Once upon a time, in a little white house, lived a mommy and a daddy and their little boy, Ivasik. He had curly brown hair and eyes that sparkled like two chestnuts. When he smiled, everyone around him smiled too.
One day, Mommy and Daddy went to the fields to cut the wheat. Before they left, they said, "Ivasik, stay right here. Don't go outside the gate. If you get lonely, you may play in the yard, but do not go past the gate."
Ivasik nodded. At first, he played with his toys. Then he drew a horse on the little blackboard. But the sun was so warm, and the birds sang so sweetly, that soon he forgot. He slipped past the gate and ran all the way to the little stream that babbled nearby.
Now, a wily old snake was hiding near that stream. She had been watching the happy boy for a long time. "Ivasik!" she called in her sweetest voice. "Come here! I'll take you for a ride in my little boat!"
Ivasik looked. Sure enough, a tiny wooden boat was rocking by the shore, painted with bright little flowers. "Will you bring me home?" asked Ivasik.
"Of course!" smiled the snake. "Just a little ride."
So Ivasik climbed into the boat. Quick as a wink, the snake pushed it away from the shore. The boat floated farther and farther, out into the big river. Ivasik got scared. "Take me home!" he cried.
But the snake just laughed and laughed. The boat floated on and on, until they reached a dark forest on the other side of the river. There stood an old house, and that's where the snake lived.
"Now you will stay here," said the snake, "and help me with my chores."
Ivasik felt very sad. But the house was far away, and the snake was tricky and strong. So he had to obey.
Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy came home from the fields and couldn't find their boy. They searched the whole village. They asked the neighbors. They called into the forest. No Ivasik. They sat down and cried.
A week passed. Then another. Another. Ivasik was very lonely in the snake's house, but he never gave up hope. Every day he went down to the river and sang a little song:
"Swans and geese, so white, so free,
Won't you come and carry me?
Mommy, Daddy wait for me,
I just want to go home, you see."
One day, a flock of beautiful white swan-geese flew overhead. They heard Ivasik's song and landed on the riverbank. "Why are you so sad, little boy?" asked the oldest swan.
Ivasik told them the whole story — about the tricky snake and the boat.
"Don't worry," said the swan. "We will help you. Climb onto our backs!"
Ivasik's heart leaped. He climbed onto the soft white feathers, and the swan-geese lifted high into the sky. They flew over forests, over fields, over blue lakes. Everything looked so tiny down below! There was the forest like a green rug, and houses like tiny toys.
Back at the river, the snake came home and found Ivasik gone. She guessed he had run away, and she dashed after him. "Ivasik! Come back!" she screamed, running along the riverbank.
But the swan-geese flew fast, fast, fast. The snake ran and ran until she was all out of breath. Finally she gave up and fell behind. And the swan-geese flew all the way to Ivasik's village.
They landed right in front of his little white house. Ivasik jumped off and ran to his mommy and daddy.
"My little boy!" cried Mommy, hugging him so tight he giggled.
"Where have you been?" asked Daddy, stroking his curly hair.
Ivasik told them everything — about the snake, the boat, and the kind swan-geese who saved him.
"Thank you, dear birds!" said Mommy and Daddy, bowing. "You brought back our most precious treasure!"
The swan-geese flapped their white wings and rose into the sky. Ivasik watched them go, waving and waving.
After that, Ivasik never went past the gate without permission. And every evening, when the family sat together drinking tea with honey, Ivasik would look out the window. Sometimes he would see a flock of white swan-geese flying home. He would run into the yard and bow to them, and they would call back with a happy honk.
And so they lived happily ever after — Ivasik with his mommy and daddy, and their dear friends the swan-geese flying high in the sky.