Doves by Gur
Once upon a time a man called Gur lived and he tried to find an art after his heart. He was a baker’s apprentice, and a shoemaker’s apprentice, and a carpenter’s apprentice – just wrong, wrong, wrong. Gur came to a weaver. “Please teach me how to weave soft cloth; I’d like to adopt your practices. The weaver agreed.
One day Gur was going home after a hard day, and he saw a basket at the door. He looked into it and saw…a baby! His heart trembled and he adopted the baby. He thought, how to live…There was nobody to look after the baby, that meant he had to take the baby to the working shop with him, feed there and cradle. But he must work!
In such thoughts Gur fell into a deep sleep. And he saw a dream, as though he was sitting in the working shop, and the baby was sleeping easily, wrapped with a wide piece of soft cloth to his back. And the baby felt so good as if he was cuddled with mother’s arms…
Gur woke up very glad – he had a decision! He rushed into his workshop at rapid-fire pace, holding a basket with the baby in one hand and a bottle of milk, which he had bought on his way in another hand; muddled the events of last night and his dream to the weaver and started to work.
Gur tried all kinds of weavings and blends, which the Master explained to him, but he couldn’t make such a soft and mold cloth as he had seen in his dream. He was very sad.
Gur rose to the roof of workshop in thoughtfulness, where dovecote was. It was so nice there: doves were mourning, weathercock was spinning and the whole town spread before the eyes…Suddenly one of the birds sat down on Gur’s shoulder.
Why are you so sad?
Gur was very surprised but gave no sign:
I cannot weave cloth and make it soft and mold to cuddle a baby like with mothers’ arms. Whatever I do – it was no use…
Don’t cry, I’ll help you. When you start your work, weave down from my feather and make a pattern with flying doves…
Gur took dove’s feather, thanked the bird and have gone downstairs, started his work again. And what a miracle! – The cloth was namely what he wanted to see. Gur was very happy. He took the baby and wrapped him quickly. The baby made himself comfortable and fall asleep. The man smiled happily: he felt joy with work and satisfaction with its result for the first time. He was at the right place.
Gur became a famous person: locals and then strangers asked him to make wonderful wraps. And “Doves by Gur” flew round the world, cuddling new babies with their feathers – tender as mothers’ arms.
Written and illustrated by:
Rada Snezhkina