Talking on the roof

 
      
      Here birds did not fly.  Whirlwinds, which love usualy to run along the local river, lose their power in depth of gloomy  dense woods. In the fir forest it is so quiet, as if for the bird and for  the beast was  the order  -   some order for all  of them to be just  away. To tell the truth, here it is not too pleasantly,  faster  darkly,  rather damply.  Exactly  -  gloomy coldness hugs you anywhere in the deep cellar.
      But look!  There  ahead all  brightened. Palisade of trunks became more sparse.  Now the silent firs, covered with moss,  stand  so,  that you can catch sight of on your  shoulder or on the palm a couple of  sunbeams.
      It's not any Kingdom of tales, you see the firry grove with small bilberry-bushes, which were  firmly rooted  on the coast of the river. There was a glade of the berries  among   trunks, resin-covered. It is a lot of berries!  Help yourself, dear guest! You will not regret.
      Through some steps it is possible for the wayfarer  to espy, that the forest  becomes sparse here. Then suddenly a kind of brushwood  appears under feet, thereat rotten dead wood crackles softly.
      Branches, lying on the ground, were  cover with moss,  therefore  the place ahead  looks like solid green meadow. Be sure, it will be not   badly to gaze to  all sides   -  as they say,   to keep your eyes open. To stumble, to catch on the thick branch by the foot and to fall is a trifling matter.
      On the falsely smooth meadow there are  scattered mossy green  hassocks. But for you  also one more interesting  panarama is discovered: a bit of meters in another side the various ferns  converge into  circles. Their leaves are fostered  elaborately, as if  here a skilled painter worked, and each of them was like a feather of some unknown bird. O, who did  put these luxury feathers into this green carpet?!
      Mosquitoes are able to afford to squeak impertinently. It smells here by the rot of old wood and by mushrooms. You can do all, that want, but always I am ready to collect enthusiastically the berries. So, the white thin threads of spiderwebs sometimes stick  to my sweaty face.
      Now the harvest is notably rich. Above the tussocks and moss saucers there are  the  bushes,  rather low, however burdened with the  berries. If anyone will  touch some tiny spherules by  fingers, immediatelly  he  may see, that their  gray patina is lost. In front of him  shiny jet-black colour arises.
      I thought: it would be good to bring  home bilberries for my children,  herewith I was having  in my mind just  spherules of those, which were  more large. Part of them I can plant  near the house, other will be good as fine food.
      My today's digging has been sedulous.  Painstaking craftsmanship  on the glade was shown by me,  the assiduous digger, and soon  I  have seen  thin roots. They have been here, the roots of  the low bilberry. To tell the brief, I began to pull them.  However down, in the ground,  it was a long  lusty rhizoma.  Moreover, it stretched to another neighboring plant of related species. To break it quckly off? I decided to go to another bush in order that to take it also.
      It did not happen so, that I went a long way off:  I digged out the second plant directly through two steps and pulled. But it  has caught  the third green relative as well with help of the root.
      What was open in front of me? That was the interesting picture.  It testified: the rhizomas were associated among themselves once and  for all.  It would not want now to do such thing, as some cutting of roots.  Friendly family of small bushes, you here all hold on hard for each other. The wayfarer is not going to bother you. Grow in peace!
      Thereupon it came to my mind  to strew on roots and around them  crumbly  soil, then the digger watered all from a puddle and went home.
      Whether was I satisfied? It is necessary to say: of course!  As far as the benign digger, who liked to have a walk in the woods,   herein  didn't manage to ruin  this cramped fraternity of bilberry. Therewith I am able  to report: forests near the river in spaces of our northern parallels  were wonderful earlier. They were rich, if not to forget   bilberries, also some business wood, that was ready to be good for each lumberman. However  axes, very zealous, and acute saws  with big teeth, they  created  such sights  -  diminished the number of local groves with greater speed.
