The Letter for You

The Letter for You

Klaipėda.2014

© Story Creator: Leila Varoneckaitė 2014

© Illustrated by: Leila Varoneckaitė 2014

© Thief Editor: Ingrida Macytė, 2014

© General Editor: Mantas Stimburys, 2014

©Junior Editor: Justas Valantinas, 2014.

The Letter for You

Klaipėda.2014

I

A long time ago, lived a little girl named Mary who had a red balloon. She loved the red balloon: she would tell him her stories, save him from sharp corners, and most importantly she tried to save the balloon from the cat. Marry was happy all the time, when suddenly, one day she came back home sad. Mother noticed Mary’s sadness and asked her:

– Mary did somebody hurt you?

– No, mother.

– So why are you so sad?

– Today I had a class and the teacher taught us many sad things.

– What sad things?

– She taught and told us about deaf and blind children, about homeless children who are hungry. Also, the teacher told about the children who are ill with various diseases.

– Ahhh..., – said the mother. – Take this piece of paper, a pen and write a letter, for me, your father and the world. Write what is bothering you.

Mary loved the idea. She sat down, put the red balloon next to her and started writing the letter

Dear inhabitants of the world,I am writing this letter to you

because I have found out some sad news about our world. It is not fair! Why can’t some children hear birds singing? Why can’t some children see the beauty of the world? Why has nobody found a cure for ill

children yet? What should we do to help starving people? I do not know all the answers, but I would like to know them and help others. Please join me, every single good job will

lift your spirits and we will find more about each other!

MaryP.S If you know the answers, please

send them to me!

The little red balloon could not believe what Mary had just written. The red balloon thought that all the children were happy just as Mary was. He was looking at the girl who was ready to stand up. Mary was holding the letter. The little red balloon could not stop watching and wondering what would happen next. Mary went to her father and the balloon was wondering what would happen to the letter. So the balloon flew out of the room right to the kitchen and listened to the conversation between Mary and her father.

– Father, how can I send this letter to the world?

– Maybe try sending it by airmail?

– No, how can I send a letter without the address?

– You are right. Maybe we should send it by train?

– No, father...

Mary decided not to disturb her father. She went back to her room, where the balloon was waiting for her. He knew exactly, how to deliver a letter. The red balloon regretted that it couldn’t speak or tell that it is the only one that can travel around the world carrying the letter. Mary and the red balloon were close friends and the girl realized why the red balloon was anxious. The girl made a hole on the letter and tied it to the balloon. It fit perfectly, but the girl didn’t want to be apart from the red balloon. However, the red balloon promised to come back.

After a few seconds the window opened and the red balloon flew away. While flying away, he looked at its best friend who was standing at the window. Echo carried away Mary’s shout, which was caught by the wind.

II

The red balloon travelled long, seeing many different places and meeting unseen creatures except people. While flying, he created many songs like this:

Red balloon will fly over the clouds,

Until he sees good people,

I’ll bring the news despite the wind and storm,

I’ll meet many friends, who will travel with me.

While he was singing, the red balloon met a strange bird, who flew without fluttering and shined brightly. “Interesting, – the balloon thought. – I should really fly near and say hello to him!”. In a second he flew near the metal bird. And what did he see?! Red–cheeked kids, looking through the birds’ stomach. The red balloon was really scared of this monster, who eats people, but still, he decided to help for the unlucky ones. Luckily, the crow flew nearby, who laughed at the balloon:

– Balloon, it’s a plane, not a bird. People got onto it, because they want to.

– So planes fly to the places, where people live?

– Yes, where are you flying?

– I have to bring the letter of my friend.

– And what the letter is about?

– About kids getting sick, about hunger…

– I have seen this. Kids were looking for food on the ground, like us.

– That’s why I must spread this news around the world.

– Let’s travel together!

– Okay! – the balloon cheered up

They travelled together, while carrying Mary’s letter. They saw happy children’s faces, when after reading the letter some people started to help them. Where the red balloon and crow visited, kindness overwhelmed the planet.

III

While traveling, the red balloon and the crow experienced many new adventures. Their stay in space was the most memorable of them all. But how did they get there? It‘s quite simple. That day, when the balloon was getting ready to head home a horrible storm began. The wind was tossing the poor balloon from one side to another. The crow tried to protect the balloon with its wings, but it wasn‘t easy for him. Suddenly, the balloon was caught by a gust of wind and was thrown straight up. The crow got fightened and flew up with the balloon. Both of them were going up until they reached space. There were a lot of planets around. You could see the whole earth from here. It looked beautiful from above. It looked like a blue egg for the red balloon, but the crow disagreed, it was very much like the balloon, just blue not red.

