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      Misha was ten years old, the age in which the world is seen as simple and welcoming as children perceive it without going deep into the essence of things. The boy was with a pretty, angelic face, which can be seen on the icons depicting holy angels in the temples. Large and sensual blue eyes, long eyelashes somehow in a special way created by nature and directed down and to the sides. Hair of ash color, favorably shaded and emphasized the heavenly beauty of blue eyes so that my mother sometimes compared it to a doll that was preserved in Mama’s memory from her childhood.

      Misha lived with his mother in a five-story house at the very outskirts of Nevyansk. From the balcony of their apartment the fields in the blue haze with the blacking strips of forests traversing the distance were far away. But the most mysterious place Misha considered the visible from here ruins of an ancient castle, once fortified. The fortress wall is half-ruined and was clearly visible, because the castle was built on a hill and towered above the terrain, and was seen far away in the vicinity. The oak grove was approaching the ruins from all sides, where ancient century-old oaks met on a par with the young growth. The ruins of the castle attracted the attention of local boys with its surviving watchtower with a half-ruined dome adjoining the fortress wall. Misha often looked there in the direction of the tower, and boyish imagination painted pictures of fairy-tale battles of defenders with invaders.

      One day, on a warm July afternoon, Sasha’s relative came to see Misha. Sasha was of the same age. When the mothers of the boys retired in the room and took up the patterns of the elegant dress, the friends began to play toys. They were tired of playing with toys, and Misha offered Sasha:

      – Come with me, I’ll show you something interesting. – Intrigued Sasha looked curiously at his friend.

      – Ah, what, you can not say what?

      The boy mysteriously put his index finger to his lips, silently saying so that his parents would not hear, thus allowing even more mystery to Sasha. And the one on tiptoe stealthily followed his comrade. When they found themselves on the balcony, the boy pointed a hand to the distant ruins of the castle and conspiratorially said:

      “Look out there, can you see the tower?”

      Sasha narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction indicated by Misha. Then he authoritatively declared: “No, I do not see anything.” – He was cunning, because Sasha always wanted to be the first in everything, especially among the boys, and he pretended that he had not seen the tower and the ruined fortress wall. “There,” he tried to indicate the right direction for Misha, to look more closely. But Sashino’s curiosity prevailed over the feelings of leadership, and, not Having sustained this, he said:

      – Yes, I see! Yes, what to watch? Let’s go tomorrow, when our mothers will still be sleeping, we’ll run away there and carefully see everything. – And added, for greater interest, dreamily stretching out the words: – Maybe we’ll find the treasure there?

      And the boys, from these words of Sasha, and from the secret of the enterprise, so they wanted to run there, touch the stones and find the ancient treasure.

      In the morning, when the sun had not yet risen, and the twilight was still clinging to the shadow of the bush, the boys slipped out of the apartment, taking a candle, matches and a flashlight, and rushed to the ruins. The guys on the overgrown grass, barely discernible stone road. Finally, they reached the moat that surrounded the ruins. The moat was filled with water and covered with reeds. Further the road went to the castle through an ancient wooden bridge. At the entrance to the bridge on the railing was posted a sign with the inscription “Passage and passage on the bridge is prohibited!” DANGER TO LIFE! “These words were written in red. The boys read the warning inscription, and Misha was the first to turn, intending to go back.

      – No! Forward! – Sasha boldly said, – I go first, and you follow me, Mishka, follow me! – and set foot on the half-rotten bridge. Soon he waved his hand from the opposite side of the ditch.

      – Yes, do not be afraid, hold on! – Sasha encouraged his friend. And Mishka suddenly became frightened, it seemed to him that he would collapse from the old masonry, right into the swamp that surrounded the ruins of the castle. The shame before the other was stronger than fear, and Misha boldly stepped onto the beam of the bridge. Reaching the middle, fear suddenly disappeared somewhere, seemed ridiculous, and Misha reached Sasha. Suddenly, the leg slipped and, feeling no support, collapsed, as it seemed to him directly from the debris of the rotten bundle down. When the first moments of fright passed, he felt that he was lying on the bridge, that one leg was hanging out without support in the air, and a good piece of wooden support floated far below in the water overgrown with thick duckweed. Pale and frightened boy, not hearing the screams of a friend, he stood on all fours and trembled everywhere, slowly crawled to Sasha.

      – Ha-ha-ha! Well, you’re a coward! Sasha laughed at him. Misha was hurt. He said:

      “I, I, am not a coward!” – blushing with the paint of embarrassment, Misha was acquitted. He suddenly wanted to give Sasha a good blow, but he restrained himself and soon forgot about it. Meanwhile, the friends approached the breach in the castle wall. A bunch of bricks, plaster and debris blocked their way. They climbed a pile of construction junk and descended to a wide, overgrown grass and bushes. The whole space inside is surrounded by a wall covered with a broken brick. Buildings are destroyed; everywhere there are weeds, nettles and bushes, as well as rare wood. Friends looked around. A half-ruined tower with partially damaged dome rushed into view. Stair steps led to the entrance to the circular wall. Sasha ran to the stairs, Misha behind him. They climbed the steps, covered with a thick layer of dust and a broken brick to the entrance. Inside the tower a round hall opened, the light fell, drawing rays of transparent rectangles in the dusty air, on the stone floor and captured the contours of the loopholes. The pigeons, frightened by the guests, suddenly flew high above the dome, and the dust drew the rays of the rays with clubs.

      “Let’s get out of here.” – Pushing Sasha with the sleeve of his shirt, said Misha.

      – Yes, wait, you! I think I found something interesting. And he headed for the darkened corner under the stage to approach the loopholes. Misha followed him. In the shade, where the least light came from the daylight, the friends saw a massive wooden door hanging on one still loose hinge and hiding the steps in the dungeon.

      “This is the entrance to the powder cellar.” – Authoritatively noticed, with the manifestation of a connoisseur of antiquities, Sasha.

      “Maybe there is a weapon?” Suggested Misha with a mysterious air.

      “Then go ahead!” – Behind me! Now we will check. Sasha first descended the dusty steps.

      “Bear, give me a flashlight.” – The entrance came out of the darkness.

      – Now! – and he had no choice but to follow the other in the dampness and darkness of the dungeon. The beam of the flashlight snatched the green ring СКАЧАТЬ