Stone with soul

... Oh, how they smelled paint, the same could die ...

What a wooden thud rub against each other - just music, nothing delightful I have ever had.

We - the tight little group of five-year kindergartners, looked at them, unable to even blink. Lipa V. - head of the kindergarten, has long promised to bring them for a day to show us. In appearance they were more beautiful than the most daring of our childhood fantasies. Thirty small detail of painted wooden figures by hand. Aunties in pairs with Uncle, dressed in national costumes of the peoples USSR. The shops close and are not sold, for sure it was a gift of generous aliens.

In the hands of the figures were not given and we surrounded the pedestal, almost inaudibly bumping heads, sighed heavily, considering the dagger in Georgian and colorful robe Turkmens.

If we know then the existence of a dry hunger strike, he immediately declared it would be at a time when the session is ended and happiness head began to collect and bury men in a large safe standing in our group.

The teacher put out a children's revolt, promising that if we sleep in perfect quiet time and a walk to run no faster koalas, the evening can be Lipa V. again show us their magical creatures.

Came a sleepy hour.

All small children are prone to kleptomania, not because they are bad, just until a certain age, they do not see any reason not to steal a good thing ... And then as someone lucky, one in five would understand the senselessness of theft and stop all the other ten, and the third - the poor fellow in forty years will behave like a little ... Sleep in either eye, lying on a cot, and I think: oh if these figures were mine, since I would then ... yes, I would ... In a word, for the possession of wealth, and to die is not sorry.

Now or never. I waited very friendly children's snoring, and most important educators of snoring, sleeping with us in solidarity. (We really respected her for it She said: "In fact, adults do not sleep during the day, but that you were not so insulting, so I have - sleep with you" And the first betrayed Tractor snoring ....).

It was wildly scary, in sight of fifty sleeping eye to climb into the pocket of white coat educators, pull ringing bells keychain and take to open an old Austrian safe. Safe did not like me, he klatsat and snapped, trying to wake anyone, but as a true Austrians, was forced to submit the right manner and with an iron sigh opened his treasure.

In addition to "my" figures, there was a thick bundle of money, but why me money when I do, and so it was in the hands of luck in concentrated form?

Uploaded thirty Soviet cheerful fellows in a T-shirt, slipped into the locker room and poured men in his locker with cherries. Closed the safe, put in place the keys and barely had time to go to bed.

On the walk our group showed a sluggish dummies to earn another evening viewing figures, it is necessary to say that I was running like a scalded cat, raining all the sand and causing a massive fight. Did not help.

In the evening, all gathered again in a safe waiting for a miracle. Head opened his key and ... in kindergarten started a nuclear war. Universal Brownian motion of running, screaming, lashed out at the head of the teacher and began to blame her, because that was the second key. Moans, screams, insults, excuses.

On the sly started to approach parents and dad came over me. I quickly raspihal stolen figurines in his pockets and hood jackets. Sad tearful teacher complained to my father that I misbehaved, and quietly released us from the "zolotohranilischa" on the street.

On the way home I was tempted to open up in the yard, but decided to wait until the house. I fully understand that stealing is not good, but he was adamant that when Mom and Dad will see - that I stole, they dramatically change their views on the unacceptability of theft ...

- It is possible to look, open your eyes !!!

Parents have opened, they saw on the table platoon cheerful colored fellows ... and become sad. Dad, inquired the details of "operation" patted my head and said:

- Sonny, our life was divided into "before and after". And how in the morning everything was fine ... Now you will seek and find, can today, and perhaps in a month the police will come at night with a dog, and would lead to prison. But wait you can not them, you will torment the conscience, and you're going to surrender himself. To remove from the soul stone, will have to serve five years. Now you're almost six, sit down and get out of ten. Do not worry, your mother and I will wait, if we are alive, but go out almost a happy man. No load on the heart. Oh, and all was good in the morning ...

I was left alone with these lousy pieces of wood and how ugly they smelled acetone paint. And because of them I have to go to jail ... dad came into the room and said: - There is little chance of at least a little to make amends, you need tomorrow, take them to the kindergarten in the same way to return back in the safe. If it works, the prison will not plant, but the stone remains for all life on the soul.

Well, that five-year children are very rarely die from a heart attack, and I the next day there is a safe in the arms of the ends would have given.

Fairy figurines magically appeared in its rightful place.

So again, I almost went back to his happy relaxing day yesterday and since then have never even thought about stealing. I'm already knew the simple secret that theft does not give and takes.

...

Once upon a time, just after the army, I was passing by and saw the native garden behind the fence her old gray the teacher who taught children to weave a wreath of dandelions. Greeted him and explained who I was and dumped from the soul the old black stone - repented, he said he stole and how planted ago. I asked forgiveness.

She hugged me, patted on the head and said:

- And I know it was you. Your dad came in the morning then warned that we should not "noticed". Well, well, come on, do not worry about a little, you will not be more so? ..