Curse of stoyker

Clouds of forest fog... А snail on a ribwort leaf... Two drops of dew simultaneously falling from a camomile stem... flowers of edelweiss... chirp of a sparrow and measured knock of a woodpecker... mooing of a mysterious bird of time... a titmouse: jump-leap, jump-leap… a ray of the sun tearing apart forest darkness... Dawn.

Chirp of grasshoppers and sugary aroma of bouquets of forest hebenon.... prattle of cold waters, marked a human word «brook», depth of the forest.... core of pine wildernesses.... refuge of beasts far from human eyes...., khmelya bumps pine granules.... slow growth of sensitiveness voice fluctuation... reduction luminosity on a few units. People named this instant sunset. Compression something a fairy-tale, not quite ordinary and can even eccentric. Ringing of bells of night-birds, especially neyasytey. Dale, fully studded weeds. Log cabin.

Time step by step moved up to this place and unnoticed touched it with the breathing of the chipped mouth. At the back of the log cabin was heard the slow, but orderly clicking, and then quite a creak, knock of the boards that were bendings under someone's feet. In the dwelling that was dead yet a minute ago the souls of candles began to palpitate. Apparently, owners appeared there. It seemed that even the apexes of the trees bent over to hear what was taking place in this wooden idol musty in a blanket time and by cheese in the sheet of dense fog. Strange sounds, fidgeting of temperamental creatures and simply measured haw as pattering in an oak small cask from under a last year's choucroute, the dissatisfied snorting and sugary porosyach'e pokhryukivanie was heard in a house during whole night. But to the morning all fallen silent. Nature as after nightmarish sleep, came in the workaday state. A house is numb again on indefinite time. Under the vaults of the tiled roof handsomely covered cladinas, someone was unnoticed estimated dead and passed to this lifelessness the house which quietly accepted it, again included in track of kazhdodnevnoy measured. But what has happened in this log cabin in the same night?..

And here is a dark room where nothing reminds of Adam and Eve's descendants.

Through second-other from four corners of cabin, penecontemporaneous the refulgency of light leaked out from conflagrant candles. It goes through the cracks of sexual dosok.edva noticeable rustling, gradually transitory in squeaky. On the floor two hatch is visible and the creaks of stairs are audible in both. On a wall nezhdanno-negadanno began to «beat» a clock. Pointers idly sneaked up to the number «twelve». Tick-tack, tick-tack, - a pendulum swung tired. Suddenly the reticulum of thick spider web was broken through by a sentinel door and a dust-laden cuckoo hatched from there:

- Well, ku-ku! - it is hidden and appeared again, - once again ku-ku!

Under a floor the dissatisfied snorting was heard, - ku-ku, ku-ku, ku-ku, ku-ku. For someone from below hands began to tremble.

