Marina Korsakova – The Three piglets in business. The big game (страница 2)
Middle took a long walk, thinking about everything. The fallen leaves were rusting under his hooves. When he returned home, his brothers were already asleep wrapped in their blankets. Their shared piggy bank stood on the table among the plates and cups. It clearly has been well shaken and looked quite sad now. A notebook with some calculations and drawings laid next to the piggy bank.
Middle washed the dishes and prepared the dough for the breakfast rolls. Life seemed quiet and simple. Well, maybe they will change their minds…
The excited look on Junior’s face and the determined look on Biggie’s in the morning made it clear that yesterday’s conversation had not been forgotten. Despite Middle’s protests, the brothers had barely finished their breakfast and set the piggy bank back on the table.
“This house will be so beautiful!” Junior continued to dream. “With colorful walls! With a terrace to drink cocoa on! We’ll plant raspberry bushes around it!”
Biggie nodded in approval.
“Do you remember how you ate raspberries last year and had a stomach ache after?” remarked Middle teasingly.
Junior fell silent.
“Building a big house is extremely hard!” Middle continued. “We’ll have to hire builders! What if they don’t work hard enough? What if it rains? The walls could be destroyed! And you… you can’t do anything! Yes, you can draw your little pictures, but you’ve never decorated an entire house! What if it turns out badly and everyone laughs at you? Do you want to be embarrassed?” he continued to pressure his brother.
“No, I don’t,” Junior said. He got upset and removed the notebook from the table.
“Wait,” said Biggie. “Do you remember,” he turned to the middle piglet, “the first time you made an apple pie, and you ruined it? Half of the pie was undercooked, while the other half was burnt. And Granny Owl was yelling at you that you must have tried to poison her?” Junior giggled. “And you said that you would never ever bake again.”
Middle blushed.
“And look what wonderful pies you bake now!” Biggie continued. “And you,” he turned to his little brother. “Do you remember how afraid you were to swim in the lake? How you thought that it was too deep and that you would definitely get bitten? How we stepped into the water with you and held you… And now? Who has the medal for the best swimmer hanging over his bed?”
It was all true. Even though he panicked at first, with hard training Junior had become an excellent swimmer. Recollecting, the little brother looked after hard training. Remembering this, the little brother looked disapprovingly at Middle, who shrugged.
“We
“…And more interesting than spitting acorns!” Middle suddenly blurted out.
“Exactly!” Biggie agreed.
“So, are we breaking it?” Junior squealed with delight.
Well, this time the piggy bank’s pitiful look didn’t help. Three confident hooves fell on it at once.
A mountain of coins was laying on the table.
The adventure had begun.
Chapter 2.
The Struggle at the Walnut Meadow
An announcement appears on the tree. – Someone tall in a black cloak. – Why does your tail itch? – A bitter defeat. – An unexpected decision.
Birdsong woke Junior up. The sun was shining through the window. Having splashed cold water on his snout, the piglet looked round. If his brothers had seen him, they would have made him wash his snout properly!
After some contemplation, Junior decided to go pick wild blueberries for breakfast and left the house.
Junior knew how to find joy in every sunny day. He liked to swim, go boating on the lake or just walk around with his basket. The piglet always turned his little snout in all directions in search of curious, tasty and beautiful things. And now, having circled around the forest for about half an hour, Junior returned not only with ripe berries, but also with a big bunch of wildflowers.
The piglet noticed something new on the tree near their little house. It was an announcement.
Junior dashed home so quickly that he nearly spilled all the blueberries he had picked.
Biggie and Middle were quite busy. Biggie was estimating the amount of stones and timber needed, and Middle was drawing and muttering something to himself. Glasses of milk were placed on the table and oatmeal porridge was simmering on the cooker.
“Come! There! At the Walnut! With me!” Junior screamed at the doorstep.
“What?!” the brothers asked in unison.
“The best! At noon! The Meadow!” Junior ran in circles in great agitation.
Biggie sighed, grabbed Junior and splashed some water on his face. Having calmed down, Junior was finally able to explain what was the matter.
“We shouldn’t take part in this competition,” Middle moaned, rearranging jars and pots. “We won’t win anyway. Okay, I agree, let’s build the house, but without any competitions! Better yet, we just stick to picking mushrooms like the other animals…”
“But if we win, we’ll get our piggy bank back!” Junior cried. “We’ll be able to buy bicycles and open a bakery! We’ll become the leading builders in the forest, and everyone will respect us!”
Middle and Junior the piglets looked inquisitively at their eldest brother.
“We can go and just have a look,” Biggie decided. “Okay! Porridge, blueberries, milk and let’s go!”
The big forest clock struck noon. The Walnut Meadow was crowded.
Aunt Elk and her twin daughters were eating salty popcorn from a packet. The athletic hares were snacking on carrot slices.
In the middle of the Meadow stood a table covered with a white tablecloth, with a jug of water. Two self-important ferrets were sitting at the table.
“Applicants for the competition are requested to step forward, please!” the fatter Ferret said.
An otter walked past the piglets, followed by someone tall in a black cloak.
“Come on,” Junior whispered, gently nudging Biggie in the side. “This is our chance to become Chief Builders!”
“Don’t,” Middle grabbed his elder brother by the jacket from the other side. “It’s too hard! We have no experience at all!”
Biggie pondered over it… Middle was right. It would be hard to win the competition. But was it easy to raise the brothers? To build the stone house? To protect it from Wolf? Still, he succeeded. Maybe all the best things in the world are difficult at first?
He closed his eyes, took his brothers’ hooves in his and stepped forward.
“Dear competitors!” Fat Ferret addressed the animals. “Please introduce yourselves.”
“I am Otter,” Otter said politely. “I’ve built ten houses on the lake shore.”
The figure in a black cloak chuckled.
“Thank you,” Thin Ferret said. “Your turn.”
“We’re piglets,” Junior said. Suddenly he got nervous and decided to check with his brothers. “We are piglets, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are piglets,” Biggie confirmed. “We have built three excellent houses.”
The black cloak chuckled again.
“We’ve built three excellent houses,” Biggie continued. This black-cloaked creature started to annoy him. “And we’re ready to build more!”
“And what about you?” Fat Ferret addressed the figure in a black cloak.
The black-cloaked turned. Something red sparkled.
“I am Fox,” purred the contestant. “And I am very pleased to take part in such a wonderful competition, especially since it is held by such respectable organizers!”
Fat Ferret straightened up. Thin Ferret took a sip of water from the jug. The middle piglet felt an unpleasant chill.
“It’s important that all the animals live in beautiful and comfortable houses,” Fox continued. “The materials have to be the best, wouldn’t you agree, colleague?” Fox turned to Otter.