Vic and Dorothée, brother and sister, lived in a huge house, next to which there was a spacious park, fenced off from the surroundings by a high wall. A river flowed nearby.
Parents believed that it was better for a brother and sister to study at home and not at school.
Vic and Dorothée had a gouverneur, a private teacher employed to teach and train children in a private household. He was a former student and worker of culture, who once showed great achievements, but by the will of life circumstances ended up in a highly paid position of a modern gouverneur.
It was snowing in the morning. But by the afternoon both snow and rain had almost stopped.
Children need to get some fresh air.
Vic and Dorothée went for a walk along the familiar path. Dorothée had a piece of bread with her for birds.
The path led past a clearing. There was a large tree stump in the clearing. And Dorothée left bread crumbs on this stump during walks. If Vic had something flour with him, then he also left the food for the birds.
This time, the brother and sister found a slightly broken walnut on a tree stump.
It was evident that the walnut had slightly rotted.
Vic broke the nut in two. He gave one half to Dorothée, and the other he began to examine himself.
Dorothée quickly squeezed and broke her half and emptied the contents onto the tree stump.
Vic had to make an effort. He put his half on the edge of the stump and struck from above with a thick branch. The peel cracked. Vic broke the walnut completely.
It turned out that after winter the nut rotted slightly. However, there were also quite edible parts. It possible to carefully separate them off and to eat them.
It was interesting to taste the nut found in the park.
But Dorothée offered to grind the inside of the nut and leave it for the birds to feed.
- I think the crow left it! - she said. - Crows sometimes throw nuts under the feet of people and under the wheels of cars to eat the walnut kernel. I've read about it!
- Maybe the crow left it, maybe it was not the crow, - Victor said.
They decided to take a walk nearby and to see which bird would come to peck the nut and the bread crumbs.
Indeed, after a while a large bird flew in. But it was clearly not a crow. The bird was smaller, of a different color, and had a smaller beak than a crow.
After the walking during the allotted time, Vic and Dorothée returned home.
Now it's time for lessons.
The gouverneur, hearing their conversation about the walnut and the crows, suggested writing two stories about the bird and the nut.
Dorothée wrote a story about a kind crow who, in gratitude to a humans for a regular, permanent food, brought a walnut for them (as a gift).
In his story, Vic suggested that some bird had once seen crows throw walnuts under the feet of people and under the wheels of cars. The bird did not succeeded to crack the walnut and she brought it onto the tree stump so that humans would crack the walnut for her.
- A good stories! - the gouverneur appreciated. - A few more of such works, and we will compile a collection for your parents.
Vic began to describe the bird that had flown in. What is that kind of bird called?
- I have a friend, he is biologist. If possible, we will organize a joint walk in the park, - the gouverneur promised.
Vic and Dorothée were pleased. It is interesting to pour bread crumbs to the birds, look at the walnuts brought by the birds and to write stories. And at the same time, besides - to get acquainted with a biologist and to start learning biology!
March 24, 2021 15:37
Translation from Russian into English: March 24, 2021 21:38.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Птицы и орех. Детский рассказ'.