They were traveling there until they saw a rocket. Through the windows of the rocket astronauts were waving. The two friends came closer to the rocket and the astronauts let them inside. Just as they were entering the rocket the balloon and the crow got surprised because the astronauts were not standing on the ground, they were floating. They were asked why they were floating and the answer was ‘of the gravity’. The astronauts wondered why they were not on earth, but in space, so the balloon and the crow told them all about the letter and the wind. The astronauts decided to help them and give them an idea. They were fixing a machine that could send words through space, so the astronauts suggested that Mary could let the word out with it and afterwards they would come back home with the rocket. The balloon and the crow got really excited, not just because they

were going to fly on a rocket, but because Mary‘s words were heard through out all space.

IV

When the balloon and the crow came back home they were very famous, they were being shown on the news and in newspapers. The balloon was always full of helium. And the crow got all the comfort ever needed for it starting from a jacuzzi filled with worms to a massage with acorns. It seemed as if they were happy, everyone heard Mary‘s letter and were helping the children, but something was missing. One night the balloon fell asleep in his cloud bed and dreamed of a little girld who was looking through the window, missing her friend. Even her cat was looking into the sky when he came out. Mom and dad were always moved when they saw the balloon on the news. And suddenly the red balloon woke up. He then woke up the crow and asked it if it wanted to come along to go to Mary‘s, but the crow didn‘t want to leave this kind of life, so they both went their own ways.

V

The balloon was going down and saw the house, the window from where he had flown out once. A little girl was playing outside. The balloon came closer to her and called her by the name, but she just looked at the balloon and ran home.

–Strange,– The balloon thought.

The balloon was shocked as it saw a woman looking like Mary coming out of the house with the little girl. It thought that it went to the wrong place. But the young woman hugged the balloon as she was bursting in tears. The woman said that she was Mary and the little girl was her daughter. The balloon understood that its friend had grown up. Even the cat appeared near the doorway who once wanted to pop the balloon, but now it only gently rubbed itself to the balloon by that saying hello. The balloon told Mary about

V

The balloon was going down and saw the house, the window from where he had flown out once. A little girl was playing outside. The balloon came closer to her and called her by the name, but she just looked at the balloon and ran home.

-Strange,- The balloon thought.

The balloon was shocked as he saw a woman looking like Mary coming out of the house with the little girl. The red balloon thought that he went to the wrong place. But the young woman hugged the balloon as she was bursting in tears. The woman said that she was Mary and the little girl was her daughter. The balloon understood that his friend had grown up. Even the cat appeared near the doorway who once wanted to pop the balloon, but now it only gently rubbed itself to the balloon by that saying hello. The balloon told Mary about the adventures and new friends. Mary said that she was happy, for the back that her letter was heard through out the world. Also, she mentioned that she was helping ill people to get well again as she was showing the balloon a picture from the festival of goodness. The balloon was happy that the letter brought so much joy into the world.

In the evening Mary and the balloon were sitting in the porch, watching the sunset when suddenly a black crow appeared. The balloon even jumped out of joy. The crow squatted near the balloon.

-I noticed that life is not the same without you. Even the worms are not the same.

-I am happy that you have come here, I missed you.

-This must be your friend- The crow said.

-Nice to meet you,- Mary said.- You must be the famous crow that has been traveling with my friend.

-Yes, I am. –the crow replied

- Well the, I think you would like to stay here tonight.

-I would love to...

- I think this oak is going to be the best shelter.

So the three friends watched the sunset withought saying a word, thought it was hard for the crow, because true friends can understand each other without them.

From that day on the balloon and Mary have helped people and lived as a happy family. I am not sure if they are still with us, but you can still hear the words from Mary‘s letter as the wind is blowing.

SummaryA long time ago, lived a little girl named Mary who had a red balloon. Marry was happy all the time, when suddenly, one day she came back home sad because the theacher taught about homeless, starving, blind and or deaf

children in the world. Mary decides to write a letter to the whole world about this, but theres no way to deliver it and inform

everyone on the earth. So the red balloon takes the letter and journeys on as he meets

new friend and finds a lot of adventures.