Бесплатный фрагмент - Rabbit’s tale of funny tricks

PREFACE

The years on the Earth I lived a lot, fairy tales in my life heard a lot — magic and not so magic, scary and not so scary, good and not so good. And on all continents of the globe there were stories how as if animals collected around as if a bonfire and told as if tales, but in fact, our ancestors gathered at the tribal campfire and told stories about their (or someone else’s) lives, putting on the characters the masks of different animals. Often these stories were similar to each other like twins, because many events repeated from year to year, from century to century, from a book to a book. But that’s not important now: a long time ago, in the days when animals could talk and understand each other’s language, the Earth was small and the sea surrounded it all around, and from any forest it was possible to walk to any sea, there gathered around the campfire the Rabbit, the Elephant, the Whale swam to the shore, and they got to talking. I sat and listened — this time the Rabbit, the most talkative character in the world, amused all the company with his fiction. His tales were retold many times in different parts of the world by different people; I offer you my version of the happened. Author

Once upon a time and maybe yesterday,

And maybe a year ago, I really don’t know,

A huge grey Elephant was very tired

And he decided to sleep

On the sandy hill

Completely covered with strawberries

And dandelions.

And when he started looking his first dream,

Somebody lightly pinched the leg of him,

Although very lightly!

But everybody knows,

It isn’t very easy to wake up

Any elephant while looking any dreams,

But somebody did pinched him

And said, “Excuse me please!”

“Who is there?” cried the Elephant,

As frightened very loudly.

“Who is there? I am sleeping and

You have spoiled my dreams!”

“Excuse me, dear Elephant,

I didn’t’ want to worry you,

Your leg has blocked my hole,

I cannot be released.

And maybe you’ll be able

To move aside your leg?

I would be very grateful,

My hole is so narrow

For me it would be difficult

To turn around myself

And run along it back!”

The Elephant agreed to let him go out,

Amazingly he saw the hole in the ground.

A soft and little bunny jumped out of the hole,

He jolted his long ear as if there were some dirt,

“You are as huge as an elephant!

You are as grey as mice,” said the little Rabbit

Wiping dust from laughing eyes.

“I’m huge,” replied the Elephant.

“I’m grey and very strong,

And you are just a bunny

And nothing more at all.”

“Am I just a bunny?”

“Yes, you are.”

“Am I just a weak bunny?”

“Yes.”

“And I bet that I’m stronger

Than you in your best form?

I bet I’ll pull you out

From your bed so warm,

And you will not be able

To say me even “no’.

Of course not just with bare hands,

But if I tie a rope around your big belly,

And run away behind the hills,

And then I pull you stronger,

And take you from beneath

Your nice and heated blanket.

Oh, don’t be laughing, please!”

“I bet,” replied the Elephant.

“And if this way you are to say,

That I am a clever and good friend!

But not a funny little bunny

As you beforehand said!”

“OK! A bargain!”

“Well! Stay here! And wait me till I’m back.”

“OK, but till you’re back, I’ll sleep a little bit,

As I would like to see my latest dream

As it was very nice and sweat!”

The Rabbit turned around

And like a soft red ball

Up down hills — up down

He ran towards the shore,

Where in the depth of the ocean,

But not far from the bank

A huge blue Whale was swimming,

Was winking to the sun,