- Ku-ku, ku-ku, - khvatit from you? The doors of both hatches were opened simultaneously and clogs started to fly in a «cuckoo». A birdie, certainly, had time to be in time hidden. Two article of shoe fashion did not attain the purpose, an only one shoe disturbed the box of unhappy mechanical creation. It a not unimportant event at once gave the possessor of well-aimed eye the handful of conceit with a hint on subsequent success, in the circle of colleagues from different workshops. As usual, it was before, everybody brought with itself the small cask of beer, heavy mug and abc-book of workshop curses. A large ebonite table overpeered in the meadle of room. Nobody even and not thought about that, to violate his centuries-old calmness. The rifle-green color of tree was arrived at by the special method of fermentation of penicillin fungi. Whole three year the best masters of underground cave of Zibelya specialized on alchemy, plugged away at it, the family, by the altar of truth. Every element of decoration had the defined value. Leaves of oak as character of health and force, flowers of edelweiss as embodiment of alpine beauty and clean kind perception of life, pigeons and unicorns as postmen of higher forces, and stars in sign of treasures. A room was enough spacious. Under ceiling, carefully entwisted with zeal of mnogonogikh acrobats, the large forged lantern hung with four wicks of work of gnome Vignika. Secret mechanism of old master Lari implicitly executed the commands rolled for a long time. It was heard a crack of cog-wheels, an invisible garret anchor began to work, and little silver marbles here already once again waded in favourite work: to run about a file on a narrow groove and slowly to outweigh necessary lever. In the instant of Oka an old black lantern began slowly to go down. A rattle loudly counted off every inch until a lantern did not stop at level comfortable for subsequent actions. All present person opened the old books quiveringly. Here on one of them inscription is visible: «Workshop abc-book of curses of revyachnogo master of pastry business Morekhrusa». On the second books of curses inscription was more laconic: «Abc-book of oshmetochnykh syrovarnykh curses». Two next binding did not show off some verbal feature, but had whimsical elements of decorations. To the surface of the third on the account of book hour-hands were pritorocheny, and the dead body of the dried up crooth «showed» off on fourth. The atmosphere of distrust increased in an apartment. One gnome strongly vzoprel already. It was the sign of weakness and uncertainty and portended him nothing good. Someone already began to check up voice and massage jaws, turning them from one side in other. Another gnome began the limbering-up of language by turns dug up by him in the ears and nose. The leaves of lantern somehow sharply swung open and all, almost with identical speed clutched dry wicks, and then slow-slowly opened the printing treasures. Opened so, - as if covers poured off from lead, so, as if open them for the last time in life. Books began to shed the smells of rotten wood and bee beeswax, old beer and berries of strawberry, as if these were quite not books, and fairy-tale, incomprehensible to the end relating formulas for writing down of smells and actions. They indeed were very old. The constricted brown parchment simply was fragrant the variety of paints. Miniatures acquainted a reader almost with all life of workshop. Little manikins in colourful clothes demonstrated wisdoms of workshop trade. These books became the real encyclopaedias of all history of gnomes of alpine caves and caves of Rura already. An action began.

- Arch, wooden barge, cooking, - the first gnomes hissed, exactly that, which got the shoe in a «cuckoo».

- Gaspillo! Gaspillo! – Loudly the second gnomes dotochil at once clockwise.

Third, grunting from pleasure, poked a finger in the sought after word on the parchment page of book and squeezed out lispingly:

- Viya, viya.

Horror passed after the backs, other gnomes, taking place around in a center a room. All knew fine, that even one word, pronounced with the least inaccuracy, could in earnest spoil the atmosphere of meeting. Little that, reader could lower to podnoschikam of instrument, or and that worse, - to drive out from a workshop. All exchanged glances, looked at the third gnomes which slightly «naportachil» in the said invocation, but however. Yes, a pastry cook was already «wetted» slightly, yet clearly and not beginning.

- Ambegos, - Cheese-maker unscrewed the dlinnyushchim language.

General procedure lasted from force minutes ten, and for this time gnome pastry Cook oploshal four times, is an irreparable error in the conditions of cutthroat competition. Each of present thirteen gnomes in a mind dotted on pastry Cook and waded in the second acts of nightly presentation are absorptions of content of small casks, but it was not so simply, as seemed on the face of it. Beer needs it was to be poured with the closed eyes, thus a mug must was stand on the last page of abc-book. The task of piteyshchika consisted of that, to pour beer in a mug pouring out not a drop on the sacred attribute of workshop. Many, fearing misconduct, simply, frequently did not refill to the edges a mug from kind poldyuyma. From deep antiquity there was a secret rule of the first mugs: that, who will fill it just on an edge and here will pour out not a gramme, that will be the first on collection during ten years in succession. Began by already withstand rule, from Old-clothesman. It was evidently, that he worried. Twenty five years back lowered him, because he began to practise upon workshop rules, and his incredible predilection for old things, especially to the rags, caused ununderstanding at all. But however for some there merit before advice of gnomes 230 years back gave a right Old-clothesman the first to begin to pour beer in this night. An old-clothesman closed eyes, strongly screwed up them. It was necessary, that nobody reprobated for dishonesty, besides stuck a bandage him person from a black matter. So did each, who dare the first to pour beer. Certainly, leader, must was rotin an example.

