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oblak v pohári je nová časť seriálu Mína a hviezdny kľúč, pripravená ako dvojjazyčný detský príbeh v slovenčine aj angličtine.
oblak v pohári: začína sa príbeh
Večer bol tichý a mäkký. Za oknami už modrela obloha a v záhrade sa ligotali kvapky po polievaní. Mína stála pri skleníku vo svojom žltom kardigane a pozerala na veľké zelené listy, ktoré sa dotýkali skla.
„Ešte chvíľu môžeš byť vonku,“ zavolala mama z dverí domu. „Potom už pôjdeme dnu.“
„Dobre, mami,“ odpovedala Mína.
Práve vtedy sa jej vo vrecku čosi jemne pohlo. Bol to malý strieborný hviezdny kľúč. Necinkol nahlas. Len ticho zašuchotal o látku vrecka.
Piko vyletel spoza Míniných vlasov a usadil sa jej na ramene. Jeho guľaté telíčko svietilo teplým zlatým svetlom.
„Kľúčik sa vrtí,“ zabzučal. „Možno ho šteklí večer.“
Mína sa usmiala. Už vedela, že hviezdny kľúč neotvára obyčajné dvere. Niekedy našiel také maličké, že by ich iný človek ani nezbadal.
Pri okne skleníka zrazu uvidela úzke dvierka. Boli schované za veľkým kvetináčom s mätou. Mali guľatú kľučku a na dreve bol nakreslený drobný obláčik.
„Aha,“ povedala Mína potichu. „Tu si.“
Zasunula hviezdny kľúč do malej dierky. Kľúč sa otočil s jemným cinknutím. Dvierka sa pootvorili a spoza nich vykĺzol vlhký vzduch, ktorý voňal po daždi a listoch.
Za dvierkami nebola tmavá chodba. Bol tam malý, útulný priestor plný rastlín. Listy viseli zo stropu ako zelené stužky. Na policiach stáli prázdne kvetináče a pri okne bol drevený stolík.
Piko naklonil hlavu.
„Niečo sa schováva,“ zašepkal.
Na stolíku stál veľký sklenený pohár s viečkom. A v ňom sa tlačil maličký biely obláčik. Bol guľatý ako chumáč vaty. Na okrajoch sa jemne chvel.
Mína si k poháru čupla.
„Ahoj,“ povedala. „Ja som Mína. To je Piko.“
Obláčik sa stiahol ešte viac do stredu pohára.
„Nevyrušuj ma,“ zamrmlal tenkým hlasom. „Vonku je priveľa vetra.“
„Tu predsa vietor veľmi nefúka,“ povedala Mína.
„Možno bude,“ povedal obláčik. „A keď vyletím, stratím sa. Obloha je taká veľká.“
Piko sa chystal niečo povedať, ale Mína zdvihla prst. Nie preto, aby ho zahriakla. Len chcela najprv počúvať.
Sadla si na nízku stoličku vedľa stolíka. Chvíľu nikto nehovoril. V pohári bolo počuť tiché: fúú, fúú. Obláčik sa krútil sám okolo seba.
„Nemusíš ísť hneď von,“ povedala po chvíli.
„Nemusím?“ obláčik vykukol malým bielym kúskom.
„Nie,“ prikývla Mína. „Môžeme tu len sedieť.“
Neskôr sa za sklom skleníka pohol jeden dlhý list paprade. Potom druhý. Zavanul celkom slabý večerný vánok a listy začali šuštať.
Ššš, ššš, ššš.
Obláčik sa prestal chvieť.
Mína sa ani nepohla. Len sa pozorne zadívala. Keď listy stíchli, malý chumáčik sa zase trochu zovrel. Keď znovu zašumeli, v pohári sa rozlial pokojný biely opar.
„Počuješ to rád?“ spýtala sa.
„Listy vedia šepkať,“ odpovedal obláčik. „Keď šepkajú, obloha nevyzerá až taká veľká.“
Piko poletoval pri okne tak potichu, že jeho krídla sotva zašumeli.
„Možno by listy mohli šepkať bližšie,“ naznačil.
Mína otvorila okno len na malú medzierku. Dovnútra vošiel svieži vzduch, ale nebol prudký. Priniesol so sebou vôňu mäty a jemné šumenie.
Ššš, ššš, ššš.
Potom dievčatko oboma rukami opatrne posunulo pohár bližšie k oknu. Nerobila to rýchlo. Najprv len trošku. Zastala. Až o chvíľu pohár posunula ešte o kúsok.
