In many business books, the principle “Fail fast” is found: the sooner you make a mistake, the sooner you will draw conclusions and benefit, which means you will achieve success in the future. All famous successful entrepreneurs, such as Richard Branson, Oleg Tinkov, Jeff Bezos, Fyodor Ovchinnikov and others, try to adhere to this principle.

A little background

Five years ago we made the MYTH knowledge tree.

It looked like this.

The idea was to select the key books of our publishing house and tell when and in what order they should be read. It was a fun project and we just had fun. But it turned out that it is really very difficult for readers to understand what books to read in order to level up. Therefore, the tree became salvation.

Everyone loved it so much that since then we received letters every week asking us to update the tree. We took a long time to approach this task, because it is complex and voluminous: we need to review all the books and understand which of them are the best. Then decide how to organize them so that everything is clear to everyone.

And finally we did it: we chose new books, redrew the design, sent them to the printing house and decided to give them to all customers in honor of their birthdays.

In the last couple of days, the plan was this: the car transports posters from production to Moscow, at point A it meets with a courier who takes a small number of posters and takes them to the warehouse to promptly send the first batch of orders. The remaining posters are sent for packaging.

Chief, everything is gone!

But the result was a quest called “Chief, everything is lost!”

As in the best Hollywood films, a car that was transporting posters from a production facility in the Moscow region got into an accident on the Moscow Ring Road. The courier, who was supposed to wait for the car, did not wait and left. And another car, which we could have sent to the Moscow Ring Road to rescue the posters, broke down.

The first batch of posters arrived at the warehouse 4 hours later than planned. This means that a small part of orders placed on day X are transferred to the next day. Sadness, sadness, melancholy 🙁

Fakap is a gift

We could get upset, give up and complain about fate. But it’s better to draw conclusions and not repeat them again. It's the most important.

What conclusions did we draw:

1. Better plan. The manager who dealt with the wood did not take into account the complexity of the project and decided on it when time was running out.
2. If something goes wrong, say no to perfectionism. At MIF, everyone works in the name of the product. So that everything is “wow”. When we looked at the first version of the tree design, we realized that we could make it cooler. It was necessary to take and redraw everything from scratch. Time was running out - and no one said “stop”. Everyone hoped that we would make it in time. It's better not to go all-in when you have such a big event coming up.
3. Allow more time for toffee risks. We were working with new contractors for the first time and set standard times for printing and delivery. More was needed. Well, no one thought about force majeure.
4. Better focus. We decided to do too many projects for MYTH's birthday to please you. As a result, we are in a hot pot all month, and this greatly affects the quality. But we don’t want to do it poorly. Therefore, we burn, exhale and do it. In the future we need to take on fewer projects.

There are many more conclusions, but these are the most important. And here is the new tree.

The forest has always fascinated people with its grandeur, incomprehensibility, and mystery. Weather phenomena surround
the forest has an even greater aura of mystery: a grove shrouded in fog, tree leaves shining in the sun after the rain... And when the sky suddenly became cloudy and everything around fell into silence, the forest seemed like a mysterious fairy tale, and, perhaps, under the influence of impressions, people made up legends and called trees with wonderful properties

In ancient Slavic monuments of the 11th-17th centuries. it is reported that the pagans worshiped “groves” and “trees”, and prayed under them (“with the groves… the zhryahu”). about the existence of sacred groves. Inside the grove there was some kind of shrine - a tree, a chapel, a cross, etc. The groves were considered reserved, trees were not cut down in them, brushwood was not collected. Various rituals were performed near sacred trees. The Slavs had a custom of “crowning” the newlyweds around a tree. On the holiday they held festive meals, lit bonfires for Maslenitsa; near the trees they blessed the water and took oaths. When a child is born, a tree is planted for him, believing that the child will grow in the same way as this tree develops.Sacred trees also included individual trees, especially old ones, growing alone in a field or near healing springs.

In the history of the Slavic peoples, there was a gradual rapprochement between the temple and the tree as sacred places. This is evidenced by many legends about the construction of churches near revered trees.In Slavic mythology, the image of a tree is known, representing the center of the universe. According to legend, such a tree appeared as a path connecting with all three worlds, underground, earthly and upper-heaven.

