Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful and very kind woman named Lyubushka. She planted
flowers in her garden and liked very much to give them to people. She liked to see the people's
gladdened faces radiating with smiles and their eyes becoming soft and gentle. She had a dream to
turn the whole world into a wonderful garden full of flowers. Her daughter Dushenka was also very
kind and liked to be her mother's little helper.
They both planted flowers and gave them to
people. Soon the whole neighbourhood around their house was full of Lyubushka's flowers. Mummy
Lyubushka had a dream which she shared with her daughter - to grant her flowers to all of the
people all over the Earth. So Dushenka wished to help her mother. She found seeds of the most
beautiful flowers and decided to go to the other side of the world to plant them on the Mountain
and to lay out a garden. Let Lyubushka's amazing flowers grow there! |
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Dushenka told mum Lyuba about her decision and Lyubushka rejoiced that her daughter had grown
up. She began to prepare Dushenka for her journey and to tell her about obstacles and trials that
awaited her. Mummy Lyubushka advised her daughter that she needed all of her power for the long
and hard road; only then she'd be able to overcome it. She warned Dushenka about the swift river
which she would have to wade, which could lull her and take her away to a back-water where an
octopus lived. Also Lyubushka told her daughter about spiny shrubs which would tear Dushenka's
nice dress, a difficult road which led to the clearing of Humility, and terrible malicious dogs,
called Fright and Despair, which guarded the clearing. She told her about a difficult steep rise
to the Mountain of Patience and about purifying fire. She told her about many important and useful
things, and about all barriers she could meet in her path. Dushenka gaily nodded assent to Mummy
's cautions and impatiently awaited the minute when she'd leave her home. You see all people know
that parents always warn us of life's difficulties and advise the way to overcome them, but we
recollect their advice only when we knock our heads against the next barrier and get a bump.
Dushenka wore her best dress and beautiful glass beads around her neck, then put into her bag
things which mummy Lyuba gathered for her, took seeds of the nicest flowers, said goodbye to her
mother and set out on her journey.
Dushenka walked on the road, rejoicing at the sun and the green grass, and singing a song. Her
dress was so beautiful, there were wonderful braids in her hair, her beads sparkled in the sun,
and she carelessly carried her bag over her shoulder. Mummy Luybushka stood for a while following
her daughter with her eyes, made the sign of the cross over her and sighed sadly. She asked
Heavenly Father to help her daughter and to look after her. Soon Dushenka vanished from sight.
It was easy for her to walk (why did mummy say it was a difficult road?!), her song was singing
by itself, her legs were skipping along and dancing. So she walked and came to a swift river.
Dushenka began to search for a shallow where she could wade across the river. Soon she found it,
except the river's current was most rapid there. Well, never mind, she stepped fearlessly into
the water. Doing her utmost though the river began to carry her away, she did everything in her
power to cross to the other side. And the current was more and more rapid. She became exhausted
but still it was too far to the other bank. Her legs couldn't move any more. So she decided to
stop for a little and to rest, but she forgot that nobody can stand in the middle of a swift river
. She stopped and what is it - if a school of little fishes flashed by her legs or a wave knocked
her off her feet - Dushenka fall down, she's floundering about in the water trying to swim out of
the river. The water quickly carried her, and the shallow area was so far now. She floundered,
tried to reach the bank and, absolutely tired, lost all her power. The bank was still too far.
Suddenly the water became calm, it babbled so gently and lulled Dushenka: "You're so beautiful
and so kind, Dushenka! Your hands are tired, your feet are tired... Why do you suffer so much?!
Take a rest, let my water caress you. Relax and sleep. Everything will be all right! Everything
will be all right..."
Dushenka's eyes began to close. It was so nice, so wonderful to float on water! It caressed
Dushenka's tired feet and hands, she relaxed. "Indeed" -- Dushenka thought -- "why must I go
anywhere and hurt my feet and hands? Does anybody need it really? Ah, water is so caressing and
the sun warms so softly!"
