The boys and someone else

/The Stories/

PART 1

ALEXANDER AND SOMEONE ELSE
----------------------------

THE CAT

Once the daddy has left for his work,  the mum has gone to neighbours for milk. There was small Alexander  alone in the  country-house. He has gone out the house, has stood on the stairs of the porch, and  suddenly in front of him there was a cat from nowhere.
Yes, it was the cat, and he  looked at small Alexander.
What did it make in addition? It started to meow, because wanted to eat.
The cat is strange. Even it is possible to say, this  strange visitor is not known to anybody.
However it is hungry, and small Alexander takes pity on it. Of course, milk was not, and what was at home? It was the cabbage soup on the gasstove, also one piece of the black bread was in the kitchen.
Is it necessary to bring eating for the cat? It would be at all not bad.
He has brought soup in the saucer,  also the slice of the black bread. Eat, become more chearful, become thicker! Alexander is not greedy.
But the guest did not wish to be  thicker with the cabbage soup, with the black bread.
Give some milk to the cat! It looks at small Alexander still and meows still:  asks to eat. Give, it speaks, milk, and then at once I shall become thicker.
- I know, that you want, but it is not present, - the clever boy has told.
Then Alexander has gone  to the garden, has sat there on the bench.
But it was not possible to go away from the cat, because that,  dexterous very much, run immediately there.
And here it has appeared under the bench.
The speedy cat does not listen to his explanations, it does not listen to small Alexander at all,  it begins to meow, asks to eat.
What is going on here?!  It is impossible to take leave of this visitor!. Should small Alexander to hide behind the wooden shed in the garden?
Yes, he has decided to be hidden from the cat behind the shed.
That does not wish to know anything, but at once is there: it appears near small Alexander, does not listen to explanations, it continues to meow, asks to eat.
Small Akexander understood, that it was impossible to be hidden from the cat, because it was hungry. And, of course, the cat is the most strong  of all animals. Was it not so?
It was very well,  the mum  came home and gave milk to the cat.
Otherwise it would be not very well: you do not know, what to do with the beast, which is the strongest in the world, don't you?

THE BONE

At Alexander there was the small friend by name Nboou. If to shout to it some times Nboou, at once it  ran up and started to jump around Alexander's boots. Why?
The small friend did it, because Alexander had two boots:  anybody does not go for a walk in one boot, if has two legs and two boots. Moreover Alexander made it: he shouted in the especial way. Yes, he permitted himself to shout here so: Nboou-nboou-nboou-nboou…
It has turned out, somebody has invited the thick small friend to come up. That should recieve immediately … what? The tasty little bone... bone-bone-bone!
It was clear for the small friend, Alexander wished to see it, if he shouted so assiduously Nboou… If he brought out from his house the soup bone… If he smiled willingly and was not against to scratch behind the ear at the friend.
After that both of them had a walk along the street.
Alexander went... as it was right: in his two boots.
Also the small thick friend  went... as it was right: without boots.
They talked loudly sometimes.
And whatever there Alexander has spoken, the friend has answered, has yelped. Yes, it has begun to give yep with pleasure.
Why? Probably, it has answered so, because anything else has not come  into its mind:  Alexander has done all correctly. He has made just well, when has brought  out from his house the soup bone and when has scratched the shaggy ear at the puppy.

