Deniskin's stories of Viktor Dragunsky: everything about the book. Victor Dragunsky

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Viktor Dragunsky.

Denis' stories.

"He's alive and glowing..."

One evening I was sitting in the yard, near the sand, and waiting for my mother. She probably lingered at the institute, or in the store, or, perhaps, stood for a long time on bus stop. Don't 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 cheese, but my mother was still not there ...

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

And I wanted to eat, but my mother was still 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 would not be late and would not made her sit on the sand and get bored.

And at that moment 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! Mishka said. - Where did you get it? Does he pick up the sand himself? Not by myself? Does he dump himself? Yes? And the pen? What is she for? Can it be rotated? Yes? BUT? Wow! Will you give it to me home?

I said:

- No I will not give. Gift. Dad gave before leaving.

The bear pouted and moved away from me. It got even darker outside.

I looked at the gate so as not to miss when my mother comes. But she didn't go. Apparently, I met Aunt Rosa, and they stand and talk and do not even think about me. I lay down on the sand.

Mishka says:

- Can you give me a dump truck?

- Get off, Mishka.

Then Mishka says:

“I can give you one Guatemala and two Barbados for him!”

I say:

- Compared Barbados with a dump truck ...

- Well, do you want me to give you a swim ring?

I say:

- He's screwed on you.

- You'll glue it!

I even got angry.

- Where can I swim? In the bathroom? On Tuesdays?

And Mishka pouted again. And then he says:

- Well, it wasn't! Know my kindness! On the!

And he handed me a box of matches. I took her in hand.

- You open it, - said Mishka, - then you will see!

I opened the box and at first I didn’t 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 in my hands now.

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

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

“Mishka,” I said, “take my dump truck, do you want to?” Take forever, forever! And 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 it, looked and could not get enough of it: how green it is, as if in a fairy tale, and how close it is, in the palm of your hand, but it shines, as if from afar ... And I could not breathe evenly, and I could hear my heart beating and my nose pricked a little, as if I wanted to cry.

And I sat like that for a long time, a very long time. And there was no one around. And I forgot about everyone in the 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 cheese, my mother asked:

- Well, how is your dump truck?

And I said:

- I, mother, changed it.

Mom said:

- Interesting! And for what?

I replied:

- To the firefly! Here he is 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 mom 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, it turned out to be better than any dump truck in the world.

Mom looked at me intently and asked:

- And what, exactly, is it better?

I said:

- How can you not understand? After all, he is alive! And it glows!

Gotta have a sense of humor

Once Mishka and I were doing homework. We put notebooks in front of us and copied. And at that time I was telling Mishka about lemurs, what 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 himself is small, small and terribly cute.

Then Mishka says:

- Did you write?

I say:

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

And we exchanged notebooks.

And as soon as I saw that Mishka had written, I immediately began to laugh.

I look, and Mishka is also rolling, he’s turned blue.

I say:

- What are you, Mishka, rolling?

- I'm rolling, what did you write off wrong! What are you?

I say:

- And I'm the same, only about you. Look, you wrote: "Moses have come." Who are these “moses”?

The bear blushed.

- Moses are probably frosts. And you wrote: "Natal winter." What is this?

“Yes,” I said, “not “natal,” but “arrived.” You can't write anything, you have to rewrite. It's all the lemurs' fault.

And we started rewriting. And when they rewrote, I said:

Let's set tasks!

“Come on,” Mishka said.

At this time, dad came. He said:

Hello fellow students...

And sat down at the table.

I said:

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

Mishka immediately pouted and began to think. Dad didn't pout, but he thought too. They thought for a long time.

I then said:

Are you giving up, Mishka?

Mishka said:

- I give up!

I said:

- So that we all get equally, 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 give you a task.

“Let’s ask,” I said.

Dad walked around the room.

“Listen,” Dad said. One boy is in first grade "B". His family consists of five people. Mom gets up at seven o'clock and spends ten minutes getting dressed. But dad brushes his teeth for five minutes. Grandma goes to the store as much as mom gets dressed plus dad brushes his teeth. And grandfather reads newspapers, how much grandmother goes to the store minus what time mother gets up.

When they're all together, they start waking up this first class "B" boy. It takes time to read grandpa's papers plus grandma's grocery shopping.

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

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

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 can’t solve this problem right away, because we haven’t gone through 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 expelled from school. I went out of the room into the corridor and climbed behind the hanger and began to think that if this is a task about me, then this is not true, because I always get up pretty quickly and stretch for very little, just as much as necessary. And I also thought that if dad wants to invent me so much, then please, I can leave the house straight to the virgin lands. There will always be work there, 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 and say:

And he will say:

"Hi 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 are those eyes you have? Have you taken this task personally?

He picked up his coat and hung it up in its place, and went on to say:

“I made it all up. There is no such boy in the world, not like 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 need to have a sense of humor,” he told me, and his eyes became cheerful, cheerful. - But this is funny task, truth? Well! Laugh!

And I laughed.

And he too.

And we went to the room.

Glory to Ivan Kozlovsky

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

Viktor Dragunsky.

Denis' stories.

"He's alive and glowing..."

One evening I was sitting in the yard, near the sand, and waiting for my mother. She probably lingered at the institute, or at the store, or, perhaps, stood at the bus stop for a long time. Don't 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 cheese, but my mother was still not there ...

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

And at that moment 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! Mishka said. - Where did you get it? Does he pick up the sand himself? Not by myself? Does he dump himself? Yes? And the pen? What is she for? Can it be rotated? Yes? BUT? Wow! Will you give it to me home?

I said:

No I will not give. Gift. Dad gave before leaving.

The bear pouted and moved away from me. It got even darker outside.

I looked at the gate so as not to miss when my mother comes. But she didn't go. Apparently, I met Aunt Rosa, and they stand and talk and do not even think about me. I lay down on the sand.

Mishka says:

Can't you give me a dump truck?

Get off, Mishka.

Then Mishka says:

I can give you one Guatemala and two Barbados for him!

I say:

Compared Barbados with a dump truck ...

Well, do you want me to give you a swim ring?

I say:

He's screwed on you.

You will glue it!

I even got angry.

Where to swim? In the bathroom? On Tuesdays?

And Mishka pouted again. And then he says:

Well, it wasn't! Know my kindness! On the!

And he handed me a box of matches. I took her in hand.

You open it, - said Mishka, - then you will see!

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

This is a firefly, - said Mishka. - What, good? He's alive, don't think.

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

And I sat like that for a long time, a very long time. And there was no one around. And I forgot about everyone in the 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 cheese, my mother asked:

Well, how's your dump truck?

And I said:

I, my mother, changed it.

Mom said:

Interesting! And for what?

I replied:

To the firefly! Here he is 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 mom 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, it 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 for?

I said:

How can you not understand?! After all, he is alive! And it glows!

Gotta have a sense of humor

Once Mishka and I were doing homework. We put 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 himself is small, small and terribly cute.

Then Mishka says:

Did you write?

I say:

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

And we exchanged notebooks.

And as soon as I saw that Mishka had written, I immediately began to laugh.

I look, and Mishka is also rolling, he’s turned blue.

I say:

What are you, Mishka, rolling?

I'm rolling, what you wrote off wrong! What are you?

I say:

And I'm the same, only about you. Look, you wrote: "Moses have come." Who are these "moses"?

The bear blushed.

Moses are probably frosts. And you wrote: "Natal winter." What is this?

Yes, - I said, - not “natal”, but “arrived”. You can't write anything, you have to rewrite. It's all the lemurs' fault.

And we started rewriting. And when they rewrote, I said:

Let's set tasks!

Come on, said Mishka.

At this time, dad came. He said:

Hello fellow students...

And sat down at the table.

I said:

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

Mishka immediately pouted and began to think. Dad didn't pout, but he thought too. They thought for a long time.

I then said:

Give up, Mishka?

Mishka said:

I said:

So that we all get equally, 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 give you a task.

Come on, I said.

Dad walked around the room.

Listen, my dad said. - One boy studies in the first grade "B". His family consists of five people. Mom gets up at seven o'clock and spends ten minutes getting dressed. But dad brushes his teeth for five minutes. Grandma goes to the store as much as mom gets dressed plus dad brushes his teeth. And grandfather reads newspapers, how much grandmother goes to the store minus what time mother gets up.

When they're all together, they start waking up this first class "B" boy. It takes time to read grandpa's papers plus grandma's grocery shopping.

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

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 can't solve this problem right away because we haven't gone through it yet.

And he will say:

"Hi 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 you, there he is! What are those eyes you have? Have you taken this task personally?

He picked up his coat and hung it up in its place, and went on to say:

I made it all up. There is no such boy in the world, not like 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 told me, and his eyes became cheerful, cheerful. - It's a funny 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 the report card. Only four in calligraphy. Because of the blot. I don't really know what to do! I always have blots coming off my pen. I already dip only the very tip of the pen into the ink, but the blots still come off. Just some miracles! Once I wrote a whole page cleanly, cleanly, it's expensive to look at - a real five-page page. In the morning I showed it to Raisa Ivanovna, and there, in the very middle of the blot! Where did she come from? She wasn't there yesterday! Maybe it leaked from some other page? Don't know…

And so I have one five. Only singing triple. This is how it happened. We had a singing lesson. At first we all sang in chorus "In the field there was a birch tree." It turned out very beautifully, but Boris Sergeevich frowned all the time and shouted:

Pull the vowels, friends, pull the 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 one separately.

And Boris Sergeevich called Mishka.

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

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

Like thin ice

White snow fell...

Well, Mishka squeaked funny! This is how our kitten Murzik squeaks. Is that how they sing! Almost nothing is heard. I just couldn't help it and laughed.

Then Boris Sergeevich gave Mishka a five and looked at me.

He said:

Come on, guinea pig, come out!

I quickly ran to the piano.

Well, what are you going to do? Boris Sergeevich asked politely.

I said:

Song civil war"Lead, Budyonny, bolder us into battle."

Boris Sergeevich shook his head and began to play, but I immediately stopped him:

Please play louder! - I said.

Boris Sergeevich said:

You will not be heard.

But I said

Will be. And how!

Boris Sergeevich began to play, and I took in as much air as I could sing:

High in the clear sky

A scarlet banner is curling ...

I really like this song.

So I see the blue-blue sky, it's hot, the horses are clattering with their hooves, they have beautiful purple eyes, and a scarlet banner curls in the sky.

Here I even closed my eyes in delight and shouted with all my might:

We ride horses there

Where is the enemy!

And in an intoxicating battle ...

I sang well, probably, it was even heard on the other street:

A swift avalanche! We rush forward!.. Hurrah!..

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!

Here I stopped because I was sweaty and my knees were trembling.

And although Boris Sergeevich played, he somehow leaned over the piano, and his shoulders were shaking too ...

I said:

Monstrous! - Boris Sergeevich praised.

Good song, right? I asked.

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

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

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

No, I said, I didn't notice! Yes, it doesn't matter. I just needed to play louder.

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

How about three? I even rushed. How can this be? Three is too little! The bear sang softly and then got a five ... I said:

Boris Sergeevich, when I rest a little, I can do it even louder, don't think. I didn't have a good breakfast today. And then I can sing so that everyone's ears will be laid here. I know another song. When I sing it at home, all the neighbors come running, asking what happened.

What is this? asked Boris Sergeevich.

Compassionate, - 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 phone rang.

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

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

Mom blushed terribly and said:

Well, we'll see that!

And as we walked home, I kept thinking:

“Is Kozlovsky really singing louder than me?”

One drop kills a horse

When dad got sick, the doctor came and said:

Nothing special, a little cold. But I advise you to quit smoking, you have a slight noise in your heart.

And when he left, my mother said:

How stupid it is to bring yourself to illness with these damned cigarettes. You are still so young, but already in your heart there are noises and wheezing.

Well, said dad, you're exaggerating! I don't have any particular noises, let alone wheezing. There is only one little noise. It doesn't count.

No - count! Mom exclaimed. - Of course, you don’t need a noise, you would be more satisfied with a creak, clang and rattle, I know you ...

Anyway, I don't need the sound of a saw,” her dad interrupted.

I don’t drink you, - my mother even blushed, - but you understand, this is really harmful. After all, you know that one drop of cigarette poison kills a healthy horse!

That's it! I looked at dad. He was big, no doubt, but still smaller than a horse. He was bigger than me or my mother, but, whatever one may say, he was smaller than a horse and even the most seedy cow. A cow would never fit on our sofa, but dad fit freely. I was very scared. I didn't want that drop of poison to kill him. I didn't want this at all and for nothing. From these thoughts I could not fall asleep for a long time, so long that I did not notice how I fell asleep after all.

And on Saturday, dad recovered, and guests came to us. Uncle Yura came with aunt Katya, Boris Mikhailovich and aunt Tamara. Everyone came and began to behave very decently, and as soon as Aunt Tamara came in, she turned all over, and crackled, and sat down to drink tea next to dad. At the table, she began to surround dad with care and attention, asking if it was comfortable for him to sit, if it was blowing from the window, and in the end she surrounded him so much and took care that she poured three spoons of sugar into his tea. Papa stirred the sugar, took a sip and grimaced.

I have already put sugar in this glass once, - said mother, and her eyes turned green, like gooseberries.

Aunt Tamara burst out laughing at the top of her lungs. She laughed as if someone under the table was biting her heels. Dad pushed the oversweetened tea aside. Then Aunt Tamara took out a thin cigarette case from her purse and gave it to dad.

This is your consolation for your spoiled tea,” she said. - Every time you light a cigarette, you will remember this funny story and its culprit.