Large clay mug, simultaneously touched all area of the bottom to the last page of «Abc-book of ancient curses». A small cask of beer was, chutochku pushed up for comfort. Left arm Old-clothesman slow-slowly laid on the copper obkuporosivshiy petcock of oak capacity. Trembling was increased. Pause. The heavy breathing raised his breast. All wished him one: assessed as never, fully to fall down. The serpentine looks of gnomes sucked in him in a hand. Certainly, nobody knew as far as self-possessed beer, his sort is which. Procedure delayed, this circumstance had begun to anger. The old hand of Old-clothesman, finally, stretched to the petcock and unscrewed him. The quiet splashing of liquid passed to the soft singing. A thick white little cap sat down at once. It is not. A mug was filled only on the two third. An old-clothesman felt deeply it. A cheese-maker discontentedly hemmed. A watch-maker sensed the sharp sense of smell the smell of rottenness going, from somewhere from below. Him it seemed to, so his victory could smell, in fact he, - Watch-maker will be the second, who will be able to pour a mug and become the first in these ten years, followings and so farther. «That you lost, and buried you for days to your birthday», - Watch-maker thought. An old-clothesman did smooth motion again. A thin trickle which went down already on the wall of glass leaked out through opening of petcock. Beer did not almost froth. Millimetre after a millimetre, second after a second: nine, eight, seven, - Old-clothesman did mental arithmetic. – six, five, four. remained only to guess. The long months of trainings must not were go for nothing. I simply am under an obligation to win. three, two, one.FEET. Silence established in a room. An old-clothesman heaved up a left, unbusy arm upwards, signaling that he already finished to pour. Miner Hammer took off a bandage from the eyes of Old-clothesman. His eyelids opened up quietly. Really I, really a ya.temnaya liquid was poured exactly levelly with edges. All stopped beating. Such succeeded not each. Following on a turn was Watch-maker. He nedolil poldyuyma, and all counted up it fully normal. A cheese-maker nedolil a whole inch, and him at once condemned as a coward. A pastry cook must, was, will put on weight for previous misses, that he partly and did: the third of inch to «ceiling» was appraised as a fair «amount» and a satisfactory sigh fixed this circumstance. But all of it was only beginning by the devasting welcoming procedural ceremony of Stoykera. His name was not once pronounced in workaday curses and, in general, specified on some quite to nobody already unnecessary difficulties: «That you went» away to Stoykeru, is a curse of middle form of gnomes, be as a human curse, - «That you and in the that world skhlopotal».

Trajectory of victory, hardly arrogant look of Tryapochnika, pouring for an edge slightly touched the dumb striped hubcaps. Yes-and, today his day yet on ten years. An old-clothesman indulgently smiled and started to climb after the smoking tube. Gnome Miner Hammer of uchtitel'no set fire a match and brought Old-clothesman to the tube. The ironed eye of Watch-maker was chaotically twirled on sides, estimating the persons of gnomes and new laying out of things, after the actions of not oblazhavshegosya Old-clothesman.

- And so gentlemen, - Old-clothesman pronounced very complacently, - I assert that the old kind consuetudes of alpine gnomes and gnomes of Rura, that us with you, were observed in obedience to every point of «Instruction of ceremony of Stoykera». I raskuril the tube as a token of respect to the ancient rules of my workshop. and and will witness it Lunar/Mars, easterly wind, waters of mountains and aroma of flowerings edelweisses. Let each, whoever agrees with me, will go out in the center of circle of our room and will do «kharkach». – All gnomes began to make a noise, chaotically cuffing lips and ages simultaneously.

«Kharkachem» was old mezhtsekhovoe rule. It was bulky, because of becoming overgrown with a staroobryadcheskoy husk and weight of execution. On that, who pulled out «kharkach» large responsibility lay down. A plaintiff came forward on behalf of all workshop and, if he won, then got ponderable position in it to the workshop and in remote caves, not to mention about the caves of near-by sleeves. Proigravshego after wrong done «kharakacha», soon could in general sell in slavery for one dead rat. It was irreparable disgrace on all remaining life. A workshop existed without participation at the green table exactly one hundred years. And if logically to think, then on a right for «kharkacha» could decide only mad or gnome renegade. But such among being in this night in a log cabin it was not.

Deathly silence pripechatalo a large fat point on the introductory meeting. All understood perfectly, that Old-clothesman conducted and after twelve by the ball system of that Stoykera, and his results arrive at eleven.