THE  FOOT - BALL

One coast of the lake was low, the dense sharp grass grew there. And another nearby was high, and there was nothing of especially the dense, of the sharp there.
Also it was necessary to say about the gate. There was the very good gate on the coast sand, and it was possible to play football.
Yes, you, Alexander and the daddy,  may play football not on the dense sharp grass, but just on the soft clean sand.
When Alexander beat the fast ball by his leg,  the daddy stood in the gate. He was going to catch the fast ball by his hands. It was once, and once again, and once again, and every time it turned out well at the daddy. It was very enjoyable to look at the skilful goalkeeper.
Alexander has thought:
-  Also it is  possible for him  to look at me, the dexterous goalkeeper. It will be, certainly,  enjoyable for the daddy, will not it?
Here the fast foot-ball is flying to the gate. And Alexander does catch it? He has not time to catch.
That jumps cheerfully, takes pains to turn, and here it is flying there to, where is a lot of the dense grass.
The daddy sends the fast ball into the gate of Alexander once again.
It would be advisable to the goalkeeper to catch the flying ball this time. He wished very much to make it. However it has not happened so, that nothing has impeded him. There was no happy occasion for the daddy to look with pleasure at the dexterous Alexander.
Yes, something has impeded to Alexander, the fast ball has flown up, then has fallen down, then has jumped up cheerfully and  has flown a way into the pond.
Also there was a lot of splashes sparks above the water under the bright sun.
The goalkeeper was frightened very much:
- Oh, this disobedient foot-ball has jumped into the water!
He was frightened, however it was possible at all not to be frightened. 
Did the quick ball fly away? Where it would not fly a way, it is impossible for the ball to sink into the water deep, for it, such quick thick and cheerful.
Is the ball very frisky: it turns all the time and jumps cheerfully? But it is good. It means, the frisky foot-ball is always ready to get just into the gate.
It is not going to volatilize, as if a fast cloud, anywhere far away. Never, by no means. Why?
Probably, because it is very good near the pond: there is the pure white sand on one coast and on another there is the green grass.
The water  is warm in the pond. Above it the sky is blue, and there is the bright  sun there.
Oh, the weather is nice! The nature is remarkable! It is possible for Alexander and the daddy to run freely, to jump as they want, to play football.
It is very good, when you are capable to run, to jump, to play football, when each of you love all around: the bright sun, the tender water, the blue sky.

THE PIGEONS

Alexander went out the room,  thereafter stood on the city balcony,  looked into the blue far distance, and what has he seen? There were roofs of houses, clouds in the dark blue sky there.
Next day, when has wanted to admire the roofs again, he has not noticed any more them. Why?
Alexander did not see anything else, because the sky was very beautiful and birds among clouds too were very beautiful. For this reason he has noticed only blue sky and birds among clouds.
Birds were turning in the distance cheerfully so....So dexterously they flew  far in there, in the sky... You do not want even, and in any case you will be lost in contemplation of them!
Certainly, it is possible to envy  to these habile doves, which can fly adorablely fast.
But if you will make the paper pigeon, if then you will start up it to  the sky … Yes, it will be not possible for you to soar among the clouds. But it is possible  to present for yourself, that now you turn above trees near the house together with the  birds.
When the summer has ended, the doves have disappeared  at all.  It was boring for them to turn and to turn above the grey naked trees, which have lost the magnificent green dresses. Therefore they have  flown, of course, somewhere far away.
But once in the autumn… yes, in the court-yard the spring has become, and it was much more cheerful. The bird has started to turn above grey maples and poplars.
Near the house the pigeon, white and very beautiful,  has flown and has turned again and again  above the trees.
All around have looked at the dove, have thought: why has  it begun to fly here?
Alexander has started up the white bird, white, paper and beautiful, into the sky. He has done it in order that in the sad grey autumn it was more cheerful near the house.