I was terribly angry with her for that. Why does she remind dad about smoking, since he has almost completely lost the habit during his illness? After all, one drop of smoking poison kills a horse, and she reminds. I said:

“You are a fool, Aunt Tamara! May you burst! And get out of my house. So that your fat leg is no longer here.

I said it to myself, in my mind, so that no one understood anything.

And dad took the cigarette case and turned it over in his hands.

Thank you, Tamara Sergeevna, - said dad, - I am very touched. But none of my cigarettes will fit here, the cigarette case is so small, and I smoke Kazbek. However…

Then my dad looked at me.

Well, Denis, - he said, - instead of blowing out the third glass of tea at night, go to the desk, take a box of Kazbek there and shorten the cigarettes, cut them so that they fit into the cigarette case. Scissors in the middle drawer!

I went to the table, found cigarettes and scissors, tried on a cigarette case, and did everything as he ordered. And then he took the full cigarette case to dad. Dad opened a cigarette case, looked at my work, then at me and laughed merrily:

Look at what my smart son did!

Here all the guests began vying to grab each other's cigarette case and laugh deafeningly. Especially tried, of course, aunt Tamara. When she stopped laughing, she flexed her arm and tapped my head with her knuckles.

How did you guess to leave the cardboard mouthpieces intact, and cut off almost all the tobacco? After all, it is tobacco that is smoked, and you cut it off! What is in your head - sand or sawdust?

I said:

"It's sawdust in your head, Tamarishche Semipudovoe."

He said, of course, in his thoughts, to himself. And then my mother would scold me. She was looking at me too intently.

Well, come here, - my mother took my chin, - look into my eyes!

I began to look into my mother's eyes and felt that my cheeks became red, like flags.

Did you do it on purpose? Mom asked.

I couldn't fool her.

Yes, I said, I did it on purpose.

Then leave the room, - said dad, - otherwise my hands itch.

Obviously, my dad didn't understand. But I did not explain to him and left the room.

It's no joke - one drop kills a horse!

Red balloon in the blue sky

Suddenly our door flew open, and Alyonka shouted from the corridor:

Spring Bazaar in a big store!

She screamed terribly loudly, and her eyes were round as buttons and desperate. At first I thought someone had been stabbed. And she again took a breath and come on:

Run, Deniska! Quicker! There kvass is effervescent! Music plays, and different dolls! Let's run!

Screams like there's a fire. And I was also somehow agitated by this, and it tickled in my stomach, and I hurried and rushed out of the room.

Alyonka and I joined hands and ran like crazy to a big store. There was a whole crowd of people there and in the very middle stood a man and a woman made of something shiny, huge, up to the ceiling, and although they were not real, they blinked their eyes and moved their lower lips, as if they were talking. The man shouted:

Spring Bazaar! Spring Bazaar!

And the woman:

Welcome! Welcome!

We looked at them for a long time, and then Alenka says:

How do they scream? Because they are not real!

It's just not clear, I said.

Then Alenka said:

And I know. They are not screaming! It is in the middle of them that live artists sit and shout to themselves all day. And they themselves pull the string, and the lips of the dolls move from this.

I burst out laughing:

You can see that you are still small. Artists will become you in the stomach of the dolls to sit all day. Can you imagine? Hunched over all day - you'll probably get tired! Do you need to eat, drink? And other things, you never know what ... Oh, you darkness! This radio is screaming in them.

Alenka said:

And we also laughed next to him, as he briskly shouted out, and Alenka said:

Still, when the living screams, it is more interesting than the radio.

And we ran for a long time in the crowd among the adults and had a lot of fun, and some military guy grabbed Alyonka under the armpits, and his friend pressed a button in the wall, and cologne suddenly splashed from there, and when Alyonka was put on the floor, she smelled of candy all over, and uncle said:

Well, what a beauty, I have no strength!

But Alenka ran away from them, and I followed her, and we finally found ourselves near kvass. I had money for breakfast, and so Alenka and I drank two large mugs each, and Alenka's stomach immediately became like a soccer ball, and all the time I had a buzz in the nose and pricked in the nose with needles. Great, just the first grade, and when we ran again, I heard kvass gurgling in me. And we wanted to go home and ran out into the street. It was even more fun there, and a woman was standing at the very entrance selling balloons.

Alenka, as soon as she saw this woman, stopped in her tracks. She said:

Ouch! I want a ball!

And I said:

It would be nice, but there is no money.

And Alenka:

I have one money.

She took it out of her pocket.

I said:

Wow! Ten kopecks. Aunty, give her a ball!

The saleswoman smiled.

What do you want? Red, blue, cyan?

Alenka took the red one. And we went. And suddenly Alenka says:

Do you want to wear?

And she handed me the thread. I took. And as soon as I took it, I heard that the ball was pulling the string very thinly! He probably wanted to fly away. Then I let go of the thread a little and again heard how he insistently stretched out of his hands, as if he was really asking to fly away. And I suddenly felt somehow sorry for him that now he can fly, and I keep him on a leash, and I took and released him. And at first the ball didn’t even fly away from me, as if he didn’t believe it, and then I felt that it was real, and immediately rushed and flew up above the lantern.

Alenka clutched her head:

Oh, why, hold on!

And she began to bounce, as if she could jump to the ball, but she saw that she could not, and began to cry:

Why did you miss him?

But I didn't answer her. I looked up at the ball. He flew upwards smoothly and calmly, as if this was what he had wanted all his life.

And I stood with my head up and looked, and Alenka too, and many adults stopped and also looked behind their heads - to see how the ball was flying, but it kept flying and decreasing.

So he flew over the last floor of a huge house, and someone leaned out of the window and waved after him, and he was even higher and a little sideways, higher than antennas and pigeons, and became quite small ... Something in my ears rang when he flew and it has almost disappeared. It flew behind a cloud, it was fluffy and small, like a rabbit, then surfaced again, disappeared and completely disappeared from view and now, probably, was near the moon, and we all looked up, and in my eyes: some kind of tail points and patterns. And the ball was nowhere to be found. And then Alenka sighed barely audibly, and everyone went about their business.

And we also went, and were silent, and all the way I thought how beautiful it is when spring is in the yard, and everyone is smart and cheerful, and cars back and forth, and a policeman in white gloves, and flies into a clear, blue-blue sky from us a red balloon. And I also thought, what a pity that I can't tell Alyonka all this. I won’t be able to put it into words, and if I could, it would still be incomprehensible to Alyonka, she’s small. Here she is walking next to me, and all so hushed, and the tears have not yet completely dried on her cheeks. She probably feels sorry for her ball.

And Alyonka and I walked like this all the way to the house and were silent, and at our gates, when we began to say goodbye, Alenka said:

If I had money, I would buy another balloon... for you to release.

Puss in Boots

Boys and girls! - said Raisa Ivanovna. - You did well this quarter. Congratulations. Now you can rest. During the holidays we will arrange a matinee and a carnival. Each of you can dress up as anyone, and there will be a prize for the best costume, so get ready. - And Raisa Ivanovna collected notebooks, said goodbye to us and left.

And when we went home, Mishka said:

I'll be a gnome at the carnival. I bought a rain cape and a hood yesterday. I'll just cover my face with something, and the dwarf is ready. Who are you dressing up as?

It will be visible there.

And I forgot about this case. Because at home, my mother told me that she was leaving for a sanatorium for ten days and that I should behave well here and watch my father. And she left the next day, and my dad and I were completely exhausted. First one thing, then another, and it was snowing outside, and all the time I thought about when my mother would return. I crossed out the boxes on my calendar.

And suddenly Mishka unexpectedly comes running and shouts right from the threshold:

Are you going or not?

I'm asking:

Bear screams:

How - where? To school! Today is a matinee, and everyone will be in costume! Can't you see that I'm already a dwarf?

Indeed, he was wearing a cape with a hood.

I said:

I don't have a suit! Our mother has left.

Mishka says:

Let's think of something! So, what's the weirdest thing you have at home? You put on yourself, that will be a costume for the carnival.

I say:

We don't have anything. Here are just daddy's shoe covers for fishing.

Shoe covers are such high rubber boots. If it's raining or muddy - the first thing is shoe covers. You won't get your feet wet.

Mishka says:

Come on, let's see what happens!

I got into my father's boots right with the boots. It turned out that the shoe covers reach me almost to the armpits. I tried to walk in them. Nothing, quite uncomfortable. But they shine nicely. Mishka liked it very much. He says:

And what hat?

I say:

Maybe my mother's straw, what about the sun?

Give her quickly!

I took out my hat and put it on. It turned out to be a little too big, it slides down to the nose, but still there are flowers on it.

The bear looked and said:

A good suit. I just don't understand what it means?

I say:

Maybe he means "fly agaric"?

The bear laughed.

What are you, the fly agaric's hat is all red! Most likely, your costume means "old fisherman"!

I waved at Mishka: - Said too! " old fisherman"!.. And where is the beard?

Then Mishka thought, and I went out into the corridor, and our neighbor Vera Sergeevna was standing there. When she saw me, she threw up her hands and said:

Oh! A real puss in boots!

I immediately guessed what my costume meant! I am Puss in Boots! Too bad it doesn't have a tail! I'm asking:

Vera Sergeevna, do you have a tail?

And Vera Sergeevna says:

Do I really look like a devil?

No, not really, I say. - But that's not the point. So you said that this costume means "Puss in Boots", but what kind of cat can be without a tail? Need some tail! Vera Sergeevna, help me, eh?

Then Vera Sergeevna said:

One minute…

And she gave me a rather tattered red ponytail with black spots.

Here, - he says, - this is the tail from the old boa. I've been cleaning out the kerosene with it lately, but I think it'll suit you just fine.

I said " thank you very much and carried the tail to Mishka.

Bear, when he saw him, said:

Give me a needle and thread, I'll sew it on for you. This is an awesome ponytail.

And Mishka began to sew a tail on my back. He sewed quite cleverly, but then all of a sudden he pricks me!

I shouted:

Be quiet, you brave little tailor! Don't you feel like you're sewing right on the living? After all, you poke!

I didn't calculate that much! - And again, how prickly!

Mishka, calculate better, otherwise I'll crack you!

I'm sewing for the first time in my life!

And again - kohl! ..

I yelled directly:

Don't you understand that after you I'll be a complete invalid and won't be able to sit?

But then Mishka said:

Hooray! Ready! Well, ponytail! Not every cat has one!

Then I took ink and with a brush drew a mustache for myself, three mustaches on each side - long, long, up to the ears!

And we went to school.

There the people were visible, invisible, and all in suits. There were about fifty gnomes alone. And there were a lot of white "snowflakes". This is such a costume when there is a lot of white gauze around, and some girl sticks out in the middle.

And we all had a lot of fun and danced.

And I also danced, but all the time I stumbled and almost fell because of the big boots, and the hat, too, as luck would have it, constantly moved down almost to the chin.

And then our counselor Lucy came on stage and said in a clear voice:

We ask "Puss in Boots" to come here for the first prize for the best costume!

And I went to the stage, and when I entered the last step, I stumbled and almost fell. Everyone laughed out loud, and Lucy shook my hand and gave me two books: Uncle Styopa and Fairy Tales. Then Boris Sergeevich played the touch, and I left the stage. And when he was going down, he again stumbled and almost fell, and again everyone laughed.

And when we went home, Mishka said:

Of course, there are many gnomes, and you are one!

Yes, - I said, - but all the gnomes were so-so, and you were very funny, and you also need a book. Take one from me.

Mishka said:

You don't need to!

I asked:

What do you want?

- "Uncle Styopa."

And I gave him Uncle Styopa.

And at home, I took off my huge shoe covers, and ran to the calendar, and crossed out today's box. And then he crossed out tomorrow too.

I looked - and three days left before my mother's arrival!

Battle at the Clear River

All the boys of the 1st class "B" had pistols.

We agreed to always walk around with weapons. And each of us always had a pretty little pistol in his pocket and a supply of piston bands to go with it. And we really liked it, but it didn't last long. And all because of the movie...

Once Raisa Ivanovna said:

Tomorrow, guys, Sunday. And we will have a holiday. Tomorrow our class, both the first "A" and the first "B", all three classes together, will go to the cinema "Artistic" to watch the movie "Scarlet Stars". This is very interesting picture about the fight for our just cause... Bring ten kopecks with you tomorrow. Gathering near the school at ten o'clock!

I told my mother all this in the evening, and my mother put ten kopecks in my left pocket for a ticket and in my right pocket a few coins for water and syrup. And she ironed my clean collar. I went to bed early so that tomorrow would come sooner, and when I woke up, my mother was still asleep. Then I started getting dressed. Mom opened her eyes and said:

Sleep, still night!

And what a night - bright as day!

I said:

How not to be late!

But my mother whispered:

Six o'clock. Don't wake your father, sleep, please!

I lay down again and lay for a long, long time, the birds were already singing, and the janitors began to sweep, and a car hummed outside the window. Now you should definitely get up. And I started getting dressed again. Mom stirred and raised her head.

What are you, restless soul?

I said:

Let's be late! What time is it now?

Five minutes past seven, - said my mother, - you sleep, don't worry, I'll wake you up when you need to.

And it's true, she then woke me up, and I got dressed, washed, ate and went to school. Misha and I became a couple, and soon everyone with Raisa Ivanovna in front and Elena Stepanovna behind went to the cinema.

There our class took best places in the first row, then it began to get dark in the hall and the picture began. And we saw how in the wide steppe, not far from the forest, the red soldiers were sitting, how they sang songs and danced to the accordion. One soldier was sleeping in the sun, and beautiful horses were grazing not far from him, they plucked grass, daisies and bluebells with their soft lips. And a light breeze blew, and a clear river ran, and a bearded soldier by a small fire told a fairy tale about the Firebird.

