The event in question was planned well in advance. And all participants prepared for it very thoroughly, with great responsibility and with complete dedication of their strength, skills and abilities. Moles and beavers dug excavations for sports stadiums, diverted groundwater to prevent flooding.
Elephants laid rolled turf and compacted it, making the surface of the stadiums level and smooth. Monkeys carried branches and twigs, and birds wove seats for spectators from them. Spiders spun dense webs and stretched them over the stadiums so that, in case of rain, not a single drop would seep onto its surface. Thus, participants and spectators of the event would be protected from both bad weather and scorching sun rays.
By the pre-established deadline, all sports facilities were commissioned, underwent thorough inspection and were ready to welcome guests and participants of the event.
And this event was called — the Fairy-Tale Animal World Football Championship.
On the eve of the championship's start, many participants, supporters and fans arrived. And then the opening day came. The public took their seats in the stands. On the pitch itself, a colourful performance began. Onto the stage in the shape of a football appeared Nightingale Robbie and Nightingale Ava. They sang so loudly, melodiously and beautifully that the audience gave them a standing ovation.
Around the stage circled chameleons, periodically changing their colour, creating a rainbow of hues. On the stage itself danced fireflies, illuminating the singing nightingales with their light.
Around the perimeter of the stadium fireworks burst, fountains bubbled in the corners. The spectacle was extraordinarily beautiful, alluring, magical and mesmerising.
After the nightingales' singing, the Firebird appeared, walked along the stands, flapped her wings and took flight.
She soared above the stadium, capturing the delighted gazes of the assembled animals, and called out enticingly:
Our goal: to rise higher,
And never to surrender!
She dropped several of her magical feathers, for good luck, and disappeared from view.
The Talking Bird appeared (and everyone knows that she is distinguished by intelligence and quick wit) and announced the first competitors. These were the teams: "Bears" and "Camels". The rules of the game stated that balls could only be driven and scored with hind paws and head. And for playing with front paws there was a penalty: removal from the game.
At this time, supporters and fans of the two teams alternately supported their players with roars and growls.
The first: "Ry-ry-ru, I'll tear the opponent apart!"
The second: "U-gu-yu, I can tear them apart myself, but I'll spit all over everything!"
So the game began. The footballers ran across the pitch, successfully passing the ball. Surprisingly, the usually clumsy bears, moving sleepily not only across the pitch but also near their own den, seemed to have been replaced. One might think that the mischievous fox, the bears' neighbour, had slipped them some of her potion. We should investigate!
However, let's return to the game. Be that as it may, everything went beautifully, excitingly and interestingly. The active and powerful Bears confidently led the game, whilst the camels were constantly hindered by either their humps or suddenly appearing snot from the sharp climate change, so that half the players walked about covered in their own mucus. By the end of the game they could barely move their paws, which cannot be said of the other match participants – the Bears, 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 had expected not only such a selfless game, but also such an amazing result. Many players were still small silly bear cubs when their fathers nostalgically told tales of their grandfathers' past successes. It sounded like some kind of fantasy. And there you have it!
The Camels acknowledged their defeat, courageously shook paws with the Bears 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 Talking Bird announced the other participants:
Taking to the pitch are the teams "Strong Flippers" and "Wet Tail". At this time the stadium pitch transformed into a pool, and sea lions and dolphins appeared. These were the team representatives. For them there were special rules — to play only with the head. The participants handled the ball masterfully: tossing it up, pushing it to each other, throwing it out from under the water, passing it to one another and, of course, scoring goals in the opponents' net.
And their supporters, dressed in striped jerseys and captain's caps, shouted:
In the sea we're in our element, yes-yes-yes,
Water will help us win!
Their opponents echoed:
The sea is 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 had barely caught their breath when preparation for the next match had already begun. Again featuring the tireless Bears, emboldened by their first success.
So, onto the pitch rolled the already beloved home team of the hosting forest — the Bears — and arriving from a distant southern forest — the graceful and cunning Cats. The Bears' persistence and activity could only be envied. Someone must have installed a spring in them, or guaranteed eternal forest felling in remote and harsh places, it's hard to say. But the fact remains.
For the first time in many, many years of competition, when the forest had repeatedly changed its foliage and trees had grown to unprecedented heights, their team was excellently prepared. However, the cats' gracefulness on the football pitch was also mesmerising. Their soft and precise movements, strikes were clearly planned and calculated. One could paint Repin's picture "Do as We Do".
The Bears, 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 the price. Penalty.
To the ball, swaying her skinny rear, approached the main attacking cat Salahina. Having adjusted the ball and slyly smiled at the concentrated bear goalkeeper, she lightly ran up and.
GOAL!
G-O-A-L!!
G-O-O-O-OAL!!
The entire stadium jumped up and choked in ecstasy. Well done! The Cats woke up. But! This didn't shake the Bears 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 Bears.
Eh! Unaccustomed to losing, the Cats were very offended, spent a long time determining the cause of such a situation and decided to sack the head Cat, whom they deemed guilty of all troubles. They found a scapecat!
Another match ended, but the Festival continues. And the merriment began to smoothly move from the stadium territory beyond its boundaries. They tooted horns, beat drums, danced and shouted: "Ole-ole-ole-ole!". At the exit they were met by crowds of journalists and bloggers from different countries, asking them to share their impressions of the locality where the championship took place, 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 peculiar hat took the floor, his muzzle painted in the colours of the flag of the country from which he came to the animal championship.
Not hiding his emotions, he began to speak:
Oh, it's wonderful! The host side did colossal work, such excellent organisation, everything thought through to the smallest detail. We are incredibly happy to be here, and very pleased with everything.
Magpie flew up to another supporter and asked another question:
Weren't you afraid to come to a foreign forest, where different laws exist, different customs?
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 verified that in this forest everyone is welcoming, kind, responsive and caring.
Local animals are always ready to help, to advise and even to show and accompany us to the place we need. Enormous thanks to everyone for this!
Then a flock of colourful birds from a distant forest flew up.
They surrounded Magpie the journalist in a tight ring, 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 of 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:
With this our broadcast ends. See you soon at the next matches!
And, switching off the microphone, she headed off with her new friends to celebrate this momentous event — the Football Championship of animals from different countries of the world.
Ole! Ole-ole-ole!
