Current page: 1 (book has 9 pages in total) [available reading passage: 6 pages]

William Joyce
The Easter Bunny, or Journey to the Center of the Earth

To my beloved wife

Elizabeth,

the greatest woman in the entire universe

Almost the first chapter
Summary, Introduction and Warning

Since Buka, the King of Nightmares, lost the decisive battle, peace reigned on the planet. Katherine, Nick Severyanin and Ombrik were relaxing while visiting the lunar lamas. But the friends did not forget that the enemy would not calm down and would try to once again gather an army of Scarecrows and Nightmares until victory remained with him.

To destroy the old magician and the brave robber, the King of Nightmares managed to get out of the body of the iron genie, which served as his shelter. He vowed to take brutal revenge on his enemies. But evil does not reign indefinitely. Moon Baby handed the Northerner a magic sword that once belonged to his father. He also told his friends about four relics created during the Golden Time - an era of happiness and prosperity on Earth. Only with their help will it be possible to defeat the King of Nightmares. But first of all, it was necessary to find him, because no one knew the location of the gloomy lord of Horror Stories.

Where to begin? Where to go?

Some of the inhabitants of the lost island located in the farthest part of the Pacific Ocean asked themselves the same questions. The most ancient, mysterious and unusual creatures that the world has ever known lived there... Or didn’t know.

He gave up, despite possessing unparalleled strength and wisdom, and no longer tried to keep track of time, watching the centuries pass by. But, be that as it may, He felt that something was happening right now. Previously, such events did not bother him, because He forbade himself to even think about them. He had heard about the great battle with the King of Nightmares that ended the Golden Time, and about Ombrick, but all that was so long ago that it seemed to no longer matter. Now he was worried about something else. He saw signs understandable to him alone that did not bode well. One beautiful or, conversely, terrible day in the very center of the Earth, near the core, where his kingdom was located, He heard ominous sounds. He didn’t tell anyone about this, but the instinct of the beast told him that sooner or later he would have to save the world from which He had been hiding for so long and stubbornly. His nose twitched and his long ears twitched.

What terrible battles lie ahead and what role will he have to play in them?

Chapter first
We start this story with a story

Somewhere far, far away, in the deepest corner of Eastern Siberia, there was a place that Katherine, Nick and Ombrik called home. After their departure, the village of Santoff Claussen seemed to have died out, the inhabitants felt abandoned and wandered around with their heads down. Only the children, in spite of everything, continued their games in the enchanted forest, which served as reliable protection from the outside world. The oak trees surrounding the settlement were reputed to be the tallest trees in the world, and their powerful trunks and branches were excellent for climbing.

It seems that Peter, a strong boy of about twelve, imagined himself as a brave hero, because he catapulted straight onto the porch of his favorite tree house, overtaking his sister Sasha. The girl was at that moment testing her latest invention - gloves and boots that would allow her to climb trees like a squirrel. But Peter's catapult was faster.

– Next time I’ll beat you! – Sasha exclaimed, hoping that the small motors hidden in the heel of each shoe would help her overtake her brother. The girl looked down to where the emerald carpet stretched. The huge bear, which Ombrik himself put to guard the peace of the village, wandered around the surrounding area together with Petrovich, Nick Severyanin’s horse. Just as Sasha was wondering whether she would ever be allowed to ride him, she noticed Kalanchu-Villa, the eldest son of the village leader, William. The boy was squatting and chatting animatedly with the centipedes about something. The children of Santoff Claussen had already begun to learn the simplest languages ​​of insects (ants, worms, slugs), but Kalancha-Vill was ahead of everyone - he was the first to master the rather complex dialect of centipedes. The girl put a special tube to her ear to hear the conversation: the insects reported to Will that everything was in order in the forest and Buka had not appeared. It was a sunny summer day, but at the mention of the name of the King of Nightmares, Sasha shuddered and a chill ran down her spine.

Many years ago, during the Golden Time, when everyone was ruled by the Pleiades, Buka was known as a real hero. Then his name was General Cosmotis and he led the united armies of the Universe. He helped in capturing dangerous criminals - Scarecrows and Nightmares, who roamed outer space. But the bandits turned out to be cunning: having escaped from an impregnable prison built in the most remote corner of the Universe, they enslaved the soul of a brave general. And from then on, Buka, as if possessed, began to scour in search of children's dreams - he destroyed everything good and kind in them, and they gradually turned into nightmares. His cherished desire was to plunge the Earth into one continuous nightmare: children had to live in fear and horror. And the dreams of the children from Santoff Claussen turned out to be the most desirable: the children from the enchanted village knew no fear, their souls were not touched by evil. Sasha, like everyone else, survived that terrible night when the Scarecrows, henchmen of the King of Nightmares, almost caught them in the enchanted forest, but, fortunately, Luchik managed to come to their aid in time. The attackers did not dare to attack Moon Baby's friend and were forced to retreat.