And at that time, out of nowhere, white officers appeared, there were a lot of them, and they began to shoot, and the red ones began to fall and defend themselves, but there were much more of them ...

And the red machine gunner began to shoot back, but he saw that he had very few cartridges, and he gritted his teeth and began to cry.

Here all our guys made a terrible noise, stomped and whistled, some in two fingers, and some just like that. And my heart just ached, I could not stand it, pulled out my pistol and shouted with all my might:

First class "B"! Fire!!!

And we began to shoot from all pistols at once. We wanted to help the Reds by all means. All the time I fired at one fat fascist, he kept running ahead, all in black crosses and various epaulettes; I probably used a hundred bullets on him, but he didn't even look in my direction.

And the firing all around was unbearable. Valka hit from the elbow, Andryushka in short bursts, and Mishka was probably a sniper, because after each shot he shouted:

But the whites still did not pay attention to us, and everyone climbed forward. Then I looked back and shouted:

For help! Save yours!

And all the guys from "A" and "B" got out their bangers with corks and let's bang so that the ceilings shook and smelled of smoke, gunpowder and sulfur.

And in the hall there was a terrible fuss. Raisa Ivanovna and Elena Stepanovna ran up and down the rows, shouting:

Stop messing around! Stop it!

And gray-haired controllers ran after them and stumbled all the time ... And then Elena Stepanovna accidentally waved her hand and touched the elbow of a citizen who was sitting on a side chair. And the citizen had a popsicle in her hand. It took off like a propeller, and plopped down on the bald head of one uncle. He jumped up and shouted in a thin voice:

Calm down your crazy house!!!

But we continued to fire with might and main, because the red machine gunner was almost silent, he was wounded, and red blood flowed down his pale face ... And we, too, almost ran out of caps, and it is not known what would have happened next, but at that time due to red cavalry jumped out of the forest, and their checkers sparkled in their hands, and they crashed into the very thick of the enemies!

And they ran wherever their eyes look, to distant lands, and the red ones shouted "Hurrah!" And we, too, all, as one, shouted "Hurrah!".

And when the whites were no longer visible, I shouted:

Stop shooting!

And everyone stopped shooting, and music played on the screen, and one guy sat down at the table and began to eat buckwheat porridge.

And then I realized that I was very tired and I also wanted to eat.

Then the picture ended very well, and we went home.

And on Monday, when we came to school, we, all the boys who were in the cinema, were gathered in a large hall.

There was a table there. Fedor Nikolaevich, our director, was sitting at the table. He stood up and said:

Hand over your weapons!

And we all took turns approaching the table and surrendering weapons. On the table, in addition to pistols, were two slingshots and a pea-shooting pipe.

Fedor Nikolaevich said:

We discussed this morning what to do with you. Were different offers… But I give you all a verbal reprimand for violating the rules of conduct in enclosed spaces spectacular enterprises! In addition, you are likely to get lower marks for behavior. Now go and study well!

And we went to study. But I sat and studied poorly. I kept thinking that a reprimand was very bad and that my mother would probably be angry ...

But at the break Mishka Elephants said:

Still, it's good that we helped the Reds to hold out until the arrival of their own!

And I said

Of course!!! Even though it's a movie, maybe they wouldn't have survived without us!

Who knows…

childhood friend

When I was six or six and a half years old, I had absolutely no idea who I would eventually be in this world. I really liked all the people around and all the work too. I then had a terrible confusion in my head, I was kind of confused and could not really decide what to do with me.

Either I wanted to be an astronomer, so as not to sleep at night and observe distant stars through a telescope, or I dreamed of becoming a sea captain in order to stand with my legs apart on the captain's bridge and visit distant Singapore and buy a funny monkey there. Otherwise, I was dying to turn into a subway driver or station manager and walk around in a red cap and shout in a thick voice:

Go-o-tov!

Or I had an appetite to learn to be the kind of artist who draws white stripes on the asphalt for speeding cars. And then it seemed to me that it would be nice to become a brave traveler like Alain Bombard and cross all the oceans on a fragile shuttle, eating only one raw fish. True, this Bombard lost twenty-five kilograms after his trip, and I only weighed twenty-six, so it turned out that if I also swam like him, then I would have absolutely nowhere to lose weight, I would weigh only one at the end of the trip. kilo. What if I don’t catch one or two fish somewhere and lose a little more weight? Then I'll probably just melt in the air like smoke, that's all.

When I calculated all this, I decided to abandon this idea, and the next day I was already impatient to become a boxer, because I saw the European boxing championship on TV. How they threshed each other - just some kind of horror! And then they showed their training, and here they were already beating a heavy leather "pear" - such an oblong heavy ball, you have to hit it with all your might, hit it with all your might, in order to develop the power of impact. And I saw so much of it all that I also decided to become the strongest man in the yard in order to beat everyone, in which case.

I told dad

Papa, buy me a pear!

It's January now, no pears. Eat some carrots.

I laughed.

No, dad, not like that! Not an edible pear! You, please, buy me an ordinary leather punching bag!

Why you asking? - said dad.

Practice, I said. - Because I will be a boxer and I will beat everyone. Buy it, huh?

How much is such a pear worth? Dad asked.

Some nonsense, I said. - Rubles ten or fifty.

You're crazy, brother, - said dad. - Get over somehow without a pear. Nothing will happen to you.

And he got dressed and went to work.

And I was offended at him for the fact that he refused me so with a laugh. And my mother immediately noticed that I was offended, and immediately said:

Wait, I think I've come up with something. Come on, come on, wait a minute.

And she bent down and pulled out a large wicker basket from under the sofa; it was stacked with old toys that I no longer played with. Because I had already grown up and in the fall I had to buy a school uniform and a cap with a shiny visor.

Mom began to dig into this basket, and while she was digging, I saw my old tram without wheels and on a string, a plastic pipe, a dented top, one arrow with a rubber blotch, a piece of a sail from a boat, and several rattles, and a lot of other toys. junk. And suddenly mom took out a healthy teddy bear from the bottom of the basket.

She threw it on my sofa and said:

Here. This is the one that Aunt Mila gave you. You were then two years old. Good Mishka, excellent. Look how tight! What a fat belly! Look how it rolled out! Why not a pear? Even better! And you don't have to buy! Let's train as much as you like! Get started!

And then she was called to the phone, and she went out into the corridor.

And I was very happy that my mother came up with such a great idea. And I made Mishka more comfortable on the couch, so that it would be more convenient for me to train on him and develop the power of impact.

He sat in front of me so chocolate, but very mangy, and he had different eyes: one of his own - yellow glass, and the other big white - from a button from a pillowcase; I didn't even remember when he showed up. But it didn’t matter, because Mishka looked at me rather cheerfully with his different eyes, and he spread his legs and stuck out his stomach towards me, and raised both hands up, as if joking that he was already giving up in advance ...

And I looked at him like that and suddenly remembered how a long time ago I never parted with this Mishka for a minute, dragged him everywhere with me, and nursed him, and sat him at the table next to me to dine, and fed him from a spoon semolina, and he had such a funny muzzle when I smeared him with something, even with the same porridge or jam, he had such a funny cute muzzle then, just like a living one, and I put him to bed with me, and rocked him like a little brother and whispered to him different fairy tales right into his velvet, hard ears, and I loved him then, loved him with all my soul, I would have given my life for him then. And now he is sitting on the couch, my ex is the most best friend, a true friend childhood. Here he is sitting, laughing with different eyes, and I want to train the force of impact about him ...

What are you, - said my mother, she had already returned from the corridor. - What happened to you?

And I didn’t know what was happening to me, I was silent for a long time and turned away from my mother so that she wouldn’t guess by her voice or lips what was happening to me, and I lifted my head to the ceiling so that the tears rolled back, and then, when I braced myself a little , I said:

What are you talking about, mom? With me nothing ... I just changed my mind. It's just that I'll never be a boxer.

Dymka and Anton

Last summer I was at Uncle Volodya's dacha. He has very beautiful house, similar to the train station, but a little smaller.

I lived there for a whole week, and went to the forest, made fires and bathed.

But most importantly, I made friends with the dogs there. And there were a lot of them, and everyone called them by their first and last names. For example, Zhuchka Bredneva, or Tuzik Murashovsky, or Barbos Isaenko.

So it’s more convenient to figure out who bit what.

And we had a dog Dymka. She has a curled and shaggy tail, and woolen riding breeches on her feet.

When I looked at Dymka, I was surprised that she had such beautiful eyes. Yellow-yellow and very intelligent. I used to give Smoky sugar and she always wagged her tail. And two houses lived the dog Anton. He was Vankin. Vanka's last name was Dykhov, and so Anton was called Anton Dykhov. This Anton had only three legs, or rather, the fourth leg did not have a paw. He lost it somewhere. But he still ran very fast and kept pace everywhere. He was a vagabond, disappeared for three days, but always returned to Vanka. Anton liked to pull off whatever came up, but he was extremely clever. And that's what happened once.

My mother brought out a large bone to Dymka. Dymka took it, put it in front of her, squeezed it with her paws, closed her eyes and was about to start nibbling, when she suddenly saw Murzik, our cat. He did not touch anyone, calmly walked home, but Smoky jumped up and set off after him! Murzik - to run, and Dymka chased him for a long time until she drove him behind the barn.

But the whole point was that Anton had been in our yard for a long time. And as soon as Dymka took up Murzik, Anton quite deftly grabbed her bone and ran away! I don’t know where he put the bone, but only a second later he hobbled back and sits to himself, looks: “Guys, I don’t know anything.”

Then Dymka came and saw that there was no bone, but only Anton. She looked at him as if she was asking, "Did you take it?" But this impudent only laughed at her in response! And then he turned away with a bored look. Then Smokey walked around him and looked him straight in the eyes again. But Anton did not even move his ear. Mist looked at him for a long time, but then she realized that he had no conscience and moved away.

Anton wanted to play with her, but Dymka stopped talking to him altogether.

I said:

Anton! NA NA NA!

He came up and I said to him:

I saw everything. If you don't bring the bone right away, I'll tell everyone.

He blushed terribly. That is, of course, he may not have blushed, but his appearance was such that he was very ashamed, and he directly blushed.

That's how smart! He rode on his three somewhere, and now he has returned, and in his teeth he carries a bone. And so quietly, politely, he put it in front of Dymka. But Dymka did not eat. She looked a little sideways with her yellow eyes and smiled - she forgave me, then!

And they began to play and fiddle around, and then, when they were tired, they ran to the river quite side by side.

As if they were holding hands.

Nothing can be changed

I noticed a long time ago that adults ask very stupid questions to little ones. They seemed to be talking. It turns out as if they all learned the same questions and ask them to all the guys in a row. I am so used to this business that I know in advance how everything will happen if I meet some adult. It will be like this.

Here the bell will ring, mom will open the door, someone will buzz something incomprehensible for a long time, then into the room new adult. He will rub his hands. Then ears, then glasses. When he puts them on, he will see me, and although he has known for a long time that I live in this world, and knows very well what my name is, he will still grab my shoulders, squeeze them quite painfully, pull me to himself and say:

"Well, Denis, what's your name?"

Of course, if I were an impolite person, I would say to him:

“You know! After all, you just now called me by my name, why are you talking nonsense?

But I'm polite. So I'll pretend I didn't hear anything like that, I'll just smile wryly and, averting my eyes, will answer:

"And how old are you?"

As if he does not see that I am not thirty or even forty! After all, he sees how tall I am, and, therefore, he must understand that I am at most seven, well, eight at the most - why then ask? But he has his own, adult views and habits, and he continues to pester:

"BUT? How old are you? BUT?"

I will tell him:

"Seven and a half".

Here he will widen his eyes and clutch his head, as if I had said that I was one hundred and sixty-one yesterday. He will groan directly, as if he has three teeth hurting:

"Oh oh oh! Seven and a half! Oh oh oh!"

But so that I do not cry out of pity for him and understand that this is a joke, he will stop moaning. With two fingers he poked me rather painfully in the stomach and cheerfully exclaimed:

“Coming soon to the army! BUT?"

And then he will return to the beginning of the game and say to mom and dad, shaking his head:

“What is being done, what is being done! Seven and a half! Already! - And, turning to me, he will add: - And I knew you so little!

And he will measure twenty centimeters in the air. This is at a time when I know for sure that I was fifty-one centimeters long in me. Mom even has one. Official. Well, I'm not offended by this adult. They are all like that. And now I know for sure that he is supposed to think. And he will think. Iron. He will hang his head on his chest, as if he had fallen asleep. And then I start to slowly break out of his hands. But it was not there. It’s just that an adult will remember what other questions he has lying around in his pocket, he will remember them, and finally, smiling happily, he will ask:

"Oh yes! And who will you be? BUT? Who do you want to be?"

To be honest, I want to do speleology, but I understand that it will be boring for a new adult, incomprehensible, it will be unusual for him, and in order not to confuse him, I will answer him:

“I want to be an ice cream man. He always has as much ice cream as you want.

The face of the new adult will immediately brighten. Everything is in order, everything is going the way he wanted, without deviations from the norm. So he slaps me on the back (rather painfully) and condescendingly says:

"Correctly! Keep it up! Well done!"

And then, in my naivety, I think that this is all, the end, and I will start to move away from him a little more boldly, because I have no time, I still have not prepared my lessons and in general a thousand things, but he will notice my attempt to free myself and suppress it in root, he will pinch me with his feet and claw with his hands, that is, simply put, he will apply physical strength, and when I get tired and stop fluttering, he will ask me the main question.

