Drawing by Liubov Datchenko

It is the spirit of the forest in Slavic mythology. It lives in every forest and especially loves fir trees. He can become a stump, turn into an animal or bird, transform into a bear or capercaillie, a hare or any other animal, even a plant, because he is not only the spirit of the forest, but also its essence: he is covered with moss, snorts as if the forest is rustling, not only appears as a fir tree, but also becomes covered with moss and grass. The forest spirit differs from other spirits in its special properties, which only it possesses: when walking through the forest, it is as tall as the tallest trees. At the same time, when it goes for walks, entertainment, and jokes on the outskirts of the forest, it walks there in small steps, under the grass, freely hiding under any berry leaves. However, he rarely goes out into the meadows, strictly adhering to the laws of his neighbor, who is called the field spirit. The forest dweller also does not go into villages so as not to quarrel with the household and pinschers, especially in those villages where black roosters crow and dogs and tricolor cats live in houses. But in the forest, he is the absolute master: all animals and birds are under his control and obey him silently. Hares are especially obedient to him. They are like his serfs, and at least he has the right to lose them in a card game to a neighboring forest dweller. Flocks of squirrels are not free from this dependence, and if they, moving in countless hordes and forgetting any fear of humans, run into big cities and jump on roofs, climb chimneys, and even jump through windows, then the matter is clear: it means that foresters have complete control.