Once upon a time, there lived a very athletic and inventive young ground squirrel named Kilsus. Kilsus came into the world not like other children, but upside down, and his mother gave him this strange name. Read his name backwards from end to beginning, and you'll understand everything.
Kilsus was friends with a squirrel named Arrowette.
One day Arrowette brought a large nut:
Kilsus, hello! Look what I have—you can toss it around.
And Arrowette tossed the nut to the ground squirrel.
Wow, that's great!
Kilsus exclaimed.
You can also throw it into a basket.
Kilsus suggested and brought a fruit basket from home.
The friends took turns tossing the nut into the basket.
Arrowette's squirrel friends came running to join in this fun game, coming from the squirrel grove.
Come play with us!
Arrowette called to them.
Kilsus didn't like this idea at all—he wanted to play alone with his friend—but he held back and said nothing.
The squirrels and ground squirrel tossed the nut in a circle. Interest in the game gradually faded: there were many squirrels but only one nut. Besides, Kilsus didn't hide his displeasure and constantly held onto the nut, dropping it to the ground. The nut, as if by magic, bounced back into his hands, as if saying: "Don't be sad, Arrowette really loves playing with you, and even though she has many friends, she won't abandon you!"
What if we divide into two teams of five each, mark out a field, set up two baskets, one for each team? We'll toss the nut from one team to another and throw it into the basket. Whichever team gets the most nuts in the basket wins!
Kilsus suggested. And he thought to himself: "Now I'll show you what I can do!"
That's a great idea!
The squirrels agreed.
To the squirrels' surprise, Kilsus began playing aggressively: he would snatch the nut from the opposing team's paws and throw it into the basket. Kilsus's team always won.
Kilsus needs to be taught a lesson.
The squirrels whispered during a break.
Let's set the baskets high—at a height of three metres, so the ground squirrel can't reach it.
It should be said that squirrels could jump high, but ground squirrels could not.
No matter how hard Kilsus tried, he couldn't reach the basket. The squirrels giggled, tossing the nut to each other and throwing it into the basket.
The ground squirrel got angry:
Oh, so that's how it is! In a month, I'm announcing a real competition between the squirrel and ground squirrel teams, and we'll see who's better!
The ground squirrel declared angrily. Giving up wasn't in his nature.
Kilsus was a very determined boy. He crafted a round ball from resin that bounced cleverly off the ground and flew easily even into the highest basket.
The ground squirrel gathered a team of equally determined and athletic ground squirrels. They trained five, sometimes even eight hours a day and learned to jump high and throw the ball into the high basket.
A month later, at the appointed time, many animals gathered at the forest edge. Everyone wanted to watch the competition between the squirrels and ground squirrels in this new ball game.
There, on the playing field, the squirrels and ground squirrels shook each other's paws. And the game began. The ball flew cleverly from one player to another through the air and along the ground.
Sometimes players stopped in place, choosing their strategy, bouncing the ball on the ground.
The ground squirrels shone with their athletic prowess. Everyone applauded them when they skillfully jumped with the ball and threw it into the basket.
The ground squirrel team won. All the ground squirrels, in their joy, tossed Kilsus into the air—a victory celebration.
The squirrels were also happy about Kilsus's success. They offered friendship between the teams. And from then on, they compete together, spend their free time together, and invent new games with Kilsus's magical ball.
And so, children—What game did Kilsus invent with his friends?
