Seryozha and the Canary

Seryozha had a wonderful birthday. He received many gifts such as a toy wolf, a horse, and even some picture books. But the present he loved the most was a bird trap that his cousin sent him. The trap worked like this: at the entrance of the net there was a small wooden plate. If Seryozha scattered some grain on it and left it in the yard, the moment a bird landed to peck at the seeds, the plate would tilt, and the net would drop down, capturing the bird. Excited, Seryozha ran to show his mother. She frowned and said, “That is not a good toy. Why catch birds? Why cause them harm?”

The Story of Two Magical Words

On a quiet afternoon, a small old man with a long gray beard sat on a park bench, drawing strange shapes in the sand with the tip of his umbrella. A young boy named Pavlik came running up, his face red with frustration. “Move over,” he demanded. The old man shifted to the side and looked at the boy curiously. “You seem upset,” he said kindly. Pavlik hesitated, then admitted, “I just ran away from home.”

The Girl Who Didn’t Value Friendship

Once upon a time, there was a lovely little girl who owned a handsome rooster. Every morning, the rooster greeted her with a cheerful crow: “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Good morning, little mistress!”. It would peck happily at the grains of rice from her hand, then leap up onto the fence. In the sunlight, its feathers shimmered like velvet, and its bright red comb glowed like a flame. It was truly a magnificent rooster.

The Blind Horse Who Rang the Bell

Long ago in Russia, near a thriving port city, there lived a wealthy merchant whose ships sailed across the oceans, bringing back goods and gold from every corner of the world. He owned many rare treasures, but none were as valuable to him as his prized horse, a magnificent stallion so fast and graceful that it seemed to ride on the wind. He named the horse Windrunner, and only he dared to ride it. He loved Windrunner more than anything else he owned and refused to part with it under any circumstances.

Purine the Bunny

The sun was growing brighter each day. The snow had melted, and the silver streams hummed cheerful songs as they flowed through the forest. Spring had truly arrived, filling the land with warmth and color. Flowers bloomed in every direction, and everything seemed alive again. In the middle of all this, a young rabbit named Purine stood among the blossoms, smiling to himself. "Aha," he thought, "the cruel winter has finally left the forest!"