The event we're about to discuss was planned well in advance. And all participants prepared for it very thoroughly, with great responsibility and complete dedication of their strength, skills and abilities. Wombats and platypuses dug excavations for sports stadiums, diverted groundwater to prevent flooding.
Elephants laid rolled turf and compacted it, making the stadium surfaces even and smooth. Possums carried branches and twigs, and birds wove them into seats for spectators. Spiders spun thick webs and stretched them over the stadiums so that, in case of rain, not a single drop would seep onto the surface. This way, participants and spectators would be protected from both bad weather and scorching sun rays.
By the pre-set deadline, all sports facilities were commissioned, passed thorough inspection and were ready to welcome guests and participants.
And this event was called — the Fairy-tale Animal World Championship in Football.
On the eve of the championship's start, many participants, supporters and fans arrived. And then the opening day came. The crowd took their seats in the stands. On the field itself, a colourful show began. Onto the stage shaped like a football appeared Kookaburra Bruce and Kookaburra Sheila. They sang so loudly, melodiously and beautifully that the crowd gave them a standing ovation.
Around the stage, chameleons circled, periodically changing their colour, creating a rainbow of hues. On the stage itself, fireflies danced, illuminating the singing kookaburras with their light.
Around the stadium's perimeter, fireworks flashed, fountains bubbled in the corners. The spectacle was extraordinarily beautiful, alluring, magical and mesmerising.
After the kookaburras' song, a Phoenix appeared, walked along the stands, flapped its wings and took flight.
It soared above the stadium, capturing the delighted gazes of the gathered animals, and called out enticingly:
Our goal: to rise higher,
And never to surrender!
It dropped several of its magical feathers for good luck and disappeared from view.
A Lyrebird appeared (and everyone knows it's distinguished by intelligence and quick-wittedness) and announced the first competition participants. These were the teams: "Koalas" and "Camels". The rules stated that balls could only be kicked and scored with hind legs and head. And for playing with front paws there was a penalty: removal from the game.
Meanwhile, supporters and fans of both teams alternately roared and growled in support of their players.
The first: "Oi-oi-oi, we'll tear you apart, mate!"
The second: "Hock-ptooey, I can tear you apart myself, but I'll spit on everything!"
So the game began. The footballers ran across the field, successfully passing the ball. Surprisingly, the usually clumsy koalas, sleepily moving not only across the field but even around their own gum trees, seemed like different animals altogether. One might think that the trickster dingo, the koalas' neighbour, had slipped them some special potion. We should look into this!
However, let's return to the game. Be that as it may, everything went beautifully, excitingly and interestingly. The active and powerful Koalas confidently led the game, whilst the camels were constantly hindered by either their humps or suddenly appearing snot from the abrupt climate change, so that half the players walked around covered in their own mucus. By the end of the game they could barely move their legs, which couldn't be said about the other match participants — the Koalas, gleaming with pleasure and also surprised by their own agility.
And then the final whistle. Incredible — the score "5:0". For many years no one expected not only such selfless play, but also such an amazing result. Many players were still small silly joeys when their dads nostalgically told tales of their grandfathers' past successes. It sounded like fantasy. And here you go!
The Camels acknowledged their defeat, bravely shook paws with the Koalas and went off to sort things out amongst themselves. Behind the team of dejected two-humped ships of the desert trudged their head coach, ready to hear all the criticism for the crushing defeat.
The Lyrebird announced the next participants:
Taking the field are teams "Strong Flippers" and "Wet Tail". At this time the stadium field turned into a pool, and fur seals and dolphins appeared. These were the team representatives. Special rules existed for them — to play only with their heads. The participants masterfully controlled the ball: tossing it up, pushing it to each other, throwing it from underwater, passing it to one another and, of course, scoring goals against their opponents.
And their supporters, dressed in striped jerseys and captain's caps, shouted:
In the sea we're in our element, yeah-yeah-yeah,
Water will help us win!
Their opponents echoed:
The sea's no enemy to us either,
We won't retreat a single step!
Watching their game was pure pleasure. The game ended with a score of "1:1". Friendship won! The supporters and players barely had time to catch their breath when preparation for the next match began. Again featuring the tireless Koalas, emboldened by their first success.
So, onto the field rolled the already beloved home team of the hosting bush — the Koalas — and arriving from a distant southern jungle — graceful and cunning Cats. The Koalas' persistence and activity could only be envied. Someone must have installed a spring in them, or guaranteed eternal logging in remote and harsh places, hard to say. But the fact remains.
For the first time in many, many years of competition, when the bush had repeatedly changed its foliage and trees had grown to unprecedented heights, their team was brilliantly prepared. However, the cats' gracefulness on the football field was also mesmerising. Their soft and precise movements and strikes were clearly planned and calculated. One could paint a picture called "Do As We Do".
The Koalas, having already scored a couple of goals against the cats and relaxing for a moment, were even slightly enchanted by such beauty. And immediately paid for it. Penalty.
To the ball, swaying her skinny rear, approached the main attacking cat Salahnya. Adjusting the ball and slyly smiling at the focused koala goalkeeper, she lightly ran up and.
GOAL!
G-O-A-L!!
G-O-O-O-OAL!!
The entire stadium jumped up and choked with ecstasy. Well done! The Cats woke up. But! This didn't shake the Koalas at all. They continued their pressure and what surprised even more, played the match in active mode until the end. Final result "3:1" in favour of the unrecognisable Koalas.
Ah! Unaccustomed to losing, the Cats were very offended, spent ages working out the reason for such a situation and decided to sack the head Cat, whom they blamed for all their troubles. Found a scapecat!
Another match ended, but the Festival continued. And the merriment began smoothly transitioning from the stadium territory beyond its boundaries. They tooted horns, beat drums, danced and shouted: "Aussie-Aussie-Aussie-Oi-Oi-Oi!". At the exit they were met by crowds of journalists and bloggers from different countries, asking them to share their impressions of the area where the championship was held and of the game itself.
Journalist Magpie flew up to one group of fans and asked a series of questions:
Are you satisfied with the match results and the game?
Did you like the conditions in which it took place?
A fan in a quirky hat took the floor, his face painted with the colours of the flag of the country from which he'd come to the animal championship.
Not hiding his emotions, he began to speak:
Oh, it's brilliant! The host side did a colossal job, such excellent organisation, everything thought through to the smallest detail. We're incredibly happy to be here and very pleased with everything.
Magpie flew up to another supporter and asked another question:
Weren't you scared to come to a foreign bush where different laws and different customs exist?
The answer followed immediately:
The mass media warned us that here we might encounter inadequate inhabitants, ruffians and even highway robbers. But this turned out to be a myth, their invention and overly developed imagination. And we personally confirmed that in this bush everyone is welcoming, kind, responsive and caring.
Local animals are always ready to help, give directions and even show the way and accompany us to where we need to go. Huge thanks to everyone for this!
Then a flock of colourful birds from a distant forest flew up.
They surrounded Magpie-journalist in a tight circle, singing a cheerful and spirited football song:
Football has no borders,
It's for animals and birds alike!
Football has no barriers,
Supporters are always glad for it!
They whirled Magpie in the vortex of their bird dance and carried her along. And the journalist didn't resist, she gave in to the general merriment of representatives from different forests of the world.
Only in farewell did she say into her microphone:
This concludes our broadcast. See you soon at the next matches!
And, switching off the microphone, she headed off with her new mates to celebrate this momentous event — the Animal Championship of different countries of the world in Football.
Aussie! Aussie-Aussie-Aussie!