The tree generally occupied a special place in the life of the pagan Slavs.
There is a legend that a long time ago, when there was neither heaven nor earth, but only the blue sea splashing everywhere, there stood in the middle of it two oak trees, on whose branches sat two doves.
One day the pigeons fluttered, then dived to the bottom of the sea and brought sand and pebbles from there. The sky and earth and all the heavenly bodies were built from this material.

Since those ancient times, the myth of the tree of life has come. The Slavs believed that it served as the axis, the center of the whole world and, as it were, embodied the entire universe.

The roots of this amazing tree, which was called the world tree, embraced the entire earth, reaching to the depths of the underworld.
Its crown rested on the vault of heaven. For ancient people, it embodied ideas about space and time.

It is no coincidence that a riddle arose: “There is an oak tree, there are 12 branches on the oak tree, on each branch there are four nests, in each nest there are seven chicks.”
This was the mythical image of the year: twelve months, each of them containing four weeks, and a week of seven days.

In the fairy tales of the Slavic peoples, the image of the tree of life often appears. Most often it is a mighty oak tree that has lived on earth for several centuries. In one of the famous fairy tales, an old man climbed such an oak tree and reached the very sky. There he saw wonderful millstones - the emblem of a spring thunderstorm, giving people rain and fertility. And conspiracies against diseases most often begin with a joke that on the Okiyan sea, on the island of Buyan, where the Alatyr stone lies, there is a “damask oak.”

Images of the external and inner world ancient man. In such a meaningful perception of the world, every phenomenon, every living creature had its place.

At the top of the crown sat a deity - great, inaccessible. Birds found shelter in the branches. Bees swarmed around the trunk, moose, deer, horses, cows, and sometimes people crowded around. The roots gathered snakes, frogs and even fish around themselves. From this tree comes a fragrance, and from its root twelve springs flow with milk and honey. The tree of life was usually depicted with eight branches, four on each side. The branches, trunk and roots of the world tree connect the upper, middle and lower worlds, and the branches are the cardinal directions.

The image of the world tree was present in many Slavic traditions. Bridesmaids sang about him at weddings, judging the happiness of the young. And when they built new house, a ritual tree was also placed in the center.

Well, on folk holidays, such as on Trinity, you cannot do without a birch tree; all courtyards, houses and churches are decorated with green branches.

To this day, in some places the following custom has still been preserved. If a guy brings a tree dug up in the forest and plants it under a girl’s window, this is perceived as a declaration of love, a marriage proposal.

Our ancestors treated trees with great respect and care, as they knew about their healing, protective power. People and trees have always been connected by ties of family and friendship.

OAK

Since ancient times, the oak was a sacred tree among the Slavs - the king of forests. One of the most revered trees among the Slavs. The Slavs called it Tsar Oak, and, according to legend, the king of birds, the eagle, lived on it. God the Father appeared under the name or in the form of an oak tree. In folk legends, the oak acts as a symbol of masculinity, primacy, strength, power, hardness... Associated with the image of the thunderer Perun, the oak and oak grove served as a place of prayer and residence of the deity. There was faith in him healing power, and blessing comes from the branches. Oak has very powerful energy, and those who communicate with the tree feel an unprecedented rise in strength and clarity of thought. The wounded, weakened warrior, in order to regain strength, walked to the oak tree.

It was believed that sacred oaks protected the surrounding fields from hail, storms and other disasters. The oak was revered as a deity. . Idols were hewn from oak wood. And the fire on the temple could only be “fed” with oak wood. The people considered the oak to be connected by invisible threads with the supreme deity Perun; ancient documents mention this in the area of ​​Perun's Oak.

After all, this tree seemed to attract lightning to itself. And today, during a thunderstorm, you shouldn’t take shelter under an oak tree - it’s dangerous. These are echoes of the fabulous myths of the Slavs about the duel between Perun and Koshchei, who was hiding under an oak tree. The Slavs had a ban on growing oak near the house, since, according to legend, lightning strikes the oak first.

