Hello, my young listener. I am a tale about animals that speak different languages. Now you will learn why cats don't chirp like birds, and dogs don't moo like cows.
Listen carefully and take note... Oh, but you don't have a moustache! Well then... Remember this well! Actually no, we mustn't be too harsh on such a lovely little nose. Let's just say you'll simply remember why all animals speak differently. Agreed? Right, listen up.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, all creatures communicated in one language. Yes indeed! I can't quite remember how it sounded to human ears. Perhaps 'blum-blum' or 'purly-churly'. Or 'dyshik-kabydyshik'. Or even in a sing-song voice: 'poo-oochiky-poochiky, poo-oochiky-lapoochiky'. It was so long ago that nobody remembers exactly.
The main thing is — everyone understood each other. For example, a bear walks through a field, paws going 'stomp-stomp', and a bee shouts:
Watch out! Move azzzide! I'm collecting nectar here!
And he — quick as a flash! – moved his paw away, didn't step on the flower with the little bee. Or another example: a little bunny was playing, got lost. He approached the stream and asked a crucian carp:
Ex-excuse me, p-please. Which way is my g-green hill with the d-daisies?
The carp replied:
The bub-bubble hill is behind the bub-bubble oak tree. Don't get lost again!
You've probably been told that animals love coming to the water. To drink, to bathe, and simply to admire the stream or lake. It's very beneficial and pleasant! And so relaxing that every now and then they begin discussing their secrets in the warm water.
During the time when different animals all spoke the same way, fish knew everything about everyone. And they themselves were quite keen on a good gossip. So they began revealing others' secrets.
One day they told the wild boars what they'd heard from the wolves about where they were going hunting. The next day they blabbed to the squirrels what they'd heard from the boars about where to gather lots of acorns. The following time they gossiped to the owls what they'd heard from the squirrels about how they camouflage their tree hollows.
Day after day — and the animals had no secrets left. All the hidden nests and burrows ceased to be secret and could no longer protect their owners. All the little-known clearings with berries and nuts were quickly trampled. Chaos began to reign, and hostility settled everywhere.
But the animals became most angry with the fish. They declared:
There's no peace because of your gossip, you chatterboxes! You ought to swallow your tongues and never prattle on needlessly again!
The fish took offence at being told off. So they went and swallowed their tongues! And to this day they don't speak to anyone.
But the animals no longer trusted anyone. And they decided to invent secret sounds for themselves. Mice began to squeak, so that nobody would guess where the new burrows were made. Birds started to chirp, whistle and sing, so that others wouldn't know what they were twittering about. Foxes only snorted at those around them and quietly yapped amongst themselves.
Soon everyone forgot how they used to communicate with each other. Now only frogs understand croaking, and wolves — wolf howls. And fish just wave their fins and tails about, but don't say anything aloud. That's how, because of others' gossip, the animals fell out and lost their common language.
It's too late now to judge who was more to blame. Perhaps one shouldn't have discussed one's affairs in the presence of outsiders. Perhaps one shouldn't have revealed others' secrets to everyone around. In any case, both are now considered poor form.
I hope, my young listener, that you'll remember well what unnecessary gossip leads to. Think carefully before you say something. Otherwise you'll lose common ground with friends and loved ones — and you'll end up all alone.
Well, I'm ever so tired, I'm off to sleep. Good night!
