Extrait du livre Vassilia and the russian dolls
Vassilia and the russian dolls Pascale Vignali Illustrated by Justine Cunha Le Regard Sonore Editions
Once there was the taiga, the great snow forest. Kingdom of the lynx and the sable, its name was an invitation to travel, a promise of fabulous adventures in the heart of the great Russian forest... To those who braved its terrible icy winters, the taiga revealed wonders. For those who willingly lost themselves in it, the Queen of the Forest reveaed its secret stories and its magic...
Vassilia loved this wild country, far from the clammer of the city. Since early childhood, she had studied the Great Forest. The quarrels of rowdy bears, the wolves’ sad nocturnal howling held no fear for her. Her life was sometimes hard but Vassilia loved listening to the murmur of the wind in the pines and watching the sun draw flowers of light out of the undergrowth of her dear taiga ...
One autumn day, Vassilia was gathering firewood for the winter. Suddenly she heard a sound like thunder rumbling through the forest. The earth trembled beneath her feet and a black troika shot through the trees behind her. It was pulled by an enormous wild boar with eyes like glowing red coals. Its hooves struck sparks. Astride the sledge, a hooded figure tore the air with its whip.
Vassilia narrowly avoided the ghastly apparition which passed by her at a hellish pace. Something fell from the troika which disappeared between the trees like a ghost sleigh. Vassilia had never seen its like... She picked up the fallen object. VASSILIA: A log ... And there is something written on it ! "Knock three times on the log and Mamouschka will come a-calling.” Vassilia hesitated. If Mamoushka looked like the nightmarish creature that had just passed through the forest, she had no desire to meet her! But curiosity got the better of her. She rapped on the log ... « Knock Knock Knock! »
The log fell from her hands instantly. A pretty wooden doll with cherry red cheeks appeared. The doll spun around and presto! A second smaller doll appeared, which too spun around and presto! A third even smaller doll appeared, and in its turn spun around and presto! A fourth, smaller still doll appeared, which spun around and presto! A fifth and final tiny doll appeared ... MAMOUSHKAS: Hello! We are the Mamoushkas! What can we do for you?
Vassilia was speechless. The dolls were looking at her, smiling as if it were the most natural thing in the world ... VASSILIA: Uuuh well uh…. I was collecting firewood for winter ... But you are so sma (ll)…
