When the Russian invaders came to Kherson, Julia, the mother of 6-year-old Vasyl, took away all the toys that resembled weapons from her son. Vasyl liked to carry some kind of toy with him, and his mother was afraid that the Russian military could notice him. The invaders in Kherson were scared and saw threats everywhere, so the mother was afraid that they might mistake a toy weapon for a real one and would not even try to figure out what it is, they would just shoot on sight.

 

Mother took all the toys, put them in a box and hid it in the closet. She even hid the wooden sword that grandfather Petro made for his grandson last summer. It was in the village, where Vasyl was constantly playing knights with the neighbor's children. A pile of sand and an overturned boat played the role of a fortress that children liked to "storm". At first, they used branches for swords, and cardboard for of shields. And then grandfather Petro made Vasyl a real sword. "A real knight will grow up! A cossack!" – said the grandfather.

 

Mother also put grandfather's wooden sword into the box.

 

The next evening, when the mother was putting Vasyl to bed, she felt something hard under the pillow. It was a wooden sword. "Son, why do you need this?" she asked. "Mom, if the invaders come, I will protect you!" – answered the 6-year-old knight.

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