But what is it? Dushenka didn't notice that the water took her to a back-water. Already an
octopus living there was softly wrapping its tentacles around her. Dushenka dozed and didn't
notice as the tentacles cut into her body and slowly pulled her underwater. The wind blew suddenly
, a cloud covered the sun, teardrops of rain began to fall from the sky. Some drops fell onto
Dushenka's face, she awoke, opened her eyes and was horrified. But what to do? She should swim
out!
Here she needed all her strength to reach the bank! She managed to get out of the water, but
she lost her glass beads, and the water carried away her bag. But the octopus stuck to her, she
couldn't tear it away. Also it was speaking: "Why do you need to go? What for? You're so young
and pretty! You would do better to rest, to sing songs and to dance. But you're trying to go so
far and on such a difficult path! Well, let's rest now, then dance, sing a song, and then gather
flowers. But we won't give flowers to anybody, because we should have the beautiful flowers to
ourselves!"
Dushenka didn't want to listen to its words and tried to pull its tentacles away, but they
adhered to her skin. So painfully so that she began to cry! But apparently Mummy Lyubushka was
praying about her at that moment. With difficulty and despite the pain and her tears, Dushenka
pulled all the tentacles off her body, threw off the octopus and continued on her way.
The sun began to shine again, her dress dried up and it was easier to travel without a bag.
Dushenka was glad again. She thought that she had overcome the swift river and the octopus. She
was so smart and brave! In her pocket there were some flower seeds only slightly wet. She went on
her path and was so proud, courageous and resolute, thinking that nobody except her would
overcome this difficult path. And she would do it by all means!
Dushenka didn't notice as the road began to lead her into a prickly bush. The road was
meandering through the bush, prickles were clinging to her dress and tearing off pieces of her
clothes. Such a pity! It was such a nice dress! But there was no other way, only prickles in
front and behind her. Dushenka recollected that mum ordered her to go only forward.
She went forward. The road became more and more narrow, and the prickles were more dense. Soon
her nice dress became shredded. And the way was increasingly difficult, as the road began to
climb.
Again Dushenka became exhausted, and she even began to scold herself. Why did she go on such a
difficult journey? It would have been better to stay at home with mummy Lyubushka! The way was
harder, the sun disappeared behind a forest, and darkness fell upon the earth. She heard far away
dogs begin to howl and bark. Dushenka became frightened and she tried to escape the prickly bush
and to run away. Suddenly, an awful huge malicious dog jumped out of the bushes. It ran toward
Dushenka and seemed ready to jump on her and tear her to shreds. Dushenka began to rush about in
her fright, she didn't know where to turn. She broke into a run, but stumbled over a tree-root
and fell down, hurting her knee badly. She crawled on all fours to the base of the tree. And in
the distance, another dog began to howl, and the bushes began to crack. Now two evil dogs were
running toward Dushenka, wanting to rip her apart. She began to cry in despair . She said to
herself that she had used up so much energy, but in vain. She couldn't accomplish anything,
although she had tried and tried, but all for nothing. Evil dogs were going to tear her to shreds.
Dushenka leaned against the tree-trunk and felt it was warm, alive. As though it spoke to her,
it gave her support and made her believe in her own strength.
"How can it be?" - Dushenka thought - "I've overcome such a difficult road, beaten the river
and the octopus. Prickles tore away at my dress and scratched my body all over... And what now?
Are forest dogs going to destroy me?! Not for the world!"
She rubbed her sore knee, rose up, leaned her back against the tree and said loudly: "I am not
afraid of you!!! Hey, get out of here!"
And a miracle happened! The dogs stopped suddenly and began to whine, came down a peg and
slunk off, whimpering. Dushenka had seen that they weren't as big and awful as she had thought.
At the same moment, a full moon appeared from behind the clouds and shined so brightly that it
seemed as though it was daytime. Dushenka saw a large clearing before her.
