by 
The time, on the exhibition of the “Happy Home Fairy Tales” book illustrations, was quiet. Even a group of children from a neighboring school were whispering among themselves, moving from one picture to another. Some of them were reading fairy tales located next to the illustrations. Some were looking at the fairy tale heroes, moving in closer to see the details in the pictures, or looking at the details around.
There was time left before the workshop started. I was laying out the pencils and paints, glancing at the visitors. And suddenly ringing laughter rang out. . . . A tall man of about forty was standing next to the fairy tale “Rooster and Alarm Clock” and ringing laughter as a child laughs, without looking back at “How Loud or Not”.
“Exactly! This is about me!” – he exclaimed, then looked back and added embarrassedly: “Sorry, I think I’m expressing myself too loudly here.” He wanted to add something else, but could not resist, and laughed again at the top of his voice and added: “This is what happens at work and everywhere. Hmm . . . And in general, your rooster is exactly the same as the one I knew as a child! How did you notice it so accurately?”
“I am also from childhood,” I answered and smiled, “like all of us.” The children looked closely at us, one smiled, another. . . and then sunny laughter spread throughout the hall. Smiles from hearts warmed all. This fairy tale is about Rooster and time. Welcome!
Olga and the Fairy Tale Team 😊
Yesterday Rooster lost his alarm clock. O-oh! This alarm clock was beautiful: little and graceful, with two shiny sticks and a chic hat. O-oh! The alarm clock was always under Rooster’s wing, and now it is gone! O-oh! Actually, Rooster knew well when to wake up and go to sleep.
The inhabitants of the Farmyard respected him for his punctuality. But, of course, each deed needs its own time. Rooster reminded everyone of this, that time passes very quickly, and we need to cherish every moment. He determined this by watching how quickly the sparkling sticks in the alarm clock’s white circle moved. Rooster didn’t quite understand why they were needed, but he felt that exactly with them, the sticks, time passes. . . .
“O-oh! Where is my alarm clock now? Is it able to count time? And what if not?” Rooster looked around the Farmyard in confusion and sighed. “M-mm . . . It was such a spectacular alarm clock! How nice it was when I took it! Especially when I tilted my head to the side, observed the movement on the white circle with neat spots, and then stretched my neck, closed my eyes, and . . . ‘Cock-a-doodle-doo!’ O-oh! It was incomparable. . . .”
So, the alarm clock had disappeared. It was nowhere to be seen! That very morning, Rooster searched around the whole Farmyard, even looking in each chicken’s nest. Vanished! It was so shameful. To lose such value!
In all honesty, that happened yesterday. But since early evening, Rooster had pretended it hadn’t happened. Walking as always, with his right-wing outstretched, as if his alarm clock is still there. “H-mm. Where could I have lost it? I didn’t see too much fussing over at the food trough. Maybe I should ask the Chickens about it? O-oh! No, it doesn’t make any sense,” Rooster thought, walking back and forth in the Farmyard, “they will raise a howl “Ku-da, ku-da!” No! Better to look alone!”
Rooster stepped back and looked closely at the inhabitants of the Farmyard. They did not pay much attention to Rooster, they were engaged in their everyday affairs. “H-mm. Everyone bustles for themselves and isn’t worrying about anything else!” sighed Rooster. Sad thoughts left his head with anxiety. “I need to keep track of time, but my alarm clock is gone. Did it get stolen!? Of course! My alarm clock is so beautiful!”
Rooster looked around suspiciously. “H-mm . . . Well, that fat Duck is always late—probably doesn’t have enough time. H-mm! And . . . old Goat somehow looks at everyone, differently. Usually, he just stands, staring with ‘bulging eyes’, but today . . . where has Motley Chicken disappeared to? Has she not laid an egg yet? It’s so late!”
Rooster, by force of habit, swerved his head toward his wing, where his own value had always been. And again was reminded—it is gone! A shiver ran all the way to his tail. “O-oh! And what if my alarm clock was not just stolen, but those sparkling sticks were broken, and time stopped?! That’s right—stolen!” Rooster finally decided.
A feeling of self-responsibility strengthens everyone. . . . Nothing in the World could stop Rooster from finding the lost time and giving time back to everyone. Rooster raised his head resolutely, “I will find it! Absolutely! Wherever it is hidden!” He looked around, jumped up once, a second time . . . looked around again, thought for a while, and, wagging his long tail, ran to the big dump. . . .
