Чудо-веточка | страница 9
"Look what a wonderful scenery is around," the squirrel said, delighted, and continued, "There in the South early in the morning behind the mountains the sun rises. It sets on the other side in West straight over the ocean."
"Indeed, it's very nice," Ham agreed.
He watched, fascinated, how the ocean waves glittered like silver, then how the woodpecker furiously knocked with his long beak the nearest tree trunk, and was abstract of a small spider who dropped on the shiny web past his nose.
There was real beauty throughout the forest. Nevertheless, something was constantly bothering the hamster.
"I feel sorry for Johnny," said Ham on the branch. He thought, his parents force him to play the piano. Will it only be so? Besides, I left home, and Johnny will look for me.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you so gloomy?" the squirrel asked, surprised.
Ham snapped,
"I like to be gloomy there! That's all!"
"But I don't like that! I like to be merry!" the squirrel shouted aggressively and jumped up high like a bullet over the boughs to the radiant heavens.
Meanwhile, the echo carried her words through the woods for a long time,
"Iii liiike tooo beee meeerryyy!"
The squirrel returned to her friend and gasped out,
"I meant to amuse you, but you're still sad."
"Do you understand me?" In vexation Ham turned away from his companion and asked her sadly, "Tell me, please, what do you do the whole day here?"
"What? I leap from one twig to another, eating nuts and hiding the rest for winter."
"That's all?"
The squirrel thought one minute, then drew close to the hamster and mysteriously whispered to him,
"That's not all. But don't tell anybody."
"OK, I'm listening," answered Ham, thinking inside, what kind of secrets might the squirrel have?
"Don't rush me. I have to decide whether or not I'm going to tell you."
The crafty squirrel decided to wait a while and not reveal at once the big mystery.
"No, I can't tell you now."
"Well, I may have to live without your mystery anyhow."
"But it's really wrong! To live without any wonder is the same as being dead."
"Hurry up!" creaked the hamster at once, "What a show off! Do you think only you have a lot of prodigy and hugger-mugger?!"
"However, my mystery is unique. No one in the world has such a wonder like mine."
"Really? One can hardly believe."
"Let's go!"
"Have it your way! Let's go! It's something to do."
They climbed the hillside. Then the squirrel said quietly and mysteriously,