– It was invented superbly! – the monster evaluated the plan of Maksim. – I dare to hope the witch will not change her usual routine.
The new potion was ready. Roles were divided. It remained toВ wait for the witch. She did not keep herself waiting long. At exactly midnight the wind whistled, aВ storm rose, the forest rustled, swished, the shutters ofВ the windows ofВ the hut rattled, the door creaked, and the witch flew into her hut on her broomstick. She screeched, noticing the monster which was removing garlic crushed on the floor:
– What a pogrom you made here!
– Sorry, this was not on purpose. My tail touched a bunch of garlic and a jar of vinegar, – the monster began to make excuses.
Sneezing and cursing, the witch went toВ the stove toВ check the quality ofВ the potion.
– I see you worked hard. The potion turned out to be excellent, – said the witch, opening the lid of the pot and stirring the muddy liquid with a wooden spoon. – Only these disgusting smells of vinegar and garlic do not allow me to enjoy the aroma of the potion.
– Okay, all the talking later. I’m tired of the road. I should lie down to rest, while you will cook dinner. In the mortar you will find everything you need.
With these words, the witch lied on the mat and fell asleep inВ aВ sound sleep. Her snoring was heard not only inВ the cellar, but throughout the forest.
The monster, meanwhile, laid out the witch’s bones, skulls, berries, greens and meat from the mortar in a large pot, added water and put it in the oven to cook. An unbearable smell of human remains went throughout the hut, which in the process of cooking became more and more disgusting. Then the monster changed the potion to a new decoction, and added the potion to the witch’s dinner. It seemed to the monster that the witch would wake up very soon and it would not be able to complete the work he had begun. But each time the witch only turned over from side to side and continued to snore. The monster was very restless. Today its fate was decided. Any wrong move, any accident could delay the implementation of his plans for a whole year.
The prince inВ the form ofВ aВ monster was inВ aВ hard condition, but it was even harder for the boy. He crouched inВ the cellar between barrels filled with some strange and nasty-smelling liquids. Their smell made him sick, his head was spinning, and he seemed toВ fall into some kind ofВ semi-unconscious state. This was the only place where the witch could not notice him inВ case she tried toВ go down toВ the cellar. InВ addition, Maksim decided toВ be careful perhaps inВ order toВ kill the human smell. All these inconveniences drowned out fear. But he took aВ big risk.
Meanwhile, the witch did not think toВ wake up. Three hours have passed. The monster tried toВ escape from thoughts ofВ salvation. But nothing workedВ out.
– How did the boy meditate? – thought the monster. – I need to concentrate on something good.
And the prince remembered his country, the palace, the king and the queen. How sad they must have been when he disappeared. How much grief has gone through, how much tears have been spilled… However, no need for sad things.
Images were recalled from childhood when, as aВ child, he comprehended the wisdom ofВ fencing, learned toВ ride aВ horse. The best teachers inВ natural sciences, languages, music, painting, dancing and military art were invited toВ teach him. Father was fond ofВ the East and believed that his son should perfectly master all types ofВ cold weapons, martial arts. He paid special attention toВ healing, the study ofВ all kinds ofВ poisons, their antidotes.
The prince remembered his faithful friend-mentor, with whom he shared all his innermost thoughts, experiences. The prince read aВ lot. He was especially interested inВ stories about generals. He knew the details ofВ all the famous battles. Since childhood he was fond ofВ Alexander the Great and Hannibal. The prince largely imitated them. He led the same Spartan lifestyle. He absented himself from the palace for aВ long time, disguised as artisans or merchants and wandering with his friend inВ the kingdom. He knew well the needs and aspirations ofВ his people. He tried toВ be fair and be faithful toВ his principles.
Once during a hunt, they wandered with a friend into a dense forest and fell into the hands of an evil witch. The prince sent his friend back. He was saved, but the prince did not have time to hide. And the evil sorceress turned him into a terrible monster, of which only one sight was terrifying for everyone he had to face. And therefore, the monster itself, sparing the feelings of people, shied away from them. And if the witch didn’t instruct at specific hours to collect everything necessary for the potion in certain places in the forest, it would sit all year in a hut. Hunger made the monster hunt at night.
– But why I am thinking only about bad things. Apparently, it’s time to get up, – the monster did not have time to think, as the witch’s shrill voice came:
– It’s time to serve. You seem to become lazy. You don’t want to work or speak. Should I see your relatives, in order for you to amuse me and to enquire? – the witch began to tease it.
– I wish you hadn’t seen them, – the monster replied. But, having decided that it was not worth annoying her again, the monster became more pleasant:
– You’re right, I’m sorry. Now I will feed you, and you, please, tell me about my parents.
– That’s better. Sit next to me. Otherwise I’m bored.
The witch started a meal and began to tell the monster about her adventures, about the places where she had visited, about the parents of the prince. When she stopped, the monster, fearing that the witch would not finish the meal, began to talk about what it saw in the forest, what trials fell on his lot during the hunt, what happened new during their separation. And the witch, listening to him, sank deeper and deeper into slumber, not realizing what was happening to her. And finally, it happened! The witch finally fell asleep, her spells slept… And a handsome young man in the clothes of a hunter appeared before the boy who came out of his shelter. Both watched in fear the witch, who had fallen asleep forever.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/pages/biblio_book/?art=67920062&lfrom=174836202) на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
