Watercolors. Drawing with my Mummy - страница 2

“Would you like to paint a backward picture?”

“What’s a backward picture?”

“Well, first we write what it is, and then we paint it.”

“Wow! Will you write what it is for me? What will we write?”

“Do you want to paint something pretty or something ugly?”

“Something pretty,” Tim declared without hesitation.

“Perfect! A pretty green… hmm.” For some reason Mama chose the color green for him. “Or maybe a pretty green…”

“Green, Mama?!” Tim laughed, so loudly that little Sasha began to smile and gurgle, as though joining Tim in his unrestrained merriment. “Mama, where have you ever seen something pretty and green?” Tim gasped through his laughter.

“Whyever not?” Mama objected.

“A frog is green, but it’s ugly. A crocodile is ugly, too. You’re pretty, Mama, but you’re not green.”

“Uh-oh; now you’ve hurt the frog’s and crocodile’s feelings,” said Mama. Then she wrote, Green and pretty.

“Let’s paint a pretty frog and a pretty crocodile.”

“You can’t paint something ugly as if it were pretty.” Tim turned away.

“No? Just try it! Paint a nice frog and crocodile, with happy eyes and warm smiles!”

“Warm smiles?” Tim echoed, staring off into space.

“Exactly! Warm smiles,” Mama repeated. Then, with a mysterious wink at Tim, she left the table.

“Mama, look! Look, Mama, look!” Tim ran down the hall, waving a big sheet of paper. On it were a beautiful green frog and a lovely green crocodile. The frog was standing on its hind legs with a wide grin. It was wearing a yellow dress and a big yellow hat.

The crocodile also had a yellow sundress and a hat, but it was holding the hat in its hand. One eye was closed. The crocodile appeared to be trying to wink at them.

“Very pretty!” Mama said. “But why are they dressed in yellow?”

“Because yellow is like the sun, and the sun is warm.”

“All right. But why are they wearing dresses?”

“Because it’s a lady crocodile and a lady frog!”

“So pretty creatures wear dresses, and yellow keeps them warm?”

“YES!” Tim answered emphatically.

Mama laughed merrily, but said nothing, and she stroked Tim’s head.

The Second Tale: Blue

“I’m bored.”

“I’m booorrreeedddd…”

“Mamaaaa!” Tim whined, tugging at his mother’s sleeve.

“All right, let's paint a picture,” said his mother, finally setting aside what she had been doing.

“Hooray!” Tim went jumping through the room toward the cupboard to get his brand new watercolors.