Victor Dragunsky "Knights"

When the rehearsal of the boys' choir was over, the singing teacher Boris Sergeevich said:

- Well, tell me, which of you gave your mom what on March 8? Come on, Denis, report.

I said:

- I gave my mother a pillow for needles on March 8th. Beautiful. Looks like a frog. I sewed for three days, pricked all my fingers. I sewed two of these.

- We sewed everything in two. One to my mother, and the other to Raisa Ivanovna.

- This is why everyone? - asked Boris Sergeevich. - What, have you conspired to sew the same thing for everyone?

- No, - said Valera, - this is in our circle "Skillful hands" - we go through the pillows. First the devils passed, and now the pads.

- What other devils? - Boris Sergeevich was surprised.

I said:

- Plasticine! Our leaders Volodya and Tolya from the eighth grade spent half a year with us the devils. As soon as they come, so now: "Sculpt the devils!" Well, we sculpt, and they play chess.

- Go crazy, - said Boris Sergeevich. - Pads! We'll have to figure it out! Stop! - And he suddenly laughed merrily. - And how many boys do you have in the first "B"?

- Fifteen, - said Bear, - and the girls are twenty-five.

Here Boris Sergeevich just rolled with laughter.

And I said:

- In our country, in general, the female population is larger than the male population.

But Boris Sergeevich brushed me off.

- I'm not talking about that. It's just interesting to see how Raisa Ivanovna receives fifteen pillows as a gift! Okay, listen: which of you is going to congratulate your mothers on May Day?

Then it was our turn to laugh. I said:

- You, Boris Sergeevich, are probably joking, there was still not enough to congratulate for May.

- And that's wrong, exactly what you need to congratulate your mothers on May. Otherwise, it’s ugly: to congratulate only once a year. And if every holiday is congratulated, it will be chivalrous. Well, who knows what a knight is?

I said:

- He is on a horse and in an iron suit.

Boris Sergeevich nodded.

- Yes, that was a long time ago. And when you grow up, you will read many books about knights, but now, if they say about someone that he is a knight, then this means that they mean a noble, selfless and generous person. And I think that every pioneer should definitely be a knight. Raise your hands, who's the knight here?

We all raised our hands.

- I knew it, - said Boris Sergeevich, - go, knights!

We went home. And on the way, Mishka said:

- Okay, I'll buy some candy for my mom, I have money.

And so I came home, and no one was at home. And I even got annoyed. For once I wanted to be a knight - so there is no money! And then, as luck would have it, Mishka came running, holding an elegant box with the inscription: "May Day".

Bear says:

- Done, now I'm a knight for twenty-two kopecks. Why are you sitting?

- Bear, are you a knight? - I said.

“Knight,” says Bear.

- Then give me a loan.

The bear was upset.

- I spent everything to a penny.

- What to do?

- Look, - says Bear. - After all, twenty kopecks is a small coin, maybe where at least one fell, let's look.

And we climbed the whole room - behind the sofa, and under the closet, and I shook up all my mother's shoes, and even poked my finger in her powder. There is nowhere.

Suddenly Mishka opened the sideboard:

- Wait, what is this?

- Where? I say. - Oh, this, these are bottles. Can't you see? There are two wines: one bottle is black and the other is yellow. This is for guests, guests will come to us tomorrow.

Bear says:

- Eh, your guests would have come yesterday, and you would have had money.

- What is it like?

- And the bottles? - says Mishka. - Yes for empty bottles always give money. On the corner. It is called "Reception of glass containers"!

I'm talking:

- Why were you silent before? We’ll settle this matter now! Give me a can of compote, standing at the window.

Mishka handed me the can, and I opened the bottle and poured the blackish-red wine into the can.

- That's right, - said Mishka, - what will he do? ..

“Of course,” I said. - Where is the second one?

- Yes, here, - says Mishka, - is it all the same? And this wine and that wine.

“Well, yes,” I said. - If one was wine, and the other kerosene, then it is impossible, but this, please, is even better. Take the jar.

And we poured the second bottle there.

I said:

- Put it on the window! So. Cover it with a saucer, and now let's run!

And we started.

For these two bottles we were given 24 kopecks. And I bought my mom some candy. They gave me another two kopecks of change.

I came home cheerful, because I became a knight, and as soon as mom and dad came, I said:

“Mom, I'm a knight now. Boris Sergeevich taught us!

Mom said:

- Come on, tell me!

I told that tomorrow I will surprise my mom.

Mom said:

- Where did you get the money?

And I said:

- I, mom, handed over the empty dishes. Here's two kopecks for change.

Then dad said:

- Well done! Give me two kopecks for the machine!

We sat down to dinner.

Then dad leaned back in his chair and smiled:

- Compotiku.

“Sorry, I didn't have time today,” Mom said.

But dad winked at me:

- And what's that? I noticed it a long time ago.

And he went to the window, took off the saucer and took a sip straight from the can. Well, what happened! Poor dad coughed like he'd drunk a glass of nails.

- What it is? What kind of poison is this ?!

I said:

- Dad, don't be scared! This is not poison. These are two of your fault!

Then dad staggered a little and turned pale.

- What are the two wines ?! He shouted louder than ever.

“Black and yellow,” I said, “that were in the buffet. Most importantly, do not be afraid.

Dad ran to the sideboard and opened the door.

Then he blinked his eyes and began to rub his chest.

He looked at me with such surprise, as if I were not an ordinary boy, but some kind of blue or speckled.

I said:

- Are you surprised, dad? I poured your two wines into a jar, otherwise where would I get the empty dishes? Think by yourself!

Mom screamed:

And fell onto the sofa.

She began to laugh, so much so that I thought she would feel bad.

I could not understand anything, and dad shouted:

- Do you laugh? Well, laugh! And by the way, this knight of yours will drive me crazy, but I'd better get him out earlier so that he would forget once and for all his knightly manners.

And dad began to pretend that he was looking for a belt.

- Where is he? - dad shouted. - Give me this Ivanhoe here! Where did he fall?

And I was behind a bookcase. I've been there for a long time, just in case. And then dad was very worried about something.

He shouted:

- Is it a well-known thing to pour a collectible black "Muscat" of the 1954 harvest into a jar and dilute it with Zhiguli beer ?!

And my mother was just sour with laughter.

She barely said:

- After all, it is he ... From the best intentions ... After all, he is ... the Knight ... I will die ... from laughter.

And she continued to laugh.

And dad ran around the room a little more and then, for no reason at all, went up to mom.

He said:

- How I love your laugh.

And bent down and kissed my mother.

And then I calmly climbed out from behind the closet.

Victor Dragunsky "Girl on the Ball"

Once our whole class went to the circus. I was very happy when I went there, because soon I was already eight years old, and I was in the circus only once, and that was a very long time. The main thing is that Alyonka is only six years old, but she has already managed to visit the circus three times. This is very annoying. And now our whole class came to the circus, and I thought how good it was that I was already big and now, this time, I would see everything properly. And that time I was small, I did not understand what a circus is. That time, when acrobats entered the arena and one climbed on the head of the other, I burst out laughing terribly, because I thought that they were doing it on purpose, for a laugh, because at home I have never seen adult guys climb on top of each other. And this did not happen on the street either. So I laughed out loud. I didn’t understand that these are artists showing their dexterity.

And also that time I looked more and more at the orchestra, how they play - some on the drum, some on the trumpet - and the conductor waves his baton, and no one is looking at him, but everyone plays as they want. I really liked that, but while I was looking at these musicians, there were artists performing in the middle of the arena. And I did not see them and missed the most interesting. Of course, I was still completely stupid that time. And so we came with the whole class to the circus. I immediately liked that it smells like something special and that there are bright pictures And all around it is light, and in the middle there is a beautiful carpet, and the ceiling is high, and there are various shiny swings tied there. And at this time, the music began to play and everyone rushed to sit down, and then bought an Eskimo and began to eat. And suddenly a whole detachment of some people, dressed very beautifully, in red suits with yellow stripes, came out from behind the red curtain. They stood at the sides of the curtain, and their boss in a black suit walked between them. He shouted something loudly and a little incomprehensibly, and the music began to play quickly, quickly and loudly, and an artist-juggler jumped out into the arena, and the fun began! He threw balls, ten or a hundred, up and caught them back. And then he grabbed a striped ball and began to play with it. He kicked him with his head, and the back of his head, and his forehead, and rolled on his back, and kicked him with his heel, and the ball rolled all over his body, as if magnetized. It was very beautiful. And suddenly the juggler threw this ball towards us, into the public, and then a real commotion began, because I caught this ball and threw it at Valera, and Valera - at Mishka, and Mishka suddenly aimed and, for no reason at all, shone it directly the conductor, but did not hit him, but hit the drum! Bamm! The drummer got angry and threw the ball back to the juggler, but the ball didn’t hit, he just hit one beautiful aunt in her hair, and she didn’t get a haircut, but a slicker. And we all laughed so hard that we almost died. And when the juggler ran behind the curtain, we could not calm down for a long time. But then a huge blue ball rolled into the arena, and the uncle who announces came out in the middle and shouted something in an illegible voice. It was impossible to understand anything, and the orchestra again played something very funny, just not as quickly as before.

And suddenly a little girl ran into the arena. I have never seen such small and beautiful. She had blue-blue eyes and had long eyelashes around them. She wore a silver dress with an airy cloak and had Long hands, she swung them like a bird and jumped on this huge blue ball, which was rolled out for her. She stood on the ball. And then suddenly she ran, as if she wanted to jump off him, but the ball spun under her feet, and she was on it like she was running, but in fact she was riding around the arena. I have never seen such girls. They were all ordinary, but this one was special. She ran around the ball with her little legs, as if on a flat floor, and the blue ball carried her on her, she could ride it straight, and back, and to the left, and wherever you want! She laughed merrily when she ran as if she were swimming, and I thought that she, probably, is Thumbelina, she was so small, sweet and extraordinary. At this time, she stopped, and someone handed her various bell bracelets, and she put them on her shoes and on her hands and again began to slowly spin around on the ball, as if to dance. And the orchestra began to play soft music, and one could hear the subtle ringing of golden bells on the girl's long arms. And it was all like a fairy tale. And then they turned off the light, and it turned out that the girl, in addition, knows how to glow in the dark, she slowly floated in a circle, and shone, and rang, and it was amazing - I had never seen anything like this in my entire life.

