However, Tasya was already jumping along the branches of a neighbouring tree. After all, she was hurrying to meet new adventures with her best friends.

“Wake up, Skórko!” She squealed loudly over the eaglet’s ear, who was sleeping under the wing of Dad eagle in a warm nest.

Dad eagle had a sharp look around to make sure that no strangers approached his nest. But Tasya squirrel wasn’t a stranger in their nest. Tasya and her parents lived in the hollow of a nearby tree, and their children became real friends, spending a lot of time together.

The eaglet stuck his head out of his father’s warm feathers.

“Tasya, why are you so early?” He asked sleepily.

“It’s not early!” answered the little squirrel jumping around him. “Ray of Sunshine woke me up, and now it’s time for you.”

“Is Ray already awake?!” asked the eaglet in surprise.

“Of course!” squeaked Tasya. “His dad – The Sun – woke up and Ray came immediately to play with me.”

Skorko got out from under his father’s wing and raised his head to the sky.

“Hi, Ray!” he squealed loudly. “How are you?”

Ray of Sun played naughtily with eaglet’s feathers, what made him shine and laugh.

“Oh, stop tickling me, Ray! You make me laugh!”

Ray continued to jump on the eaglet.

“Let’s go wake Sédya and Bérik,” said the eaglet to Tasya and Ray.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Tasya jumped and was already rushing along the branches, and Skorko flew after her.

To their surprise, Sedya was not sleeping. The wolf-cub was standing by the stream and washing himself with his paws.

Tasya jumped up to him and poked him in his ribs.

“Sedya, hello!”

The wolf-cub turned around.

“Tasya, you are gabbing as if you hadn’t seen me for a long time.”

“Don’t grumble, Sedya,” said Skorko, who flew up quickly. – “My dad says that every day is a gift from Uncle Dar. And he gives such gifts only to good animals. I mean to us.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes!” Tasya swung her tail. “And I am pleased to see you all! I see you every new day, and it means that previous day we were good animals and Uncle Dar gave me a new day as a gift. That’s why I’m really, really happy!”

Tasya spun around and then flopped down on the wolf-cub and hugged his neck.

Sedya tried to grab Tasya’s fluffy tail with his teeth and they started their usual friendly romp.

“Such unbearable kids!” they heard the voice of Mother bear, approaching the stream, where played the wolf-cub, the squirrel and the eaglet.

She was followed by a little bear, Berik, who was their best friend.

“Hello, Berik!” friends shouted together.

The teddy bear rolled down to the stream, splashing everyone with cool water.

“Hi, guys! I’ll be right there!” he said happily, dodging the clutches of the Mother bear, who was trying to wash her son’s face.

“No way, Berik,” Mother bear said strictly. “First of all, you should clean yourself up, and then you can go.”

Little animals were laughing watching how Berik tried to run away.

“I’ll get dirty soon anyway,” puffed the little bear.

“Please, try not to get dirty,” answered Mother bear still washing the teddy bear.

“I can’t do that!” Berik said “When we play with the guys, we get dirty all the time! And then you yell at me.”

Sedya decided to support his friend and jumped into the stream.

“Untie Bear, is there such a mud that won’t make adults yell if we get dirty in it?”

Mother Bear thought for a moment.

“Yes, there is.” she said, taking her son ashore.

“Oh, what is it?” Tasya was excited and she started jumping around Mother Bear’s huge paws.

“It’s hardworker’s mud.”

Little animals looked at each other in confusion.

“What is hardworker’s mud?” asked Skorko and flown closer, sitting down on bear’s shoulder.

“The hardworker’s mud is the dirt you get dirty while working on something. When you mess around and get dirty, then all adults are unhappy. But when you work on something and get dirty, no one will yell at you.”

The wolf-cub, looking puzzled, scratched his ear with his back paw.

“And what does it means “to work on something?” asked Sedya.

“To work” is to do something new, build something, and change something to make it better or more convenient. It must be good and useful for others.”

The animals looked at Mother-bear very carefully.

“So, if I do something useful and good and get dirty, then you won’t yell at me anymore?” Berik asked his mother.

“No, I won’t,” Mother Bear smiled. “But that does not mean that I won’t wash you. We’ll still be cleaning your paws and fur, Berik.”

“Oh, no.” the teddy bear cried and fell onto his back. “What is the difference then, if I still have to wash myself?!”

Mother Bear started to laugh.

