Once upon a time there was a small cottage. In this wooden cottage at the end of the village lived a little curious boy named George. The boy was interested in everything. But his favourite place was the forest, where he could explore the beauty of nature. Every time his mother went to the market and his father to work in the fields, they would give George the task of cleaning the cottage and gathering herbs, raspberries or blackberries in the nearby forest.
George knew not to go deep into the forest, but only to the beginning of it, as his mother told him. George always obeyed his parents and returned home before dark, as they had agreed. The curious boy was always accompanied in the forest by his faithful friend, his dog Bruno, who had strayed when he was very small. Early in the morning, when George’s parents went to the village market and fields, George would sweep the entire hut and reach for the woven basket by the stove. He would jump up and sing happily as he walked to the nearby forest with his dog Bruno. He knew the forest well and knew exactly where to look for herbs and berries. The little boy already had a full basket, but decided to explore the forest ahead.
As the little boy walked among the tall green trees,he realised that he was already deep in the forest and did not know this part of the forest. Oops! He should have listened to his mother and not ventured deep into the forest, he thought. When Bruno, the dog, suddenly started barking shyly, he must have been frightened, George thought.
Suddenly, the little boy saw a thick bush full of blackberries. He reached out to pick the blackberries when the grandmother appeared in front of him. “Hello, boy,” said the grandmother in a ragged dress. “Will you help the old woman carry the wood to her cottage?” she asked him. George knew that old people should be helped, although he felt that this old woman was somehow different. His dog Bruno growled shyly at the old woman and bared his teeth at her. But George did not hesitate to help her, took the wood on his back and went to the old woman’s cottage.
As George walked through the forest behind the old woman, he noticed that the forest was getting darker and darker. Suddenly, an old wooden cottage appeared in front of the old woman and George.
The little boy put the wood down in front of the front door and was already about to leave with the dog, when the old lady spoke up again: – Come in, my boy, I’ll make you some tea and cake, to thank you for your help,” she said, laughing awfully. George knew he shouldn’t talk to strangers, and certainly not go inside, but the little boy was too curious and wanted to see what it was like inside. Bruno tried to pull George away, but full of curiosity he went inside, and the old woman closed the door behind them. However, when the little boy took a bite of the pecan pie, he fell into a deep sleep. Grandmother laughed and began preparing a concoction, into which she threw various herbs and spices. Bruno just barked and barked, trying to wake the little boy.
How did the fate of the curious George and his faithful dog Bruno turn out? What did the evil witch do to George? This, children, we will find out in the next part.