And when the lights were on, everyone clapped and shouted "bravo", and I also shouted "bravo". And the girl jumped off her ball and ran forward, closer to us, and suddenly on the run she rolled over her head like lightning, and again, and again, and all forward and forward. And it seemed to me that now she would break on the barrier, and I suddenly got very scared, and jumped to my feet, and wanted to run to her to pick her up and save her, but the girl suddenly stopped rooted to the spot, spread her long arms, the orchestra fell silent, and she stood and smiled. And everyone clapped with all their might and even kicked their feet. And at that moment this girl looked at me, and I saw that she saw that I see her and that I also see that she sees me, and she waved her hand at me and smiled. She waved to me alone and smiled. And again I wanted to run to her, and I stretched out my hands to her. And she suddenly blew a kiss to all of us and ran behind the red curtain, where all the artists ran away. And the clown entered the arena with his rooster and began to sneeze and fall, but I had no time for him. All the time I thought about the girl on the ball, how amazing she is and how she waved her hand at me and smiled, and no longer wanted to look at anything. On the contrary, I tightly closed my eyes so as not to see this stupid clown with his red nose, because he spoiled my girl, she still presented herself to me on her blue balloon. And then they announced intermission, and everyone ran to the buffet to drink citro, and I quietly went downstairs and went to the curtain from where the artists were coming out. I wanted to look at this girl again, and I stood by the curtain and looked - suddenly she would come out. But she didn’t come out.

And after the intermission, lions performed, and I did not like that the tamer was dragging them by their tails all the time, as if they were not lions, but dead cats. He forced them to change from place to place or laid them on the floor in a row and walked over the lions with his feet, as if on a carpet, and they looked like they were not allowed to lie down calmly. It was not interesting, because the lion has to hunt and chase the bison in the endless pampas, filling the surroundings with a formidable growl, thrilling the native population, but this is not a lion, but I just do not know what.

And when it was over and we went home, I kept thinking about the girl on the ball.

And in the evening dad asked:

- Well, how? Did you like the circus?

I said:

- Dad! There is a girl in the circus. She dances on a blue ball. So glorious, the best! She smiled at me and waved her hand! To me alone, honestly! Do you understand, dad? Let's go to the circus next Sunday! I'll show it to you!

Dad said:

- We will definitely go. I love the circus!

And my mother looked at both of us as if she had seen for the first time.

And a long week began, and I ate, studied, got up and went to bed, played and even fought, and still every day I thought when Sunday would come and my dad and I would go to the circus, and I would see the girl on the ball again and show her dad, and maybe dad will invite her to visit us, and I'll give her a Browning pistol and draw a ship in full sail.

But on Sunday, Dad couldn't go. Comrades came to him, they rummaged in some drawings, and shouted, and smoked, and drank tea, and sat up late, and after them mother had a headache.

And daddy told me when we were cleaning up:

- Next Sunday, I take the oath of Loyalty and Honor.

And I was so looking forward to next Sunday that I don't even remember how I got through another week. And dad kept his word, he went with me to the circus and bought tickets to the second row, and I was glad that we were sitting so close, and the performance began, and I began to wait for the girl on the ball to appear. But the person who announces kept announcing various other artists, and they went out and performed in different ways, but the girl still did not appear. And I was just shivering with impatience, I really wanted dad to see how extraordinary she is in her silver suit with an airy cloak and how she deftly runs around the blue balloon. And every time the announcer came out, I whispered to dad:

- Now he will announce her!

But, as luck would have it, he announced someone else, and I even got hatred for him, and I kept saying to my dad:

- Come on! This is nonsense in vegetable oil! This is not it!

And dad said, without looking at me:

- Don't bother. It is very interesting! The very thing!

I thought that dad, apparently, is not well versed in the circus, since it is interesting to him. Let's see what he sings when he sees the girl on the ball. Probably jump in his chair two meters in height.

But then the announcer came out and shouted in his deaf-mute voice:

- Ant-rra-kt!

I just couldn't believe my ears! Intermission! And why? After all, there will be only lions in the second section! Where is my girl on the ball? Where is she? Why isn't she performing? Maybe she got sick? Maybe she fell and had a concussion?

I said:

- Dad, let's go quickly find out where the girl on the ball is!

Dad replied:

- Yes Yes! Where is your equilibrist? Something is not to be seen! Let's go buy a program! ..

He was cheerful and contented.

He looked around, laughed and said:

- Oh, I love ... I love the circus! This very smell ... my head is spinning ...

And we went into the corridor. There were a lot of people huddled there, and candy and waffles were sold, and pictures of different tiger faces were hung on the walls, and we

wandered around a bit and finally found the controller with the programs. Dad bought one from her and started looking through it.

And I could not resist and asked the controller:

- Tell me, please, when will the girl perform on the ball?

She said:

- What girl?

Dad said:

- The program includes the equilibrist T. Vorontsova on the ball. Where is she?

I stood and said nothing.

The controller said:

- Oh, you mean Tanechka Vorontsova? She left. She left. Why did you miss it late?

I stood and said nothing.

Dad said:

- We have not known rest for two weeks. We want to see the equilibrist T. Vorontsova, but she is not.

The controller said:

- Yes, she left ... Together with her parents ... Her parents are "Bronze People - Two-Javors." Maybe you've heard? It's a pity ... We just left yesterday.

I said:

- You see, dad ...

He said:

“I didn't know she was leaving. What a pity ... Oh my God! .. Well ... Nothing can be done ...

I asked the controller:

- That means exactly?

She said:

I said:

- And where, it is not known?

She said:

- To Vladivostok.

Where to go. Far. Vladivostok. I know it is placed at the very end of the map, from Moscow to the right.

I said:

- What a distance.

The controller suddenly hurried:

- Well, go, go to the places, the light is already being extinguished!

Dad picked up:

- Come on, Deniska! There will be lions now! Shaggy, growling - horror! Let's run to watch!

I said:

- Let's go home, Dad.

He said:

- Just like that ...

The controller laughed. But we went to the wardrobe, and I held out the number, and we got dressed and left the circus. We walked along the boulevard and walked like that for a long time, then I said:

- Vladivostok is at the very end of the map. If you go there by train, you will travel for a whole month ...

Dad was silent. Apparently he had no time for me. We walked a little more, and I suddenly remembered about airplanes and said:

- And on the TU-104 in three hours - and there!

But dad still didn't answer. He walked in silence and held my hand tightly.

When we went out to Gorky Street, he said:

- Let's go to the Ice Cream cafe. Let's get it out two servings, huh?

I said:

- I don’t want something, dad. He said:

- They serve water there, it is called "Kakheti". Nowhere in the world has he drunk better water.

I said:

- I don’t want to, dad.

He didn't try to persuade me. He quickened his pace and squeezed my hand tightly. It even hurt me. He walked very quickly, and I could barely keep up with him. Why was he walking so fast? Why didn't he talk to me? I wanted to look at him. I raised my head. He had a very serious and sad face.

Victor Dragunsky "Glory to Ivan Kozlovsky"

I have only fives in my report card. Only a four in calligraphy. Because of the blots. I just don't know what to do!

Blots always come off my pen. I already dip only the very tip of the pen into ink, but the blots still fall off. Just some miracles!

Once I wrote a whole page in a clean, clean way, it is expensive to look at - a real five page. In the morning he showed it to Raisa Ivanovna, and there, in the very middle of the blot! Where did it come from? She was not there yesterday! Maybe it leaked from some other page? Do not know...

And so I have only fives.

Only by singing a troika.

This is how it happened.

We had a singing lesson.

At first we all sang in chorus "There was a birch tree in the field."

It came out very beautifully, but Boris Sergeevich frowned and shouted all the time:

- Pull vowels, friends, pull vowels! ..

Then we began to draw vowels, but Boris Sergeevich clapped his hands and said:

- A real cat concert! Let's deal with each one individually.

This means with each separately.

And Boris Sergeevich called Misha.

Misha went up to the piano and whispered something to Boris Sergeevich.

Then Boris Sergeevich began to play, and Misha sang softly:

As if a white snow fell on a thin ice ...

Well, Mishka squeaked funny! This is how our kitten Murzik squeaks when I put him in the kettle. Is that how they sing?

Almost nothing is heard. I just couldn't stand it and laughed.

Then Boris Sergeevich gave Misha an A and looked at me.

He said:

- Come on, gull, come out!

I quickly ran out to the piano.

- Well, what will you perform? Boris Sergeevich asked politely.

I said:

- Song civil war"Lead, Budyonny, we are bolder into battle."

Boris Sergeevich shook his head and started playing, but I stopped him right away.

- Please play louder! - I said.

Boris Sergeevich said:

- You won't be heard.

- Will. And how!

- Boris Sergeevich began to play, and I took in more air and how I will burst into my beloved:

High in the clear sky

The scarlet banner is twisting ...

I really like this song. So I can see the blue-blue sky, it's hot, the horses are clattering their hooves, they have beautiful purple eyes, and a scarlet banner is hovering in the sky.

Then I even closed my eyes with delight and shouted as best I could:

We ride horses there,

Where the enemy is visible!

And in a ravishing battle ...

I screamed well, probably it was heard on another street:

A rapid avalanche!

We are rushing forward! .. Hurray! ..

The Reds always win!

Retreat, enemies! Give !!!

I pressed my fists on my stomach, it came out even louder, and I almost burst:

We crashed into the Crimea!

Then I stopped because I was all sweaty and my knees were shaking.

And Boris Sergeevich, although he was playing, somehow leaned towards the piano, and his shoulders were shaking too ...

I said:

- Well, how?

- Monstrous! - praised Boris Sergeevich.

— Good song, truth? I asked.

- Good, - said Boris Sergeevich and closed his eyes with a handkerchief.

- It's a pity, you played very quietly, Boris Sergeevich, - I said, - it could be even louder.

- Okay, I'll take it into account, - said Boris Sergeevich. - Did you not notice that I played one thing, and you sang a little differently?

“No,” I said, “I didn’t notice it! It doesn't matter. I just had to play louder.