“The difference is that after the lazybones’ mud I’ll yell at you, but after the hardworker’s mud I will praise you.”

The little bear seemed to be interested.

“I really love being praised,” Berik said.

“Me too! Me too!” shouted wolf-cub, squirrel and eaglet.

“Well then, try not to mess around today, but to work hard. And your parents will praise you.”

“Is it true?” the teddy bear asked his Mom.

“It is true!” Mother Bear smiled and walked away into the forest, so four best friends stayed there alone thinking about her words.

Skorko was the first to break the silence.

“I want not to be scolded for dirty feathers today, but to be praised,” he said.

“Me too!” Tasya said.

Sedya looked from one friend to another.

“In this case we need to work on something today.”

Berik scratched his head with his paw.

“I don’t quite understand what it is. I think we have never done such thing.”

“Your mother said that when we are being yelled, we are lazybones, not hardworkers. And indeed, it turns out that we have never been hardworkers.” Tasya concluded.

“It seems so,” said Skorko.

“So, we need to become hardworkers!” said Sedya determinedly.

“I agree!” Sedya said.

“Oh, I don’t know. How can we become hardworkers?” Berik asked.

This made little animals think and then Skorko had an idea.

“Let’s ask Grandfather Rod how to become hardworkers! He knows everything.”

“Of course, let’s go,” agreed the animals and ran together to the one of the hills of their beautiful green forest.

Climbing the hill, they called loudly:

“Granddad Rod! Granddad Rod!”

The clouds started curling in the sky and soon the face of a young-looking and noble old man appeared on it.

“Hello, Granddad Rod!” shouted the kids.

The face in the sky smiled kindly.

“Hello, grandchildren! What happened to you?”

“Granddad Rod, please tell us how can we become hardworkers today!” asked little animals.

Rod laughed.

“Are you going to work?”

“Yes! But we do not know how to do it!”

“I see, grandkids,” said Rod softly. “I know how to help you. You should go to my son Hors. He is the patron of the Labor. So he will tell you how to become hardworkers.”

“Thank you, Granddad!” shouted the kids and ran to the tree line, where angels lived.

Grandfather Rod was the most important and ancient angel. He was a father to all living things and knew everything in the world. And his children were angels too, they looked like people, but they had large white wings on their backs. Angels helped to all living creatures such as people, nature, birds and all animals. Each angel was responsible for his own sphere. As Grandfather Rod told, one of his sons, Uncle Hors, was responsible for the Labor.

Kids ran to the tree line breathlessly and asked where they could find Uncle Horse. When they found his house, Tasya knocked the door politely before entering.

“Uncle Hors, are you at home?!”

“Who came to visit me?” asked a pleasant male voice.

“Uncle Hors, we are animals from a pine trees edge,” they introduced themselves, entering the house.

“Oh, I know you. You are those kids who still haven’t worked on anything and haven’t done anything useful.”

Little animals were so embarrassed that they pressed their ears.

“We don’t know how to do this,” said Sedya. “That’s why we came to ask you to teach us. Grandfather Rod said that you are an angel of the Labor and Work.”

After these words, Hors rose from the table where he was writing something. He was tall and thin and his big beautiful wings shone with a soft light behind his back.

“I’m not a common angel – I’m patron of the Work and Labor. I am the most important angel who manages the entire collective Labor of all worlds. I am the God of collective Labor. Therefore, my name is in such word as ‘hor’ (choir) and ‘horovod’ (chorus).”

He looked in their eyes and it was clear that they were confused a little.

“What is God, Uncle Hors?”

Hors explained patiently:

“There is a common angel who helps to an animal or a person. Ando also there is the most important angel who takes care and watches over all angels, over all people and over all animals. I am the most important angel who makes sure that all angels, animals and people can work and after their work everyone has a pleasant benefit. And a main angel, who is taking care of everyone, is called a God. So, I am the god of Labor. That is, I’m taking care of everyone who wants to work, and I help them in this.”

“So if I want to draw something?” – Tasya asked “Will you help me to do this?”

Hors laughed, taking all four animals in his arms.

“No. Another god is responsible for drawing. I can help you to become hardworkers. That’s what you came to me for, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” everybody said.

“My mother told me that if I get dirty because of work she won’t yell on me, but will praise me. And none of us knows how to do it,” said the teddy bear.

God Hors nodded in understanding.

“Well then, here’s the puzzle for you.”