- Well, so that gentlemen, if a plaintiff «sewed» up the mouth today, and his «wart boltushnik is numbed», - a metaphor pleased even to angry Cheese-maker, - then I consider duty to imprint the results of introductory ceremony on the Large green altar of truth. A toy harlequin ran back the souls of three listeners; rotined them a right index finger in the left eye and pinched maliciously: Well that oafs, I did you, now listen how I pick up words.. And really, eloquence of Old Tryapochnika of Old-clothesman pleasantly surprised and not only Cheese-maker but also pastry Cook counted up now, that in a conduct Old-clothesman there is some auxiliary stake of factor, as though some stervets ingeniously pumps additional information in him. A «old rat» began to be given up too clever phrases. A watch-maker demonstrated the istuplennym person the top of stoicism and steadfastness.. In his tendons, strong, as kontrabasovye strings of master Fleppe, cold blood of chasovshchicheskogo calculation and scrupulosity based. «I governed bring by itself exactness of life», saved him a faith in itself. Him it seemed to that it is needed only to translate a clock, as here all will go othergates. Sentinel laughing loudly doll, was an exactly that thing which the mood of master of sentinels of businesses changed by. It never parted with the talisman. It calmed him. To the old-clothesman it was unhardness to notice a surprise, fluently transitory in envy: «Khm, blockheads, they see that I strongly podnatorel in a didactics. Ha-ha, give one hundred east gold against one copper thaler, that they suspected something wrong». Old log started to climb after the sacral hammer of notorious Stoykera. Radost' broke forth from a breast, the hands of predchuvstvenno podragivali, and from a gullet the pleasant was barely heard «khe-khe-khe». A small secret box was opened hardly. There were the same attributes of antiquity in his womb: printing oak hammer and printing-ink of semilegendary alchemist Zibelya. A pastry cook enviously sank to one side and remembered thirty the second curses from a table diary, already becoming legend of Borekhusa: «And waters and earths and all, that in subsoil mucuses». The barely perceptible trembling ran back the hands of Old-clothesman. He understood, something someone from a present person enviously pronounced a curse in a mind. The «matter of his ideas» pleased a pastry cook, but anymore he so nothing and did not remember. His scanty memory barely contained taking about compounding of candy business and pastries. The center of events, Old-clothesman appeared in which, emitted flyuidy of ease and unusual lightness. An aggregate of extravagance and impressive naplevatel'stva Old-clothesman was the that seasoning which does the pompous dish of intercourse maximal close to the standard standard. First among equal important imposed a brown heavyink on the right corner of table. The little finger of left arm, lifted chutochku in ceiling, underlined position of his possessor once again. Watch-maker, and then and Cheese-maker nervously began to fidget on the places, in any way not suppressed with the loss of the first honoured places. Master of mechanical cuckooes remembered beginning of the seventeenth curses of Borekhusa: «And that, who will begin higher than all, and will fall down as the hacked ear». An old-clothesman suddenly again felt envious disapproval. Ideas were concentrated on pastry Cook: it is the «Frigging unlucky person, he wants to pull at me after itself». But the brains of pastry Cook kept silence, hardly sovladav with the separate syllables of the engendered words... Poluminutnyy neutrality of Cheese-maker suddenly was sharply finished. He decided povoevat', and a mood was transformed in quarreling indignation. There was a role of passive observer a pastry cook. Only Miner Hammer, awesomely looking after the actions of Old-clothesman, heeded every his motion and expressed the standard of devotion and honouring of traditions of collection of representative of workshops. The eyes of Old-clothesman began to blink, an image had been distorted on a moment and again went back to habit, the heaved up the above a head and pinch-off in a left arm hammer of Stoykera twirled as a weather vane on the town hall of rastrubiyskogo court. Time just went near the moment of growth of magic moment. A dark vandyke brown on the edge of table was doubled, troilas' and again going together. An old-clothesman had again to bring an instrument upwards, but not finding the concentrated purpose, again him slightly to half-staff... Shade of unequivocal nasty smiley slipped the mean face of Cheese-maker, morel nose of old sentinel virtuoso treacherously gave out intentions of the owner the conduct: - snakes podkolodnye «Here, so want me to swipe from a main place. A main weapon is on this business...