- Well, - said Boris Sergeevich, - since you haven't noticed anything, we'll give you a three for now. For diligence.

How is the top three ?! I was even taken aback. How can this be? Three is very little! The bear sang so softly and then got an A ...

I said:

- Boris Sergeevich, when I have a little rest, I can even louder, you do not think. I had a bad breakfast today. Otherwise I can sing in such a way that it will put everyone's ears on the line. I know one more song. When I sing it at home, all the neighbors come running and ask what happened.

- This is what? - asked Boris Sergeevich.

“Pitying,” I said, and started:

I loved you:

Love still, maybe ...

But Boris Sergeevich hastily said:

- Well, well, well, we will discuss all this next time.

And then the bell rang.

Mom met me in the locker room. When we were about to leave, Boris Sergeevich came up to us.

“Well,” he said, smiling, “perhaps your boy will be Lobachevsky, maybe Mendeleev. He can become Surikov or Koltsov, I would not be surprised if he becomes known to the country as his comrade Nikolai Mamai or any boxer is known, but one thing I can assure you absolutely firmly: he will not achieve the glory of Ivan Kozlovsky. Never!

Mom blushed terribly and said:

- Well, we'll see that!

And when we walked home, I kept thinking:

"Is Kozlovsky singing louder than me?"

Victor Dragunsky "You must have a sense of humor"

Once Mishka and I did our homework.

We put our notebooks in front of us and copied.

And at this time I told Mishka about lemurs that they have big eyes like glass saucers, and that I saw a photo of a lemur, how he holds on to a fountain pen, small - small and awfully cute.

Then Mishka says:

- Wrote?

I'm talking:

- You check my notebook, - says Mishka, - and I - yours.

And we exchanged notebooks.

And as soon as I saw what Mishka wrote, I immediately began to laugh.

I looked, and Mishka was also rolling, it turned blue.

I'm talking:

- What are you, Mishka, rolling?

- I'm rolling that you copied wrong! What are you doing?

I'm talking:

- And I am the same, only about you. Look, you wrote: "The brains have come." Who are these - "moses"?

The bear blushed:

- Moses are probably frosts. But you wrote: "Natala winter." What is this?

- Yes, - I said, - not "natala", but "arrived." Nothing can be done, you have to rewrite. It's all the fault of the lemurs.

And we began to rewrite.

And when they copied it, I said:

- Let's set tasks!

- Come on, - said Bear.

At this time dad came.

He said:

- Hello, comrades students ...

And he sat down at the table.

I said:

- Here, dad, listen to what task I will ask Mishka: here I have two apples, and there are three of us, how to divide them equally among us?

The bear immediately pouted and began to think. Dad didn’t pout, but he also thought about it. They thought for a long time.

I then said:

- Are you giving up, Mishka?

Bear said:

- I give up!

I said:

- So that we all get equal parts, it is necessary to cook compote from these apples. - And he began to laugh: - It was Aunt Mila who taught me! ..

The bear pouted even more. Then dad narrowed his eyes and said:

- And since you are so cunning, Denis, let me ask you a problem.

“Go ahead and ask,” I said.

Dad walked around the room.

“Well, listen,” he said. - One boy is in the first grade "B". His family consists of four members. Mom gets up at seven and spends ten minutes getting dressed. Dad, on the other hand, brushes his teeth for five minutes. Grandma goes to the store as long as mom dresses plus dad brushes his teeth. And grandfather reads newspapers, how long grandmother goes to the store minus what time mom gets up.

When they are all together, they start waking this boy from First Grade B. This takes the time of reading grandfather's newspapers plus grandmother's going to the store. When the boy from the first grade "B" wakes up, he stretches as long as his mother gets dressed plus his father's teeth brushing. And he washes himself, how many grandfather's newspapers, divided by grandmother. He is late for lessons as many minutes as he stretches plus washes his face minus mom's getting up multiplied by dad's teeth.

The question is: who is this boy from the first "B" and what threatens him if this continues? Everything!

Then dad stopped in the middle of the room and began to look at me.

And Mishka laughed at the top of his lungs and began to look at me too.

They both looked at me and laughed.

I said:

- I cannot immediately solve this problem, because we have not passed it yet.

And I didn’t say another word, but left the room, because I immediately guessed that the answer to this problem would turn out to be a lazy person and that such a person would soon be kicked out of school. I left the room into the corridor and climbed behind the hanger and began to think that if this is a problem about me, then this is not true, because I always get up pretty quickly and stretch for a very short time, just as much as needed. And I also thought that if my dad wants to invent things about me so much, then please, I can leave the house right into the virgin lands. There will always be work, people are needed there, especially young people. I will conquer nature there, and dad will come with a delegation to Altai, see me, and I will stop for a minute, say: "Hello, dad!" - and I will go on to conquer.

And he will say:

"Greetings from your mom ..."

And I will say:

"Thank you ... how is she doing?"

And he will say:

"Nothing".

And I will say:

“She must have forgotten her only son? "

And he will say:

“What are you, she lost thirty-seven kilos! That's how bored! "

He saw me and said:

- Oh, there you are! What kind of eyes do you have? Did you take this task personally?

He picked up his coat and hung it in place and said further:

- I made it all up. There is no such boy in the world, let alone in your class!

And dad took my hands and pulled me out from behind the hanger.

Then he looked at me intently again and smiled:

“You have to have a sense of humor,” he said to me, and his eyes became cheerful, cheerful. - But this is a ridiculous task, isn't it? Well! Laugh!

And I laughed.

And he too.

And we went to the room.

Victor Dragunsky

When the rehearsal of the boys' choir was over, the singing teacher Boris Sergeevich said:

Well, tell me, which of you gave your mom what on March 8th? Come on, Denis, report.

On March 8th I gave my mother a pillow for needles. Beautiful. Looks like a frog. I sewed for three days, pricked all my fingers. I sewed two of these.

We sewed everything in two. One - to my mother, and the other - to Raisa Ivanovna.

Why is it all? - asked Boris Sergeevich. - What, have you conspired to sew the same thing for everyone?

No, - said Valerka, - this is in our circle "Skillful hands": we pass the pillows. First the devils passed, and now the pillows.

What other devils? - Boris Sergeevich was surprised.

I said:

Plasticine! Our leaders Volodya and Tolya from the eighth grade spent half a year with us the devils. As soon as they come, so now: "Sculpt devils!" Well, we sculpt, and they play chess.

Go crazy, - said Boris Sergeevich. - Pads! We'll have to figure it out! Stop! - And he suddenly laughed merrily. - And how many boys do you have in the first "B"?

Fifteen, - said Mishka, - and girls - twenty-five.

Here Boris Sergeevich went straight to laughing.

And I said:

In our country, in general, the female population is larger than the male population.

But Boris Sergeevich brushed me off.

I'm not talking about that. It's just interesting to see how Raisa Ivanovna receives fifteen pillows as a gift! Okay, listen: which of you is going to congratulate your mothers on May Day?

Then it was our turn to laugh. I said:

You, Boris Sergeevich, are probably joking, it was not enough to congratulate for May.

But it’s wrong, exactly what you need to congratulate your mothers on May. And this is ugly: to congratulate only once a year. And if every holiday is congratulated, it will be chivalrous. Well, who knows what a knight is?

I said:

He is on a horse and in an iron suit.

Boris Sergeevich nodded.

Yes, it was like that for a long time. And when you grow up, you will read many books about knights, but even now, if they say about someone that he is a knight, then this means that they mean a noble, selfless and generous person. And I think that every pioneer should definitely be a knight. Raise your hands, who's the knight here?

We all raised our hands.

I knew it, - said Boris Sergeevich, - go, knights!

We went home. And on the way, Mishka said:

Okay, I'll buy some candy for my mom, I have money.

And so I came home, and there was no one at home. And I even got annoyed. For once I wanted to be a knight, so there is no money! And then, as luck would have it, Mishka came running, holding an elegant box with the inscription "May Day". The bear says: - Done, now I am a knight for twenty-two kopecks. Why are you sitting?

Bear, are you a knight? - I said.

Knight, - says Bear.

Then give me a loan.

The bear was upset:

I spent everything to a penny.

What to do?

Search, - says Mishka. - After all, twenty kopecks is a small coin, maybe where at least one fell, let's look.

And we climbed the whole room - behind the sofa, and under the closet, and I shook up all my mother's shoes, and even poked my finger in her powder. There is nowhere.

Suddenly Mishka opened the sideboard:

Wait, what is this?

Where? I say. - Ah, these are bottles. Can't you see? There are two wines: in one bottle - black, and in the other - yellow. This is for guests, guests will come to us tomorrow.

Bear says:

Eh, your guests would have come yesterday, and you would have had money.

What is it like?

And the bottles, - says Mishka, - yes, they give money for empty bottles. On the corner. It is called "Reception of glass containers"!

Why were you silent before? We will settle this matter now. Give me a can of compote, standing at the window.

Mishka handed me the can, and I opened the bottle and poured the blackish-red wine into the can.

That's right, - said Mishka. - What will he do?

Of course, I said. - Where is the second one?

Yes, here, - says Mishka, - is it all the same? And this wine and that wine.

Well, yes, I said. - If one was wine and the other was kerosene, then it is impossible, but this is, please, even better. Take the jar.

And we poured the second bottle there.

I said:

Put it on the window! So. Cover it with a saucer, and now let's run!

And we started. For these two bottles we were given twenty-four kopecks. And I bought my mom some candy. They gave me another two kopecks of change. I came home cheerful, because I became a knight, and as soon as mom and dad came, I said:

Mom, I'm a knight now. Boris Sergeevich taught us!

Mom said:

Well tell me!

I told that tomorrow I will surprise my mom. Mom said:

Where did you get the money?

Mom, I handed over the empty dishes. Here's two kopecks for change.

Then dad said:

Well done! Give me two kopecks for the machine!

We sat down to dinner. Then dad leaned back in his chair and smiled:

Compotiku would.

Sorry, I didn’t have time today, ”my mother said.

But dad winked at me:

And what's that? I noticed it a long time ago.

And he went to the window, took off the saucer and took a sip straight from the can. But then what happened! Poor dad coughed like he'd drunk a glass of nails. He shouted in a voice that was not his own:

What it is? What kind of poison is this ?!

