Azourland. Dream chooses the braveheart

“Then traveller,” said the main falcon, guess this riddle:

“It’s red and furious,
Eats the forests, expels the animals.
Burns but it’s afraid of water.”

Hayat thought for a moment then replied, “It’s a fire, it’s capable of destroying all life in its path,”

“Your answer has deemed you worthy for a traveller,” said the falcon.

“So, remember, while you are a guest in our country, that an uncontrolled fiery temper burns everything in its path, leaves nothing alive, be afraid to get to its fiery impulses. Behave yourself peacefully and respectfully, warming all those who are next to you, like a flame in the hearth, continued the falcon.”

“Give your name traveller, so that forest animals and birds can speak to you in the language of Azourland,” the falcon asked.

Hayat responding, “My name is Hayat.”

“Know, Hayat, that to seek shelter anywhere in our country, you will need to speak your name. You are considered equal to us and we considered you our brother.

In the Wonderful Green Forest, we consider money superfluous, Mother Earth gives us food and shelter. We provide good service to each other instead of money.

Anyone who is a visitor or resident of our country will help animals and birds build huts and carve wood. For every good job you complete, food will be given,” said the falcon and added, “if you Hayat, agree with our laws, pass this bridge.”

Hayat passed the bridge, and the guardians flew into the clouds, from where they watched vigilantly beyond the borders of the Wonderful Green Forest. Hayat was surprised by such an interesting technique and his conversation with the main falcon.

He could now talk to the birds and forest animals of this magical land. He would like to explain to the bull Oklush, that he accidentally spat into his eye and did not want to offend him.

The beauty of the Wonderful Green Forest

Hayat walked through the woods and was surprised by its beauty. The forest seemed unusual and magical to him. In the Fiery Country the houses, the earth, the trees were coloured in red, yellow, ocher, orange. The Wonderful Green Forest was full of other colours.

The sky was blue overhead, the meadows and edges were green, here and there the wooden huts of forest animals came across. Bright and juicy fruits ripened on the branches of the trees. The meadows were dotted with flowers: bright blue cornflowers, white daisies, yellow dandelions, red poppies. Hard-working bees collected nectar, deer and roe deer grazing in the meadows. The animals welcomed Hayat, wished him luck and a wonderful journey in their country.

Hayat behaved kindly with the animals as the main falcon had told him. He met a young badger and helped him fix the roof of his house.

The badger started to cook dinner for Hayat. He went to his pantry for tasty white mushrooms, which he fried on the hearth with branches. They drank tea with raspberries and fir cones. Afterwards, the young badger treated Hayat with honey.

Honey was a special delicacy, it was eaten only on holidays in the Fiery Country. So, they spent an evening having pleasant conversation. Hayat talked about his life in the village and asked the young badger about his traditions and customs in the Wonderful Green Forest.

The oak

The following morning Hayat said goodbye to the young badger and went on a journey through the Wonderful Green Forest. After a while walking through the forest, he encountered an evergreen oak which was at the centre of an intersection of cross roads, and this intersection was at the centre of the Wonderful Green Forest.

The oak was so wide that it would take at least seven people wrap their arms around it. The sun shone brightly on the crown of the tree and its roots went deep down into the earth. In the morning the sun gave the branches of oak life-giving warmth, the earth gave its roots life-giving water, so the oak remained forever green.

During the autumn and winter seasons, it was warm in the meadow around the oak. Forest animals and birds in the very worst frosts were basking at his trunk. In its crown bright birds lived. Their feathers were painted in all colours of the rainbow and behind their tails were bright trails. Birds sang songs, their melodic trills penetrated into the very heart of any person.

Hayat and the keeper of the sandglass

Hayat stood and admired the oak tree. And then he heard a noise and rustling in the bushes:

“Where are these squirrels? It’s already morning and time to pick mushrooms and berries and they’ve disappeared. These are not squirrels, this is only a punishment for me. Why did I contract them? I’d be better contracting the hares. But no, I put my trust in these redhead squirrels. Break me thunder. Only troubles and misfortunes come to me from these squirrels.”

These words belonged to man, a century old, with a white beard. He was dressed in a green caftan, he had bunnies on his feet. The buttons of the caftan looked like strawberries. On his head, he wore a green cap with a yellow rim. The old man looked funny.

In his hands, he had a basket in which he collected strawberries in a meadow. Hayat could see that it was difficult to pick berries. The old man groaned as he bent to collect the berry. Sweat ran down from his cheeks.

