Nikolai Nikolaevich Nosov. Bengal lights. Nosov Nikolai Nikolaevich The story of sparklers

Page 1 of 2

How much trouble Mishka and I had before the New Year! We have been preparing for the holiday for a long time: we glued paper chains on the Christmas tree, cut out flags, made different Christmas decorations. Everything would be fine, but then Mishka took out the book “Entertaining Chemistry” somewhere and read in it how to make sparklers himself.
This is where the mess started! For whole days he ground sulfur and sugar in a mortar, made aluminum filings and set fire to the mixture for testing. The whole house was filled with smoke and smelled of suffocating gases. The neighbors were angry, and no sparklers worked.
But Mishka did not lose heart. He even invited many guys from our class to his Christmas tree and boasted that he would have sparklers.
─ They know what! ─ he said. ─ They sparkle like silver and scatter in all directions in fiery splashes. I say to Mishka:
─ What have you done? I called the guys, but there will be no sparklers.
─ Why not? Will be! There's still plenty of time. I can do everything.
On New Year's Eve, he comes to me and says:
─ Listen, it's time for us to go for the Christmas trees, otherwise we will be left without Christmas trees for the holiday.
─ It's late today, ─ I answered. - We'll leave tomorrow.

─ Well, tomorrow we have to decorate the Christmas tree.
─ Nothing, I say. ─ It is necessary to decorate in the evening, and we will go in the afternoon, right after school.
Mishka and I decided a long time ago to go to Gorelkino for Christmas trees, where we lived with Aunt Natasha in the country. Aunt Natasha's husband worked as a forester and in the summer he told us to come to his forest for Christmas trees. I even begged my mother in advance to let me go to the forest.
The next day I come to Mishka after dinner, and he sits and crushes sparklers in a mortar.
─ What, ─ I say, ─ couldn't you have done earlier? It's time to go, and you're busy!
─ Yes, I did it before, but I probably didn't add enough sulfur. They hiss, smoke, but do not burn.
─ Come on, it won't work anyway.
─ No, it will probably come out now. You just need to add more sulfur. Give me an aluminum pan, over there on the windowsill.
─ Where is the saucepan? It's just a frying pan, I say.
─ A frying pan?.. Oh, you! Yes, this is the former pan. Give her here.
I handed him the frying pan, and he began to scrape it around the edges with a file.
─ It means that the saucepan has turned into a frying pan? ─ I ask.
─ Well, yes, ─ Mishka says. ─ I sawed it with a file, sawed it, so it became a frying pan. Well, nothing, a frying pan is also needed on the farm.
─ What did your mother say to you?
─ She didn't say anything. She hasn't seen it yet.
─ When will he see it?
─ Well, well... If he sees, he will see. When I grow up, I'll buy her a new pan.
─ It's a long wait for you to grow up!
- Nothing.
Mishka scraped sawdust, poured out the powder from the mortar, poured glue, stirred it all, so that he got a dough like putty. From this putty he made long sausages, wound them on iron wires and laid them out on plywood to dry.
─ Well, ─ he says, ─ they will dry up ─ and they will be ready, just need to hide from Druzhok.
─ Why hide from him?
- Gobble up.
─ How ─ will he gobble up? Do dogs eat sparklers?
- I don't know. Others may not eat, but Druzhok does. Once I left them to dry, I went in - and he gnawed at them. I guess I thought it was candy.
─ Well, hide them in the oven. It's warm there, and Druzhok won't get it.
- You can't go into the oven either. Once I hid them in the oven, and my mother came and flooded them - they burned down. I'd rather put them on the closet, ─ says Mishka.
Mishka climbed onto a chair and put the plywood on the cabinet.
─ You know what Druzhok is, ─ Mishka says. ─ He always grabs my things! Remember, he dragged my left shoe in, so we couldn't find him anywhere. Then I had to walk in felt boots for three days, until other shoes were bought. It's warm outside, and I walk around in felt boots, as if frostbitten! And then, when we bought other shoes, we threw away this shoe, which was the only one left, because who needs it ─ one shoe! And when they threw it away, the boot that was lost was found. It turned out ─ his friend dragged him into the kitchen under the stove. Well, we threw that shoe away too, because if the first one had not been thrown away, then the second one would not have been thrown away, and since the first one was thrown away, then the second one would also be thrown away. So they both threw it away. I say:
─ Enough talk! Get dressed, you have to go. The bear got dressed, we took an ax and rushed to the station. And then the train just left, so we had to wait for another one. Well, nothing, wait, let's go. We drove, we drove, we finally arrived. We got off at Gorelkino and went straight to the forester. He gave us a receipt for two Christmas trees, showed us a plot where it was allowed to cut down, and we went into the forest. There are a lot of Christmas trees around, only Mishka didn’t like them all.
─ I am such a person, ─ he boasted, ─ if I go to the forest, I will cut down the most the best Christmas tree and it's not worth the trip. We climbed into the thicket.
─ We must cut quickly, ─ I say. ─ Soon it will start to get dark.
─ Why cut when there is nothing to cut!
─ Yes, ─ I say, ─ a good Christmas tree.
The bear looked at the Christmas tree from all sides and says:
─ Of course she's good, but not quite. To tell the truth, not at all good: short.
─ How is it ─ short?
- The top is short. I don’t need such a Christmas tree for nothing!
We found another tree.
─ This one is lame, says Mishka.
─ How ─ lame?

─ Yes, limping. You see, her leg is bent at the bottom.
─ Which leg?
- Well, the trunk.
─ Trunk! That's what I would say! We found another tree.
─ Bald, ─ Mishka says.
─ You yourself are bald! How can this tree be bald?
─ Of course, bald! You see how sparse she is, everything shines through. One trunk is visible. Just not a Christmas tree, but a stick!
And so all the time: now bald, then lame, then some other!
─ Well, ─ I say, ─ listening to you ─ you won’t cut down the Christmas tree until the night!
I found a suitable Christmas tree for myself, cut down and gave the ax to Mishka:
─ Hurry Ruby, it's time for us to go home.
And he seemed to undertake to search the whole forest. I already asked him and scolded him ─ nothing helped. Finally, he found a Christmas tree to his liking, cut it down, and we went back to the station. We walked and walked, but the forest never ends.
─ Maybe we're going in the wrong direction? ─ Mishka says. We went to the other side. We walked, we walked ─ everything is a forest and a forest! This is where it starts to get dark. We're going to turn one way, then the other. Completely lost.
─ You see, ─ I say, ─ what have you done!
─ What have I done? It's not my fault that evening came so soon.
─ And how many trees did you choose? And how much did you spend at home? I'll have to spend the night in the forest because of you!
─ What are you! Mishka got scared. ─ After all, the guys will come today. We must find a way.
It soon got completely dark. The moon sparkled in the sky. Black tree trunks stood around like giants. We could see wolves behind every tree. We stopped and were afraid to go forward.
─ Let's scream! ─ Mishka says. Here we how to scream together:
─ Ah!
"Ay!" echo answered.
─ Ah! Whoa! ─ we shouted again with all our might. “Ay! Aw!" echo repeated.
─ Maybe we should not shout? ─ Mishka says.
─ Why?
─ The wolves will hear and come running.
─ There are probably no wolves here.
─ What if there is! We'd better go soon. I say:
─ Let's go straight, otherwise we won't get out on the road.
We went again. The bear looked around and asked:
─ What do you do when wolves attack if you don't have a gun?
─ Throw burning firebrands at them, I say.
─ Where can I get them, these firebrands?
─ Make a fire ─ here are some firebrands for you.
─ Do you have any matches?
- No.
─ Can they climb a tree?
─ Who?
- Yes, wolves.
─ Wolves? No, they can't.
─ Then, if we are attacked by wolves, we will climb a tree and stay until morning.
─ What are you! Can you sit on a tree until the morning!
─ Why don't you stay?
─ You will freeze and fall down.
─ Why are you freezing? We're not cold.
─ We are not cold because we are moving, but if you try to sit on a tree without moving, you will immediately freeze.
─ Why sit still? ─ Mishka says. ─ You can sit and kick your feet.
─ You'll get tired ─ the whole night on the tree with your feet kicking! We tore through thick bushes, stumbled over tree stumps, drowned knee-deep in snow. Walking became harder and harder.
We are very tired.
─ Let's drop the trees! ─ I say.
─ It's a pity, ─ Mishka says. ─ The guys will come to me today. How will I be without a Christmas tree?
─ Then we ourselves, ─ I say, ─ get out! What else to think about Christmas trees!
─ Wait, ─ Mishka says. ─ One needs to go forward and tread the road, then it will be easier for the other. We will take turns changing.
We stopped, rested. Then Mishka went ahead, and I followed him. They walked, walked ... I stopped to shift the Christmas tree to the other shoulder. I wanted to go further, I look - no Mishka! He disappeared, as if he had fallen into the ground along with his Christmas tree.