      But now efficient mind appeared in all these sawyers: it  would be right, if to manage carefully in order that not to spray  the wealth of  the woods. About it, about the abundance of the  local  fir forest, I heared from one rural old man,  he was  here the renowned expert in questions  of the history of all groves near the river. In  words of the storyteller I could feel  his zealous care concerning the welfare of the green  nature. By the way,   the oral histories of the rural inhabitant  were rather interesting for me. Do you want to know, how suddenly some magic grandmother became useful for the loggers?
      It will be needed to understand,  how she managed to help them in order that  they did not  lose  their honor and welfare.
 
*      *      *

      It has happened  such thing in the woods:  green  firs and resinous  pines founded themselves in trouble. If  not all of them, then the solid part  of  massive  forests  was cut out along the coasts  of the river. The loggers  lost their work on this occasion. The local chief of the forestry administration  was ready to cry:  I am the fortuneless man! The hapless economy has fallen to my lot! We did not have time to heal, as all normal people, and now we have to  beg our bread along all  world!
      After some considerations he assembled  the loggers and said:
      -  You may do  various chores  in your household  though the whole century. Therefore take the axes, the saws, go home up  to the best  times. And I recommend you  not to dawdle there.
      He began afterwords to think about different serious deals:  how to raise the timber industry?  Where to find new rich areas  with  firs and pines? Where  to obtain  diesel fuel for  powerful  mashines? Also how to regain  now the solid account in the Bank?
      Concerning to his thoughts, all of them were just very difficult, and the time  began to leak  and to leak drop by drop. As to the logger  Pavel, he was not going to be a loafer. To him it was high time to do one homemade thing: the roof by his house needed to be covered with slate. So, he climbed up to the roof,  looked - there  was the old lady upstairs. She rocked her leg, as a small girl.  Also herewith she winked to the owner:
      -  Clever I am?
      -  If you climbed here at one moment, as you say,  then why not to answer, that you are very agile? But speak  now  immediately,  what  position you have in our area, in the timber industry.  I see, you  came from somewhere, however with what purpose? And why does the guest have to sit on the roof of my house?
      - I am the grandmother  by name Willow, and I live among  the bushes near the river.  Incidentally,  the mistress of all willows by the river is in front of you now.
Where I want, there it is possible for me to have a walk and to afford  something kind of to sit on a pine stump or on somebody's roof.  Do you  understand now?
      -  Each of us, of loggers, must be ready-witted: here it is the local, exclusively vicinal care.   Your business has the right to go, how all  things go here, on the coasts of the  river with  these pine forests.  All is normal. Continue to sit on the roof, if  by you  there is such indispensable desire, forasmuch as I am too busy in order that to dawdle and to quarrel  with the  mistress, with the grandmother by name Willow.
      Pavel spoke, but  he did not forget to knock  at the same time: his hammer took pains  without any rest.  The grandmother had no desire  to be on the roof by some boring person. She began to give advices both loud, and not foolish:
      -  In the work with the hammer, I see,  you know the particular use.  However  listen to me, then something  will be harmless to you. Household chores are important, because they can be profitable both in  the house, and in the timber industry. Why don't you make a stout chair of  willow's twigs? After all, you  need to use today different  things in order that to improve  your mental attitude. For each owner of the house it  will be greater pleasure to sit in a rocking chair evenings to relax. Create the rocking chair, also second, third. People will take into consideration all your interesting efforts.
      Pavel screwed up his eyes, saw himself  sitting near the hot furnace  in evening enervation, then  knocked  stronger and fastened  down  the sheet of slate to another sheet. After that he answered politely:
      -  The grandmother Willow says  engrossingly. It is  impossible not to believe her. She persuaded me. All right!  In the beginning I will make one rocking chair. Thanks for the advice.
      - Take a minute!  It seems to me, you are able to get rid of  all my advices, circumspect  and very deep. Learn, while I am here  in front of you. Who will tell to you, how such fancy furniture must be created?
