Svetielko v gaštane je nová časť seriálu Les svetielok, pripravená ako dvojjazyčný detský príbeh v slovenčine aj angličtine.
Svetielko v gaštane: Tiché svetielko pod gaštanom
Na okraji čarovného lesa bolo ráno mäkké ako mach. Lili kráčala po úzkej cestičke v zelenom plášti, v malých žltých čižmičkách, a pri boku sa jej hompáľala listová taška. Vedľa nej poletoval Svetlík. Jeho okrúhle telíčko svietilo teplým zlatým svetlom, no dnes svietilo len jemne, akoby aj on počúval ticho lesa.
„Pozri,“ zašepkal zrazu. „Tam je veľký gaštan.“
Pred nimi stál starý strom s hrubým kmeňom a s koreňmi, ktoré sa ako mäkké ruky opierali o zem. Medzi listami a machom sa trblietala drobná strieborná stopa.
Lili sa zohla. „To je lesklé,“ povedala potichu. „Akoby tu niečo prešlo.“
Svetlík sa priblížil ku koreňom. Jeho svetlo na chvíľku jemne zablikalo. Potom sa pod jedným koreňom ukázalo malé svetielko. Bolo len také maličké, že by sa zmestilo do dlane. Chvíľu pulzovalo, a potom sa hneď schovalo hlbšie do tieňa machu.
„Videla si to?“ spýtal sa Svetlík a oči sa mu zažiarili zvedavosťou.
„Áno,“ prikývla Lili. „Ale zdalo sa mi, že sa skrýva.“
Pri koreňoch bolo ticho. Vzduch voňal po zemi a po listoch. Malé svetielko sa už neukázalo, len akoby sa pod zemou niečo smutne chvelo.
„Možno niečo hľadá,“ povedala Lili.
Svetlík sklopil zrak. „Ale čo?“
Vtom si dievča všimlo pri zemi drobný lesklý kamienok. Ležal medzi dvoma zelenými lístkami a odrážal svetlo ako kvapka vody.
„Možno toto,“ povedala opatrne. „Ale ešte neviem prečo.“
Mravček a malé zrniečko
Ešte skôr, než sa stihli rozhodnúť, zrazu sa z cestičky ozvalo tiché šuchotanie. V tráve sa mihol malý mravček. Niesol zrniečko, ktoré bolo preňho priveľké. Krok za krokom sa snažil prejsť cez mäkký mach, no zrniečko sa mu šmýkalo.
„Oj,“ vzdychol mravček. „Neviem ho dostať domov.“
Lili sa chvíľu hanblivo pozerala na svoje topánky. Potom si kľakla a natiahla ruku. „Môžem ti pomôcť?“
„Môžeš,“ zapípal mravček.
Dievča zrniečko jemne podalo späť do drobných mravčích nožičiek. Mravček sa usmial tak veľmi, ako len mravček vie.
„Ďakujem,“ povedal. „Keď som išiel tadiaľto, videl som lesklú čiarku pri kmeni. Šla tým smerom.“
Svetlík sa pri tom trochu rozžiaril. Jeho svetlo sa nezhurtačilo ani nestalo sa veľkým, len bolo jasnejšie a pokojnejšie.
„Vidíš?“ zašepkal. „Keď pomôžeme, svetlo sa cíti lepšie.“
Lili prikývla. „Poďme teda ďalej.“
O chvíľu už kráčali pod nižšími vetvami gaštana. Listy nad nimi šušťali a mach bol mäkký ako vankúš. Medzitým sa z medzery medzi koreňmi ozvalo veselé frfľanie. Bola to veverička s huňatým chvostom, ktorá pobehovala sem a tam.
„Ach jaj, ach jaj,“ vzdychala. „Kde je môj poklad zo šišiek?“
„Poklad zo šišiek?“ zopakovala Lili.
Veverička prikývla. „Schovala som si ich sem pod strom. Lenže teraz ich neviem nájsť. Prehľadala som mach, listy aj túto malú dierku pri koreni.“
Svetlík sa vzniesol o trochu vyššie. „Možno sú blízko,“ povedal.
Lili si spomenula na lesklú stopu pri zemi. „Najprv sa pozrime tam, kde sme videli tú žiaru,“ navrhla. Hovorila ticho, ale iste.