Sasha lay down on a tree branch. She still mechanically held the receiver to her ear.

“The world has changed externally, but remains the same internally. “It even sounds the same,” the girl thought. She listened again and then put the phone away. - The insects say everything is fine. But what if Buka and Scarecrows come back again?

And before she could feel sad, a piercing scream was heard right next to her ear.

- Well, who is faster! – Peter rushed down with all his might, jumping from branch to branch.

This time, special shoes and gloves helped Sasha overtake his brother. The girl proudly landed opposite William Sr. and William almost the youngest. Her brother was a whole tree behind. She was about to exclaim about her victory when, through the thickets of vines, she noticed several stone figures. There were at least ten of them, and they looked quite creepy - with arms thrown up, blades drawn, mouths distorted with screams; these were robbers who once tried to get into the enchanted village.

Long ago, a magician decided to settle in these surroundings and created many protective barriers. One of them was the Spirit of the Forest. Other barriers that hid the village from prying eyes were hedges of ferns and vineyards - they were several meters high. A giant black bear patrolled the surrounding area, and magical oak trees blocked the passage of all strangers with their thick branches. And so, during the attack of the bandits led by Nick Severyanin, the Spirit of the Forest turned them into idols, but did not harm the leader of the bandits, in whose heart there was a place for good. After all, without thinking about the riches that, as his henchmen believed, were hidden in the village, the Northerner rushed to help the children - the evil Buka possessed the bear guarding Santoff Claussen. Although there was protection around the village, it could not protect the inhabitants from Nightmares and Horror Stories. Terrible shadows entered the enchanted forest and attacked the little inhabitants. The maddened animal was ready to tear its little charges to pieces.

And at that moment, when the enraged bear, standing on its hind legs, snapped its huge mouth, threatening to kill the children, the leader of the robbers flew into the clearing on the faithful Petrovich. The battle took place there. Nick, unconscious and seriously wounded, was taken to the safest place in the village - to Root. After what happened, he decided to become a student of Ombrik Salazar.

Everyone was afraid that the King of Nightmares would return. After all, he will not miss the opportunity to attack Santoff Claussen in the absence of the main defenders - Ombrik, Nick and Katherine. They went in search of magical relics that had long ago fallen to Earth from the Moon Clipper and were considered lost forever.

Peter and his friend Fog crossed their wands in the manner of swords, depicting the battle between Nick the Northerner and the King of Nightmares.

William the youngest almost cried:

- I'm so scared! Buka promised to return!

“The Northerner, Ombrik and Katherine will find a way to stop the King of Nightmares,” Peter said confidently.

But convincing the younger one was not so easy:

– But Buka is so strong! What if his magic is stronger than Ombrik's?

– What did the magician teach us? – It was difficult to stump Peter.

William thought for a moment, and then his eyes sparkled with joy and he blurted out:

– What is the power of magic in faith? Yes? - The boy remembered the very first lesson that Ombrik taught them, and said in a sing-song voice: - I believe! I believe! I believe!

Sasha immediately joined her friends:

- I believe! I believe! I believe that Katherine, Northerner and Ombrik will return home!

Chapter two
In which old friends meet again

While William the youngest and Sasha, spellbound, repeated the magic words of faith, the light around became brighter, and an unusual radiance spread in the air. The Spirit of the Forest has returned! Myriads of precious stones swirled, with which the silk clothes of the ghost woman were strewn, and a ghostly enchantress appeared out of nowhere.

Lessons in the magical village always turned out to be unusual. For example, one day the children learned to build a bridge leading directly into the clouds, and another time they made a river boulder rain. So, if the ghost promised that the surprise was special, then it will be so!

The children immediately ran towards the houses, with the bear and Petrovich on their heels. The spirit of the forest smoothly glided through the air behind them, enveloping the children in sparkling rays of light that fluttered, swirled and rotated. The children hesitated for a moment, running past the place where Nick was fighting with Buka. It still terrified all the inhabitants of Santoff Claussen.