“Tell me, my friend ... - he will say, and deceit, like a snake, will crawl in his voice, - tell me, whom do you love more? Papa or mama?"

Tactless question. Moreover, it is set in the presence of both parents. Will have to catch. “Mikhail Tal,” I say.

He will want. For some reason, such cretinous answers amuse him. He will repeat a hundred times:

"Mikhail Tal! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! What's it like? Well? What do you say to this, happy parents?

And he will laugh for another half an hour, and dad and mom will laugh too. And I will be ashamed of them and of myself. And I will make a vow to myself that later, when this horror is over, I will somehow kiss my mother without my father noticing, kiss my father without my mother noticing. Because I love them both equally, oh-de-na-ko-vo!! I swear by my white mouse! After all, it's so simple. But for some reason, this does not satisfy adults. Several times I tried to honestly and accurately answer this question, and I always saw that adults were unhappy with the answer, they had some kind of disappointment, or something. All of them seem to have the same thought written in their eyes, something like this: “Uuu ... What a banal answer! He loves mom and dad equally! What a boring boy!"

That's why I'll lie to them about Mikhail Tal, let them laugh, but for now I'll try to escape again from the steel embrace of my new acquaintance! Where there, apparently, he is healthier than Yuri Vlasov. And now he will ask me one more question. But by his tone, I guess that the matter is coming to an end. This will be the funniest question, like for dessert. Now his face will depict supernatural fear.

"Why didn't you bathe today?"

I washed, of course, but I perfectly understand where he is driving.

And how do they not get tired of this old, hackneyed game?

In order not to pull the bagpipes, I will grab my face.

"Where?! I will scream. - What?! Where?!"

Exactly! Direct hit! An adult will instantly utter his old-fashioned mura.

“And the eyes? he says slyly. Why such black eyes? They need to be washed! Go to the bathroom now!"

And he will finally let me go! I am free and can get down to business.

Oh, and it’s hard for me to get these new acquaintances! But what can you do? All kids go through this! I'm not the first, I'm not the last...

Nothing can be changed here.

Enchanted letter

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

Easier! Let's bring it in! Right! Levey! Get her on the ass! It's easier, otherwise you'll break off the entire spitz.

And when they unloaded, the driver said:

Now we need to activate this Christmas tree, - and left.

And we stayed near the tree.

She lay large, furry, and smelled so deliciously of frost that we stood like fools and smiled. Then Alenka took up one branch and said:

Look, there are detectives hanging on the tree.

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

Well, I pushed a little so he wouldn't think I was giving up. The bear held his hands to his stomach, as if he was in great pain, and shouted:

Oh, I'm dying of laughter! Investigations!

And I, of course, turned on the heat:

The girl is five years old, but she says “detectives” ... Ha-ha-ha!

Then Mishka fainted and groaned:

Ah, I feel bad! Investigations…

And began to hiccup:

Hic! .. Investigations. Hic! Hic! I'll die of laughter! Hic!

Then I grabbed a handful of snow and began to apply it to my forehead, as if my brain had already become inflamed and I had gone crazy. I yelled:

The girl is five years old, to marry soon! And she is a detective.

At Alenka underlip She grimaced so that she climbed behind her ear.

Did I say that correctly! This is my tooth falling out and whistling. I want to say "detectives", but I whistle "detectives" ...

Mishka said:

Eka is unseen! She lost her tooth! I’ve had three of them fall out and two are staggering, but I still speak correctly! Listen here: chuckles! What? True, great - hihh-cue! Here's how easy it comes out for me: chuckles! I can even sing

Oh, green hykhechka,

I'm afraid I'll prick.

But Alyonka screams. One is louder than the two of us:

Not properly! Hooray! You say snickers, but you need detectives!

Namely, that there is no need for detectives, but for snickers.

And both let's roar. All you hear is: "Detectives!" - "Sighs!" - "Detectives!".

Looking at them, I laughed so hard that I even got hungry. I was walking home and all the time I thought: why did they argue so much, since both are wrong? After all, it is a very simple word. I stopped and said clearly:

No detectives. No giggles, but short and clear: fifks!

That's all!

Blue dagger

This was the case. We had a lesson - work. Raisa Ivanovna said that we should each do according to a tear-off calendar, whoever figured it out. I took a piece of cardboard, pasted it over with green paper, cut a slit in the middle, attached a matchbox to it, and put a pile of white leaves on the box, adjusted it, glued it, trimmed it, and wrote on the first sheet: “Happy May Day!”

It turned out very beautiful calendar for small children. If, for example, someone has dolls, then for these dolls. In general, a toy. And Raisa Ivanovna gave me five.

She said:

I like.

And I went to my room and sat down. And at this time Levka Burin also began to turn in his calendar, and Raisa Ivanovna looked at his work and said:

Sloppy.

And I gave Levka a three.

And when the break came, Levka remained at his desk. He had a rather unhappy look. And at that time I was just getting wet with a blot, and when I saw that Levka was so sad, I went straight up to Levka with a blotter in my hand. I wanted to cheer him up, because we are friends and once he gave me a coin with a hole. And he also promised to bring me a spent hunting cartridge case so that I could make an atomic telescope out of it.

I went up to Levka and said:

Oh, Lyap!

And made him slanting eyes.

And then Levka, for no reason at all, would give me a pencil case on the back of the head. That's when I realized how sparks fly from my eyes. I got terribly angry with Levka and hit him with all my might with a blotter on the neck. But he, of course, did not even feel it, but grabbed his briefcase and went home. And my tears even dripped from my eyes - Levka gave me such a great deal - they dripped directly onto the blotting paper and spread over it like colorless blots ...

And then I decided to kill Levka. After school, I spent the whole day sitting at home and preparing weapons. I took my dad's blue plastic cutting knife from his desk and sharpened it on the stove all day. I sharpened it stubbornly, patiently. It sharpened very slowly, but I sharpened everything and kept thinking how I would come to class tomorrow and my faithful blue dagger would flash in front of Levka, I would lift it over Levka’s head, and Levka would fall to her knees and beg me to grant him life, and I I will say:

"Sorry!"

And he will say:

"Sorry!"

And I will laugh with thunderous laughter, like this:

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

And the echo will repeat this ominous laughter in the gorges for a long time. And the girls will crawl under the desks out of fear.

And when I went to bed, I tossed and turned from side to side and sighed, because I felt sorry for Levka - he is a good man, but now let him bear the well-deserved punishment, since he hit me on the head with a pencil case. And the blue dagger lay under my pillow, and I squeezed its handle and almost groaned, so my mother asked:

What are you groaning there?

I said:

Mom said:

Does your stomach hurt?

But I didn’t answer her, I just took it and turned to the wall and began to breathe, as if I had been sleeping for a long time.

In the morning I couldn't eat anything. Just drank two cups of tea with bread and butter, potatoes and sausage. Then he went to school.

I put the blue dagger in the briefcase from the very top, so that it was convenient to get it.

And before going to class, I stood at the door for a long time and could not enter, my heart was beating so hard. But still I overcame myself, pushed the door and went in. Everything was as usual in the class, and Levka was standing at the window with Valerik. As soon as I saw him, I immediately began to unfasten my briefcase in order to get a dagger. But Levka at that time ran to me. I thought that he would again hit me with a pencil case or something else, and began to unfasten my briefcase even faster, but Levka suddenly stopped beside me and somehow stamped on the spot, and then suddenly leaned close to me and said:

And he handed me a golden cartridge case. And his eyes became as if he wanted to say something else, but was shy. And I didn’t need him to speak at all, I just suddenly completely forgot that I wanted to kill him, as if I had never intended to, even surprisingly.

I said:

What a good sleeve.

Took her. And went to his place.

Motorcycle racing on a sheer wall

When I was little, they gave me tricycle. And I learned to ride it. I immediately sat down and rode, not at all afraid, as if I had ridden bicycles all my life.

Mom said:

Look how good he is at sports.

And dad said:

Sits pretty sloppy...

And I learned to ride very well and pretty soon I began to do different things on a bicycle, like funny artists in a circus. For example, I rode backwards or lying on the saddle and twirling the pedals with whichever hand you like - you want it with the right, you want it with the left;

traveled sideways, spreading his legs;

drove, sitting on the steering wheel, and then closing his eyes and without hands;

traveled with a glass of water in hand. In a word, got the hang of it in every way.

And then Uncle Zhenya turned off one wheel of my bicycle, and it became two-wheeled, and again I memorized everything very quickly. And the guys in the yard began to call me "champion of the world and its environs."

And so I rode my bike until my knees began to rise above the handlebars while riding. Then I guessed that I had already grown out of this bike, and began to think when dad would buy me a real Schoolboy car.

And then one day a bicycle drives into our yard. And the uncle who sits on it does not twist his legs, but the bicycle crackles under him like a dragonfly, and rides on his own. I was terribly surprised. I have never seen a bike ride itself. A motorcycle is another matter, a car is another matter, a rocket is a different matter, but a bicycle? Myself?

I just couldn't believe my eyes.

And this uncle on a bicycle drove up to Mishka's front door and stopped. And he turned out to be not at all an uncle, but a young guy. Then he put the bicycle near the pipe and left. And I was right there with my mouth open. Suddenly Mishka comes out.

He says:

Well? What are you staring at?

I say:

He's on his own, you understand?

Mishka says:

This is our nephew Fedka's car. Bicycle with a motor. Fedka came to us on business - to drink tea.

I'm asking:

Is it difficult to drive such a car?

Nonsense in vegetable oil, says Mishka. - It starts with half a turn. Once you press the pedal, and you're done - you can go. And gasoline in it for a hundred kilometers. A speed of twenty kilometers in half an hour.

Wow! Blimey! I say. - That's a car! I would like to ride on this!

Mishka shook his head at this.

Will fly in. Fedka will kill. The head will be torn off!

Yes. Dangerous, I say.

But Mishka looked around and suddenly declared:

There is no one in the yard, but you are still a “world champion”. Get in! I'll help to accelerate the car, and you push the pedal once, and everything will go like clockwork. You drive around the garden two or three circles, and we will quietly put the car in place. Fedka drinks tea for a long time. Three glasses of blowing. Let's!

Let's! - I said.

And Mishka began to hold the bicycle, and I perched on it. One foot really reached with its toe to the edge of the pedal, but the other hung in the air like pasta. I pushed this pasta away from the pipe, and Mishka ran beside him and shouted:

Step on the pedal, step on!

I did my best, slid a little to one side from the saddle, and as soon as I pressed the pedal. The bear clicked something on the steering wheel ... And suddenly the car crackled, and I drove off!

I went! Myself! I don’t press the pedals - I don’t get it, but only food, I keep my balance!

It was wonderful! The breeze whistled in my ears, everything around me rushed quickly, quickly in a circle: a post, a gate, a bench, mushrooms from the rain, a sandpit, a swing, house management, and again a post, a gate, a bench, mushrooms from the rain, a sandbox, a swing, house management, and again a column, and all over again, and I was driving, clutching the steering wheel, and Mishka kept running after me, but on the third lap he shouted:

I'm tired! - and leaned against the pole.

And I rode alone, and I had a lot of fun, and I kept driving and imagining that I was participating in motorcycle races along a steep wall. I saw a brave artist rushing in the park of culture...

And the column, and the Bear, and the swing, and the house management - everything flashed in front of me for quite a long time, and everything was very good, only the leg, which hung like pasta, began to prick a little goosebumps ... And I also suddenly felt somehow uneasy , and the palms immediately became wet, and I really wanted to stop.

I drove to Mishka and shouted:

Enough! Stop!

The bear ran after me and shouted:

What? Speak louder!

Are you deaf, or what?

But Mishka has already fallen behind. Then I drove another circle and shouted:

Stop the car, Bear!

Then he grabbed the steering wheel, the car rocked, he fell, and I drove on again. I look, he meets me again at the post and yells:

Brake! Brake!

I rushed past him and began to look for this brake. But I didn't know where he was! I began to turn different screws and press something on the steering wheel. Where there! No use. The car crackles to itself as if nothing had happened, and thousands of needles are already digging into my pasta leg!

Mishka, where is this brake?

I forgot!

You remember!

Okay, I remember, while you spin a little more!

Remember, Mishka! I scream again.

I can't remember! You better try to jump!

I'm sick!

If I had known that this would happen, I would never have started skating, it’s better to walk on foot, honestly!

And here again in front of Mishka shouts:

Gotta get the mattress they sleep on! So that you crash into it and stop! What are you sleeping on?

On a foldout!

Then drive until you run out of gas!

I almost ran him over for it. “Until the gasoline runs out” ... It may be another two weeks to rush around the kindergarten, and we have tickets to the puppet theater on Tuesday. And hurt your leg! I shout to this fool:

Run after your Fedka!

He drinks tea! Mishka screams.

Then drink up! - I yell.

But he did not hear it out and agrees with me:

Will kill! Will definitely kill!

And again everything spun in front of me: a post, a gate, a bench, a swing, house management. Then vice versa: house management, a swing, a bench, a column, and then it went mixed up: a house, a pillar management, a mushroom ... And I realized that things were bad.

But at this time, someone grabbed the car hard, it stopped rattling, and they slapped me pretty hard on the back of the head. I realized that it was Mishkin Fedka who had finally had a cup of tea. And I immediately rushed to run, but I could not, because the pasta leg pierced me like a dagger. But I still did not lose my head and galloped away from Fedka on one leg.

And he didn't chase me.

