The Little Snail

   Illustration by Darta:  https://vk.com/darta_artist

  Once, in the early morning in May, when the Sun was still dozing covered with a blanket of snow-white clouds and sleepy daisies bowed their heads to the emerald blades of grass reflected in the drops of crystal dew, the day had already begun in the House of Snails. Mother Snail was making fragrant herbal tea and fresh strawberries plucked by Mother Snail were laying on the saucers.
 - Little Snail - Mom called her beloved Little Daughter in such a way–it’s time to have breakfast, be quick.
 - OK, I’m coming, Mom, replied the Little Snail - let me just finish painting the Sun and I’ll come in two minutes.
The Little Snail liked drawing very much. She painted everything she saw: the grass blades, the bees, the Sun, the clouds. And now the Little Snail was drawing the Sun realizing, that as soon as the Sun was finished, it would appear in the window of the House.
 The Little Snail loved her Mom very much, she obeyed her Mom. She learned a lot from her Mom: how to make fragrant tea, to weave wreaths from blades of grass, to draw and make their House pretty cozy. The House was a special place for the Little Snail. The Little Snail loved the House and took care of it together with her Mom: she cleaned, decorated, created her own Fairy World within the House.
After drinking delicious tea and eating a piece of Strawberry, the Little Snail asked Mom the permission to go for a walk.
 - But, please, don’t run far away - asked Mom - you’re still my Little Snail and you can easily get lost.
 - I’ll be next to the House, Mom - answered the Little Snail - I don't want you to get worried.
Mom hugged the Little Snail and smiled in such a way like all Mothers smile at their beloved children. The Little Snail smiled back and ran towards adventures she even didn’t imagine...
 The Snails’ House was in the middle of a chamomile field. The Little Snail liked to wander among the Daisies and talk to them. Together with the Daisies she admired the blue sky and white clouds that looked like strange creatures. But the Sun was just waking up and the Daisies were still a sleep. The Little Snail stepped quietly on the soft grass carpet so as not to wake the sleeping flowers. Suddenly she saw her reflection in a drop of dew. The Droplet decided to play with the Snail and, waddling from side to side, began to reflect the Snail's face as the curved mirrors in the Room of Laughter usually do. The Little Snail liked this game. She made funny faces to the Dewdrop and laughed loudly. A gust of fresh morning breeze shook the head of the Daisy which was closest to the Little Snail and a rain of golden pollen was on the Little Snail. The Little Snail sneezed loudly.
 - Bless you! - heard the Little Snail. The voice came from above. Looking up, she saw a moth hovering over her.
 - Thank you - said the Little Snail. Mom taught the Little Snail how to be polite.
 - My name is Little Snail - said the Little Snail.
 - And I’m the Moth, the moth introduced himself - let's be friends with you.
 - OK - the Little Snail used to be friends only with the Daisies, with the Dewdrop, so, she happily accepted the offer of the Moth.
 - I should fly home now to warn my Mom that I need more time to fly everywhere. If you’re still here - continued the Moth - then I’ll return to you and we’ll play together.
 - OK! - the Little Snail smiled, she was glad that she got a new Friend - I’ll be here, I promised my Mom not to go far away from the House.
 - Deal! - the Moth shouted joyfully and flew away to warn the Mom and at the same time tell about the friendship with the Little Snail.
 The Little Snail was left alone. She looked at the sky admiring its depth, screwed up her eyes from the emerging Sun and dreamed. The Little Snail loved to dream. She really wanted to see her own meadow and her Small House from above: “I wonder what is there behind our meadow? What flowers, blades of grass are there? Do other Snails live there? "
 Suddenly the sky darkened and some unknown Power, tearing the Little Snail off the ground, carried her up. The Little Snail caught her breath. She curled up and tightly closed her eyes. But the Little Snail was curious and therefore quickly opened her eyes and laughed loudly. She was taller than the Daisies, closer to the sky and saw that beyond the chamomile field the World just began. The Force that carried the Little Snail up was radiating warmth, so the Little Snail wasn’t afraid anymore and looked around. The hand of the girl Dasha turned out to be the unknown Power. Dasha came with her Mom for a walk to a chamomile meadow. Dasha loved drawing and that day she wanted to draw a Daisy. Taking her sketchbook and pencils, Dasha walked through the meadow deciding to choose the most beautiful Daisy for her picture and suddenly she saw the Little Snail. Taking carefully the Little Snail in her palm, Dasha carried her to show to her Mom.