I'm screaming
- Bear!
And he doesn't answer.
- Bear! Hey! Where are you going?
No answer.
I walked carefully forward, I looked - and there was a cliff! I nearly fell off a cliff. I see something dark moving down below.
─ Hey! Is that you, Mishka?
─ Me! I feel like I've rolled down a mountain!
─ Why don't you answer? I'm screaming, screaming...
─ You will answer here when I hurt my leg! I went down to it, and there is a road. The bear sits in the middle of the road and rubs his knee with his hands.
─ What's wrong with you?
- I hurt my knee. The leg, you know, turned up.
- Does it hurt?
─ It hurts! I'll sit.
─ Well, let's sit down, ─ I say. We sat down with him in the snow. We sat, we sat, until the cold hit us. I say:
─ You can freeze here! Maybe we can go down the road? She will lead us somewhere: either to the station, or to the forester, or to some village. Do not freeze in the forest!
Mishka wanted to get up, but immediately groaned and sat down again.
─ I can't, he says.
─ What should we do now? Let me carry you on my back, I say.
─ Can you tell?
- Let's try.
The bear got up and started climbing onto my back. Grunted, grunted, climbed by force. Heavy! I doubled over in three deaths.
─ Well, take it! ─ Mishka says.
I just walked a few steps, slipped ─ and fell into the snow.
- Hey! - Mishka yelled. ─ My leg hurts, and you're throwing me into the snow!
─ I didn't do it on purpose!
─ You wouldn't take it if you can't!
─ Woe to me with you! ─ I say. ─ Either you were fiddling with sparklers, or you were choosing a Christmas tree until dark, and now you got hurt... You will disappear here with you!

Page 1 of 2

How much trouble Mishka and I had before the New Year! We have been preparing for the holiday for a long time: we glued paper chains to the Christmas tree, cut out flags, and made various Christmas tree decorations. Everything would be fine, but then Mishka took out the book “Entertaining Chemistry” somewhere and read in it how to make sparklers himself.
This is where the mess started! For whole days he ground sulfur and sugar in a mortar, made aluminum filings and set fire to the mixture for testing. The whole house was filled with smoke and smelled of suffocating gases. The neighbors were angry, and no sparklers worked.
But Mishka did not lose heart. He even invited many guys from our class to his Christmas tree and boasted that he would have sparklers.
─ They know what! ─ he said. ─ They sparkle like silver and scatter in all directions in fiery splashes. I say to Mishka:
─ What have you done? I called the guys, but there will be no sparklers.
─ Why not? Will be! There's still plenty of time. I can do everything.
On New Year's Eve, he comes to me and says:
─ Listen, it's time for us to go for the Christmas trees, otherwise we will be left without Christmas trees for the holiday.
─ It's late today, ─ I answered. - We'll leave tomorrow.

─ Well, tomorrow we have to decorate the Christmas tree.
─ Nothing, I say. ─ It is necessary to decorate in the evening, and we will go in the afternoon, right after school.
Mishka and I decided a long time ago to go to Gorelkino for Christmas trees, where we lived with Aunt Natasha in the country. Aunt Natasha's husband worked as a forester and in the summer he told us to come to his forest for Christmas trees. I even begged my mother in advance to let me go to the forest.
The next day I come to Mishka after dinner, and he sits and crushes sparklers in a mortar.
─ What, ─ I say, ─ couldn't you have done earlier? It's time to go, and you're busy!
─ Yes, I did it before, but I probably didn't add enough sulfur. They hiss, smoke, but do not burn.
─ Come on, it won't work anyway.
─ No, it will probably come out now. You just need to add more sulfur. Give me an aluminum pan, over there on the windowsill.
─ Where is the saucepan? It's just a frying pan, I say.
─ A frying pan?.. Oh, you! Yes, this is the former pan. Give her here.
I handed him the frying pan, and he began to scrape it around the edges with a file.
─ It means that the saucepan has turned into a frying pan? ─ I ask.
─ Well, yes, ─ Mishka says. ─ I sawed it with a file, sawed it, so it became a frying pan. Well, nothing, a frying pan is also needed on the farm.
─ What did your mother say to you?
─ She didn't say anything. She hasn't seen it yet.
─ When will he see it?
─ Well, well… If he sees, he will see. When I grow up, I'll buy her a new pan.
─ It's a long wait for you to grow up!
- Nothing.
Mishka scraped sawdust, poured out the powder from the mortar, poured glue, stirred it all, so that he got a dough like putty. From this putty he made long sausages, wound them on iron wires and laid them out on plywood to dry.
─ Well, ─ he says, ─ they will dry up ─ and they will be ready, just need to hide from Druzhok.
─ Why hide from him?
- Gobble up.
─ How ─ will he gobble up? Do dogs eat sparklers?
- I don't know. Others may not eat, but Druzhok does. Once I left them to dry, I went in - and he gnawed at them. I guess I thought it was candy.
─ Well, hide them in the oven. It's warm there, and Druzhok won't get it.
- You can't go into the oven either. Once I hid them in the oven, and my mother came and flooded them - they burned down. I'd rather put them on the closet, ─ says Mishka.
Mishka climbed onto a chair and put the plywood on the cabinet.
─ You know what Druzhok is, ─ Mishka says. ─ He always grabs my things! Remember, he dragged my left shoe in, so we couldn't find him anywhere. Then I had to walk in felt boots for three days, until other shoes were bought. It's warm outside, and I walk around in felt boots, as if frostbitten! And then, when we bought other shoes, we threw away this shoe, which was the only one left, because who needs it ─ one shoe! And when they threw it away, the boot that was lost was found. It turned out ─ his friend dragged him into the kitchen under the stove. Well, we threw that shoe away too, because if the first one had not been thrown away, then the second one would not have been thrown away, and since the first one was thrown away, then the second one would also be thrown away. So they both threw it away. I say:
─ Enough talk! Get dressed, you have to go. The bear got dressed, we took an ax and rushed to the station. And then the train just left, so we had to wait for another one. Well, nothing, wait, let's go. We drove, we drove, we finally arrived. We got off at Gorelkino and went straight to the forester. He gave us a receipt for two Christmas trees, showed us a plot where it was allowed to cut down, and we went into the forest. There are a lot of Christmas trees around, only Mishka didn’t like them all.
─ I am such a person, ─ he boasted, ─ if I go to the forest, I will cut down the best Christmas tree, otherwise it’s not worth going. We climbed into the thicket.
─ We must cut quickly, ─ I say. ─ Soon it will start to get dark.
─ Why cut when there is nothing to cut!
─ Yes, ─ I say, ─ a good Christmas tree.
The bear looked at the Christmas tree from all sides and says:
─ Of course she's good, but not quite. To tell the truth, not at all good: short.
─ How is it ─ short?
- The top is short. I don’t need such a Christmas tree for nothing!
We found another tree.
─ This one is lame, says Mishka.
─ How ─ lame?