Kids sat comfortably, all ears perked up.

“To work hard means to do something useful,” explained Hors. “The benefit is when you are doing something and everyone can take advantage of it. After your useful work these processes should become better, easier or more convenient for others.”

Kids continued to listen carefully, without interrupting.

“For example, let’s imagine that you had a path in the pine forest and animals walked on it. But in the middle of this path lay a large stone and none of the animals can cross it, they had to go around, jump, and someone scratched and was hurt. And one day, Father Elk decides to remove this stone from the road with his horns. As a result, all animals became more comfortable, faster and safer. This is work with profit, when you do something good for everyone. Father Elk got dirty when he removed the stone from the road, but no one scolded him, and on the contrary, everyone praised him. After all, he has made way on this path easier for many animals.”

Little squirrel looked seriously at the god Hors.

“Is this the dirt of the hardworker?”

“Yes, it is.” Hors nodded. “It means that you are doing something useful and good, and after that all your little dusty spots or weaknesses won’t upset anyone.”

Kids looked at each other thoughtfully.

“How can we do something good and useful? There is no more stones on the path.”

Hors smiled.

“Go to your native forest and look for something what you would like to change. Maybe there is something uncomfortable for you and you would like to improve it.”

Wolf-cub scored his tail joyfully and impatiently.

“We got it, Uncle Hors! Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome” said Hors kindly and put the animals to the ground. They immediately rushed towards their edge and didn’t noticed how the God of Labor had carefully prepared successful circumstances for them, which will help them to find a place where to work and to come up with the right ideas.

He loved when animals, nature and people showed a desire to do something useful for others, so that it became better than it was before.

And he, God of Labor, helped them in everything.

At this time our faithful friends were already rushing to their native corner of nature to find something they could work on.

Skorko, Berik, Sedya and Tasya went around their entire neighbourhood within one hour looking for something that they could do better and that would be useful to others.

At last Berik flopped down on his hind paws near a thick tree and sighed hopelessly.

“Oh, how hard it is to do this Work! I’m sweating already!”

“Yeah!” Sedya puffed. “And it seems to me that I have already worked ten times.”

“Me too!” Tasya squeaked, curling up on the grass.

“Uncle Hors told us to do something,” tired Skorko said. “We just walking and searching but we haven’t done anything yet.”

“Yes!” whimpered little bear. “And I’m all dirty and it’s still not hardworker’s mud so Mom won’t praise me today.”

Little animals hung their tails and became sad.

“Ah! I’ll have to go home a lazybones, not a hardworker.” Tasya sighed.

“Yeah,” Berik echoed. “Let’s go home. Today we won’t find anything anyway.”

“Yes,” Skorko said.

Little animals stood up slowly, and the wolf-cub wrinkled his nose in annoyance.

“Again, wading through these impassable bushes! I’ve already gathered all the thorns on myself, and my mother will scold me for climbed these bushes again.”

Skorko jumped up suddenly.

“Guys, here it is! It’s the puzzle that Uncle Hors gave to us – to find something uncomfortable and clean it or change it or make it better.”

“Yeees!” Tasya jumped into the air. “This place with impassable bushes! All the animals come out shaggy, scratched and covered with thorns from here!”

Little animals jumped to their feet quickly without any weariness. They started to discuss what they can do to make this way more comfortable.

“I suggest to break off all the branches that are on the way,” strong Berik said.

“But my Mom says that we shouldn’t hurt trees and bushes,” Tasya said.

“How can we clean the path in such way?” Skorko asked.

“Maybe it’s possible to connect the branches together so that they won’t get in the way?” Sedya suggested.

“Hmm, that’s an option,” Skorko said thoughtfully. “And how will we connect them?”

“I don’t know…”

“We can use stones from the river either,” Tasya suggested. “We can bend the branches to the ground and attach them with stones, so that they won’t stick out in all directions.”

“Yes, let’s try it!” Little animals were inspired and start their work.

Berik carried large stones from the river, while Tasya carried smaller ones. Skorko told them from a height where to carry the stones and where to put the branches of the bushes. Sedya stood up on his hind paws and bent the nearest bushes to the ground, where Berik was already pressed them with stones of different sizes. In some places they dug the holes in the ground to put the branches deeper.

They worked until the evening and by sunset the most impassable part of their forest looked very nice and a little beautiful. There was a wide space, through which even the largest animal could easily pass, stepping on a carpet of stones and branches.

