Chapter 4:
The Lake

Soon grandfather Basil said to Asya:

“Follow me, I’ll show you our lake! We’ll swim there! The water is already warm: this year, spring came early!”

“But I can’t swim…” — Asya embarrassedly said.

“Well, so that’s what we have to do then: learn to swim!”

… Grandfather called Buddy and Purr — and they all together went to the lake.

… Buddy, a shaggy young dog, was very happy about Asya — the new resident of their house.

He jumped around her with joy and wagged his tail, asking Asya to play.

“Do you want to race with Buddy to the lake? He wants to!” — grandfather asked.

Asya wanted to as well. They cheerfully ran ahead, occasionally stopping to take a breath and wait for her leisurely-walking grandfather and the cat Purr.

In the past, Buddy had tried to play and run a race with Purr, but the calm cat quickly tired of such fun. And he found a quiet place somewhere on a high branch of a tree.

But now — Buddy had Asya for games!

They could frolic and play together — and it gave them both unspeakable joy!

Now every morning, Asya ran with Buddy to the lake. They now had such a fun morning ritual.

… And at the lake, grandfather Basil taught Asya how to swim.

At first, Asya was afraid…

She tensed and shrank with fear — and her body began to sink into the water as soon as grandfather removed his supporting hands.

Then grandpa suggested:

“Asya, try to get more air into your lungs — and lie face down on the water.”

… It became interesting… And Asya forgot to be afraid.

And when she stood up to fill her lungs with air, grandfather said to her:

“Did you notice that the water itself holds your body if you have filled your lungs with air and are not afraid?

“If you do not shrink with fear and do not exhale air from your lungs, then you can easily float on the surface of the water! But if you’re afraid and shrink with fear — the body sinks.”

… Then they continued to talk about it:

“The same thing also often happens in everyday life: if you are afraid — everything does not turn out well, and if you are not afraid — then you can feel that God supports you and carries you on His Hands, and that you only have to row to float to where you need!”

“I sometimes fear my father,” — Asya confessed. — “I know that he loves me, but I’m still afraid of doing something wrong. When he’s angry, he makes me ‘heavy’ — and I ‘drown in fear’…”

“No, Asya: he is not the one who is doing it, but it is you yourself who does it with your fear…

“Now you have learned not to be afraid in the water. And, in the same way, we will very soon conquer all your fears! They will no longer have a place in your life!”

… Asya learned to swim and dive in just a few days!

Then one day, she asked:

“Grandfather, what if I suddenly start to be afraid again, when dad comes? And then, when I get home, I won’t be able to be brave and live happily, like I do when I’m here with you?”

“Is this something that you are afraid of now?”

“I do not know. But what if things go back to how they were?”

“This depends only on you, Asya!”

… And then grandfather gave Asya a puppet doll. It was a girl with funny linen pigtails and rope hands and legs, with wooden palms and shoes. By moving the cross handle, one could easily direct the movements, and the doll could then very deftly walk and dance…

Asya quickly got used to the controls — and the doll began to obey her.

And grandfather said:

“Look: if you loosen all the ropes, it will only be a bunch of impotent pieces of wood and rags. But if you direct the doll, it will then dance or walk the way you want.

“In the same way, man-the-soul can manage his or her body and emotions.

“For this, it is necessary to not just pull oneself by ropes, but to climb into your spiritual heart and never stop living in it, even if it seems that everything around is going wrong.”

… And Asya now studied this new joyful life. The unseen Magical World was becoming more and more apparent. And even sometimes, it seemed to Asya that the rays of the sun in the morning mist would open the door-entrance to the Magical World. Or that a rainbow over an expanse after the rain was a bridge to there!

… Two weeks later, on the weekend, Asya’s parents came and could not be happier with such a healthy and happy daughter of theirs!