3 min.

Kde bolo, tam bolo, v malom domčeku na okraji hustého lesa žil chlapec menom Oliver so svojou starou mamou. Od narodenia bol Oliver výnimočný – rozumel reči vtákov. Jeho stará mama hovorievala, že tento dar zdedil po svojej matke, ktorá bola vtáčou kráľovnou, no zmizla krátko po jeho narodení.

Oliver trávil dni rozprávaním sa s vtákmi, ktoré mu prinášali správy z celého sveta. Vrabce mu šepkali mestské klebety, sovy mu rozprávali nočné príbehy a lastovičky ho učili o ďalekých krajinách. Jeho najlepším priateľom bol starý havran menom Múdry, ktorý poznal všetky tajomstvá lesa.

Jedného dňa všetky vtáky prestali spievať. Nebo stíchlo a les sa ponoril do znepokojujúceho ticha. Múdry havran priletel k Oliverovi s desivou správou: „Čierny čarodejník uväznil Vtáčiu kráľovnú – tvoju matku – v Sklenenej veži za Siedmimi horami. Ak ju niekto neoslobodí do najbližšieho úplnku, všetky vtáky navždy stratia svoje hlasy.“

Oliver vedel, že musí konať. Zbalil si do batôžka tri veci: kúsok babičkinho čarovného koláča, malé zrkadielko po matke a píšťalku vyrezanú z vŕbového dreva. Múdry havran sa ponúkol, že ho bude sprevádzať, a spolu sa vydali na nebezpečnú cestu.

Na ceste ich čakalo sedem prekážok – jedna v každej hore. V prvej hore stretli obrovského pavúka, ktorý tkal neviditeľné siete. Oliver zahral na píšťalku pieseň, ktorú ho naučili ranné vtáčatá, a pavúk sa tak dojal, že im ukázal bezpečnú cestu cez svoje siete.

V druhej hore narazili na skupinu skamenených vtákov. Oliver použil matkiné zrkadielko, ktoré odrazilo mesačné svetlo a prelomilo kliatbu. Oslobodené vtáky im na oplátku prezradili tajné horské chodníčky.

Tretia hora bola plná jedovatých hmiel. Tu im pomohol kúsok babičkinho koláča – jeho vôňa rozptýlila všetky nebezpečné výpary. Štvrtá hora bola domovom zlých víl, ktoré sa živili spevom uväznených vtákov. Oliver ich oklamal tým, že napodobnil spev slávika, a kým víly hľadali neexistujúceho vtáka, rýchlo prešli ich územím.

V piatej hore stretli starého pustovníka, ktorý strážil most ponad hlbokú priepasť. Pustovník im dovolil prejsť až potom, čo mu Oliver porozprával príbehy, ktoré pozbieral od vtákov z celého sveta. Dojatý pustovník im daroval svoj čarovný plášť, ktorý ich mal ochrániť pred kúzlami.

Šiesta hora bola najtmavšia. Tu žil drak, ktorý sa živil svetlom hviezd. Oliver použil zrkadielko, aby odrazil posledné lúče zapadajúceho slnka a oslepil draka, kým preliezli cez jeho jaskyňu.

V siedmej hore konečne uvideli Sklenú vežu, no strážil ju samotný Čierny čarodejník. Bol mocný a zlý, ale mal jednu slabosť – nikdy nepočul skutočný vtáčí spev, pretože všetky vtáky pred ním utekali. Oliver začal spievať všetky piesne, ktoré ho vtáky naučili. Čarodejník bol taký očarený, že na chvíľu zabudol na svoju moc.

V tej chvíli Múdry havran ukradol čarodejníkovu čarovnú palicu a Oliver ju zlomil. Čarodejníkove kúzla sa rozplynuli a Sklená veža sa roztrieštila na milión kúskov. Medzi črepinami stála prekrásna žena s vlasmi čiernymi ako havranie krídla – Oliverova matka, Vtáčia kráľovná.

Matka objala Olivera a poďakovala Múdremu havranovi za jeho vernosť. Vysvetlila, že musela odísť, aby ochránila Olivera pred Čiernym čarodejníkom, ktorý chcel ukradnúť jeho dar rozumieť vtákom. Teraz, keď bolo nebezpečenstvo zažehnané, mohli byť konečne spolu.

