Severin

- Look, over there, there. Don't you remember? You and I made three houses for three wishes. And we put one in each house. And now I thought of them. There was also Pear with us. She said:

- The higher you hang it, the faster the wind will take the house to the North Pole, remember?

- Marfa yawned, well, it'll take it away, and what's then, my fawn. Tell me, move on. The woman sat down on the coach, it became so warm from the chimney so that she dozed off a little. Sofa continued:

- And when the north wind blows away the house, the wish will come true. It will be granted! Marfa, Marfa.

- Yes, my dear, I'm listening. So I made one wish in all three houses, but Mom, Mom didn't come. She is at work for the third year. Sofa began to cry. I forgot the smell of her arms, and I forgot her voice. Maybe the wind has changed, and my houses are still there?

The sofa pointed to the pine wood.

- There’s time for everything, Marfa sighed. She should know that Sweet Anna may not come back at all.

Sofa got on the nurse's knees:

- And we will go with you there, there to the spruce tree, we need to look, nanny, we need, maybe the desire did not fly to the North Pole because of the wind.

- No, baby, it's Christmas Eve, it's such a blizzard. We'll go after Christmas.

Sofa stamped her feet:

- I don't want to go there after Christmas, I need to go now, now, otherwise Mom won't come again.

The nanny brushed away a tear in secret, and decided to occupy Sofa with something more joyful.

- Come on, help me baby, I cleaned up everything at home, but I forgot to hang up the stars. Help me, and then somehow we'll find time to go to the pine wood.

Sofa smiled.

- Are these the stars that burn in Baby Deers` foreheads? Yes? Do they illuminate the path of Santa Claus? My mother told me a fairy tale, no one told me such stories. But I remember.

Sofa grew sad again, she thought of her mother, but she did not refuse to help Marfa, the girl loved to decorate the house. She climbed into the most inaccessible places to illuminate them with a magical overflow of stars. Climbing on the table, Sofa began to notice a lot more in the window. There was a pine wood and something else behind the snow sheet. Sofa took a closer look. Baby Deer was standing at the very edge of the pine wood, and a star was burning in his forehead, he looked with his big eyes, he called to follow him that Sofa gave up her favorite activity. She secretly put on a sheepskin coat with embroidered snowflakes, a warm hat, felt boots, and went through the plodge room and stole a lamp from Ivan, the coachman. It was always with him. It's a bit heavy, of course, but it's dark outside – it will come in handy.

It turns out that it is not close to pine wood. Felt boots are drowning in the snow, only manages to get up in a rut, where Mayweed was walking. Sofa went on for a long time, that's the edge. There is no Baby Deer, only the path is silvered, and the hooves lead deeper.

The further she goes, the less light there is in the lamp. It's cold, her nose is frozen. But Sofa keeps walking, she does not turn off. So the spruce tree where they had hung the houses appeared. Oh, how far her houses got, she can't reach them. Or maybe they should be higher, Sofa thought. The branches have grown, it is unlikely that the wind will find them in the depths.

The girl put a lamp, climbs up, not far away, here's a little more. She stretched out her mitt, didn`t hold on and fell into a snowdrift.

She was in the hut when she opened her eyes. The fireplace is heated, the light of the lamp illuminates everything, and the smell of pies is around the hut. The chamber is clean, covered with towels, the wooden carved table with chairs. There is a milk jug and pies on the table. Sofa is lying on a large bed in a sheepskin coat, like a princess, constantly looking at the table, wanting to eat. She looks, and there are her houses – all three, lying near the jug. Suddenly, the spruce flavor went out of the stove, all around buzzed, the fire went out. Sofa looks, and does not believe his eyes. Grandpa got out of the stove. He is gray-haired, has a beard to the floor, his boots on the feet are painted blue, and he holds a star in his hands. The fire started again. And grandpa sat down in a chair by the fire, and rubs the star, so hard that it gives more light than the lamp. Suddenly, without turning around he said:

- Oh, what a romp, they didn't call you a fawn for nothing. But why did you hang them on the spruce? I know, for a reason. Do you want some milk? Ok, come on to the table, put on your slippers, we dry your felt boots.

