In the evening of January 6, after drinking herbal tea, I was about to go to heat the bathhouse, so that I could wash and rub each other’s backs and stew with my little wife Vasilisa, my beautiful wife.

- Vasya! - and beautiful Vasilisa, crouching on my knees, hugged me - Go behind the tree. Let the kids rejoice.

The fact is that the chairman of the collective farm (never privatized) sent me, with a team of loggers in the taiga, to harvest timber for the sawmill, exactly on December 31, when I went for a Christmas tree for children.

And we returned a couple of hours ago!

- Yes, New Year's Eve, Vasya ...

- Christmas tomorrow, Vasya. Go. And I ... - and she pressed herself against me so that everything fluttered inside, and I, without hesitation, agreed

- I'll go my honey

“Oh, come on, honey.” And I'll put the kids in early

I dressed in overalls, felt boots and a hat. He put the hatchet in the boot on the gear. I took the skies in the storage room and went outside.

It was overcast, quiet, and it was snowing.

Frost degrees twelve.

My flashlight is fixed on the cap, and I turned it on.

Tightened mounting and went through the garden to the forest.

The ski track was not very covered up yet, and I walked quickly.

From my garden to the forest about two and a half kilometers and in twenty minutes I was already at the edge of the forest.

Stopped, looked time on the cell - 22:30

- Taak! Where, last year?

I had a clearing in the forest, where I chose a small Christmas tree for the second year.

Skis removed, and stuck in the snow.

I made my way through deep, fluffy snow to my clearing, when something, flying right over my head, crashed into a huge snowdrift, about twenty steps ahead.

I, just in case, hid behind a big spruce fir, and put out my flashlight, I hid myself.

- Your mother! Where are you, damn brat ?! You can't hide from me! Here I will find a cross ...

The voice was low, bass and betrayed a man with a big silushka.

I looked out because ate

A man was rummaging in the snow, dressed in a short, belted sheepskin coat. In leather boots with long tops. On the head of a malakhai, covered in snow

Something black, and with a tail flashed behind a snowdrift.

The man straightened - You will not go far! - he shook his fist to someone

I felt rather than heard, and turned sharply

In the snow, two steps away from me, the Devil was standing!

- Chert! - I involuntarily swore, and froze

The devil did not disappear and I pulled my nose

- Shhhh! - Damn pressed his hairy and hooked finger to his thin lips

I turned on the flashlight, but the devil didn't disappear.

Only a clearer and more prominent became this creature, not cast a shadow from the light of the lantern.

He was half my height. Hoofs on legs, goat beard. Nose with a button. Red lips, on black, thick-bristled face, and red eyes, in which yellow demonic lights danced. Horns were clearly visible on the head, and a long tail dragged through the snow behind it. The tail was unusually mobile: it twitched, then twisted with a rope, then suddenly flew up and twisted around a thin, with a huge Adam's apple, neck. Black cock, with a red prick, dangling between his legs, hanging almost to his knees!

Despite the disgusting look of the creature, there was something devilishly elegant in him!

I took a breath and pulled the hatchet from the boot.

The devil, not losing sight of a man rummaging through a snowdrift, looked at me and shook his head.

Not a member! And the one with the horns!

- Do not betray me, Vasily!

Only the lips of the Devil moved, but I clearly heard every word.

Damn side, watching and for me, and for the man, jumped up to me

“This is Vakula, a blacksmith from Dikanka.” We have lost a little bit. He himself is guilty: he still popped his cross under my nose. Well, dropped!

- You do not hide! Do not hide!

I looked out from behind ate: the muzhik is already half a coffin rattling!

- Can you pet him? Just do not be angry! Cool Vakula for reprisals! - Damn scratched under the tail and sneezed!

The man straightened up and stared at the fir-tree, behind which we were hiding - Come on, come on! - he threatened frowning, putting his fists on his hips.

It was as if someone pushed me, and I stepped out from behind ate.

The man was confused.

I was silent.

- Who are you?

- Vasya!

- Vakula! You did not see the devil?

- Yes, here I am! - Fuck leaned out, apparently hoping that with me, the blacksmith would not catch him

With extraordinary dexterity, Vakula darted to hell

He would have knocked down and me, but I managed to bounce

Vakula was hugging a spruce.

I was getting out of the snow.

Damn it was not!

- You won't get far! - Vakula stepped away from ate - Vasya, help me find a cross!

- Yes, I have traps hidden under the snow! - suddenly I blurted out

Damn, like a scalded, jumped out from behind a snowdrift and faced Vakula. He wanted to dodge, but the blacksmith was already winding his tail on his arm.

- That's the same! - and raised fist

Damn fell on his knees - Just do not beat, Vakula. I will look for a cross

- I'll find the cross myself. And you see how far we are to the capital

The devil climbed onto the fir, and Vakula and I continued to look for a cross.

I was looking for Vakula, and I highlighted a flashlight.

- Do not look for you! - damn jumped into the snow - Here it is with half a verst!

Vakula straightened, and I shone my flashlight in the snout of the devil.

- Vaughn, capital city Petersburg! - the devil's tail straightened, pointing in the direction of my village.

- Come on! - Vakula was shaking snow from the sheepskin coat - We’ll find it afterwards!

- Stop, guys! - I stuck - There is my village! And to Peter about seven thousand miles!

Vakula stared at the devil.

The damn stared at me.

- Cherevichki, Oksana - as Vakula muttered in delirium

- what are the cherovichki? What is Oksana? What year is it in the yard?

The blacksmith did not hear me, but the devil clarified - And what?

- Two thousand seventeen from the birth of Christ!

The devil whistled, and a work of thought appeared on Vakula’s face.

The devil pulled me to the side - Come away!

We moved away from Vakula, frozen in a stupor

- Uma chamber, yes shit up for a shovel! Before him, like a duck: it comes on the third day. You did not mess up, my dear man? - damn licked red lips and scratching under the tail

- “How does his dick not fall off the frost?”

- Well no!

- It's all a cross! I've gotten Vakula! - damn sneezed three times I took out my cell phone and looked at the time - 23: 20 I took out my cell phone and looked at the time - 23: 20 I took out my cell phone and looked at the time - 23: 20

- Do you have a GPS navigator?

I was not even surprised - No!

- Chert! - damn cursed - Then you need a cross

- Found! - Vakula shook a cross

- Are you with us? - startled Damn

- Why am I?

“You see, we are in a loop.” For two hundred years we have been walking in a circle. To break the loop, we need another one. So you appeared

- Yes, I do not want to hang out in your loop

- And she is already yours! You will not agree, you will appear at home and again you will come here. Well, so?

I scratched my head - Ah! See how Peter is there!

- Then go!

- But as?

- Give me that! - the devil pulled the foot to the cross

Vakula pulled back his hand - Do not hush up!

- Explain to him, dear man - damn sadly slouched

- What to explain, if I myself do not know how to go back two hundred and forty-two years ago?

- How how! The cross is not easy! He discovers a wormhole funnel.

The blacksmith did not understand anything, but I thought that I was beginning to rave.

But at this time, something happened behind our backs.

We turned

From a snowdrift, with a low hum, at a height of about two meters, the funnel moved toward us, casting a shadow, in the form of a circle, on the snow!

- It worked! - damn spread legs - Take it!

We joined hands (paws, if we talk about the devil), and when the funnel shadow approached, we stepped into a dark circle.

I do not know whether we moved for a long time or not. For a couple of seconds, she caught her breath.

Eyes ...