Vrátili sa domov k babičke, ktorá ich už čakala s čerstvo upečeným koláčom. Vtáčia kráľovná zostala žiť s nimi v malom domčeku na okraji lesa, kde učila Olivera všetky tajomstvá vtáčej mágie. Múdry havran si postavil hniezdo na najvyššom strome pri dome a stal sa strážcom ich šťastia.

Od toho dňa bolo v lese počuť ten najkrajší vtáčí spev. Ľudia hovorili, že keď sa pozorne započúvate, môžete v ňom rozoznať Olivera, ako spieva so svojou mamou, zatiaľ čo babička pečie svoje čarovné koláče a Múdry havran rozpráva svoje nekonečné príbehy.

A ak nezatíchli, spievajú tam šťastne až dodnes.

The Boy Who Understood Birds

3 min.

Once upon a time, in a small house at the edge of a dense forest, lived a boy named Oliver with his grandmother. Oliver was special from birth – he could understand the language of birds. His grandmother would say he inherited this gift from his mother, who was the Bird Queen, but disappeared shortly after he was born.

Oliver spent his days talking to birds who brought him news from all over the world. Sparrows whispered town gossip to him, owls told him night stories, and swallows taught him about distant lands. His best friend was an old raven named Wise, who knew all the forest’s secrets.

One day, all the birds stopped singing. The sky fell silent, and the forest sank into an unsettling quiet. Wise Raven flew to Oliver with terrifying news: „The Black Wizard has imprisoned the Bird Queen – your mother – in the Glass Tower beyond the Seven Mountains. If someone doesn’t free her by the next full moon, all birds will lose their voices forever.“

Oliver knew he had to act. He packed three things in his small bag: a piece of his grandmother’s magical cake, a small mirror that belonged to his mother, and a whistle carved from willow wood. Wise Raven offered to accompany him, and together they set out on their dangerous journey.

Seven obstacles awaited them on their path – one in each mountain. In the first mountain, they met a giant spider weaving invisible webs. Oliver played his whistle, performing a song taught to him by morning birds, and the spider was so moved that he showed them a safe path through his webs.

In the second mountain, they encountered a group of petrified birds. Oliver used his mother’s mirror to reflect moonlight and break the curse. The freed birds repaid them by revealing secret mountain paths.

The third mountain was full of poisonous mists. Here, the piece of grandmother’s cake helped them – its aroma dispersed all dangerous vapors. The fourth mountain was home to evil fairies who fed on captured birds‘ songs. Oliver tricked them by imitating a nightingale’s song, and while the fairies searched for the non-existent bird, they quickly crossed their territory.

In the fifth mountain, they met an old hermit who guarded a bridge over a deep chasm. The hermit allowed them to cross only after Oliver shared stories he had collected from birds around the world. Moved, the hermit gave them his magical cloak to protect them from spells.

The sixth mountain was the darkest. Here lived a dragon who fed on starlight. Oliver used the mirror to reflect the last rays of the setting sun and blinded the dragon while they crept through his cave.

In the seventh mountain, they finally saw the Glass Tower, but it was guarded by the Black Wizard himself. He was powerful and evil, but had one weakness – he had never heard real birdsong, as all birds fled from him. Oliver began to sing all the songs the birds had taught him. The wizard was so enchanted that he momentarily forgot his power.

In that moment, Wise Raven stole the wizard’s magic wand, and Oliver broke it. The wizard’s spells dissolved, and the Glass Tower shattered into a million pieces. Among the shards stood a beautiful woman with hair as black as raven’s wings – Oliver’s mother, the Bird Queen.

Mother embraced Oliver and thanked Wise Raven for his loyalty. She explained that she had to leave to protect Oliver from the Black Wizard, who wanted to steal his gift of understanding birds. Now that the danger was gone, they could finally be together.

They returned home to grandmother, who was waiting with freshly baked cake. The Bird Queen stayed to live with them in the small house at the forest’s edge, where she taught Oliver all the secrets of bird magic. Wise Raven built his nest in the tallest tree by the house and became the guardian of their happiness.

From that day on, the most beautiful birdsong could be heard in the forest. People said that if you listened carefully, you could hear Oliver singing with his mother, while grandmother baked her magical cakes and Wise Raven told his endless stories.

And if they haven’t fallen silent, they sing there happily to this day.