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In the middle of the big colorful city stood a medium-si ed gray building, with a lot of windows but only a few doors. Miss Nora lived in a tiny apartment and very much wished for some company.

One bright day she bought two colorful flowers and placed them on her favorite windowsill. She was thrilled with her new roommates and talked to the flowers as if they could hear.

You’ll enjoy this nice window, For goodness sake. In the morning the sun Will tickle you awake. By evening there’s shade, So naps you can take, And from your safe perch You can watch as I bake.

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The following morning the elegant spider Spiro wandered by. Strolling cheerfully past, he loudly complimented the flowers:

Blooming princesses, hello!Your pretty faces really glow!

Lily and Rosy both frowned, rolled their eyes and asked him to please be a bit quieter so he didn’t disturb their peace.

Spiro wasn’t easily insulted. He delicately crawled further over on the window, trying not to step on any part of the moody plants.

They don’t like me, I know. No one ever says, ‘hello’. Just like people who show how glad they are when I go.

Despite his fu y body, Spiro had a clear head. I am a simple spider; to most I’m an outsider.Just like my Uncle Snyder, who one day tried to rush,But they hit him with a brush and he vanished in a flush.

Reali ing his differences, the eight-legged visitor thought to himself:

We fragile spiders are sensitive guys,Living alone with flies in our eyes.I never intend to do anyone harm,But my hairy body causes alarm.

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The next day a piglet toddled past on the street below. Pierre had just arrived from the farm and didn’t know his way around the town. Though a little bit lost, he still enjoyed exploring a place so different from his home.

As they watched this stranger, the sour flowers decided he must have come from far away. He didn’t look at all like a city pig.

Pierre was the best pupil in his class, even though he was a little clumsy and a bit too round. He oinked politely to the staring plants:

There’s a big world outside our gate, And learning about a new place is great! It’s so different; you cannot be bored. Strange new places must be explored!

Rosy and Lily couldn’t understand what he was trying to say, so they pretended not to hear.

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CIP – Cataloging-in-Publication Data National and University Library Ljubljana

821.163.6-93-32087.5

PULKO, BenkaTwo sour flowers or There’s enough room for everyone /

[text, translation] Benka Pulko ; illustrations Urška Stropnik Šonc. - Ljubljana : Undara Studio, 2011

Original Title: Dve ciklami

ISBN 978-961-91149-6-4254444032

TWO SOUR FLOWERSPublished by Undara Studio

Copyright© 2009, 2011 by Benka Pulko

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed

in any form or by any manner whatsoever, or stored in a database or retrieval system,

without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is an English version of Dve ciklami, the original Slovene edition,

published in Slovenia by Undara Studio.

Text and Translation: Benka PulkoIllustrations: Urška Stropnik Šonc

Text Editing: Keith M. CarrDesign: Julia Zornik Strle & Suzana Kogoj

Proofreading: Carole BannesPrepress: HiFi ColorStudio

Proudly produced in Slovenia, EU.

www.BenkaPulko.com

www.UndaraStudio.com

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