Can you deceive anyone?
THE DANDELION. No.
THE KITTEN. Deceive! Neither can I!
THE SMART CAT. May be you can attack?
THE DANDELION. No.
THE KITTEN. Attack! Tell me quickly how to attack!
THE SMART CAT. Or you can be a thief?
THE DANDELION. No!
THE KITTEN. To be a thief! That's my dream to become a thief!
THE SMART CAT. Oh it's so easy. Well, then, everybody, come here. So do you, Moth. Well, come nearer. Now I'll show you something interesting. You must do this way… One, two, three… Finish!
THE MOTH. My new wings!
THE SMART CAT. Tearing your wings in pieces! That is what we call deception.
THE KITTEN. It is so easy to deceive!
THE SMART CAT. Now look! One, two, three… Done!
THE LITTLE CARP. My golden fins!
THE SMART CAT. Tearing your golden fins in pieces! That is what we call attacking!
THE KITTEN. Attacking is also very easy.
THE SMART CAT. Well. Attacking… deceiving… threatening. Threatening. Don't beg for fins and wings again! I'll take them away and tear them into pieces. Look, he — himself hasn't anything more. You wouldn't dare!
The Moth and The Little Carp disappear.
Deceiving… threatening… What else? Ah! To be a thief! (
THE KITTEN. (
THE DANDELION. Would you like me to make you a present?..
THE KITTEN. Oh, that's great!
THE DANDELION. If I give you friendship?
THE KITTEN. Friendship? Oh! I see! Is it better than the golden fins and the new wings? Okay, let's. I'll take friendship. Let's see what kind of profit I can get here.
THE DANDELION. Take it!
THE KITTEN. Give me!
THE DANDELION. Take!
THE KITTEN. Give, give! Throw it here!
THE DANDELION. Oh, no, friendship is something different. I can't give it to you this way.
THE SMART CAT. What did you say you have? Friendship? Does it mean that you don't want to give it on your own free will? Good, look, Kitten, now I'll steal the friendship. Well. You all go away! One, two, three… One, two, three…
THE KITTEN. It seems that you didn't succeed. Try once more.
THE SMART CAT. I'll get excited and I'll steal it. One, two, three… One, two, three… It means I'm not excited enough. Hey, Boot, step on my tail. Aha! Now I got excited indeed! Now look out! One, two, three!.. One, two, three…
THE OLD BOOT. I'm quitting.
THE POT. I'm saving myself.
THE FLY. Stop, Smart Cat!
THE SMART CAT. I can't stop. They excited me!
THE FLY. You dare, you risk hurting yourself.
THE SMART CAT. Let me hurt myself! There is nothing that can be done for me now!
THE FLY. Stop! You are trying to catch something that doesn't exist!
THE SMART CAT. What! What are you buzzing? I don't hear you! One, two, three…
THE FLY. But you can't steal something that doesn't exist!
THE SMART CAT. I can! Something you can give — you can also steal! Now I'll take it the same! It won't get away! Now I'll take it the same! It won't get away! I'll run it down! I'll deceive it! I'll catch it!
THE FLY. You should wait it appears.
THE SMART CAT. Who else must appear?
THE FLY. Friendship!
THE SMART CAT. What friendship?
THE FLY. Friendship that soon will appear between them!
THE SMART CAT. I can't understand it. What are you buzzing about?
THE FLY. What do you want to steal?
THE SMART CAT. Everything!
THE FLY. You are greedy!
THE SMART CAT. I'm excited!
THE FLY. Their friendship is still a very small one, that is why you can't catch it. It always falls through your claws.
THE SMART CAT. Ah, through my claws… I see…
THE FLY. Have some pity on yourself!
THE SMART CAT. Pity? On myself? I got excited by myself, and I'll calm down by myself. The Smart Cat is good, he is cunning, dexterous, cowardly. Calm yourself down, take off your claws, lower your tail, screw up your eyes, purr… All you are fools!
THE FLY. You have to be more cunning.
THE SMART CAT. I can't be more cunning than I am. Teach me.
THE FLY. Okay. But first let's overhear what they are talking about…
THE SMART CAT. I am an expert at eavesdropping!
The Kitten and The Dandelion.
THE KITTEN. I don't know how to be friends. Teach me.
THE DANDELION. To be friends? — You must stretch out your hand.
THE KITTEN. I only have a paw.
THE DANDELION. Give me your paw.
THE KITTEN. And what else?
THE DANDELION. Now you must say that yo-uu need me so-o much.
THE KITTEN. I need you so-o much, I need you so-o much. And what else? Well, then?
THE DANDELION. Now you give me your word of honour. Tell me that you will never leave me.
THE KITTEN. I will give it to you. I am able to leave. The Fly taught me. If you like. I can teach you too! You must turn your back on me. Well? You don't want to? Then I'll turn.