The lesson took place inside the Rhizome, a giant tree that marked the beginning of the village's history and served as Ombriku's home. Thick massive branches spread to the sides, letting the guys inside the trunk. Since the old magician set off on his journey, parents have been forced to teach their children themselves. But today the guys really had a surprise. A whole pile of packages towered in the middle of Ombrik's library, threatening to crumble and fill up the free space. There were so many of them that the bees, spiders and ants that kept order in the Rhizome were simply knocked off their feet. Responsible for the cleanliness of the library, Mr. Querty, the glowing caterpillar, loved books more than anything in the world. He wore round glasses and walked sedately on his countless legs. Its body did not exceed fifteen centimeters in length and was reminiscent of spring foliage in color. Usually he could be found crawling along the spines of tomes: in this way he checked the integrity of the bindings or restored torn pages. In Ombrik's absence, Mr. Querty always remained in charge. Slowly descending from the bookshelf, he surveyed the stacked packages piled on top of each other.

Mr. Querty is a true gentleman, a caterpillar and a scientist

- Be careful there! – he said sternly, perfectly imitating human speech. Of all the insects in the world, he was the only one who managed to learn the language of people.

The children watched what was happening with curiosity.

– What if it’s from Nick? – asked Fog. The question immediately caused a storm of emotions, the children began to make assumptions, each more unexpected than the other. Then ants appeared at the door, carrying even larger packages.

- What is inside it? – William the youngest couldn’t restrain himself when he assessed the size of one of the packages.

- Is there no inscription? – asked Sasha.

At that moment, a giant globe opened in the center of the room. It turned out to be hollow. Inside there was a single crossbar, on which Ombrik usually slept, standing up. Children could never understand how a magician did not fall in his sleep, but apparently this was a common occurrence for wizards.

Wood carved octopus, or more accurately, twelve-legged

Ombryk's bed and filinophone

As always, about a dozen eagle owls sat on perches around the globe. Their duty is to mentally talk to Ombrik, wherever he is. For a good half of the day the birds did nothing but tidy up their feathers and preen themselves, but now they began to hoot and flap their wings. A kind of round glass plate appeared in the center of the globe and began to glow. The light flickered, the image first rippled and then became clearer. A familiar face looked at the guys from the magic screen. The children screamed with delight! Of course, this is their favorite Ombrik! So much time has passed since he and the Northerner left Santoff Claussen! Questions poured out of their own accord. Where are you? Where's Katherine? And everyone was especially interested in whose gifts these were, that they filled up the library?

The old magician good-naturedly raised his hand, trying to stop the flow of curiosity.

- Let's start with the main thing, children. Tell me, did anyone have nightmares while I was away?

The children looked at each other, and Fog answered for everyone:

“Only it was William Sr.’s birthday,” Peter added casually.

“Even when it’s my birthday, I’ll remain the youngest,” William the youngest jabbered.

“Then everything is as it should be.” “Things are going as usual,” the magician said with satisfaction. “Especially in the capable hands of Mr. Querty.”

Hearing that his name was called, Mr. Querty immediately stopped sewing the torn binding of The Inexplicable Mysteries of Atlantis. Volume 8" and nodded to the old magician.

“Kalancha-Vill,” continued Ombrik. “I bet you’ve definitely grown ten centimeters, huh?”

The boy only smiled stupidly in response.

– Sasha, I heard that you finally learned to jump through trees faster than a squirrel.

The girl immediately raised her hands so that the magician could see her invention.

- Brilliant! – Ombrik exclaimed, stroking his beard contentedly.

For each child, the old magician had a kind word, or praise, or encouragement. Finally, it came to William the youngest, who was most interested in the mysterious packages. Ombrik was ready to swear that the boy's patience had already come to an end. Perhaps there are only a few grams left and William will burst with curiosity.

– I answer your question, William the youngest. All these are gifts from Nick for each of you. Just keep in mind - they are absolutely the same... Until you touch them,” he finished mysteriously.

– Can I choose the biggest box, since I’m the smallest? – William exclaimed impatiently.

“This is a special gift,” Ombrik answered affectionately. “And it will be the last one to open.”

The children approached the pile of packages and chose a gift for themselves. Peter held his in his left hand - it turned out to be unusually light.

Ombrik smiled:

- Well, now think about what you would like more than anything in the world. And this thing will be yours.

Peter closed his eyes; tension showed on his face. A second later, the boy looked with admiration at a pair of magic shoes that he held in his hand - with their help you could glide across the water.