I said:

Dad, don't be scared! This is not poison. These are two of your fault!

Then dad staggered a little and turned pale.

What are the two wines ?! he shouted louder than ever.

Black and yellow, - I said, - that were in the buffet. Most importantly, do not be afraid.

Dad ran to the sideboard and opened the door. Then he blinked his eyes and began to rub his chest. He looked at me with such surprise, as if I were not an ordinary boy, but some kind of blue or speckled. I said:

Are you wondering, sir? I poured your two wines into a jar, otherwise where would I get the empty dishes? Think by yourself!

Mom screamed:

And fell onto the sofa. She began to laugh, so much so that I thought she would feel bad. I could not understand anything, and dad shouted:

Do you laugh? Well, laugh! And by the way, this knight of yours will drive me crazy, but I'd rather pull him out earlier so that he would forget once and for all knightly manners.

And dad began to pretend that he was looking for a belt.

Where is he? - Dad shouted, - Give me this Ivanhoe here! Where did he fall?

And I was behind the closet. I've been there for a long time, just in case. And then dad was very worried about something. He shouted:

Is it a well-known thing to pour a collectible black "Muscat" of the 1954 harvest into a jar and dilute it with Zhiguli beer ?!

And my mother was exhausted with laughter. She barely spoke: - After all, it is he ... from the best intentions ... After all, he is ... a knight ... I will die ... from laughter.

And she continued to laugh.

And dad ran around the room a little more and then, for no reason at all, went up to mom. He said: - How I love your laughter. And bent down and kissed my mother. And then I calmly climbed out from behind the closet.

"Where has it been seen, where has it heard ..."

At break, our October leader Lucy ran up to me and said:

Deniska, can you perform in a concert? We decided to organize two kids to be satirists. Want?

I want it all! Just explain: what are satirists?

Lucy says:

You see, we have various problems ... Well, for example, poor students or lazy ones, we need to grab them. Understood? It is necessary to speak about them so that everyone would laugh, it will have a sobering effect on them.

I'm talking:

They are not drunk, they are just lazy.

It is said so: "sobering", - Lucy laughed. - But in fact, these guys will just think about it, they will feel embarrassed, and they will correct themselves. Understood? Well, in general, do not delay: if you want - agree, if you do not want - refuse!

I said:

Okay, come on!

Then Lucy asked:

Do you have a partner?

I'm talking:

Lucy was surprised:

How do you live without a friend?

I have a friend, Mishka. And there is no partner.

Lucy smiled again:

They are almost the same thing. Is it musical, your Bear?

No, ordinary.

Can you sing?

Very quiet. But I'll teach him to sing louder, don't worry.

Here Lucy was delighted:

After class, bring him to the small hall, there will be a rehearsal!

And I set off with all my might to look for Mishka. He stood in the sideboard and ate a sausage.

Bear, do you want to be a satirist?

And he said:

Wait, let me finish.

I stood and watched him eat. Himself small, and the sausage is thicker than his neck. He held this sausage with his hands and ate it right whole, did not cut it, and the skin cracked and burst when he bit it, and hot fragrant juice sprinkled from there.

And I could not resist and said to aunt Katya:

Please give me a sausage too, as soon as possible!

And Aunt Katya immediately handed me a bowl. And I was in a hurry so that Mishka would not have time to eat his sausage without me: it wouldn’t be so tasty for me alone. And so I, too, took my sausage with my hands and, too, without cleaning, began to gnaw it, and hot fragrant juice sprinkled out of it. And Mishka and I gnawed like that on a couple, and burned, and looked at each other, and smiled.

And then I told him that we would be satirists, and he agreed, and we barely sat through the lessons, and then ran to the small hall for a rehearsal.

Our counselor Lucy was already sitting there, and there was one guy with her, about the fourth, very ugly, with small ears and huge eyes.

Lucy said:

Here they are! Meet our school poet Andrey Shestakov.

We said:

Great!

And they turned away so that he would not wonder.

And the poet said to Luce:

Are these performers or what?

He said:

Was there really nothing bigger?

Lucy said:

Just what you need!

But then our singing teacher Boris Sergeevich came. He immediately went to the piano:

Well, let's begin! Where are the poems?

Andryushka took a sheet of paper out of his pocket and said:

Here. I took the meter and chorus from Marshak, from the tale of a donkey, grandfather and grandson: "Where has it been seen, where has it been heard ..."

Boris Sergeevich nodded his head:

Dad decides, but Vasya hands over ?!

Mishka and I burst out laughing. Of course, guys quite often ask their parents to solve a problem for them, and then show the teacher as if they were such heroes. And the board has no boom-boom - a deuce! The case is well known. Ah yes, Andryushka, grabbed it great!

The asphalt is lined into squares with chalk,
Manechka and Tanechka are jumping here.
Where has it been seen, where has it been heard, -
They play "classes", but don't go to class ?!

Great again. We really enjoyed! This Andryushka is just a real fellow, like Pushkin!

Boris Sergeevich said:

Nothing, not bad! And the music will be the simplest, something like that. - And he took Andryushka's poems and, playing quietly, sang them all in a row.

It turned out very cleverly, we even clapped our hands.

And Boris Sergeevich said:

Well, sir, who are our performers?

And Lucy pointed to Mishka and me:

Well, - said Boris Sergeevich, - Misha has a good ear ... True, Deniska's singing is not very true.

I said:

But it's loud.

And we began to repeat these verses to the music and repeated them, probably, fifty or a thousand times, and I yelled very loudly, and everyone calmed me down and made comments:

Do not worry! You are quieter! Calm down! Don't be so loud!

Andryushka was especially excited. He completely stirred me up. But I sang only loudly, I didn’t want to sing softly, because real singing is when it’s loud!

... And then one day, when I came to school, I saw an announcement in the dressing room:

ATTENTION!

Today, at a big break in the small hall, the flying patrol of the Pioneer Satyricon will perform!

Performed by a duet of kids!

One day!

Come everybody!

And immediately something skipped a beat in me. I ran to class. Mishka sat there and looked out the window.

I said:

Well, let's go today!

And Mishka suddenly mumbled:

I don't want to perform ...

I was dumbfounded. How - reluctance? Just like that! After all, we rehearsed! But what about Lyusya and Boris Sergeevich? Andryushka? And all the guys, after all, they read the poster and will come running as one?

I said:

Are you out of your mind, or what? Let people down?

And Mishka is so pitiful:

I think my stomach hurts.

I'm talking:

This is out of fear. It hurts too, but I don’t refuse!

But Mishka was somehow thoughtful. At a big break, all the guys rushed to the small hall, and Mishka and I barely trudged behind, because I also completely lost the mood to perform. But at that time Lucy ran out to meet us, she firmly grabbed our hands and dragged us along, but my legs were soft, like a doll's, and braided. It’s probably from Mishka who caught the infection.

A place near the piano was fenced in the hall, and children from all classes, both nannies and teachers, crowded around.

Mishka and I stood by the piano.

Boris Sergeevich was already there, and Lucy announced in an announcer's voice:

We begin the performance of the "Pioneer Satyricon" on topical topics. Text by Andrey Shestakov, performed worldwide famous satirists Misha and Denis! We will ask!

And Mishka and I went a little ahead. The bear was white as a wall. And I was fine, only my mouth was dry and rough, as if there was emery there.

Boris Sergeevich began to play. Mishka had to start, because he sang the first two lines, and I had to sing the second two lines. Boris Sergeevich began to play, and Mishka threw aside left hand, as Lucy taught him, and he wanted to sing, but he was late, and while he was getting ready, it was my turn, So it came out in music. But I didn't sing, since Mishka was late. Why on earth!

The bear then dropped his hand into place. And Boris Sergeevich began again loudly and separately.

He struck, as he should have, on the keys three times, and on the fourth, Mishka again threw back his left hand and finally sang:

Vasya's dad is strong in mathematics,
Dad studies for Vasya all year long.

I immediately picked up and shouted:

Where has it been seen, where has it been heard, -
Dad decides, but Vasya hands over ?!

Everyone in the audience laughed, and it made me feel better. And Boris Sergeevich drove on. He again hit the keys three times, and on the fourth, Mishka carefully threw his left hand to the side and, for no reason at all, sang again:

Vasya's dad is strong in mathematics,
Dad studies for Vasya all year long.

I knew right away that he had gone astray! But since this is the case, I decided to finish singing to the end, and then we will see. I took it and finished it:

Where has it been seen, where has it been heard, -
Dad decides, but Vasya hands over ?!

Thank God, it was quiet in the hall - everyone, apparently, also realized that Mishka got lost, and thought: "Well, it happens, let him sing further."

And when the music reached its place, he again threw out his left hand and, like a record that "got stuck", started up for the third time:

Vasya's dad is strong in mathematics,
Dad studies for Vasya all year long.

I really wanted to hit him on the back of the head with something heavy, and I yelled with terrible anger:

Where has it been seen, where has it been heard, -
Dad decides, but Vasya hands over ?!

Mishka, you seem to be completely crazy! Are you pulling on the same thing for the third time? Let's talk about the girls!

And Mishka is so impudent:

I know without you! - And politely says to Boris Sergeevich: - Please, Boris Sergeevich, go on!

Boris Sergeevich began to play, and Mishka suddenly grew bolder, again put out his left hand and, on the fourth blow, began to shout as if nothing had happened:

Vasya's dad is strong in mathematics,
Dad studies for Vasya all year long.

Then everyone in the hall squealed with laughter, and I saw in the crowd what a miserable face Andryushka had, and I also saw that Lucy, all red and disheveled, was making her way through the crowd towards us. And Bear stands with his mouth open, as if he is surprised at himself. Well, and I, while the court and the case, shout out:

Where has it been seen, where has it been heard, -
Dad decides, but Vasya hands over ?!

Then something terrible began. Everyone laughed as if they had been stabbed to death, and Mishka turned from green to purple. Our Lucy grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to her.

She shouted:

Deniska, sing alone! Don't let me down! .. Music! AND!..

And I stood at the piano and decided not to let me down. I felt that I didn’t care, and when the music came, for some reason I suddenly threw my left hand aside and, quite unexpectedly, yelled:

Vasya's dad is strong in mathematics,
Dad studies for Vasya all year long.

