ERIKA D. MY WAY AROUND THE WORLD 8 WELCOME TO THE CAULIFLOWER Collection: My way around the world (9 books) Original title: Moja pot okoli sveta First electronic edition: Železniki, 2024 Published by Erika Drobnič Canva illustrations Published on Amazon.com, Kindle books Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 192961027 ISBN 978-961-07-2073-7 (KPF) Without the written permission of Erika Drobnič, reproduction, distribution, public communication, processing or other processing of this author's work or its parts in any scope or process, together with photocopying, printing or saving in electronic form within the framework of the provisions on copyright and related rights, is prohibited. The path around the world is a path we walk from birth onwards. The countries that the main character visits in the story are different periods of our lives. The experiences in these stories show our perception of life in a humorous way. For example, the land of the giants is the period when we are babies or small children and everything around us is huge and upside down when viewed from the stroller. In each country, we also learn a new Spanish word. Read all the stories and find out for yourself in which period of your trip each country is. I wish you lots of fun reading and don’t forget to learn all the Spanish words. I DROVE ON WINDING BLUE-GREEN ROADS. THE WIND IN MY HAIR AND THE PLEASANTLY SCENTED FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY FILLED ME WITH GREAT JOY. JUST WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME THIS TIME, MY PRETTY PINK MOTORCYCLE? IN THE DISTANCE, I SAW A LARGE SIGN "WELCOME TO CAULIFLOWER". BIENVENIDO A LA COLIFLOR I SAID TO MYSELF, THAT'S A FUNNY NAME FOR A COUNTRY. CAULIFLOWER, YES, I'VE HEARD THAT SOMEWHERE. I SEARCHED MY MEMORY - WHAT IS THIS, CAULIFLOWER? IS THIS SOMETHING TO WEAR? A PIECE OF FURNITURE? A NEW CHILDREN'S GAME? A TREE? I ALREADY KNOW, I ALREADY KNOW, CAULIFLOWER IS A VEGETABLE. BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT TASTES LIKE. HAVE I EVER EATEN IT? EVEN BEFORE I ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS, I WAS ALREADY IN THE LAND OF CAULIFLOWER. THE ROAD TURNED INTO A MIXTURE OF BEAUTIFUL COLORS. I SLOWED DOWN WHEN I HEARD A VOICE BEHIND ME: "HEY, HEY, SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN, STOP!" I STOPPED THE MOTORCYCLE AND LOOKED BACK. OH, WHAT A STRANGE FIGURE PANTING TOWARDS ME. ON FIRST SIGHT, IT LOOKED LIKE A BIG, BIG POTATO. OH, NO, NO, THAT CAN'T BE TRUE. HELLO, MAYBE I'M DREAMING? MEANWHILE, A PANTING ROUND MAN APPROACHED ME, AND I TELL YOU, IT WAS NOTHING BUT A BIG POTATO. TWO SHORT LEGS AND ARMS, A SMALL NOSE, AND ROUND EYES, I COULD NOT SEE THE EARS, AND GREEN HAIR STICKING OUT HIGH ON THE HEAD. HE STOPPED RIGHT NEXT TO MY MOTORCYCLE, AND WHEN HE CAUGHT HIS BREATH, HE REPRIMANDED ME: "YOU WENT WILD SO FAST THAT I COULDN'T LIST YOU." "LIST?" I ASKED HIM. "YES, LIST IT. I, POTATO THE THIRD, MUST REGISTER EVERYONE WHO COMES TO OUR LAND. NOBODY GETS PAST ME; OUR RHUBARB QUEEN MUST KNOW EVERYTHING." LISTA DE VISITASS "THE