William the youngest chose a mechanical soldier that could move independently without a key. The soldier bravely waved his tiny sabers.

- Wow! Great! Just like in my dreams! – the boy screamed joyfully. – Tell Nick a big, big thank you!

Gifts were even found for Petrovich (a carrot that could be nibbled for a whole week, but it never ran out) and a bear (an elegant ring for a paw wounded in the battle with Buka).

When all the wishes were fulfilled, the children turned to the largest box.

“And this is from Katherine,” said Ombrik.

The ants dragged the gift around the room and placed it on the magician’s desk. As soon as the box touched the surface of the table, it began to open by itself, and a book appeared in front of the guys.

– Katherine wrote the story of our journey. She misses you very much and would like to read to you personally, but for now the book will tell everything for her. Before you start, you should remember the most important spell that we learned in the first lesson. Remember? - asked the magician.

The children looked at each other, smiling. Did they remember? Sasha and William the youngest have already pronounced it in the magical forest. Rejoicing that the children had firmly learned the first lesson, the children began to whisper words of faith.

And as soon as it sounded “I believe. I believe. I believe,” the green leather cover of the book opened by itself. A slight sigh was heard - a new story was being born. With a tremble, the pages turned, revealing Katherine's magnificent drawings. There was a gold bow at the top of the page, right above the word “beginning.”

Chapter Three
Catherine's story

To everyone's surprise, Katherine's drawings came to life and began to speak. Her voice filled the entire library. The insects threw away the rags, completely forgetting about cleaning, the eagle owls stopped hooting, even Mr. Querty froze over his open book. The only movement in the entire Rhizome was produced by the pages, which were slowly turning, and the wings of moths and butterflies, which cooled the children in the heat that had tormented the inhabitants for more than one week. The heads of Petrovich and the bear appeared in the window - they also loved good stories.

“I already have a wonderful gift,” the image of the girl assured him. - But you will find out about everything later, when you listen to the story to the end.

– Do you all remember how Buka disappeared at dawn? – the girl asked.

Everyone nodded as one. Light was the only thing the King of Nightmares truly feared.

– Do you remember how he settled in the body of a mechanical genie?

The children nodded again in unison.

- Okay, now I’ll tell you what happened to this genie.

The guys moved closer, unable to tear themselves away from the pages covered with various drawings, and Catherine began to retell the events of the past few weeks.

“Buka,” she began, “took possession of the genie’s body using an enslavement spell.” He turned Ombrik and Nick into porcelain dolls and was about to deal with them when a glowing boy named Ray saved us all.

The children just opened their mouths in surprise, Petrovich neighed quietly, and the butterflies stopped flapping their wings.

“Ray is a great hero,” the girl said, and her face lit up with joy. “He was the guardian of the Moon Baby himself and, at the cost of his own life, he kept Buka in prison for many centuries so that he could not break free. Ray is fearless and very strong, and now he is our friend and guardian!

The children looked at each other in surprise, unable to believe what they heard.

– Luchik and I found Ombrik and Nick in the Himalayas, on the top of the highest mountain in the world. But since Buka got inside the mechanical genie, he became practically inaccessible to light, and therefore invulnerable. The King of Nightmares has gathered a huge army of Scarecrows. A terrible battle broke out, and when it seemed that the last hope was lost, Luchik saved us all by leading his own warriors into battle.

- Which ones? – Peter whispered, barely breathing with delight.

Katherine smiled tenderly:

- Moonlight rays! And the lunar llamas sent snow people to help - Yeti! Remember Ombrik telling us about them? It turned out that they really do exist. And they are so huge, even taller than our bear, there were hundreds of them! Can you imagine?!

The children looked with admiration at the drawing depicting the battle with Buka. The page turned, and an illustration appeared before the guys, in which Nick and the old magician stood at the top of a high tower.

-Where are they? – Sasha asked curiously.

- A-ah, this is a lunar lamadarius! It was built by the lunar lamas. By the way, lamas are saints who are even older than Ombrik.

The next drawing showed the children how the magician, Northerner and Catherine were surrounded by llamas and Yetis. The page turned again, and the guys saw the kindest face in the Universe.

- Who is this? - asked Fog.

“Moon Baby,” Katherine answered respectfully. The children whispered: “Moon Baby, it can’t be! You've seen? It’s Moon Baby himself!”

“He said,” Katherine continued, “that Buka fell to the ground after a great battle, and Luchik was the only one who managed to stop him and imprison him deep underground for many, many centuries. – The girl sighed heavily. “But Moon Baby warned us that now that the King of Nightmares is free again, he will never stop and we will all have to join the battle.

