Little Kolya lived in a small cottage right by the sea. Every evening, together with his father, the boy would come to the shore, and when it grew quite dark, they would lie on the warm pebbles and gaze at the stars. Father would tell stories about each constellation, and the stories were interesting and captivating. A bright moon shone in the sky, and there was not a soul around. Only the sound of the wind howling and seemingly singing a sad song could be heard.
One day, when summer arrived, Kolya woke up and suddenly thought:
I wonder if the sea can actually talk?
The boy loved fairy tales very much, read many books, and in some of them the sea could speak in a human voice.
Without much deliberation, Kolya decided to test it. He quickly got dressed, brushed his teeth, had some tea with warm buns that his mother had baked for him, and left the house.
Where are you off to so early?
Asked Kolya's mother.
Kolya decided not to say what he had planned. After all, his mother and father never allowed him to go to the seashore alone. The sea often raged, and waves would rise so high that they reached almost to the fence that surrounded Kolya's house.
I'm not going anywhere.
The boy hesitated.
I just thought I'd look outside; perhaps my friends have already woken up and are out playing.
At that moment, a bright voice rang out:
Hello, Kolya!
It was his classmate – Nikita. The boys sat together at the same desk and sometimes played outside. But Nikita was quite different – he didn't like studying, skipped lessons, didn't enjoy reading, and was always rude. Moreover, Nikita was always dropping sweet wrappers and ice cream packets on the street; he was always littering and never cleaned up after himself.
What are you doing?
Nikita asked Kolya.
I wanted to quickly go to the seashore and find out if it can talk. Once, in one of the fairy tales, the sea spoke in human language, and I…
Before the boy could continue, Nikita interrupted him:
Wow, I want to come too, let's go together! But I need to go home first and pack a basket for the journey – sweets, biscuits, and compote.
Kolya looked back; his mother was bustling about in the kitchen, and his father was busy with his chores around the house, and neither of them saw that Kolya was about to leave.
The boys rushed off to Nikita's place. After gathering everything they needed, the lads came to the shore, spread out a blanket, and sat down, laying out sweets and biscuits in front of them.
Well then, shall we talk to it?
Asked Nikita.
Talk to whom?
Kolya was surprised.
Well, to the sea, of course! You yourself said it can talk. So let's test it – will it answer us or not? – Hey, you, sea! Why are you silent, has the cat got your tongue?
Nikita shouted mockingly.
In response, only silence.
A silent dark swamp.
Nikita continued to tease the sea.
Turns out you can't talk after all, and the fairy tales about you are lies.
Nikita, maybe we shouldn't upset it! Who knows, perhaps it hears everything?
Kolya was frightened.
It doesn't hear anything!
Nikita shouted and threw a sweet wrapper into the water. Then another, and another.
And suddenly a terrible wind rose up, everything swirled around, the basket of sweets was lifted high and carried far away.
Nikita, we need to go home. A storm is about to rise that will sweep us away with the waves!
Kolya cried out in fear.
Oh, you're such a coward!
Nikita laughed.
It won't do anything to us!
And suddenly, turning around, the boys saw an enormous wave approaching them very quickly. Before they could come to their senses, the lads found themselves caught in a whirlpool of water. A few seconds passed, and the boys lost consciousness.
Where are we?
Kolya opened his eyes and was taken aback.
Everything around was blue, filled with water. Colourful fish swam past the boy: large sea perch, flounder, ruffe, and even a needlefish circled around him. Seaweed covered everything around, and there was no land to be seen anywhere.
Nikita, wake up!
Kolya cried out.
Where are we?
Nikita, coming to, jumped to the side:
I think we're dreaming!
Welcome to my domain!
Suddenly a loud, piercing voice was heard.
Well, how do you like it in my waters?
Who are you?
The boys cried out in fear in unison.
Ha-ha-ha, who am I! And why did you come to the shore? To listen to the voice of the sea? Well then, I am the Sea!
Can the sea really talk?
Nikita whispered in surprise and looked at Kolya.
Of course it can!
The Sea said, laughing.
And why are we here? What will you do with us? Why have you locked us away here?
And who was throwing rubbish at me?
Asked the Sea.
What rubbish?
Nikita was indignant.
Sweet wrappers? Are those rubbish? They're just pretty bits of paper! I specifically wanted to decorate you, because you're so gloomy, dark blue.
How can you pollute the sea? Because of such wrappers and other rubbish, all the living things in me could die. There would be no fish, no seaweed, and then death would come to the earth too, because without me there is no life for anything living on earth!
You're right, you really can't pollute the sea. We learned that at school!
Kolya cried out.
Nikita, what will happen now?
Kolya cried out in fear.
Promise me that you will never do this again, and that you will never pollute the ocean depths!
We promise, we promise! Never, do you hear, I will never throw rubbish into your domain! And besides, I will study hard and will know what I can do and what I cannot do!
Everything around began to bubble and swirl, a whirlpool caught the boys and in an instant threw them onto the dry shore. And even their clothes were dry, as if nothing had happened to them at all.
Kolya and Nikita looked at each other, and then promised that they would never tell anyone about this. From that day on, they never disturbed the ocean depths again.
In fact, the sea can talk, only not everyone knows about it. Read fairy tales, treat nature with care, because it is thanks to nature that all living and beautiful things exist on earth.
Read sказки and you will discover many more magical stories and mysterious adventures.
