З життя
Сердитий танок із пестрою куркою у великій кадці з водою.
Катерина Петрівна, схопивши за крила велику строкату курку, сердито занурила її у велику діжку з водою. Курка жалібно кричала й намагалася вирватися. Закінчивши купання, господиня кинула нещасну Рябку на вкритий травою двір. Нещасна, вона кинулася тікати, втрачаючи чорно-білі пір’їни, які підхопив бешкетний вересневий вітер і поніс далеко-далеко.
Катерина Петрівна підняла важку діжку і сердито вилила воду на кабачки, що товстими поросятами лежали вздовж паркану. Потім зайшла в хату і щільно зачинила за собою двері.
Ні, Катерина Петрівна була зовсім не злою жінкою, що мучила нещасну курку. Просто Рябка вирішила втретє за літо сісти на яйця. Два покоління вихованих нею півників і курочок вже бігали по пилявій сільській вулиці, а на дворі стояв вересень, і вилуплені курчата просто не встигли б вирости й загинули б у довгу холодну зиму. Тому господиня й вдалася до перевіреного народного засобу — занурити насідку в холодну воду.
Сидяча на паркані кішка Маруся, улюблениця господині, зі спокійною філософією спостерігала за Рябкою своїми великими золотими очима.
— От дурненька… — думала вона, намиваючи рожевою лапкою й без того чистеньку мордочку, — як знесла яйце, так і закудкудакала на весь двір… Мовчала б, дивись — і вивела б своїх курчаток… А я от мовчу-мовчу, та четверо кошенят в сіні ростуть… Зовсім скоро зможу порадувати улюблену господиню…
Кішка вигнула спину, позіхнула, показавши акуратний язичок, і попрямувала в сарай, де чекав її пухнастий вивідок.
Наступного дня пані Катерина пішла до сараю з тяжким серцем. Її улюблена кішка Маруся загинула, і її потрібно поховати з гідністю, поклавши до могилки свіжого сіна. Маруся стала жертвою однієї з лисиць, яких було багато в околицях села. Проте, їй вдалося вирватися з зубів лисиці і повернутися додому, щоб вирушити на місток веселки, востаннє побачивши люблячу господиню.
Нахилившись, щоб видерти жменьку сіна з ніжними ароматами, Катерина Петрівна побачила Рябку. Вона сиділа в чималому гнізді, розпушивши пір’я в різні боки, і задоволено квохтала. Гучно лаючись, господиня приготувалася схопити нещасну курку за хвіст і викинути з гнізда. Але Рябка надулася як кулька і зашипіла на господиню, як сердитий гусак.
Не чекаючи такого спротиву, Катерина Петрівна відсмикнула руку, а з-під пір’я, що стирчало в різні сторони, з’явилася… цікава кошача мордочка! Одна, друга, третя… Незабаром усі четверо Марусиних кошенят вийшли на світ божий з гучними криками! Як на замовлення: чорне, біле, смугасте і мила тришерстна кішечка, як дві краплі води схожа на покійну маму…
Тепер Катерина Петрівна щодня ходила до сараю, тримаючи у руках відерце з зерном для курки і чашку з молоком для її чотириногих «курчаток».
Невдовзі Рябка почала водити на прогулянку свій неспокійний вивідок. Розпушивши пір’я, вона грізно квохтала, охороняючи своїх «дітей» і наполегливо пропонуючи їм клювати зерно або з’їсти надзвичайно смачного черв’ячка…
Але малюки перекидалися в траві і бігали по двору, розпушивши свої крихітні хвостики-морквинки.
Настала зима. Всі четверо Марусиних малюків переселилися до просторої хати Катерини Петрівни. А Рябці… А Рябці довелося виділити просторий кошик під лавкою, адже вже доволі дорослі кошенята погоджувалися спати лише під теплим маминим крильцем.
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