– And I say go,” insisted the big crow. – Go, I tell you. I know people. This one will take you for sure.
But the dirty gray cat couldn’t make up his mind.
– I’m old and ugly and all. If she wants it, any kitten will run to her. See how nice she is. Every time she takes a tasty piece of chicken out into the yard and leaves it for the homeless cats and dogs. Why does she need such an old man?
The crow ruffled her feathers and flapped her wings.
– It is absolutely impossible! It’s frustrating to talk to you. I’ll never get you anywhere with that attitude.
She jumped off the curb where she was sitting with her old acquaintance and, grabbing him by the ear, dragged him in the direction of a girl of about eight or ten who was out for a walk. The other children were playing in the playground, and she…
She took various goodies out of a small bag and called out to the cats and fed them. Then, after stepping back a little, she gave the leftovers to two funny little dogs.
The dirty old gray cat stubbornly tried to pull his ear out of the crow’s beak. But the latter persisted in pulling him in one direction. The cat shrieked. It really began to hurt.
The girl stood up and looked at what was happening.
– Ow!” she shouted. – Oh! She’s going to tear his ear off!
And ran to separate, as she thought, fighting cat and crow.
The cunning bird was watching the girl from the corner of her right eye. So, when she ran up close, just jumped aside and flew up to the big sprawling maple.
Red-haired girl with freckles on her face waved her hands indignantly in the direction of the flying bird.
– Shoo, shoo, ugly crow!!! – she shouted. – Don’t you dare hurt him! – and, squatting on her haunches, began stroking the gray cat.
It looked up and purred.
– You are very good, – said the red-haired girl, picked it up and carried it toward the house.
– Well. What was the point of arguing? – Grumbled the crow. – I told you I was a good judge of character.
A week later, a window was opened on the fourth floor near the big sprawling maple tree.
The crow had been waiting for this occasion for a long time. She immediately sat down on the window sill next to a beautiful fluffy cat.
– Hello.
– Hello, – answered the old acquaintance.
– Well, how does it feel to live in a house? And to be fed and petted?
– Very much! – answered the gray cat. – Very much. I do not even know how to thank you. But I’m still worried. That they’ll throw me out on the street again. I wish I could do some heroic deeds…
He was quiet for a while and sighed.
– Well, how can I thank you?
– And you bring me that shiny thing over there and we’ll be even,” said the crow.
She had already seen the beautiful gold-plated watch lying on the table near the red-haired girl’s bed.
The gray cat was embarrassed.
– I will not steal,” he said. – It’s my girl. How can I? She loves me and caresses me. She took it home. And you want me to steal her watch? Better, I’ll bring you a piece of bun.
And he jumped out of the window and ran into the kitchen, where there was a big soft bun on the table.
But when he returned with a piece of muffin in his teeth, the crow was no longer on the window.
Offended, decided the cat, and sighed heavily. And why does not it understand that stealing from his girl – it is not good?
But the crow was not offended. It flew to a very distant lake. It was high in the mountains and it took a whole day to get there, but…
But there were flowers growing there that were absolutely unearthly. No one knew about the lake except the crows. It was their secret place. But the flower. A flower…
In the evening, when the cat was lying on the windowsill and dozing, a crow cautiously flew into the room and placed the flower on the girl’s pillow. She barely had time to fly out of the room and sit down on the sprawling maple tree.
The girl ran into the apartment out of breath after playing in the yard with her friends. She decided to pet her cat, but then…
Her gaze fell on her pillow. She froze in admiration.
– How? How did you manage to climb down the maple tree and find such a beautiful flower? How did you accomplish such a feat?
The cat fluttered his eyes in his sleep and tried to figure out what was going on. But the red-haired girl did not wait. She ran up to him, picked him in her arms and kissed him on the nose. Then she put him on the window sill and peered out at the big sprawling tree, and then…
Then her eyes fell on a crow sitting on one of the branches, watching them. The girl smiled and waved to it, as if it were a friend of hers.
– He’s got a lot of work to do,” the crow grumbled. – He’s always trouble with that cat.
It was time to go to bed. The girl closed the window, picked up her cat and carried it to bed.
The old gray cat looked over her shoulder at the crow sitting on the branch and smiled. He wanted to wave his paw at her, too, but it didn’t work, but then again. There would be time to talk again. Tomorrow.
Now every morning, before leaving for school, the girl opens the window and leaves a little bowl of porridge or other goodies on the windowsill, and the crow flies in for a snack.
And then she and the cat have intimate conversations…