– Does this mean that there will be more battles? – William the youngest asked barely audibly.

“And we won’t see you for a very long time?” - asked Fog.

- When are you gonna come back? We miss you so much! – Sasha almost cried.

The children's questions and Katherine's answers were drowned out in loud cackling. Katherine laughed.

“You will find out everything only a little later, but for now I have to take care of my baby.”

The page turned and the children saw a picture of a gosling. William the youngest even jumped on the spot:

– Is this your gift?

- Yes, her name is Kailash. This is a Himalayan snow goose and when it grows it will be the size of a horse. The baby thinks I’m her mother, can you imagine? Tonight, as soon as you go to bed, my book will tell you all about snow geese.

At this point the book slowly closed, and the children had to go about their business. But everyone was looking forward to the evening to hear the continuation of the amazing adventures. Just don’t forget that the guys lived in Santoff Claussen, a place where time flies very quickly, especially when there are such exciting activities as magic and... pampering.

The only one left in the library was Mr. Querty - he didn’t have to wait until evening. The caterpillar liked Catherine's book so much (of course, it turned out to be larger and more beautiful than all the old magician's tomes) that he spent the rest of the day polishing it until it sparkled like a diamond!

Elena Shakurova
The Tale of the Easter Bunny

As part of the regional competition " Easter joy"I decided to compose fairy tale for children about the Easter bunny. I present it to your attention.

Once upon a time there lived a sister and brother. Every spring they looked forward to a bright and clean holiday with special impatience. Easter. The children helped their mother clean the house, baked Easter cakes and painted eggs. But most of all, the guys loved it when people came to visit them. Easter their friend Rabbit came. He visited the children every holiday and, naturally, not empty-handed. Rabbit He brought his friends all kinds of treats and played with them. In general, the company had fun Easter day.

But this time Rabbit for some reason it was delayed. The brother and sister were already starting to worry, but the furry friend was still not there. The day was approaching evening, and mother advised the children to visit A rabbit, fortunately, he lived nearby, in the neighboring forest. She collected gifts for the guys, and they set off.

Approaching their friend's house, they saw his mother Rabbit. She told that her son ran through the puddles with friends yesterday, got his feet wet, and today he is lying down with a high fever. Brother and sister entered the house and saw their friend lying in bed with a compress on his forehead. Rabbit I was very happy with the children. And the guys gave him gifts and sat with him until the evening, trying to entertain and support him.

That's it, even though Rabbit fell ill and could not, according to his long-standing tradition, visit his children, the children themselves came to visit him. After all, the most important thing on the holiday of light and goodness is to do good to those around you.

Publications on the topic:

A fairy tale about a little girl A fairy tale about a little girl. In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived one girl (I show a large doll) It was a girl.

New Year's holiday "The Tale of the Snow Maiden-Nesmeyana""The Tale of the Snow Maiden - I can't laugh." New Year's holiday for children of senior preschool age. Children run into the hall and stand around (in front).

New Year's tale about a monkey New Year's tale about a monkey “New Year's Journey of a Monkey” This story took place on New Year's Day. Once upon a time there lived a little monkey in Africa.

Sketch “The Tale of the Hare” On the stage on the left is a bear's garden, and on the right is a hare's bush. Educator: Like Misha, in the garden everything is fine, everything is in order - I.

Fairy Tale-Game “About a Little Drop” Goal: Continue to introduce children to the properties of water (warm, clear, cold, clean, dirty). Bring children to understand that.

Lesson summary “The Tale of a Hedgehog” I invite my colleagues to my master class. (No more than 10 people). I suggest you put yourself in the shoes of the children. If you agree, repeat everything in favor.

A tale about the city of road signs In one glorious Siberian city there lived a boy, Vanechka Ivanov. The boy, like a boy, was not much different from other boys. But.

There is no Easter bunny either in our traditions or in the Greek ones. But since my daughter goes to an American kindergarten, we cannot do without Peter Cottontail, as well as without egg hunting and other attributes. That’s how this simple fairy tale was born, especially since I promised one of my readers a fairy tale about the Easter bunny. Many thanks to Ekaterina Kolesnikova for the illustration ([email protected], Instagram profile: kolesnikova_ekaterina).

I wish you all a bright and joyful Easter!

