Days were becoming shorter and cooler, and nights longer and colder. Summer was ending, and autumn was approaching. The sun's rays were less hot, and they often had to break through the clouds that covered the sky to reach the earth. Dark clouds gathered more and more frequently, pouring rain on the slightly yellowing leaves on the trees and the drying grass, sometimes with brief showers, sometimes with prolonged rain.
Just this morning began with a light drizzle. The entire sky was covered with a grey veil, and cold drops of water fell to the ground. The wind occasionally lifted fallen leaves and swirled them about, as if in a dance.
Mila, a second-year pupil, sat by the window and watched everything happening through the glass splattered with raindrops. The drizzle gradually stopped. The sun peeped out from behind the clouds and flooded everything around with bright light. A rainbow appeared. It looked like a multicoloured bridge stretching into the distance, against the brightening sky.
Sparrows flew out of their shelters, began chirping merrily and hopping in the puddles. Mila watched them and smiled. She too wanted to go out into the yard.
At that moment her friend Sonya had already appeared on the children's playground. And Mila, having made up her mind to go for a walk, asked her mum for permission. She put on her rubber boots and ran out into the yard. The girls greeted each other joyfully.
They walked together through the puddles, splashes flying in all directions, and Sonya and Mila laughed merrily and jumped about, not afraid of getting their feet wet.
Suddenly they stopped and fell silent, listening. From under the steps of a wooden gazebo on the children's playground came a pitiful mewing sound. The girls exchanged glances and, without a word, ran towards the sound. At that moment, a pretty little face appeared from under the gazebo steps, and behind it came the source of the noise itself. It was a grey kitten with light blue eyes.
Its fur was slightly wet; it stretched its back and arched, shaking water off itself. The fur fluffed up and it looked like a grey ball of fluff. The girls squealed in surprise, as splashes from the kitten flew in their direction too. Then they laughed, charmed by its beauty.
The kitten shivered a little and mewed pitifully again.
You must be hungry.
Said Mila.
I'll bring you some sausage.
Or perhaps you're thirsty.
Suggested Sonya.
I'll bring you some milk.
And the girls ran off to their respective homes. Having told their mums about their find, they took food and drink and returned to the yard. The kitten waited patiently for them in the same place. Mila gave it a sausage, Sonya put down a saucer of milk. It ate and drank everything eagerly. It must have been very hungry. Then it sat down and began to wash itself. What a neat and tidy kitten it was.
Having tidied itself up, it began to run about and play. The little one climbed up a tree, then came back down, played with a fallen leaf, moving it about with its tiny paws. Then the little one chased after a dragonfly, hoping to catch it by its transparent wings.
But the dragonfly flew upwards, and the kitten, having miscalculated its trajectory, suddenly dropped to the ground on all four paws. The girls happily played along with it and had great fun.
At that moment there came a loud:
Meow-meow!
A large cat, the same grey colour as the kitten, approached it and mewed loudly. The kitten looked at her in confusion and ran to meet her. The cat licked it on the face and mewed something again.
It turned out that the kitten had gone for a walk on its own and hadn't told its mum, and she scolded it for that. And now she had found it and was taking it to her cat home. And both of them waved their fluffy tails goodbye to the girls.
At that moment, from two neighbouring houses came:
Mila!
Sonya!
It was the girls' mums, opening their windows and calling their daughters home. Evening was approaching, and the girls still had to do their homework and read their books. Sonya and Mila said goodbye to each other and, satisfied with their walk, the friends went their separate ways. And, unlike the kitten, they always asked their parents for permission when they went out into the yard.
Read fairy tales and you too will obey your mums and be neat and attentive.