─ Yes, limping. You see, her leg is bent at the bottom.
─ Which leg?
- Well, the trunk.
─ Trunk! That's what I would say! We found another tree.
─ Bald, ─ Mishka says.
─ You yourself are bald! How can this tree be bald?
─ Of course, bald! You see how sparse she is, everything shines through. One trunk is visible. Just not a Christmas tree, but a stick!
And so all the time: now bald, then lame, then some other!
─ Well, ─ I say, ─ listening to you ─ you won’t cut down the Christmas tree until the night!
I found a suitable Christmas tree for myself, cut down and gave the ax to Mishka:
─ Hurry Ruby, it's time for us to go home.
And he seemed to undertake to search the whole forest. I already asked him and scolded him ─ nothing helped. Finally, he found a Christmas tree to his liking, cut it down, and we went back to the station. We walked and walked, but the forest never ends.
─ Maybe we're going in the wrong direction? ─ Mishka says. We went to the other side. We walked, we walked ─ everything is a forest and a forest! This is where it starts to get dark. We're going to turn one way, then the other. Completely lost.
─ You see, ─ I say, ─ what have you done!
─ What have I done? It's not my fault that evening came so soon.
─ And how many trees did you choose? And how much did you spend at home? I'll have to spend the night in the forest because of you!
─ What are you! Mishka got scared. ─ After all, the guys will come today. We must find a way.
It soon got completely dark. The moon sparkled in the sky. Black tree trunks stood around like giants. We could see wolves behind every tree. We stopped and were afraid to go forward.
─ Let's scream! ─ Mishka says. Here we how to scream together:
─ Ah!
"Ay!" echo answered.
─ Ah! Whoa! ─ we shouted again with all our might. “Ay! Aw!" echo repeated.
─ Maybe we should not shout? ─ Mishka says.
─ Why?
─ The wolves will hear and come running.
─ There are probably no wolves here.
─ What if there is! We'd better go soon. I say:
─ Let's go straight, otherwise we won't get out on the road.
We went again. The bear looked around and asked:
─ What do you do when wolves attack if you don't have a gun?
─ Throw burning firebrands at them, I say.
─ Where can I get them, these firebrands?
─ Make a fire ─ here are some firebrands for you.
─ Do you have any matches?
- No.
─ Can they climb a tree?
─ Who?
- Yes, wolves.
─ Wolves? No, they can't.
─ Then, if we are attacked by wolves, we will climb a tree and stay until morning.
─ What are you! Can you sit on a tree until the morning!
─ Why don't you stay?
─ You will freeze and fall down.
─ Why are you freezing? We're not cold.
─ We are not cold because we are moving, but if you try to sit on a tree without moving, you will immediately freeze.
─ Why sit still? ─ Mishka says. ─ You can sit and kick your feet.
─ You'll get tired ─ the whole night on the tree with your feet kicking! We tore through thick bushes, stumbled over tree stumps, drowned knee-deep in snow. Walking became harder and harder.
We are very tired.
─ Let's drop the trees! ─ I say.
─ It's a pity, ─ Mishka says. ─ The guys will come to me today. How will I be without a Christmas tree?
─ Then we ourselves, ─ I say, ─ get out! What else to think about Christmas trees!
─ Wait, ─ Mishka says. ─ One needs to go forward and tread the road, then it will be easier for the other. We will take turns changing.
We stopped, rested. Then Mishka went ahead, and I followed him. We walked, we walked ... I stopped to shift the tree to the other shoulder. I wanted to go further, I look - no Mishka! He disappeared, as if he had fallen into the ground along with his Christmas tree.

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This is where the mess started! For whole days he ground sulfur and sugar in a mortar, made aluminum filings and set fire to the mixture for testing. The whole house was filled with smoke and smelled of suffocating gases. The neighbors were angry, and no sparklers worked.

But Mishka did not lose heart. He even invited many guys from our class to his Christmas tree and boasted that he would have sparklers.

–　They know what! he said. - They sparkle like silver, and scatter in all directions in fiery splashes.

I say to Mishka:

　What did you do? I called the guys, but there will be no sparklers.

–　Why not? Will be! There's still plenty of time. I can do everything.

On New Year's Eve, he comes to me and says:

–　Listen, it's time for us to go for the Christmas trees, otherwise we will stay for the holiday without Christmas trees.

- Today too late, I replied. - We'll go tomorrow.

–　So tomorrow we have to decorate the Christmas tree.

"　Nothing," I say. “It is necessary to decorate in the evening, and we will go in the afternoon, right after school.”

Mishka and I decided a long time ago to go to Gorelkino for Christmas trees, where we lived with Aunt Natasha in the country. Aunt Natasha's husband worked as a forester and in the summer he told us to come to him in the forest for Christmas trees. I even begged my mother in advance to let me go to the forest.

The next day I come to Mishka after dinner, and he sits and crushes sparklers in a mortar.

–　What are you,　– I say,　– couldn’t do it earlier? It's time to go, and you're busy!

–　Yes, I did it before, but I probably didn’t add enough sulfur. They hiss, smoke, but do not burn.

　Come on, it won't work anyway. - No, now, probably, it will come out. You just need to add more sulfur. Give me an aluminum pan, over there on the windowsill.

–　Where is the saucepan? It's just a frying pan, I say.

–　Frying pan?.. Eh, you! Yes, this is the former pan. Give her here.

I handed him the frying pan, and he began to scrape it around the edges with a file.

–　It's you, so the pot has turned into a frying pan? I ask.

–　Well, yes,　 – says Mishka. - I sawed it with a file, sawed it, so it became a frying pan. Well, nothing, a frying pan is also needed on the farm.

“　What did your mother say to you?

　She didn't say anything. She hasn't seen it yet.

–　When will you see it?

–　Well then… He will see so he will see. When I grow up, I'll buy her a new pan.

“　It’s a long wait until you grow up!

- Nothing.

Mishka scraped sawdust, poured out the powder from the mortar, poured glue, stirred it all, so that he got a dough like putty. From this putty he made long sausages, wound them on iron wires and laid them out on plywood to dry.

–　Well,　– he says,　– they will dry up – and they will be ready, you just need to hide them from Druzhok.

　Why hide from him?

–　Gobble up.

–　How – gobble up? Do dogs eat sparklers?

- I do not know. Others may not eat, but Druzhok does. Once I left them to dry, I go in - and he gnaws them. I guess I thought it was candy.

