Time passes quickly and our little boy Mitya, who seemed to have only recently learned to walk and talk, now goes to kindergarten. Mitya really enjoys the kindergarten, where there are many cheerful and smart children with whom he happily plays. There are even more interesting and unusual toys in the kindergarten.
For example, there is a huge bear named Mikhail Potapovich, whom all the children love to hug, or a real big electric car where any child can feel like a driver and take their friends for a ride. There are also animals in the kindergarten that Mitya loves. A big red parrot named Stepan, whom the children taught to say: "Hello." And many small colorful fish living in a glass aquarium.
Mitya often looks at them and sometimes can spend the whole day doing this. The boy gave each fish a name and he knows exactly who lives where and what seaweed they eat.
One day, when Mitya approached the aquarium again, he discovered that among the familiar fish, there were small fish he had never seen before. He called his friends over to the aquarium—a dark-haired curly-haired boy named Alyosha and a funny red-haired girl named Tanya.
Look! The teachers brought new fish! — Mitya said excitedly to his friends.
How beautiful they are... — Tanya said thoughtfully, looking at the new arrivals.
But they're so small, — added Alyosha with a knowing look.
Then Vitalik came up to the group of friends. He was the oldest in the group and liked to tease the others.
What are you all looking at? — asked Vitalik.
The teachers brought new fish, — Mitya answered him. He wanted to share his joy with everyone.
Ha, you're silly kids. The teachers didn't bring the fish, these are the children of the ones who already lived here, — Vitalik laughed at the children.
Children? — Tanya became interested, — where did they come from?
They were born, I guess, I don't know, — answered Vitalik and became interested in Tanya's question himself.
Let's ask the teacher? — suggested Alyosha.
The children all went together to the teacher. Finding Tamara Ivanovna near the parrot, they asked her a question:
Tamara Ivanovna, where do babies come from?
The teacher was very surprised by the unexpected question, but hurried to answer:
Babies appear in mommy's belly, — she said confidently.
But how do they get there? — asked Tanya in surprise.
To answer this question, the teacher led the children to a large table. They stood around it, and she took out a box of puzzles and poured them onto the table. Then she said:
Imagine that all the people you know, your moms, dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, and you yourselves—are puzzles, — she began. The children picked up puzzle pieces in their hands and nodded their heads, — Each person is unique in their own way, but somewhere on the planet there is another person who is right for them, just like one puzzle piece fits another. Your mom and dad are two pieces that found each other. When they come together, they give the best of what they have and create new life. But only if these puzzle pieces fit each other does it create a picture of amazing beauty.
So we are a picture that came together from mom and dad? — asked Mitya.
You could say that, — answered Tamara Ivanovna, — Your parents came together and created you.
Is it the same with fish? — asked attentive Alyosha.
With fish? — clarified the teacher.
Yes, the ones in the aquarium, — said Vitalik.
So that's where your questions come from! — laughed Tamara Ivanovna, — Yes, it's the same with fish, only when they find a mate, they get many, many children at once, because the mother fish lays them as tiny eggs.
Wow! — exclaimed the children, — A whole bunch of brothers and sisters at once!
Everyone laughed and ran back to the aquarium. So the children learned where babies come from, and Tamara Ivanovna realized that her students were growing up very quickly.
