This story really happened, but it is more like a fairy tale. It happened to a friend of mine who lived next door. It was a long time ago, back in the days of the Soviet Union. Then the villages existed normally. And near ours there was a forest, without a single dry branch. Beauties! it was a stone’s throw from the village to this forest, and we, the children, often went there for mushrooms and berries.
And once a mysterious and mystical incident happened to my neighbor friend in that forest. He was very fond of walking with his dog in that forest and picking mushrooms in the season. He usually did it early in the morning. And that morning he took the basket, called the dog, and went into the woods.
When they entered the forest, the dog began to run, play, chase birds, but kept close to the owner. A neighbor at that time began to look for mushrooms. Some time passed, and he realized that he no longer heard his dog. He stopped, looked around and listened. But the dog was nowhere to be seen. Then he whistled loudly. The dog did not respond. The neighbor whistled again. Silence again. In response, silence again. The friend whistled for the third time with all his might.
And then suddenly a strange man appeared in front of the neighbor. Where he came from neighbor could not explain. He was dressed in some kind of elegant old costume. All clothes were black. A black tailcoat and a bowler hat, and in his hand a strange man held a cane. He bowed his head slightly and said:
— Why did you call?
The neighbor was not that frightened, but was in a fainting state. But still he was able to run home, sparkling heels. All pale, without a basket, without a dog, flew into the yard. Barely came to his senses. After what happened, he no longer went to the forest.
So the forest lives its own life, it has its own secrets.