Veveričkin poklad zo šišiek
Veverička zamyslene naklonila hlavu. Potom sa usmiala. „Dobrý nápad. Pomôžem vám.“
Spolu sa skláňali nad machom, pozerali pod listy a jemne odsunuli malú vetvičku. Zrazu pod jedným veľkým listom čosi zažiarilo.
„Tam!“ zvolala veverička.
Lili opatrne nadvihla list. Pod ním sa leskol malý kamienok. Bol hladký, sivobiely a lesklý ako kvapka mesačného svetla. Práve vtedy sa pod koreňom ozvalo tiché zavibrovanie.
Svetielko.
Malé svetielko, ktoré sa doteraz schovávalo, sa pomaly vytiahlo z machu. Nežiarilo silno, ale bolo už odvážnejšie. Akoby cítilo, že niečo dôležité je nablízku.
„To je ono,“ zašepkal Svetlík. „Jeho obľúbený kamienok.“
Lili ho zdvihla do dlaní. Bol chladný a jemný. Mravček sa pritom usmial a veverička si spokojne sadla na koreň.
„Teraz už vieme, prečo sa schovávalo,“ povedala Lili.
Potom sa spolu vrátili k veľkému gaštanu. Pod koreňmi bolo ešte stále mäkké ticho. Dievča položilo kamienok presne na miesto, kde sa v machu ligotala malá preliačina.
Najprv sa nič nestalo. Napokon však svetielko jemne zablikalo. Potom ešte raz. A zrazu sa rozžiarilo tichým, teplým svetlom.
„Aha,“ vydýchol Svetlík. Jeho vlastná žiara sa okamžite prispôsobila tej malej a príjemne sa rozliala po zemi.
Gaštanové listy sa zľahka zachveli. Kôra stromu akoby prebleskla mäkkým zlatým odtieňom. Na blízkej vetvičke sa dokonca rozsvietil aj jeden malý lesný lampášik, ktorý bol dovtedy len tlmený.
Mravček zodvihol svoje tykadlá. Veverička si spokojne chytila chvost. A malému svetielku sa už nechcelo skrývať.
Malý lesklý kamienok
„Už svieti,“ povedalo tichým hlasom, akoby to bola veľká radosť.
Lili sa usmiala. „Stačilo vrátiť kamienok na miesto.“
„A pomôcť po ceste,“ dodal mravček.
„A nezabudnúť byť trpezlivý,“ pridala veverička.
Svetlík sa pritúlil bližšie k Lili. Jeho svetlo bolo pokojné a mäkké. „Keď pomôžeme tam, kde je to práve potrebné, aj svetlo si nájde cestu späť,“ povedal spokojne.
Pod gaštanom nastalo milé ticho. Nebolo prázdne, ale plné mäkkého žiarenia. Lili, Svetlík, mravček aj veverička chvíľu len stáli a pozerali, ako sa pod koreňmi ligocú malé svetielko a ako gaštan jemne žiari, akoby sa usmieval.
A potom sa Lili nadýchla čerstvého lesného vzduchu a ticho povedala: „To bolo pekné hľadanie.“
„Áno,“ súhlasil Svetlík. „A ešte krajšia pomoc.“
Na mäkkej cestičke zostalo všetko pokojné, bezpečné a teplé. A pod starým gaštanom svietilo malé svetielko už celkom spokojne, ako by sa mu konečne vrátil domov jeho najmilší kamienok.
Pokračovanie nabudúce…
The Forest of Little Lights, part 7: The Little Light in the Chestnut
A Quiet Little Light Under the Chestnut
At the edge of the magic forest, the morning was soft as moss. Lily walked along a narrow path in her green coat and tiny yellow boots, and her leaf-shaped bag swung by her side. Beside her, Glimmer floated along. His round little body shone with warm golden light, but today it glowed only gently, as if he too was listening to the quiet forest.
“Look,” he whispered at once. “There is a big chestnut tree.”
In front of them stood an old tree with a thick trunk and roots that rested on the ground like soft hands. Between the leaves and the moss, a tiny silver line sparkled.
Lily bent down. “It is shiny,” she said softly. “It looks like something came this way.”
Glimmer moved closer to the roots. His light blinked softly for a moment. Then a small light showed under one root. It was so tiny it could fit in a hand. It pulsed for a little while, and then it hid again deeper in the moss.
“Did you see that?” Glimmer asked, and his eyes grew bright with curiosity.