„Takto je to dobré?“ opýtala sa.
„Ešte trochu bližšie,“ zašepkal obláčik.
Mína pohár posunula len na šírku prsta. Teraz bol pri samom okne. Vonku sa vlnili listy a ich tiene tancovali po skle.
Obláčik sa natiahol do malej mäkkej čiarky.
„Chcel by som sa pozrieť,“ povedal. „Ale viečko je zavreté.“
Mína sa pozrela na viečko. Mohla ho zdvihnúť celé. No obláčik by sa možno zľakol. Preto ho nadvihla iba maličko, tak maličko, že vznikla úzka medzierka.
„Môžeš vyjsť len nosom,“ povedala s úsmevom. „Ak máš oblakový nos.“
Piko sa zachichotal. „Oblaky majú samé nosy. A samé brušká. A samé páperie.“
Z pohára vykĺzol tenučký pramienok pary. Zastal hneď pri viečku.
Keď sa veci začnú meniť
„Som vonku?“ opýtal sa obláčik.
„Trošku,“ povedala Mína. „A môžeš aj trošku zostať.“
Pramienok sa pohol k oknu. Listy práve ticho zašumeli. Obláčik sa odvážil vytiahnuť viac. Najprv malý chumáčik, potom mäkký pásik a napokon celý obláčik vyšiel z pohára.
Na chvíľu visel vo vzduchu nad stolíkom. Mína ani Piko nehýbali rukami. Len dýchali pomaly spolu s ním.
„Neletím preč!“ vykríkol obláčik, no hneď stíšil hlas. „Teda… ešte nie.“
„Môžeš ísť pomaly,“ povedala Mína.
Obláčik sa posunul ku otvorenému oknu. Tam ho privítalo ššš, ššš, ššš zelených listov. Vonku nad skleníkom nebola veľká prázdna obloha. Boli tam prvé hviezdy, tenký mesiac a pokojné modré mraky.
Napokon sa maličký obláčik vznesol vyššie. Neponáhľal sa. Za ním zostala vo vzduchu jemná vlhká stopa. Jedna guľatá kvapka spadla na kvet pri skleníku, ktorý mal sklonenú hlávku.
Kvapka cinkla o zem. Kvet sa pomaly narovnal a na jeho listoch sa zalesklo svetlo.
„Napil sa,“ potešila sa Mína.
Piko spokojne zabzučal. „Aj kvet chcel trošku vody.“
Obláčik už plával medzi ostatnými večernými oblakmi. Ešte raz sa obrátil, akoby zamával, a potom sa stratil v mäkkej modrej oblohe.
Mína zavrela okno, položila viečko späť na prázdny pohár a vykročila k malým dvierkam. Pri tráve však zbadala čosi zvláštne. Medzi steblami ležala drobná strieborná kvapka.
Tichučko zažiarila.
Dievčatko ju chvíľu pozorovalo. Potom si hviezdny kľúč vložilo späť do vrecka. Piko sa jej usadil na ramene a jeho svetlo bolo príjemne teplé.
„Mína?“ zavolala mama od domu. „Je čas ísť dnu.“
„Už idem!“ odpovedala Mína.
Keď sa obzrela naposledy, strieborná kvapka sa v tráve ešte raz jemne zablysla.
Pokračovanie nabudúce…
Mina and the Star Key, part 3: A Cloud in a Jar
The Story Begins
The evening was quiet and soft. Outside the window, the sky was already turning blue, and in the garden the drops from watering were shining. Mina stood by the greenhouse in her yellow cardigan and looked at the big green leaves touching the glass.
"You can stay outside a little longer," Mama called from the house door. "Then we will go inside."
"All right, Mama," Mina answered.
Just then, something in her pocket moved gently. It was the tiny silver star key. It did not jingle loudly. It only made a soft rustle against the cloth.
Piko flew out from behind Mina’s hair and sat on her shoulder. His round little body glowed with warm gold light.
"The key is wiggling," he buzzed. "Maybe evening is tickling it."
Mina smiled. She already knew the star key did not open normal doors. Sometimes it found doors so small that other people would not even see them.
Near the greenhouse window, she suddenly saw a narrow little door. It was hidden behind a big pot of mint. It had a round handle, and on the wood there was a tiny cloud drawn.
"Ah," Mina said softly. "There you are."
She put the star key into the small hole. The key turned with a little click. The door opened a crack, and damp air slipped out. It smelled like rain and leaves.
