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Жили-были Сеня и Даня…
Simon and Daimon
By Marina Aromshtam
Translated by Dalia Roshal
In a huge city, in a new building, in an apartment on the top floor, there lived a little boy named Simon. Through the windows in the apartment, Simon could see the rolling hills, and behind the hills, there was the ocean. Simon lived in this apartment with his mother, his father, and his cat. Actually, the cat was a kitten. The kitten’s name was Fluff. Fluff had joined their family recently, on the very day they moved. Fluff ran around the empty unfurnished rooms, smelling the air in the middle and then the corners of each room. Simon’s mother started unpacking and sorting the dishes.
Simon played with Fluff, happy about moving into their new home. But his happiness didn’t last long, because he realized he didn’t know anyone in this apartment building, and there were few people living here so he thought there wouldn’t be many opportunities to make new friends. Simon sat near the window, watching some construction workers operating a crane. The crane turned around periodically, twitching the many hooks and cables that hung down from it. It was building a new house. By evening, Simon grew tired of watching the construction workers and the crane. And then something caught his eye - a star, one of the smallest stars in the sky. The star seemed to be perched on top of the crane, and it was shining oh-so brightly.
Simon squinted so that he could see the star more clearly, and the star twinkled. Simon wondered if it had winked at him or at someone else.
Simon thought, “Maybe the star can grant my wish... I wish a boy my age would move into the new house that the crane has been building all day, and the boy and I would meet each other and become best friends.”
The star winked again and then disappeared. Simon was disappointed that the star was gone, but he hoped that it had heard his wish and might be able to grant it.
In another place, far away from Simon, in an old house with peeling paint, there lived a little boy named Daimon. Behind the house, which was in a neighborhood that had an air of neglect, there was a dumpster. Daimon lived with his mother and his dog named Jack. Jack and Daimon often played together. Other than Jack, Daimon didn’t have any friends. Everyone who had lived in this neighborhood moved away to something a little more upscale a long time ago. But Daimon was still here with his mother. They didn’t have the money to move. Oh, if only his father would come home. But his father was working somewhere very, very far away...
Through the window of Daimon’s tiny bedroom, he could see an ancient pine tree. The tree had grown here way before the dumpster had developed behind Daimon’s house and before everyone had moved away. The tree was even older than Daimon’s house. And one day, he saw a big star that seemed to be perching comfortably on one of the branches of the pine tree. This star was huge, and it twinkled constantly, seeking attention. Daimon squinted at the star, and the star winked at him.
Daimon thought, “I think this is the kind of star that can grant wishes. I wish for my father to come home. I want to move into a new house. And I want to have a friend.”
The star winked again and then disappeared. Daimon sighed.
In the morning, Daimon woke up to hear his mother’s excited voice: “Daimon, Daimon! Your father’s home!”
His father came to him and hugged him and tried to lift him up, saying, “My son! You’ve grown so much since I’ve last seen you! How are you? How’s Jack? You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you - I’ve gotten a new job!” The father laughed and then continued, “We’re going to move soon. We’re going to live in a huge city, in a new house. From the window, we’ll be able to see the rolling hills, and guess what - behind the hills, there’s the ocean!”
Daimon hugged his father tightly and closed his eyes happily. And then he opened his eyes and looked out the window. It was morning, and the sun had risen. But even so, on a branch of the pine tree, there was a brightly-shining star...
By Marina Aromshtam
Translated by Dalia Roshal
In a huge city, in a new building, in an apartment on the top floor, there lived a little boy named Simon. Through the windows in the apartment, Simon could see the rolling hills, and behind the hills, there was the ocean. Simon lived in this apartment with his mother, his father, and his cat. Actually, the cat was a kitten. The kitten’s name was Fluff. Fluff had joined their family recently, on the very day they moved. Fluff ran around the empty unfurnished rooms, smelling the air in the middle and then the corners of each room. Simon’s mother started unpacking and sorting the dishes.
Simon played with Fluff, happy about moving into their new home. But his happiness didn’t last long, because he realized he didn’t know anyone in this apartment building, and there were few people living here so he thought there wouldn’t be many opportunities to make new friends. Simon sat near the window, watching some construction workers operating a crane. The crane turned around periodically, twitching the many hooks and cables that hung down from it. It was building a new house. By evening, Simon grew tired of watching the construction workers and the crane. And then something caught his eye - a star, one of the smallest stars in the sky. The star seemed to be perched on top of the crane, and it was shining oh-so brightly.
Simon squinted so that he could see the star more clearly, and the star twinkled. Simon wondered if it had winked at him or at someone else.
Simon thought, “Maybe the star can grant my wish... I wish a boy my age would move into the new house that the crane has been building all day, and the boy and I would meet each other and become best friends.”
The star winked again and then disappeared. Simon was disappointed that the star was gone, but he hoped that it had heard his wish and might be able to grant it.
In another place, far away from Simon, in an old house with peeling paint, there lived a little boy named Daimon. Behind the house, which was in a neighborhood that had an air of neglect, there was a dumpster. Daimon lived with his mother and his dog named Jack. Jack and Daimon often played together. Other than Jack, Daimon didn’t have any friends. Everyone who had lived in this neighborhood moved away to something a little more upscale a long time ago. But Daimon was still here with his mother. They didn’t have the money to move. Oh, if only his father would come home. But his father was working somewhere very, very far away...
Through the window of Daimon’s tiny bedroom, he could see an ancient pine tree. The tree had grown here way before the dumpster had developed behind Daimon’s house and before everyone had moved away. The tree was even older than Daimon’s house. And one day, he saw a big star that seemed to be perching comfortably on one of the branches of the pine tree. This star was huge, and it twinkled constantly, seeking attention. Daimon squinted at the star, and the star winked at him.
Daimon thought, “I think this is the kind of star that can grant wishes. I wish for my father to come home. I want to move into a new house. And I want to have a friend.”
The star winked again and then disappeared. Daimon sighed.
In the morning, Daimon woke up to hear his mother’s excited voice: “Daimon, Daimon! Your father’s home!”
His father came to him and hugged him and tried to lift him up, saying, “My son! You’ve grown so much since I’ve last seen you! How are you? How’s Jack? You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you - I’ve gotten a new job!” The father laughed and then continued, “We’re going to move soon. We’re going to live in a huge city, in a new house. From the window, we’ll be able to see the rolling hills, and guess what - behind the hills, there’s the ocean!”
Daimon hugged his father tightly and closed his eyes happily. And then he opened his eyes and looked out the window. It was morning, and the sun had risen. But even so, on a branch of the pine tree, there was a brightly-shining star...