And I didn't get mad at him for the slap. Because without him, I probably would have been circling around the yard until now.

Third place in butterfly style

When I walked home from the pool, I had a very good mood. I liked all the trolleybuses, that they are so transparent and you can see everyone who rides in them, and the ice cream ladies liked that they were cheerful, and I liked that it was not hot outside and the breeze cooled my wet head. But I especially liked that I took third place in the butterfly style and that I will now tell about this dad - he has long wanted me to learn to swim. He says that all people should be able to swim, and boys especially, because they are men. And what kind of a man is he if he can drown during a shipwreck or just like that, on Chistye Prudy, when the boat capsizes?

And so today I took third place and now I will tell dad about this. I was in a hurry to get home, and when I entered the room, my mother immediately asked:

Why are you shining like that?

I said:

And today we had a competition.

Papa said:

What is this?

A twenty-five meter butterfly swim...

Papa said:

So how is it?

Third place! - I said.

Dad just blossomed.

Well, yes? - he said. - That's great! He put aside the newspaper. - Youth!

I knew that he would be delighted. I still have better mood became.

And who took the first place? Dad asked.

I replied:

The first place, dad, was taken by Vovka, he has been able to swim for a long time. It wasn't hard for him...

Oh yes Vovka! - said dad. So, who took second place?

And the second, - I said, - was taken by a red-haired boy, I don’t know what his name is. It looks like a frog, especially in the water ...

And you, means, left on the third? - Dad smiled, and I was very pleased. - Well, well, - he said, - after all, whatever you say, but the third place is also a prize, a bronze medal! Well, who is on the fourth? Do not remember? Who finished fourth?

I said:

No one took fourth place, dad!

He was very surprised:

How is that?

I said:

We all took third place: me, and Mishka, and Tolka, and Kimka, everything. Vovka - the first, the red frog - the second, and we, the remaining eighteen people, we took the third. That's what the instructor said!

Pan said:

Oh, that's it ... Everything is clear! ..

And he again buried himself in the newspapers.

And for some reason I lost my good mood.

Top down, sideways!

That summer, when I didn't go to school yet, our yard was being renovated. Bricks and boards lay everywhere, and in the middle of the yard rose a huge pile of sand. And we played on this sand in the “defeat of the Nazis near Moscow”, or made Easter cakes, or just played at nothing.

We had a lot of fun, and we made friends with the workers and even helped them repair the house: once I brought a full kettle of boiling water to the locksmith Uncle Grisha, and the second time Alyonka showed the fitters where we had a back door. And we helped a lot, but now I don't remember everything.

And then, somehow imperceptibly, the repair began to end, the workers left one by one, Uncle Grisha said goodbye to us by the hand, gave me a heavy piece of iron and also left.

And instead of Uncle Grisha, three girls came into the yard. They were all very nicely dressed: they wore men's long trousers, smeared with different colors and completely hard. When these girls walked, their pants rattled like iron on a roof. And on the heads of the girls wore hats from newspapers. These girls were painters and were called: brigade. They were very cheerful and dexterous, they loved to laugh and always sang the song "Lilies of the valley, lilies of the valley." But I don't like this song. And Alenka. And Mishka doesn't like it either. But we all loved to watch how the girls-painters work and how everything turns out smoothly and neatly. We knew the whole team by name. Their names were Sanka, Raechka and Nelly.

And once we approached them, and Aunt Sanya said:

Guys, run someone and find out what time it is.

I ran, found out and said:

Five minutes to twelve, Aunt Sanya ...

She said:

Sabbath, girls! I'm in the dining room! - and went out of the yard.

And Aunt Raechka and Aunt Nelly followed her to dinner.

And they left a barrel of paint. And a rubber hose too.

We immediately came closer and began to look at that part of the house where they were just now painting. It was very cool: smooth and brown, with a little redness. The bear looked and looked, then says:

I wonder if I shake the pump, will the paint go?

Alenka says:

I bet it won't work!

Then I say:

But we argue, it will go!

Mishka says:

No need to argue. Now I will try. Hold, Deniska, the hose, and I will shake it.

And let's download. I shook it two or three times, and suddenly paint ran out of the hose! She hissed like a snake, because at the end of the hose there was a hood with holes, like a watering can. Only the holes were very small, and the paint went on like cologne in a barbershop, you can barely see it.

The bear was delighted and shouted:

Paint quickly! Hurry and paint something!

I immediately took and sent the hose to a clean wall. The paint began to splatter, and there immediately turned out to be a light brown spot that looked like a spider.

Hooray! Alena screamed. - Let's go! Let's go! - and put her foot under the paint.

I immediately painted her leg from knee to toe. Immediately, right before our eyes, no bruises or scratches were visible on the leg! On the contrary, Alenka's leg became smooth, brown, with a shine, like a brand new pin.

Bear screams:

It turns out great! Substitute the second, quickly!

And Alenka perky framed her second leg, and I instantly painted it from top to bottom twice.

Then Mishka says:

Good people, how beautiful! Legs just like a real Indian! Paint her quickly!

All? Paint everything? From head to toe?

Here Alenka directly squealed with delight:

Come on good people! Paint from head to toe! I'll be a real turkey.

Then Mishka leaned on the pump and began to pump it all the way to Ivanovo, and I began to pour paint on Alyonka. I painted her wonderfully: both the back, and the legs, and the arms, and the shoulders, and the belly, and the panties. And she became all brown, only her white hair sticks out.

I'm asking:

Bear, what do you think, and dye your hair?

The bear answers:

Well, of course! Paint quickly! Come on quickly!

And Alenka hurries:

Come on, come on! And hair come on! And ears!

I quickly finished painting it and say:

Go, Alenka, dry yourself in the sun! Hey, what else to color?

You see, our clothes are drying? Hurry up paint!

Well, I did it quickly! I finished two towels and Mishka's shirt in a minute so that it was a pleasure to look at!

And Mishka went right into the excitement, pumping the pump like a clockwork. And just screams:

Come on paint! Hurry come on! There's a new door on the front door, come on, come on, paint faster!

And I went to the door. Top down! Upwards! Top down, sideways!

And then the door suddenly opened, and our building manager Alexei Akimych came out of it in a white suit.

He was downright dumbfounded. And me too. We were both bewitched. The main thing is that I water it and, out of fear, I can’t even guess to take the hose aside, but only swing it from top to bottom, from bottom to top. And his eyes widened, and it doesn’t occur to him to move even a step to the right or left ...

And Mishka shakes and know yourself getting on with his own:

Come on paint, hurry up!

And Alyonka dances from the side:

I am a turkey! I am a turkey!

... Yes, it was great for us then. Mishka washed clothes for two weeks. And Alyonka was washed in seven waters with turpentine ...

Alexey Akimych was bought a new suit. And my mother did not want to let me into the yard at all. But I still went out, and Aunt Sanya, Raechka and Nelly said:

Grow up, Denis, hurry up, we'll take you to our brigade. Be a painter!

And since then I've been trying to grow faster.

Don't bang, don't bang!

When I was a preschooler, I was terribly compassionate. I couldn't hear anything pathetic at all. And if someone ate someone, or threw him into the fire, or imprisoned him, I immediately began to cry. For example, the wolves ate a goat, and horns and legs remained of him. I roar. Or Babarikha put the queen and the prince in a barrel and threw this barrel into the sea. I'm crying again. But how! Tears run from me in thick streams straight to the floor and even merge into whole puddles.

The main thing is that when I listened to fairy tales, I already prepared myself to cry in advance, even before that most terrible place. My lips were twisted and broken, and my voice began to tremble, as if someone was shaking me by the scruff of the neck. And my mother simply didn’t know what to do, because I always asked her to read me or tell me fairy tales, and a little it came to the terrible, as I immediately understood this and began to shorten the fairy tale on the go. For some two or three seconds before disaster strikes, I was already beginning to ask in a trembling voice: “Skip this place!”

Mom, of course, skipped, jumped from fifth to tenth, and I listened further, but only quite a bit, because in fairy tales something happens every minute, and as soon as it became clear that some kind of misfortune was about to happen again , I again began to yell and beg: “And skip this!”

Mom again missed some bloody crime, and I calmed down for a while. And so, with excitement, stops and quick contractions, my mother and I eventually got to a happy ending.

Of course, I still realized that the tales from all this became somehow not very interesting: firstly, they were very short, and secondly, there were almost no adventures in them at all. But on the other hand, I could listen to them calmly, not shed tears, and then, after such tales, I could sleep at night, and not wallow with open eyes and be afraid until the morning. And that's why I really liked such abbreviated fairy tales. They were so calm. Like cool sweet tea anyway. For example, there is such a fairy tale about Little Red Riding Hood. Mom and I missed so much in her that she became the most a short fairy tale in the world and the happiest. Her mother used to say this:

“Once upon a time there was Little Red Riding Hood. Once she baked pies and went to visit her grandmother. And they began to live, live and make good.

And I was glad that everything turned out so well for them. But, unfortunately, that was not all. I especially experienced another fairy tale, about a hare. This is such a short fairy tale, like a counting rhyme, everyone in the world knows it:

One, two, three, four, five,

The bunny went out for a walk

Suddenly the hunter runs out...

And here I was already beginning to tingle in my nose and my lips parted into different sides, top right, bottom left, and the fairy tale continued at that time ... The hunter, it means, suddenly runs out and ...

Shoots straight at the bunny!

This is where my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't understand how it works. Why is this ferocious hunter shooting directly at the bunny? What did the bunny do to him? What did he start first, or what? After all, no! After all, he wasn't pissed off, was he? He just went out for a walk! And this one, without further ado:

From your heavy shotgun! And then tears began to flow from me, like from a faucet. Because the bunny wounded in the stomach screamed:

He shouted:

Oh oh oh! Farewell, everyone! Farewell, bunnies and bunnies! Goodbye my merry easy life! Farewell, scarlet carrots and crispy cabbage! Farewell forever, my clearing, and flowers, and dew, and the whole forest, where under every bush both a table and a house were ready!

I saw with my own eyes how a gray bunny lies down under a thin birch tree and dies ... I burst into three streams with burning tears and spoiled everyone's mood, because I had to be calmed, and I only roared and roared ...

And then one night, when everyone had gone to bed, I lay on my cot for a long time and remembered the poor bunny and kept thinking how good it would be if this did not happen to him. How really good it would be if all this hadn't happened. And I thought about it for so long that suddenly, imperceptibly for myself, I rewrote the whole story:

One, two, three, four, five,

The bunny went out for a walk

Suddenly the hunter runs out...

Right in the bunny...

Doesn't shoot!!!

Don't bang! Not puff!

Don't oh-oh-oh!

My bunny is not dying!!!

Blimey! I even laughed! How difficult it all turned out! It was the real miracle. Don't bang! Not puff! I put only one short "no", and the hunter, as if nothing had happened, stomped past the bunny in his hemmed boots. And he stayed alive! He will again play in the mornings in the dewy clearing, he will jump and jump and beat with his paws on the old, rotten stump. Such a funny, glorious drummer!

And so I lay in the dark and smiled and wanted to tell my mother about this miracle, but I was afraid to wake her up. And eventually fell asleep. And when I woke up, I already knew forever that I would no longer roar in pitiful places, because now I can intervene at any moment in all these terrible injustices, I can intervene and turn everything around in my own way, and everything will be fine. You just need to say in time: “Don’t bang, don’t bang!”

Paul's Englishman

Tomorrow is the first of September, - said my mother. - 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 the watermelon. When he cut, such a full, pleasant, green crackle was heard that my back turned cold with a premonition of how I would eat this watermelon. And I had already opened my mouth to clutch at a pink watermelon slice, but then the door opened and Pavel 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! - said dad. - Pavel himself. Pavel the Warthog himself!

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

I said:

Hello! - and gave him a place next to him.

Hello! he said and sat down.

And we began to eat and ate for a long time and were silent. We didn't feel like talking.

And what is there to talk about when there is such deliciousness in the mouth!

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

Ah, I love watermelon. Even more. My grandmother never lets me eat it.

And why? Mom asked.

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

It's true, Dad said. - That's why we eat watermelon early in the morning. By evening, its action ends, and you can sleep peacefully. Come on, don't be afraid.

I'm not afraid, - said Pavel.

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

And why, Pavel, haven't been with us for so long?

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

And then Pavel puffed up, blushed, looked around, and suddenly casually let slip, as if reluctantly:

What did he do, what did he do?.. He studied English, that's what he did.

I was right in a hurry. I immediately realized that I spent the whole summer in vain. He fiddled with hedgehogs, played bast shoes, dealt with trifles. But Pavel, he did not waste time, no, you are naughty, he worked on himself, he raised his level of education.

He studied English language 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 lappet!

Well done, Dad said. - I respect!

Pavel just beamed.

A student, Seva, came to visit us. So he works with me every day. It's been two whole months now. Just completely tortured.

What about difficult English? I asked.

Go crazy, - Pavel sighed.

Still not difficult, - intervened dad. - The devil himself will break his leg there. Very difficult spelling. It is spelled Liverpool and pronounced Manchester.

Well, yes! - I said. - Right, Pavel?

It's a disaster," Pavel said. - I was completely exhausted from these activities, I lost two hundred grams.

So why don't you use your knowledge, Pavlik? Mom said. Why didn't you say hello to us in English when you came in?

I haven’t passed the “hello” yet, ”said Pavel.

Well, you ate a watermelon, why didn’t you say “thank you”?

I said, - said Paul.

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

We haven’t reached the “thank you” yet,” Pavel said. - Very difficult preaching.

Then I said:

Pavel, but teach me how to say “one, two, three” in English.

