Chapter one. Ignat s Visit

Translated by an online translator I apologize for any errors.
In the remote taiga, on the outskirts of a village lost in the boundless Siberia, lived the Ryabinin family. The family was wealthy by local standards, which was not surprising, since the entire village went to them for treatment. It was said that they were hereditary sorcerers, and that they could do different things, and the disease of any lime, and help in childbirth, and just give advice.
In addition to the head of the house and his beautiful wife, they had four children, two daughters and two sons. Strangely enough, this family had no close relatives in the village, because twenty years ago they came to this region, and no one knew where from, and it was not customary to ask, because the family did not lead a very close friendship with anyone, except for the Forester Ignat, who lived somewhere in the forest, but he did not invite anyone to visit, so it was impossible to learn from him any details about the Ryabinin family. Local hunters respected Ignat, because he had great strength (it was said that one of the hunters personally saw him reward a large, mischievous bear with a juicy foam, and the latter with fear, like a hare, rode off into the forest). moreover, the Forester knew exactly how, what kind of animal he hunted and where to find it, which more than once helped the villagers feed their children, so no one dared to disturb him once again. So people lived for their everyday problems without trying to penetrate the secrets of this family. However, a couple of old grandmothers said that before the appearance of the Ryabinins, ghouls and other evil spirits were roaming around the village, and with their appearance, they disappeared into the water.
Of course, no one believed the grandmothers, because you never know what 98-year-old seniors who have lost their minds will tell you. There were no schools in the village, so children who reached the age of eleven went to boarding schools in the nearest cities, and until that time they were taught by their parents.
Nikolai, the youngest of the Ryabinin family, was going to turn eleven in a couple of months, and he was looking forward with anxiety and delight to the moment when at last, like his older brother and sister, he would go to school. All the children in his family went to Durmstrang, a school for children of wizards. Where the school was located none of the uninitiated did not know, in order to keep it secret, countless spells were cast, which no one could circumvent to this day. One evening, when the sun as usual sank into the tops of the pines in the West, uncle Ignat came to their hut and gave his mother a couple of geese as a small present, went to the kitchen, where the head of the family was sitting, and slowly wrapped a pancake of cranberry jam, sending the delicacy into his mouth and sipping tea.
- I see your diet is in full swing Mitrofan!
"Of course! You can see that today I eat without sour cream, " he laughed.
- Good to see you Ignatescu, you're in my house are always welcome!I haven't seen you for a long time.
- Yes, the Dean threw a job, you need to bring your brother and sister to school, they are from the simple, and then God forbid that they will do something unknowingly.Is your son ready for school?
"I've already Packed my things." Here, see for yourself, especially friends not razivaetsya, boring, and there are a lot of children, he will be more fun.
"That's it, Yes....
- Dak I, that say the wanted to, can you let Kolka with me for those children? And he was fun, and I can get out of hand, and then with their parents you know the conversation will be difficult. You can of course they spell beat, but I'll try to get along without it if possible, so I have to talk, to explain, and you know I'm not good at conversations, and your Kolka in this adept, so I want to take with you.
"All right, but keep an eye on him - he's too adventurous."
"It will be done!" Do you still have that tincture? And then it's too delicious infection!
-Stayed. Masha, pour the guest a Cup.
A liter mug appeared on the table, where Maria immediately poured tinctures.
"A liter is my favorite size," said Ignat, knocking over the Cup.
"You don't need to pour any more, just waste time," the owner smiled.
- By the way, there is no direct way to where you are going, the witch Marfa lived there, she fenced off her property from visitors, the entrance is only through the swamp.
"Thank you for telling me, because I wanted to go straight to their house." All right, let's walk. And where is Kolya? I'll make him happy that we'll go camping tomorrow?
"In my room."
"Well, I'll go up to him," said Ignat, and hiccupped.
"Go ahead."
The Forester smiled and walked slowly up the stairs. The steps creaked and buckled under his weight, and it felt as if they were about to crack.
"Since you're here?""What is it?" he asked as they reached the second floor.
"Yes, uncle Ignat, come in," Kolya answered joyfully.
He was sitting in his room fixing a trap.
- I've been talking to your father and he doesn't mind if we go camping tomorrow.Do you mind?
- No of course I am very fond of walking in the woods with you is always fun.
- The campaign is only unusual for us.You know that you have to go to magic school in September, so the boy and the girl also have to go, but their parents are not like yours, not from our family, they do not know what and how, so I was sent to deliver the children safely to school.
"I'll be glad to help you, uncle Ignat, because I'm bored and don't know what to do."
"That's fine," said the Forester.
- And then I, Since, not very talkative, as I imagine that these children have to explain all the details ....brrr you are really there to tell me?
"Good?"
-Of course.
That was the end of it.
The Forester said good-bye to the owners and went about his business, and Nikolai in happy anticipation of switching rushed to collect things that could be useful to him in a backpack.
At night, tossing from side to side, Kolya could not sleep, he was impatient to go on the road and see what kind of children there, because they could become his new friends when they get to school. But gradually the monotonous hooting of an owl outside the window, and the Serenade of crickets, lulled him into a deep sleep.