The Tale of the Easter Bunny

On a sunny Easter morning, Peter Rabbit was walking along the edge of the forest. He was on his way to visit Sonechka and Sandrik and was carrying in his paws a basket full of colored eggs and small chocolates.

On a tall pine tree, a mother squirrel taught her little ones how to place their paws when jumping from branch to branch. The squirrel family noticed Peter from afar and joyfully greeted the rabbit:

- Good morning, Peter! What are you carrying in your basket?

— Good morning and Happy Easter! - answered Peter Rabbit. – I’m bringing eggs and treats for Sonechka and Sandrik.

“We want it too, we want it too,” the baby squirrels jumped on the branch.

- There's a lot here! “I’ll treat you too,” Peter answered.

He took out a colored egg and chocolates for the squirrels from the basket. The mother squirrel came downstairs and gratefully accepted the treats from the rabbit.

- Thank you! Thank you! - the baby squirrels shouted after Peter and waved their fluffy red tails.

Peter didn't have time to go far when he met a family of foxes. The mother fox basked in the sun while the fox cubs had a stump jumping competition.

- Peter, Peter! What's in your basket? - the fox cubs shouted in unison.

“Easter gifts for Sonechka and Sandrik,” answered the rabbit. - Let me treat you to chocolates!

“No, no, fox cubs can’t have chocolate,” the mother fox intervened. - They'll ruin your teeth. For foxes, teeth are very important.

- Well, then take a colored egg! - Peter suggested.

After treating the cubs and talking a little with the mother fox about what a clear and fine day it was today, Peter Rabbit continued on his way, singing a cheerful song:

- Easter morning, beautiful day,

And people and animals are happy and happy.

Easter morning, beautiful day,

I bring you gifts. Open the doors!

Here, on the rabbit’s path, a hedgehog father and a little hedgehog met, who were returning home with baskets full of mushrooms.

“Here, we’re bringing mushrooms to mother the hedgehog so she can prepare a delicious lunch.”

“And I’m going to Sonechka and Sandrik, bringing them Easter treats,” answered Peter Rabbit. - Take your own testicle, little hedgehog.

The hedgehog and the little hedgehog thanked the Easter Bunny, and each went in his own direction. Then, on Peter’s way, he met a she-bear with three, and near a stream, a beaver with a cub. Peter Rabbit happily greeted everyone and treated everyone to the contents of his basket.

Now the forest was over, and along the path through the field the rabbit went to the house where Sonechka and Sandrik lived. The children stood on the threshold of the house and happily waved to the approaching rabbit.

- Happy Easter, my friends! - the rabbit greeted them.

- Happy Easter! Hello, hello, Peter! – the children jumped for joy.

“And I brought you some gifts,” the Easter Bunny handed the basket to Sonechka.

“Oh,” Sonechka exclaimed, looking into the basket. “There’s almost nothing here, just two small chocolates.”

Peter Rabbit looked into the basket himself and realized that the girl was right. He grabbed his head and cried.

- Oh oh! What have I done! Along the way I met so many of my animal friends, everyone greeted me joyfully, and I wanted to treat everyone with something. So I didn’t notice how the treats in the basket ran out. What should I do now? Please forgive me!

“Don’t be so upset, Peter,” Sonechka stroked the rabbit’s head. - You are so good for treating your friends. Come with us to the house.

Little Sandrik took the rabbit by the paw and pulled him along:

- Let's go, let's go!

When Peter and the children entered the house, the rabbit saw a table covered with a white tablecloth, on which stood a beautiful Easter cake and a whole plate of multi-colored colored eggs.

- We've been waiting for you! Now let's drink tea! Look at the Easter cakes Mom and I baked, the buns, and the eggs we painted. We have a lot of them! We will treat you and give you some food on your way. Give me your basket! - Sonechka said to the rabbit.

- Is that really possible? It’s me, the Easter bunny, who should bring you gifts, not you to me.

The children laughed.

- Who cares! – the girl shook her head. – Everyone treats each other at Easter! You treated the forest animals, and we treated you! Easter is a bright holiday of love and kindness.

- Thank you, Sonechka, thank you, Sandrik! – the Easter Bunny thanked, hugging the children.

And then the whole family, together with Peter Rabbit, sat down to drink aromatic tea with Easter treats. On the way, the children gave the rabbit some colored eggs, buns and Easter cakes. And Peter decided to go through the forest again to treat those of his friends whom he had not met yet today.

Recently, many new holidays and rituals have appeared in our country, coming from the West. Just remember Halloween, St. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and others, and with them new heroes and characters appeared, new symbols.

