A MASKED BALL

Antnio Torrado wrote

Cristina Malaquias illustrated Joaquina Caeiro translated
27th March World's Day of the Theatre

O nce upon a time there was a gentleman who was

very, very curious. Once, he asked to the little elephant what he would like to be when he grew up. The elephant answered that he would like to be a flee. "And why?" "Because nobody would find me and I would tickle whoever I pleased" Then, the very curious gentleman asked the giraffe whether there was any wish she would like to reveal. The giraffe whispered that she would like to be, at least once in her life, a crab. "And why?" "To be able to crawl and see what I can't see" 1
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Then, the curious gentleman asked the rabbit whether he had dreams and what they were about. The rabbit answered that, sometimes, he happened to dream that he was a wolf. "And why?" "Because if I were a wolf, I wouldn't fear wolves. Then, the very curious gentleman asked the lion what he brooded upon before falling asleep. The lion answered that, when he couldn't sleep, he imagined he was a lamb. "And why?" "So I wouldn't have to go hunting. I'd simply delight myself eating grass What a life!" To make them all happy, the very curious gentleman, who also invented stories like this one, decided to hold a masked ball. The elephant was masked as a flee, the giraffe as a crab, the rabbit as a wolf and the lion as a lamb. You have no idea how the party ended! The elephant jumped on the floor and the orchestra played no more. The poor giraffe Was squashed against a door. But the most serious trouble that happened to all four was when the rabbit, against all lore, tried to devour the lion. And I won't tell you more, just that it all ended in a mess I can't ignore 2
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because I, who had the idea, was also thrown onto the floor.

THE END

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