I haven't studied it yet," Pavel said.

What did you study? I shouted. Have you learned anything in two months?

I learned how to say "Petya" in English, said Pavel.

Right, I said. - Well, what else do you know in English?

That's all for now," Pavel said.

Death of the spy Gadyukin

It turns out that while I was sick, it became quite warm outside and there were two or three days left until our spring break. When I came to school, everyone shouted:

Deniska has come, cheers!

And I was very glad that I had come, and that all the guys were sitting in their places - Katya Tochilina, and Mishka, and Valerka - and flowers in pots, and the board was just as shiny, and Raisa Ivanovna was cheerful, and everything, everything, as always . And the guys and I walked and laughed at the break, and then Mishka suddenly made an important look and said:

And we will have a spring concert!

I said:

Mishka said:

Right! We will perform on stage. And the guys from fourth grade we will be shown the show. They wrote it themselves. Interesting!..

I said:

And you, Mishka, will you perform?

Grow up and you'll know.

And I began to look forward to the concert. At home, I told my mother all this, and then I said:

I also want to perform...

Mom smiled and said:

What can you do?

I said:

How, mama, don't you know? I can sing loudly. Do I sing well? You do not look that I have a triple in singing. Still, I sing great.

Mom opened the closet and from somewhere behind the dresses said:

You will sing another time. After all, you were sick ... You will simply be a spectator at this concert. She stepped out from behind the closet. - It's so nice to be a spectator. You sit and watch the artists perform... Good! And another time you will be an artist, and those who have already performed will be spectators. Okay?

I said:

OK. Then I will be a spectator.

And the next day I went to the concert. Mom couldn’t go with me - she was on duty at the institute, - dad had just left for some factory in the Urals, and I went to the concert alone. There were chairs in our big hall and a stage was set up with a curtain hanging on it. And downstairs, Boris Sergeevich was sitting at the piano. And we all sat down, and the grandmothers of our class stood along the walls. And while I was nibbling on an apple.

Suddenly the curtain opened and the counselor Lucy appeared. She said in a loud voice, like on a radio:

Let's start our spring concert! Now a student of the first class "B" Misha Slonov will read us his own poems! Let's ask!

Then everyone clapped and Mishka entered the stage. He walked out rather boldly, reached the middle and stopped. He stood like that for a little while and put his hands behind his back. He stood again. Then he put forward his left foot. All the guys sat quietly and quietly and looked at Mishka. And he removed his left leg and put his right. Then he suddenly began to clear his throat:

Ahem! Ahem!.. Ahem!..

I said:

What are you, Mishka, choking?

He looked at me as if I were a stranger. Then he raised his eyes to the ceiling and said:

Years will pass, old age will come!

Wrinkles will pop up on your face!

I wish you creative success!

And Mishka bowed and climbed off the stage. And everyone clapped for him, because, firstly, the poems were very good, and secondly, just think: Mishka composed them himself! Just well done!

And then Lucy came out again and announced:

Valery Tagilov is speaking, first class "B"!

Everyone clapped even harder again, and Lucy put a chair in the very middle. And then our Valerka came out with his little accordion and sat down on a chair, and put the suitcase from the accordion under his feet so that they would not hang in the air. He sat down and played the Amur Waves waltz. And everyone listened, and I also listened and all the time I thought: “How is it that Valery is fingering so quickly?” And I also began to move my fingers through the air so quickly, but I could not keep up with Valerka. And to the side, against the wall, stood Valerka's grandmother, she conducted little by little when Valerka played. And he played well, loudly, I really liked it. But suddenly he lost his way in one place. His fingers stopped. Valerka blushed a little, but again wiggled his fingers, as if he were letting them run away; but the fingers ran to some place and stopped again, well, just as if they stumbled. Valery turned completely red and began to scatter again, but now his fingers ran somehow timidly, as if they knew that they would stumble again anyway, and I was ready to burst with anger, but at that time in the very place where Valery stumbled twice, his grandmother suddenly craned her neck, leaned forward and sang:

... the waves are silvering,

Silver waves...

And Valerka immediately picked it up, and his fingers seemed to jump over some uncomfortable step and ran further, further, quickly and deftly to the very end. They clapped for him so clapped!

After that, six girls from the first "A" and six boys from the first "B" jumped onto the stage. The girls had colorful ribbons in their hair, while the boys had nothing. They began to dance the Ukrainian hopak. Then Boris Sergeevich hit the keys hard and finished playing.

And the boys and girls were still stomping around the stage on their own, without any music, and it was a lot of fun, and I was about to climb onto the stage too, but they suddenly ran away. Lucy came out and said:

Fifteen minute break. After the break, fourth-grade students will show a play that they composed by the whole team, called "To the dog - dog's death."

And everyone moved their chairs and went in all directions, and I pulled out my apple from my pocket and began to gnaw it.

And our October counselor Lucy was right there, nearby.

Suddenly a rather tall red-haired girl ran up to her and said:

Lucy, can you imagine - Yegorov did not appear!

Lucy threw up her hands.

Can't be! What to do? Who will call and shoot?

The girl said:

We need to immediately find some smart guy, we will teach him what to do.

Then Lucy began to look around and noticed that I was standing and nibbling an apple. She immediately rejoiced.

Here, she said. - Deniska! What better! He will help us! Deniska, come here!

I walked closer to them. The red-haired girl looked at me and said:

Is he really smart?

Lucy says:

Yes, I think so!

And the redhead says:

And so, at first glance, you can not tell.

I said:

You can calm down! I am smart.

End of free trial.

Dragoon Amazing Day: Deniska's stories for children. Read the story The Amazing Day of V. Dragunsky, and other funny Deniskin stories and funny stories for children and school

Amazing Day (summary of the story)

A story about how the guys assemble a rocket to fly into space. Thinking through all the details of her device, they got a very impressive design. And although the friends understood that this was a game, they still almost quarreled over deciding who would be the astronaut. It's good that their game ended well! Here, parents have the opportunity to discuss safety measures. The fact is that the boys put New Year's firecrackers into the pipe from the samovar to simulate the take-off of a rocket. And inside the barrel-rocket was cosmonaut Denis. Fortunately for him, the fuse did not work and the explosion occurred after the boy left the "rocket".

Amazing day (full story)

A few days ago we began to build a platform for launching a spaceship, and we still haven't finished it, but at first I thought that one, two, three, and everything would be ready for us right away. But things somehow didn't work out, and all because we didn't know what it should be, this site.

We didn't have a plan.

Then I went home. He took a piece of paper and drew on it what went where: where is the entrance, where is the exit, where to dress, where the astronaut is being seen off and where to press the button. It all turned out great for me, especially the button. And when I drew the site, I also added a rocket to it. And the first step, and the second, and the astronaut's cabin, where he will lead scientific observations, and a separate nook where he will have lunch, and I even figured out where to wash his face, and invented self-extending buckets for this, so that he would collect rainwater in them.

And when I showed this plan to Alenka, Mishka and Kostya, they all liked it very much. Only buckets Mishka crossed out.

He said:

They will slow down.

And Kostya said:

Of course of course! Take those buckets away.

And Alenka said:

Well, absolutely them!

And then I did not argue with them, and we stopped all unnecessary conversations and set to work.
We got a heavy rammer. Mishka and I pounded the ground with it. And Alenka walked behind us and trimmed our sandals right behind us. They were brand new, beautiful, and after five minutes they turned gray. Repainted from dust.

We perfectly compacted the site and worked together. And another guy joined us, Andryushka, he is six years old. Although he is a little reddish, he is quite smart. And in the midst of work, a window on the fourth floor opened, and Alenka's mother shouted:

Alenka! Home now! Breakfast!

And when Alenka ran away, Kostya said:

It's even better that she's gone!

Mishka said:

It's a pity. However, the labor force...

I said:

Let's fit in!

And we leaned on, and very soon the site was completely ready. The bear examined her, laughed with pleasure and said:

Now the main thing must be decided: who will be the astronaut.

Andryushka immediately responded:

I will be an astronaut, because I am the smallest, I weigh the least!

And Kostya:

That is still unknown. I was sick, do you know how I lost weight? Three kilos! I am an astronaut.

Mishka and I just looked at each other. These little devils have already decided that they will be cosmonauts, but they seem to have forgotten about us.

After all, I came up with the whole game. And, of course, I will be an astronaut!

And as soon as I had time to think so, Mishka suddenly declares:

And who was in charge of all the work here now? BUT? I was in command! So I'll be an astronaut!

I didn't like this at all. I said:

Let's build the rocket first. And then we will do tests for an astronaut. And then we'll set the launch.

They were immediately glad that there was still a lot of play left, and Andryushka said:

Let's build a rocket!

Kostik said:

Correctly!

Mishka said:

Well, I agree.

We began to build a rocket right on our launch pad. There lay a hefty pot-bellied barrel. It used to have chalk in it, but now it was empty. It was wooden and almost completely intact, and I immediately understood everything and said:

This will be the cabin. Any astronaut can fit here, even the real one, not like me or Mishka.

And we put this barrel in the middle, and Kostya immediately dragged some old nobody's samovar from the back door. He attached it to the barrel to pour fuel into it. It turned out very difficult. Mishka and I did internal organization and two windows on the sides: these were portholes for observation. Andryushka dragged a fairly large box with a lid on and pushed it halfway into the barrel. At first I did not understand what it was, and asked Andryushka:

What is this for?

And he said:

What do you mean why? This is the second step!

Mishka said:

Well done!

And our work is in full swing. We got out different paints, and a few pieces of tin, and nails, and strings, and stretched these strings along the rocket, and nailed the tins to the tail unit, and tinted long stripes all over the side of the barrel, and did a lot of other things, you can’t tell everything. And when we saw that everything was ready for us, Mishka suddenly turned off the tap at the samovar, which was our fuel tank. Mishka turned off the faucet, but nothing came out. Mishka got terribly excited, he touched the dry faucet from below with his finger, turned to Andryushka, who was considered our chief engineer, and yelled:

What are you? What have you done?

Andryushka said:

Then Mishka got completely angry and yelled even worse:

Be silent! You Chief Engineer or what?

Andryushka said:

I am the chief engineer. What are you yelling at?

Where is the fuel in the car? After all, in the samovar ... that is, in the tank, there is not a drop of fuel.

And Andryushka:

So what?

Then Bear to him:

But as ladies, then you will know "so what"!

Here I intervened and shouted:

Fill the tank! Mechanic, quick!

And I looked menacingly at Kostya. He immediately realized that he was the mechanic, grabbed a bucket and ran to the boiler room for water. He got half a bucket there hot water, ran back, climbed onto the brick and began to pour.

He poured water into the samovar and shouted:

There is fuel! Everything is fine!

And Mishka stood under the samovar and scolded Andryushka for what the world is worth.

And then water poured on Mishka. She was not hot, but wow, quite sensitive, and when she poured herself over Mishka's collar and head, he was very frightened and jumped back as if scalded. The samovar was, apparently, full of holes. He doused Mishka almost everything, and the chief engineer laughed maliciously:

Serves you right!

Misha's eyes sparkled.

And I saw that Mishka was going to give this impudent engineer in the neck, so I quickly stood between them and said:

Listen, kid, what are we going to call our ship?

- "Torpedo" ... - said Kostya.

Or Spartak, Andryushka interrupted, or Dynamo.

The bear was offended again and said:

No, then CSKA!

I told them:

After all, this is not football! You still call our Pakhtakor rocket! It should be called "Vostok-2"! Because Gagarin simply calls the ship “Vostok”, and we will have “Vostok-2”! .. On, Mishka, paint, write!

He immediately took a brush and began to paint, snuffling his nose. He even stuck out his tongue. We began to look at him, but he said:

Don't interfere! Don't look at your hand!

And we moved away from it.

And at that time I took the thermometer, which I dragged from the bathroom, and measured Andryushka's temperature. He had forty-eight and six. I just clutched my head: I have never seen an ordinary boy have such a high temperature. I said:

This is some kind of horror! You must have rheumatism or typhus. Temperature forty-eight and six! Step aside.

He walked away, but then Kostya intervened:

Now look at me! I want to be an astronaut too!

What a misfortune it turns out: everyone wants it! There is no direct retreat from them. Every little thing, but there too!

I told Kostya:

First, you're after measles. And no mother will allow you to be an astronaut. And secondly, show your tongue!

He immediately stuck out the tip of his tongue. The tongue was pink and wet, but it was hardly visible.

I said:

What are you showing me some tip! Let's get it all out!

He immediately threw out his entire tongue, so that he almost reached the collar. It was unpleasant to look at it, and I told him:

Everything, everything, that's enough! Enough! You can remove your tongue. It's way too long, that's what. It's just awfully long. I even wonder how it fits in your mouth.

Kostya was completely at a loss, but then he came to his senses, closed his eyes and said with a threat:

You don't crack! You just say: am I fit to be an astronaut?

Then I said:

With this language? Of course not! Don't you understand that if an astronaut has a long tongue, he's no good anymore? After all, he will tell everyone in the world all the secrets: where which star is spinning, and all that ... No, you, Kostya, better calm down! With your tongue it is better to sit on the Earth.

Here Kostya blushed like a tomato for no reason. He took a step back from me, clenched his fists, and I realized that now we were going to start a real fight with him. So I also quickly spat into my fists and put my foot forward so that I had a real boxing stance, like in the photo of a lightweight champion.

Kostik said:

Now I'll give a splash!

And I said:

You'll grab two!

He said:

You will roll on the ground!

Consider that you are already dead!

Then he thought and said:

Feel free to get in touch...

Well shut up!

