The Stolen Star

by Halyna Franko

which turned out to be nothing more than harmless hose on closer inspection. Then right on the shore of the island they all saw a huge dragon with three fire breathing heads. Everyone shuddered. The sisters put their glasses on and instead of a three headed dragon they saw a very attractive little bay with three bonfires burning on the hill behind it to safely guide the boat into harbour.

  “They have come down to meet us and that’s why they’ve lit the bonfires,” Sophia explained to the sailors.

  Like the boss the sailors also understood that these were obviously no ordinary glasses.

  “I’m afraid we can’t give the glasses to you as a present, we have to return them, but a prayer is often just as powerful a remedy against fear.” Natalie advised the sailors.

  “Yes, yes, we know but often when you get very frightened you forget what your own name is let alone the words of a prayer.”

  “To have a pair of glasses like yours would be something,” said one of the sailors dreamily.

  And with that Sophia took pity on them:

  “It will all be as you hope; ultimately it’s all in your own hands."

  The Island of the Blessed

  On the shore, what appeared to be an extremely ancient old man was waiting for them.

  “My goodness, how did he manage to get down here?” Natalie thought to herself in sympathy.

  “I got here on my own two feet," the old man replied forthrightly, “all you need is faith and you’ll be able to fly.”

  And with that the old man really did levitate a metre above the ground, flew fifty metres, stopped in mid-air and then returned to the sisters and stood in front of them shrugging his shoulders in a gesture of mock dismay.

  “You can see.”

  “Unbelievable,” said Sophia in amazement, “do you think we would be able to learn how to do that?"

  “In order to this you need to live in peace, like we do. It doesn’t work where you secular people live. The world is too weighed down with human cares and it's difficult to fly through an aura like that.”

  The Elder paused for a second and then continued. “We will now cross this mountain and visit the community where I and my spiritual brothers live, but now you need to release your angels.”

  Natalie and Sophia looked at the old man in bewilderment, and then remembered their glasses. Taking them out of their bags they put them on the palm of their hands and lifted them up slightly. The glasses disappeared but the sisters could see no angels. However, somewhere behind them they did hear the flapping of two large pairs of wings. Evidently the angels had flown away. The sisters gratefully waved them goodbye. The mountain facing them seemed to reach right up to the sky. The sisters stood indecisively at the foot of the mountain.

  “I know a path and will lead you along it. When you get tired you can sit down on the stones.”

  And without any more ado the old man led them right up to the sheer cliff. They hadn’t gone ten metres before a cave opened up in front of them. And in they went. They passed through it and then a second and then yet another. And thus by passing from one cave to another the sisters and the Elder passed underneath the mountain. Every time they passed through a cave it closed behind them and the mountain once again became impassable.

  ”It is not possible for just anyone to reach our community. We are all guarded by this impassable mountain from all sides.”

  Once they had passed through the mountain the most picturesque valley opened up before them. A pure mountain stream, as translucent as crystal, bubbled rapidly through the valley and its flashing surface twinkled in the distance. The whole area was luxuriating in greenery and amongst the magnificent trees, cosy little one storey houses peeped out. The sisters and the Elder made their way down from the mountain along a narrow winding path. Their guide led them through the valley showing them all the most beautiful places and telling them all about this most unusual community and its inhabitants, embellishing all his tales with parables and wise advice on the way.

  ”Man should live in harmony with his soul and show honour and dignity to it. Our spirit itself makes its petitions to us.” And with these words the Elder glanced back at the sisters, because he had been showing them the way, had been walking a little way ahead of them, so when Natalie and Sophia looked at him they let out a little yelp of exclamation:

  “What's happened to you?”

  Standing in front of them now was a young man, no more than forty years old, with a black beard and dark long hair that framed his handsome face and eyes that seemed to pierce right into the soul.

  “What’s had this effect on you?" Natalie asked in amazement.

  “Of course this unusually pure air is known for its curative qualities,” their guide laughed, “but to be serious, many of us here have the ability to renew ourselves amongst other talents. We try to help people and come to their aid when they find themselves in inextricable situations.”

  ”You probably have to work hard and long to reach such a state of mastery,” Natalie asked interestedly.

  “I will quote you the words of the ancient prophet: ‘Seek not the things that are too high for thee, and search not into things above thy ability. But the things that God hath commanded thee, think on them always, and in many of his works are not curious, for it is not necessary for thee to see with thy eyes those things that are hid. In unnecessary matters be not over curious, and in many of his works thou shalt not be inquisitive. For many things are shown to thee above the understanding of men. And the suspicion of them hath deceived many, and hath detained their minds in vanity. Therefore, follow the counsel of thy soul. But above all pray to the almighty that he might show you the path to truthfulness.’ Such is the advice of the ancients.”

  “Will the wise people on this holy island help us or do we have trials to face here as well?” asked Sophia with some trepidation in her voice.

  “As Saint Paul said, each will be rewarded according to his labour. You need to restore the energy that God sent you at your birth and during your life. And this is not our decision but sent to us from above.”

  “It would have been so good to have met you earlier,” said Natalie dreamily.

  “There was one meeting, although admittedly it was with your mother.”

  “How, when?”

  “We were of course present when there was that accident at the Chernobyl atomic station near Kyiv. Around the third day after the accident your mother was in the Rusanovka area of Kyiv. The air was full of radiation although all around nature was in full bloom. But your mother was overwhelmed by a sensation that she was trying to move forward under water. Her soul was filled with a feeling of calamity and alarm. And indeed that’s how things were. The underwater rivers had been blocked by the accident and were building up to such an extent that it might have ended in tragedy for many regions and then coming towards her came this man who at first glance looked like any other pedestrian. He was young and handsome, there was something unmistakable about him, and even from a long distance away it was quite possible to guess who he was in actual fact. And when your mother came level with him she said in her thoughts:

  “Well, do something,” and reproachfully added, “We can’t just do nothing! You must stop this disaster!” He did not make any reply to her but merely gave the slightest of nods to let her know that he had heard her plea for help. And once they had passed each other your mother and this person simultaneously glanced back at each other. And your mother was given confirmation that she hadn’t been mistaken. And he was most surprised that she had recognised him, because there was a whole crowd of other people who had passed him by. Very soon, some very brave people went underground and succeeded in pumping out the water and sorting the blockage out. And thus the whole region was saved. Of those who went down underground to avert the disaster, six died and their names have been written in gold letters in the Book of Life along with other heroes.”


  The sisters had heard nothing about this mysterious meeting that their mother had had and how she had managed to survive this terrible time.

  “You were so carefree and wrapped up with your lectures and college life.”

  “That is indeed how things were,” the two sisters said ashamedly, “oh look, we have already gone past the village."

  “We are going on to that island, can you see it, there in the middle of the river. The others are waiting for us there.”

  They came to the banks of the river to find neither bridge nor boat. Before the sisters could even ask the Elder, how they would get on to the island, the wise man had taken both of them by the hand and they had flown across the river and landed on the island. How wonderful it was to feel themselves flying, how light and weightless their bodies felt. And in their souls they felt an indescribable sense of happiness and joy.

  The trees on the island were exceptionally tall and stately. They went out onto a platform that was surrounded by these huge giant trees of all varieties and types. They were interlocked with each other and even seemed to commune with the heavens themselves. Around the platform there grew a number of smaller trees that had formed themselves into a number of sheltered arbours. Above one of them rose the most exquisite wooden cross.

  “Is that a church?” Natalie asked. And the Elder nodded his