"In one huge forest there lived a forester named Blackbeard." He had two sons, the Eldest is twelve years old, and the Younger is nine years old. The brothers often quarreled, "like strangers," so the forest ranger was only cheerful in the forest. Once, on December 28, Blackbeard informed his sons that they would not have a New Year tree this year. Christmas decorations should be bought in a distant city. He will not send mom alone through the forest, the forest ranger himself “doesn’t know how to go shopping,” and you cannot leave your brothers alone - “the older brother of the younger one will completely destroy him”. And then the Elder vowed that he would not offend the Younger for three days - until his parents returned.
Mom prepared dinners, and father brought firewood and gave the Elder a box of matches. And then the parents left. “The first day went well. The second is even better. ” The trouble happened on the evening of December 31. The elder read an interesting book, and the Younger was bored, and he molested his brother. Then the Elder grabbed the little brother and shouted “Leave me alone!” threw out the door. For a moment he felt sorry for the Younger, because it was cold outside, and the baby was without warm clothes. Then the boy decided that nothing would happen to his brother in a few minutes. He wanted to read a few lines, but he read out and remembered the Younger, when it was already dark on the street. The Elder jumped into the yard, but the Younger was nowhere to be found.
At that moment, the parents returned. Blackbeard learned what had happened, and his beard turned gray with grief. He sent the Elder in search of his brother, and ordered not to return without the Younger.
The boy went to the mountains. They had seven weeks of fast driving, and the Elder got overnight - because of grief, he did not notice the passing time. Suddenly he heard a distant light ringing, and went on him. A few hours later, the Elder found himself in a forest of transparent ice trees with transparent icy earth. The wind rocked the icy pines, and they rang thinly. This forest was the home of Greatfather Frost. Grandfather Frost was his son, and the old man cursed him for his good nature. The main thing for Greatfather Frost was peace, so he decided to take the Elder as a student. Frost ordered that the cold do not touch the boy for the time being and bring him to his icy house of 49 rooms. On the way, the old man said that the Younger was locked in the very last room. All this Frost spoke in an impassive voice, as if reading a book.
The old man instructed the Elder to "calm" the forest birds and small animals. Frost brought them semi-frozen from the forest, and the boy had to twirl them over a black ice flame until they became transparent. Room 49 the Elder found immediately, but the door of the room was made of iced oak, so hard that even an ax did not take it.
For many days, the Elder thought about how to save his brother, and Great-Grandfather Frost praised him for his calmness. Finally, the boy remembered that he had a box of matches in his pocket. One afternoon, when the old man left for a new batch of animals, the Elder ran for firewood into a living forest and opened fire at the doors of the 49th hall. By evening, the door had melted a bit, and the next day the Elder tried to hold a half-frozen bird above the warm flame. The bird came to life. Since then, the Elder every day revived forest birds and animals and built snow houses for them in the corners of the hall. Great-grandfather Frost found him behind this. He died on the flame, and it turned black, and the door froze again.
The elder cried all day, and at night he was awakened by tree friends. They took keys from the snow coat of Great-Grandfather Frost, and the boy was able to open the 49th door. The younger “was all transparent” icy, and a tear froze on his cheek. The elder grabbed his brother and ran. He managed to get out of the ice house and almost ran to the living forest when Great-Grandfather Frost rushed in pursuit. Tree friends rushed to the old man's feet, and he fell. They did it over and over until the boy reached the living forest.
The Elder fled, carrying the Younger carefully so as not to smash. He hoped his father would cure his brother. For joy, the boy did not notice how he got to familiar places. Spring was already here, only the remains of snow lay in some places. On such a snowy “cake” the Elder slipped and heard the malevolent voice of Great-Grandfather Frost. The younger one hit the root and crashed.
The elder cried until he fell asleep. Meanwhile, the squirrels gathered Junior in pieces, glued them with birch glue and laid them in the sun. When the Elder woke up, the Younger was already alive and even the tear on his cheek melted. Together, the brothers returned to their parents. Blackbeard's beard turned black again with joy. Since then, the brothers have not quarreled. Sometimes the Elder asked his brother to leave him alone, but not for long, and the Younger always obeyed him.