(Childen`s story)

Vasya was a blacksmith`s son. His Dad worked in a forging workshop. He always made horseshoes, hammers, and hatchets. Sometimes he made beautiful metallic roses for his wife and the wives of his neighbors. But it was not too often. Every day he went to the forge on his own horse. That was a black mare with a long mane and smart eyes. Every morning he harnessed her to the cart and rode. Every evening he came back and took care of his tidy gee-gee. His small son, a six-year-old urchin, Vasya, with spiky hair and a freckled nose, was a big lover of a fast ride.

One night, Dad came home too late. Being too tired, he got off the cart and went to sleep. Vasya instantly hopped in and moved to the dense forest. Surely, his father did not allow him to do this. The black mare also did like it very much. When Vasyutka climbed into the cart, the horse looked askance at him and waved her long tail, saying, “Come down, boy. Get out of this cart.” But Vasya quilted the horse with a rod, and she ran half-heartedly out of the yard to the wild wood. That day Vasya got a lucky chance. He was in a fighting mood and wanted to ride away as his brave Dad. He whipped and whipped his horse until she galloped as a fairy tale creature.

Suddenly, you know it happens, someone bashed Vasya on the back! Vasyutka pulled over and jumped out in surprise. He thought that it was his father who caught up with him and whipped his back with a rod. Why did he leave without asking? Vasya looked around. There was nobody in the pitch darkness. He hopped in and quilted the horse again.

Nevertheless, for the second time, someone punched him on the back! Vasya turned around again. No, there was nobody right and left, up and down. What was the miracle in the sieve? Vasya thought to himself, “Oh, who is hitting me on the neck if there is nobody around!” But I must tell you that when Vasya was driving through the forest, a large wooden branch fell into one of the cartwheels. It clung tightly to the wheel as a living thing. And as soon as the wheel turned around, the branch, of course, slammed Vasya on his back.

But Vasya did not see it. There was a wild wood darkness. Besides, he was a little scared. No, he did not chicken out. He just didn’t want to look around. When the branch hit Vasya for the third time,  he was close to the real panic. He racked his brains frantically, “Maybe this horse is magic and hits me just to punish me. Maybe she grabbed the sharp rod with her big teeth and tried to slash me. ” Then he moved away from the horse. As soon as he did it, the branch fell on Vasya`s head. The boy screamed out with despair and threw the reins. The angry mare, not a fool, turned back and dashed home with all her horsepower. The cartwheel span faster, faster and even faster…The branch whipped Vasya stronger, stronger and even stronger.

Here, you know, not only small kids but even big boys could be frightened. The black horse rushed through the wild wood. The weeping Vasya lay in the cart and yelled loudly as he could. The branch thrashed him on the back, punched him on the legs, kicked him on the head. Vasya shouted as a crazy rabbit, “Oh, Dad! Oh, Mom! Save me, please! Oh, Dad, Oh, Mom! I will never be a bad boy!”

Dad and Mom forgave Vasya. Now he is a good boy. He helped them a lot with household chores. His father even permits him to ride his black horse… for his good behavior.