Illustrator Svetlana Adiyanova

Translator Irina Taranenko

Translator Anastasia Lukyanova

© Dmitry Bolesov, 2018

© Svetlana Adiyanova, illustrations, 2018

© Irina Taranenko, translation, 2018

© Anastasia Lukyanova, translation, 2018

ISBN 978-5-4493-8427-0

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Triptych. Near the very blue sea …

1. About a rope and a tree

Near the very blue sea an unknown tree was growing, it was not really big, and scraps of its curly leaves on the long branches were hanging down the ground. Such a nondescript existence did not bother the tree. It just remembered a secret and held it dear like no other tree can do this. It learnt the secret accidentally.

Once a merchant passed by this tree. He sat down to rest in its shadow and browsed the goods which he had. And among them there was a nondescript and strange thing similar to a clew of rope singed by fire with several knots. Outwardly, it looked unusual. The merchant pulled the rope out from his numerous things, made a few more knots in it, pulled at its both ends and hid it happily back.

It seemed there was nothing special here. Well, he took out a rope, made some knots for some reason, but the merchant couldn’t hide his pleasure after he had done this. It seemed amusing for the tree. Such travelers had never been in its shadow. They had not spent the time for the rest so mysterious. You can not even assume that simple making knots can bring so much joy. The strangeness of this demanded an explanation, but trees can’t ask, they only swing the leaves obeying their and the wind’s will. Time for the rest had passed, but the merchant again wanted to get the rope and have a look at the knots on it. He took it back and made the knot on it again, smiled, and began to praise himself: “Good for me that I could get such a valuable thing. Now I need nothing in my life. As soon as I tie a knot, so immediately everything comes true. If you want to eat – here you are; if you want to sleep: tie a knot and see sweet dreams. So my life will go on in the fulfillment of my desires”. But this rope has one flaw. It’s too short. Every knot makes it shorter. Maybe it is consumed for the knots or it simply becomes shorter. Cannot be the rope mindlessly knitted and twisted checking its strength of threads. A new round of twine means a new opportunity brought to life. And the new should always replace something old, remove it from reality. So the rope melts, taking with it the old wishes. And once one day will come when it will cease the knots curl, it will end. And until this has not happened, you can live – not to grieve, and about desires continue to worry. After all there are lots of them, and one wants to fulfill all desires.

The evening came, the heavenly bodies lit up in the sky. The merchant pulled the rope closer to him in order it would not suffer from the evil intent of the occasional visitor. The faithfull guards he could not have. After all, the rope is a temptation for many. In the morning the sun began to rise, scattering the night fog. Dampness disappeared under its rays, the day was filled with light and bright colours. Our merchant began preparing to go on his way. He took out the rope once more but became thoughtful: “If I fulfill all my desires, what will I do? What will I fill my life with? And if I will not have time to fulfill all my desires, then what the meaning is of this endless game. Whether wishes come true or not, I am the same. Their execution does not change me. It only pulls out of my