MIRACLES

When Alexander has become a little more older, he stayed  once in village, where has lived his grandmother. And he has decided to go to the grandmother's sister, who has lived nearby, in other village.
Here he goes by the meadow, and what does he see suddenly?  The oaklet is standing not far. Now I shall do it, thinks:  I shall come up to  the oaklet and shall look, whether there are acorns on it.
Alexander has walked leisurely. It is very nice  to walk along the meadow, where there are a lot of songs of birds. Here skylarks sing, also other singers take pains.
He sees the small ravine.
The streamlet  has murmured in it, as if a cheerful bird.
Well, he has gone downwards, wandered along the stream and when has risen from the rivulet, there was not any oaklet in front of Alexander. He has solved: that has seemed to him. And now it is necessary to go on a  visit to the sister of the grandmother as soon as possible.
He has run more quickly, but  what has Alexander seen slightly in the distance?  Also the oaklet stands on one side. There is again a ravine here.   
And by the way the streamlet has rung there: has hastened to a big river.
Why was it not to  listen the song of the streamlet?
He has gone downwards, wandered along this ravine. And when Alexander has gone up, already...
Where was that oaklet? It was not in front of him.
And it turned out again, that the small tree seemed simply to Alexander.
All right,  he solved: always anything can  happen, when the sun bakes and the air is very hot. And then here you will see  unusual something, will not it?  Even the mirages may be seen. Is it correctly?
When he came back home to the native grandmother,   began to tell to her about miracles, about these mirages.
That has told to him:
- They happen.  But today there was nothing of the very interesting . I know these oaklets, that grow at some distance from each other. You would not jump along ravines, would not run forward, as if the scared deer. Here mirages would leave you alone.
He went on a visit to the sister of the grandmother again, soon after he saw the oaklets
It is quite possible to be going, when you know about miracles. It is possible even to listen to singing of streamlets. And then you can say to the sister of the grandmother: tell to me, please, some tale!
All grandmothers know about that, what never was. Who will  tell any fairy tale  better, than they?
The native grandmother of Alexander  too is able to tell any histories. She knows about mirages a lot of very interesting things.
But when there is a lot of them, and  even there is much more ... who does know about all miracles? And who does know completely all about them?
Therefore...   
Sometime each boy will want necessarily to take a walk in a spacious field in order that to learn unusual something. Is not it the truth? 



PART 2            

ANDY AND SOMEONE ELSE
------------------------

THE  DUCKS   

Andy has come to the coast of the pond.
And what has the cheerful  little boy wanted to do near the water? He has started to throw the small stones there to, and here to, and even a little  further, almost to the middle of the pond.
The grass was on the coast, and there was a lot of the grass, both tall, and not very tall. But something else to throw to the middle of the pond  … of the such was very little.
Here cheerful Andy looks for anything.
While he searched small stones and little sticks, ducks arrived, and they allowed to themselves to splatter with pleasure in the warm water.
- Oh! - Andy has told. - You are just necessary for me! It will be now cheerful. You will dance!
All immediately, everything, that the cheerful boy has found on the pond's coast,  all  has started to fly to the water.
Stones and sticks were not necessary to ducks, and they flew up immediately... yes, they decided, that it would be better to fly away more soon.
What was not pleasant for Andy? On the pond someone does not submit to the boy. Someone flies away. It seems, there someone does not want to have fun together with cheerful Andy.
Therefore there was  somebody on the pond, who became not cheerful and went  home to complain of birds.
He has complained to the mum.
Yes, he made it, and what did she make then? Immediately there was the prompting for Andy: it would be better, if not to throw various stones to birds.
Then the cheerful boy, who became now not cheerful at all, began to say to the older brother, to the older sister:
- Here ducks are not good! They do not want to dance!
Andy takes offence, and all are cheerful around him: it will be better to ask all of us to dance!

THE APPLE

Today Andy is upset since the morning.
He got the apple. It was here such: big and red. Very big, very red. And, certainly,  it was to be very tasty.
He did not bite off even a small slice, but knew all equally precisely:  it was at all not bad to have such remarkable refreshments. Because this ripe big and very red apple could not be tasteless.
However why was he upset so strongly?
It was for that simple reason, that there was nothing similar neither at the daddy, nor at the mum. They went here and there... yes, they were without any gift apples, as if it was necessary.
They, of course, did not accost to Andy. Neither the daddy, nor  the mum did not ask: give me, please, to  bite  this tasty apple though one time.
However it would be desirable for him… also they were to have gifts, big and ripe. Red and tasty.
Here Andy was going around the daddy, around the mum, was going half an hour and, of course, was upset.
And then … whether it has bored him here to wander so, whether it has bored to be upset. But he has taken the knife and has cut the apple. Now Andy had not the unhurt apple, but four tasty pieces of the apple were in front of him.
The daddy received the possibility to have breakfast well, and this breakfast was very good, deliciously tasty. The mum was not left without tasty refreshments too. The daddy told  “thanks” to Andy. And the mum did  it too.
Now at  Andy there was no reason to be going, endlessly to be upset.
And when the daddy and the mum have refused to get the additional tasty food, how many pieces of the greater ripe apple has Andy recieved?  Not more, not less… but, no doubt,  he had now two slices!
There was no need to be upset now. Go and be happy: the apple was divided into four parts, and it was for the daddy and the mum the tasty gift.
Be pleased: all of them are happy.
The apple was one, and the pleasure for all was more, than amply. It will happen always necessarily,  if you will manage to slice an apple in four parts.