Mostly our ancestors and legends about the world tree attributed it to oak.

Ancient legends say that the oak tree was planted at the beginning of the creation of the world, stands “on the power of God” and holds the whole world on its branches.

This is exactly what an oak tree looks like in a Russian spell: “...There is the Holy Akiyan Sea, on that sea there is an island, on that island there is an oak tree, from earth to heaven, from east to west, from the new moon to the old one...”

There were entire protected sacred oak groves.

In some Old Believer villages marriage concluded in this way: the guy, conspiring with the girl about a future family, went with her to the treasured oak tree and circled it three times.

Ancient sages predicted fate by listening to the rustling of oak branches.....

BIRCH

Since ancient times, the slender white-trunked birch tree has become a symbol of Russia. And although birch trees grow all over the world, nowhere are they loved and honored as much as in our homeland. Birch is a tree symbolizing spring and resurrection, the month of April is birch. the embodiment of heavenly radiance, light

This has been the case throughout the ages. After all, birch in Slavic mythology was also considered a sacred tree. Sometimes not only the oak, but the birch was revered by our ancestors as the world tree. This performance remains in ancient conspiracy: “On the ocean-sea, on the island of Buyan, there is a white birch tree with its branches down and its roots up.”

The Russian name for birch is associated with the verb “to protect.” This was explained by the fact that the Slavs considered birch to be a gift from the gods that protects people.

Associated with birch Slavic rune- Bereginya - Birch, Fate, Mother, Earth.

Bereginya in the Slavic tradition - female image, associated with protection and the protective maternal principle. In ancient legends, under the name Beregini, the goddess Makosh, the Mother Goddess, in charge of earthly fertility and the destinies of all living things, appeared. This rune is the rune of fate.

In many beliefs, the birch tree symbolizes feminine., rituals, and ritual songs, in folklore texts it is contrasted with the oak tree as a male symbol.

The tender birch tree was revered as a female symbol and was considered the patroness of young girls. Brides came to her both in days of joy and in hours of despair. Clinging to the thin white trunk, they dried their tears, as if absorbing faith, hope, love.

Any spring holiday in Rus' in honor of the awakening nature would not be complete without birch. On Trinity Day, churches and houses were decorated with young birch branches.

Birch is considered happy tree, she was planted near the house for the well-being of the family, on the occasion of the birth of a child...

A birch branch installed in the front corner during the construction of a house was a symbol of the health of the owner and family. Birch branches were stuck into the field to get good harvest flax and cereals.

Among the Slavs, a birch broom leaned against the bed of a woman in labor or the cradle of a newborn was considered a reliable amulet. .

Birch in Slavic mythology- this is the tree of the Beginning of Life, giving the people new Rus.

KALINA

From ancient times, Kalina among the Slavic peoples was a symbol of youth, girlhood, and fun. In folk legends, this is a woman, her fate, her share.

It blooms with a delicate white color, shining with purity and beauty. With marriage comes joy and worries. A berry is born - either bitter or sweet. In the rain and wind, fragile viburnum branches break.

Viburnum guai have long been called sacred. According to legend, if you rock a child in a viburnum cradle, he will grow up to sing.
The red color of the viburnum has enormous amulet power, which is why the bride’s outfit used to always be red.

In the old days, viburnum was always present in the wedding ceremony. It is the main decoration of the bride's wreath, wedding tree, wedding loaf and other wedding attributes.
The bride's wreaths were woven from viburnum, periwinkle and other fragrant herbs - this ensured the love of the newlyweds for many years.

Viburnum is also a symbol of procreation; there is even an expression: “Viburnum gave birth to the family.”

According to legend, when a girl was born in a family, berries and viburnum leaves were placed in the first font so that she would be beautiful, ruddy, happy and healthy. Kalina was hung next to the woman in labor so that she and her child would be healthy and happy.

WILLOW

IN The erba was considered a sacred tree among the Slavs, a symbol of the continuity and constancy of life. It is the willow that symbolizes the ancient Slavic pagan god Yarila. To this day, the custom has been preserved once a year on the night of Ivan Kupala in honor of the sun god to decorate the willow with flowers and burn bonfires near it. At the end of the holiday, willow branches were planted in the courtyards.

