The event in question was planned well in advance. And all participants prepared for it very thoroughly, with great responsibility and with full dedication of strength, skills and abilities. Moles and beavers dug pits for sports stadiums, blocked groundwater to prevent flooding.
Elephants laid rolled turf and tamped it down, making the surface of the stadiums smooth and even. Monkeys carried branches and twigs, and birds wove seats for spectators from them. Spiders spun thick 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 put into operation, passed 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, many participants, fans and supporters arrived. And then the opening day came. The audience took their seats in the stands. A colorful performance began on the field itself. On a stage shaped like a soccer ball, Nightingale Romeo and Nightingale Ashley appeared. They sang so loudly, melodiously and beautifully that the audience gave them a standing ovation.
Chameleons circled around the stage, periodically changing their color, creating a riot of colors. On the stage itself, fireflies danced, illuminating the singing nightingales with their light.
Fireworks flashed around the perimeter of the stadium, fountains bubbled in the corners. The spectacle was extraordinarily beautiful, alluring, magical and mesmerizing.
After the nightingales' singing, the Phoenix appeared, walked along the stands, flapped its wings and took off.
It soared over the stadium, riveting the enthusiastic gazes of the assembled animals, and called out invitingly:
Our goal: to rise higher,
And never give up!
It dropped several of its magical feathers, for good luck, and disappeared from view.
The Talking Bird appeared (and everyone knows that it is distinguished by intelligence and wit) and announced the first competitors. These were the teams: "Bears" and "Camels." The rules of the game stated that balls could only be kicked and scored with hind legs and head. And for playing with front paws there was a penalty: removal from the game.
At this time, fans and supporters 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 field, successfully passing the ball. Surprisingly, the always clumsy bears, sleepily moving not only across the field but also near their own den, seemed to have been replaced. One might think that the mischievous fox, the bears' neighbor, had slipped them some of her potion. We should look into this!
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, while the camels were constantly hindered by either their humps or suddenly appearing snot from the sharp climate change, so that half the players walked around covered in their own snot. By the end of the game they could barely move their paws, which cannot be said about the other participants in the match – the Bears, gleaming with pleasure and also surprised by their own agility.
And then the final whistle. Incredible — the score is "5:0". For many years no one expected not only such a selfless game, but also an amazing result. Many players were still small foolish 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 to sort things out among themselves. Behind the team of dejected two-humped ships of the desert trudged their head coach, ready to hear all the attacks for the crushing defeat.
The Talking Bird announced other participants:
The teams "Strong Flippers" and "Wet Tail" are entering the field. At this time the stadium field turned into a pool, sea lions and dolphins appeared. These were the representatives of the teams. For them there were special rules — to play only with the head. The participants masterfully handled the ball: 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 fans, dressed in striped T-shirts 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 fans and players had barely caught their breath when preparations for the next match had already begun. Again with the participation of the tireless Bears, inspired by their first success.
So, onto the field rolled the already beloved host team of the receiving forest — the Bears — and those who arrived from a distant southern forest — the graceful and cunning Cats. The Bears' persistence and activity could only be envied. Someone must have inserted a spring in them, or guaranteed them eternal logging 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 the trees had grown to unprecedented heights, their team was excellently prepared. However, the gracefulness of the cats on the football field was also mesmerizing. Their soft and precise movements, strikes were clearly planned and calculated. One could paint a picture like Repin's "Do as we do."
The Bears, having already scored a couple of goals against the cats and relaxed for a minute, were even slightly mesmerized by such beauty. And immediately paid for it. Penalty.
The main attacking cat, Sally, approached the ball, wagging her skinny rear. Adjusting the ball and smiling slyly at the focused bear goalkeeper, she easily 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 did not 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 favor of the unrecognizable Bears.
Eh! Unaccustomed to losing, the Cats were very offended, spent a long time figuring out the reason for such a situation and decided to fire the head Cat, whom they recognized as guilty of all troubles. They found a scapecat!
Another match ended, but the Festival continues. And the fun began to smoothly move from the stadium territory beyond its borders. They blew into pipes, 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 area where the championship was held, and of the game itself.
Journalist Maggie the Magpie flew up to one group of fans and asked a series of questions:
Are you satisfied with the results of the match and the game?
Did you like the conditions in which it took place?
A fan in a fancy hat took the floor, his face painted with the colors 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 a miracle! The host side did a colossal job, such excellent organization, everything thought out to the smallest detail. We are incredibly happy to be here, and very pleased with everything.
The Magpie flew up to another fan and asked another question:
Weren't you afraid to come to a foreign forest, where there are different laws, 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 became convinced that in this forest everyone is friendly, kind, responsive and caring.
Local animals are always ready to help, suggest and even show, and accompany us to the place we need. Huge thanks to everyone for this!
Then a flock of colorful birds from a distant forest flew up.
They surrounded Maggie the journalist Magpie in a tight ring, singing a ringing and cheerful football song:
Football has no borders,
It's for both animals and birds!
Football has no barriers,
The fan is always glad for it!
They whirled the Magpie in the whirlwind of their bird dance and carried her away with them. And the journalist did not resist, she gave in to the general merriment of representatives of different forests of the world.
Only in parting she said into her microphone:
This concludes our broadcast. See you soon at the next matches!
And, turning off the microphone, she headed off with new friends to celebrate this momentous event — the Football Championship of animals from different countries of the world.
Ole! Ole-ole-ole!
