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       Once upon a time, Great Sun fell in love with Earth .

       Earth was warmed by this love, and the ever-cold glaciers and snow thawed. Creeks and rivers ran. Earth began to cry with happy tears -- warm rains. These rains caused grass and trees, forests and orchards to grow.

        Sun came to Earth and brought a light, and the days became long, so long that the darkness died away and the nights were quite short. They were so short, that they were hardly present, because Sunset and Morning Star walked embracing each other.

        And from this love of Sun and Earth, their daughter Spring was born. And when Spring came to a country of clear-eyed and rus-haired** people -- the orchards began to bloom with white-white petals. Red flowers were in blossom.

        The people were so glad about the warmth and the beauties: clear white Sun and beautiful red Earth. But they didn't know how to live on the earth now. Then, the second son of Sun and Earth -- Yaryla -- came to people. He arrived riding a fine white horse. Yaryla taught the people how to plough, to sow rye and vegetables, and to raise animals. He taught the people how to make light white shirts and dresses from flax and to embroider beautiful red patterns on them, making praises to Sun and Earth for giving Life.

        The people heeded Yaryla. They learned how to work conscientiously and utilize the results of their work. Then the third daughter of Sun and Earth -- Koupalinka -- came to them. She was cheerful and beautiful; she brought songs and dances, games and fun to the people for their rest and amusement. She set "karahods"*** with them on the short summer nights. On the foggy, dewy white dawns, she looked for the magic red Fern-flower in order to bring a happiness to the people.

        The people were happy.

        When the autumn came, the people harvested a good crop from their fields and orchards. And they sang songs and thanked Sun and Earth for their gifts.

        But... but Sun had some more business and he went to an other land.

        The nights became long, the days -- quite short and gloomy. Earth began to cry with bitter cold rains.

        It became cold and frosty on Earth again. The rivers and the lakes froze. The land was covered in white snow again. The time came to Earth, when Maroz ruled and controlled.

        And the people were worried and afraid that Sun disappeared forever. That it would never again be warm on Earth. That Spring and Yaryla and Koupalinka would never come to them. They believed that Maroz was an old, angry and ferocious man, because they saw his sparkling eyes in the patterns at the windows of their houses, his gray hair under white huts of pines and birches, his long gray beard covering their fields.

        And they began to ask him: "Dzed Maroz, don't freeze our fields and our seeds, because then our rye will not grow and we will have no bread. And don't freeze our orchards, because we will have neither apples nor pears. And don't freeze our animals, because our children will have no milk. And don't freeze our children, because they will get sick and die; and we will have no future."

        But... but Dzed Maroz wasn't angry or severe at all. On the contrary: he was kind and sensitive. He loved the people and was bored with his loneliness. When he had heard what the rus-haired people asked him in the snowed land, he wore his best white zhupan**** and his red kazhuhe*****, took a full bag of gifts, harnessed his deer and came to the people.

        He told the people that he wasn't angry with them at all. That the long cold nights -- they were only temporary, that the fields and the orchards weren't frozen. They were just sleeping and taking a rest under the blanket of the white downy snow. He handed out the gifts to the children and taught them how to play with snow, skates and sleds. And he played karahods with them together and they had fun. And he brought new songs to the people and began to celebrate a new holyday with them -- the holyday of the New Year, of the new calendar, the holyday of Kaliady.

        Because... because just at this time, on this magic night, somewhere very far, Great Sun turned his way to Earth. That means he will come back without fail here. Spring, Yaryla and Kupalinka will come to the people again.

        The white orchards and red flowers will come to bloom again.

        The rus-haired people will be happy at the time of white dew and dawns again...

         And it will be always in such a way on the land which name is

                                                                                                                    White Rus  --  Belarus.

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* Dzed Maroz (Bel.) -- the fairy-tale character similar to Santa Clause. "Dzed" -- old man, "maroz" -- frost.

** rus-haired -- "rusy" (Bel.) -- blond

*** karahod (Bel.) -- a folk dance, in which people dance making a ring.

****zhupan (Bel) -- a kind of long shirt.

***** kazhuhe (Bel) -- a sheep leather coat with fur inside.

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Toronto. 2003