18. Our heroine also helped many others, such as (такие, как) the teacher who wept because he had nothing and the oligarch who was dissatisfied even though (несмотря на то, что) he had everything.

1. A rude bureaucrat shouted at our beautiful little girl. He wanted to know where her parents were.

2. She told him that he better hurry (чтобы он поспешил) or he would be late to his meeting. How did she know that?

3. This bureaucrat, it turned out, was responsible for the city’s homeless children.

4. Conditions for homeless children in the city were horrible! They were better off (Им было лучше) on the street.

5. The bureaucrat threatened (пригрозить) to take our little darling (наша дорогая малышка) to the place for homeless children and shave her lice-covered head.

6. Good work (Молодец)! Take her away to an orphanage (детский дом)!

7. Whose voice is that? It is Mr. Kosyx, a famous television reporter (телерепортёр) who loves scandals.

8. “We’ll prepare a special report, a big (крупный) bureaucrat against a little girl! Good!”

9. A vigilant (бдительный) policeman (милиционер) now appears on the scene. After all, he must maintain order (поддерживать порядок) downtown (центр) where many “important” people regularly walk around.

10. What? A little girl disturbing (нарушать) societal order? Use the handcuffs! Detain the little extremist!

11. “No, never! Answers someone who was passing by (прохожий). “Now even children come out in protest and become victims of the regime! Shame (позор)!”

12. “You’re not local!” shouts another. “Where’s your residence permit (прописка)? Because of people like you we’re dying from hunger! Get out of here (убираться отсюда)!

13. “Fine her for smoking in public (в общественном месте)!” screamed a deputy in the local legislature (although he himself maintained a den (содержать притон) for “business.”)

14. “No!” objects the new city philanthropist, a former bandit who now runs the local casino. “I’ll give her breakfast!”

15. “Leave her alone (Не подходите к ней)!” screams a young leader in the local youth movement. She will be useful to us when we go to picket the American Embassy.

16. Our little girl just gave them all a disgusted look and said with an angelic smile, “You can all go to hell!”

17. After all, was she needed for herself alone and not just for her mission in life?

18. She struck a black match.

19. At that moment everything around her vanished…the city elite also! No one even had the time to shout.

20. She had found a more simple way to solve all of their problems!

1. “Well, enough of that! (Достаточно)!” said our little heroine with the matches.

2. She removes her little white fur coat.

3. Now we see two white wings shining in the sun.

4. She flaps (взмахивать) her wings, and our little heroine slowly rises up above the cold lonely (одинокий) city.

5. She is still holding her match box tightly.

6. Perhaps this is a pessimistic story, because, after all, the matches have flown away but the problems remain.

7. Keep in mind (Имей в виду) that Christmas does come once every year.