“Ugh!” signed the tired bear. “Now I know exactly what it’s like to be a hardworker!”

“Yes,” the friends nodded in agreement.

“It’s much more difficult than to be a lazybones,” Sedya said.

“And much more pleasant,” added satisfied Skorko.

They were sitting and admiring the results of their work when they heard a voice:

“Honey, look! It’s so beautiful!”

Little animals saw a family of raccoons passing by.

“Wow!” Father Raccoon whistled admiringly. “Oh, my! It has become so comfortable here!”

“Of course!” answered his wife happily. “My fur won’t be all messed up now, and I won’t hurt my paws!”

“Who would do that? Guys, did you do that?”

The Raccoon approached little animals.

“Yes, we did.” they said in unison, smiling.

“Well done!” the Raccoon praised them. “You are small, but you are real hardworkers! You’ve done a very important, good and useful job!”

Little animals beamed with happiness.

“I didn’t come home yet, but I’ve already been praised!” Tasya was happy.

The family of raccoons went away, but other animals came on the path and everyone was surprised and admired how comfortable it became to pass this place.

Our little animals were bursting with pride, happiness and joy.

“I thought that to play with you is the most funny and interesting thing ever,” Sedya said on their way home. “But it turns out that the most interesting thing we have done today when we working on making something useful for others.”

All the way home, they discussed all the events of the day, sharing their impressions.

They came home very late and each of them was met by frowning parents. But when they told what they had done and what they had done, the parents were very happy and filled their children with questions and good words.

Little animals felt what real joy is for the first time in their lives.

The real joy is when one helps another and when your actions are useful for anyone else.

Chapter 2
Lanterns

Sedya the wolf-cub, Skorko the eaglet, Tasya the squirrel and Berik the bear gathered in a Sunny glade and shared with each other all the Goodies that nature gave them: berries, mushrooms, nuts, roots and various fruits.

“Oh, it’s delicious!” Tasya chattered, wiggling her ears with pleasure.

“Tell me about it!” Berik smacked his lips, eating a blueberry.

“I wonder where all this comes from?” asked Skorko, spreading his wings in the sun and exposing his belly to its rays.

“My Mom says that Auntie Tara is doing all this goodies.” said Sedya.

“Who is it?” asked Berik with interest.

“Mom says that Tara is the patroness of nature,” answered Sedya. “She makes sure that everything in nature grows and is plentiful.”

“Oh, then I really love Auntie Tara,” Berik sad and filled his mouth with sweet juicy raspberries.

Friends laughed at the sight of bear’s dirty face.

“Oh, such a lovely day!” Skorko chirped blissfully, still basking under the sun. “It’s a pity that Pushik couldn’t come. We would have played with him.”

“Yeah,” little animals agreed sadly.

Pushik was the little hare from their pine forest, and they played together sometimes.

“Should we run and invite him?” Sedya suggested.

“Nooo,” Berik answered. “He won’t go anyway. The sun will set soon and Pushik never plays in the twilight.” Little animals became sad and lowered their ears.

“So sad!” Tasya said. “Pushik is our friend, but as soon as the Sun sets, he hides at home immediately. And that’s why we can’t play with him a little bit longer.”

“Yes,” sighed Skorko. “Pushik is a little coward. He’ll stay in his hole all the time.”

Sedya sat down on his hind paws.

“Let’s see what we can do for Pushik to help him play with us in the evenings!” the wolf-cub suggested.

“Of course!” Tasya supported this idea.

“Maybe we can convince him not to be afraid.” Skorko suggested.

“We’ve tried it,” Berik answered. “He’s still afraid.”

“Maybe we can help him to overcome his fear?” Tasya asked.

“We’ve tried it too,” Sedya shook his head. “Do you remember how we sat together at night in the woods to help him to get used to the dark?”

“That night we were scared by an owl and after that Pushik became even more afraid of darkness.”

“And what should we do?” Tasya flung up her paws.

Four friends scratched their heads, wondering what they can do for Pushik to help him play with them even in the dark.

Berik had a sudden thought.

“Guys, let’s ask Aunt Tara to make the day longer!”

Little animals started up briskly.

“It’s a great idea!” shouted Sedya. “Let’s run to the edge of angels! All the patrons are living there.”

Little animals run to Aunt Tara without a moment’s delay, she was said to be a friend of nature, day and night, wind and sun, rain and snow.

