Two children, brother and sister were going to school. There was a forest on their way to school. It was very hot on the road; it was very pleasant in the forest. Suddenly the boy said to his sister: <<Let us go into the forest. We have time. It is very nice there. The birds are singing>>.
The girl wanted to go into the wood too. So they put their books on the grass and went into the forest. They saw a squirrel. The boy said,
‘’Little squirrel, come and play with us”.
‘’I have no time”, said the squirrel. “I must get nuts. I must get ready for the winter. I cannot play with you.”
Then the children saw a bee. The boy said,
“Little bee, come and play with us”.
“I have no time”, said the bee. “I must make honey. I cannot play with you.”
“Can you play with us?” they asked the ant.
“No,” said the ant. “I have no time. I must make a house”. It had a long piece of grass in its mouth.
The dove said, “ I cannot play with you. I have no time. I am making a nest for my babies.”
Nobody wanted to play with the children.
So they went to the river. They said to the river,”You don’t work. You come and play with us”.
But the river said, “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 were ashamed. They went to school. They were late, but they worked hard at their lessons.
On the way home after school, they went into the forest again.
The squirrel said to the children,
“Work is over. School is over. Let us play now.”
The bee said,”Work is over. School is over. Come and play with me now.”
Մանուկյան Կարինա 