Anya, please eat. Give it a try, what a tasty porridge! Mum was trying tenderly to persuade her, but her daughter shook her head refusing to eat.
Mum was in despair. For more than a month her daughter was lying in the bed, sad and pale and indifferent to everything. She refused to eat, to play, to listen to stories. The doctor told that the girl for unknown reason lost energy and interest in life and in this situation only a miracle can help. The mother's last hope was for the old doctor. Even though he has retired a long time ago, people say that in his time he could do almost impossible things, real miracles, so to say.
Unfortunately, I don't attend to patients anymore, besides your girl does not have anything terrible, answered the old doctor to mum's requests.
What can be more terrible, if the child does not want to live! exclaimed mother in despair. After these words the doctor changed his decision and promised to come.
Dressed in a brown raincoat, a brown hat and with a brown sack in hands the old man entered into the girl's room, but she did not answered to his greetings and even did not look at him. Mum wished to take away the raincoat and the hat from the doctor, but by a gesture he stopped her and started to address the girl: "Once upon a time in the far chocolate country a great event had occurred. The chocolate scientist with their new telescope discovered our country. Chocolate little men all cried ‘hurrah', but the astronomer sadly said: "My new telescope is so powerful, that I can see one little girl. All the day through she stays sad and refuses to eat, and it is awful."
Hearing this, the chocolate little men became very upset and decided to send us the air chocolate ship with a magic chocolate bag. Chocolate in this bag cures all illnesses. Today I looked out from my window and saw, how this chocolate ship has landed near my house. There was a big note: "This is our gift for Anya! It brings joy, energy and health". Therefore I brought this bag to you. But please, forgive me, I gave away one small chocolate out of this bag on my way near school where I met a crying boy. I decided to present him with a chocolate. Having taken the chocolate from me, he cried: "Hey, boys, I've got something tasty ." In a second a crowd of children had gathered around him, and all the children with pleasure began to eat chocolate with him. And in a minute this boy was cheerfully playing together with all."
When the doctor had finished the story, the girl, with widely opened eyes, whispered:
“And who are you, the chocolate wizard!?”
“Surely, I am,” the old doctor smiled and took out from his sack a beautiful package with chocolate, put it on Anya's bed and left the room.
“I do not know, how to thank you, dear doctor,” joyfully said the mother, trying to give to the old man all her savings.
“No, no, I won't take any money. Every year one rich lady sends me a package with chocolate in gratitude that I cured her son. Rather spend some of your money for small chocolates and from time to time fill with them that ‘magic' package for your daughter. Chocolate is necessary for her for strengthening and vitality,” said the old doctor.
Her mother, following the advice of the old doctor, was buying the chocolate to make sure that the ‘magic package' is not empty. Unfortunately, after some time she lost her job and wasn't able to afford the chocolate anymore. She had some savings and worked from home as dressmaker but the chocolate was quite expensive and the money she earned was not enough.
When Anya found out, that the package became empty, first she was very upset, but then, having thought more carefully, told her mum: "It's OK, very soon it will be New Year and all children will receive their presents. And after taking care of all the children, the kind chocolate wizard surely will send me the most beautiful chocolate."
Mum's heart was very disturbed at these words. She hardly had any money and she was too scared that her happy daughter will become again sad and indifferent if she won't receive a chocolate gift. When the daughter had fallen asleep, mum took out from a locker her last valuable thing - the pearl necklace, which she inherited from her grandmother, and ran with it to the shop of sweets.
Next morning she cheerfully told the daughter: “The chocolate wizard sent a letter for you. He is asking you to go to the shop of sweets and to choose any chocolate you like.
Mummy! But in the shop one must pay money, and we don't have money. How can I get any chocolate?! - Anya was frightened.
The chocolate wizard sends to the shops chocolate from his chocolate country, and he established a rule that once a year one child receives a chocolate gift free of charge. And in this year the chocolate wizard has chosen you.