“Yes,” Lily said. “But I think it is hiding.”
It was quiet by the roots. The air smelled like earth and leaves. The little light did not show itself again, but something under the ground seemed to tremble sadly.
The Ant and the Tiny Seed
“Maybe it is looking for something,” Lily said.
Glimmer looked down. “But what?”
Just then, the girl saw a tiny shiny pebble on the ground. It lay between two green leaves and caught the light like a drop of water.
“Maybe this,” she said carefully. “But I do not know why yet.”
Before they could decide, a soft rustle came from the path. A little ant appeared in the grass. It was carrying a seed that was too big for it. Step by step, it tried to cross the soft moss, but the seed kept slipping.
“Oh,” sighed the ant. “I cannot get it home.”
Lily looked at her shoes for a moment, a little shy. Then she knelt down and reached out her hand. “Can I help you?”
“Yes,” the ant said in a tiny voice.
Carefully, the girl gave the seed back to the ant’s little feet. The ant smiled as much as an ant can smile.
“Thank you,” it said. “When I came this way, I saw a shiny line near the trunk. It went that way.”
Because of that, Glimmer shone a little brighter. His light did not grow big, but it became clearer and calmer.
“See?” he whispered. “When we help, the light feels better.”
Lily nodded. “Then let us go on.”
After a while, they were walking under the lower branches of the chestnut tree. The leaves above them rustled, and the moss was soft like a pillow. Meanwhile, from a space between the roots came a cheerful grumble. It was a squirrel with a fluffy tail, running here and there.
The Squirrel’s Pinecone Treasure
“Oh dear, oh dear,” it sighed. “Where is my pinecone treasure?”
“Pinecone treasure?” Lily repeated.
The squirrel nodded. “I hid it here under the tree. But now I cannot find it. I looked in the moss, in the leaves, and in this little hole by the root.”
Glimmer rose a little higher. “Maybe it is close,” he said.
Lily remembered the shiny line on the ground. “First let us look where we saw the glow,” she suggested. Her voice was quiet, but sure.
The squirrel tilted its head and thought for a moment. Then it smiled. “Good idea. I will help you.”
Together they bent over the moss, looked under the leaves, and gently moved a small twig aside. Suddenly, something sparkled under one big leaf.
“There!” called the squirrel.
Carefully, Lily lifted the leaf. Under it lay a small pebble. It was smooth, gray-white, and shiny like a drop of moonlight. At that same moment, a soft hum came from under the root.
The little light.
The tiny light that had hidden all this time slowly came out of the moss. It did not shine strongly, but it was braver now. It seemed to feel that something important was near.
“That is it,” Glimmer whispered. “Its favorite pebble.”
Lily held it in her hands. It was cool and smooth. The ant smiled, and the squirrel sat happily on the root.
The Little Shiny Pebble
“Now we know why it was hiding,” Lily said.
Then they went back to the big chestnut tree. Under the roots, the soft quiet was still there. The girl placed the pebble exactly where a little hollow shone in the moss.
At first, nothing happened. Then the little light blinked softly. Then again. And suddenly, it began to glow with a quiet, warm light.
“Oh,” Glimmer breathed. His own glow changed at once to match it, and it spread kindly over the ground.
The chestnut leaves shivered lightly. The bark of the tree seemed to shine with a soft gold color. On a nearby branch, even one small forest lantern that had been dim before now lit up.
The ant lifted its feelers. The squirrel wrapped its tail around itself with a happy look. And the little light did not want to hide anymore.
“It shines now,” it said in a tiny voice, as if this was a great joy.
Lily smiled. “It only needed its pebble back.”
“And help along the way,” said the ant.
“And patience,” added the squirrel.
Glimmer moved closer to Lily. His light was calm and soft. “When we help where help is needed, the light can find its way back too,” he said happily.
Under the chestnut tree, a sweet silence settled. It was not empty, but full of soft light. Lily, Glimmer, the ant, and the squirrel stood for a moment and watched the little light sparkle under the roots while the chestnut tree glowed gently, as if it were smiling.
The Chestnut Glows Softly
Then Lily took a breath of the fresh forest air and said quietly, “That was a lovely search.”
“Yes,” Glimmer agreed. “And an even lovelier help.”
On the soft path, everything stayed calm, safe, and warm. And under the old chestnut tree, the little light shone in peace, as if its dearest pebble had finally come home.
To be continued…