FRED LINGUALUNGA
  POP-UP
by Lucia Salemi
EMME EDIZIONI 2002
ISBN 88-7927-522-4

printed in Colombia

paper engineer
 Massimo Missiroli

© english translation www.pop-ups.net

Fred is really fed up. He is fed up of being thrown slippers at and booed every time he sings….

Fed up of quarrelling with his peers for some measly breadcrumbs…….In short, he’s sick and tired of being a crow.

Fred decides to go to granny owl. "I’d like to be another animal" he sobs.

"But I like you as you are" says granny, trying to cheer him up, crushing him in one of her huge comforting hugs. But Fred still dreams of being another animal.

Ok, but which animal? Surely not the red-crested cock, even though it is pretty easy to imitate him: all you have to do is borrow one of the farmer's big work gloves, just as Fred did during the last carnival festivities.

Here we are! Dogs are the most respected animals on the farm! Fred gnashes his teeth in a threatening way, but after half an hour his jaws start aching. 
Not to mention the collar, which is even worse than having a stone hanging from your neck! "I’m not cut out to lead a dog's life" he concludes.

Hopping along the grass like a little rabbit is much more fun, but carrots are so hard!

Fred is not too bad at being a pig: he is great at wallowing in the mud, but then….
his friends would run away because of the stench.

Fred dives into the pond to have a look at the fish. How nice it is to swim! 
But after a while he can't breathe any more.

Fred runs into Tato, the cat. Lucky him! All the stroking he gets! But when Fred puts his beak into the milk bowl, it is a complete mess. Never mind! After all, milk is not as good as the worm meat sauce his granny makes!

And then, when he tries to purr at the farmer's wife.

…he is rewarded with a huge kick.

At that very moment….Surprise! 
A charming little female crow appears on one of the branches of the oak tree. 
Fred puts on his best hat and offers her a small bunch of fish. She smiles at him sweetly.

"Well, aren’t crows pretty?" comments granny owl. There’s no doubt about it, and none other is prettier than Frida, whom granny has invited to spend the holidays on the farm.