Cypa the chick is a yellow fluffy little ball. He lives with his mum, Hen, and his dad, Rooster, on a farm. Cypa has lots of little brothers and sisters. Living on the farm is great fun! Wherever you go, something interesting is waiting for you. In the neighbouring barn live curly sheep, and Cypa loves to sneak in there and pull their wool. The sheep grumble and bleat:
Baaaa-baa, who's pulling my wool?
Baaaa-baa, and mine too!
Can't see anyone, baaaa-ba.
One day, Cypa finally got caught because he laughed too loudly and didn't manage to hide. The sheep chased him away and complained to his mum. And then Hen said:
Cluck-cluck, I'm very upset, Cypa, that you're being mean to the sheep, cluck-cluck, why are you so disobedient!
I was just having fun, peep-peep-peep. But I won't go to them again, I promise-promise! — answered Cypa to his mum.
In the stable on the farm live big beautiful horses. Cypa had always dreamed of riding one of them just once, but his mum, as usual, wouldn't allow it. Cypa thought his mum was deliberately forbidding him from doing all the interesting things, so he often didn't listen to her rules and did everything against her wishes.
Having sneaked into the stable one day, Cypa watched with delight as the strong and majestic horses ran beautifully at a gallop in circles. Cypa liked the white horse with massive legs the most. The little chick became frightened because he seemed so tiny compared to the enormous and fast horses. If he ended up in the arena, disaster would be inevitable.
He trembled at the thoughts that came to him. But at the same time, he imagined himself riding on the white stallion and dreamed of feeling what it would be like. And he wanted so badly to ride that he overcame his fear, and at the moment when the white horse passed by him, the chick jumped high and caught hold of the horse's tail with his wings.
And what a commotion started! The horse, taken by surprise, broke into a gallop. Cypa, pushing himself, tried not to fall as the tail swayed up and down at great speed. He tried to scramble up the tail to mount the horse, but it only picked up speed and the poor little chick kept sliding lower and lower.
Soon the other horses became alarmed too, surprised that racing had suddenly started. The white horse bucked, trying to throw off his unexpected passenger. And Cypa shouted at him, hoping he would hear his thin little chick voice:
Stop, slow down, peep-peep-peep! I'm going to fall, peep-peep-peep!
But the horse didn't stop, and then everything happened so quickly that Cypa didn't even have time to understand what had happened. The horse reared up and bucked with incredible force. The little chick flew straight to where the horses were galloping at great speed. Heavy hooves flashed before his eyes, and he tried to dodge them.
Everything was a blur. Cypa became so frightened and sad because he hadn't listened to his mum and found himself in such a situation that tears streamed from his eyes. And suddenly, he heard from somewhere above:
There he is! Neigh! He's the one who grabbed onto me! — it was that same strong white stallion talking to a chocolate-coloured horse galloping past.
It's a chick! Neigh! I wonder how he got here! — replied the chocolate horse when she ran past again.
I'm Cypa! — came a thin little voice, the words were hard to make out because Cypa couldn't stop crying.
Everyone stop! — commanded the stallion, and the horses began to slow down. They gradually surrounded Cypa, looking at him carefully, — Why did you frighten me, little chick?
I just wanted to ride, peep-peep-peep... — said Cypa with shame.
Loud horse neighing was heard. Everyone was laughing at him. And the yellow chick turned a bit red from embarrassment.
How did you enjoy the ride? Neigh? — said the horse with grey spots on her back.
Neighing was heard again. Cypa noticed the white horse coming closer to him. His beautiful long face bent down so low that Cypa could see the big horse eyes. And then he heard a quiet voice:
Don't pay attention to them, neigh. They're always laughing at everything.
I was so silly to disobey my mum, I could have died! Peep-peep-peep! I'm so sorry! Peep-peep-peep! — tears ran down his cheeks again.
Neigh... Silly chick Cypa. You could have just asked me to give you a ride without causing such a commotion at the racecourse, — said the horse in a lecturing tone.
I thought you wouldn't want to, — Cypa answered with regret.
So I decided to ride on your tail. That was a very silly thing to do. But you've been frightened enough. Get on me, I'll take you home.
Please forgive me, I'll never do it again, — the little chick apologised sincerely.
Of course, the white horse, who turned out to be called George, forgave the young chick. He took him home, thus fulfilling the yellow ball's cherished dream. His mum, Hen, complained and scolded her son for a long time, but George convinced her that everything was fine and that Cypa had already understood his mistake.
Cypa promised to listen better to his mum. After all, she never says anything just like that, out of spite; mum always cares about making things better for her children. And although it took a while, Cypa understood this.