Well, there was nothing to do. Still, it was too long till the morning. She came into the
clearing, found a little gully, laid down on the ground, and curled up to sleep. But as she began
to fall asleep, she became sad that her dress was torn and she had lost all the seeds. What will
she plant now? How will she help her mother's dream to come true? With these thoughts, she went
to sleep. She saw mummy Lyubushka in her dream. It was as if they met and Dushenka told her
mother that she had lost all the seeds Lyuba had given to her. There was nothing to plant on the
Mountain now, so she couldn't continue on her path and had to come back. But Mummy Lyubushka told
Dushenka to wake up early in the morning and to find a little plain root on the clearing of
Humility where she slept. Mama Lyuba told her daughter that it was the root of Soul Love. If
somebody would plant and look after it, it will bloom the fairest perfumed flower in the whole
world.
Dushenka rejoiced then. She would find this little root and go on her journey to the high
Mountain of Patience. She would plant this wonderful flower and it will bloom and its fragrance
will fill the whole Mother-Earth, the whole sublunary world.
Dushenka woke up early in the morning with the first ray of sun. She was sprightly, cheerful
and rested. She washed with morning dew and then began to look for the root which Mummy had told
her about. She saw very many different roots, but the root she needed wasn"t among them. Dushenka
got dirty, broke her nails delving in the ground and suddenly saw that little root. It was
always near her, but so inconspicuous. She had looked at it, but didn't see it.
Dushenka rejoiced, took up the root and decided to go on. But she saw her hands - all dirty
and scratched. Then she looked at her dress - it was lacerated, only rags hung. She touched her
head - her hair had become dishevelled, and there was no comb, neither looking-glass, nor any
little puddle where she could look at herself and put herself in order. But then she saw the root
in her hand and realized suddenly that now the main thing for her was: would she be able to
plant it and to grow the fairest flower from it. Then she sleeked her hair, tied in bundles the
rags of her dress so as not to let it come apart and went on her road again.
The road up the mountain became increasingly steeper. Dushenka was climbing, and sliding down
sometimes, but clutching at ledges. She climbed higher and higher and cautiously held the root in
her hand so as not to lose nor break it.
Dushenka reached a little platform, but just as she stepped onto it, suddenly the ground began
to catch fire under her and flamed around her. To go back was impossible, because she might slip
down the mountain. What to do? She clasped the root to her bosom, protected it with her hands
from fire and stepped directly into the fire. Flames licked Dushenka, and the last rags of her
dress were burnt. She was hurt and scared, but she went forward.
But then the flame went out as unexpectedly as it had kindled, and rain like a blessed shower
fell upon the ground. It washed Dushenka, rinsing off soot and mud, and combed her hair with its
finger-streams. Then the rain was over, too.
Dushenka saw before her gates shining with golden radiance. Clasping the root to her bosom,
she stepped through these fabulous gates. At the next moment, a cloak beaming like the light of a
million stars fell down over her. It was much more beautiful than the most gorgeous clothes. And
she heard a kind tender voice: "Please, come in, young and beautiful Soul!"
Dushenka came through the gates, walked a few steps and saw a ploughed field before her which
rose to the meet the horizon. "Ah, here is the place for planting the root," she decided. "But
one root isn't enough - a lot of work is needed to plant the whole field with flowers. That's all
right! I will toil and something will turn out." So she thought and began to work.
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Dushenka worked well, her hands did their job, and her song created itself. She looked back
and saw suddenly that she was not the only one who worked there. Everywhere around her different
people were planting roots like she was, then watering and looking after their wonderful roots.
And today, there are more and more such people. The first sprouts are appearing in the ground,
growing and striving to reach the sun. The first buds are emerging and filling with sap. The
first beautiful flowers begin to bloom and fill Mother-Earth with their fragrance.
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These flowers are multiplying and becoming evermore beautiful. Their magnificent aroma
envelops everything and then rises to the stars. The whole Universe gazes in astonishment at
these amazing flowers beaming with heavenly light, breathes in and fills with their wonderful
extraordinary scent. Gorgeous Soul Love is filling with its brilliant light all of the darkest
corners of the Universe, is permeating with its glorious spirit all creatures, is streaming with
its magic melody through all worlds, is blooming as wondrous flowers in the souls of all people
of the Earth. |
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