'Oh Dear, what has happened?'
asked grandfather when his 8-year grandson Mykyta came to him in deep sadness.'Oles has took my new gun and didn't want to give it back. So, I took it away from him. Now he has taken offence at me. Maybe we will never be friends again. But it was his guilty! Why did he want to take my gun from me?' Mykyta sighed heavily.
'Well, maybe you didn't want to share your gun with your friend and play with it together?' smiled grandpa.
'Why should I share it? It's mine,' replied boy reluctantly.
'Listen, my dear boy, I will tell you one story that happened to my friend many years ago.'
That extraordinary case happened after 1945. My friend's name was Ivan. But military brothers called him Pidkova as a pseudo. He was fighting clandestinely against Soviet regime for independence of Ukrainian state. One from UPA fighters. Young, strong, smart and decisive. He always brightly managed to avoid bullets of enemy weapons. With his professional military squad Pidkova could secretly get into headquarters of KGB and find out useful information about their plans and missions.
Once Ivan's friend Anton Vyhor asked Pidkova to share his radio transmitter before leaving for the next mission with two other fighters. Anton's one accidentally had got out of order. A month before Pidkova had taken a new radio transmitter from one of destroyed headquarters. It was high quality and expensive. Ivan really liked it, as that equipment helped him many times. That transmitter was third for the whole their battalion.
Pidkova refused Vyhor. Ivan didn't see a reason to risk such an expensive thing for one short and simple mission. Anton was dissatisfied with Ivan's behavior. He became angry and left after saying, 'Goodbye forever!'
The whole next day a feeling of sadness, guilty and anxiety was chasing Pidkova. He had also some kind of presage. He lost appetite. None of the things he was doing could relieve his feelings. What if his military brother came down with a trouble? What if he really would never see him alive? No! He was trying to drive away those horrible thoughts. Maybe his anxiety was vain and everything was going to be OK.
Two days had passed, but Vuhor and his fighters didn't appear still. One soldier brought a peace of a newspaper to their bunker. On the first page there was a note, 'Thanking to the forces of our special service a group of dangerous Bandera saboteurs has been caught successfully'. Reading it Pidkova lost his breath. If he had known that earlier! No! Stop! No panic! He needed to do something! He had to save his military brothers and Vyhor! But how could he do that?
Suddenly Ivan remembered about his biggest treasure. Pidkova stood up immediately and went to the deepest corner of the bunker. Nobody knew that digging that bunker Pidkova had managed to burry a small chest imperceptibly. That was his most valuable thing.
In some minutes Ivan found his treasure and opened the ancient chest. He looked inside carefully. Here it is... A mirror of Ukrainian amazon... It didn't seem special. Just a piece of glass in a wooden framing with carving. However, he knew it was only a first sight, as that was a kind of relic. His family ancient relic. And Pidkova believed his grandma saying that mirror was magical. It had to bring luck.
Grandma told Ivan that his family came from cossacks and nobles. In 17th century even women in their family took part in battles with cossacks, their husbands. They called amazons, as warrior women on Ukrainian territory in ancient times. The enemies were extremely afraid to meet a warrior woman in a battle. They couldn't manage with their agility and sorcery.
One of amazons from Pidkova's family owned that mirror. And she used it in battles. But how? Ivan turned the mirror in his hands. And suddenly it lit up! Pidkova froze in surprise. A female voice came from the mirror, 'Don't be afraid, Ivanko. Nice to meet you. You should learn to be more generous, shouldn't you? I follow you every day being invisible. I know, you want to fix your fault and save your friends. I will help you. Take my mirror. It will bring you to the right place. Than look in the mirror and it will make you invisible. Also it will help to unlock every door. Just show the door to that mirror. Hurry up! Tomorrow it will be late. Good luck!'
Pidkova was standing in amazement. Next hour he was following the route which the mirror showed. In some time came to the nearest prison. In the mirror he saw how his reflection started disappearing. None from military men pay attention to Pidkova as he was going by them. The last door... Bars... Three men with familiar faces were lying on the floor. Their hands were tied up.
Pidkova approached opened the bars and become visible. His brothers recognized him. Ivan quickly and quietly cut the ropes. Then all four guys looked in the eyes to each other. Pidkova understood that Vuhor forgiven him.
Then something magical happened. Ivan couldn't even get how that was possible. Suddenly the walls of the prison disappeared. Four fighters were standing in their bunker looking at each other in surprise.
'How...' Vyhor was trying to ask what had happened.
'Um... It's everything thanking to... This? Oh, but where is it?' But the mirror disappeared!
'What do you mean?' asked Vyhor unbelievably.
'Now... I guess... Just nothing. I don't know,' Pidkova was confused.
'Well, brother, I don't know how have you managed to organize all of this but... Thank you. I am not angry at you anymore. I can't. You have saved our lives.'
They hugged tightly.
'Later Ivan found out that Vyhor's group had been chased. But they didn't have a transmitter to connect with others to ask for help. After that case my friend Pidkova understood the value of human life,' finished grandpa thoughtfully.
'And what happened to the mirror?' asked grandson.
'After some time Ivan saw it in he chest in the position it had been here before. And what is interesting it would never show its magical qualities. You know, after years Ivan was inclined to think that everything was just a dream. But all his feelings and experience seemed to be more as real,' smiled grandpa.
'I promise, I will always share my toys with Oles and other friends!' said Mykyta solemnly.
'I'm sure you will,' replied grandfather.
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