– How do you know all this? And he doesn't like me at all! And you're lying on everything! And I don't like him at all, not even a bit! And it was not for him…
– Alinka. I never and never tell anyone else's secrets to any single person. And how many of them I know! Don't worry, they're just boys. And not just boys! You know, people often say and do things that they don't really want to do.
It just happens that way. Sometimes a person wants no one to guess about his feelings, and sometimes – so that someone will certainly guess, only himself, without any hint. Now, do you believe that I can do more than just tramp the mud?
– But how is it so? How can it be? Here you are now so boring (I'm sorry, but it's true), so cold, so gloomy, I'm so tired of you. How can it be that the warm and cheerful one who gave me the rainbow, and the sad and sensitive one who cried with me, are the same rain? It doesn't happen that way! Are you lying to me?
– No, I'm not lying. Why doesn't it happen so? After all, the little girl who loved to splash through puddles and catch raindrops, and the one offended and misunderstood by the most wonderful boy in the world, and this prickly one who wants to command everyone and is angry that the world does not obey her rules, is also that Alina. Is not it so? Now I'll tell you one secret. I didn’t leave to annoy you. I just knew from the very beginning that you were such a shrew and prickly (I'm sorry, but it's true), such a haughty person is just today, because you're in a bad mood. Because I thwarted your plans: after all, today is the day off and you… Don't frown. Still, I think that a friend can be trusted with a secret? Listen up! He's sitting on the windowsill right now, too, and he's mad at me! Yes, yes! But by tomorrow, he will have time to really miss you. Just don't give me away. And tomorrow, don't let on that you're guessing. Well, maybe just a little bit.
– Rain, honey, how do you know it? Is it true? Really?
– Well, how can I not know? Do you think I see only one of your windows? I can see Sere- zhka's window just as well as yours, and I can see many, many other things. Now, I hope you understand that I have come here not to annoy you? It's just my job. I wanted to say to you at parting that if your friend is angry with you today, he is still the same one who has amused and helped, you just need to be patient. I waited. You're not mad at me anymore. And I'm leaving.
– How are you leaving?! Don't go, please, we're friends. Really, we are friends. I'm sorry I have forgotten everything! No, I didn't even forget – I just didn't know it was all you. It's so hard to understand! I'm not an adult yet, after all! Don't get offended, please!
– I don’t get offended: this is not easy for an adult to understand. Trust me. But I have to go…
– Don't go, please! Let's talk to you again. I didn't know it was so interesting to talk to the rains! How can you leave me here alone? I'll take offense at you.
– It is really an enchanted circle! You'd better go and ask your dad to tell you about the magical transformations of rain. If he has no time, see how the droplets will shine, gradually evaporating, how the puddles will disappear first from the ground, and then even from the asphalt. And then.
– Then what? Then what? I can't hear you! – Alinka got up on her knees and opened the window leaf. Will you come back?
She thought she was going to burst into loud, loud tears, right through the open window leaf, all over the street. He will hear it, come to his senses, and be sure to come back and tell about Serezhka's secrets and much more. How it is interesting to talk to the rain! Alinka looked up at the evening sky. It was strange to see that it was light outside. It was as if the evening ended and morning came instead of night. How beautiful it was all around! Everything was just shining, so bright, so fragrant, that it made me feel a little dizzy.
So many different sounds woke up! Only the sound of the rain was a little lack… Alinka got to her feet and leaned out of the window leaf, trying to reach the branch closest to the window. "Will you come back?" – she touched the leaf and gently shook it, as if saying goodbye to someone by the palm of her hand. The branches swayed, droplets rolled to the edges of the leaves, and little rain whispered, "Of course, I'll be back! I'm practically eternal. I'm leaving, but I'm not disappearing…»
The second rain
Beautiful flower
Alinka was sitting at the table and doing her homework. More precisely, she wasn’t doing her lessons, but only pretended to do them, because she had long ago tired of this boring textbook and, running her eyes over the lines, thought about whatever turns up. There were grayish clouds in the sky, and the girl kept glancing out of the window to see if he was coming today after all. Clouds have been wandering around here for the third day, and there is still no rain! Alinka hoped very much that the same rain, that came last time, lived in these clouds, but she was very afraid that he would not recognize her. After all, where the water, that has spilled past her, is unknown. But for herself, she was determined that when it rained, she would remind him that he had promised her a story.
The street was suddenly very quiet. Alinka put down her textbook and went to the window. There were no more clouds to be seen, just the sky had turned all gray. Finally! He's coming right now, we need to open the window as soon as possible… She was very afraid to miss the first drops: what if he would be offended because she didn’t meet him?
– Hello! – Alinka said to the first drop that touched her palm, which was stretched out to the street. But no one answered her. – You don't want to talk to me today? I've been waiting for you for a long time.
She took her hand away and, catching on the frame, tried to stick her head out of the window leaf. There hasn't been any rain yet. Alinka sighed sadly and sat down on the windowsill, she didn’t want to read the textbook anymore.
– Alinka! Hello. Are you waiting for me? I am very glad. – There was a sudden noise outside the window, as if someone had turned on the sound. And for some reason, the room became quiet and cozy.
– Rain! Haven’t you forgotten me? I'm glad to see you, too. Will you tell me a story today? You promised, do you remember?
– I remember. Of course, I remember. I brought you a story about a beautiful flower. Listen up!
Far, far away from here, there is an amazing country. There are wonderful herbs, flowers and trees growing there. There are tiny ones, like your fingernail, there are huge ones, bigger than your house, soft and fluffy, hard and prickly, standing and hanging, and even crawling. Yes, yes! Silent in any wind and singing in calm weather. Believe me, I have heard it myself! They are all very different, of course, but… green. Green always: in spring, summer, and autumn. And trees, and grass, and even flowers! Why are you surprised? After all, even here you will not find two equally green plants. Really? And there. Oh, there were so many shades of green! Light green, malachite, turquoise, emerald, eucalyptus, with tints, stripes, speckles. But there were no other colors, except for all shades of green.
And then one day in early spring, an unusual flower grew on a large meadow. It quietly, almost imperceptibly, pulled out his bud on a thin stalk, and when he opened, everything around him just gasped in amazement. The petals of this amazing flower were… colorful! The thin blades of grass, among which such a miracle had suddenly appeared, stopped whispering to each other, and stood motionless in perplexity – they had never, ever seen anything like it. The light breeze that had been playing with the leaves had subsided. And the trees around began to spread their branches, allowing their leaves to admire an unprecedented curiosity.
– Look, look, – the leaves fluttered. -Oh, how lovely! How wonderful! Where did he come from? Hush, hush, don't obstruct him, let us admire him too!
– I know where