I’m even surprised that I didn’t die from this damn song.

I probably would have died if at this time the bell did not ring ...

I will no longer be a satirist!

Enchanted letter

Recently we walked in the yard: Alyonka, Mishka and me. Suddenly a truck drove into the yard. And there is a Christmas tree on it. We ran after the car. So she drove up to the building management, stopped, and the driver and our janitor began to unload the tree. They shouted at each other:

Easier! Let's bring it in! Right! Leveya! Get her on the ass! It’s easier, otherwise you’ll break off the whole Pomeranian.

And when they unloaded, the driver said:

Now we need to sign this tree, - and left.

And we stayed near the tree.

She lay big, shaggy and smelled so delicious of frost that we stood like fools and smiled. Then Alyonka took one branch and said:

Look, there are detectives hanging on the tree.

"Search"! She said that wrong! Mishka and I rolled. We both laughed with him the same way, but then Mishka began to laugh louder to laugh at me.

Well, I pushed a little so that he didn't think I was giving up. The bear was holding his stomach with his hands, as if he were in great pain, and shouted:

Oh, I'll die of laughter! Search!

And I, of course, gave in to the heat.

A five-year-old girl, but she says: "search" ... Ha-ha-ha!

Then Mishka fainted and groaned:

Oh, I feel bad! Investigations ... - And he began to hiccup: - Ik! .. Investigations. Hic! Hic! I will die of laughter! Hic!

Then I grabbed a handful of snow and began to apply it to my forehead, as if I had already started an inflammation of the brain and I had lost my mind. I yelled:

The girl is five years old, soon to marry! And she - "detectives".

Alyonka's lower lip curled up so that it reached behind her ear.

Did I say that correctly! It's my tooth that fell out and whistles. I want to say "investigations", but "investigations" are being whistled at me ...

Bear said:

What a marvel! Her tooth fell out! I have three fallen out and two are staggering, but I still speak correctly! Listen here: hykhki! What? Isn't that great - huh? Here's how easy it comes out for me: hyhki! I can even sing:

Oh, green hychechka,
I'm afraid I will inject myself.

But Alyonka will scream. One louder than the two of us:

Not right! Hooray! You say "hyhki", but you need to "search"!

Precisely, that it is not necessary to "search", but to "hykhki".

And let's both roar. One can only hear: "Search!" - "Hyhki!" - "Search!"

Looking at them, I laughed so hard that I even got hungry. I walked home and kept thinking: why were they arguing so much, since both were wrong? After all, this is a very simple word. I stopped on the stairs and said clearly:

No investigations. Not giggles, but short and clear: f ** ks!

That's all!

Englishman Pavlya

Tomorrow is the first of September, ”Mom said. - And now autumn has come, and you will go to the second grade. Oh, how time flies! ..

And on this occasion, - dad picked up, - we will now "slaughter a watermelon"!

And he took a knife and cut open the watermelon. When he cut, such a full, pleasant, green crackling was heard that my back went cold with a premonition of how I would eat this watermelon. And I opened my mouth to grab onto a pink watermelon hunk, but then the door flew open and Pavlya entered the room. We were all terribly happy, because he had not been with us for a long time and we missed him.

Whoa, who came! - Dad said. - Pavlya himself. Pavlya the Wart himself!

Sit down with us, Pavlik, there is a watermelon, - said my mother. - Deniska, move over.

I said:

Hey! - and gave him a seat next to him.

Hey! he said and sat down.

And we began to eat and ate for a long time and were silent. We were reluctant to talk. And what is there to talk about when there is such delicious food in your mouth!

And when Paul was given the third piece, he said:

Ah, I love watermelon. Even more. My grandmother never gives me enough to eat.

And why? Mom asked.

She says that after a watermelon I get not a dream, but a continuous running.

True, - said dad, - that's why we eat watermelon early in the morning. By evening, its effect ends, and you can sleep peacefully. Eat, don't be afraid.

I'm not afraid, - said Pavlya.

And we all got down to business again and again were silent for a long time. And when mom began to remove the crusts, dad said:

Why, Pavlya, haven't you been with us for so long?

Yes, - I said, - where have you been? What did you do?

And then Pavlya puffed up, blushed, looked around and suddenly casually dropped, as if reluctantly:

What did you do, what did you do? .. I studied English, that's what I did.

I was taken aback. I immediately realized that I wasted the whole summer in vain. I fiddled with hedgehogs, played rounders, did trifles. But Pavlya, he did not waste time, no, you are naughty, he worked on himself, he raised his level of education.

He studied English and now I suppose he will be able to correspond with the English pioneers and read English books! I immediately felt that I was dying of envy, and then my mother added:

Here, Deniska, study. This is not your rounders!

Well done, - said Dad. - Respect!

Pavlya beamed directly.

A student, Seva, came to visit us. So he works with me every day. For two whole months now. He just tortured me completely.

What, difficult English? I asked.

Go crazy, - sighed Pavlya.

Still not difficult, - dad intervened. - There the devil himself will break his leg. It's a very difficult spelling. Liverpool is spelled and Manchester is pronounced.

Well, yes! - I said, - Right, Pavlya?

It’s just a disaster, ”Pavlya said. - I was completely exhausted from these activities, I lost two hundred grams.

So why don't you use your knowledge, Pavlik? - said my mother. - Why didn't you say hello to us in English when you entered?

I haven’t been through it "hello" yet, - said Pavlya.

Well, you ate the watermelon, why didn't you say "thank you"?

I said, - said Pavlya.

Well, yes, you said in Russian, but in English?

We haven’t gotten to “thank you” yet, ”Pavlya said. - Very difficult preaching.

Then I said:

Pavlya, and you teach me how to say "one, two, three" in English.

I have not studied this yet, - said Pavlya.

What have you learned? I shouted. - Have you learned anything in two months?

I studied "Petya" in English, - said Pavlya.

Well, how?

That's right, ”I said. - Well, what else do you know in English?

That's all for now, - said Pavlya.

That I love…

I really love to lie on my stomach on my father’s knee, lower my arms and legs and hang on my knee like this, like laundry on a fence. I also really like to play checkers, chess and dominoes, just to be sure to win. If you don't win, then don't.

I love to listen to the beetle digging in the box. And I like to go to my dad's bed in the morning on a day off to talk to him about the dog: how will we live more spacious and buy a dog, and we will deal with it, and we will feed it, and how funny and smart it will be, and how it is will steal sugar, and I will wipe the puddles after her, and she will follow me like a faithful dog.

I also like to watch TV: it doesn't matter what is shown, even if only one tables.

I love to breathe my nose into my mother's ear. I especially love to sing and always whine very loudly.

I love the stories about the Red Cavalry so badly, and that they always win.

I like to stand in front of the mirror and grimace as if I’m Parsley from puppet theater... I also love sprats.

I like to read fairy tales about Kanchil. This is such a small, smart and mischievous doe. She has funny eyes, and small horns, and pink polished hooves. When we live more spacious, we will buy ourselves a Kanchil, he will live in the bathroom. I also like to swim where it is shallow, so that you can hold on to the sandy bottom with your hands.

I like to wave a red flag at demonstrations and play the pipe "go-di-go!"

I really like to make phone calls.

I love to plan, saw, I can sculpt the heads of ancient warriors and buffalo, and I blinded the wood grouse and the tsar-cannon. All this I love to give.

When I read, I like to nibble on a biscuit or something.

I love guests. I also really like snakes, lizards and frogs. They are so dexterous. I carry them in my pockets. I like to have a snake on the table when I dine. I love it when my grandmother shouts about the frog: "Take away this muck!" - and runs out of the room.

I love to laugh ... Sometimes I don't feel like laughing at all, but I force myself, squeeze out laughter - you look, after five minutes it really becomes funny.

When I have good mood, I love to ride. One day my dad and I went to the zoo, and I was galloping around him in the street, and he asked:

What are you jumping?

And I said:

I jump that you are my dad!

He understood!

I love going to the zoo. There are wonderful elephants. And there is one elephant. When we live more spaciously, we will buy an elephant. I'll build him a garage.

I really like to stand behind the car when it snorts and sniff gas.

I love going to cafes - eating ice cream and drinking soda water. It stings in the nose and tears come out in the eyes.

When I run down the hallway, I love stamping my feet with all my might.

I love horses very much, they have such beautiful and kind faces.

I like a lot of things!

… And what I don’t like!

What I don't like is dental treatment. As soon as I see a dental chair, I immediately want to run away to the end of the world. I also don’t like it when guests come to get up on a chair and read poetry.

I don't like it when mom and dad go to the theater.

I hate soft-boiled eggs when they are shaken in a glass, crumbled into bread and forced to eat.

I still don't like it when my mother goes for a walk with me and suddenly meets Aunt Rosa!

Then they only talk to each other, and I just don't know what to do.

I don’t like to wear a new suit - I’m like a wooden one in it.

When we play reds and whites, I don't like being white. Then I quit the game and that's it! And when I'm red, I don't like being captured. I run away anyway.

I do not like it when they win at me.

I don’t like to play “loaf” when it’s birthday: I’m not small.

I don't like it when guys ask themselves.

And I really don't like it when I cut myself, in addition to smear my finger with iodine.

I don’t like that our corridor is cramped and adults scurry back and forth every minute, some with a frying pan, some with a kettle, and shout:

Children, do not turn under your feet! Watch out, I have a hot pot!

And when I go to bed, I do not like to be sung in chorus in the next room:

Lilies of the valley, lilies of the valley ...

I really do not like that on the radio, boys and girls speak in old lady voices! ..

What Bear Loves

Once Mishka and I entered the hall where we have singing lessons. Boris Sergeevich was sitting at his piano and playing something on the sly. Mishka and I sat down on the windowsill and did not bother him, but he did not notice us at all, but continued to play for himself, and very quickly jumped out from under his fingers different sounds... They splashed, and something very welcoming and joyful came out.

I really liked it, and I could sit and listen for a long time, but Boris Sergeevich soon stopped playing. He closed the lid of the piano, and saw us, and said cheerfully:

O! What people! They sit like two sparrows on a twig! Well, what do you say?

