At the Zoo

For only one night in a year, each animal can speak and understand the international language – English. It happens at night from the 24th to 25th of July. And every year all the animals gather in a secret place to discuss what to do next year.

So last year, as usual, different animals came to the Moscow Central Zoo to talk to The Queen of Animals – Old Turtle. She was so old that she didn’t even remember when she was born. She wasn’t fast and spoke very slowly, but she was wise and all the animals knew that only she could give them a very useful piece of advice.

All the animals were sitting in front of The Turtle. She waited a little and then started to speak. She said that she had been thinking about their problem the whole year, and then a good idea came to her – to write a letter to mankind.

She asked the animals to take pens and begin writing. That is what they wrote:

“I built a dam, but it was broken by a barrel with chemical waste. It burst, and many chemicals got into our lake.”

Beaver-Strong Tooth

“Once I was walking in the wood and wounded my paw on a broken bottle, which had been thrown away by careless people. I am sure they knew that they were having a picnic in a national park.”

She-wolf, the wife of Loud Howling

“My brother was killed before a hunting season and I want to live…”

Hare, the Youngest

“My home was destroyed because the trees in the jungle were cut down when a highway was built there.”

Tun-Tuk, the hummingbird

“My friends died because they couldn’t get out of the oil which was floating in the sea.”

Seagull, Keen-Eye

“My family died. Our forest was burnt down after the people had left a fire there. What can I do?”

The Hedgehog

“In a lake where I was catching fish people killed all the fish with dynamite. That’s what they call fishing.”

Muskrat the Great

“Our house was burnt down in forest fires. My kids and I are now suffering from a terrible cough.”

Koala Diksi

“People hunt for us though we don’t do any harm eating seeds of wild grass.”

Fieldmouse

“We do hope that you will find the way to help us! Help! We wish to live and not to die!”

Her Majesty the Turtle, the oldest of the animals

Then they put this letter into an envelope and sent it to the presidents of all countries.