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!
Once the Dreary Darkness became so annoyed with the Radiant Sun, her eternal rival, that she decided to black her out altogether. The Radiant Sun had sent its beams into virtually every corner of the earth while the Dreary Darkness had to make do with the few obscure recesses left. But even here the shadows were very thin and they did not protect her from the light. There, in her holes, the Dreary Darkness stored up her plans for revenge. Finally, an idea took shape... First, the Dreary Darkness set about weaving heaps of black magic yarn which she would need for her wicked deed. The very minute the Radiant Sun went to rest, the Dreary Darkness popped up and nimbly covered the world with a huge black cover. That was the first time that night fell upon the earth... But the Dreary Darkness soon faded away as the Radiant Sun rose back up into the sky. That was the beginning of a continuous struggle between them. Each time the Radiant Sun went to sleep, the Dreary Darkness spread her black cover over the world. With the Radiant Sun wide awake, she had to hide in her deep holes. Presently, the Radiant Sun asked the Silvery Moon, her younger brother to save the frightened people from the pitch-darkness by giving some light at night. This was the last straw for the Dreary Darkness. Blazing with fury, she tore at the Silvery Moon, beating her fists against him. With each strike she knocked off a piece of the moon's shining surface. There sparkling fragments swooped down onto the black cover and stuck to it. The people watched the Silvery Moon get smaller and smaller until only a crescent shape remained. Meanwhile, the dark cover became studded with the twinkling moon particles which the people called "The Stars..." Fortunately, the Silvery Moon had magic powers and he could restore his former shape no matter what Dreary Darkness did. So, more and more stars appeared and flickered in the nocturnal sky as if lost in reverie... Each morning the Bright Dawn came. She was a Radiant Sun's daughter. She appeared on top of a high mountain to comb her golden hair. Her smile meant the start of a new day. In the evening, she turned up again to comfort the people as the dark night crept up... The Dreary Darkness didn't like this arrangement one bit. Eventually, she brought her son, the Bitter Frost to help. One day, when the Radiant Sun was shining high up in the sky, the nasty sorceress sent her rogues to the Solar Realm. There they kidnapped the Bright Dawn and the Dreary Darkness had her confined to a tall glacial tower in the Land of the Bitter Frost. Icebergs and snow mountains blocked the way to this land. The glacial tower was on island in the middle of the Icebound River. Even the Radiant Sun was helpless there. Her beams grew cool as they reached these parts, weakened by the very long journey. And they gave only a little light and no warmth at all. None of the living creatures could get across the Icebound River. Any fish that happened to find his way there was sure to freeze to death. Those who set foot on the only available ice-clogged bridge became gelid and turned into dumb statues, cold as marble. The Bitter Frost never took his eyes off the glacial tower where the Bright Dawn was held captive... Many years later a boy was born into a family of a glass-cutter. He was so cheerful that his father called him the Sunny Boy. The Sunny Boy helped his father to cut glass for new windows and, as he did so, he sang merry little song. Small wonder, everything looked so bright and lovely through the windows they made! Even the poorest people grew cheerful when the Sunny Boy came to put windows in for them. The Sunny Boy also liked to listen to the fairy tales. One day he heard the story of the two eternal rivals, the Radiant Sun and the Dreary Darkness. Horrified by the misfortunes that had befallen the Bright Dawn, the brave lad set off to rescue her. Months later, the Sunny Boy entered the land of the Bitter Frost and got as far as the Icebound River. There, on the bridge, he was stopped by the deathly touch of the cold and, feeling his toes and fingers turning to ice, he turned back. ...Once more at home, the Sunny Boy found a witchwoman and begged her for help: "Please, lady, tell me what should I do to rescue our Bright Dawn?" The witchwoman took her time, leafing through the dogeared magic books. At last, she looked up and said: "The secret is in your hands! You must get yourself a piece of glass that will make the radiant sun beams as hot as fire. But it is up to you how you do it..." The Sunny Boy tried hundreds of compositions and designs. He created many new kinds of glass and mirrors. But none of these glasses were good enough to fight the Bitter Frost. But the Sunny Boy wouldn't give up. He spent all his time in his workshop experimenting with the flame-red glowing glass... Meanwhile, the golden-haired Bright Dawn was still held captive in her freezing confinement. The Dreary Darkness vied with the Radiant Sun and spread her black cover over the sky each night. But, not content with this evil deed, she wanted to give the Radiant Sun and her daughter still more pain. The Dreary Darkness stayed with her son the Bitter Frost for days watching the Bright Dawn tormented by the cold. She found this spectacle helpful for contriving new tricks against the Radiant Sun. She borrowed a book of wicked witchcraft from some relative who lived on a distant planet. The book described all possible ways of pestering people. The Dreary Darkness liked the book so much she read it from morning till night. One day, she was so engrossed in her reading she failed to notice a lanky young man who approached the bridge spanning the Icebound River. It was, of course, the Sunny Boy. In front of him he was rolling a magnificent convex lens. Disturbed by the noise, the Bitter Frost darted out of his tower to freeze the stranger to death. That very moment the Sunny Boy trained his lens on his enemy. The lens took in the sunbeams, refracted them and emitted a pencil of light so hot it melted away everything in its way. The Bitter Frost very nearly met his end, but he just had time to hide behind the thick walls of his glacial tower. In a frenzy, he and his wicked mother tried to use their black sorcery against the hot rays, but nothing worked. Inch by inch and foot by foot, their hideous stronghold was melting away! The moment the Bitter Frost breathed his last and was gone without a trace, the evil spell was broken. Ice statues became brave knights again. They greeted the Bright Dawn joyously. Then all of them praised the Sunny Boy. His valour and cleverness had saved them from terrible unhappiness. From that day to this the Bright Dawn combs her golden hair welcoming the Radiant Sun in the morning and saying good-bye in the evening. Her smile is daily watched and admired by people throughout the world. But the Dreary Darkness has never made up with the Radiant Sun. As always, she spreads her magic cover over the sky and tears the glimmering particles off the Silvery Moon. And when the particles stick to her cover she removes them and angrily flings them down. When people chance to see this, they say, "Look, a shooting star!" But the Silvery Moon is a heavenly body, he makes himself round again..
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