Snoutie and His Friends - страница 4

Snoutie shifted from paw to paw and did not realize that he might snap a dry twig until a loud crack rang out.

“Oh, who’s there?” asked the scared girl, looking over at the tree.

“It’s me. Please forgive me,” mumbled an embarrassed Snoutie as he came out of his hiding place. “I really did not mean to frighten you. I am Snoutie. Who are you?”

“My name is Michelle. I live near here, on the other side of the hill. Mama let me go out on a walk to pick dandelions.”

“And I was chasing after a butterfly and ran beyond the fence by accident. My house is over there, at the very edge of the Big Forest. Have you ever been there?” Snoutie asked his new friend.

“No, never! My Mommy and Daddy do not let me go that far,” answered Michelle. “You know, Daddy told me that a magical white flower grows in that forest. If you see it and make a wish, your wish will most certainly come true. But it is very hard to find this flower. It grows in a thicket that is impossible to pass through.”

“It would be great to find it!” Snoutie’s eyes gleamed and he started noisily sucking in air through his snunk with excitement. “Maybe we should try? We’ll find it quickly and be back before the sun sets so our parents won’t even have the chance to get worried.”

“OK,” agreed Michelle, “but we have to be back home by evening. Otherwise my parents will be very upset.”

So Snoutie and Michelle set off quickly in the direction of the Big Forest.

* * *

Snoutie and Michelle bounced along the forest path. Everything around them seemed magical: the heavy branches hanging over their heads; the thick, prickly bushes with sour berries; the soft carpet of green moss; the splashing of clear water in the stream; the songs of birds; and the rustling of fallen leaves.

The little travelers ran merrily off into the depths of the forest, singing a happy song as they went along. Butterflies of all sorts of colors fluttered in the air, and gay grasshoppers jumped around in the deep grass. It seemed to the two travelers that the Forest, which had been warmed by the rays of morning sunlight, wanted to be their friend.

Then Snoutie thought he heard the splashing of water somewhere up ahead, and the two friends soon found themselves on the banks of the forest stream. The stream was so wide and fast that there was no point in even thinking about crossing it. The travelers began to feel a little tired and hungry.