_THE KITTEN_. How nice it is! And what am I like?
_THE DANDELION._ You are young in my recollections.
_THE KITTEN._ And you know, I'm recalling you. And you are young too. How
nice it is! Well, let's recall something else. It is not very interesting -
you recall only me, you look at me... Try to recall something else.
_THE DANDELION._ What should I?
_THE KITTEN._ Try to recall, how we admired the Moon.
_THE DANDELION._ Oh, I recall it.
_THE KITTEN_. And that's all?
_THE DANDELION._ I think it is.
_THE KITTEN._ I know what we shall do. But it's difficult.
_THE DANDELION_. What?
_THE KITTEN._ We'll dream.
_THE DANDELION_. But how?
_THE KITTEN_. It means to speak about something, that will never happen.
_THE DANDELION_. But I can't.
_THE KITTEN._ Little Carp taught me to dream. Well... So, when I become The
Goldfish...!
_THE DANDELION._ Do you want to become The Goldfish?
_THE KITTEN._ Of course, not. Little Carp does. And I only dream. Listen...
When I become a Goldfish again... and I get golden fins!
_THE DANDELION_. Will you get golden fins?
_THE KITTEN_. Well, not. Little Carp will. Don't interrupt. When I get golden
fins...!
_THE DANDELION_. Well?
_THE KITTEN._ That's all. Little Carp would tell nothing more. And now it's
your turn.
_THE DANDELION._ Well, I'll try... So ... When I become The Goldfish again...!
_THE KITTEN._ Well?
_THE DANDELION._ When I get golden fins!
_THE KITTEN._ Well? What else?
_THE DANDELION._ But you didn't teach me anything else!
_THE KITTEN._ Oh! How I wish I could learn what will happen to these fins. I
think we aren't good at dreaming.
_THE DANDELION._ Let's peep into the future.
_THE KITTEN._ Let's, but what is the future?
_THE DANDELION._ That's something that will certainly happen.
_THE KITTEN._ Well, let's try...
_
They peep into the future.
_
Well?
_THE DANDELION._ Ooh, it is wonderful!
_THE KITTEN._ It's wonderful! Now, you'll try to learn what's in store for
me, and I'll do it for you.
_
They peep into the future of each other.
_
Your future seems better than mine.
_THE DANDELION._ Do you like it? So I give it to you.
_THE KITTEN._ So do I! I give it to you.
_THE DANDELION._ What do you want to give me?
_THE KITTEN._ Everything!
_THE DANDELION._ I give you everything too!
_THE KITTEN._ Hurrah! You've given to me, and I give to you! I wish Little
Carp could hear our words. He's fond of giving too. Let's give him something.
_THE DANDELION._ Well, what?
_THE KITTEN._ We'll give him everything too. Well... He doesn't need
everything. He wants his fins. Let's give him the fins .
_THE DANDELION_. Well, let's.
_THE KITTEN._ Little Carp, we give you golden fins.
_THE DANDELION._ And we give Moth his wings.
_THE KITTEN._ Little Carp!
_THE DANDELION._ Moth!
_THE KITTEN._ I think, they can't hear our words. They're sleeping. Let's
call them!
_THE DANDELION_ and _THE KITTEN._ Moth! Little Carp!
_
The Moth and The Little Carp.
_
_THE KITTEN._ Moth and Little Carp! Listen, we give you your fins and wings.
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Thank you.
_THE MOTH._ I'm so happy.
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Well... You say... How could it be! I'll get my golden
fins again!
_THE MOTH._ It seems to me... new wings?!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Moth, wake up!
_THE MOTH._ Wake up, Little Carp!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ My fins!
_THE MOTH._ My wings!
_THE KITTEN._ So, we've made them a present! Let's give something to somebody
else.
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Why... But where are my fins?
_THE MOTH._ And what about wings? Give me them!
_THE KITTEN._ But should one give anything, while making a present?
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Oh, look at him!
_THE KITTEN._ But we can't do it yet. We can only make presents.
_THE MOTH._ How would you like it! Well, Little Carp, listen to what they are
talking about!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Well, Moth! They seem to be deceiving us!
_THE KITTEN_ and _THE DANDELION._ Deceive you?!
_THE MOTH._ I was just flying over the thistles... in my dream, of course...
_THE LITTLE CARP._ And you?..
_THE MOTH._ And I was woke up?
_THE KITTEN_ and _THE DANDELION._ Who woke you?