THE  RAFT

The house stood on the coast of the small stream. The elder brother of Andy has choped firewood for the stove, and the mum has begun to bake pies. One of them was with cabbage, others were with meat.
Andy has thought:
« Pies will be, of course, useful. I know it exactly. But the brother has split not all woodblocks. If to knock together them by some wood plates, the raft will turn out. And it will be useful too. »
Here he has taken four woodblocks.Then he has taken nails.
And just thereafter Andy, as it was necessary for him, began to knock together by nails his raft. When the raft was ready, he became to drag it to the water. Here Andy sees: the brother is in front of him.
The brother tells to him:
- I see the raft. And where it will be useful, I do not know.
Andy was surprised. Is not it clearly for everybody?
- It will float... will float very well!   
- On the river, maybe, your raft will swim for a while. On our little stream …  there will be a place only for one small  goose.
The brother has gone away. It is not necessary for him to split firewood, because something another is necessary. He is interested in pies: in those, which were with meat, also in that, which was with cabbage.
« All right, -  Andy has thought . - the raft will wait, when the little stream can be here the big river. Yes, the raft will wait, but our pies …of course, they should not wait. »
Andy was clever, and especially, it would be advisable to know for all, he was clever as regards pies, though with cabbage, though with meat.
And about woodblocks … there is the elder brother in order that some small goose would not  laugh here. Is it correctly?

THE GREATER GNU

The day was good. The day was warm. And just this day Andy has come with the grandfather to the zoological gardens.
Here, if you will wish, you can go for a drive on the circle in the bogie. The little horse carried this bogie.
Besides it at each corner sellers have suggested to eat  ice-cream in a wafer glass. 
Andy did not refuse two times, did not refuse to mop up everything, that was in a glass: in the beginning  he ate the first ice-cream and in half an hour ate the second one.
And here when he ate to satiety, the grandfather and the grandson were seen by the antelope gnu.  It, as soon as has noticed them,  has approached  at once to the fence and has set huge horns to the visitors of the zoo.
It began to become coldly in the stomach of Andy. Whether it was because of two portions of ice-cream, whether another momentous reason was here, however it happened so.
Anyway he wanted to be far away from huge horns of the antelope  this clear and warm day.
He began to move aside, as it was desirable for him to be from the fence farther, and told to the grandfather:
- It became here coldly for me. Maybe, it will be better, if we shall go home. Mum, I think, has welded already the soup for the dinner.
The grandfather was surprised:  the grandson had very big appetite today!
But he did not begin to object, because since the morning he did not eat a soup and some ice-cream too. In the stomach he did not have anything, that  was hot enough or cold exclusively.
And they went home: the got hungry grandfather, Andy with the full, but cold stomach, and the antelope gnu also began to wend to its place. It became boring to the antelope to stand near the fence, therefore  it went to its small house under the big branchy tree.
At home Andy has thought  well  and  has guessed  about  some things. Therefore he has told so:
- There are many terrible animals in the zoo. But it is quite possible to have a walk. There is ice-cream in a wafer glass. And the grandfather is always close by. Whether should I be afraid? I should not.
And what did the antelope think  in the small house under the branchy tree?
It is necessary to answer so. There are horns at the gnu, and you can see well it.
But are there thoughts at the antelope about boys? About boys, who are not against to have a walk with the grandfather in the very beautiful  zoo? It will be difficult for everybody to see, will not it?