　Well, hide them in the oven. It's warm there, and Druzhok won't get it.

–　It’s also not allowed in the oven. Once I hid them in the oven, and my mother came and flooded them - they burned down. I'd rather put them in the closet.

Mishka climbed onto a chair and put the plywood on the cabinet.

-　You know what kind of friend,　- says Mishka. He always grabs my things! Remember, he dragged my left shoe in, so we couldn't find him anywhere. Then I had to walk in felt boots for three days, until other shoes were bought. It's warm outside, and I walk around in felt boots, as if frostbitten! And then, when we bought other shoes, we threw away this shoe, which was the only one left, because who needs it - one shoe! And when they threw it away, the boot that was lost was found. It turned out that Druzhok dragged him into the kitchen under the stove. Well, we threw that shoe away too, because if the first one had not been thrown away, then the second one would not have been thrown away, and since the first one was thrown away, then the second one would also be thrown away. So they both threw it out.

I say:

　Enough talk for you! Get dressed, you have to go.

The bear got dressed, we took an ax and rushed to the station. And then the train just left, so we had to wait for another one. Well, nothing, wait, let's go. We drove, we drove, we finally arrived. We got off at Gorelkino and went straight to the forester. He gave us a receipt for two Christmas trees, showed us a plot where it was allowed to cut down, and we went into the forest. There are a lot of Christmas trees around, only Mishka didn’t like them all.

“　I’m such a person,” he boasted, ‘if I went to the forest, I’ll cut down the best Christmas tree, otherwise it’s not worth going.

We climbed into the thicket.

　We need to cut quickly,　 I say. “Soon it will get dark.”

–　What to cut when there is nothing to cut!

–　Yes,　– I say,　– a good Christmas tree.

The bear examined the Christmas tree properly from all sides and says:

　She's good, of course, but not quite. To tell the truth, not at all good: short.

–　How is it – short haired?

–　It has a short top. I don’t need such a Christmas tree for nothing!

We found another tree.

–　This one is lame,　- says Mishka.

–　How – lame?

　Yes, limping. You see, her leg is bent at the bottom.

–　Which leg?

　Well, trunk.

　Barrel! That's what I would say!

We found another tree.

-　Bald,　- says Mishka.

–　You yourself are bald! How can this tree be bald?

–　Of course, bald! You see how sparse she is, everything shines through. One trunk is visible. Just not a Christmas tree, but a stick!

And so all the time: either bald, or lame, or some other!

–　Well,　– I say,　– listen to you – you won’t cut down the Christmas tree until the night!

I found a suitable Christmas tree for myself, cut down and gave the ax to Mishka:

　Hurry up, we have to go home.

And he seemed to undertake to search the whole forest. I already asked him and scolded him - nothing helped. Finally, he found a Christmas tree to his liking, cut it down, and we went back to the station. We walked and walked, but the forest never ends.

　Maybe we're going in the wrong direction? Mishka says.

We went to the other side. We walked, walked - all the forest and the forest! This is where it starts to get dark. We're going to turn one way, then the other. Completely lost.

–　You see,　– I say,　– what have you done!

　What have I done? It's not my fault that evening came so soon.

–　And how many trees did you choose? And how much did you spend at home? I'll have to spend the night in the forest because of you!

- What you! Mishka got scared. “The boys are coming today. We must find a way.

It soon got completely dark. The moon sparkled in the sky. Black tree trunks stood around like giants. We could see wolves behind every tree. We stopped and were afraid to go forward.

　Let's scream! Mishka says. Here we how to scream together:

"Ay!" echo answered.

–　Ay! Whoa! we shouted again with all our might.

“Ay! Aw!" echo repeated.

　Maybe we should not scream? Mishka says.

- Why?

–　More wolves will hear and come running.

　There probably aren't any wolves here.

–　What if there is! We'd better go soon.

I say:

　Let's go straight, otherwise we won't get out on the road.

We went again. The bear looked around and asked:

　What do you do when wolves attack if you don't have a gun?

　Throw burning firebrands at them,　 I say.

–　Where can I get them, these firebrands?

–　To make a fire – here are the firebrands for you.

–　Do you have any matches?

–　Can they climb a tree?

　Yes, wolves.

–　Wolves? No, they can't.

–　Then, if we are attacked by wolves, we will climb a tree and stay until the morning.

- What you! Can you sit on a tree until the morning!

　Why don't you sit?

　You will freeze and fall down.

–　Why are you freezing? We're not cold.

–　We are not cold because we are moving, but if you try to sit on a tree without moving, you will immediately freeze.

　Why sit still? Mishka says. - You can sit and kick your legs.

–　You’ll get tired – the whole night on the tree with your feet to jump!

We tore through thick bushes, stumbled over tree stumps, drowned knee-deep in snow. Walking became harder and harder.

We are very tired.

–　Let's drop the trees! I say.

-　It's a pity,　- says Mishka. - The guys will come to me today. How will I be without a Christmas tree?

–　Here we ourselves,　– I say,　– get out! What else to think about Christmas trees!

–　Wait,　– Mishka says. - One must go forward and tread the road, then it will be easier for the other. We will take turns changing.

We stopped, rested. Then Mishka went ahead, and I followed him. We walked, we walked ... I stopped to shift the tree to the other shoulder. I wanted to go further, I look - there is no Mishka! He disappeared, as if he had fallen into the ground along with his Christmas tree.

- Bear!

And he doesn't answer.

- Bear! Hey! Where are you going?

No answer.

I went carefully forward, I look - and there is a cliff! I nearly fell off a cliff. I see something dark moving down below.

- Hey! Is that you, Mishka?

- I! I feel like I've rolled down a mountain!

　Why don't you answer? I'm screaming, screaming...

–　You will answer here when I hurt my leg!

I went down to it, and there is a road. The bear sits in the middle of the road and rubs his knee with his hands.

- What happened to you?

–　I hurt my knee. The leg, you know, turned up.

- Painfully?

- Painfully! I'll sit.

"　Well, let's sit down," I say.

We sat down with him in the snow. We sat, we sat, until the cold hit us.

I say:

–　You can freeze here! Maybe we can go down the road? She will lead us somewhere: either to the station, or to the forester, or to some village. Do not freeze in the forest!

Mishka wanted to get up, but immediately groaned and sat down again.

"　I can't," he says.

- What to do now? Let me carry you on the backs,　 I say.

　Can you deliver it?

　Let's try.

The bear got up and started climbing onto my back. Grunted, grunted, climbed by force. Heavy! I doubled over in three deaths.

–　Well, take it! Mishka says.

I just walked a few steps, slipped - and fell into the snow.

–　Ai! Mishka yelled. - My leg hurts, and you throw me into the snow!

　I didn't do it on purpose!

–　I wouldn’t take it if you can’t!

–　Woe is me with you! I say. - Either you were fiddling with sparklers, then you were choosing a Christmas tree until dark, and now you got hurt ... You will disappear here with you!

–　You can’t get lost!..

–　How not to disappear?

–　Go alone. This is all my fault. I persuaded you to go for the trees.

　What, should I leave you?

–　So what? I will come alone. I'll sit, my leg will pass - I'll go.

- Yah you! I won't go anywhere without you. We came together, we must return together. We have to come up with something.

–　What do you think?

–　Maybe make a sled? We have an axe.

–　How do you make a sled out of an axe?

　Not from an ax, head! Cut down a tree, and from a tree - a sled.

