Чудоба, или Приключения Алочки и Васи

– Ah,…yes! – pronounced Baba Galya chewing her aromatic sweet.

Whengrandmotherstaredtellingaboutherchildhood, Katusha was narrowing her eyes and imagining that little Galochka – Alochka –is a girl from nursery, that they often walk holding their hands, that they’ve been friends for a long time and they share the most intimate secrets. And everybody says: surprising the way Katusha and Alochka are alike: their smiles, figures and vivacity of characters!

Lookingatthesparklinginterestinthegranddaughter’s eyes, grandmother continued.

It was winter in one small village in the Urals where was located my grandfather’s military base. Dad was at work, and we with my brother Vasya and mother were preparing for the New Year. I was about ten years old, Vasya – about fi Well, we decided with my brother while mum was cooking lunch to go and fetch a Christmas tree. Of course, we said nothing to our mum, we just took our skis, dad’s handsaw and headed towards the forest that was next to us – over the fi We went from one tree to another and couldn’t possibly fi an appropriate one.

– Do you like this one? – Alochka asked her brother once again.

– Nope. It’s clooked, – answered scrupulous Vasya mispronouncing the sound “r”.

– Well, you’re right. Let’s move on, – sighed Alochka. – And this one, look, is it good? – asked sister hoping to win his approval.

– That’s is too small, Petka has a bigger one! – answered one meter tall chief having bent the brows.

– Petka, Petka! And how long are are we going to climb snowbanks? Do you know that the sunset is soon? Maybe, mum is already looking for us, and we haven’t chosen a tree yet, – elder sister started to resent, – but what tree do you want? You don’t know yourself! I’ll cut down the first available tree and we’ll go home, you see! – said Alochka almost switching to yelling.

– With cones, – grumbled Vaska.

– What?

– With cones, downy and big, – lisped younger brother strictly specifying the necessary qualities for the tree.

Aloshka stopped near a tall tree and raised her head up.

– So, commander. Be here, I’m going to get a tree with cones. Look, this one is good? – Alochka asked Vasya pointing at the very top of the huge, old, branchy spruce that was full of cones.

– Yes! – brother cried joyfully.

Determined Alochka climbed up. Soon, Vasya lost sight of her. He had fun walking in the forest, but it was getting colder and colder to stand and to wait for sister.

– Ala, you finif soon? – younger brother started whimpering. – I am cold…what are you doing there for such a long time?

– I am sawing. I am also cold, but I stay patient. Isn’t that you who want to have a beautiful Christmas tree with cones at the top? – he heard the sister’s voice from somewhere above.

After a while a plaintive voice of the operation commander peeped.

– Galka, get down, I don’t want these curfed cones, I hear wolves earn… it’s getting dark, I’m so cold… I’m scared…

– Do five steps back from the tree! Do you hear me, Vasya? – cried Alochka with all her strength.

Only the fact that the sawn top of the tree drooped over a big lower twig saved him, terribly frozen, from being hit. Alla jumped off and only then she realized how she risked after having thrown the tree.

– Alochka, you are here, hullay! Let’s go home! – Vasiliy threw himself in his sister’s warm arms.

–Well, pal, we’vefoundthemostbeautiful Christmas tree in the village! I’ll carry you! – commanded sister for whom Vaska’s life was more important that the trophy recovered from the nature.

– Okay… – said brother with chattering teeth.

Vaska climbed up the tree, and Alla pulled it jerkily as she could, she had put the tree on Vasya’s skis.

The adventurers saw clearly the house over the forest gap and the field, but now they were exhausted and with the huge load they had an impression that there are thousands of kilometers to it.

Perhaps, they would have frozen there if their father hadn’t found them who was back from work.

– Hello, children! Where have you found such a tree with cones? – he was surprised and out of breath after a run through snowbanks.

– W-w-we have sa-a-a-wn the top of the tree there… – reported the commander of the operation with the frozen lips.

– Good job, the tree is outstanding! Well, but I see that we should save the soldier! – said dad taking son in his arms. – Vasya and the tree, it’s up to me, and you, Galina, run ahead, calm your mother that you’ve been found. And promise that in winter, at night, alone, you will never go to the fi without adults. Okay?

– Okay. And mother will scold me?

– You’ve made a mess. Take rap.

– Katushka was listening to her granny without twinkling eyes.

That was the mother who had the most of the problems because she hadn’t kept an eye oh the children, and this New Year she was a bit sad. But the thin on one side tree was anyway the most beautiful in the village. Some cones came off undamaged and made sincerely jealous local kids, – Baba Galya fi her story.

– Well, girls, take a forest beauty! – shouted loudly ruddy grandpa who was at the door with a huge, downy tree.

– Wow, grandpa, good job! It smells so good! Now we’ll have the real New Year like in your childhood, that’s right, granny? – Katushka was glad jumping around the green guest.

Baba Galya smiled, barely noticeable tears gleamed in her eyes.

Неожиданный

костюм

Замечательное время – новогодние праздники! Дома тепло и весело. Взрослые улыбаются и никуда не спешат.

На кухне сегодня были все: от мала до велика. Мама резала салаты, бабушка взбивала тесто для торта. Катюшка, которую сегодня не увели в садик, сосредоточенно, выпятив губки, чистила пятую дольку чеснока.

– Катюш, – ласково сказала мама, – по-моему, уже хватит. Даже папа, который обожает всё острое, может испугаться свекольного салата, если я положу в тарелку ещё пять зубчиков!

– Тогда мы отдадим этот салат Деду Морозу, – серьёзно парировала дочка.

– А почему именно ему? – спросила с улыбкой любопытная баба Галя.

– Ба, посмотри в окошко. Видишь – там холодно. Это Дел Мороз едет на санях по лесу. Замёрз,

наверное. Наш салат с чесноком его согреет. Выгонит все его сопли, – потянувшись ещё за одной долькой

чеснока, шмыгнув носом, сказала старательная внучка.

Мама с бабушкой хихикнули. У Кати сегодня было прекрасное настроение. Она выспалась, не капризничала, помогала готовить праздничный ужин, да и взрослые, к её удивлению, тоже сильно изменились. Взять, к примеру, маму. Даже

когда у неё был день рождения и она ждала гостей, её взгляд был серьёзным, озабоченным. Сегодня же мама была совсем другая – весёлая, расслабленная, очень-очень красивая.