      Pavel continues to knock by the loud  hammer. Be sure, he can not forget about the new roof.  Simultaneously  the mistress of the  willow's bushes by the river may do that she wants, anyway  -  not to stop the conversation, and it is useful for the logger to listen to her.
      - To exercise, to study such art  is a good  business,  each  lumberman in our village can not to refuse. Why should I, for example,  be arrogant? The more knowledges, the it will be better for me. But who among us, in the vicinal timber industry, does know, how to make a rocking chair of willow's branches?  Nobody does!
      Suddenly  two twigs appeared  in the hands of the grandmother.
      Immediately she took and crossed them. The chap  was  surprised by her manipulations both dexterous, and fast.  However the cunning person, which was like for the small girl,  did not become to delay her deals:  in one moment  two crossed twigs  found themselves under the Pavel's nose. Look, my dear lumberman!  It is possible to weave willow's branches just by such manner, as you want. At all there are no difficulties in working on creation  of various chairs. Make furniture without any procrastination!
      This old Willow, smiling without intermission, does not try to be silent  and again gives promptings. The capable hands, also the clever head  have  had by  the chap, therefore here someone will manage to create any couch. If there is a strong  desire now by  the do-all, it is not hard to make a tea table. Besides, if you have such mastership, there is possibility for the master  always to do a what-not or a bookcase.
      The beautiful furniture in the house is into the compulsory satisfaction for every man, because  the owner's heart begins to beat joyfully. And the other one must be taken into a guess. In prosperity  the family will live, if  your skill will be developed today and tomorrow, day by day.
      - It is necessary for you, fine fellers, to hear me, old Willow, if all do not want  here to be  suddenly as  some inveterate roofers.
      - Good, Granny.
      - No need to break and  to destroy all willows  without exception on the coasts of the river. Take, my friends,  those trees, that  are there more thick. However not to forget about any others in order that to be with prosperity.
      The young collocutor is taken to think with new  zeal: "She is right, it seems to me.  Earlier we worked without  any circumspection, because  the awful hurry  was there and it forced all of us  to break, to destroy willows, though they would be thin or  thick.  At the end, what did it happen? Thinned places appeared in the woods, near and in the distance. Our iron powerful  technics trampled a lot of willows into sands wrongfully. Now each my friend-lumberman has to bite his elbows, as they say.”
      No doubt, the vicinal hostess of willows is talking very sensible things.
      As everyone may understand, she gives the hint: all  thin branches  of coastal bushes have to be started up  into  business.  It would be nice to open some furniture shop in local forestry. Pavel will be there the master on manufacture of book shelves,  rocking chairs.
      When there is the correct hope here, then anything will not frighten  the lumbermen: again the timber industry  will  run to well-being just near the river. Therewith for the directing it is necessary to consider all questions more assiduously. Oh, today  plenty of wastelands  are on  the coasts with their willows! All these places  were left  by the river after felling. For whom do they give behoof, those holes in  forest decoration?!
      The grandmother's suggestion,  concerning  the wicker furniture,  was   sufficiently
convincing for Pavel. He went and dressed up decently.
      The jacket was pulled on his shoulders, the tie was pinned on the neck.  And then he, the decent young man, appeared in front of  the director with proposal: let's open a furniture business in timber industry. He  accumulated  insolence and  wanted to have  for himself  the  important post  now: " As to me, there is desire now to be  the head of the furniture manufacture".
      The director asked at once:  who did give this advice to the guy concerning  the willow furniture?  who did transfer such strange craftsmanship in manufacture of this furniture to him, the normal lumberman?
      Why does Pavel have to be silent about this happy case?
      Pavel said immediately, that the hostess  by name Willow, the grandmother  of all vicinal willows along the river, was very kind and communicative. Let to the director know, that  on the eve they,   Pavel and old Willow,  sat together on the roof of the house. They have conversed  there rather long. If to speak about foreign policy, then  the grandma spoke nothing, because for her it was not interesting. The hostess of the willow bushes  took care of another. She  worried: the willows, thick and thin, near the river were trampled without any benefit for the timber industry.  Ultimately the fact is the fact: these cunning forest inhabitants are nosy  to the last degree.