The willow also symbolizes rapid growth, health, vitality, fertility. According to legends, a young willow blessed on Palm Sunday protects against natural disasters and diseases. As a symbol of willow growth, it is mentioned in prayers and good wishes. The ancient Slavs believed that a willow, thrown against the wind, drives away a storm, thrown into a fire, it pacifies it, and planted in a field, it protects crops, and that branches thrown into the yard stop hail... The willow was also credited with the power to protect houses from fires, fields - from hail, stop a storm, discover treasures, etc.

During a thunderstorm, the blessed willow was taken out from behind the shrine and placed on the windowsill - they believed that this would save them from being struck by lightning. All Slavs considered consecrated willow to be a healing remedy. They dipped it into powder, drank it into powder (with juniper), and applied it in lotions.

There are known folklore song texts linking the willow with the Sun and Heaven. In Slavic beliefs, the willow is involved in the realm of the miraculous. There are ancient legends about a wonderful pipe that can be made from a willow tree growing in the very depths of the forest, where the sun’s ray did not touch it, and where it never heard the crow of a rooster or the sound of running water. With the help of such a pipe you can cheer up a sad person, make someone who has never done this dance, or attract wild bees to your hives.

The preparation of willow branches in cities was a special ritual. The day before Palm Sunday In the old days, Russians went to break willow on the banks of nearby rivers.

The Slavs believed that willow branches promised goodness and happiness. Women stuck willow branches into their hair in the belief that they protected them and gave sharpness to their vision.

LINDEN

The name of this tree in all Slavic languages ​​comes from the word “stick” (due to the viscous sap). Linden was attributed to softness, which made it a symbol of femininity, tenderness, the opposite of the “male” tree - oak. Among the Slavs, the linden tree was read not just as a symbol of a woman, but as the “mother of trees,” the giver of life (this attitude is associated with the role of the linden tree in material well-being person). Just as the oak was dedicated to Perun, so the linden was the tree of the goddess Lada.

In Russian folk art The beautiful linden tree is bound by love with both oak and maple.

Linden was closely associated with the Orthodox cult and Christian legends. It was she who was considered the tree of the Virgin Mary; they said that the Mother of God rested on it, descending from heaven to earth. Icons and icons were hung on the linden tree; on the linden tree, according to legend, they appeared (“appeared”) more often than other trees miraculous icons. According to legends, the linden tree covered the Virgin Mary and little Christ with its branches during their flight to Egypt. Linden is a tree revered as sacred in all Slavic traditions. Among the southern Slavs, old large linden trees traditionally grew near churches and temples, especially ancient ones.

The linden tree was also considered a lucky tree, which people were not afraid to keep near houses. The sacred nature of the tree led to the use of linden wood to carve a “living” fire, with the help of which the fire in household hearths was renewed annually.

In this regard, it was natural to prohibit touching the revered linden trees, damaging them, chopping them, breaking branches.

Use linden as a universal amulet. It was widely believed that the linden tree was not struck by lightning, so they planted it near houses and were not afraid to hide under it during a thunderstorm. The Russians hung linden crosses on a person's neck. During the wedding, a linden branch was held over the heads of the newlyweds as a talisman. Houses were decorated with it on St. George's Day and on Trinity Sunday.

Maple
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For example, every page of Phyllis Geishertor's story “Listen! Listen!" literally filled with sounds. Different: loud and quiet, strange and not so familiar, and those you hear for the first time. “Trrrrr! Bzzzz! Vzhzhzh! - insects sing. “Plop!” - children swim in the river. “Whoo-hoo-hoo!” - the owl screams. The snow is falling - “Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh.” All this, at first glance, chaotic cacophony consists of sounds that are quite familiar to us, adults. For a one-year-old baby who is just beginning to get acquainted with the world, listening is very important aspect acceptance and understanding of what is happening around. Sounds, like little hooks, connect the child’s idea of ​​the environment, filling it with special colors, volume and emotions. Page after page, the seasons change - summer, autumn, winter, spring - and each new spread of the book “sounds” new. In the book “Listen! Listen!" there is no plot, no main and secondary characters. They are not needed yet - kids follow the changing seasons using pictures and listen to the sounds accompanying natural changes (the buzzing of insects - spring, the rustling of snow - winter, etc.). At this moment the first simple connections knowledge about the change of seasons.