- Who are you talking about? We?

Sofa sat up on the bed.

- We.

At this time, Sofa lowered her legs to the floor, the bed was high, and hit something warm and soft with her heels. She looks – it`s Baby Deer. He raised his head to her and says:

- Don't be afraid, Sofochka, I'll help you. Get up with your legs on the back, and then put on your slippers.

- Oh, can you speak?

- Yes, we – animals are all can speak, but not everyone can hear us, and not everyone needs to. Otherwise there would be lots of voices on Earth. There are a few of you – people. And there are many times more of us – water, forest, and field creatures.

- How did I get here? Sofa got out of bed and sat down next to Baby Deer in her slippers.

- Severin brought you, he was checking the gifts and he found you in a snowdrift.

- Severin, is this Grandpa?

- Oh, is he a grandfather, just a couple thousand years behind him, since he replaced his predecessor. He is a little bit sick, and I will confirm, he doesn't have any strength left to walk on the tops, he can't, he missed your wishes. But we also can fix it. In a few years, he will get well and hit the road to the North Pole.

Sofa stroked Baby Deer:

- I can't wait a few years, I need my mom for Christmas now.

- There is no one to take the desires to the Pole instead of Severin and clear the star trek. This work is hard. It`s impossible to find a replacement.

- And me? What about me? I helped Marfa around the house, I manage a broom as well as Ivan. And Mom misses me very much, I know it. Marfa says that everything is fine, but I know she doesn't say me everything. Can I try?

Severin looked at Baby Deer:

- Well, you think she can handle it?

- Why don’t we try? She is a brave fawn, and I'll be with her. Just let us, Severin.

Grandpa scratched his beard, and said:

- If the road brought her to me, then we'll try. You, Sofa, come to the table, it'll be a long way. Have some milk and a pie, I'll wrap it up with you. Just remember, you are taking not only your desires to the Pole, don`t get out of the way, Baby Deer knows the way, and you will drive him.

They had dinner with Severin. They went out to look at the carriage. The carriage is wonderful, without wheels, with something like skis below, but very wide, the carriage is big, and there are a lot of desires in it, some of them are in gilded nuts, some are in balls, and her own desires Sofa put deeper, she was afraid to lose them.

She had barely enough room for her inside, Severin`s fur coat was instead of sitting, covering Sofa to the nose. Grandfather harnessed Baby Deer. He gave her the reins in her hands, and the carriage went through the roof. It's beautiful around, you can't take your eyes off, the whole path is burning, shimmering. There are fairies in the air- small, sonorous. Reindeers of other countries flash here and there among the clouds. -Yehu and other incomprehensible words are heard.

Suddenly, in the middle of the way, there is a baby crying. At first, Sofa got angry:

- Why is she whining, distracting me from the road. I just thought, the balloon slipped out of the carriage and flew down.

- Well, it`s okay, Sofa decided. Minus one wish is not so bad.

Baby Deer turned to her and said:

- The Pole will not accept the gifts without all desires. If we miss even one, then the whole journey will be done in vain.

Sofochka was frightened:

- What about Mom? Oh, what should we do, I'm going to cry. But new strength rose in her from somewhere, the tears are not coming, and the hands have turned the reins to the ground. The carriage flies like a falling star.

Sofa closed her eyes. Baby Deer stopped at the very last house.

- We dropped it there, go and look for it.

Sofa got out of the heat and entered the house. The house is big, it`s huge. A child's crying is heard. The boy is naughty, he roars like Sofa even can`t to, his voice sounds everywhere:

- I don't, don't, don't want Christmas, he sniffles and again,

- I don't want, you promised, promised, so then.

Sofa sees two people coming out of the room, one is so serious, looks like a doctor, he puts his finger to his forehead, and says:

- It's nerves, hysteria. We'll prescribe, prescribe.

