier as the autumn cold set in, and there was frost in the mornings and at nights. People wrapped themselves up in sheepskin coats and lit stoves; the little girl now ran faster and faster to the hut every evening and back to the stone outside the jail every morning, and the old woman couldn't walk a single step without support from her daughter-in-law. They were all fairly certain about the verdict, and only waited for the trial to end. Finally, the day came. It was bright and crisp, and the snow was falling lightly when the prison door was flung open and convicts began coming out in pairs, their chains jangling. A small crowd had gathered in the square, a couple of women were crying, looking out for their loved ones among the shackled pairs. There were so many reckless, daring souls among those convicts! Karmelyuk also came out. Those convicts who had somebody to say good-bye to, were allowed to do so. Karmelyuk's mother sank to the ground the moment she saw him; his wife and daughter rushed to his side, ready to follow him all the way. Having said good-bye to his mother, Karmelyuk then began to say goodbye to his wife and daughter, telling them something in a low voice. Blood rushed to the young woman's face as she listened, as if his words had hurt her deeply, and their daughter cried out, "We aren't going to leave you, Daddy!" two or three times, and then flung her little arms round her shackled father, bursting into tears. Meanwhile, shouts rang out in the crowd: "Karmelyuk! Karmelyuk! It's Karmelyuk! Where's he? There he is!" And the crowd heaved and swayed, like a billowing sea wave. The convicts were ordered to march and they did so. The crowd followed them as far as the highway outside the town, getting larger and larger all the time, and the shouts "Karmelyuk! Karmelyuk!" becoming louder and louder. From all sides, pepple were throwing coins to the convicts and shouting to them, "God be with you!" Karmelyuk's mother was helped along; his wife and daughter walked at his side. Then everybody was ordered to turn back. "I'll die... I'll die soon!" Karmelyuk's mother gasped out, breathless. The little girl kissed and caressed her father. "I wish we could go with you!" she cried out. "We'll do as you say," his loyal and faithful wife told him. "Let's hope for the better!" Karmelyuk said. "Start! Get a move on!" And they went. They marched further and further on. Soon the dull jangling of their chains could be heard no more. Their figures could barely be seen. Then they disappeared altogether; where they were last seen there were now only trees, sharply outlined against the bright sky. Karmelyuk's mother was led back to the town, and Marusya carried the sobbing girl; the crowd trudging along, talking and offering words of sympathy and advice. Before the day was done, Karmelyuk's family set off by waggon back to their native village. Each night, the lights burned again in Karmelyuk's house, and all in it grieved, but their thoughts were with him every step of his long journey to an unknown destination.
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