_THE LITTLE CARP._ I don't know how to put it... They promised to give me the
fins...
_THE MOTH._ Oh, I was awaken at the same moment - they promised to give me my
wings...
_THE KITTEN_ and _THE DANDELION._ Who promised that?
_THE MOTH._ There are two know-it-alls. Am I right, Little Carp?
_THE DANDELION_. Well, Kitten, we happen to be these know-it-alls, we
promised...
_THE KITTEN._ How could it be? I don't know how to promise. I did it
accidentally! Please forgive me!
_THE DANDELION_. Forgive me too! Please!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Well, we'll forgive you, but...
_THE MOTH._ It can't be helped - one should keep his promise.
_THE KITTEN._ But I... We can't keep promise!
_THE MOTH._ So you should learn!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ So you'll have to learn! And I'll go and see my dream up
to the end. I want to know, how it ended.
_
He leaves.
_
_THE MOTH._ I may have time to fly over those thistles by the morning. (He
leaves.)
_THE KITTEN_ and _THE DANDELION._ Don't get upset about it! We'll keep our
promise! Honest!
_THE KITTEN._ Why didn't you warn me? I wouldn't have promised then. We made
a present to our own misfortune. What shall we do?
_THE DANDELION._ You know, I seem to know what to do. Let's... invent
something!
_THE KITTEN._ Hurrah! Let us! But let's whisper at first.
_THE DANDELION._ Let's whisper!
_
They whisper.
_
_THE KITTEN._ It's a secret!
_THE DANDELION._ It's our secret!
_THE KITTEN._ Let's whisper a little more!
_THE DANDELION._ Let's whisper then.
_
They continue whispering.
_
_ACT 2 _
_
The Smart Cat and The Fly.
_
_THE FLY._ Have a good rest, sleepy-head?
_THE SMART CAT._ I didn't have a wink of sleep. I was lying in wait. Do you
think, it's very interesting? Give it a try!
_THE FLY._ What's the news?
_THE SMART CAT._ Bad news. I didn't have enough sleep.
_THE FLY._ That's a good boy. You don't have to tell everything they said.
I'm sure they talked nonsense. Report on what you heard.
_THE SMART CAT._ I'm reporting: I didn't understand a word. I was lying in
wait.
_THE FLY._ What for then?
_THE SMART CAT._ What for? We, cats, have this habit.
_THE FLY_. So you didn't hear a word?
_THE SMART CAT._ Pains me to hear it! We cats have a keen ear... But my
memory...
_THE FLY._ Can you remember at least one word?
_THE SMART CAT_. Mm... We often repeat it.
_THE FLY._ "Promise"?
_THE SMART CAT._ Another one... One says, when he's lying.
_THE FLY._ "Honest".
_THE SMART CAT. _That's right. That's what they were talking about.
_THE FLY_. How interesting! Could you even imagine it? Such a little but
harmful seed has flown here from behind these thistles!
_THE SMART CAT_. What are you talking about?
_THE FLY_. Wait, you'll see what the things will be like!
_THE SMART CAT_. I don't like anybody, saying contradictions. I can't
understand it!
_THE FLY._ It's quite easy - As you sow, you shall reap.
_THE SMART CAT_. What shall one sow?
_THE FLY._ Sow the wind...
_THE SMART CAT_. And what shall one reap?
_THE FLY._ And reap the whirlwind. As you sow you shall reap!
_THE SMART CAT._ But why does one reap not, what he's sown?
_THE FLY. _Nobody knows, what grow on our ground!..
_THE SMART CAT_. What will grow?
_THE FLY._ Well, Smart Cat!..
_THE SMART CAT_. Oh, Fly!.. Well... We need a plan! How to save ourselves
from it!
_THE FLY_. How nice of you to understand it! Let's think it over.
_
They are whispering.
_
_THE SMART CAT._ Hush! Who is coming here?
_
They disappear. The Old Boot and The Pot.
_
_THE OLD BOOT. _How are you?! Still rattling, aren't you?
_THE POT._ I am. Well, is the night over?
_THE OLD BOOT._ Of course, it is. And the day will certainly be over.
Everything passes: morning, day, evening, night...
_THE POT_. It is an old custom.
_THE OLD BOOT. _But we shall never be worn out.
_THE POT_. We are inanimate objects.
_
The Moth and The Little Carp.
_
_THE LITTLE CARP._ I'll soon get my golden fins.