"Boom! Boom! Acorns are knocking!
Here are gifts for the baby squirrels.
The pumpkins are ripe - hooray!
It's time to pick apples."

This is very important for kids - to absorb music, intonation, structure of speech, without even fully understanding the meaning of the text. Short rhyming lines create a very light, kind of floating mood. This mood is also supported by Alison Jay's illustrations - a little popular, creating the illusion of a surface cracked by time, but at the same time absolutely childishly cute and charming. It’s nice to look at them, touch them and run your finger over them, repeating the sounds out loud. And at the end of the reading, you can study a little with your mother and find the objects suggested by the author in the four seasonal pictures. And again it will be fun and interesting, because this is not so easy to do.

“The Living Tree” by the American writer Christy Matheson is already an almost complete story, which is built by a tall apple tree, single-handedly reigning on every page of the book. “Knock on the trunk, turn the page. Look!” - the author asks the little reader. And suddenly, before the child’s eyes, a miracle happens - a tender young leaf appears on the apple tree. More and more! The magic doesn't stop there. The baby follows the metamorphoses happening to the tree - miracles that seem to happen at his request: “Shake the tree! Clench your fists!” And now the flowers that have just appeared fall off pink petals to the ground. The child counts the buds, blows a kiss, blows on the leaves, claps his hands, closes his eyes... The apple tree blooms, then ruddy apples appear on it, which also fall, giving way to golden leaf fall and then snowflakes settling on its bare branches... In At this moment, the baby needs to come up with a magic word, freeze and, turning the page, see the first green leaf on the branch. And understand that everything is repeating itself again. The author does not directly talk to the kids about the changing seasons, does not name each of them, but the illustrations and secret meaning, embedded in them, will undoubtedly help parents solve this problem. And the interactivity effect present on every page turns reading into a real game. At the same time as playing, the baby learns many important things: trains fine motor skills and memory, develops imagination and logical thinking.

Completely different moods are present in another book, the sacred change of seasons, “The Cat and the Horse. All year round» Irina Zartayskaya. The presence of main characters and storyline They take the story to a higher age level. Each spread of this unusual album is dedicated to a new month, into which the everyday life of two friends is organically included. Appearing out of nowhere, the almost white Cat and the white Horse immediately and for no apparent reason became comrades. Maybe because both were in harmony with the first month of the year - snow-white January, or maybe they were united by loneliness. From this moment on, the friends float smoothly on the waves of the calendar and narrative.

Irina Zartayskaya’s meditative style and Katya Bauman’s illustrations in harmony with it give each miniature a sense of literary completeness. Each story is dedicated to one of the months of the year and is built flawlessly. The child is either filled with the sensations of a sultry summer, or, together with his inseparable friends, inhales the spicy aroma of August haymaking, or rushes to take refuge from the snowfall in a warm house, where the White Horse will certainly offer him a cup of hot tea.

The book is intended for younger preschoolers, whose concepts of the calendar are already practically formed. But getting to know him is not the main task of the author. Precisely identifying the main features of each season, Irina Zartaiskaya and Katya Bauman tried to revive and play out these well-known features and give them uniqueness. Here “January is the first month of the year. Quiet, soft and viscous, like cotton wool. I came to the city and made myself comfortable. He spread snowdrifts along the streets: he decorated the canopies of houses and road fences with white caps.” And here is March: “Where does the snow go? - asks the Cat. And the Horse leads him to the river. Shards slowly float along the dark surface of the water white ice. Triangular, square, rectangular..."

Leafing through this book, your child will definitely come across something unusual - a real calendar that you can hang on the wall, and a diary where you can write down your most memorable events over the past year and come up with what you would like in the future.

Julia Bebeher