　There are still no nails.

"　I need to think about it," I say.

And began to think. And Mishka is still sitting in the snow. I dragged a Christmas tree to him and say:

–　You'd better sit on the Christmas tree, otherwise you'll catch a cold.

He sat down on the tree. Then a thought came to my mind.

–　Bear,　– I say,　– What if we take you on a Christmas tree?

–　How – on the Christmas tree?

–　And like this: you sit, and I will drag the barrel. Well, hold on!

I grabbed the tree by the trunk and dragged it. What a clever idea! The snow on the road is hard, rolled, the Christmas tree easily walks on it, and the Bear on it is like on a sled!

- Wonderful! I say. - Come on, hold the axe.

I gave him the axe. The bear sat down comfortably, and I took him along the road. Soon we got to the edge of the forest and immediately saw the lights.

- Bear! I say. - Station!

From afar, the sound of a train could be heard.

–　Hurry! Mishka says. - We'll miss the train!

I ran with all my might. Bear screams:

　Push more! We'll be late!

The train was already pulling into the station. This is where we got stuck. We run to the car. I planted Mishka. The train started moving, I jumped on the bandwagon and dragged the Christmas tree behind me. Passengers in the car began to scold us for the fact that the Christmas tree is prickly. Someone asked:

　Where did you get such a skinned Christmas tree?

We began to tell what happened to us in the forest. Then everyone began to feel sorry for us. One aunt sat Mishka on a bench, took off his felt boots and examined his leg.

"　Nothing's wrong," she said. - It's just a bruise.

–　I thought I broke my leg, it hurt so much,　- says Mishka. Someone said:

–　Nothing, it will heal before the wedding!

Everyone laughed. One aunt gave us a pie, and the other gave us sweets. We were happy because we were very hungry.

　What are we going to do now? I say. - We have one Christmas tree for two.

–　Give it to me for today,　– Mishka says,　– and that’s it.

–　How is it – with the end? I dragged it through the whole forest, and even carried you on it, and now I myself will be left without a Christmas tree?

–　So just give it to me for today, and tomorrow I will return it back to you.

–　Pretty,　– I say,　– business! All the guys have a holiday, but I won’t even have a Christmas tree!

-　Well, you understand,　- says Mishka,　- guys will come to me today! What will I do without a tree?

　Well, show them your sparklers. What, the guys didn’t see the Christmas tree?

–　So the sparklers will probably not burn. I've done them twenty times already - nothing happens. One smoke, and more!

–　Maybe it will work?

　No, I won't even mention it. Maybe the guys have already forgotten.

–　No, you haven’t forgotten! There was no need to brag.

–　If I had a Christmas tree,　- says Mishka,　- I would write something about sparklers and somehow get out, but now I just don’t know what to do.

–　No,　– I say,　– I can’t give you the Christmas tree. I have never had a year like this without a Christmas tree.

–　Well, be a friend, help me out! You have saved me more than once!

　Well, should I always help you out?

- Well in last time! I'll give you whatever you want for it. Take my skis, skates, magic lantern, stamp album. You know what I have. Choose whatever.

"　Okay," I said. - If so, give me your Buddy.

The mouse thought. He turned away and was silent for a long time. Then he looked at me - his eyes were sad - and said:

–　No, I can’t give Druzhka away.

- Here you go! He said "anything" and now...

–　I forgot about Druzhok… When I spoke, I was thinking about things. But Druzhok is not a thing, he is alive.

–　So what? Simple dog! If only he were purebred.

–　It's not his fault that he's not purebred! Still, he loves me. When I'm not at home, he thinks about me, and when I come, he rejoices and waves his tail ... No, let it be! Let the guys laugh at me, but I won’t part with Druzhok, even if you gave me a whole mountain of gold!

–　All right,　– I say,　– then take the Christmas tree for free.

–　Why for nothing? Since I promised any thing, take any thing. Do you want me to give you a magic lantern with all the pictures? You really wanted to have a magic lantern.

　No, I don't need a magic lantern. Take it like this.

　You worked so hard for the tree, why give it away for free?

- Well, let! I need nothing.

“　Well, I don’t need it for nothing either,” says Mishka.

“　So it’s not quite for nothing,　 I say. Just like that, for the sake of friendship. Friendship is more precious than a magic lantern! Let this be our common Christmas tree.

While we were talking, the train approached the station. We didn't notice how we arrived. Mishka's leg stopped hurting at all. He was only limping a little when we got off the train.

First I ran home so that my mother would not worry, and then I rushed to Mishka to decorate our common Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree was already in the middle of the room, and Mishka was sealing the torn places with green paper. We had not yet finished decorating the Christmas tree, when the guys began to gather.

–　Why did you invite me to the Christmas tree, but you didn’t even decorate it yourself! they were offended.

We began to talk about our adventures, and Mishka even lied that we were attacked in the forest by wolves and we hid from them on a tree. The guys did not believe and began to laugh at us. Mishka first assured them, then waved his hand and began to laugh himself. Mishka's mom and dad went to meet New Year to the neighbors, and for us, my mother prepared a big round pie with jam and various other delicious things, so that we, too, could have a good New Year's Eve.

We were alone in the room. The guys were not shy about anyone and almost walked on their heads. Never have I heard such a noise! And Mishka made the most noise. Well, I understood why he was so pissed off. He tried so that one of the guys did not remember about sparklers, and invented more and more new tricks.

Then we lit multi-colored electric bulbs on the Christmas tree, and then suddenly the clock began to strike twelve o'clock.

- Hooray! Mishka shouted. - Happy New Year!

- Hooray! the guys got it. - Happy New Year! Ur-ah!

Mishka already believed that everything ended well, and shouted:

–　Now sit down at the table, guys, there will be tea and cake!

–　Where are the sparklers? someone shouted.

–　sparklers? Mishka was taken aback. - They're not ready yet.

–　What are you, called to the Christmas tree, said that there would be sparklers… This is a hoax!

　Honestly, guys, there is no cheating! There are sparklers, only they are still damp ...

–　Come on, show me. Maybe they are already dry. Or maybe there are no sparklers?

The bear reluctantly climbed onto the cupboard and almost fell out of there along with the sausages. They have already dried up and turned into hard sticks.

- Here you go! the guys shouted. - Completely dry! What are you deceiving!

-　It only seems so,　- Mishka justified himself. They take a long time to dry. They won't burn.

–　Now let’s see! the guys shouted.

They grabbed all the sticks, bent the wires with hooks and hung them on the Christmas tree.

–　Wait, guys,　 shouted Mishka,　– we need to check first!

But no one listened to him.

The guys took matches and lit all the sparklers at once.

Then there was a hiss, as if the whole room was filled with snakes. The guys jumped to the side. Suddenly the sparklers flared up, sparkled and scattered all around in fiery splashes. It was fireworks! No, what kind of fireworks are there - the northern lights! Eruption! The whole Christmas tree shone and sprinkled around with silver. We stood as if spellbound and looked with all eyes.

Finally, the fires burned down, and the whole room was filled with some kind of acrid, suffocating smoke. The children started sneezing, coughing, rubbing their eyes with their hands. We all rushed into the corridor in a crowd, but the smoke from the room poured after us. Then the guys began to grab their coats and hats and began to disperse.

–　Guys, what about tea and cake? Mishka yelled.

