Кот Мур и его команда на англ. языке

Meow the Cat and His Team

Once upon a time, yet not so long ago, there was Meow the Cat, the very favourite pet of everyone in the family. Yet, a little girl named Aisha loved him more than anyone else in the family did. They lived on the fourth floor in a comfortable flat furnished with soft and nice furniture. Meow was fond of everything soft and fluffy. Recently, at a cat show, he had been awarded a golden medal for being soft and fluffy. The cat liked to have a peaceful nap on the sofa while stretching his paws all around him or have a seat in the armchair and watch telly, just as people did it. Should anyone switch on telly, the cat was right there at once. He was interested in everything he saw on the screen – news the Dad watched, female TV shows the Mom watched, and, of, course, wildlife discovery movies. Yes, he was definitely crazy about watching cartoons with Aisha the girlie. Moreover, the Cat diligently observed her doing her home assignment – writing and reading. And, it caused certain consequences for the Cat. He grew smarter and smarter. Overall, Meow did his best to copy his masters, which turned him into an extraordinary cat. He learned how to do the washing, open a window or walk on back paws.

Life was nice and pleasant for Meow. Yet, having watched those many cartoons about different adventures and achievements of people, dogs and cats, he felt he was as strong as a mountain and believed he could do more than just play with Aisha or chase Ava the Dog around the flat. Well, the cat was no match to the dog. Next to huge Ava, he seemed just a tiny kitten and Ava, she could reach a tabletop with her head, and she would often take some sausage sandwiches from a plate, which Mom would make for breakfast for the family. Ava was especially fond of round pieces of sausages she would share with the cat. Ava was always forgiven for playing such nasty tricks, as she was not a usual dog – she was a dancing dog. Smart and talented, Ava easily picked up dancing steps to a tune. Sometimes, at long winter evenings, Aisha and Ava would dance to a jolly tune on the carpet, in the middle of the room, for hours on end. And, Meow, he would watch them splaying across the couch.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited spring had come. Outside the window, drips of thawing snow were singing their song – drip-drop-drip... Actually, those were icicles hanging down from the roof that began to melt.And, with plenty of icicles, one would get a splendid thaw tune – the spring melody. Meow, Ava and Aisha liked listening to it while sitting on the windowsill. Bird songs were getting louder outside. They were glad that spring was coming, and Meow was happy too. He knew summer comes after spring. And, in the summertime, Ava, Aisha and he would be taken to grandmother’s country house, and there, as he hoped, he would be able to show off all his unlimited might, ready wit, and, of course, he would accomplish a glorious feat.

That is just the way it happened. Mom got all of them into her big white car – Aisha was sitting in her child safety seat next to her Mom, while Meow and Ava took their seat at the back. Ava fell asleep in an instance, while Meow was looking out of the window. He liked to observe forest, fields and small rivers flashing by.

Alas, there they were at last! Oh, Granny was so much glad to receive the visitors. She got them seated at the table and treated to her best house specialties – Mom and Aisha would get pies and pancakes, Ava enjoyed her bowl of porridge, while Meow relished a dish of fresh warm milk Granny just had from her own cow.

After that, everyone went to bed. What sweet and colourful dreams would be dreamt in a fresh air of the countryside? Meow and Ava slept in the garden under the sky. And, the sky was full of stars – myriads of them! The stars were big and bright, while the Milky Way seemed like a light stripe of stars across all the sky – as if it meant to hug the entire Earth. One could not even notice such things in the city. Starlight is dim and gloomy because of the many streetlights.

In the morning, Meow, Ava and Aisha went for a walk amidst the orchard and the kitchen garden, paid a visit to the forest growing right next to Granny’s land plot. Meow would visit Granny every summer. Everything seemed as usual, as it had always been – nothing had changed over the past year. Aspen-trees would murmur their leaves in the wind, birch-trees would swing their branches back and forward, while fir-trees and pines would fill the air with pine scent.

 ‘Yet, something is wrong,’ Meow noticed. ‘Why there are no leaves on certain trees at all? And, neither flowers, no grass grow on those meadows – only dry black soil can be seen?
Ava arrived and said, ‘There are some orange bugs with black and white stripes on the potato vine that is on the leaves of potato plants in the Granny’s kitchen-garden. And, those nasty bugs devour potato leaves with a huge appetite.’

‘Hey, does anyone in the forest may possibly know what is going on?’ Aisha asked and then shouted, ‘You-hoo!’
‘Is there anybody in the forest? Me-ow-ow?’ Meow the Cat cried out as loud as he could.
‘Beasts, birds, does anybody know what is going on?’ Ava asked and just in case said, ‘Woof, woof, woof!’
‘What, what?’ Sonya, the Wise Owlet flapped with her wings. ‘I have to admit, you woke me up, my friends. We, owls, sleep at daytime, and fly at night.’
It should be mentioned, that owls are very wise, that is very clever birds. They know everything what happens in the forest, and even more.

‘It is a disaster in our forest! Dreadful locusts attacked it. They fly with huge packs from one place to another and gobble everything on their way – tree leaves, grass, flowers; they are even able to eat pine needles,’ the Owlet said. ‘Locusts attack both fields of wheat and rye, and every plant that grows and has got green leaves. The only thing important for them is to eat, eat, and eat. While, your Granny’s potatoes are attacked by Colorado potato beetles,’ the Owlet explained.

‘It’s horrible,’ Aisha said.

‘Looks like a nightmare,’ Ava said.

‘My dear lads, we have to do something. We have to save the forest!’ Meow said.

While, Meow thought to himself, ‘I’m such a small cat, how can I help the forest?’