Running to the edge of the angels, the animals asked where they could find Aunt Tara. They were shown several houses, and among them they easily recognized the one where the patroness of Nature, Tara, lived. The house was all wrapped in leaves and flowers. Birds were fluttering around and a beautiful soft rainbow glow came from the house.

“Aunt Tara!” animals called, knocking the door. They heard footsteps. The door opened and the patroness of nature appeared in the doorway.

“Oh!” Tasya sighed in delight. “You’re a real fairy!”

Aunt Tara was an angel, so she was tall, with beautiful wings over her shoulders. Her dress was made of leaves and flowers of various shades. And colourful butterflies were sitting in her hair.

Tara laughed when she saw the delighted kids, and let little animals in.

“Hello!” she said, sitting down on the ground next to little animals so they needn’t lift their heads so high. “What brought you to me?”

“Aunt Tara, is it true that you are a goddess of nature?” Skorko asked, sitting on her hand.

“Yes, it’s true,” Tara said, smiling.

“And the goddess is the most important angel who is responsible for nature?” Berik asked.

“That’s right,” Tara said.

“Then could you make the day longer?” Sedya asked at once.

Tara’s eyebrows flew up in surprise.

“Why do you need to make your day longer?” she asked softly.

“Our friend Pushik can’t play with us after the sun sets, because he’s afraid of the dark. So please extend the day so Pushik would play with us a bit longer.”

“Hmm,” Tara said. “What an interesting request…”

The animals held their breath, waiting for Aunt Tara’s decision. She stroked their fur and said:

“The day and night have a strict order and if you extend the day, the night will not have enough time to do all their planned things. So you can’t extend the day, or I’ll deprive the night’s limited time. And the night can get upset and sad.”

The kids felt a bit down.

“What should we do?!”

“Let’s try to solve your task in other way,” Tara suggested.

“Let’s do it!” little animals answered.

“Your friend Pushik need some light to play. Right?”

“Yes!” animals agreed.

“Then you don’t need to extend the day but to make the space near Pushik’s house to be lighter at any time of the day.”

The animals looked very puzzled.

“But how can we make it lighter when the sun sets?” Skorko asked.

Tara smiled.

“I foresaw everything for such cases. I am the patroness of Nature and I have provided opportunities to make some places lighter, if necessary.”

“And how will we do that Aunt Tara?!” kids worried.

“There are such forest dwellers as Fireflies. Have you heard about them?”

“Yes!”

“When the night falls they begin to glow and everything around them become a little lighter.”

Sedya scratched his ear with his paw.

“But there is very little light from the Firefly,” he said.

“That’s right,” Tara said. “So you need to collect a few fireflies in one place, and at night your place will be lighter.”

“And how can we collect them?” Tasya asked. “They live on their own bushes. And my Mom says that you are not allowed to take anyone away without his permission.”

“That’s right, you can’t,” Tara said. “So you can do this. If you make houses for fireflies, they will happily move to a new place, where they will be comfortable and good, and your Pushik will have enough light.”

“Wow!” animals were surprised.

They thanked Aunt Tara warmly and went back to their pine trees edge to the house of Pushik the hare. They sat down near his burrow and began to think how they could build houses for fireflies to invite them.

“There are a lot of big burdocks around,” Skorko said, flying a little over the place.

“Yes!” Tasya said. “We can roll them up a little and fix them with a twig so they can’t unfold, and then we will get a house.”

“Nice idea,” Berik nodded in agreement.

Friends discussed all the details and set to work. After a couple of hours all the big burdocks around Pushik’s house were rolled up, ends secured with twigs and some holes were made in leaves, through which the light from the fireflies would go.

Then they did the same in their favourite meadow, where they used to play games. And then they turned all the burdocks on the way from the meadow to Pushik’s house.

After having a rest, little animals went to search the fireflies.

“Hello, Fireflies!” they said to everyone. “Would you like to see houses we’ve built for you?”

The glowing bugs listened to the animals with interest and flew where they asked. Everyone chose the burdock they liked, and many of them were filled by entire families of fireflies.

In a short time all the houses were occupied by fireflies, settled in their new places.

Evening came, and the hare family returned home from the forest, knowing that their son Pushik would not be able to walk with them for a long time because of the darkness.

When the hare family ran to their burrow, they stand mute with wonder. The entire area around them glowed with a soft, beautiful greenish light. Wrapped burdocks looked like lanterns floating in the air at different heights and different shapes. The light from lanterns had fancy shadows, which make the Pushik’s house looks like in a fairy-tale.