 
PART 3

THE  RAILWAY, THE FOREST ROAD
------------------------------------

There was time, when I began to study in school and went to the first class. Be assured, nobody here is mistaken. It is absolutely exactly, because I could not go to the second class. The whole year. 
And when I have gone to the second class, it has appeared  near the school… .the bridge was  constructed through railway tracks. And now I could be going here and there not simply so, not  simply through usual crossing with a barrier, but just along the big bridge.
It was very good, though the school remained to stand on its place, not nearer to my house:  on other side of railway tracks. Why has it turned out such remarkable?
Now it was possible for me to stand on the bridge and to count  any carriages in trains.
Once I have stood  long,  have counted tirelessly. The train was very long. It was a lot of railway cars:  you will not manage  to take and to count all of them during one moment.
Here the man has approached to me and has told:
-  I see, you count diligently. By the by I should count well too. Why? I am the railwayman, and it is necessary to me here to make from carriages the correct train . Do you know, what at you is wrong, though all at you is correctly about carriages? Excuse, but today I have made the very long train.  Because of it you will be late to get to the school. Have I counted up correctly?
The railwayman was right, and I rushed off into my class: not into the first, but just into the second class of the school.
Excuse me, but I was small. I learnt to count recently, therefore thought: "What was the most important for me, for all boys? It was just to learn to count."
And little bit later it became understandablely  to me: it was not necessary to forget about all those sciences, which were not mathematics and which were necessary too!
How has it turned out?
After school I came back home.
It was possible for me to have a walk on the city streets, but I went straight  through the city park, where was a lot of  centenary lindens, magnificent pines and young maples.
There was the beginning of the autumn. Trees stood … some of them were green, others  were yellow or red. The sun gleamed through multi-coloured leaves. It was brightly, joyfully in the park. The air was breezy and even … you will not believe … the air was even tasty.
I was small. And the old lindens were big , very big. It seemed to me, that their tops got up to clouds. Have I got into a kingdom of terrible giants?
The trees were not terrible, they were cheerful. Their foliage was played by paints of a rainbow.  I have got into the center of the autumnal  multi-coloured carnival, however it was not noisy, this carnival was silent and very genial.
O, I have understood, that the remarkable miracle was in front of me! The  forest miracle, where was so much beauty, that it was necessary for me to do the stop and to admire trees long, also the sky and the ground.
I had no desire to hurry up home. I went slowly, breathed tasty air with pleasure. The path has led out me to the alley. What has the worker of park done there in this time? He has put new trees, these green seedlings, and  I have stoped again.
All small trees were in the  long chain. Also it was clear, further, when I shall become older, here all around will be even finer: trees will be more high, more luxurious, and foliage of lindens, of maples will be more magnificent.
And now I must say, it would be desirable for me to participate in the celebration too. In what? But the autumnal carnival and the plantings of all these new small trees in the park were the happy greater celebration for boys, for all inhabitants of our city, were not  they?
Just here it occurred to me:  it will be simply remarkable, when you will know secrets of park's plants, also mysteries of the ground and of the sky. Therefore it is not bad to know  mathematics…  and other sciences too.
Since then all school subjects became interesting for me. The guess has come to me: different knowledges are necessary to children.
They are necessary in order  that all of us become useful, though for the railway, though for any road …. Though for that forest road, that will grow in new quarters of the city park.
Whereat I had a walk often along new alleys in the park, until it happened so: I left for the big city to study. And there was  more, than one park in the new place.  It seems to me,  there was more, than ten in that city.
Yes, I was not a bit big, when it became understandablely for me, that the wood with its trees and bushes is both a gladness, and a grandeur. From those days I know precisely: it is good, if everywhere, around of all cities, there will be many woods.
Our Earth  should be green, then it will be cosy to children and to adults to live on the Globe, should not it? But for this purpose it is necessary to know a lot of things about any plants, to love them very much, to be able to cherish all these trees, bushes, flowers.
Many years ago I saw the new railway bridge,  old and young lindens. Since then I cannot forget the holiday:  the little forest path among the multi-coloured autumnal carnival.
I like to recollect  the magic path. Why? But it is that  path, on which I was going home slowly, when was the very small boy!