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Жили-были Сеня и Даня…, Марина АРОМШТАМ
Written by Maria Aromshtam
Translated by Maxim Gudkov
Once upon a time Senya and Danny…
In a big-big city, in a new house, in an apartment on the highest floor – there lived a little boy whose name was Senya. Senya’s house faced towards the hills. It was very pretty. Behind the hills there was a sea.
Besides Senya, there was his mom, his dad and their cat who were living in the same new apartment. Actually, it was not a cat, but a kitten. The kitten’s name was Puss. Senya got him recently - exactly on the move-in day. Puss ran around the empty rooms, smelt the air and corners – and afterwards mom started unpacking the clothes and organizing the dishes.
Senya was playing with the kitten and enjoying the move.
But then he suddenly became sad. In the new house he did not know anyone. Actually, there were not a lot of people living there yet. He could see the construction area from the window in his room. The crane was working there. The crane was spinning around, moving its hooks and hoist ropes while building a new house. But closer to the evening it “got tired and frozen”.
Suddenly Senya saw a star. It was a very tiny star. It settled comfortably on the arrow of the crane and shined very brightly.
Senya slightly closed his eyes, and the star winked. Was that at him? Or not?
“But what if that star can make my wish come true?... I wish a little boy like me moved in this new house that crane is building! We would meet, and become the friends. He would be my best friend!”
The star winked again, and then it just disappeared.
“What a pity!”, Senya sighed.
In another place, in a very old house, there was a little boy Danny who lived on the bottom floor. Right behind the house there was a wasteland, and dump on top of it.
Danny was living with his mom. He also had a dog named Dick. Dick and Danny always played with each other. Danny did not have anyone else to play with. In the old house next to the dump there were no kids left. Everyone moved away a long time ago. However, Danny and his mom stayed here. They didn’t have enough money to move to another place.
He wished his dad came back! Dad left for work… Very far away…
In the window of his small room he could see an old tree. It was a pine tree. It had grown here till the dump appeared. It had grown there even before this house was built. One day a very big star got on a pine tree’s branch.
This star looked enormous. It settled comfortably on the long green spike leaves, and was barely shining in the dark
Danny narrowed his eyes, and the big star winked.
Danny thought: “What a star… I want to make a wish… I want my dad to come back home. I want to live in a new house. I want to find a new friend.”
The big star winked again, and then disappeared.
“Oh well…”, Danny sighed
…But in the morning the exciting voices woke him up.
- Danny! Dad is back!
- Son! You got heavier! - Dad hugged Danny and tried to lift him up, - Is everything okay? How is Dick? Is he happy? I got a new job! – then dad laughed,- We are moving soon. We are going to live in a big city, in a new tall house. We are going to see the hills from our windows. There is a sea behind the hills, Danny!
Danny held his dad and tightly closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes and quickly looked through the window. It was a very bright morning. But there was the never forgotten star on the branch of the pine tree once again…
Translated by Maxim Gudkov
Once upon a time Senya and Danny…
In a big-big city, in a new house, in an apartment on the highest floor – there lived a little boy whose name was Senya. Senya’s house faced towards the hills. It was very pretty. Behind the hills there was a sea.
Besides Senya, there was his mom, his dad and their cat who were living in the same new apartment. Actually, it was not a cat, but a kitten. The kitten’s name was Puss. Senya got him recently - exactly on the move-in day. Puss ran around the empty rooms, smelt the air and corners – and afterwards mom started unpacking the clothes and organizing the dishes.
Senya was playing with the kitten and enjoying the move.
But then he suddenly became sad. In the new house he did not know anyone. Actually, there were not a lot of people living there yet. He could see the construction area from the window in his room. The crane was working there. The crane was spinning around, moving its hooks and hoist ropes while building a new house. But closer to the evening it “got tired and frozen”.
Suddenly Senya saw a star. It was a very tiny star. It settled comfortably on the arrow of the crane and shined very brightly.
Senya slightly closed his eyes, and the star winked. Was that at him? Or not?
“But what if that star can make my wish come true?... I wish a little boy like me moved in this new house that crane is building! We would meet, and become the friends. He would be my best friend!”
The star winked again, and then it just disappeared.
“What a pity!”, Senya sighed.
In another place, in a very old house, there was a little boy Danny who lived on the bottom floor. Right behind the house there was a wasteland, and dump on top of it.
Danny was living with his mom. He also had a dog named Dick. Dick and Danny always played with each other. Danny did not have anyone else to play with. In the old house next to the dump there were no kids left. Everyone moved away a long time ago. However, Danny and his mom stayed here. They didn’t have enough money to move to another place.
He wished his dad came back! Dad left for work… Very far away…
In the window of his small room he could see an old tree. It was a pine tree. It had grown here till the dump appeared. It had grown there even before this house was built. One day a very big star got on a pine tree’s branch.
This star looked enormous. It settled comfortably on the long green spike leaves, and was barely shining in the dark
Danny narrowed his eyes, and the big star winked.
Danny thought: “What a star… I want to make a wish… I want my dad to come back home. I want to live in a new house. I want to find a new friend.”
The big star winked again, and then disappeared.
“Oh well…”, Danny sighed
…But in the morning the exciting voices woke him up.
- Danny! Dad is back!
- Son! You got heavier! - Dad hugged Danny and tried to lift him up, - Is everything okay? How is Dick? Is he happy? I got a new job! – then dad laughed,- We are moving soon. We are going to live in a big city, in a new tall house. We are going to see the hills from our windows. There is a sea behind the hills, Danny!
Danny held his dad and tightly closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes and quickly looked through the window. It was a very bright morning. But there was the never forgotten star on the branch of the pine tree once again…