Behind the door was not a dark hallway. There was a small, cozy place full of plants. Leaves hung from the ceiling like green ribbons. Empty flower pots stood on the shelves, and there was a wooden table by the window.
Piko tilted his head.
"Something is hiding," he whispered.
On the table stood a big glass jar with a lid. And inside it, a tiny white cloud was pressing itself small. It was round like a ball of cotton. Its edges were trembling a little.
Mina knelt by the jar.
"Hello," she said. "I am Mina. This is Piko."
The cloud pulled itself even more into the middle of the jar.
"Do not bother me," it muttered in a thin voice. "There is too much wind outside."
"But there is not much wind here," Mina said.
"Maybe there will be," said the cloud. "And if I fly out, I will get lost. The sky is so big."
Piko was ready to say something, but Mina подняла her finger. Not to stop him in a mean way. She only wanted to listen first.
She sat on a low chair next to the table. For a moment, nobody spoke. Inside the jar, a quiet fffff, fffff could be heard. The cloud turned round and round by itself.
"You do not have to go outside right away," Mina said after a while.
"I do not?" The cloud showed a tiny white bit.
"No," Mina nodded. "We can just sit here."
Later, one long fern leaf moved behind the greenhouse glass. Then another one did too. A very small evening breeze came in, and the leaves began to whisper.
Shh, shh, shh.
The cloud stopped trembling.
Mina did not move. She only watched carefully. When the leaves became quiet, the little puff curled up again. When they whispered once more, a calm white mist spread through the jar.
"Do you like hearing that?" she asked.
"Leaves can whisper," the cloud answered. "When they whisper, the sky does not look so big."
Piko flew by the window so softly that his wings hardly made a sound.
"Maybe the leaves could whisper closer," he suggested.
Mina opened the window just a little crack. Fresh air came in, but it was not strong. It brought the smell of mint and a soft rustling.
When Things Start to Change
Shh, shh, shh.
Then the little girl carefully moved the jar closer to the window with both hands. She did not do it fast. First only a little. Then she stopped. After a while, she moved it a tiny bit more.
"Is this good?" she asked.
"A little closer," the cloud whispered.
Mina moved the jar only the width of one finger. Now it was right by the window. Outside, the leaves were waving, and their shadows were dancing on the glass.
The cloud stretched into a small soft line.
"I would like to look," it said. "But the lid is shut."
Mina looked at the lid. She could have lifted it all the way. But then the cloud might have been scared. So she lifted it only a tiny little bit, just enough for a narrow opening.
"You can come out only with your nose," she said with a smile. "If you have a cloud nose."
Piko giggled. "Clouds have only noses. And bellies. And fluff."
A thin ribbon of mist slipped out of the jar. It stopped right by the lid.
"Am I outside now?" asked the cloud.
"A little," said Mina. "And you can stay a little too."
The little mist moved toward the window. Just then, the leaves whispered softly. The cloud became braver and stretched out more. First a small puff, then a soft strip, and in the end the whole cloud came out of the jar.
For a moment, it hung in the air above the table. Mina and Piko did not move their hands. They only breathed slowly with it.
"I am not flying away!" the cloud cried, and then it lowered its voice at once. "I mean… not yet."
"You can go slowly," Mina said.
The cloud moved toward the open window. There, it was welcomed by the shh, shh, shh of green leaves. Outside above the greenhouse, there was no big empty sky. There were the first stars, a thin moon, and quiet blue clouds.
At last, the tiny cloud rose higher. It did not hurry. Behind it, a soft wet trail stayed in the air. One round drop fell onto the flower by the greenhouse, the one that had been hanging its head.
The drop made a tiny click on the ground. The flower slowly stood up straight, and light shone on its leaves.
"It drank," Mina said happily.
Piko buzzed in delight. "The flower wanted a little water too."
By then, the cloud was already floating among the other evening clouds. It turned back once, as if waving, and then it disappeared into the soft blue sky.
Mina closed the window, put the lid back on the empty jar, and walked to the little door. But by the grass, she saw something strange. Between the blades of grass lay a tiny silver drop.
It shone very softly.
The little girl watched it for a moment. Then she put the star key back into her pocket. Piko settled on her shoulder, and his light was warm and nice.
"Mina?" Mama called from the house. "It is time to come inside."
"I am coming!" Mina answered.
When she looked back one last time, the silver drop in the grass gave one more gentle sparkle.
To be continued…