And then Mishka shouted to us from the rocket:

Hey, Kostya, Deniska, Andryushka! Go watch the inscription.

We ran to Mishka and began to look. Wow there was an inscription, only a curve and at the end curled down. Andryushka said:

In great!

And Kostya said:

And I didn't say anything. Because it was written like this: "VASTOK-2".

I did not bother Mishka with this, but went up and corrected both mistakes. I wrote: "VOSTOG-2".

And that's it. The bear blushed and remained silent. Then he came up to me, took me under the visor.

When are you planning to launch? - asked Mishka.

I said:

In one hour!

Mishka said:

Zero zero?

And I answered:

Zero zero!

* * *
First of all, we needed to get the explosives. It wasn't easy, but something came up. Firstly, Andryushka brought ten pieces of Christmas sparklers. Then Mishka also brought some kind of bag - I forgot the name, like boric acid. Mishka said that this acid burns very beautifully. And I brought two crackers, I have had them lying around in a box since last year. And we took a pipe from our samovar-tank, plugged one end with a rag and pushed all our explosives in there and shook it properly. And then Kostya brought some kind of belt from my mother's dressing gown, and we made a fickford cord out of it. We put all our pipe in the second stage of the rocket and tied it with ropes, and the cord was pulled out, and it lay behind our rocket on the ground, like the tail of a snake.

And now we were all set.

Now, - said Mishka, - it's time to decide who will fly. You or me, because Andryushka and Kostya are not suitable yet.

Yes, - I said, - they are not suitable for health reasons.

As soon as I said this, tears immediately began to drip from Andryushka, and Kostya turned away and began to dig the wall, because he, too, probably dripped, but he was embarrassed that he was soon seven, and he was crying. Then I said:

Kostya is appointed as the Chief Igniter!

And Andryushka is appointed as the Main Launcher!

Then they both turned to us, and their faces became much more cheerful, and no tears were visible, just amazing!

Then I said:

Mishka said:

Only, mind you, I think!

The hare-white-where-ran-in-the-forest-oak-what-do-bass-dral-where-
put-the-deck-who-stole-Spyridon-Mor-del-on-tintil-vintile-get out!

Mishka got out. Of course, he is older than both Kostya and Andryushka, but his eyes became so sad that it was not for him to fly, just horror!

I said:

Bear, you will fly on the next flight without any rhyme, okay?

And he said:

Come sit down!

Well, there's nothing you can do about it, I honestly got it. We reckoned with him, and he himself reckoned, but it fell out to me, there's nothing to be done about it. And I immediately climbed into the barrel. It was dark and cramped, especially the second step bothered me. Because of her, it was impossible to lie still, she dug into her side. I wanted to turn around and lie on my stomach: but then I cracked my head on the tank, it was sticking out in front. I thought that, of course, it is difficult for an astronaut to sit in the cockpit, because there is a lot of equipment, even too much! But still, I adapted, and curled up in three deaths, and lay down, and began to wait for the launch.

And now I hear - Mishka screams:

Get ready! Smirrnaa! Launcher, don't pick your nose! Go to the motors.

Available for motors!

And I realized that soon the launch, and began to lie further.

And now I hear - Mishka again commands:

Chief Igniter! Get ready! Light up…

And right away I heard how Kostya was fumbling with his matchbox and, it seems, cannot get a match out of excitement, and Mishka, of course, is stretching the team so that everything fits together - and Kostya's match and his team. Here he is pulling:

And I thought: well, now! Even my heart skipped a beat! And Kostya is still rattling matches. I clearly imagined how his hands were shaking and he could not grasp the match.

And Mishka is his:

Light it up… Come on, you unfortunate wahlya! Fire up…

And suddenly I clearly heard: teal!

- ... burn it! Light it up!

I closed my eyes, cringed, and prepared to fly. It would be great if it was true, everyone would go crazy, and I closed my eyes even tighter. But there was nothing: no explosion, no shock, no fire, no smoke - nothing. And finally I got tired of it, and I yelled from the barrel:

Soon there, right? My whole side is lying down - whining!

And then Mishka climbed into my rocket. He said:

Stuck. Bickford cord failed.

I almost kicked him with my foot in anger:

Oh, you, engineers are called! You can't launch a simple rocket! Well, let me!

And I got out of the rocket. Andryushka and Kostya fiddled with the cord, and nothing came of them. I said:

Comrade Mishka! Get these fools out of business! I myself!

And he went up to the samovar pipe and, first of all, completely tore off their mother's kickford belt. I called out to them:

Well, go away! Alive!

And they all fled in all directions. And I put my hand into the pipe, and again mixed everything there, and laid the sparklers on top. Then I lit a match and put it in the pipe. I shouted:

Hold on!

And ran away. I did not think that there would be anything special, because there, in the pipe, there was nothing like that. I wanted to shout at the top of my voice now: "Bukh, tarrarah!" - like it's a blast to play on. And I already took a breath and wanted to shout louder, but at that time something in the chimney was whistling and whistling! And the pipe flew off the second stage, and began to fly up, and fall, and smoke! .. And then, how it will boom! Wow! It's probably crackers there worked, I don't know, or Mishkin's powder! Bach! Bach! Bach! I must have been a little scared because of this banging, because I saw a door in front of me, and decided to run through it, and opened it, and entered this door, but it turned out to be not a door, but a window, and I just ran into it, so he stumbled and fell right into our house management. There, Zinaida Ivanovna was sitting at the table, and she counted on a typewriter how much to pay for the apartment. And when she saw me, she probably did not immediately recognize me, because I was dirty, straight from a dirty barrel, shaggy and even torn in some places. She simply froze when I fell to her from the window, and she began to brush me off with both hands. She screamed:

What's this? Who is it?

And I must have looked like a devil or some kind of underground monster, because she completely lost her mind and began to shout at me as if I were a neuter noun.

Gone out! Get out of here! Wow it's gone!

And I got to my feet, pressed my hands at my sides and politely said to her:

Hello Zinaida Ivanna! Don't worry, it's me!

And he began to slowly make his way to the exit. And Zinaida Ivanovna shouted after me:

Ah, it's Denis! All right!.. Wait!.. You'll find out from me!.. I'll tell Alexei Akimych everything!

And my mood was very spoiled from these screams. Because Aleksey Akimych is our house manager. And he will take me to my mother and my father will complain, and it will be bad for me. And I thought how good it was that he was not in the house administration, and that I, perhaps, after all, should not catch his eye for two or three days, until everything is settled. And then I again became in a good mood, and I cheerfully and cheerfully left the house management. And as soon as I found myself in the yard, I immediately saw a whole crowd of our guys. They ran and clamored, and in front of them Alexei Akimych ran rather briskly. I was terribly afraid. I thought that he saw our rocket, how it was blown up, and maybe the damned pipe broke the windows or something, and now he is running to look for the culprit, and someone told him that I was the main culprit, and then he saw me, I was right in front of him, and now he will grab me! I thought all this in one second, and while I was thinking it all out, I was already running from Alexei Akimych with all my might, but over my shoulder I saw that he was running after me with all his might, and then I ran past the garden, and to the right, and ran around the fungus, but Alexey Akimych rushed to cut me and splashed through the fountain right in his trousers, and my heart sank into my heels, and then he grabbed me by the shirt. And I thought: that's it, the end. And he intercepted me with both hands under the armpits and how he would throw me up! And I can’t stand it when they lift me up by the armpits: it tickles me, and I writhe like I don’t know who and break out. And here I am looking at him from above and writhing, and he looks at me and suddenly declares for no apparent reason:

Shout "hooray"! Well! Scream "Hurrah" now!

And then I got even more frightened: I thought he was crazy. And that, perhaps, there is no need to argue with him, since he is crazy. And I shouted not too loudly:

Hurrah! .. And what's the matter?

And then Alexei Akimych put me down and said:

And the fact is that today the second cosmonaut was launched! Comrade German Titov! Well, what, not cheers, or what?

Here I will scream:

Of course, cheers! What another wow!

I shouted so loudly that the pigeons jumped up. But Aleksey Akimych smiled and went to his house administration.

And the whole crowd of us ran to the loudspeaker and whole hour they listened to what was being broadcast about Comrade German Titov, and about his flight, and how he eats, and everything, everything, everything. And when there was a break in the radio, I said:

Where is Mishka?

And suddenly I hear:

I'm here!

In fact, it turns out he's right there. I was in such a fever that I didn't even notice it. I said:

Where were you?

I'm here. I'm here all the time.

I asked:

How about our rocket? Did it explode into a thousand pieces?

What you! Wholesome! It's just the pipe rattling like that. And the rocket, what will happen to it? Worth it like nothing happened!

Shall we see?

And when we came running, I saw that everything was in order, everything was intact and you could play as much as you like. I said:

Mishka, and now two, then, astronauts?

He said:

Well, yes. Gagarin and Titov.

And I said:

They must be friends?

Of course, - said Mishka, - what other friends!

Then I put my hand on Mishka's shoulder. He had a narrow shoulder and thin. And we stood quietly and were silent, and then I said:

And we are friends, Mishka. And we will fly together on the next flight.

And then I went to the rocket, and found the paint, and gave it to Mishka to hold. And he stood by and held the paint and watched me paint and sniffed like we were painting together. And I saw another mistake and corrected it too, and when I finished, we took two steps back with him and looked at how beautifully it was written on our wonderful ship VOSTOK-3. .......................................................................................................

* * *

About my dad

When I was little, I had a dad. Viktor Dragunsky. Famous children's writer. Only no one believed me that he was my dad. And I screamed: “This is my dad, dad, dad!!!” And she started to fight. Everyone thought he was my grandfather. Because he was no longer very young. I - late baby. Junior. I have two older brothers - Lenya and Denis. They are smart, scholarly, and quite bald. But they know a lot more stories about dad than I do. But since it wasn’t them who became children’s writers, but I, then they usually ask me to write something about dad.

My dad was born a long time ago. In 2013, on the first of December, he would have turned one hundred years old. And not somewhere there he was born, but in New York. This is how it happened - his mom and dad were very young, got married and left the Belarusian city of Gomel for America, for happiness and wealth. I don’t know about happiness, but they didn’t work out with wealth at all. They ate exclusively bananas, and in the house where they lived, hefty rats ran. And they returned back to Gomel, and after a while they moved to Moscow, to Pokrovka. There my dad did not study well at school, but he liked to read books. Then he worked at a factory, studied acting and worked in the Theater of Satire, and also as a clown in a circus and wore a red wig. Maybe that's why I have red hair. And as a child, I also wanted to be a clown.

Dear readers!!! People often ask me how my dad is doing, and they ask me to ask him to write something else - bigger and funnier. I don’t want to upset you, but my dad died a long time ago when I was only six years old, that is, more than thirty years ago, it turns out. Therefore, I remember very few cases about him.

One such case. My dad was very fond of dogs. He always dreamed of having a dog, only his mother did not allow him, but finally, when I was five and a half years old, a spaniel puppy named Toto appeared in our house. So wonderful. Eared, spotted and with thick paws. He had to be fed six times a day, like a baby, which made mom a little angry ... And then one day my dad and I come from somewhere or just sit at home alone, and we want to eat something. We go to the kitchen and find a saucepan with semolina, and so tasty (I generally can’t stand semolina) that we immediately eat it. And then it turns out that this is Totoshina porridge, which my mother specially cooked in advance to mix it with some vitamins, as it should be for puppies. Mom was offended, of course.

Outrageous is a children's writer, an adult, and ate puppy porridge.

They say that in his youth my dad was terribly cheerful, he was always inventing something, around him there were always the coolest and witty people in Moscow, and at home we always had noisy, fun, laughter, a holiday, a feast and solid celebrities. Unfortunately, I don’t remember this anymore - when I was born and grew up a little, dad was very ill with hypertension, high blood pressure, and it was impossible to make noise in the house. My friends, who are now quite adult aunts, still remember that I had to walk on tiptoe so as not to disturb my dad. Somehow they didn’t even let me in to see him very much, so that I wouldn’t disturb him. But I still penetrated to him, and we played - I was a frog, and dad was a respected and kind lion.

My dad and I also went to eat bagels on Chekhov Street, there was such a bakery with bagels and a milkshake. We were also in the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, we were sitting very close, and when the clown Yuri Nikulin saw my dad (and they worked together in the circus before the war), he was very happy, took a microphone from the ringmaster and sang “Song about hares” especially for us .

My dad also collected bells, we have a whole collection at home, and now I continue to replenish it.

If you read "Deniska's Stories" attentively, you will understand how sad they are. Not all, of course, but some - just very much. I won't name now which ones. You yourself read and feel. And then - let's check. Some are surprised, they say, how did an adult manage to penetrate the soul of a child, speak on his behalf, just as if the child himself had told it? .. And it’s very simple - dad remained a little boy all his life. Exactly! A person does not have time to grow up at all - life is too short. A person only manages to learn how to eat without getting dirty, walk without falling, do something there, smoke, lie, shoot from a machine gun, or vice versa - treat, teach ... All people are children. Well, at least almost everything. Only they don't know about it.

I don't remember much about my dad. But I can compose all sorts of stories - funny, strange and sad. I have this from him.

And my son Tema is very similar to my dad. Well, spilled! In the house in Karetny Ryad, where we live in Moscow, there are elderly pop artists who remember my dad when he was young. And they call Theme just that - "Dragoon offspring." And we, along with Tema, love dogs. We have a lot of dogs at the dacha, and those that are not ours just come to us for lunch. Once a striped dog came, we treated her to a cake, and she liked it so much that she ate and barked with joy with her mouth full.