But no one paid any attention to him. The guys coughed, dressed and dispersed. The bear clung to me, took my hat away and shouted:

-　Don't leave at least you! Stay at least for the sake of friendship! Let's have tea and cake!

Mishka and I were left alone. The smoke gradually dissipated, but it was still impossible to enter the room. Then Mishka covered his mouth with a wet handkerchief, ran to the pie, grabbed it and dragged it into the kitchen.

The kettle was already boiling, and we began to drink tea with a pie. The pie was delicious, with jam, but it was still soaked with smoke from sparklers. But it's nothing. Mishka and I ate half the pie, and Druzhok finished the other half.

But Mishka did not lose heart. He even invited many guys from our class to his Christmas tree and boasted that he would have sparklers.

- They know what! he said. - They sparkle like silver, and scatter in all directions in fiery splashes.

I say to Mishka:

– What have you done? I called the guys, but there will be no sparklers.

- Why won't it? Will be! There's still plenty of time. I can do everything.

On New Year's Eve, he comes to me and says:

- Listen, it's time for us to go for the Christmas trees, otherwise we will be left for the holiday without Christmas trees.

“Today it’s late,” I replied. - We'll go tomorrow.

So, tomorrow we have to decorate the Christmas tree.

“Nothing,” I say. “It is necessary to decorate in the evening, and we will go in the afternoon, right after school.”

The next day I come to Mishka after dinner, and he sits and crushes sparklers in a mortar.

“What are you,” I say, “couldn’t do before? It's time to go, and you're busy!

- Yes, I did before, only, probably, I put a little sulfur. They hiss, smoke, but do not burn.

“Come on, it won’t work anyway.” - No, now, probably, it will come out. You just need to add more sulfur. Give me an aluminum pan, over there on the windowsill.

- Where is the saucepan? It's just a frying pan, I say.

- A frying pan?.. Oh, you! Yes, this is the former pan. Give her here.

I handed him the frying pan, and he began to scrape it around the edges with a file.

- It's you, so the pan has turned into a frying pan? I ask.

“Well, yes,” says Mishka. - I sawed it with a file, sawed it, so it became a frying pan. Well, nothing, a frying pan is also needed on the farm.

- What did your mother say to you?

- She didn't say anything. She hasn't seen it yet.

- When will he see it?

- Well, well ... He will see so he will see. When I grow up, I'll buy her a new pan.

"It's a long wait for you to grow up!"

- Nothing.

Mishka scraped up sawdust, poured out the powder from the mortar, poured glue, stirred it all, so that he got a dough like putty. From this putty he made long sausages, wound them on iron wires and laid them out on plywood to dry.

- Well, - he says, - they will dry up - and they will be ready, they just need to hide from Druzhok.

Why hide from him?

- It will gobble up.

- How - gobble up? Do dogs eat sparklers?

- I do not know. Others may not eat, but Druzhok does. Once I left them to dry, I go in - and he gnaws them. I guess I thought it was candy.

- Well, hide them in the oven. It's warm there, and Druzhok won't get it.

- You can't use the oven either. Once I hid them in the oven, and my mother came and flooded them - they burned down. I'd rather put them in the closet.

Mishka climbed onto a chair and put the plywood on the cabinet.

“You know what Druzhok is,” says Mishka. He always grabs my things! Remember, he dragged my left shoe in, so we couldn't find him anywhere. Then I had to walk in felt boots for three days, until other shoes were bought. It's warm outside, and I walk around in felt boots, as if frostbitten! And then, when we bought other shoes, we threw away this shoe, which was the only one left, because who needs it - one shoe! And when they threw it away, the boot that was lost was found. It turned out that Druzhok dragged him into the kitchen under the stove. Well, we threw that shoe away too, because if the first one had not been thrown away, then the second one would not have been thrown away, and since the first one was thrown away, then the second one would also be thrown away. So they both threw it out.

I say:

- Enough talk! Get dressed, you have to go.

“I’m such a person,” he boasted, “if I went to the forest, I’ll cut down the best Christmas tree, otherwise it’s not worth going.”

We climbed into the thicket.

“We need to cut quickly,” I say. “Soon it will get dark.”

- Why cut when there is nothing to cut!

- Yes, - I say, - a good Christmas tree.

The bear examined the Christmas tree properly from all sides and says:

“She’s good, of course, but not quite. To tell the truth, not at all good: short.

- How is it - curly?

- The top is short. I don’t need such a Christmas tree for nothing!

We found another tree.

“And this one is lame,” says Mishka.

- How - lame?

- Yes, lame. You see, her leg is bent at the bottom.

- Which leg?

- Well, the trunk.

- Trunk! That's what I would say!

We found another tree.

“Bald,” says Mishka.

- You yourself are bald! How can this tree be bald?

- Of course, bald! You see how sparse she is, everything shines through. One trunk is visible. Just not a Christmas tree, but a stick!

And so all the time: either bald, or lame, or some other!

- Well, - I say, - to listen to you - you won’t cut down the Christmas tree until nightfall!

I found a suitable Christmas tree for myself, cut down and gave the ax to Mishka:

“Hurry up, it’s time for us to go home.”

Maybe we're going in the wrong direction? Mishka says.

We went to the other side. We walked, we walked - all the forest and the forest! This is where it starts to get dark. We're going to turn one way, then the other. Completely lost.

“You see,” I say, “what you have done!”

– What have I done? It's not my fault that evening came so soon.

- And how many trees did you choose? And how much did you spend at home? I'll have to spend the night in the forest because of you!

- What you! Mishka got scared. “The boys are coming today. We must find a way.

It soon got completely dark. The moon sparkled in the sky. Black tree trunks stood around like giants. We could see wolves behind every tree. We stopped and were afraid to go forward.

- Let's scream! Mishka says. Here we how to scream together:

"Ay!" echo answered.

- Ay! Ayy! we shouted again with all our might.

“Ay! Ayy!" echo repeated.

“Perhaps we should not shout?” Mishka says.

- Why?

- More wolves will hear and come running.

There are probably no wolves here.

- And suddenly there is! We'd better go soon.

I say:

“Let’s go straight, otherwise we won’t get out on the road.”

We went again. The bear looked around and asked:

- And what to do when wolves attack if there is no gun?

“Throw burning firebrands at them,” I say.

“Where can I get them, these firebrands?”

- Make a fire - here are the firebrands for you.

- Do you have matches?

Can they climb a tree?

Yes, wolves.

- Wolves? No, they can't.

“Then, if we are attacked by wolves, we will climb a tree and sit until the morning.

- What you! Can you sit on a tree until the morning!

- Why don't you sit?

- Freeze and collapse.

Why are you freezing? We're not cold.

- We are not cold, because we are moving, but try to sit on a tree without moving - you will immediately freeze.

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Nikolai Nosov

sparklers

But Mishka did not lose heart. He even invited many guys from our class to his Christmas tree and boasted that he would have sparklers.

They know what! he said. - They sparkle like silver, and scatter in all directions with fiery splashes. I say to Mishka:

What have you done? I called the guys, but there will be no sparklers.

Why won't it? Will be! There's still plenty of time. I can do everything.

On New Year's Eve, he comes to me and says:

Listen, it's time for us to go for the Christmas trees, otherwise we will be left for the holiday without Christmas trees.

It's late today, I replied. - We'll go tomorrow.

So tomorrow we have to decorate the Christmas tree.

Nothing, I say. - It is necessary to decorate in the evening, and we will go in the afternoon, right after school.