I asked:

What did you play, Boris Sergeevich?

He replied:

This is Chopin. I love him so much.

I said:

Of course, since you are a singing teacher, you also love different songs.

He said:

This is not a song. Although I love songs, this is not a song. What I played is called a much more word than just "song".

I said:

What is it? In a word?

He answered gravely and clearly:

Music. Chopin - great composer... He composed wonderful music. And I love music more than anything else.

Then he looked at me carefully and said:

Well, what do you love? More than anything?

I answered:

I like a lot of things.

And I told him what I love. And about a dog, and about planing, and about an elephant, and about red cavalrymen, and about a little deer on pink hooves, and about ancient warriors, and about cool stars, and about horse faces, everything, everything ...

He listened to me carefully, he had pensive face when he listened and then he said:

Look! I didn't know. Honestly, you’re still small, don’t be offended, but look - you love so much! The whole world.

Then Mishka intervened in the conversation. He pouted and said:

And I love different differences even more Denis! Just think!

Boris Sergeevich laughed:

Very interesting! Come on, tell the secret of your soul. Now it's your turn, take the baton! So get started! What do you love?

The bear fidgeted on the windowsill, then cleared his throat and said:

I love rolls, buns, loaves and muffins! I love bread, and cake, and cakes, and gingerbread, even Tula, even honey, even glazed. I like sushki too, and bagels, bagels, pies with meat, jam, cabbage and rice. I dearly love dumplings and especially cheesecakes, if they are fresh, but stale, too, nothing. You can use oatmeal cookies and vanilla crackers.

And I also love sprat, saury, marinated pike perch, gobies in tomato, own juice, eggplant caviar, sliced ​​zucchini and fried potatoes.

I love boiled sausage just madly, if it’s a doctor’s one, on a bet that I’ll eat a whole kilo! I love the dining room, and the tea room, and brawn, and smoked, and semi-smoked, and uncooked smoked! In general, I love this one more than anyone else. I really like pasta and butter, noodles with butter, horns with butter, cheese with holes and without holes, with a red crust or with a white one - it doesn't matter.

I love dumplings with cottage cheese, salty cottage cheese, sweet, sour; I love apples, grated with sugar, otherwise the apples are alone, and if the apples are peeled, then I love to eat the apple first, and only then, for a snack, - the peel!

I love liver, cutlets, herring, bean soup, green peas, boiled meat, toffee, sugar, tea, jam, borjom, soda with syrup, soft-boiled eggs, hard-boiled, in a bag, can and raw. I like sandwiches straight with anything, especially if thickly spread with mashed potatoes or millet porridge. So ... Well, I won't talk about halva - what fool doesn't like halva? I also love duck, goose and turkey. Oh yes! I love ice cream with all my heart. For seven, for nine. Thirteen, fifteen, nineteen. Twenty-two and twenty-eight.

Mishka scanned the ceiling and took a breath. He's obviously tired already. But Boris Sergeevich gazed at him intently, and Mishka drove on.

He muttered:

Gooseberries, carrots, chum salmon, pink salmon, turnips, borscht, dumplings, although I already said dumplings, broth, bananas, persimmons, compote, sausages, sausage, although I also said sausage ...

The bear fizzled out and fell silent. It was clear from his eyes that he was waiting for Boris Sergeevich to praise him. But he looked at Mishka a little displeased and even as if sternly. He, too, seemed to be expecting something from Mishka: what, they say, Mishka would say more. But Mishka was silent. It turned out that both of them were expecting something from each other and were silent.

The first could not resist Boris Sergeevich.

Well, Misha, ”he said,“ you love a lot, no doubt about it, but everything that you love is somehow the same, too edible, or something. It turns out that you love the whole grocery store. And only ... And people? Who do you love? Or from animals?

Then Mishka perked up and blushed.

Oh, - he said embarrassedly, - I almost forgot! More kittens! And grandma!

Mikhail Zoshchenko, Lev Kassil and others - Enchanted letter

Chicken bouillon

Mikhail Zoshchenko, Lev Kassil and others - Enchanted letter

Mom brought in a chicken from the store, large, bluish, with long, bony legs. The chicken had a large red comb on its head. Mom hung her out the window and said:

If dad comes earlier, let him cook. Will you pass it on?

I said:

With pleasure!

And my mother went to college. And I got watercolor paints and began to draw. I wanted to draw a squirrel jumping through trees in the forest, and at first it worked out great for me, but then I looked and saw that it was not a squirrel at all, but some kind of uncle who looked like Moidodyr. Belkin's tail turned out like his nose, and the branches on the tree - like hair, ears and a hat ... I was very surprised how it could have happened, and when dad came, I said:

Guess Daddy what I drew?

He looked and thought:

What are you, dad? Take a good look!

Then dad looked properly and said:

Oh, I'm sorry, this is probably football ...

I said:

You are kind of inattentive! You're probably tired?

No, I just want to eat. Do you know what for lunch?

I said:

There, a chicken is hanging outside the window. Cook and eat!

Dad unhooked the chicken from the window and put it on the table.

Easy to say, weld! You can cook. Cooking is nonsense. The question is, in what form would we eat it? Chicken can make at least a hundred wonderful nutritious meals. You can, for example, make simple chicken cutlets, or you can roll a ministerial schnitzel - with grapes! I've read about it! You can make such a cutlet on the bone - called "Kiev" - you will lick your fingers. You can boil chicken with noodles, or you can press it down with an iron, pour over it with garlic and you will get, as in Georgia, a "chicken of tobacco". You can finally ...

But I interrupted him. I said:

You, dad, cook something simple, no irons. Anything, you know, the fastest!

Dad immediately agreed:

That's right, son! What is important to us? Eat quickly! You have grasped the very essence. What can you cook faster? The answer is simple and clear: broth!

Dad even rubbed his hands.

I asked:

Do you know how to broth?

But dad just laughed.

And what is there to be able to do? - His eyes even sparkled. - Broth is easier than steamed turnip: put it in water and wait. when it's cooked, that's all the wisdom. Resolved! We are boiling broth, and very soon we will have a two-course dinner: the first - broth with bread, the second - boiled, hot, steaming chicken. Come on, drop your Repin brush and help!

I said:

What should I do?

Look! You see, there are some hairs on the chicken. You cut them off, because I don't like shaggy broth. You cut these hairs, while I’m going to the kitchen and put the water to boil!

And he went to the kitchen. And I took my mother's scissors and began to cut the hairs on the chicken one by one. At first I thought that there would be few of them, but then I looked closely and saw that there were a lot, even too much. And I began to cut them, and tried to cut quickly, like in a hairdresser, and snapped the scissors in the air as I went from hair to hair.

Dad entered the room, looked at me and said:

Take off more from the sides, otherwise it will turn out under the box!

I said:

She doesn't cut her hair very quickly ...

But then dad suddenly slaps himself on the forehead:

God! Well, you and I are stupid, Deniska! And how I have forgotten! Finish your haircut! She needs to be scorched on fire! Understand? That's what everyone does. We will set it on fire, and all the hairs will burn, and there will be no need for a haircut or shave. Behind me!

And he grabbed a chicken and ran with it into the kitchen. And I follow him. We lit a new burner, because one already had a pot of water, and we began to burn the chicken on the fire. She burned great and smelled of burnt wool throughout the apartment. Pana turned her from side to side and said: - Now, now! Oh, and good chicken! Now she will burn everything with us and become clean and white ...

But the chicken, on the contrary, became kind of black, all kind of charred, and dad finally turned off the gas.

He said:

In my opinion, she somehow unexpectedly smoked. Do you like smoked chicken?

I said:

No. She didn’t smoke, she’s just covered in soot. Come on, dad, I'll wash her.

He was overjoyed.

Well done! - he said. You're smart. You have a good inheritance. You are all in me. Come on, my friend, take this chimney-sweep chicken and wash it thoroughly under the tap, otherwise I'm already tired of this fuss.

And he sat down on a stool.

And I said:

Now, I will instantly!

And I went to the sink and turned on the water, put our chicken under it and began to rub it right hand with all my might. The chicken was very hot and terribly dirty, and I immediately got my hands dirty up to my elbows. Dad swayed on the stool.

Here, ”I said,“ what have you done to her, papa. Cannot be washed at all. There is a lot of soot.

It's nothing, - said Dad, - soot only on top. Can't it all be made of soot? Wait a minute!

And dad went to the bathroom and brought me a big bar of strawberry soap from there.

Here, ”he said,“ my as it should! Lather!

And I began to lather this unfortunate chicken. She had a completely dead look. I soaped it pretty well, but it washed very badly, dirt dripped from it, it had flowed down, probably for half an hour, but it did not become cleaner.

I said:

This damn rooster is only smeared with soap.

Then dad said:

Here's a brush! Take it, rub it well! First the back, and only then everything else.

I began to rub. I rubbed with all my might and even rubbed the skin in some places. But it was still very difficult for me, because the chicken suddenly seemed to come to life and began to twirl in my hands, slide and every second strove to jump out. And dad did not leave his stool and kept commanding:

Stronger three! More tricky! Hold on to your wings! Oh you! I see you don't know how to wash a chicken at all.

I then said:

Dad, try it yourself!

And I handed him the chicken. But he did not have time to take it, when suddenly it jumped out of my hands and galloped off under the farthest locker. But dad was not taken aback. He said:

Give me a mop!

And when I filed, dad began to scoop it out from under the closet with a mop. He first removed the old mousetrap from there, then my last year's tin soldier, and I was terribly happy, because I thought that I had completely lost him, and he was right there, my dear.

Then dad finally pulled out the chicken. She was covered in dust. And dad was all red. But he grabbed her by the paw and dragged her back under the tap. He said:

Well, now hold on. Blue bird.

And he rinsed it out pretty cleanly and put it in a saucepan. At this time, my mother came. She said:

What kind of rout have you got here?

And daddy sighed and said:

Cook the chicken.

Mom said:

They just dipped it, - said dad.

Mom removed the lid from the saucepan.

Salted? she asked.

But Mom sniffed the saucepan.

Gutted? - she said.

Then, - said dad, - when it's cooked.

Mom sighed and took the chicken out of the pot. She said:

Deniska, bring me an apron, please. We'll have to finish everything for you, would-be cooks.

