Two children, a brother and a sister are going to school. There is a forest on their way to school. It is very hot on the road; it is very pleasant in the forest. Suddenly the boy says to his sister: «We have much time, let us go to the forest and play there».
The girl wants to go into the forest too. So they put their books on the grass and go into the forest. They see a squirrel. The boy says:
«Little squirrel, come and play with us”.
«I have no time”, says the squirrel. “I must get nuts. I must get ready for the winter. I cannot play with you.”
Then the children see a bee. The boy says:
“Little bee, come and play with us”.
“I have no time”, says the bee. “I must make honey. I cannot play with you.”
“Can you play with us?” they ask the ant.
“No,” says the ant. “I have no time. I must make a house”. It has a long piece of grass in its mouth.
The dove says: “ I cannot play with you. I have no time. I am making a nest for my babies.”
Nobody wants to play with the children.
So they go to the river. They say to the river,”You don’t work. You come and play with us”.
But the river says: “Do you think that I do not work? I work all day. I give water to the fields. I give water to the flowers. I give water to the squirrel, to the bee, to the ant, to the dove and to girls and boys like you. Go away. You go to school.”
The children are ashamed. They go to school. They are late, but they begin working hard at their lessons.
On the way home after school, they go into the forest again.
The squirrel says to the children:
“Work is over. School is over. Let us play now.”
The bee says,”Work is over. School is over. Come and play with me now.”
Գայանե Կագանյան 