      They are creatures of the peculiar old order here, near the river, are not they? To take notice all interesting things in woods is to them always not sloth. It seems, they like to sit on roofs in the village and to have a talk with loggers.
      - You try to spread here in front of me very strange facts. With what aim do you talk, why do you have this foolish  desire to cozen me?  It is no need  at all  for you  to mess with some  incomprehensible devils! - sternly said the director.
      He was angry just to last degree. However the furniture trade was been allowed under some consideration, when the grumpy man has afforded to think a little better.
      And now nothing has disturbed to work to him, to the lumberman, who has believed to the words of the willow hostess.
      Assistants  for the young chief of the shop were found in the village without big  difficulties. They have helped  to make chairs and sofas:  the neighboring girl Maria, the native mother of Pavel, also  personally the wife of the director.
      With regards to Pavel, in the shop he was the person, which  gave not only  different instructions, the guy was there  the do-all. Who did create intricate lockers for trade day after day?  In spite of the fact that Pavel  had  solid knowledge  in his skill,  he found in addition to all  -  and it was right  -   a lot of special minutes to teach  his pupils. Certainly, all of them helped him then  in the work, as they could.
      Nobody will not argue: the deal of  the makers of the intricate furniture went with  success. Various orders  to the shop began to strew as peas. Only that was left for Pavel and company  -  to propel  all theirs work more widely.
      Initially the inhabitants of the native village had desire to acquire sofas and what-nots for household. Then, having heard about fine wooden articles, other guests began to roll out of the vicinal settlement, that was bigger, to the shop of the master Pavel.
      Also local authorities  of the forest region did not renounce to buy  the willow samples from the lumberman's  company. And to be silent for Pavel  in the office of the rural power about  some new interesting sofas,  rocking chairs was not possible, was it?  They, the workers of the shop,  have added  glory for the woods near the native northern river. There is no shame here, is not it?
      Further it has happened such deal. Suddenly some big timber boss has arrived to the village, where has been the furniture manufactory. What does he make there? At the beginning the serious person has desire to  become acquainted with  the initiative of the village's inhabitants.               
      Without fail after that, he hastens to advisement of fundamental economic questions  with the director of the local timber industry.  And what will the big boss create thereafter, will he drive home,  seeing nothing, hearing nothing, taking into consideration nothing?
O, here strange thoughts take place to be!  If you are nutty upon them, it will be better to stop these ideas. First, the important person will afford to praise the initiators. Second,  it will be originated something the interesting  in  the  cases, equally binding for all by the way.
You will not mistaken, when  will look attentively, how  on the railway station the big  container begins  fast to move  far away, just  to the dwelling-place of the big person.  There will be  plenty of  wooden articles in this container. The sofa, for example. The table for tea ceremonies. The various rocking chairs  and the different  shelves will be also.
      The railway will be, of course, hurry, and soon  the container will appear in the right place. The  house of the big person  got the possibility to be  forever with comfortable wicker furnishings.               
      But what did it happen, if to consider this case in details?  Delightfully beautiful thing did.
      The big person, drinking tea with dear guests, will tell  about  the skillful worker Pavel, also about ingenious loggers on the northern river.  And what does an event occur then?  All the guests, looking at this willow's beauty, are in full admiration, be shure.
  Someone does not be lazy to ask at once: how much does it cost? Faster to receive this marvelous  beauty for household?
      Immediately he gets the answer: it is cheaply enough to be acquired, and the road to the village on the river is today in normal condition. There is asphalt now there. 
So visitors from different habitats soon were there, near the forest river. Pavel and his company wait already, they are able to be useful for all guests.
For such case, certainly,  many troubles were not to get  to the loggers at the village. Though some unpleasantness, as they say, could go into  the small eye of needle, however it was very difficult. That's how grandma Willow helped! Now it became good for woods, for the loggers.