And I ran into the room, took my apron and grabbed my picture from the table. I gave my mother the apron and asked her:

Well, what have I drawn? Guess Mom! Mom looked and said:

Sewing machine? Yes?

Inside out

Once I sat, sat and for no apparent reason suddenly thought of such a thing that I was even surprised myself. I figured out how nice it would be if everything around me was arranged the other way around. Well, for example, so that children are the main thing in all matters and adults should obey them in everything. In general, so that adults are like children, and children are like adults. That would be great, it would be very interesting.

Firstly, I imagine how my mother would "like" such a story, that I walk around and command it as I want, and my father would probably also "like it", but there is nothing to say about grandmother, she would probably spend whole days would cry from me. Needless to say, I would have shown how much a pound is dashing, I would have remembered everything to them! For example, here my mother would sit at lunch, and I would tell her:

Why did you start a fashion without bread? Here's more news! Look at yourself in the mirror, who do you look like! Poured Koschey! Eat now, they tell you!

And she would eat with her head down, and I would only give the command:

Faster! Do not hold it by the cheek! Thinking again? Do you solve world problems? Chew it hard! And don't sway in the chair!

And then dad would come in, after work, and he would not even have time to undress, and I would have shouted:

Aha, he came! We must wait for you forever! My hands now! As it should, as it should be mine, there is no need to smear the dirt! After you, it's scary to look at the towel. Brush three and do not spare the soap. Show your nails! This is horror, not nails! They're just claws! Where are the scissors? Don't twitch! I don’t cut with any meat, but I cut it very carefully! Don't sniffle, you're not a girl ... That's it. Now sit down at the table!

He would sit down and quietly tell his mother:

Well, how are you?

And she would also say quietly:

Nothing, thanks!

And I would immediately:

Conversations at the table! When I eat, I am deaf and dumb! Remember this for the rest of your life! Golden Rule! Dad! Put down the newspaper now, you are my punishment!

And they would sit like silk with me, and when my grandmother would come, I would squint, throw up my hands and shout:

Dad! Mama! Admire our granny! What is the view! The chest is open, the hat is on the back of the head! The cheeks are red, the whole neck is wet! Nice, there is nothing to say! Admit it: did you play hockey again? And what is this dirty stick? Why did you bring her into the house? What? Is this a hockey stick? Get it out of my eyes now - to the back door!

Then I would walk around the room and say to all three of them:

After lunch, all sit down for lessons, and I'll go to the cinema!

Of course, they would immediately whine, whimper:

And we are with you! And so do we! We want to go to the cinema!

And I would:

Nothing, nothing! Yesterday we went to your birthday, on Sunday I took you to the circus! Look! Enjoyed the fun every day! Sit at home! Here's thirty kopecks for ice cream, that's all!

Then the grandmother would have prayed:

Take me at least! After all, each child can take one adult with him for free!

But I would dodge, I would say:

And people after seventy years of age are not allowed to enter this picture. Stay at home!

And I would have walked past them, deliberately tapping loudly with my heels, as if I didn’t notice that their eyes were all wet, and I would start getting dressed, and spin in front of the mirror for a long time, and hum, and this would make them even worse tormented, and I would open the door to the stairs and say ... But I did not have time to think of what I would say, because at that time my mother came in, a real, living one, and said:

Are you still sitting? Eat now, look at who you look like! Poured Koschey!

.....................................................................
Copyright: Dragunsky - stories for children

First published: 1959

Since the first publication in 1959, "Deniskin's stories" have been read by children throughout the then huge country... These stories enchant with their simplicity and childlike spontaneity not only children, but also adults. Thanks to this, many of the stories in the series were filmed, and he himself the main character stories - Denis Korablev became the protagonist of several more films, not based on the stories of Dragunsky.

The plot of the book "Deniskin's stories"

Viktor Dragunsky's stories about Denis Korablev did not appear by chance. Just at the time of the release of the first stories, Dragunsky's son, Denis, was 9 years old, and the author was fascinated by childhood by the example of his son. For him, he wrote most of the stories, and it was his son who was the main reviewer of all the works of the Deniskin Stories series.

In a series of stories later included in the collection "Deniskin's Stories" the main actor the preschooler speaks first, and then the schoolboy elementary grades- Deniska Korablev with his friend Mishka Slonov. They live in Moscow in the 60s. Thanks to its immediacy and lively children's interest they constantly get involved in various funny and interesting stories... Then Deniska will throw the semolina out the window in order to go with his mother to the Kremlin faster. She will change places in the circus with the boy and then fly with the clown under the dome of the circus, or even give advice to her mother on how to cope with household chores. And many more, and many interesting and funny stories.

But Deniskins loved to read stories largely for their kindness and instructiveness. After all, all of them end well, and after each of these adventures, Deniska found a new rule for himself. All this is especially relevant in today's aggressive world, so it is not surprising that many parents read Dragunsky's stories for their children.

"Deniskin's stories" on the site Top books

The presence of "Denis's stories" in school curriculum even more raises interest in the works. Such interest allowed the stories to take their rightful place in our rating, as well as to be presented among. And given that the interest in the work is not fading away, we will come across Deniskin's stories more than once in our ratings of books. You can learn more about the stories collected in the collection "Deniskin's Stories" below.

All "Deniskin's stories"

1. Englishman Pavlya
2. Watermelon lane
3. White finches
4. Main rivers
5. Goose throat
6. Where has it been seen, where has it heard ...
7. Twenty years under the bed
8. Deniska was dreaming
9. Haze and Anton
10. Uncle Pavel the stoker
11. Pets' corner
12. Enchanted letter
13. The smell of the sky and makhorochka
14. Healthy thought
15. Green leopards
16. And we!
17. When I was a child
18. Puss in Boots
19. Red balloon in the blue sky
20. Chicken bouillon
21. Sheer Wall Motorcycle Racing
22. My friend bear
23. There is a lot of traffic on Sadovaya
24. Must have a sense of humor
25. Not bang, not bang!
26. Not worse than you circus
27. Independent Gorbushka
28. Nothing can be changed
29. One drop kills a horse
30. He is alive and glows ...
31. First day
32. Before bedtime
33. Spyglass
34. The Fire in the Wing, or the Exploit in the Ice ...
35. Dog kidnapper
36. Wheels sing - tra-ta-ta
37. Adventure
38. Sour cabbage professor
39. Workers crushing stone
40. Talking ham
41. Tell me about Singapore
42. Exactly 25 kilos
43. Knights
44. From top to bottom, obliquely!
45. My sister Ksenia
46. Blue dagger
47. Glory to Ivan Kozlovsky
48. Elephant and radio
49. Elephant Lyalka
50. Death of the spy Gadyukin
51. Battle of the clear river
52. Old sailor
53. The secret becomes clear
54. Quiet Ukrainian night ...
55. Third place in butterfly style
56. Three in behavior
57. Amazing day
58. The teacher
59. Fantomas
60. Tricky way
61. Man with a blue face
62. Chiki-bryk
63. What Bear Loves
64. That I love…
65. … And what I don’t like!
66. Grandmaster hat

Victor Dragunsky.

Deniskin's stories.

"He is alive and glows ..."

One evening I was sitting in the yard, near the sand, and was waiting for my mother. She probably stayed late at the institute, or in the store, or, perhaps, stood for a long time at the bus stop. Do not know. Only all the parents of our yard had already come, and all the guys went home with them and probably already drank tea with bagels and feta cheese, but my mother was still not there ...

And now lights began to light up in the windows, and the radio started playing music, and dark clouds were moving in the sky - they looked like old bearded men ...

And I wanted to eat, but my mother was not there, and I thought that if I knew that my mother was hungry and was waiting for me somewhere at the end of the world, I would immediately run to her, and not be late and not made her sit on the sand and be bored.

And at that time Mishka came out into the yard. He said:

- Great!

And I said:

- Great!

Mishka sat down with me and picked up a dump truck.

- Wow! - said the Bear. - Where did you get it? Does he pick up the sand himself? Not yourself? And he dumps himself? Yes? And the pen? What is it for? Can you twirl it? Yes? A? Wow! Will you give it to me home?

I said:

- No I will not give. Present. Dad gave it before leaving.

The bear pouted and moved away from me. The yard grew even darker.

I looked at the gate so as not to miss when my mother would come. But she still didn’t go. Apparently, she met Aunt Rosa, and they are standing and talking and do not even think about me. I lay down on the sand.

Here the Bear says:

- Would you mind a dump truck?

- Get off, Mishka.

Then the Bear says:

- I can give you one Guatemala and two Barbados for it!

I'm talking:

- I compared Barbados with a dump truck ...

- Well, do you want me to give you a swimming circle?

I'm talking:

- He's burst.

- You glue it!

I even got angry:

- Where to swim? In the bathroom? On Tuesdays?

And Mishka pouted again. And then he says:

- Well, it was not! Know my kindness! On!

And he handed me a box of matches. I took it in my hands.

- You open it, - said the Bear, - then you will see!

I opened the box and at first did not see anything, and then I saw a small light green light, as if a tiny star was burning somewhere far, far away from me, and at the same time I myself was holding it now in my hands.

- What is it, Mishka, - I said in a whisper, - what is it?

“It's a firefly,” said Bear. - What, good? He's alive, don't think.

- Bear, - I said, - take my dump truck, do you want? Take it forever, for good! Give me this star, I'll take it home ...

And Mishka grabbed my dump truck and ran home. And I stayed with my firefly, looked at him, looked and could not get enough of: how green he is, as if in a fairy tale, and how close he is, in the palm of his hand, but shines, as if from afar ... And I could not even breathe, and I heard my heart pounding and a little prickling in my nose, as if I wanted to cry.

And I sat like that for a long time, for a very long time. And no one was around. And I forgot about everyone in this world.

But then my mother came, and I was very happy, and we went home. And when they began to drink tea with bagels and feta cheese, my mother asked:

- Well, how is your dump truck?

And I said:

- I, mom, changed it.

Mom said:

- Interesting! And for what?

I answered:

- Firefly! Here he lives in a box. Turn off the light!

And my mother turned off the light, and the room became dark, and the two of us began to look at the pale green star.

