Would you like to experience nostalgic moments and dream together with your children?
Then read the fairy tale “The Secret of the Woolen Sock. Winter”! The winter adventures of ten-year-old children take you back to childhood, where magic was real and dreams tangible. This story about friendship, support, and courage teaches valuable lessons to children while reminding adults of life’s essential values. Experience magical moments filled with warmth in a delightful fairy tale world!
What is the winter tale about?
Four friends — Denis, Ivanka, Dascha, and Okul — embark on an exciting but dangerous New Year’s adventure. Their path leads through snowy forests, fields, and frozen rivers. They face dangers at every turn, but magical creatures like house spirits, forest spirits, and even villagers come to their aid. Along the way, they encounter forest creatures, gigantic and unpredictable beings, Krixes, a bathhouse spirit named Bannik, and even Morena — the icy, unforgiving goddess of winter. Additionally, a pack of hungry wolves roams nearby, searching for prey. The harsh winter landscape requires the heroes to be brave and united to survive and reach their goal.
Who will you meet in this fairy tale?
- Denis – A calm footballer, mathematician, and dragon book lover, leader of the group, who sometimes loses courage but always comes to the rescue in difficult moments, no matter the danger.
- Ivanka – A kind-hearted boy, orphaned, who has almost lost faith in human kindness and longs to find only one creature in the world – his loyal dog Roska. His determination sets the journey in motion.
- Dascha – A tenacious and independent girl who boldly ventures into the snowy forest to find her purpose. She trades her fashionable gloves for mittens and her boots for felt boots. But nothing stops her. Her dream of freedom and the vastness of the Volga helps her stay true to herself in the toughest situations.
- Okul – A mysterious thief who initially keeps his distance but, once accepted into the group, opens his heart and helps throughout the journey, sometimes unexpectedly even to himself.
- Schipp – A small house spirit who accidentally ends up with Denis. Schipp not only helps the children with magical advice and actions but also becomes one of their main guides.
Denis’ parents also play an important role in the story. His mother’s superstitions and inherited fears are key to starting and finishing this great adventure. His father, initially a skeptic, begins to see the magic and power of nature and eventually embraces it. In the end, he plays a crucial role in saving the children.
Auka – A magical forest spirit or guardian of the forest, who appears as a stocky little man with wavy hair that falls over his shoulders, large ears, and a broad mouth hidden in a dense beard. Auka possesses deep knowledge of nature and its inhabitants. Despite his strength, he is a gentle and caring mentor for the children, helping them navigate difficult situations and protecting them from the dangers of the winter forest.
You will also meet the grumpy old Chvost, the bathhouse spirit Iffet, matronly figures, Kikimoras, and many other magical characters.
The fairy tale was nominated for the Grand Prize of the National Children’s Book Award “Zavetnaya Mechta” in the 2005/2006 (Moscow) season.
Would you like to laugh and cry a little? Then join us on a journey into a world full of adventures where magic meets reality! Read the fairy tale “The Secret of the Woolen Sock. Summer”!
The author — a linguist, educator, and mother of three — invites you, dear children, along with your moms, dads, grandmas, and grandpas, on an amazing journey along a fascinating forest river, full of mysteries, unexpected twists, annoying obstacles, and encounters with wise magical helpers. These adventures offer you the opportunity to reflect aloud on good and evil, strength and weakness, friendship, and love for nature.
The story will captivate you from the very first pages and guide you along the twists of a taiga river, where four friends — Ivanka, Deniska, Dasha, and Marek — are searching for old acquaintances and a lost treasure. Relaxation? Not at all! The summer holidays turn into something much more than just a stroll — it becomes an exciting test of spirit as the ten-year-old heroes face water spirits, cunning “watchers,” and evil bandits who seek to subdue both nature and people.
On the children’s side are magical beings: the caring house spirit Kasya, the cheerful house spirit Schipp, the busy Mamonya, and the grumpy Shemyaka, as well as many other inhabitants of the river and forest who help the heroes fight the villains. Together, they face serious challenges and discover the power of kindness, friendship, and mutual support.
Who will you meet?
Once again, Ivanka — a sensitive and brave boy who learns to make difficult decisions and understands how important it is to stay true to himself and his friends. Besides his friends and his loyal old dog Roska, he has no one.
Of course, Deniska — do you remember? He’s an energetic and curious boy who is not afraid to make bold decisions and helps the team move forward courageously. He lives very far away, and to see Ivanka, his best friend, he has to travel three thousand kilometers each time.
Then there’s Dasha — a determined girl who is always ready to stand up for her friends and take action in difficult moments. She is driven by an incredible love of freedom and a dream of becoming a river girl.
And a new character, Marek — a mysterious boy with an unclear past, quiet and independent, who finds faith in himself through his new friends.
What can you discuss during and after reading the story together?
For example, why are kindness and mutual help necessary? Or are all people bad? The house spirit Chechebenya says, “People, they shine smooth on the outside, but inside they are full of thorns…” Is he right? Together with our adventurers, you will see that true strength lies not in threats and domination over others, but in supporting each other. Only together can the children overcome all obstacles and meet the mysterious and beautiful bird Alkuon.
Is there a choice between good and evil? The confrontations with the cunning “water watchers” and the evil river bandits, the “Ushkuyniks,” make the children think about the choice between momentary personal comfort and the common good, which is sometimes inconvenient or disadvantageous for oneself. They realize that good triumphs when you make a decision and take action.
And, of course — our relationship with nature, where magical beings teach us that humans are part of the world, and it is their duty to protect it.
Finally, a difficult question, which seems relevant even for us adults: self-acceptance. Two main characters go through inner changes: Marek learns to accept friends and open up his feelings and thoughts, while Ivanka learns to trust himself. Together, they overcome their fears and insecurities in making important decisions.
A fairytale with a lesson… These magical adventures are not only relevant for Russian-speaking readers. The story touches on important topics for everyone: what is good and evil, the freedom of choice, ecological responsibility. Regardless of language and culture, everyone will find something important and familiar in these stories because concerns about nature and moral questions are universal.
Finally, I want to say the most important thing: dear adults, read aloud to your children! Whether it’s a book, a “Kindle,” or a gadget — sit side by side and read aloud! You can knit with your fingers or stand on your head, just like my children did. Read, discuss, share! Reading aloud is a wonderful way to create a close emotional bond with our children. In the moments of reading, children feel our emotions and learn from us, and we sense their need for explanations and learn from them.
That’s why I keep saying: find time every day for magic. Dive into the world of goodness and compassion with your children, discuss important topics, share your emotions, sharing both sadness and joy! Together, we can make our world more multifaceted, colorful, and kind!
Welcome to the world of “The Secret of the Woollen Sock”!
Fairy Tale “The Secrets of the Woolly Sock” Autumn and Spring
The kobolds who live under our stove haven’t yet fully told us about the autumn adventures. They keep starting the story but get tangled up in it! One thing is clear though – the adventures will be breathtaking, almost entirely underground… Will the old grump Hworst really manage to lure the children to him? I’m not sure yet. As soon as the kobolds manage to tell the whole story clearly, I will definitely write it down, and the artist Viktoria will create illustrations for it!