The Easter holiday is traditional for us, and has been celebrated by the Orthodox from time immemorial. Easter cakes, Easter cakes, krashenki - our ancestors prepared them for a long time. But gifts for children in the form of bunnies and bunnies - chocolate, baked goods, soft toys - are unfamiliar to the older generation of our compatriots. The rabbit is a character characteristic of Catholic Easter and is popular in Western Europe, especially in Germany and Austria. Many legends and beliefs, both Christian and pagan, are associated with this animal.

History of the Easter Bunny

The history of the Easter bunny or rabbit dates back to the pre-Christian period. The rabbit was considered a companion of the Anglo-Saxon hare-headed goddess Eostre (by the way, the English Easter, Easter comes from her name) - the patroness of Spring and fertility. Rabbits are famous for their fertility, and it was with this quality that the devoted friend of the goddess symbolized the continuation and renewal of life.

The ancient Germans had a legend according to which the goddess Oestra found a wounded bird in the snow and, in order to save its life, turned it into a hare. The bird became a hare, but did not lose its ability to lay eggs. Since then, the hare decorates these eggs and gives them to the goddess Oestra on the day of spring.
The image of a hare was associated with the arrival of spring and the awakening of life, since it is in the spring, when there is almost no food to be found in the forests, that hares often run into villages and gardens in search of food. And when people noticed hares in their fields, they already knew: Easter was approaching!

Why did the hare become a symbol of Catholic Easter?

For Catholics, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox, and the hare is considered a lunar animal.
The Christian legend of the Easter Bunny was first mentioned in documents dating back to the 16th century. She told about how the brave hare saved the Archangel Gabriel, who descended to earth, from robbers who were seduced by his golden clothes, and promised to bring colored, decorated eggs to the righteous workers in the gardens every year on Easter night. There are other legends about the Easter Bunny.

Once upon a time, children believed that it was the hare that brought them Easter eggs. Thus, a long-standing tradition arose of baking cookies or baked goods in the shape of a bunny figurine for Easter and baking an egg inside it, sometimes right in the shell. Travelers and pilgrims took these baked goods with them on their journeys. There was also a popular belief that hares do not openly give eggs when they bring them, but hide them in the grass or in the garden.

William Joyce

To my beloved wife

Elizabeth,

the greatest woman in the entire universe

Since Buka, the King of Nightmares, lost the decisive battle, peace reigned on the planet. Katherine, Nick Severyanin and Ombrik were relaxing while visiting the lunar lamas. But the friends did not forget that the enemy would not calm down and would try to once again gather an army of Scarecrows and Nightmares until victory remained with him.

To destroy the old magician and the brave robber, the King of Nightmares managed to get out of the body of the iron genie, which served as his shelter. He vowed to take brutal revenge on his enemies. But evil does not reign indefinitely. Moon Baby handed the Northerner a magic sword that once belonged to his father. He also told his friends about four relics created during the Golden Time - an era of happiness and prosperity on Earth. Only with their help will it be possible to defeat the King of Nightmares. But first of all, it was necessary to find him, because no one knew the location of the gloomy lord of Horror Stories.

Where to begin? Where to go?

Some of the inhabitants of the lost island located in the farthest part of the Pacific Ocean asked themselves the same questions. The most ancient, mysterious and unusual creatures that the world has ever known lived there... Or didn’t know.

He gave up, despite possessing unparalleled strength and wisdom, and no longer tried to keep track of time, watching the centuries pass by. But, be that as it may, He felt that something was happening right now. Previously, such events did not bother him, because He forbade himself to even think about them. He had heard about the great battle with the King of Nightmares that ended the Golden Time, and about Ombrick, but all that was so long ago that it seemed to no longer matter. Now he was worried about something else. He saw signs understandable to him alone that did not bode well. One beautiful or, conversely, terrible day in the very center of the Earth, near the core, where his kingdom was located, He heard ominous sounds. He didn’t tell anyone about this, but the instinct of the beast told him that sooner or later he would have to save the world from which He had been hiding for so long and stubbornly. His nose twitched and his long ears twitched.

What terrible battles lie ahead and what role will he have to play in them?

Somewhere far, far away, in the deepest corner of Eastern Siberia, there was a place that Katherine, Nick and Ombrik called home. After their departure, the village of Santoff Claussen seemed to have died out, the inhabitants felt abandoned and wandered around with their heads down. Only the children, in spite of everything, continued their games in the enchanted forest, which served as reliable protection from the outside world. The oak trees surrounding the settlement were reputed to be the tallest trees in the world, and their powerful trunks and branches were excellent for climbing.

It seems that Peter, a strong boy of about twelve, imagined himself as a brave hero, because he catapulted straight onto the porch of his favorite tree house, overtaking his sister Sasha. The girl was at that moment testing her latest invention - gloves and boots that would allow her to climb trees like a squirrel. But Peter's catapult was faster.

– Next time I’ll beat you! – Sasha exclaimed, hoping that the small motors hidden in the heel of each shoe would help her overtake her brother. The girl looked down to where the emerald carpet stretched. The huge bear, which Ombrik himself put to guard the peace of the village, wandered around the surrounding area together with Petrovich, Nick Severyanin’s horse. Just as Sasha was wondering whether she would ever be allowed to ride him, she noticed Kalanchu-Villa, the eldest son of the village leader, William. The boy was squatting and chatting animatedly with the centipedes about something. The children of Santoff Claussen had already begun to learn the simplest languages ​​of insects (ants, worms, slugs), but Kalancha-Vill was ahead of everyone - he was the first to master the rather complex dialect of centipedes. The girl put a special tube to her ear to hear the conversation: the insects reported to Will that everything was in order in the forest and Buka had not appeared. It was a sunny summer day, but at the mention of the name of the King of Nightmares, Sasha shuddered and a chill ran down her spine.

Many years ago, during the Golden Time, when everyone was ruled by the Pleiades, Buka was known as a real hero. Then his name was General Cosmotis and he led the united armies of the Universe. He helped in capturing dangerous criminals - Scarecrows and Nightmares, who roamed outer space. But the bandits turned out to be cunning: having escaped from an impregnable prison built in the most remote corner of the Universe, they enslaved the soul of a brave general. And from then on, Buka, as if possessed, began to scour in search of children's dreams - he destroyed everything good and kind in them, and they gradually turned into nightmares. His cherished desire was to plunge the Earth into one continuous nightmare: children had to live in fear and horror. And the dreams of the children from Santoff Claussen turned out to be the most desirable: the children from the enchanted village knew no fear, their souls were not touched by evil. Sasha, like everyone else, survived that terrible night when the Scarecrows, henchmen of the King of Nightmares, almost caught them in the enchanted forest, but, fortunately, Luchik managed to come to their aid in time. The attackers did not dare to attack Moon Baby's friend and were forced to retreat.

Sasha lay down on a tree branch. She still mechanically held the receiver to her ear.

“The world has changed externally, but remains the same internally. “It even sounds the same,” the girl thought. She listened again and then put the phone away. - The insects say everything is fine. But what if Buka and Scarecrows come back again?

And before she could feel sad, a piercing scream was heard right next to her ear.

- Well, who is faster! – Peter rushed down with all his might, jumping from branch to branch.

This time, special shoes and gloves helped Sasha overtake his brother. The girl proudly landed opposite William Sr. and William almost the youngest. Her brother was a whole tree behind. She was about to exclaim about her victory when, through the thickets of vines, she noticed several stone figures. There were at least ten of them, and they looked quite creepy - with arms thrown up, blades drawn, mouths distorted with screams; these were robbers who once tried to get into the enchanted village.

Long ago, a magician decided to settle in these surroundings and created many protective barriers. One of them was the Spirit of the Forest. Other barriers that hid the village from prying eyes were hedges of ferns and vineyards - they were several meters high. A giant black bear patrolled the surrounding area, and magical oak trees blocked the passage of all strangers with their thick branches. And so, during the attack of the bandits led by Nick Severyanin, the Spirit of the Forest turned them into idols, but did not harm the leader of the bandits, in whose heart there was a place for good. After all, without thinking about the riches that, as his henchmen believed, were hidden in the village, the Northerner rushed to help the children - the evil Buka possessed the bear guarding Santoff Claussen. Although there was protection around the village, it could not protect the inhabitants from Nightmares and Horror Stories. Terrible shadows entered the enchanted forest and attacked the little inhabitants. The maddened animal was ready to tear its little charges to pieces.

And at that moment, when the enraged bear, standing on its hind legs, snapped its huge mouth, threatening to kill the children, the leader of the robbers flew into the clearing on the faithful Petrovich. The battle took place there. Nick, unconscious and seriously wounded, was taken to the safest place in the village - to Root. After what happened, he decided to become a student of Ombrik Salazar.