Then my mother turned on the light.

“Yes,” she said, “it's magic! But still, how did you decide to give such a valuable thing as a dump truck for this worm?

“I've been waiting for you for so long,” I said, “and I was so bored, and this firefly, he turned out to be better than any dump truck in the world.

Mom looked at me intently and asked:

- And why, what exactly is it better?

I said:

- Why don't you understand ?! After all, he is alive! And it shines! ..

Must have a sense of humor

Once Mishka and I did our homework. We put our notebooks in front of us and copied. And at that time I was telling Mishka about lemurs, that they have big eyes, like glass saucers, and that I saw a photograph of a lemur, how he holds on to a fountain pen, he is small, small and terribly cute.

Then Mishka says:

- Wrote?

I'm talking:

- You check my notebook, - says Mishka, - and I - yours.

And we exchanged notebooks.

And as soon as I saw what Mishka wrote, I immediately began to laugh.

I looked, and Mishka was also rolling, it turned blue.

I'm talking:

- What are you, Mishka, rolling?

- I'm rolling that you copied wrong! What are you doing?

I'm talking:

- And I am the same, only about you. Look, you wrote: "The brains have come." Who are these - "moses"?

The bear blushed:

- Moses are probably frosts. But you wrote: "Natala winter." What is this?

- Yes, - I said, - not "natala", but "arrived." Nothing can be done, you have to rewrite. It's all the lemurs are to blame.

And we began to rewrite. And when they copied it, I said:

- Let's set tasks!

- Come on, - said Bear.

At this time dad came. He said:

- Hello, comrades students ...

And he sat down at the table.

I said:

- Here, dad, listen to what task I will ask Mishka: here I have two apples, and there are three of us, how to divide them equally among us?

The bear immediately pouted and began to think. Dad didn’t pout, but he also thought about it. They thought for a long time.

I then said:

- Are you giving up, Mishka?

Bear said:

- I give up!

I said:

- So that we all get equal parts, it is necessary to cook compote from these apples. - And he began to laugh: - It was Aunt Mila who taught me! ..

The bear pouted even more. Then dad narrowed his eyes and said:

- And since you are so cunning, Denis, let me ask you a problem.

“Go ahead and ask,” I said.

Dad walked around the room.

“Well, listen,” Dad said. - One boy is in the first grade "B". His family consists of five people. Mom gets up at seven and spends ten minutes getting dressed. Dad, on the other hand, brushes his teeth for five minutes. Grandma goes to the store as long as mom dresses plus dad brushes his teeth. And grandfather reads newspapers, how long grandmother goes to the store minus what time mom gets up.

When they are all together, they start waking this boy from the first grade "B". This takes the time of reading grandfather's newspapers plus grandmother's going to the store.

When the boy from the first grade "B" wakes up, he stretches as long as his mother gets dressed plus his father's teeth brushing. And he washes himself, how many grandfather's newspapers, divided by grandmother. He is late for lessons as many minutes as stretching plus washing minus mom's getting up multiplied by dad's teeth.

The question is: who is this boy from the first "B" and what threatens him if this continues? Everything!

Then dad stopped in the middle of the room and began to look at me. And Mishka laughed at the top of his lungs and began to look at me too. They both looked at me and laughed.

I said:

- I cannot immediately solve this problem, because we have not passed it yet.

And I didn’t say another word, but left the room, because I immediately guessed that the answer to this problem would turn out to be a lazy person and that such a person would soon be kicked out of school. I left the room into the corridor and climbed behind the hanger and began to think that if this is a problem about me, then this is not true, because I always get up pretty quickly and stretch for a very short time, just as much as needed. And I also thought that if my dad wants to invent things about me so much, then please, I can leave the house right into the virgin lands. There will always be work, people are needed there, especially young people. I will conquer nature there, and dad will come with a delegation to Altai, see me, and I will stop for a minute, say:

And he will say:

"Greetings from your mom ..."

And I will say:

"Thank you ... How is she doing?"

And he will say:

"Nothing".

And I will say:

"She must have forgotten her only son?"

And he will say:

“What are you, she lost thirty-seven kilos! That's how bored! "

- Oh, there he is! What kind of eyes do you have? Did you take this task personally?

He picked up his coat and hung it in place and said further:

- I made it all up. There is no such boy in the world, let alone in your class!

And dad took my hands and pulled me out from behind the hanger.

Then he looked at me intently again and smiled:

“You have to have a sense of humor,” he said to me, and his eyes became cheerful, cheerful. - But this is a ridiculous task, isn't it? Well! Laugh!

And I laughed.

And he too.

And we went to the room.

Glory to Ivan Kozlovsky

I have only fives in my report card. Only a four in calligraphy. Because of the blots. I just don't know what to do! Blots always come off my pen. I already dip only the very tip of the pen into ink, but the blots still fall off. Just some miracles! Once I wrote a whole page cleanly, it’s expensive to look at - a real five page. In the morning he showed it to Raisa Ivanovna, and there, in the very middle of the blot! Where did it come from? She was not there yesterday! Maybe it leaked from some other page? Do not know…

"He is alive and glows ..."

One evening I was sitting in the yard, near the sand, and was waiting for my mother. She probably stayed late at the institute, or in the store, or, perhaps, stood for a long time at the bus stop. Do not know. Only all the parents of our yard had already come, and all the guys went home with them and probably already drank tea with bagels and feta cheese, but my mother was still not there ...

And now lights began to light up in the windows, and the radio started playing music, and dark clouds were moving in the sky - they looked like old bearded men ...

And I wanted to eat, but my mother was not there, and I thought that if I knew that my mother was hungry and was waiting for me somewhere at the end of the world, I would immediately run to her, and not be late and not made her sit on the sand and be bored.

And at that time Mishka came out into the yard. He said:

- Great!

And I said:

- Great!

Mishka sat down with me and picked up a dump truck.

- Wow! - said the Bear. - Where did you get it? Does he pick up the sand himself? Not yourself? And he dumps himself? Yes? And the pen? What is it for? Can you twirl it? Yes? A? Wow! Will you give it to me home?

I said:

- No I will not give. Present. Dad gave it before leaving.

The bear pouted and moved away from me. The yard grew even darker.

I looked at the gate so as not to miss when my mother would come. But she still didn’t go. Apparently, she met Aunt Rosa, and they are standing and talking and do not even think about me. I lay down on the sand.

Here the Bear says:

- Would you mind a dump truck?

- Get off, Mishka.

Then the Bear says:

- I can give you one Guatemala and two Barbados for it!

I'm talking:

- I compared Barbados with a dump truck ...

- Well, do you want me to give you a swimming circle?

I'm talking:

- He's burst.

- You glue it!

I even got angry:

- Where to swim? In the bathroom? On Tuesdays?

And Mishka pouted again. And then he says:

- Well, it was not! Know my kindness! On!

And he handed me a box of matches. I took it in my hands.

- You open it, - said the Bear, - then you will see!

I opened the box and at first did not see anything, and then I saw a small light green light, as if a tiny star was burning somewhere far, far away from me, and at the same time I myself was holding it now in my hands.

- What is it, Mishka, - I said in a whisper, - what is it?

“It's a firefly,” said Bear. - What, good? He's alive, don't think.

- Bear, - I said, - take my dump truck, do you want? Take it forever, for good! Give me this star, I'll take it home ...

And Mishka grabbed my dump truck and ran home. And I stayed with my firefly, looked at him, looked and could not get enough of: how green he is, as if in a fairy tale, and how close he is, in the palm of his hand, but shines, as if from afar ... And I could not even breathe, and I heard my heart pounding and a little prickling in my nose, as if I wanted to cry.

And I sat like that for a long time, for a very long time. And no one was around. And I forgot about everyone in this world.

But then my mother came, and I was very happy, and we went home. And when they began to drink tea with bagels and feta cheese, my mother asked:

- Well, how is your dump truck?

And I said:

- I, mom, changed it.

Mom said:

- Interesting! And for what?

I answered:

- Firefly! Here he lives in a box. Turn off the light!

And my mother turned off the light, and the room became dark, and the two of us began to look at the pale green star.

Then my mother turned on the light.

“Yes,” she said, “it's magic! But still, how did you decide to give such a valuable thing as a dump truck for this worm?

“I've been waiting for you for so long,” I said, “and I was so bored, and this firefly, he turned out to be better than any dump truck in the world.

Mom looked at me intently and asked:

- And why, what exactly is it better?

I said:

- Why don't you understand ?! After all, he is alive! And it shines! ..

Must have a sense of humor

Once Mishka and I did our homework. We put our notebooks in front of us and copied. And at that time I was telling Mishka about lemurs, that they have big eyes, like glass saucers, and that I saw a photograph of a lemur, how he holds on to a fountain pen, he is small, small and terribly cute.

Then Mishka says:

- Wrote?

I'm talking:

- You check my notebook, - says Mishka, - and I - yours.

And we exchanged notebooks.

And as soon as I saw what Mishka wrote, I immediately began to laugh.

I looked, and Mishka was also rolling, it turned blue.

I'm talking:

- What are you, Mishka, rolling?

- I'm rolling that you copied wrong! What are you doing?

I'm talking:

- And I am the same, only about you. Look, you wrote: "The brains have come." Who are these - "moses"?

The bear blushed:

- Moses are probably frosts. But you wrote: "Natala winter." What is this?

- Yes, - I said, - not "natala", but "arrived." Nothing can be done, you have to rewrite. It's all the lemurs are to blame.

And we began to rewrite. And when they copied it, I said:

- Let's set tasks!

- Come on, - said Bear.

At this time dad came. He said:

- Hello, comrades students ...

And he sat down at the table.

I said:

- Here, dad, listen to what task I will ask Mishka: here I have two apples, and there are three of us, how to divide them equally among us?

The bear immediately pouted and began to think. Dad didn’t pout, but he also thought about it. They thought for a long time.

I then said:

- Are you giving up, Mishka?

Bear said:

- I give up!

I said:

- So that we all get equal parts, it is necessary to cook compote from these apples. - And he began to laugh: - It was Aunt Mila who taught me! ..

The bear pouted even more. Then dad narrowed his eyes and said:

- And since you are so cunning, Denis, let me ask you a problem.