З життя
Куряче купання: гнівна сцена з великою птахою і водою.
Соломія Тарасівна тримала за крила велику рябу курку, сердито занурюючи її в велику діжку з водою. Курка гучно кричала і намагалася вирватися. Завершивши купання, господиня сердито кинула нещасну Пестру на вкритий травою двір. Після голосного галасу, та помчала тікати, втрачаючи чорні та білі пір’їнки, які підхопив пустотливий вересневий вітер і ніс далеко-далеко.
Соломія Тарасівна підняла важку діжку і сердито вилила воду на кабачки, що товстими гусенятами лежали біля паркану. Потім зайшла в хату і щільно зачинила за собою двері. Ні, Соломія Тарасівна зовсім не була зла жінка, яка мучила нещасну курку. Просто Пестра вирішила втретє за літо сісти на яйця. Два покоління вирощених нею курчат і півників уже бігали пилюжною сільською вулицею, а тепер був вересень, і нові курчата не встигли б вирости і загинули б у довгу холодну зиму. Саме тому господиня вдалася до перевіреного народного засобу — занурити квочку в холодну воду.
Кішка Маруська, улюблениця господині, з філософським спокоєм спостерігала за Пестрою своїми величезними золотими очима.
— От дурепа…— розмірковувала вона, умиваючи рожевою лапкою і без того чисту мордочку, — снесла яйце, та й розкудкудахталася на весь двір… Мовчала б, дивись — і вивела б своїх курчат… От я мовчу-мовчу, а четверо кошенят у сіні підростають… Дивись, скоро улюблену господиню порадувати можна буде…
Кішка вигнула спину, позіхнула, показуючи акуратний язичок, і попрямувала в сарай, де її чекав пухнастий різнобарвний виводок.
Наступного дня господиня Пестри пішла до сараю з сумом на душі. Загинула її улюблена кішка Маруська, і потрібно було гідно її поховати, поклавши в могилку свіже сіно. Маруська стала жертвою однієї з лисиць, які в достатку мешкали в околицях села. Втім, вона змогла вирватися з лисячих зубів і повернулася додому, щоб вирушити на Веселку, востаннє побачивши люблячу господиню. Нахилившись, щоб вирвати клаптик запашного м’якого сіна, Соломія Тарасівна побачила Пестру.
Вона сиділа в чималому гнізді, розпушивши в усі боки пір’я, і вдоволено квохтала. Голосно лаючись, господиня готувалася схопити нещасну курку за хвіст і викинути з гнізда. Але Пестра надималася, як куля, і засичала на господиню сердитою гускою. Не сподіваючись на такий опір, Соломія Тарасівна відсмикнула руку, а з-під торчащого скрізь пір’я показалася… цікава кошача мордочка!!! Одна, друга, третя… Незабаром на світ Божий вийшли з гучними криками всі чотири Маруськиних кошеняти!!! Як на замовлення: чорний, білий, смугастий і мила тришерстна киця, як дві краплі води схожа на покійну маму…
Тепер Соломія Тарасівна щодня ходила в сарай, тримаючи в руках відерце з зерном для курки і мисочку з молоком для її чотириногих «курчат». Незабаром Пестра почала виводити на прогулянку свій невгамовний виводок. Розпушивши пір’я, вона грізно квохтала, охороняючи своїх діток і наполегливо пропонуючи їм дзьобати зерно або з’їсти надзвичайно смачного черв’ячка…
Але малюки тільки перекидалися в траві та носилися по двору, розпушивши крихітні хвостики-морквинки.
Настала зима. Всі четверо Маруськиних малюків переселилися у просторий будинок Соломії Тарасівни. А Пестрі… А Пестрі довелося виділити просторий кошик під лавкою, бо значно підрослі кошенята погоджувалися спати лише під теплим маминою крильцем…
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