“Ah,” said Pushik’s parents, clapping their paws “Such a beauty! Pushik, do you see this?!”

Pushik could not answer them, because he ran up to all the glowing lanterns and looked at them in amazement, gently touching them with his paw.

“Mom, it’s light in here!” exclaimed little hare.

There was no limit to Pushik’s happiness. His tail wagged happily in different directions, his ears stood out, and his paws carried it from place to place.

“But who did this?” Father-hare wondered.

“We did,” little animals admitted confusedly, standing there and watching the joy of their friend.

“Great job everyone!” Pushik’s dad praised them. “Now our son won’t be so afraid when it gets dark in the forest.”

“And he’ll be able to play with us a little longer,” Tasya exclaimed.

“Of course,” Pushik’s dad said, laughing.

“It’s wonderful when someone is doing such a good deeds!” Mother-hare said.

“And what does ‘good deeds’ means?” little animals asked.

“Good dead is when something is done for someone. And only a few people can make such things. But you four did the real thing today. You have built lanterns for our son, and now he will be able to play longer, and will not be so afraid at night.’

Little animals were very happy and ran to Pushik to invite him to their favorite meadow.

Pushik’s parents stood surrounded by wonderful lanterns and watched animals, feeling happy that their son has such a great friends.

And the God Dev looked down at all of them with a smile.

The main angel who was responsible for good deeds and inspired everyone to do them.

Chapter 3
Curiosity

Mother-wolf was watching her son Sedya while he was tearing to pieces the tenth leaf that felt from the tree.

He bit them, and smelled them, and put them in his eyes, and chewed on them. And so this went on for half an hour.

At first, Mother-wolf thought her son was just having fun, but as time went on, it became clear that Sedya had some certain purpose.

“What are you doing, son?” She asked softly, coming closer to her son.

The wolf-cub jumped in surprise.

“Mom, I want to understand how the leaf works!” Sedya said excitedly. “I’m trying to see it, but it’s bursting! And I want to know what kind of sticks are on it which lead to different directions, and why it’s green, and why it’s sour!”

Mother-wolf laughed.

“Your curiosity is finally awake,” she said gently.

“No one has woken up!” Sedya was indignant. “I’m sleeping on my own! I’m an adult!”

Mother-wolf laughed again.

“No, Sedya! Curiosity lives inside every living being. And when it wakes up, any animal, bird or person becomes interested in everything.”

The wolf-cub stared at its mother, one ear raised up and its head tilted to one side.

“What does this curiosity look like” he asked.

“M-m-m” Mother-wolf looked thoughtful. “It looks like a little angel. Actually, it is an angel.”

“Does it have the wings?”

“Yes, it has.”

“And if it is an angel, then it also lives on the edge of angels?”

The wolf-cub pawed impatiently, trying to sort out all the oddities of its world.

“Hmm.”

Mother-wolf was choosing words to explain simple things to her son, that were still unknown to him.

“No. This little angel lives inside every living being. His house is inside, not outside.”

Sedya jumped up on his paws and started spinning round.

“Mom, I don’t see any house with an angel inside of me!”

“It’s because this angel is inside of you, son”Mother-wolf explained patiently. “You can see what’s outside with your own eyes. But what’s inside you can only feel.”

Sedya stopped rolling.

“What does it mean ‘to feel?’ What is it?” he asked, puzzled.

“The feeling always comes from inside, from the chest, from the heart. Feeling is desire and interest. Any interest in something always comes from within.”

“And this interest is going from angel’s house?”

“Yes.”

“Does it mean that I’m interested in something because of this little angel who tells me something from his house?”

“Yes.” Mother-wolf smiled. “This angel tells you to pay attention to something so you can sort it out.”

“But why is he doing this?”

“He’s doing this in order to make you be smarter, more experienced and wiser. The more you know, the better person you become.”

“Does this little angel help me to become better?”

“Yes. He helps you get to know this world, and when you learn more, you become better.”

Sedya was instantly taken with the idea of becoming a better person.

“Mom, how does a little angel do this? How does he make me take an interest in something and learn more?”

“Angels have the ability to influence others. Angels flutter their wings, and something appears or happens with living beings.”

“Are angels a wizards?” Sedya asked with interest.