And the second one answers absently:

- It's the mother's fault, twigs`ll teach him. You failed to take care of Petka, a rebel in the home, likes nothing, always grumbling.

- What are you saying, the doctor was indignant:

- I'm a doctor, I have a degree! I say it`s a hysteria, we will treat it. And they went along the corridor, they go and all swear:

- Twigs are necessary!

- It`s a bout, we'll prescribe herbs!

- Well, it won't help, just beat the hell out!

-Don't argue, my dear, herbs and rest.

Sofa slowly slipped into the room with only one question in her head – What is this hell?

She came in and saw a boy, which is all in lace, like a girl. He is lying on the floor, kicking and roaring.

- Ahhh, they promised, they promised that there will be no Christmas.

Sofa came up to him quietly.

He's going to squeal:

- What kind of scarecrow is this? Are you the doctor's daughter or something? What are you gazing?

And Sofa starts laughing.

- I thought there is a baby here, and you'd be older than me. Why are you yelling, the girl made a serious face?

- Never mind, small fry. I want to, and I scream.

- So you're yelling so loud that the wishes from Severin's carriage are falling, but the kids are waiting for the holiday and their fulfillment. We need to take everything to the Pole, he will give them to Santa Claus.

- Сut the crap. Santa Claus, tell me that you are a Snow Maiden. The boy burst out laughing.

- No, I'm Sofa, but I'm for Severin today.

- Is that your coachman or something?

- You stupid boy, it's the North Wind, doesn't your mother or the nanny tell you fairy tales?

- No, there is no mom, she's in some Europe, and my nanny is French. All she can do is powder her nose and snort like a lapdog. Petka began to portray the nanny so humorously that Sofa's anger at him passed over. They both were laughing.

Petya:

- Oh, do you know how much powder has she on, I always sneeze, and she also draws eyebrows. They are like two bridges on the face, and age is as skinny as a rake.

Our cook Gavrila Ostapovich feeds her

Like a prize turkey. And she's not getting fat. That's how. And eating for four.

Petya began to portray the nanny again.

- Oh, Petya, we have no time, Christmas is coming, what about wishes. You and I are laughing here, but what about the children, and Mom.

- Whose mom?

- Mine. Sofa told Petya her story.

- Well, what`s up with you, I don't see mine at all.

Sofa sniffled:

- Yeah, but you're a boy, and I'm a girl.

Petya felt a little uncomfortable, it was easier to roar alone, and here the curly in the sheepskin coat walking around weeping.

- Finish it up, what do you want from me?

- Sofa wiped her eyes with a glove- your ball with desire.

- So I don't want what I wrote already. I was promised a horse, and now everything is forbidden. The legs are bad. And I don't want anything but a horse.

- Then write a wish not to yourself, but to someone who can ride.

- Okay, I'll write, but you'll show me the carriage. I`ll look with half an eye.

- All right, Sofa clapped her hands. Write. And then climb into the attic, you'll see me flying to the Pole on the way.

- Won't you cheat?

- I don't know how to. Sonya blushed. Well, I know, but I won't cheat you.

Petya took a pen and paper out of the drawer. He wrote a wish, and put it in a colored glass ball that closed in the middle with a carved lock.

- Here, hold it.

The girl took the ball and went to the exit.

- Do not grieve, maybe I'll ask the Pole and he will give you good health. I know I can do it. Sofochka ran out of the room, and ran to Baby Deer like a shot:

- Let's fly, I have a desire.

Petya was standing on the attic of the third floor. He believed that Sofa could do everything, he would never have been able to do that. She is small, but how she manages the carriage. And Petya was waiting for miracles, because now he believed in them.

She and Baby Deer managed to deliver all the wishes before Christmas. How surprised Sofa was when the carriage stopped at exactly the same hut in which Severin lived.

A tall man, wide in the shoulders, came out of it and called her and Baby Deer to come in.

Everything inside was the same as in Severin's place. Sofa couldn't help asking: