Dedicated to my friend NaTASHA Larina.

Preface.

Hope, Faith and Love are the three stars that guide a person, starting from his very first birthday. They shine, illuminating the path of life. Unfortunately, this path is sometimes difficult and thorny for big and small.

Why?

I've asked this question to myself and others a million times, but no one knows the answer to it. Basically, everyone throws up their hands and answers: no idea.

I wrote these fairy tales for all the children on earth. The only thing I want is for sick children to recover, and healthy ones not to get sick. And also that these fairy tales bring kindness, love and hope to everyone who needs them. These fairy tales tell about fear, about the important role of family and friends in the life of everyone without exception, about willpower and spirit, about the fact that you should never give up, but believe only in the best.

Dear NaTASHA!

Without you, there would not be these three wonderful fairy tales that you inspired me to create. You are a real hero, just like in these fairy tales. I wish you health and strength for many years to come. You have a lot of good, interesting and important things ahead of you. I wish your projects to be successful, and new ideas never end.

With respect and love,

Author.

Tashik the bear was walking through the forest, stepping on a thick carpet of needles, cones and small berry bushes with his paws. The forest was big and dark, and the bear cub was very small. He lifted up his nose and sniffed the air to determine where his family lived. He went into the dense and dark thicket further and further away from his native, bright and sunny edge, where there was a house of his large and friendly family.

Tashik the bear listened and pressed his ears to his head. The terrible and black crowns of the trees creaked like giants with big spruce paws. A tiny bear cub ran up to the stump and hid behind it. A real thunderstorm was beginning in the forest and the bear shivered from cold and fear. The wind swayed the tall trees from side to side with terrible sounds. It seemed to Tashik that one of the old and thick pines would fall on his stump, which hissed and creaked like Tashik's great-grandmother. He closed his eyes with his paws and sobbed, wiping the tears from his small eyes.

– Mom! Mom! – Tashik desperately called for his mother, because he always knew when his mother would protect him from any danger.

One day, the bear cub fell off the bank into the rushing river, which carried him in a stream right onto the rocks. Tashik desperately beat the water with his paws, but he could not swim ashore, it was too far to him. A little more and Tashik would have crashed against the rocky cliffs, but someone grabbed him by the skin and dragged him to a safe shallow shore. She was the strongest and bravest mom in the world. Tashik hugged his mother by the neck, and she severely punished Tashik, leaving him without honey and raspberries in the evening. But the Bear was not angry, he knew that his mother loved him and was very afraid that he would drown.

And his mother read him bedtime stories about a pot of porridge and about a berry meadow. These were the bear's favorite fairy tales. He imagined how he would find a pot of porridge and eat it with his paws, and the porridge in the pot would not end. And he also dreamed of finding a clearing where there would be a lot of red, sweet and juicy berries. He will collect them with his paws right into his mouth.

Lightning flashed and it became as bright as day in the black forest. The bear cub saw a large hollow near the stump behind which he was hiding and ran to him. A thunderclap tore apart the sky and earth with a crash. Tashik rolled head over heels into the hollow before the terrible downpour began. Large drops knocked on tree trunks, washing away leaves and weak needles.

– Who are you? – Asked from somewhere in the depths of the hollow.

– I am Tashik the bear. And who are you?

– My name is Apricot, because I am a redhead.

The leaves rustled and a huge tail first appeared in front of Tashik, then the squirrel itself. She smiled and handed the bear a nut.

– Don't be afraid, it can't rain forever.

– Thank you, but I'm not afraid, what makes you think? Well, maybe just a little. Especially when the thunder was thundering.

Tashik took a nut and began to gnaw it to extract the middle.

They gnawed nuts and chatted with Apricot until the rain stopped.

– Thank you, Apricot!

– Goodbye, Tashik, I'll see you again!

The bear waved to his new friend and walked on, looking for a way out of this dark and scary thicket.

After the storm, it was damp and cool in the forest. Pearl drops hung on the branches, which were in no hurry to fall to the ground. Tashik noticed that something had changed after the rain, but he couldn't figure out what exactly. After walking through the forest for some more time, he did understand what was the matter. Mushrooms. They were climbing out of the ground right in front of Tashik's eyes. Their hats were very small at first, but then they got bigger and bigger, turning into real umbrellas from raindrops. The red mushrooms were especially beautiful. Their hats were the most noticeable and the brightest in the dark emerald forest.

The bear cub became interested in such an indescribable beauty and sat down next to a whole family of red hats to admire them.

– I wonder if they are delicious? Tashik muttered, remembering his mother's soups with mushrooms and roots and licked his lips. A lot of time has passed since the nuts that Apricot was treated to. The bear was pretty hungry and looked at the delicious red caps of mushrooms that reminded him of red berries.

He stretched out his paw and tore off the biggest and juiciest hat.

– Hey! Come on, throw it out immediately!

In front of him stood a huge gray wolf, which silently approached the little one.

Tashik the bear, frightened, let go of the mushroom cap from his hands and backed away.

– Sorry, I didn't know it was your mushrooms!

"Not mine, but the witches'. Neither children nor adults can eat them, understand? There's a stream, run down and wash your paws so that the poison doesn't soak in.

Tashik rinsed his paws and drank some water from the stream, his tummy rumbled treacherously.

The huge wolf came closer. He was no longer so scary, his gray head was covered with scars, but his eyes looked with a smile.

– Let's go to that clearing, the starving little bear! Look, even though these berries are called wolfberries for cubs – this is a delicious and healthy food rich in vitamins, my children are constantly raiding these places. And I strictly forbade them to touch the poisonous fly agarics; they have already killed so many animals in our forest.

Tashik was picking bunches of blue-black berries with his paws and throwing them into his mouth. Sweet juice flowed down the paws and on the muzzle. After eating, Tashik asked the wolf if he knew how to get out of the thicket.

– Go that way and don't turn anywhere. When you get to the river, walk along the shore to a huge old oak tree. That's where the dark thicket ends.

The bear cub thanked the savior and set off on his way. He was singing a song that they had learned together with their mother about friends who are not scary in the darkest forest.