The History of House Six

by Dobychina, Svetlana

  The old Fairy and the Owl were touched by this trust and care.

  “I am going to watch the roads and paths carefully. If someone needs my help, I can turn any problems into tiny mini-puzzles. Then they stop swelling with pride and one will be able to crack them like nuts, – said the old Fairy.

  “The most important thing now is not to spill magic drops,” – the Owl joked. “You can get mini-puzzles with really big feet, and you will have to work hard to catch them.”

  The Owl also thanked the young Fairy and promised to write the kindest fairy tale about the adventures of House Six and his friends.

  The Heavenly Master and the young Fairy said goodbye to their friends, to the beautiful apple orchard and, taking Sun Twinkles with them, accompanied by beautiful butterflies, they set out on their journey. They walked along the path to the Magic Forest and discussed how many towers will the castle have, which trees will grow in the park, and what festivals will they arrange for all the inhabitants – big ones and small ones.

  The Meeting of True Friends

  The triangular island was very busy. Captain Boris, the Mouse, and the Dwarf had to clear the ship they found from dry palm branches and sand that had crept into all the slits, even the tiniest ones.

  When our friends finished their work, tired but satisfied, it became clear to everyone that they had to move the ship forward into the Ocean first, and then recruit a crew of sailors.

  They were sitting on the deck and discussing this setback over and over. The Mouse was upset – by this time she didn’t want to travel at all, as she missed House Six and her friends in the Magic Forest.

  The Dwarf was really worried about his girlfriend, and most of all he was anxious about the fact that for now, he had not seen any possibility for them to get home by water.

  Captain Boris was the one who clearly understood: although he had found his ship, without a crew on board he couldn’t even think of sailing; the Mouse and the Dwarf were very nice, but they were not sailors.

  Meanwhile, on another island, the Crab and Baby Shark were dabbling thoughtfully at water’s edge.

  The Crab was worried about his friends: how could they get home on such a small boat made from coconut shell. The most responsible Cloud, who hadn’t seen friends since their arrival, heard their conversation.

  “Where is the Mouse and the Dwarf?” – She asked Baby Shark.

  Friends told the Cloud how they had dug the hole, cracked a coconut, and saw the Mouse and the Dwarf off to a new journey.

  The Cloud kept on listening, then she was silent for a long time, and suddenly burst into tears. Since she was still in the Ocean, water began to rise swiftly. The Crab and Baby Shark were looking at her with concern.

  “Wait, don’t cry,” – said the Crab. “You are going to flood the whole island. Better tell me why are you crying, or we’ll start worrying about our friends.”

  The Cloud was very embarrassed, because the Sun had chosen it as the most responsible one, but it was playing in warm and tender Ocean water and had completely forgotten about the most important task in its life. And now it was very ashamed to ask the Sun for help, that’s why it was crying.

  The Crab raised his claws.

  “Think for a moment, what if our friends need help, and you won’t know about it, because you are afraid to admit your mistake and reach out to the Sun,” – he said.

  The Cloud stopped crying, and the Ocean did the same.

  The Cloud plucked up its courage, raised from the Ocean and flew up to the Sun. The Crab clawed approvingly, while Baby Shark was swimming in circles so fast it seemed her black fin was dancing on the Ocean surface.

  The Sun scolded the Cloud a little, and praised her for the brave act, knowing how difficult it was to admit your own mistake.

  Then the Sun equipped a pair of bright Beams and showed them the way.

  “They are…”

  “No, I’m the responsible Cloud here,” – it said. “Heaven is my home. Better I go on the road, let Beams have some rest. I’ll cover them, like if they were little ones.”

  The House liked to travel on the Storm Cloud. Midget Giants made him laugh constantly, telling about their adventures. Sometimes it seemed that they didn’t know how to keep quiet, even when the Sun had changed into purple clothes and was preparing to rest, and stars had formed intricate constellations.

  “House!” – An ecstatic voice suddenly came from the surrounding darkness.

  The next moment something small crashed into the Storm Cloud and there was a little heavenly earthquake. It was the Cloud. It hadn’t noticed the Storm Cloud in the darkness, as it saw only House Six and the light in its round windows. It was so happy that it surrounded the House and was hopping on the Storm Cloud like a little girl.

  The Storm Cloud tried to bring some order so that no one was hurt: there were enough new and noisy stories on this journey making the House shake in laughter. And then there was this Cloud jumping, and small lightings were striking the ground after its hops.

  “You have grown a lot, matured and became a real beauty,” – said the Storm Cloud.

  At first, the Cloud didn’t even understand who was speaking. Then she saw the serious and adult Storm Cloud and became embarrassed immediately.

  “Do not jump, please, or small lightnings can harm the ground.”

  The Cloud carefully sat down next to the House and looked like a small fluffy kitten.

  “There’s an island below!” – Cried the most attentive Midget Giant.

  Indeed, on a dark water’s edge there stood up a triangle. The outline of a real ship could be seen on its shore. Midget Giants desperately wanted to go down and check if the Mouse and the Dwarf were there, without waiting for the Sun to wake up.

  “How are we going to get down? Sunny Beams are sleeping,” – asked House Six.

  “We are going to sit in a circle and place the Storm Cloud in the center. It will jump quietly, and we will catch all the small lightings and weave a ladder from them as the Heavenly Master had taught us. We will go down this ladder to the island and bring down House Six carefully if our friends are there.”