“I’m a poor hundred-year-old old man picking berries alone without an assistant. There is no hope for squirrels, maybe someone will hurry to help me,” the old man wailed.

Hayat went out to the strawberry meadow and said quietly: “Hello, dear old man, let me help you in your business.”

“Sounded as if someone said something in my ear?” The old man began to look around and around.

“That my friend was me. My name is Hayat,” the young man answered more loudly.

“Why are you talking so quietly, young man? As if you’re embarrassed? You need to speak confidently when you propose a good deal,” answered the old man and continued. “Hello, Hayat resident of the Fiery Country, I’ve been waiting for you a long time, it’s been a week since you came to the forest and I’ve been waiting for your arrival.

A wonderful forest is a magical land, all travellers come to the evergreen oak, no matter what way they go, from the West, even from the East. The travellers seek an answer for the hidden questions under the crown of the oak, illuminated by the sun, in its roots, which covered the entire forest. Sooner or later they will find the answer. If you are here Hayat, then you will find the answer.”

Hayat stood in thoughtfulness. “How does he know, about my dream to win in the tournament? What is this, a guess?” Hayat shrugged his shoulders and said in the customary manner to address the elders of Fiery Country, “Venerable elder, let your years last, and your life will be filled with rivers of honey, may I help you?”

“Of course, help me collect these strawberries. I’m old, my back is stiff. These redhead squirrels ran away somewhere. I wish fleas attacked them. I believed the stories that they are the best collectors of nuts, berries and mushrooms in the forest. They showed me their own diplomas, records of harvesting nuts, but they have no discipline and none came to work this morning.”

The berries

Hayat took the basket from the old man and began to collect strawberries. He worked hard and the old man was sitting on the stump, watching him silently. An hour later the whole meadow was emptied and the ripe strawberries gathered filled the basket. They took the berries together to the old man’s house.

The house stood on the North side of the evergreen oak. The house looks to be plain. When they approached it, the door opened hospitably by its own. The house smelled of grass, mushrooms and berries. All the furniture was blue, there was a golden rocking chair, a large boiler hung above the hearth with unknown liquid boiling, yellow smoke rose above it.

Hayat saw many amazing and incomprehensible things, he opened his mouth to ask the old man: “What are these things for?” But the old man did not have time, gave him a bucket and sent to the lake for water to make tea.

On the way to the lake, Hayat pondered the events of the morning. With a smile he guessed that this old man was the famous magician and sorcerer of Azourland, Khronos the guardian of the sandglass, the main amulet of the Wonderful Green Forest.

It was said that Khronos was the same age as the evergreen oak and was famous for its wisdom, knowledge of magic and sorcery. The sandglass imparts it to foresight so he can look into the future, but he never does it, no matter how much you ask for it. Do not even ask because Khronos would become angry and he could cast a spell for you to grow donkey’s tail as a punishment. Many people turned to Khronos for advice, only he did not help everyone, but only those who were worthy of his help.

The squirrels’ boasting

Squirrels ran on the shore of the lake. “One, two, three, four, ten, twenty. How many are you here?” Hayat could not count because the squirrels were spinning in front of each other, quarrelled, bragging about their tails.

“My tail is the best, see what a wool: soft, smooth and how the sun shines!” One of the other squirrels shouted.

“You’re lying, you have a shabby tail. It would be better for you not to go to the venerable squirrel if you cannot see this truth. Mine on the other hand is brown-gold wool,” answered another squirrel.

“You both do not understand anything about tails,” interrupted the third squirrel, “since you cannot see that my tail is better than yours. Just look at this chocolate shade.”

“Do you still ask whose tail is the best?” Squealed the fourth squirrel, “You all need to see Dr. Owl so that he will prescribe you a remedy for dementia, because you are not healthy, since you do not see, my tail is the best squirrel tail in the whole forest.”

On the lake, there was a hubbub of squirrel voices. It was impossible to understand what was happening. Hayat stood, listened to the squirrels and decided not to interfere in squirrel quarrels. Hayat didn’t have a tail and squirrel tails were all the same to him – fluffy and brown. Hayat did not understand these squirrel disagreements.

Then the quarrel became a fight. The squirrels rolled around, thrashed, tore the fur off the top of each other’s bodies. The most vindictive of the squirrels tried to spoil the tail of a neighbour. Whatever the matter is, it is not known, only here a large white bear appeared on the meadow, named Grumbler. At that time, he was going for the water to the lake. Grumbler had a harsh temper, he could not stand noisy squirrels, so he scraped squirrels in a pile and threw them into the lake.