Сказки дедушки Ралота. Учим наших детей иностранным языкам - стр. 3
– * In ancient Greek mythology Sisyphus, the Corinthian tsar, who was condemned by gods and had to roll uphill a heavy stone, and every time it rolled down from the top of the mountain.
– **In Greek mythology Morpheus is the god of dreams.
The first evening. Firefly Floky
– Mom, Dad, why do we glow in the dark? Everyone can see us from the distance! Any predator is sure to notice us at once, crawl or come flying and devour us, – firefly Floky crossed her two upper paws on the chest and stared at her parents.
The firefly’s mother did not answer her daughter’s question. As always, she was busy doing chores, and right now she was preparing a delicious salad of juicy leaves for the whole family. Her father started scratching the back of his head with all his four paws. However, in about five minutes, he still replied:
– You see, we, fireflies, are very brave insects by nature! And we are ever ready to sacrifice our health and even our lives to show the way to our fellows who got lost in the dark in the forest.
– And we are also very beautiful and unusual, – the mother butted in on the conversation, putting a large plate that smelt delicious on the table, – Floky, come up to the dew-drop and look at yourself.
– Nothing special. Antennae, wings. Other fireflies look adsolutely the same, she turned a leaf with a drop of water in her paws, gazing at herself from every point of view.
– Well no. Other insects call fireflies little suns! – the mother came up to Floky and gently stroked her head, – Let’s go to dinner. It’s time to fly out to work very soon.
A few minutes later, the father, patting his belly with a pair of his paws, pointed the other four in the direction of a distant cloud.
– It will be here pretty soon and it will turn into a big black cloud. A terrible downpour is going to fall from it to the ground. And what does this mean?
Floky spread all her thin paws not knowing what to say.
– My little one, it means that your mom and I need to move urgently the larvae to a dry place, I mean your future brothers and sisters. Today you will have to go to the clearing on your own and shine a light there so that all the bugs could get to their burrows and crevices as soon as possible and wouldn’t drown in the terrible cold water pouring from the sky.
The father was going to add something else, but Floky wasn’t listening to him any longer. With a cry «Hooray, I’ve finally grown up and I am already an adult», she spread her wings and soared into the sky, hurrying to perform the important task that her parents entrusted to her for the first time.