From afar, everyone could see pieces of rotten straw, remnants of greenery, and other things flying about. At first, the farm inhabitants paid no attention, but then looked closely, carefully asking each other, “What is it with Rooster? Why does he need to do this?” Nobody knew.
Pig, despite the lumps of garbage flying in all directions, went closer and sympathized, “Hard, isn’t it? Can I help you? I have more experience in such matters!” But Rooster didn’t hear and dug earnestly looking for what he lost—only his toes flickered. It was an interesting spectacle! Gradually, it was no longer possible for everyone to push through to the dump, and see. The farmyard inhabitants stood nearby and were surprised: “Oh! Such a respectable bird, and now look . . .”
There was no alarm clock. . . . Rooster was tired, his dirty comb slipped over his eyes. At last, he stopped, sat down on what was a pile of trash, and looked around. Around him stood all the spectators. At first, he wanted to run away, but remembered his responsibility for time and sighed, “I need to tell them the truth that there is no time now, and that he, Rooster, lost the alarm clock yesterday, and cannot find it!” Rooster opened his beak, but . . . passing the fat Duck, one by one, the chicks rolled out to him.
The little yellow fluffy balls were barely dragging something dusty on a thin chain. “Mr. Rooster! We . . . we found your alarm clock!” one of them said, breathing heavily from the quick run. “We saved it from that shameless Magpie!” another one added proudly. All the farmyard inhabitants were agitated, making noises, discussing where and when such a valuable thing could have been lost.
Rooster carefully picked up what he had been looking for. Oh! His alarm clock! Little and graceful with two sparkling sticks and a chic hat on top! Affectionately, he wiped the lovely white circle, chic hat, and pressed it to himself. “Oh! Moving! Time is running!” The sticks moved as swiftly as they always had. “Time is not gone! Time is here! With me!” proudly announced Rooster, raising his alarm clock up so it could be seen by all.
“It didn’t get lost,” Rooster heard from somewhere behind. He looked around and saw old Goat. Goat stood, staring at everyone, slowly chewing some greenery. “Time cannot be lost. What you have sparkles—is a beautiful toy. But it only reminds us about time. Like you . . .” Goat continued, “Time does not stop . . . It always goes forward. . . .” He said and went about his affairs. Rooster became embarrassed. Time had gone by without paying any attention to where his alarm clock was. “There, the Sun in the Sky is already high! Hmm! I, Rooster, was so proud of being chief of time.”
The chicks told everyone where they had found the alarm clock and how bravely they had fought with Magpie. The farm inhabitants were buzzing, expressing their excitement for what was lost and what was found. Rooster approached the fence and placed the alarm clock on it. He stepped away, stopped, and looked back: “Perfect!” He noticed Magpie sitting on a branch next to him watching everything happening in the Farmyard. “Don’t steal it. Okay? Save it for everyone!” he said, started to leave, then stopped and looked around again. “Beautiful!”
The alarm clock shone! It seemed that the Sun, along with the sparkling sticks, moved on the whitish circle, reminding everyone of how quickly time passes and how precious every moment of it is. What about Rooster? He is singing . . . as before. When? When it is necessary. He knows. As before, he is respected for his accuracy and for his sincerity. He stretches his neck forward, closes his eyes, and calls out: “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” O-oo! It is incomparable. . .
From the book “Happy Home Fairy Tales for children and adults” https://olgaverasen.com/library/
The workshop was finished. How many new fairy tales were born in hearts! Children and adults took with them their own amazing stories and also the amazing warmth of creation from the heart . . . together with ringing laughter in the silence of the exhibition hall.
I looked at the fairy tale story tellers, and again and again I was convinced how different we all are: bright, unique, and at the same time united. We all have something that unites our hearts together. . . . Like the fingers of one hand . . . like the drops of one sea. . . .
And what about time?
It flew by unnoticed. Time really goes by regardless of whether we count it in hours-minutes or not. It is more important not where time goes, but where we are going. Not how much time we have, but why and what we spend it on. And when we find answers to these questions, we better understand what time means.
P.S.
All of us have something so bright and warm in our heart. This treasure has amazing power and beauty with no measurement and no time. . . .
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