 - Mummy, Mummy, look whom I’ve found! How pretty she is! Mom, look what pretty horns she has and the packsack is on the back - Dasha said enthusiastically.
 The Little Snail hid again and even sucked in her horns. She felt that they wouldn’t make her harm but she didn’t know how to behave in this situation, so she quietly sat on the palm of the girl. Dasha brought her palm closer to the Mom's face so that her Mom could better see the Little Snail. The Little Snail felt special Tenderness and Warmth in the gaze of the girl's Mom. So her own Mom looked at the Snail.“Perhaps all Moms in the world are alike,” thought the Little Snail.
 - Mom - continued Dasha - let's take the Snail home, I’ll make her a house of blades of grass, I will talk to her, feed her with delicious cookies.
 - Dasha, my dear daughter, you see, the Little Snail also has a Mom and her own House. And the Snail's Mom will be very sad without her daughter. Can you imagine yourself in her shoes? If you were taken far away from me, how would you feel?
 - I would be very sad and lonely, I would constantly cry - answered Dasha.
 - Well, the Little Snail will be also sad and she will also cry, so you should let her go. I guess you can draw a portrait of the Little Snail and hang it in your room.
 - OK, Mom, I’ll do so. Well, I’ll take the Little Snail and then I’ll try to draw her from memory together with the most beautiful Daisy.
 - You’re so kind and smart, my darling! You’ve made the right decision.
 Dasha smiled at her Mom and carried the Little Snail back. Unfortunately, Dasha, didn’t remember the place where she found the Little Snail. She took a few steps, put the Little Snail onto the grass and carefully walked back to draw her best picture.
 Feeling the ground and the grass under her feet, the Little Snail was extremely happy. Now she returned back to the meadow but the place wasn’t familiar to her. The Little Snail had never been in this part of the meadow, so she didn’t know how to get to the House where Mom was waiting for her. The Little Snail sucked in her horns, curled up and began to cry. Some time has passed. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice:
 - Why are you crying, Little Snail? Did anybody offend you?
Looking up, the Little Snail saw her new Friend - the Moth.
 - I’m lost - said the Little Snail quietly –frankly speaking, I’ve never gone so far away from my House. I’ve always obeyed my Mom but the meadow turned out to be so big that I don't know where to go and what to do - and the Little Snail cried again.
 - Don’t cry, Little Snail. I’ll help you because I’m your Friend and I’ve examined carefully this meadow flying over it. Just don't go anywhere and wait for me.
 - OK - said the Little Snail, she had already stopped crying because she felt that the Moth could help her return home.
So, the Moth soared up and began flying circle by circle over the meadow peering intently through the carpet of daisies trying to find the Snail's House. The Moth soared up and down to the heads of the daisies. Suddenly he heard a voice: "Little Snail, my dear daughter, where are you?"Following the voice, the Moth saw the Snail's Mother. She was running perplexedly between the daisies looking under every blade of grass and calling the Little Snail. There were tears in her eyes.
 - I’ve found the Little Snail, don’t worry, the Moth shouted from above. I’ll take her to you.
 The Moth dashed off after the Little Snail, he knew the road quite well and couldn’t get lost. Coming back to the Little Snail, he waved her with his wing sand showed the direction. All the way to the Snail's House the Moth flew ahead and guided the Little Snail. The Little Snail was running happily after the Moth. At last, they came to the House where Mom was waiting for her beloved Snail. The Little Snail rushed as fast as she could to her Mom. They hugged and smiled at each other. The Moth was very glad that he was able to help the Little Snail return home.
 - Mom - said the Little Snail, let me introduce my new friend. This is my Friend – the Moth.
 - Nice to meet you! - Mom answered - I see that you’ve found a True Friend who will never leave you in trouble and will be always ready to help.
 - Now I have to go - said the Moth - I’ll fly back tomorrow and we’ll have a walk in our chamomile meadow - he smiled at the Little Snail.
- Come back again, I’ll be waiting for you. And when you arrive, I’ll draw your portrait.
 - That's lovely! - exclaimed the Moth - Goodbye, Little Snail.
 - Goodbye, Moth!
 The Moth flapped his wings and disappeared in the chamomile haze.
Little by little the day full of adventures came to an end. The Little Snail fell asleep in her favorite bed, in the comfort and silence of the Little House. Her Mom sang her a lullaby. And the Little Snail smiled at Mom and said: “Mom, the world is so big and it’s not scary at all when there is a True Friend”.

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Translated by
Sekretova M.A.