Sky is Falling

Fresco painting by Birutė Žilytė and Algirdas Steponavičius (1964) from a children’s café The Dwarf in Vilnius ㅡ one of the lost frescoes destroyed in a careless renovation of the building.

Once, Cat left home for a hunt. He was snooping around in the cabbage field and then suddenly just ㅡ uuuzht ㅡ a cabbage leaf fell on his tail. Frightened he thought: “Now certainly the sky is falling!” And began to run. He runs, spurts as fast as he can, and meets Rabbit.

 

– Rabbit Babbit, run ㅡ the sky is falling!

– Who told you?

– It fell on the tip of my tail!

Rabbit also gets frightened and joins Cat. They run run and meet Fox. Rabbit cries:

– Fox Tox, run ㅡ the sky is falling!

– Who told you?

– Cat Pat.

– Cat Pat, who told you?

– It fell on the tip of my tail!

Fox also gets frightened and joins them. They run run and meet Wolf. Fox cries:

– Wolf Rolf, run ㅡ the sky is falling!

– Who told you?

– Rabbit Babbit.

– Rabbit Babbit, who told you?

– Cat Pat.

– Cat Pat, who told you?

– It fell on the tip of my tail!

Wolf also gets frightened and joins them. They run run and meet Bear. Wolf cries:

– Bear Hear, run ㅡ the sky is falling!

– Who told you?

– Fox Tox.

– Fox Tox, who told you?

– Rabbit Babbit.

– Rabbit Babbit, who told you?

– Cat Pat.

– Cat Pat, who told you?

– It fell on the tip of my tail!

– Tell me, how was it? ㅡ asks Bear.

– I was snooping around in the cabbage field and then suddenly just ㅡ uuuzht ㅡ something fell on the tip of my tail!

– Was it big?

– As big as the rooster’s wing.

– You silly ㅡ says Bear ㅡ it was probably just a cabbage leaf. You all, go home!

– Perhaps it is true ㅡ agreed Cat ㅡ Now we can all go home without fear.

And everyone went home.*


Last modified: September 15, 2020