When they entered the shop, the eyes of the girl stopped on a huge gold box of chocolates in the center of a show-window. The chocolate figures which have been wrapped up in a multi-coloured foil with brilliant asterisks, looked wonderful. And in the center of a box there was a big chocolate star.
The girl pleadingly looked at the shop owner, and he immediately understood. Having removed this box from the show-window, he gave it to Anya, saying: "Yesterday it was brought specially for you from the magic country."
The girl cheerfully begun to clap hands. She was totally amazed when she saw a picture on the top cover of the box. There was a beautiful drawing with trees with large leaves and inflorescent pink colors. From trunks of trees grew many bunches of funny huge yellow and red cucumbers. Nearby the trees black people in loincloths were busy packing fruits in huge tubs. And on a gold throne there was a king – he was sitting and drinking a chocolate drink from a golden bowl.
“Yes, exactly, miss, this is South America . There the chocolate tree grows in tropical forests. It blossoms and produces fruit the whole year round. Each of these strangely-looking cucumbers contain fifty chocolate seeds. In the beginning these seeds are very bitter so they need to be stored for quite some time in big pots and when all fruit's pulp decay, these seeds have a very pleasant chocolate taste.” explained the owner.
“Oh, I'd love so much to have at least one chocolate seed, then I could grow a chocolate tree and share its fruits with those who can't afford to buy chocolate.”
“Unfortunately, it is impossible. The chocolate tree grows in thr tropics and loves very hot weather. Even at plus fifteen degrees this tree freezes.” explained the seller.
The girl has thanked the owner and left the shop, tightly holding this precious chocolate gift. Outside a group of street children were kicking one boy, while he was bitterly sobbing and muttering: "why you didn't let me look, why you didn't let me look there…!"
“How dare are you! Why are you are beating him?!” shouted the girl, parting the fighting boys.
What is the use of his nagging, anyhow there is nothing to look at anymore!” muttered one of the boys.
“And what did he want to see?” the girl asked.
“Your box,” grinned the other boy dressed in such tattered clothes that his clothes seemed to consist of only holes. He spitted and began to explain: “Some people can buy chocolate, while others can only look at it. Your box today has appeared in the glass-window of this shop, and this black boy had no right to approach to a show-window while we have not seen enough.
The girl in reply to these words showed the children the picture on the top cover of her box.
“See, this is the chocolate country, and this boy comes from chocolate kingdom, that's why he is black,” explained Anya.
“Can we look at your chocolates,” asked the boys.
“Surely!” the girl opened the box and told them: “This chocolate came from the magic country and it can grant any desire.”
“How much I wish, that my mum would recover and come back home from the hospital. To be without a mother is so difficult,” sighed one of the boys, dressed in tattered clothes.
“Take one chocolate, eat it together with your mum and she will recover,” generously offered Anya.
The boy pulled out from the box of a big chocolate wrapped in a dark blue foil.
“And I would like to study so that I can drive trains when I grow up,” said the older boy.
“Then you should take a small chocolate train in a red foil,” offered the girl.
One after another boys expressed their wishes and each of them took one chocolate figure. Now it was the black boy's turn.
For you I'd love to give the most important gift, here, this great chocolate star, because you come from the chocolate country,” said Anya cheerfully.
“And I wish to go there,” whispered the boy, having stretched both hands towards the magic gift.
“Certainly, you will get there. You will become a famous traveller and will visit many wonderful overseas countries.” Anya reassured him.
- My dear! In fact it was your gift, and you did not leave for yourself anything, - amazingly said mother, looking at the empty box.
“My wish has been fulfilled, when I received this box. But it was only one gift, and now it turned out to be ten gifts!” happily laughed Anya.
When mother and a daughter approached their house, to their surprise they saw the owner of the shop standing by their door.
Smiling, he gave the woman a packet with her necklace and added: “Take it back, please, I saw all that had happened through my window. Let it be so, as the wizard ordered, let one child receive a chocolate gift free of charge every year.”
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