The Villain got angry, took a cigarette and lit it up. A cloud of pungent smoke filled the room. Cheese-eater sneezed, then her grey fur became pale green, she rolled up her eyes and fainted.
“What’s happened to her?” asked the Villain and added indifferently, “I don’t need sick animals; they are not worth the trouble.”
“What a stone-hearted person he is!” thought Vovka. “He probably never read fairy-tales when he was a child. Okay, we’ll try to approach the matter in a different way.” Vovka put his hand into the pocket – the fruits that the hospitable trees had gave him were still there. Vovka took the first one he found and pretended that he wanted to eat it. Then, as if trying to gain the man’s favour, he asked him in a tone of flattery, “You are such a great scientist! You have made such an important scientific discovery! Your calculations must take a lot of time and you don’t eat properly, do you?”
“That’s true. Give me this pear at once!”
“Please, help yourself.” Vovka offered the pear to the Villain and reached for a red juicy apple, also pretending that he wanted to have it.
“Give me the apple, too!” Vovka’s guess was right – the man was greedy. The Villain took the apple away and started to eat both the pear and the apple.
Vovka was observing him, captivated with the process, but nothing was happening so far. And only when the fruit had been eaten up and the cores were thrown on the floor, there came a soft click. In a moment the Villain’s nose grew longer and became similar to a pig’s snout, and on his head there were antlers.
Strangely enough, the animal’s appearance fitted the quasi-scientist more than a human one. Now a bewildered elk-pig was staring at Vovka, and only his body resembled a man. There was confusion in the Villain’s eyes, and then horror registered in them.
“W-w-what is it?” Having touched his new nose, he even started stammering in fear.
“I have no idea,” said Vovka. “Fairy-tales are your business; you should know what it is. Think of some formula for getting rid of these antlers and nose.”
“Are you making fun of me?” The Villain became quite angry.
“No, I am working out an agreement. You will tell us what you have done here and what you know about the Cheese Fairy. And I’ll tell you how to become human again.”
The poor Villain started talking at once.
“I’ve been thinking of getting into the fairy-tale world so many years, and finally I’ve calculated everything.”
