Snowy fairy-tale

Àëåêñåé Øàâðèí
                Chapter 1

             How a tiny droplet became a little snowflake.

            Once upon a time there was a tiny droplet. She lived on a field flower at the edge of the forest. The droplet was tiny little, but she had many friends. They all lived on the flowers and grass leaves.
            Her favorite occupation was to sparkle in the rays of morning sun.
             At first she was afraid, but then she said:
           - Oh, I am so beautiful!

 
                Chapter 2

           How the little snowflake found a new friend.

           In the cloud the snowflake saw that there lived many other snowflakes. All snowflakes were as beautiful as she was.
           Then the little snowflake noticed that all snowflakes were going somewhere, and she followed them. She was awfully upset, but at the same time she was terribly interested, what was there in the very middle of the cloud.
            At last she came into the huge hall, where there were already too many little snowflakes.
            At first the little snowflake didn’t understand, where she was, and she asked another snowflake:
          - Where did I come to?
          - To school where the snowflakes study, - she answered.
          - And what is your name? - Asked the little snowflake.
          - My name is the snowflake Alyonka, - answered the snowflake Alyonka. - And what is your name?
          - I am the Little Snowflake, - answered the little snowflake. - Let’s make friends!
          - Let’s! - Answered the snowflake Alyonka.
           And they started to make friends.


                Chapter 3

          How the little snowflake tried to find her name.

        - Well, do they really call you the Little Snowflake? - Asked the snowflake Alyonka.
        - Yes, they do! - Answered the little snowflake.
        - Then we should find you a name, - said the snowflake Alyonka.
        - And where will we search for it? – Asked the little snowflake.
        - We will not search, we’ll create it, - said the snowflake Alyonka. - For example, Anechka.
        - Good name, I like it, - said the little snowflake.
        - Do you really like it? – Asked the snowflake Alyonka.
        - Yes, I do. Sure! – Answered the little snowflake.
        - Then we will call you this name – Anechka! – Said the snowflake Alyonka.
And from that moment the little snowflake was called the snowflake Anechka.   


                Chapter 4
      
          How the snowflakes study at Snowy School. 

         One day the snowflakes Alyonka and Anechka went to Snowy School.
         When the snowflake Anechka entered her class, she immediately took a seat near her new friend at the same desk. Soon the bell rang.
         The first lesson was jumpology.
         The snowflake Vera Vladimirovna, the teacher, came into the classroom. All pupils stood up.
        - How do you do, children - the snowflakes! - She greeted them. - Take your seats.
          The snowflake Vera Vladimirovna looked about the class and asked Anechka, the smartest snowflake, to the blackboard.
         -You must climb up our tower and show us how to jump down in the right way.
          The snowflake Anechka quickly got to the top of the tower.
        - I think, we can jump this way, - said the snowflake Anechka. She straightened her rays and jumped down.
        - That’s right, - said the snowflake Vera Vladimirovna. - Take your seat. Excellent!
           All other snowflakes jumped down from the tower one after another several times.
           Then the bell rang for a brake and all snowflakes rushed to the dining-room. There was milk and ice-cream at the dining-room that day. After eating the snowflakes went back to the classroom.
           The second lesson was snow-unitology. At this lesson the snowflakes learned how to get together in big fluffy flakes.
           The snowflake Vera Vladimirovna came in again, but this time she asked to the blackboard the snowflakes Alyonka, Petya and Gleb.
          - What is the right way to jump down if you are in big flakes? What do you think?
          - Maybe, this way, - answered the snowflake Alyonka, the snowflake Petya and the snowflake Gleb in chorus. They quickly climbed up the tower and jumped down together.
           - No, that’s wrong! – Said the snowflake Vera Vladimirovna. – If you want to get in big fluffy flakes, you must join your rays firmly.
            And she showed the whole class how to joint their rays.
          - Try once more, please.
            The snowflakes Alyonka, Petya and Gleb got up the tower again. They fastened their rays firmly and jumped down.
            They were slowly descending and whirling in silence, and all other snowflakes looked at them.
          - Take your seats, the snowflakes. Well done! – Praised them Vera    Vladimirovna.
            And again the whole class jumped down from the tower, but in small groups. Little snowflakes learned to become big fluffy flakes.
            When the lesson was over, they all ran to the snow library. At the library the snowflakes Gleb, Anechka, Petya, Alesha and Alyonka chose for reading the book “Snowy fairy-tales”. Other snowflakes took themselves interesting books about snow, winter and snow storm also. Then they all rushed back to their classroom.
            The bell rang again and the last lesson began. It was dancing lesson. The snowflakes studied “Snowflakes’ waltz”.
            All snowflakes liked this lesson most of all because they all wanted to dance snowflakes’ waltz. This dance is very beautiful. All snowflakes waltz with each other. Quite alone, or in pairs, and even in small groups now they raise, now descent, now whirl.
            When this lesson was over, tired but gay snowflakes left to their houses in the folds of the thick cloud.


                Chapter 5

              Graduate party and Snowy Ball

             Each day the little snowflakes ran to their Snowy School. They studied singing and dancing, flakes descending and merry going round. The days flew fast and time of graduate party came.
           Well-dressed snowflakes gathered again in their Snowy School. They all went for the ball in honour of their release from the cloud.
          - Hello, the snowflake! You are so smart and gay today, - greeted them the snowflake Vera Vladimirovna. - You made good progress in many subjects during these days. Now it’s time to leave Snowy School.
            Thus, the graduate party at Snowy School began.
            All snowflakes were entertained to milk shakes and ice-cream with whipped cream and chocolate. Everybody was gay and happy and they all had fun.
            But the snowflake Vera Vladimirovna said at last:
          - My dear snowflakes! Midnight will come soon. It’s high time to waltz. I regret to part with you, but I believe that we will meet one day.
            Romantic music started to play and everybody danced the snowflakes’ waltz in honour of graduation from their school and release from the cloud.
            Grown-up snowflakes said good-bye to their teacher and jumped down. Taking each others rays, they whirled in snowy waltz, soaring up and lowering down.
             They danced the whole night, covering the ground with white blanket, and they could not believe that their study was over.


                Chapter 6
               About faithful friends

               Early frosty morning, when the day was breaking, the snowflake Anechka woke up. Everything was white around her. A forest was seen not far in the distance. She recognized the edge of the forest where she had warmed herself under summer sunrays.
               There was a withered flower nearby, her former house.
                Little by little her friends - snowflakes woke up. Here on the stalk of withered grass woke up the snowflake Alyonka, and there the snowflake Alyoshka was waving his rays from the last-year leaf. Here and there, Petya and Gleb, Sonya and Nastya, Germann and Gelya were awake now.

                Epilogue.

                Winter ended.
                The days became longer. Sun was warmer and warmer. Snow began to melt at the edge of the forest. First small green grass appeared. Little by little, the flower of the snowflake Anechka came back to life.
                Anechka looked at it and was glad.
                But one sunny morning she discovered that she had melted and changed again into the small droplet.
              - Oh! – She grieved. – I will never have such smart white dress! And now I don’t have my friends – snowflakes!
                The droplet Anechka grew sad.
              - Hi, Anechka! – Somebody called her.
                She turned back and noticed that the droplet Alyoshka was sparkling on the fresh grass. She looked around and saw that all her friends were gleaming and glittering in the morning sun.
                The droplet Anechka was delighted and decided to glitter too.

jumpology - ïðûãîâåäåíèå
snow-unitology – ñíåãîëîãèÿ