Mishka and I decided a long time ago to go to Gorelkino for Christmas trees, where we lived with Aunt Natasha in the country. Aunt Natasha's husband worked as a forester and in the summer he told us to come to his forest for Christmas trees. I even begged my mother in advance to let me go to the forest.

The next day I come to Mishka after dinner, and he sits and crushes sparklers in a mortar.

What are you, - I say, - could not do before? It's time to go, and you're busy!

Yes, I did before, only, probably, I put a little sulfur. They hiss, smoke, but do not burn.

Come on, it still won't work.

No, now it probably will. You just need to add more sulfur. Give me an aluminum pan, over there on the windowsill.

Where is the saucepan? It's just a frying pan, I say.

A frying pan?.. Oh, you! Yes, this is the former pan. Give her here.

I handed him the frying pan, and he began to scrape it around the edges with a file.

It's you, so the pan turned into a frying pan? I ask.

Well, yes, says Mishka. - I sawed it with a file, sawed it, so it became a frying pan. Well, nothing, a frying pan is also needed on the farm.

What did your mother say to you?

She didn't say anything. She hasn't seen it yet.

When will he see?

Well... He will see so he will see. When I grow up, I'll buy her a new pan.

It's a long wait for you to grow up!

Well, - he says, - they will dry up - and they will be ready, they just need to hide from Druzhok.

Why hide from him?

Gobble up.

How - gobble up? Do dogs eat sparklers?

Don't know. Others may not eat, but Druzhok does. Once I left them to dry, I go in - and he gnaws them. I guess I thought it was candy.

Well, hide them in the oven. It's warm there, and Druzhok won't get it.

You can't use the oven either. Once I hid them in the oven, and my mother came and flooded them - they burned down. I'd better put them on the closet, - says Mishka.

Mishka climbed onto a chair and put the plywood on the cabinet.

You know what Druzhok is, - says Mishka. - He always misses my things! Remember, he dragged my left shoe in, so we couldn't find him anywhere. Then I had to walk in felt boots for three days, until other shoes were bought. It's warm outside, and I walk around in felt boots, as if frostbitten! And then, when we bought other shoes, we threw away this shoe, which was the only one left, because who needs it - one shoe! And when they threw it away, the boot that was lost was found. It turned out that Druzhok dragged him into the kitchen under the stove. Well, we threw that shoe away too, because if the first one had not been thrown away, then the second one would not have been thrown away, and since the first one was thrown away, then the second one would also be thrown away. So they both threw it out. I say:

Enough talk for you! Get dressed, you have to go. The bear got dressed, we took an ax and rushed to the station. And then the train just left, so we had to wait for another one. Well, nothing, wait, let's go. We drove, we drove, we finally arrived. We got off at Gorelkino and went straight to the forester. He gave us a receipt for two Christmas trees, showed us a plot where it was allowed to cut down, and we went into the forest. There are a lot of Christmas trees around, only Mishka didn’t like them all.

I am such a person, - he boasted, - if I went to the forest, then I would cut down the best Christmas tree, otherwise it’s not worth going. We climbed into the thicket.

We need to cut quickly, - I say. - Soon it will get dark.

What to cut when there is nothing to cut!

Yes, - I say - a good Christmas tree.

The bear looked at the Christmas tree from all sides and says:

She's good, of course, but not quite. To tell the truth, not at all good: short.

How is it - curly?

Its top is short. I don’t need such a Christmas tree for nothing!

We found another tree.

And this one is lame, says Mishka.

How - lame?

Yes, lame. You see, her leg is bent at the bottom.

What leg?

Well, stem.

Trunk! That's what I would say! We found another tree.

Bald, says Mishka.

You are bald! How can this tree be bald?

Of course, bald! You see how sparse she is, everything shines through. One trunk is visible. Just not a Christmas tree, but a stick!

And so all the time: now bald, then lame, then some other!

Well, - I say, - to listen to you - you won’t cut down the Christmas tree until the night!

I found a suitable Christmas tree for myself, cut down and gave the ax to Mishka:

Ruby quickly, it's time for us to go home.

And he seemed to undertake to search the whole forest. Already I asked him and scolded him - nothing helped. Finally, he found a Christmas tree to his liking, cut it down, and we went back to the station. We walked and walked, but the forest never ends.

Maybe we're going in the wrong direction? Mishka says. We went to the other side. We walked, we walked - everything is a forest and a forest! This is where it starts to get dark. We're going to turn one way, then the other. Completely lost.

You see, - I say, - what you have done!

What have I done? It's not my fault that evening came so soon.

How many trees did you choose? And how much did you spend at home? I'll have to spend the night in the forest because of you!

What you! Mishka got scared. - After all, the guys will come today. We must find a way.

It soon got completely dark. The moon sparkled in the sky. Black tree trunks stood around like giants. We could see wolves behind every tree. We stopped and were afraid to go forward.

Let's scream! Mishka says. Here we how to scream together:

“Ay!” echo answered.

Ay! Whoa! - we shouted again with all our might. “Ay! Aw!” echo repeated.

Maybe we better not scream? Mishka says.

More wolves will hear and come running.

There are probably no wolves here.

And suddenly there is! We'd better go soon. I say:

Let's go straight, otherwise we won't get out on the road.

We went again. The bear looked around and asked:

And what to do when wolves attack if there is no gun?

Throw burning firebrands at them, I say.

And where to get them, these firebrands?

Make a fire - here are the firebrands for you.

Do you have matches?

Can they climb a tree?

Yes, wolves.

Wolves? No, they can't.

Then, if wolves attack us, we will climb a tree and sit until morning.

What you! Can you sit on a tree until the morning!

Why don't you sit?

Freeze and fall.

Why will you freeze? We're not cold.

We are not cold because we are moving, but if you try to sit on a tree without moving, you will immediately freeze.

Why sit still? Mishka says. - You can sit and kick your feet.

It will get tired - the whole night on the tree with your feet to jerk! We tore through thick bushes, stumbled over tree stumps, drowned knee-deep in snow. Walking became harder and harder.

We are very tired.

Let's drop the trees! I say.

It's a pity, says Mishka. - The guys will come to me today. How will I be without a Christmas tree?

Here we ourselves, - I say, - get out! What else to think about Christmas trees!

Wait, says Mishka. - It is necessary for one to go forward and tread the road, then it will be easier for the other. We will take turns changing.

We stopped, rested. Then Mishka went ahead, and I followed him. They walked, walked ... I stopped to shift the Christmas tree to the other shoulder. I wanted to go further, I look - there is no Mishka! He disappeared, as if he had fallen into the ground along with his Christmas tree.

And he doesn't answer.

Bear! Hey! Where are you going?

No answer.

I went carefully forward, I look - and there is a cliff! I nearly fell off a cliff. I see something dark moving down below.

Hey! Is that you, Mishka?

I! I feel like I've rolled down a mountain!

Why don't you answer? I'm screaming, screaming...

You will answer here when I hurt my leg! I went down to it, and there is a road. The bear sits in the middle of the road and rubs his knee with his hands.

What happened to you?

Knee injury. The leg, you know, turned up.

Painfully! I'll sit.

Well, let's sit down, - I say. We sat down with him in the snow. We sat, we sat, until the cold hit us. I say:

Here you can freeze! Maybe we can go down the road? She will lead us somewhere: either to the station, or to the forester, or to some village. Do not freeze in the forest!

