It was a Monday, somewhere in early autumn, when the leaves turn yellow and drift through the cool air of the forest and, you know what else happens in autumn.
Hopping happily through the forest, through the mire that came up to his knees, Flea was drawing dangerously close to Lion. The Lion eyed him with frightened eyes.
- Do not jump on me, the Lion begged him.
- I am not jumping, answered Flea, today I am hurrying off to school.
- School!! roared the Lion
- School, fleaed Flea, settling his fleasack on his back.
- What is that, asked the Lion, curious.
- A place where we learn about...
- About what? the beast cut him off.
- In the morning, at the eight o'clock assembly, we sing "Awaken thee, O flea", then we have first period Quick Multiplication, followed by a bathroom break, a meal break, a period of kisses...
- Kisses?
- Kisses, yes, on the belly, on the head, on the various furs the teacher keeps in his Fleatorium, then the period of Fleaifying Writing
The Lion could not keep up with the fidgety flea, who shook all over as he told, with great enthusiasm, about school.
- We also do, of course, Romanticism, Fleaism, Bleatism, Cluckism, Sinnism and other foreign languages.
- Hm... thought the Lion, as he adjusted the tie at his throat, would they take me too at this school?
- Only if you have finished kindergarten, answered Flea.
- I finished it, since I could not escape the Lioness's nagging; I even put in flowers and a hedge and purple lilac trees.
- Noooo, the flea sprang up as if scalded, not like that.
- I have not done any other one, he answered sadly.
- Then there is no way you can enroll in school.
The Lion went back home upset and roared at the Lioness:
- I built you a kindergarten, now off you go to school!
The Lioness slowly bowed her head before the lion, the way a woman bows her head before a man, took up her backpack and a packet of dry-aged meat from the freezer, and set off on her way, hopping now on one foot, now on the other...