  The Mouse, Captain Boris, and the Dwarf looked at the starry sky. Right above them, there was a magic star shower! Looking at a sparkling star, they all recalled their fondest desires. Suddenly, a luminous ladder began to descend straight from the sky. Sparks that accompanied it scattered in millions of lights. Someone vaguely familiar came down the ladder.

  “Wow!” – The Dwarf exclaimed first. Six Midget Giants descended from the night sky right to ocean sand.

  Friends were so happy that trees were bouncing on the triangular island. The joy became even greater when House Six got down the ladder in a glowing cabin.

  Captain Boris was a little confused watching all friends hug from the side. “The fondest wish of the Mouse and the Dwarf has come true. They won’t need Captain Boris anymore,” he thought sadly.

  The Mouse looked at Midget Giants with astonishment: they were now of the same height as the Dwarf, and they were talking so gaily about their adventures on the way to the young Fairy.

  When it was Dwarf’s turn, he introduced Captain Boris to their friends as his new friend, leaving out the part how they had met. Captain Boris was very touched by his friend’s sensitivity and kind heart.

  House Six invited everyone to drink tea with bagels and its favorite raspberry jam.

  With their night conversations, friends did not notice how the morning came and the first Sunny Beams were already peeking curiously into the windows.

  “Now we have both the Storm Cloud and the responsible Cloud,” – said the happy Mouse. “We are going to fly home!!! The star fulfilled my fondest wish.” The Dwarf was too shy to tell that his fondest wish had also come true: more than anything else he wanted that his friend Mouse wasn’t upset.

  Captain Boris and six Midget Giants were silent. They were glad that friends were going to fly home. But why didn’t their fondest wishes com
e true?

  House Six, watching Captain Boris from the side, thought that he was afraid to stay alone on the island and said:

  “Fly with us! There is enough space for everyone in the Magic Forest.”

  Way Back Home

  Captain Boris thanked the hospitable House and said:

  “I am the captain of a fine ship. And, according to the first and most important rule, the captain must never leave his ship. I’ll try to figure out how to get it in the water and go on a journey around the world. However, I don’t know yet how I’m going to recruit a team.”

  Midget Giants jumped up and down with impatience:

  “Can I?..”

  “Oh, we want to go too!”

  “I want to be a sailor!”

  “Me too!”

  “Me too!”

  “Take us!!!”

  As usual, everyone was shouting in the chorus. House Six remembered perfectly how it had ended last time and loudly shouted:

  “Stop!!! Let’s talk one by one.”

  Then the quietest Midget Giant said:

  “Our fondest wish is to go on a journey around the world and see new cities and wonderful countries. Traveling on such a beautiful ship would be six times more pleasant!!!”

  And the triangular island became busy again. Midget Giants drew a plan on the sand of unusual sundae wafer color, according to which it was possible to make a device and launch the ship to the Ocean. The fastest Midget Giant went to collect palm branches.

  A few moments later there came a contagious chuckle from the bush, growing into laughter and screaming:

  “Oh, let me go!!!”

  “Ouch!”

  “I’m ticklish,” – he was shrieking with laughter.

  Friends ran towards the sound of his cries to see what was going on. Only House Six stayed on the shore: in his Magic Forest, there were no such dense thickets into which only Midget Giants, the Dwarf, the Mouse and Captain Boris could squeeze.

  The Mouse was first to reach it and everyone immediately heard her laughter. It sounded like there were hundreds of bells ringing all around the island.

  When all the others made their way through the thickets, they saw a strange picture: the Midget Giant was waving his hands as if he tried to drive away some annoying insects, while the Mouse was laughing curled up on the ground. There were brown hairs sticking around the Midget Giant and swinging in different directions.

  “Wow!!!” – said the most intelligent Midget Giant. “A hairy tree!”

  There were many beautiful palm trees growing on the island, with their trunks covered with brown hairs. When the Midget Giant had approached the largest trunk, these hairs surrounded him. And the more angrily he waved his arms, the more these hairs were swaying, getting into all the slits, even through his shirt.

  Captain Boris, trying not to laugh very loudly, went up to the Midget Giant, caught his hand and led him out of the palm capture.

  Friends returned to the Ocean shore, hiccupping with laughter.

  “Wow! Our first journey begins with a magical tree which likes to tickle those who come close to it,” – said the captivated Midget Giant, trying to catch his breath.

  When all preparations were completed, they launched the ship. Captain Boris found brand new vests in the hold. Now Midget Giants looked like true sailors.

  The Dwarf, the Mouse, and House Six solemnly saw their friends off.

  The Mouse was just a bit upset: how would Midget Giants return to the Magic Forest if there was no Ocean for a ship to sail?

  Captain Boris reassured:

  “During our journey, we will find masters who will help us to refine the ship. It is going to be a flying ship!”

  “A flying ship,” – whispered the Mouse. “How wonderful it must be!”

  House Six, the Dwarf, and his friend Mouse began to prepare for their way home.

  The Cloud lowered its sunny lift platform, on which House Six was fixed with the hardest beams.

  Meanwhile, the Storm Cloud let Sunny Beams through itself so that they could build a magical ladder for the Mouse and the Dwarf.

  “Thank you, great and warm Ocean. We are going home.”

  In a beautiful stone house surrounded by an apple orchard, there was the old Fairy sitting at a big table, watching the Clouds fly toward the Magic Forest and a beautiful ship sail towards the endless Ocean horizon. Captain Boris was standing on the stern, looking at the Clouds through a long spyglass while his team, the Midget Giants, were working on the deck.

  “It’s time to finish the fairy tale,” – she said to the Owl.

  “Yes. I’m going to open a new chapter later about the adventures of our friends,” – the Owl agreed.