on on a still summer night when the stars in the sky blazed so brightly that all the flowers stayed awake just to gaze at them a baby girl was born It was harvest time in the Blue Forest The baby’s father Nikolai was busy day and night in the family orchard At this time of year folk came from far and wide to buy fruit from him or to purchase the spiced bread and sweet jams made by his wife Anna Nikolai heard the news of his baby’s arrival from a radiant blue bird He hurried home as fast as he could and he was met by a sight even more beautiful than the stars in the night sky The baby girl was a miracle They named her Natasha
Life was good As she grew up little Natasha would often help her parents in the orchard She liked to climb the ladders to the tallest branches of the fruit trees pick the very best apples and fill up the fruit baskets If she felt tired she would curl up like a cat under the trees and fall asleep
