Susanna Arutyunyan
Anna Kazaryan
Mariya Kazaryan
Translated by Arsen Bobokhyan
Cover Design by Arabo Sarkissian
Typesetting by Ninetta Adamyan
© Susanna Arutyunyan, 2019
© Anna Kazaryan, 2019
© Mariya Kazaryan, 2019
ISBN 978-5-0050-6475-2
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Dear reader!
Childhood. It happened so that in the XXI century children play mainly in Furby, Tamagotchi, Computer games, etc. And what are the consequences! Enclosing in own virtual space. Many children are even unable to articulate their thoughts verbally.
However, creativity helps to realize childish imaginations. You should believe in yourself and work hard. God will bless you.
Here are Solnishko and Maksim with their friends. Their games of imagination, at least for a while, will get you back from the virtual world.
From the authors
CHAPTER 1. OH, THIS TRAFFIC JAMS!
Hello, my dear reader! I would like to tell you a modern fairy tale about a little girl born in Moscow city. Her name was Solnishko – “Little Sun”. “What a strange name!” – you may probably think. Dose such a name exist or may a girl be named in such a way? First of all everything is possible in fairy tales: secondly, a little girl in Russia may be named in all possible ways. She was such a bright and radiant child that the God Himself willed her to have this name. As to you, also to her grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles and other relatives it seemed strange, but during the time they understood that this name fit her better than anything else. It should be mentioned, that to the problem of name choice the family approached very seriously. In fact there is a belief that the child’s name may have an impact on his/her fate. Many people believe in it, but, as the most important precondition, it should be an international name. She was a child of mixed blood, with southern and western roots, that is why her parents simply ought to name her so that she did not feel uncomfortable in various points of the Earth. And that name was well-chosen.
The girl was lucky. She was born in a so called “wealthy family”. Since the first days of her life everybody loved and took care of her. She was fed and watered, brought up and pampered moderately. Solnishko slept and woke up under the classical music, she walked around in all kinds of weather (both in sunny, snowy or rainy days), she became closer to the nature, practiced sports. This whole grace was provided for her by the family and the relatives, who had read all sorts of good books and were guided by own experiences. And either due to the good experience or the books clever enough, the girl lived as if in a fairy tale. However, while growing up, Solnishko began to catch up that the real life differs from the one described in the books. Many things simply could not be explained in her life, and the adults were not always able to explain those differences for her.
As most children, perhaps also Solnishko was a very observant child. She watched after the cars and the people walking across the pavements. In such a way she learned to recognize the trolleybuses, the autobuses, the trams, the trucks, the minibuses, as well as the various types of automobiles. She was taught the rules of behavior in the street and in the car. Solnishko was an active girl and it was rather hard for her to sit quiet in the car-seat behind the driver during the whole driving process. She always wanted to be in the hands of adults, to fidget in the car and hit with feet.
When Solnishko was two and half years old, once she asked:
– What will happen, if any child does not want to sit in the car-seat or to buckle up?
– The uncle GAIshnik1 will fine the driver for traffic infraction, – Granny answered.
– And won’t he have money to buy a toy for his child? – Solnishko continued.
– Yes, may be. In any case he will possess less money, – explained Granny.
– And will the child cry? – sadly told the girl.
– May be he will. But it is no use crying over the split milk. That will be a lesson for him and he won’t break the rules any more, – Granny answered quietly.
“The adults always find something to reply, just to manage the things in their own way”, – Solnishko thought. But she was thinking in that manner until the moment she saw a car accident. Fortunately nobody was harmed, although, because of the traffic jam, they had to wait for very long. As a result, she was late for the circus performance, and hence upset very much. (The circus is but a special story: and now it is not the time to speak about). So, not immediately, but soon she understood that safety was above all and the most safe place in the automobile was the place behind the driver.
Solnishko enjoyed the process of moving. And since the early childhood she did not like when the car stopped at a red traffic light, not speaking about the longer stops, as, for example, before the railroad crossing on the way to the summer house or because of the traffic jam. At that time she began whining and even crying. Every time something had to be thought of to distract her. Over time Solnishko began listening to the “Radio for Children”, as well as audio disks with her favorite fairy tales and musicals, legends and myths about ancient times. The girl immersed herself in what she heard and empathized her favorite heroes so much that the people surrounding her got an impression that she did not notice anything else around. But this was not the case. Many questions bothered her.
Once in the evening Solnishko asked, by keeping in mind the traffic jam:
– Granny, can you explain to me why it happens so? And how can it be corrected?
At first moment Granny was even confused. It was somehow strange to discuss that problem with a little girl. However there was nothing to do for Granny but to answer.
– In short, many people think about it, but nothing intelligible has been thought of yet. I mean, how to change this situation, – Granny answered in a serious tone.
– I know. Dad told me that there are such phenomena in nature which couldn’t be explained yet by people, – the girl got inspired by remembering her interesting journey to the past, which she realized with her Dad in the Darwin Museum. – And are the traffic jams on the roads also such a phenomenon?
– No. Those are not such a phenomenon. Those can be explained, but people still didn’t learn to manage them.
– But why?
– It is not so easy, – Granny replied seriously.
– How can it happen? – asked the girl in a soft manner.
– You know that there are diseases which can already be explained by people but not be treated thus far. That’s why they still try somehow to support the sick human being, to ease his/her suffering. But over time people will surely learn to treat those diseases.
– Is the traffic jam a disease, Granny? – the girl reacted immediately.
– Yes, you might say. It is the disease of big cities, – Granny answered.
– And can it be also treated? – wondered Solnishko.
– No, it can’t, unfortunately. All the attempts to reduce it are still ineffective, – continued Granny.
– Will people learn to treat also it? – asked the girl.
– Probably some day it will happen, – Granny answered.
– But when will it happen? – Solnishko continued her questions.
– It’s a difficult question, – said Granny.
– It’s always so. You, the adults, reply in such a way, as if you don’t know the answer, – the girl resented.
– It’s