Yet, he timely recollected the words of his old grandpa – Thomas the Cat, ‘A little body often harbours a great soul’, and ‘A little axe cuts down big trees.’ ‘Though, I am short, nevertheless, I’m a very dashing cat, you know,’ Meow said to himself. For a good reason, he had watched all those animation movies about mighty heroes. Moreover, for a good reason, he felt might and power within himself. And, the time had come to reveal them.

‘The main thing is to decide who is responsible for what. It is a great thing that Sonya the Owlet is in my team now. She will call every bird of the forest to help us!’ Meow said.

‘I am going to call all the birds into the air – and they will attack the locusts,’ the Owlet replied.
‘I’m going to help her,’ Ava said.
‘I am going to call Mom, she is in the city now, and tell her everything,’ Aisha said. ‘Mom will help us too.’

Barbos the Shaggy Dog from the nearby cottage house joined Ava to help too. Aisha called her Mom via a cell phone and told all about the fight against the locusts, arranged by Meow the Cat. Mom instantly decided to help the Cat and his team. She informed Special Forest Sanitary Aviation Service on locust outbreak in the area.

So, it began! Barking aloud, dogs ran in between trees to call the forest birds into the air, while the Owlet tirelessly explained them where to fly to and directed them to the locust troops. Aisha called up all other kids from other cottage houses and they helped her to collect all the Colorado potato beetles into the jars filled with water in her Granny’s kitchen garden.
Like a real Commander-in-Chief, Meow the Cat was sitting on the birch-tree and watching the fight against the forest and garden pests. He could see pretty well the packs of locusts concentrated here and there, so he directed the birds flying next to him to the pests. By the middle of the day, every soldier in Meow’s Team was tired out severely, while there still were multitudes of locusts around, and no flock of birds would ever manage to eat them up.

Then a helicopter of Forest Aviation Service flew. Its Chief Pilot, Ivan Petrovich took the loudspeaker and told every kid, animal or bird to hide in their dwellings, dens and tree hollows and stay there until he had finished spraying special powder made of dried chamomile flowers that would exterminate each and every locust remained.

This powder is called pyrethrum. It is not harmful for people, forest animals or birds, while it causes locusts to die. Yet, the Owlet had to interfere.
‘Harmless grasshoppers can die as well,’ she said. ‘They do no damage to forests, fields, orchards or kitchen-gardens, while they look quite similar to locusts. We are to warn grasshoppers for them to hide from the powder not to die in vain.’

‘How can one distinguish the grasshoppers from the locusts?’ Aisha asked.

‘Well, those criminals, locusts, are much bigger than grasshoppers, more than 3 centimeters long. Locusts have short antennae, their uniform reminds the one of a soldier camouflage – grey and green and black spots. While travelling around the daytime, packs of locusts devour every plant on their way. Contrary to those, the grasshopper is small, green, and harmless. Grasshoppers are kind, they do not bite. And, they have got long antennae. They hunt gnats primarily at night and on their own. And, finally, when meeting the locust, one would probably get scared, while the grasshopper is not frightful,’ the Owlet concluded.

They warned grasshoppers. Meow ordered his Team to run and hide. So, everyone – Aisha, Ava,Barbos the Shaggy Dog and the Cat himself rushed to the Granny’s house.And, they took Sonya, the sleepy owlet, with them as well. She had done a great job – flied several loops over the forest to get other birds fighting off the locusts, and, after that, she could have a good nap at Granny’s.

It rained a bit in the morning. A bright summer sun lit every window of the cottage houses, orchards and kitchen gardens. Meow, Aisha and Ava rushed to the forest to check the situation.

So, what did they see there? Heaps of defeated locusts were lying down on the ground but they ate nothing anymore.
‘Hooray! Victory!’ Aisha shouted.
‘Meow, meow,’ Meow the Cat said.
‘Well done, Meow! A small axe cuts down big trees,’ Ava praised the Cat.
There came Barbos the Shaggy Dog.

‘There is no a single Colorado potato beetle in your Granny’s kitchen garden,’ he barked. Granny was so much happy – no words could describe it.
‘I’m so grateful to you, my dearest friends, you saved my harvest. Do come to visit me in fall. We are going to have a harvest party!’ Granny invited everyone who took part in the fight for the harvest.
Summer passed by in a flash. Fruit and vegies grew ripe. Granny laid mushrooms, berries and, of course, potatoes in store for the wintertime. It was time for Harvest Party.
It was the feast like no other. Granny cooked their favourite dishes for all the guests.
Meow the Cat who arranged the Harvest Fight and his principal assistant Aisha got the most delicious cream cake with their names on it. Ava and Barbos got their sausage sandwiches – no bread or buns, only sausages. Sonya the Owlet enjoyed popcorn. Aisha’s Mom arrived too, and she brought Ivan Petrovich from Forest Aviation Service, the very same pilot who spread the pyrethrum powder above the forest. He played harmonica while everybody sang and danced. Ava and Aisha danced the best – they had been training all winter long. Meow the Cat was sitting at the head of the table and contemplating, ‘It does not matter if you’re small, the main thing is not to be afraid to do good things.’



What is the noise behind the gate? This is Granny Yagusia, the Forest Witch. She lives in the forest hut nearby, and she flies in her magic mortar everywhere. She was invited to the party too.

‘Hey, you’re celebrating here while huge troops of mice are attacking the wheat fields. They will devour them all! They won’t leave us a single grain!’ Yagusia said.

‘Alas,’ Meow made up his keen mind. ‘Another fight for us!’

Yet, this is another story to tell. To be continued…