detail from: KRK Art dizajn

IN THE BROKEN FOREST

Little Radojka lived with her father and stepmother in a village hidden among green hills. Her mother, gentle and full of love, left this world when Radojka was still very young, and the sadness of that loss never left her heart.

Her father, a man of flesh and blood but of a broken spirit, soon married another woman hoping to bring joy back to the home. The new wife brought with her children from a previous marriage, and thus Radojka got brothers and sisters she didn't know she wanted.

Life in their house was difficult. Radojka had to leave school after the second grade in order to help in the house and in the fields. Although she dreamed of books and learning, she knew that her family needed her hands more than she needed pen and paper.

Stepmother, a woman made of steel and stone, ruled the house with a strict hand, but Radojka saw more in her. She saw tired eyes that hid stories of her losses and struggles. Although many advised her to beware of her stepmother, Radojka chose to give her love.

In the broken forest, only an old oak still stood, whose branches reached the sky like hands begging for rain. Its trunk, crisscrossed by the furrows of time, kept secrets that whispered to the wind. Radojka, a girl with eyes the color of the morning, would approach the oak every day, touch its bark, and whisper her dreams to it. The oak, which was more than a tree, listened and remembered. It was said in the village that the oak tree can fulfill wishes, but only those that are spoken from the heart.

One night, when the moon hung low in the sky like a golden ship, Radojka approached the oak tree and whispered:

- I want my mother to be with me.

The oak tree flickered, its branches leaning toward her. In an instant, the wind carried the scent of her mother, and from the roots of the oak rose the figure of a woman, enveloped in leaves and light.

- Mother? Radojka asked, tears in her eyes.

- Yes, my child, answered the figure.

- I am here, I have always been here, in the heart of the oak tree.

From that day on, Radojka was not alone. Oak and mother became her guardians. Whenever Radojka was sad or in trouble, the oak would give her strength, and the mother figure would give her comfort.

But the magic of the oak was not without a price. Each time he granted a wish, one branch would wither and fall. Radojka realized this and stopped looking for the sneaking out of wishes, fearing that she would lose her guardian.

She never forgot her mother, she learned to see her smile in every sunrise. She learned that even in the most difficult moments she can find strength and joy. The branches of the old oak tree provided shade and shelter, and its trunk was dotted with names and promises.

Years passed, and Radojka grew in wisdom and strength. Her love for her brothers and sisters was like a flowing river - constant and unrelenting. She taught them to read, write and count, using the knowledge she managed to retain from her short school days.

Without access to school, she had to rely on her knowledge and resourcefulness to teach her siblings to write. She collected old newspapers, worn books, and magazines left behind by merchants or found in the village. She set up her little library under an old oak tree, where she would sit with her brothers and sisters every afternoon.

She started with the basics, drawing letters in the ground and showing them how to pronounce each letter. She used the nature around her to teach them - leaves became pages for writing, and stones were used to form words.

When the letters turned into words, and the words into sentences, Radojka would tell them stories. Her stories were full of adventures and lessons, and by listening, the siblings learned how to connect letters and words to the world around them.

For each new letter or word, they learned, Radojka would reward them with small gifts - whether it was a sweet she made herself or a nice word she would say to them. Her patience and love for learning also infected the youngest, who eagerly awaited each new day and new lessons.

Thus, under Radojka's gentle guidance, the children grew into young people who knew how to read and write, ready to explore the world of books and knowledge that she opened up to them. Radojka became a pillar of the house, support and comfort, and the stepmother eventually recognized her goodness. In their home, where once there was coldness, now there was warmth and understanding. From generation to generation, this story is passed down about willpower, love that overcomes all obstacles, and the light that can shine even in the darkest moments.

Years passed, and Radojka grew up, and the oak remained a strong support. In the broken forest, he was the only upright tree. Although she no longer asked him to fulfill her wishes, she knew that magic was always there, in the heart of nature, ready to awaken when it was most needed.

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