_THE MOTH._ And they promised to give me the wings!
_THE OLD BOOT_. Oh, as soon as you start dreaming of something they'll
immediately interrupt you!
_THE POT._ They'll immediately interrupt you!
_THE POT._ They'll find and certainly interrupt! Certainly!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ Oh, Moth, if you ever could imagine, how these two old
whimperers bother me!
_THE MOTH._ Little Carp, I'm bored to death with this lame Boot!
_THE OLD BOOT._ Come! Come! If you were more careful, you could notice long
ago that I'm the left one!
_THE POT_. And I'm always right!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ And I'll get the fins!
_THE MOTH._ And I'll get the wings!
_THE LITTLE CARP._ I'll swim away!
_THE MOTH. _I'll fly away!
_THE OLD BOOT_. I say! We can dream better, can't we, Pot?
_THE POT_. We can! You can't even imagine!
_THE LITTLE CARP_. Well, try then and show us how you do!
_THE MOTH_. You can't!
_THE OLD BOOT_. Ah! Well... I... Mm...
_THE POT _(is prompting). I can dream... so...
_THE OLD BOOT_. Can dream so...
_THE POT _(is prompting). That...
_THE OLD BOOT_. That!..
_THE MOTH._ Is that all?
_THE OLD BOOT_. It is all!
_THE LITTLE CARP_. It is clear.
_THE POT_. Feel envious? Well, Boot, Tell them, how the day passes.
_THE OLD BOOT_. Day passes and...
_THE LITTLE CARP_. Stop talking! You are dreaming in the wrong way! One
shouldn't dream as you do!
_THE OLD BOOT_. I am right!
_THE MOTH_. Try to dream of the most important thing.
_THE OLD BOOT_. That's what I'm doing: everything passes, everything goes to
its end...
_THE LITTLE CARP_. Boot, tell me, do you have something valuable?
_THE OLD BOOT_. I have... My thoughts!
_THE LITTLE CARP_. No, the most important thing, you've got is your sole.
_THE OLD BOOT_. My sole!
_THE MOTH_. And what about you, Pot?
_THE POT_. My soul!
_THE MOTH_. No, Pot, it's your cover.
_THE POT_. Cover!
_THE MOTH _and _THE LITTLE CARP_. And you should dream of this!
_THE POT_. My Cover!
_THE OLD BOOT_. Sole!
_THE LITTLE CARP_. Oh, my fins.
_THE MOTH_. My wings.
_THE LITTLE CARP_. I'll swim to the black sea!
_THE MOTH_. I'll fly to high pine-trees!
_THE OLD BOOT_. I can't remain on my feet!
_THE POT_. I'm boiling with life!
_THE OLD BOOT _(suddenly). Let's take the field!
_EVERYBODY_. The field! The field!
_THE OLD BOOT_. We are marching together!
_EVERYBODY_. Together!
_THE POT_. We are singing our song loudly!
_EVERYBODY_. Our song!
_THE LITTLE CARP_. We'll try to catch the sunshine!
_EVERYBODY_. The sunshine!
_THE MOTH_. We'll be jumping over the thistle!
_EVERYBODY_. Over the thistles!
_
They sing their song.
_
_THE OLD BOOT_. We are marching together!
_EVERYBODY_. Together!
_THE POT_. Go on, music!
_EVERYBODY_. Music!
_THE LITTLE CARP_. Hello, Sunshine!
_EVERYBODY_. Sunshine!
_THE MOTH_. Our beautiful dream has got the wings!
_EVERYBODY_. The wings!
_
They leave singing.
The Smart Cat and The Fly.
_
_THE SMART CAT_. How silly they are! They'll never get over the thistles!
_THE FLY_. The sun will set by the evening, they'll lose their way!
_THE SMART CAT_. They can't see anything in the darkness!
_THE FLY_. They can't see anything in the darkness!
_THE FLY_. They'll step on each others feet! They'll beat each other up!
They'll quarrel!
_THE SMART CAT_. They'll attack each other!
_THE FLY_. They'll quarrel!
_THE SMART CAT_. They'll beat each other!
_THE FLY_. They'll return back. They won't get over the thistles!
_THE SMART CAT_. The sun will set! They'll lose their way!
_THE FLY_. They'll deceive themselves.
_THE SMART CAT_. They'll return! Quarrel! That's it!
_THE FLY. _They'll quarrel! This way...
_
They start beating each other.