Xenia Dragunskaya

"He's alive and glowing..."

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

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

- Great!

And I said

- Great!

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

I said:

- No I will not give. Gift. Dad gave before leaving.

The bear pouted and moved away from me. It got even darker outside.

I looked at the gate so as not to miss when my mother comes. But she didn't go. Apparently, I met Aunt Rosa, and they stand and talk and do not even think about me. I lay down on the sand.

Mishka says:

- Can you give me a dump truck?

- Get off, Mishka.

Then Mishka says:

“I can give you one Guatemala and two Barbados for him!”

I say:

- Compared Barbados with a dump truck ...

- Well, do you want me to give you a swim ring?

I say:

- He's screwed on you.

- You'll glue it!

I even got angry.

- Where can I swim? In the bathroom? On Tuesdays?

And Mishka pouted again. And then he says:

- Well, it wasn't! Know my kindness! On the!

And he handed me a box of matches. I took her in hand.

- You open it, - said Mishka, - then you will see!

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

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

“Mishka,” I said, “take my dump truck, do you want to?” Take forever, forever! And give me this star, I'll take it home ...

And I sat like that for a long time, a very long time. And there was no one around. And I forgot about everyone in the 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 cheese, my mother asked:

- Well, how is your dump truck?

And I said:

- I, mother, changed it.

Mom said:

- Interesting! And for what?

I replied:

- To the firefly! Here he is 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 mom 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, it turned out to be better than any dump truck in the world.

Mom looked at me intently and asked:

- And what, exactly, is it better?

I said:

- How can you not understand? After all, he is alive! And it glows!

The secret becomes clear

I heard my mother say to someone in the hallway:

- ... The secret always becomes clear.

And when she entered the room, I asked:

- What does it mean, mother: "The secret becomes clear"?

“And this means that if someone acts dishonestly, they will find out about him anyway, and he will be ashamed, and he will be punished,” my mother said. – Understood?.. Go to sleep!

I brushed my teeth, went to bed, but did not sleep, but all the time I thought: how is it that the secret becomes clear? And I didn’t sleep for a long time, and when I woke up, it was morning, dad was already at work, and my mom and I were alone. I brushed my teeth again and started eating breakfast.

First I ate an egg. This is still tolerable, because I ate one yolk, and shredded the protein with the shell so that it was not visible. But then my mother brought a whole bowl of semolina.

– Eat! Mom said. - No talking!

I said:

- I can’t see semolina!

But my mother screamed:

“Look who you look like!” Poured Koschey! Eat. You must get better.

I said:

- I'm crushing her! ..

Then my mother sat down next to me, put her arm around my shoulders and asked kindly:

- Do you want to go with you to the Kremlin?

Well, still ... I do not know anything more beautiful than the Kremlin. I was there in the Palace of Facets and in the Armory, I stood near the Tsar Cannon and I know where Ivan the Terrible was sitting. And there is still a lot of interesting things. So I quickly answered my mother:

- Of course, I want to go to the Kremlin! Even more!

Then mom smiled.

- Well, eat all the porridge, and let's go. And I'll wash the dishes. Just remember - you have to eat everything to the bottom!

And my mother went to the kitchen.

And I was left alone with the porridge. I spanked her with a spoon. Then he salted it. I tried it - well, it's impossible to eat! Then I thought that maybe there is not enough sugar? He sprinkled sand, tried it ... It got even worse. I don't like porridge, I tell you.

And she was also very thick. If it was liquid, then another thing, I would close my eyes and drink it. Then I took and poured boiling water into the porridge. It was still slippery, sticky and disgusting. The main thing is that when I swallow, my throat contracts itself and pushes this porridge back. Terribly embarrassing! After all, you want to go to the Kremlin! And then I remembered that we have horseradish. With horseradish, it seems that almost everything can be eaten! I took the whole jar and poured it into the porridge, and when I tried it a little, my eyes immediately popped into my forehead and my breathing stopped, and I must have lost consciousness, because I took the plate, quickly ran to the window and threw the porridge out into the street. Then he immediately returned and sat down at the table.

At this time, my mother entered. She looked at the plate and was delighted:

- Well, what a Deniska, what a good fellow! Ate all the porridge to the bottom! Well, get up, get dressed, working people, let's go for a walk in the Kremlin! And she kissed me.

At the same moment the door opened and a policeman entered the room. He said:

- Hello! – and went to the window and looked down. - And also an intelligent person.

- What you need? Mom asked sternly.

- What a shame! - The policeman even stood at attention. - The state provides you with new housing, with all the amenities and, by the way, with a garbage chute, and you pour various muck out the window!

- Do not slander. I don't spill anything!

- Oh, you don't spill it?! The policeman laughed sarcastically. And, opening the door to the corridor, he shouted: - The victim!

And some uncle came to us.

As I looked at him, I immediately realized that I would not go to the Kremlin.

This guy had a hat on his head. And on the hat is our porridge. She lay almost in the middle of the hat, in the dimple, and a little along the edges, where the ribbon is, and a little behind the collar, and on the shoulders, and on the left trouser leg. As soon as he entered, he immediately began to stutter:

– The main thing is that I’m going to be photographed… And suddenly such a story… Porridge… mm… semolina… Hot, by the way, through the hat and then… it burns… How can I send my… ff… photo when I’m covered in porridge?!

Then mother looked at me, and her eyes turned green, like gooseberries, and this is a sure sign that mother was terribly angry.

“Excuse me, please,” she said quietly, “permit me, I’ll clean you up, come here!”

And all three of them went out into the corridor.

And when my mother returned, I was even scared to look at her. But I overcame myself, went up to her and said:

- Yes, mom, you said it right yesterday. The secret always becomes clear!

Mom looked into my eyes. She looked for a long time and then asked:

Did you remember this for the rest of your life?

And I answered:

Don't bang, don't bang!

Mom again missed some bloody crime, and I calmed down for a while. And so, with excitement, stops and quick contractions, my mother and I eventually got to a happy ending.

Of course, I still realized that the tales from all this became somehow not very interesting: firstly, they were very short, and secondly, there were almost no adventures in them at all. But on the other hand, I could listen to them calmly, not shed tears, and then, after such tales, I could still sleep at night, and not wallow with my eyes open and be afraid until morning. And that's why I really liked such abbreviated fairy tales. They were so calm. Like cool sweet tea anyway. For example, there is such a fairy tale about Little Red Riding Hood. Mom and I missed so much in it that it became the shortest fairy tale in the world and the happiest. Her mother used to say this:

“Once upon a time there was Little Red Riding Hood. Once she baked pies and went to visit her grandmother. And they began to live, live and make good.

One, two, three, four, five,
The bunny went out for a walk
Suddenly the hunter runs out...

And here it was already starting to tingle in my nose and my lips parted in different directions, top to the right, bottom to the left, and the fairy tale continued at that time ... The hunter, it means, suddenly runs out and ...

Shoots straight at the bunny!

Bang Bang!

From your heavy shotgun! And then tears began to flow from me, like from a faucet. Because the bunny wounded in the stomach screamed:

Oh oh oh!

He shouted:

- Oh oh oh! Goodbye everyone! Farewell, bunnies and bunnies! Farewell, my cheerful, easy life! Farewell, scarlet carrots and crispy cabbage! Farewell forever, my clearing, and flowers, and dew, and the whole forest, where under every bush both a table and a house were ready!

One, two, three, four, five,
The bunny went out for a walk
Suddenly the hunter runs out...
Right in the bunny...
Doesn't shoot!!!
Don't bang! Not puff!
Don't oh-oh-oh!
My bunny is not dying!!!

That I love

I really like to lie on my stomach on my father's knee, lower my arms and legs and hang on my knee like that, like linen 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 listening to the beetle dig into the box. And I like to get into bed with my dad in the morning to talk with him about the dog: how we will live more spaciously, and buy a dog, and we will work with it, and we will feed it, and how funny and smart it will be, and how she 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 they show, even if it's only tables.

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

I terribly love stories about red cavalrymen, and that they always win.

I like to stand in front of the mirror and make faces like I'm Petrushka from puppet theater. I love sprats too.

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

I love to wave red flags and blow "go away!" at demonstrations.

I love making phone calls.

I love planing, sawing, I know how to sculpt the heads of ancient warriors and bison, and I blinded a capercaillie and a tsar cannon. All this I love to give.

When I read, I like to nibble on crackers or something.

I love guests.

I also love snakes, lizards and frogs. They are so dexterous. I carry them in my pockets. I like to have the snake lying on the table when I have lunch. I love it when my grandmother screams about the frog: “Remove 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 - look, after five minutes it really becomes funny.

When I'm in a good mood, I like to ride. One day my dad and I went to the zoo, and I was jumping 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 a baby elephant. I'll build a garage for him.

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

I like to go to cafes - eat ice cream and drink it with sparkling water. Her nose hurts and tears come to her eyes.

When I run down the hallway, I like to stomp my feet with all my might.

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

“Tomorrow is the first of September,” my mother 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!

I came from the yard after football tired and dirty like I don’t know who. I had fun because we beat house number five with a score of 44:37. Thank God there was no one in the bathroom. I quickly rinsed my hands, ran into the room and sat down at the table. I said:

I, mother, can now eat a bull.

A poster appeared near our house, so beautiful and bright that it was impossible to pass by it indifferently. Various birds were painted on it and it was written: "Songbird Show". And I immediately decided that I would definitely go and see what kind of news this was.

And on Sunday, at two in the afternoon, I got ready, got dressed and called Mishka to take him with me. But Mishka grumbled that he had a deuce in arithmetic - this is one and a new book about spies is two.

Then I decided to go myself. Mom let me go willingly, because I interfered with her cleaning, and I went. Songbirds were shown at the Exhibition of Achievement, and I got there easily by subway. There was almost no one at the box office, and I handed twenty kopecks out the window, but the cashier gave me a ticket and returned ten kopecks back for being a schoolboy. I really liked this.

Once I sat and sat, and for no reason at all suddenly thought up such a thing that I was even surprised myself. I thought how nice it would be if everything around the world was arranged the other way around. Well, for example, for children to be the main ones in all matters and adults should have to obey them in everything, in everything. In general, adults should be like children, and children like adults. That would be great, it would be very interesting.

Firstly, I imagine how my mother would “like” such a story that I go around and command her as I want, and dad would probably “like” it too, but there’s nothing to say about my grandmother. Needless to say, I would remember them all! For example, my mother would be sitting at dinner, and I would say to 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! Don't hold your cheek! Thinking again? Are you solving the world's problems? Chew properly! And don't rock in your chair!"

During the break, our October counselor Lucy ran up to me and said:

- Deniska, can you perform at the concert? We decided to organize two kids to be satirists. Want?

I say:

- I want it all! Only you explain: what are satirists.

Although I am already in my ninth year, I only realized yesterday that I still need to learn lessons. You love, you don’t love, you don’t want to, whether you’re lazy or not, but you need to learn lessons. This is the law. And then you can get into such a story that you don’t recognize your own. For example, I didn't have time to do my homework yesterday. We were asked to learn a piece from one of Nekrasov's poems and the main rivers of America. And I, instead of studying, launched a kite into space in the yard. Well, he still didn’t fly into space, because he had an overly light tail, and because of this he was spinning like a top. This time.

I will never forget this winter evening. It was cold in the yard, the wind was strong, it directly cut the cheeks, as if with a dagger, the snow was spinning with terrible speed. It was dreary and boring, I just wanted to howl, and then dad and mom went to the movies. And when Mishka rang the phone and called me to his place, I immediately got dressed and rushed to him. It was light and warm there and a lot of people gathered, Alenka came, followed by Kostya and Andryushka. We played all the games and it was fun and noisy. And in the end, Alenka suddenly said:

Once we went to the circus with the whole class. I was very happy when I went there, because I was almost eight years old, and I had only been to the circus once, and that was a very long time ago. The main thing is that Alenka is only six years old, but she has already managed to visit the circus three times. It's very embarrassing. And now the whole class of us went to the circus, and I thought how good it was that it was already big and that now, this time, I would see everything as it should. And at that time I was little, I did not understand what a circus was. At that time, when acrobats entered the arena and one climbed on the head of another, I laughed terribly, because I thought that they were doing it on purpose, for laughs, because at home I had never seen adult uncles climbing on top of each other. It didn't happen on the street either.

Works are divided into pages

Deniskin stories by Viktor Dragunsky

Viktor Dragunsky has wonderful stories about the boy Deniska, who are called " Deniska's stories". Many children read these funny stories. It can be said that great amount people grew up on these stories, Deniska's stories”are unusually exactly similar to our society, both in its aesthetic aspects and in its factology. Phenomenon universal love to the stories of Viktor Dragunsky explained quite simply. Reading short but rather meaningful stories about Deniska, children learn to compare and contrast, fantasize and dream, analyze their actions with funny laughter and enthusiasm.

Dragunsky's stories distinguishes love for children, knowledge of their behavior, spiritual responsiveness. The prototype of Deniska is the author's son, and the father in these stories is the author himself. V. Dragunsky wrote not only funny stories, many of which, most likely, happened to his son, but also a little instructive. kind and good impressions remain after thoughtfully read Deniska's stories, many of which were later filmed. Children and adults with great pleasure re-read them many times. In our collection you can read online a list of Deniskin's stories, and enjoy their world in any free minute.

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Deniskin's stories of Viktor Dragunsky: everything about the book. Victor Dragunsky - Amazing day: Fairy tale

* * *

About my dad

"He's alive and glowing..."

The secret becomes clear

Don't bang, don't bang!

That I love

Deniskin stories by Viktor Dragunsky