A villager had an old horse. The horse served too long time to its owner, but he was exhausted by the work and he couldn't work anymore. His crest was tangled up, his hoofs were worn out, and he barely walked.

The owner pitied his loyal horse, he combed the horse's crest out, he brushed his tail, and he put him iron horseshoes and let him feed on the meadow.

The horse fed for one-two weeks, he recovered and even started jumping.

A lion came on the meadow. He saw the horse and started wondering what kind of beast is he?

- Who are you? - The lion asked - Because I am a lion. The king of all beasts. I will eat you!

- In order to eat me you need strength - the horse said.

The lion clapped with his tail and roared:

- I am the most powerful beast!

- Oh-ho-ho! The horse neighed - we will see. Let's compete to see who is stronger!

- And how are we going to compete? - The lion asked.

- Do you see that big rock over there?

- Yes, I do - the lion said.

- The one who hit the rock in a way that sparks come out of it, he will be the stronger one.

- Okay! – The lion agreed.

The lion came closer to the rock and started hitting it with his paw. He hit and hit and hurt his legs but not a spark came out.

- Ha-ha-ha! - The horse laughed. - You are weak, brother, you are very weak. And you consider yourself a king. Look at me how I will hit the rock now.

The horse turned backwards to the rock, lifted his leg and hit the rock with his horseshoe. Millions of sparks came out.

"Oh! What now? – The lion was frightened.

- You shouldn't joke with such a beast!" He said nothing, ran away and hid in the forest.

In the forest he met two wolves.

- Good afternoon, dear king! – The wolves bowed down. Where have you been? What has happened?

- I was on the green meadow – the lion said – I saw there the most powerful beast.

- And who is he? – The wolves gasped.

- The horse! Have you ever seen a horse?

- Ha! Ha-ha! – The one wolf laughed. Not only have I seen horses, but I also have eaten a lot of them.

- What are you saying? – The lion was shocked. - It's impossible!

- Let's go there, dear king, and you will see how I am going to deal with him.

And the lion and the wolf went there.

- Let's see this horse! – The wolf stiffened.

- It's over there, behind the bushes.

- I cannot see! – The wolf said.

The lion grabbed the wolf with his front paws and lifted him up in order to see.

- Do you see now?

The wolf didn't answer. He was silent, as if he has lost his tongue.

The lion dropped the wolf and he was pop-eyed – the king of all animals had strangled him with his paws.

- Oh, dear wolf! You just looked from afar and passed out. But you were so confident. What would have happened if we had gone closer to the beast? He would have eaten and me, and you.

And the lion was so afraid of the horse, so he ran away forever somewhere far away. And since then he doesn't live here.

Two villagers lived in a small village. The one was rich, the other one poor. The rich villager had a lot of property and livestock, the poor villager didn't have anything.

One day, the rich villager drove 5 donkeys to the market to sell them. He walked, tripped after them and when he got tired got on one of the donkeys.

When he took a little rest, he counted the donkeys which walked ahead of him lop-eared.

- Whew! They are only four! – shouted the rich villager and he jumped afraid on the ground. – The one must've got away, I will come back to find it.

But before that he counted the donkeys again and they were five. Happy he smiled from ear to ear, got on one again and chased the others ahead.

After a while he started counting again.

- They are four again! – He started blinking puzzled.

At the same time the poor villager was coming.

- Neighbour, please, tell me how many donkeys you see ahead of you, because when I count them on the ground, they are five and when I got on the saddle, the one is missing.

The poor neighbour laughed and said:

- The donkeys are six, neighbour, but the one has two legs.

Little Bunny is very naughty. He tries to be good, but he can't. He doesn't get up early in the morning. He doesn't want to drink milk for breakfast. He doesn't like to help his mother.

One day his father says, "Try to be a good little Bunny and I'll bring you a pretty ball." Then he goes to the big town.

Bunny goes to his room. He takes a red pencil and begins to draw funny pictures on the wall.

- Oh, naughty Bunny, go out and play in the yard! - says his mother.

There, in the yard Bunny meets his friend Willy. They jump and run together. Naughty Bunny kicks Willy. He bites Willy. He takes his toys. He pushes him into a puddle. Willy goes home crying.

- Oh, naughty Bunny! - says his mother.

In the afternoon Bunny goes to the yard again. He runs after the hens and the chickens. He kicks the rooster.

- Oh, naughty Buny! - says mother. She is very sad. Bunny loves his mother and he doesn't like to see her sad.

- Don't be sad, Mummy! - says Bunny. - I'll try to be a good Bunny tomorrow.

On the next day little Bunny tries to be very good.

He gets up early in the morning.

He drinks his milk.

He plays nicely with Willy.

He doesn't draw pictures on the wall.

He doesn't run after the hens and the chickens.

He doesn't kick the rooster.

It's such fun to be good! - he thinks.

Mother is very happy. She hugs him, she kisses him and she gives him a big carrot.

- Oh, how I love my good little Bunny, - she says.

It is a beautiful summer day. The sun shines warmly on an old house near a river. Behind the house a mother duck is sitting on ten eggs. "Tchick." One by one all the eggs break open.

All except one. This one is the biggest egg of all.

Mother duck sits and sits on the big egg. At last it breaks open, "Tchick, tchick!"

Out jumps the last baby duck. It looks big and strong. It is grey and ugly.

The next day mother duck takes all her little ducks to the river. She jumps into it. All her baby ducks jump in. The big ugly duckling jumps in too.

They all swim and play together. The ugly duckling swims better than all the other ducklings.

- Quack, quack! Come with me to the farm yard! - says mother duck to her baby ducks and they all follow her there.

The farm yard is very noisy. The poor duckling is so unhappy there. The hens peck him, the rooster flies at him, the ducks bite him, the farmer kicks him.

At last one day he runs away. He comes to a river. He sees many beautiful big birds swimming there. Their feathers are so white, their necks so long, their wings so pretty. The little duckling looks and looks at them. He wants to be with them. He wants to stay and watch them. He knows they are swans. Oh, how he wants to be beautiful like them.

Now it is winter. Everything is white with snow. The river is covered with ice. The ugly duckling is very cold and unhappy.

Spring comes once again. The sun shines warmly. Everything is fresh and green.

One morning the ugly duckling sees the beautiful swans again. He knows them. He wants so much to swim with them in the river. But he is afraid of them. He wants to die. So he runs into the river. He looks into the water. There in the water he sees a beautiful swan. It is he! He is no more an ugly duckling. He is a beautiful white swan.