QUEEN? WOW, I'VE NEVER MET A QUEEN. CAN I SEE HER, PLEASE, PLEASE?" AT THAT MOMENT, A LARGE, ORANGE CARROT PASSES BY, HAVING SEEN AND HEARD ALL THIS. HE WAS SERIOUS, LIKE AN OFFICIAL, AND HE SAID TO ME IN A STERN VOICE: "I AM THE QUEEN'S ASSISTANT, AND I WILL TAKE YOU TO HER." THIS WAS AN EXPERIENCE. THE QUEEN LIVED IN A PUMPKIN CASTLE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS EXTREMELY FUNNY. COURTIERS OF ALL FORMS OF VEGETABLES STAND IN FRONT OF THE PUMPKIN. I WAS LED THROUGH BEAUTIFUL CORRIDORS WITH PAINTINGS AND DECORATIONS TO A GREAT HALL IN WHICH SAT THE QUEEN. SHE WAS AN ELEGANT RHUBARB, DRESSED IN PURPLE CABBAGE LEAVES, WITH A LARGE CROWN OF CAULIFLOWER ON HER HEAD. "WHO DID YOU BRING ME?" SHE ASKED IN A HIGH BUT DETERMINED VOICE. COURTIERS CROWDED BEFORE HER THRONE, GIGGLING AND WHISPERING. I HUNG MY HEAD IN FEAR BECAUSE I DID NOT DARE TO LOOK THE STERN RHUBARB IN THE EYES. THE COURTIERS SAID IN UNISON: "A TRAVELER ON A MOTORCYCLE." THE QUEEN ROSE. I TELL YOU; SHE WAS AS LONG AS MONDAY. SHE STEPPED TOWARDS ME, EXAMINED ME FROM TOE TO HEAD AND BACK. SHE NODDED, SNIFFED ME, RAISED MY HAND, AND ASKED, "IS MOTORCYCLE TRAVELER YOUR NAME?" I LOOKED UP AND SHE WAS SO NICE. "NO, NO, IT'S TRUE THAT I TRAVEL ON A MOTORCYCLE, BUT MY NAME IS KIARA. THE QUEEN LAUGHED THAT IT WENT ALL OVER THE PALACE. "WELCOME," SHE SAID WITH A LAUGH. AND THE HALL TURNED INTO A FLASH OF COURTIERS AND COVERED TABLES. AN ENTIRE VARIETY OF VEGETABLES WAS THERE. BECAUSE IT WAS CHEERFUL, I ALSO BREATHED A SIGH OF RELIEF, AND I WAS NO LONGER AFRAID OF VEGETABLES EITHER. THE TABLES WERE FULL IN EVERY SHAPE AND COLOR OF VEGETABLES YOU COULD WISH FOR. HOWEVER, IT DIDN'T SMELL TOO GOOD TO ME, I'D RATHER HAVE CAKES AND CANDIES AND CHOCOLATES. I'M SURE YOU'D RATHER EAT COOKIES AND CHOCOLATES THAN VEGETABLES TOO, RIGHT? WHO LIKES VEGETABLES? HELLO? BEFORE I COULD FINISH MY THOUGHTS, I WAS ALREADY SEATED AT THE TABLE, RIGHT NEXT TO THE QUEEN. A FRIENDLY SALAD LOADED MY PLATE FULL. I SIGHED BECAUSE I REALLY DON'T LIKE VEGETABLES. HOWEVER, WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO STAND UP TO THE QUEEN, NOT ME. I SLOWLY BROUGHT THE FIRST PIECE TO MY MOUTH. TO MY GREAT SURPRISE AND, OF COURSE, JOY, THE VEGETABLES WERE SO DELICIOUS THAT I ATE THE ENTIRE PLATE. I HAPPILY ATE EVERYTHING THEY SERVED ME. YUM, YUM, HOW GOOD THE VEGETABLES ARE. I REGRETTED NOT TRYING IT EARLIER WHEN MY MOTHER MADE IT FOR ME. THE VEGETABLES WERE FRIENDLY AND VERY RESOURCEFUL. IF THEY WANTED TO PREPARE VEGETABLES, THEY JUST SHOOK THEMSELVES A LITTLE AND A CARROT FELL OUT OF A CARROT, A POTATO CAME OUT OF A SALAD, AND A SALAD CAME OUT OF A POTATO. IT WAS NICE, BUT HERE TOO IT WAS TIME TO SAY BYE. WHEN I FINALLY SAID GOODBYE, THEY THREW ME A BASKET FULL OF VEGETABLES. MY PINK MOTORCYCLE WAS NOW FULL OF INTERESTING THINGS THAT I RECEIVED IN THE COUNTRIES ON MY TRIP. THAT'S WHY HE MOANED AND SNORTED A BIT WHEN I SET OUT ON A NEW PATH. CESTA DE VERDURAS Was your first encounter with vegetables also that fun and tasty? You can find the following story in book 9, titled: LAND OF BABIES