“Yes.” Mother-wolf laughed. “But they have wings instead of magic wand. And when they wave them, something good, new and interesting can happen between us. And when angels wave their wings from the edge of the forest, we have something interesting going on outside of our lives. And when angels who live inside us wave their wings, we have some interest, desire, thoughts, idea or plan inside us.”

Sedya’s fur became all fluffed up; he was so interested in everything.

His tail bounced in different directions, and the tips of his ears shivered.

“So, I’m very interested in green leaf because the little angel inside me is flapping hiss wings?”

“Correct.”

Sedya moved his nose excitedly.

“Why was the little angel asleep? Why didn’t he wake up earlier?”

“It’s because everything has its own time. You have a day to you play. And then you have a night to sleep. So the little angel has its own day and night. Only his time runs in different way. His sleep time doesn’t match yours. You have many days and nights while he has only one night.”

Sedya was trying to understand what his mother was saying so hard, so he didn’t notice how he had tumbled and fell into the grass.

“Does this angel wake up by himself or does his mother wake him up too?”

Mother-wolf touched her son’s curiously pointed ears.

“His mother wakes him up, just like I’m waking you up,” she said softly. “All angels of curiosity have a mother and her name is Dila. All angels of curiosity are her children, and when time comes, she wakes them all, and then little angels begin to flap their wings, and you take an interest in something. You’re getting curious about something.”

“Aunt Owl says I’m a terrible ‘why-asker’!” Sedya remembered suddenly. “She says I’m too curious and ask too many questions. So is this means that it’s not me, but a little angel inside of me is asking everything? Is he waving his wings and I have an interest?”

“Yes,’” Mother-wolf laughed. “Your little angel woke up in you long ago and he waves his wings, helping you to learn more, making your life better, easier, more funny and more interesting.”

“Wow!” Sedya exclaimed enthusiastically. “How interesting! Mom, what’s his name?”

“I don’t know,” Mother-wolf shook her head.

“So, I’ll call him Cursty!” Sedya said “He wakes up curiosity in me, so he’s Cursty.”

“Well,” his mom smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be friends with Cursty.”

“Of course!” Sedya said. “I always make friends with good guys. And if Cursty helps me to become better, it means he is a very good angel and I will also love him, be friends with him and play with him.”

Mother-wolf cuddled the cub with loving care and covered him with her muzzle.

“What a good boy you are!” she praised him. “You’re doing everything right.”

“Uh-huh.” Sedya mumbled, already studying the new green leaf with enthusiasm. “And who is Aunt Dila, Lubik’s mother?”

“She is the daughter of grandfather Rod. And Aunt Tara and Uncle Hors are his children too. But she is the main angel who helps all children to learn something new, to develop, to explore our world and sort it out. And that’s why all her children, little angels, do it too.”

Sedya looked up from leaf he had examined.

“And Aunt Dila is helping her son Cursty, and he is helping me?”

“Yes, she is. She tells him where to turn your attention. And then Cursty start to flap his wings and you take an interest in what he shows you. Today he showed you a green leaf, and you are trying to study it to know what it is.”

Sedya stared at the leaf in his paws for a few seconds and then said quietly:

“Thank you, Cursty! I wouldn’t have noticed it without you. And this is very interesting!” he added after a small pause “I’m glad he’s awake. It is much more interesting to live with curiosity!”

“I agree,” Mother-wolf nodded.

They kept lying on the grass and didn’t see how Dila the goddess was waking up her children in different parts of the world. After that, curiosity awoke in many kids and all children, little animals and little birds began to take an interest in something and learn something, and their lives became brighter, better and more interesting with it.

Chapter 4
Magic Frosty

Tasya the squirrel, Skorko the eaglet, Berik the bear and Sedya the wolf-cub were having fun in the flower meadow, shaking the pollen down the flowers with their paws and trying to sniff and study these invisible pollen grains that were floating in the air and smelling so delicious.

Tasya closed her eyes blissfully, sniffing the scent of wild roses.

“I like the smell of clover most of all,“Berik declared shaking down cover’s pollen to catch it with his nose.

“I like the camomile’s pollen,” Skorko said, fluttering around plants of wild camomile.

“No,” Sedya shook his head. “Bird-cherry is the most delicious. But it’s not blooming now.”

They ran across the field, bumping into each other, laughing and making their noses and beak dirty with different flower pollen.

“I wonder how does it look like?” asked Tasya.

“What?” friends asked.

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