Mishka wanted to get up, but immediately groaned and sat down again.

I can't, he says.

What to do now? Let me carry you on the backs, I say.

Will you deliver?

Let's try.

The bear got up and started climbing onto my back. Grunted, grunted, climbed by force. Heavy! I doubled over in three deaths.

Well, take it! Mishka says.

I just walked a few steps, slipped - and bang into the snow.

Ay! - Mishka yelled. - My leg hurts, and you throw me into the snow!

I didn't do it on purpose!

Wouldn't take it if you can't!

Woe to me with you! I say. - Either you were fiddling with sparklers, then you chose a Christmas tree until dark, and now you’ve got hurt ... You’ll disappear here with you!

You can't get lost!

How not to disappear?

Go alone. This is all my fault. I persuaded you to go for the trees.

So, should I leave you?

So what? I will come alone. I'll sit, my leg will pass - I'll go.

Yah you! I won't go anywhere without you. We came together, we must return together. We have to come up with something.

What do you think?

Maybe make a sled? We have an axe.

How do you make a sled out of an ax?

Yes, not from an ax, head! Cut down a tree, and from a tree - a sled.

Still no nails.

You have to think, I say.

And began to think. And Mishka is still sitting in the snow. I dragged a Christmas tree to him and say:

You'd better sit on the Christmas tree, otherwise you'll catch a cold.

He sat down on the tree. Then a thought came to my mind.

Bear, - I say, - what if you are taken on a Christmas tree?

How - on the Christmas tree?

And like this: you sit, and I will drag the trunk. Well, hold on!

I grabbed the tree by the trunk and dragged it. What a clever idea! The snow on the road is hard, rolled, the Christmas tree easily walks on it, and the Bear on it is like on a sled!

Wonderful! I say. - Come on, hold the axe. I gave him the axe. The bear sat down comfortably, and I took him along the road. Soon we got to the edge of the forest and immediately saw the lights.

Bear! - I say. - Station! From afar, the sound of a train could be heard.

Hurry! Mishka says. - We'll miss the train! I ran with all my might. Bear screams:

Push some more! We'll be late!

Someone asked:

Where did you get such a tattered tree?

We began to tell what happened to us in the forest. Then everyone began to feel sorry for us. One aunt sat Mishka on a bench, took off his felt boots and examined his leg.

There's nothing wrong, she said. - It's just a bruise.

And I thought I broke my leg, it hurt so much, - says Mishka. Someone said:

Nothing, before the wedding will heal!

Everyone laughed. One aunt gave us a pie, and the other gave us sweets. We were happy because we were very hungry.

What are we going to do now? I say. - We have one Christmas tree for two.

Give it to me for today, - says Mishka, - and that's it.

How is it with the end? I dragged it through the whole forest, and even carried you on it, and now I myself will be left without a Christmas tree?

So you give it to me only for today, and tomorrow I will return it back to you.

Nice job, I say! All the guys have a holiday, but I won’t even have a Christmas tree!

Well, you understand, - says Mishka, - the guys will come to me today! What will I do without a tree?

Well, show them your sparklers. What, the guys didn’t see the Christmas tree?

So the sparklers probably won't burn. I've done them twenty times already - nothing happens. One smoke, and more!

And maybe it will work?

No, I won't even mention it. Maybe the guys have already forgotten.

No, don't forget! There was no need to brag.

If I had a Christmas tree, - says Mishka, - I would write something about sparklers and somehow get out, but now I just don’t know what to do.

No, I say, I can’t give you the Christmas tree. I have never had a year like this without a Christmas tree.

Well, be a friend, help me out! You have saved me more than once!

Well, I always have to help you out?

- "Well, for the last time! I'll give you whatever you want for this. Take my skis, skates, a magic lantern, an album with stamps. You know what I have. Choose anything.

Okay, I said. - If so, give me your Buddy.

The mouse thought. He turned away and was silent for a long time. Then he looked at me - his eyes were sad - and said:

No, I can't give Druzhka away.

Here you go! Said "anything" and now...

I forgot about Druzhok ... When I spoke, I thought about things. But Druzhok is not a thing, he is alive.

So what? Simple dog! If only he were purebred.

It's not his fault that he's not purebred! Still, he loves me. When I'm not at home, he thinks about me, and when I come, he rejoices and waves his tail ... No, let it be! Let the guys laugh at me, but I won’t part with Druzhok, even if you gave me a whole mountain of gold!

Well, okay, - I say, - then take the Christmas tree for nothing.

Why donate? Since I promised any thing, take any thing. Do you want me to give you a magic lantern with all the pictures? You really wanted to have a magic lantern.

No, I don't need a magic lantern. Take it like this.

After all, you worked so hard because of the Christmas tree - why give away for nothing?

Well, let! I need nothing.

Well, I don’t need it for nothing, says Mishka.

So it's not quite for nothing, - I say. - Just like that, for the sake of friendship. Friendship is more precious than a magic lantern! Let this be our common Christmas tree.

While we were talking, the train approached the station. We didn't notice how we arrived. Mishka's leg stopped hurting at all. He was only limping a little when we got off the train.

First I ran home so that my mother would not worry, and then I rushed to Mishka to decorate our common Christmas tree.

What are you, called to the Christmas tree, but he did not even decorate it! they were offended.

We began to talk about our adventures, and Mishka even lied that we were attacked in the forest by wolves and we hid from them on a tree. The guys did not believe and began to laugh at us. Mishka first assured them, and then waved his hand and began to laugh himself. Mishka's mom and dad went to celebrate the New Year to the neighbors, and for us mom prepared a big round pie with jam and various other delicious things so that we could also have a good New Year.

Then we lit multi-colored electric bulbs on the Christmas tree, and then suddenly the clock began to strike twelve o'clock.

Hooray! Mishka shouted. - Happy New Year!

Hooray! - picked up the guys. - Happy New Year! Ur-ah! Mishka already believed that everything ended well, and shouted:

Now sit down at the table, guys, there will be tea and cake!

Where are the sparklers? someone shouted.

Bengal lights? - Mishka was confused. - They're not ready yet.

What are you, called to the Christmas tree, said that there would be sparklers ... This is a hoax!

Honestly, guys, there is no cheating! There are sparklers, only they are still damp ...

Come on, show me. Maybe they are already dry. Or maybe there are no sparklers?

The bear reluctantly climbed onto the cupboard and almost fell out of there along with the sausages. They have already dried up and turned into hard sticks.

Here you go! the guys shouted. - Quite dry! What are you deceiving!

It only seems so, - Mishka justified himself. They take a long time to dry. They won't burn.

And now we'll see! the guys shouted. They grabbed all the sticks, bent the wires with hooks and hung them on the Christmas tree.

Wait, guys, - Mishka shouted, - we need to check first!

But no one listened to him.

The guys took matches and lit all the sparklers at once.

Then there was a hiss, as if the whole room was filled with snakes. The guys jumped to the side. Suddenly the sparklers flared up, sparkled and scattered all around in fiery splashes. It was fireworks! No, what kind of fireworks are there - northern lights! Eruption! The whole Christmas tree shone and sprinkled around with silver. We stood as if spellbound and looked with all eyes.

Guys, what about tea and cake? Mishka yelled. But no one paid any attention to him. The guys coughed, dressed and dispersed. The bear clung to me, took my hat away and shouted:

Don't even leave! Stay at least for the sake of friendship! Let's have tea and cake!