Girlfriends go to school. Lyubov Voronkova: Girlfriends go to school Girlfriends go to school print

House under the cart

It was hot outside, the sun was on the grass and on the road. And only under the cart, which stood near the yard, lurked a piece of shadow and coolness.
Tanya and Alyonka climbed under the cart with their dolls.
- This will be our home. Okay, Alyonka?
- OK.
- We'll have lunch here.
- What about lunch?
- Yes, we’ll bring it from the garden!
The girls sat the dolls in a circle, and they themselves ran to the garden and brought all sorts of food: fresh carrots, green cucumbers, and pea pods. They rolled a round log of wood under the cart, covered it with burdock - and there was a table covered with a tablecloth. We picked round plantain leaves - here are the plates. The food has been laid out on plates - sit down, guests, to dine!
But then Tanya looked at the set table and said:
- But there is no bread! What is lunch without bread?
Tanya wanted to run home for bread, but Alyonka stopped her:
- Our Dyomushka is coming with a piece, we’ll take it from him.
Dyomushka slowly approached the cart. In one hand he held a large red tomato, and in the other a piece of bread with salt. And Snowball ran next to Dyomushka and, wagging his shaggy tail, looked at the bread.
Alyonka called Dyomushka:
- Demka, will you play?
“I will,” said Dyomushka.
- Well, crawl under the cart and sit at the table. Don't eat bread.
-Where does he go?
- And here it is. Put it on a plate, we'll have lunch together.
Everyone sat down around the log. And Snowball stuck his head here. It was cramped under the cart, but it was fun. And the sun was not hot.
Tanya was the hostess at the table and treated everyone:
-Here, eat some carrots. Here are the cucumbers. But the peas are very sweet, like sugar!
Tanya took a little of the treats, and Alyonka took a little. And Dyomushka tried the peas and grabbed almost all the pods onto his lap.
- What are you doing? – Tanya said. - Is that what they do when visiting? You must take one pod at a time!
- You can’t taste it just by yourself...
– Chew better, you’ll taste it. Put the peas back!
Tanya reached out to Dyomushka for peas. And at this time, Snowball took a moment, grabbed the bread from the table and ate it along with the “plate”.
- Oh, what kind of guests are these! - Alyonka screamed. - So they grab everything from the table!
And Tanya got angry and pushed Snowball out from under the cart.
- Get out of here, we don’t need such guests!
“And Tanya’s mother is coming with a horse,” Dyomushka suddenly said, leaning out from behind the wheel. - Harness, probably.
He quickly grabbed a handful of sweet pods, crawled out from under the cart and ran away.
“Well, run,” Tanya said, “we can do it alone...
At this time, Tanya’s mother actually approached the cart and led the dark bay horse Nochka on the reins.
- Is it like the sparrows are huddled together? - said the mother, looking under the cart. - Get out, I’ll harness it!
- And here is our home! – Tanya shouted.
“Your house will now go to the field for sheaves,” the mother answered and began to lead the horse into the shafts.
Tanya quickly jumped out from under the cart. And Alyonka is behind her.
- And we are with you too! – asked Tanya. - Mommy, can we be in the field too?
“Get into the cart,” said the mother, tightening the collar on the horse.
There was no need to repeat this to my friends. They quickly climbed onto the cart. The mother harnessed the horse, sat on the edge of the cart, and pulled the reins. Night quickly ran along the white, dry road; the cart rolled... Snowball forgot that he had recently been pushed out of the guests, cheerfully twirled his shaggy tail and ran after. And on the meadow there remained a round table - a block of wood, covered with a green tablecloth, and the dolls sat around it, stretching out their hands to bitten cucumbers and carrots.

Hide under the counters

Night ran at a trot, and the cart rolled merrily along the street - past the pond, past the barnyard, beyond the outskirts. And as soon as we left the outskirts, tall rye immediately approached the road from both sides. The ripe ears nodded quietly and swayed in the sunny silence.
“Look, mommy,” said Tanya, “how rye bows to us!” She’s the one greeting us – right?
“Of course,” the mother smiled, “but what about it?” He recognizes his own people!
“It seems to be cracking somewhere...” said Alyonka, listening.
Tanya stood up on the cart.
- Where? – and then shouted: “I see!” The wings are spinning - the reaper is coming! This reaper is cracking, and you, Alyonka, didn’t recognize it? Mommy, we’ll run and have a look now!
Tanya wanted to jump off the cart, but her mother said:
- Where are you going to buy bread? Once we get to the mowed area, then run along the stubble. They have looked at this reaper a hundred times - and they are still interested!
– When did you watch it? – Tanya said. – Last year, when we were little. But this year we haven’t watched it even once! Look how she flaps her wings. Alyonka, do you see?
But Alyonka sat tightly on the cart. With one hand she held onto the crossbar, and with the other she moved away the rye ears, which kept hitting her on the forehead and tickling her with their short, dry tendrils. And she didn’t see any reaper.
But then the field seemed to open up and move apart - the road ran out onto the stubble. On the mown it became far visible: the forest, and the bushes in the ravine, and beyond the ravine - a distant field. And in the far field there was still rye, and one could see light golden waves moving across the rye expanses.
Two horses, red and gray, were dragging a reaper. The reaper chattered like a big grasshopper, twirled its wings and nimbly worked with sharp knives. The cut rye lay on the reaper. And when a large armful of rye was gathered, the reaper gently dropped it onto the stubble with its wing.
Following the reaper were the collective farm women. They picked up the rye, tied it into sheaves, and placed the sheaves in racks. The entire field was full of stands. The sheaves stood like huts: with their bottoms to the ground and their ears up. Let the sun still warm the grain, let the breeze dry it still.
Tanya and Alyonka jumped off the cart and ran to the reaper.
- Alyonka, do you see what teeth she has? – asked Tanya. – You see on the wing - it’s like a rake anyway? So she throws off the rye with them! Do you see?
But Alyonka did not answer. Tanya looked around - why is Alyonka silent? He looks, but she’s not there. Tanya stopped:
- Alyonka!
- Here's Alyonka for you! – collective farmer Elena Dozorova, who was immediately knitting sheaves, laughed. - Here's your girlfriend! Gone!
Tanya walked slowly across the field. Suddenly Alyonka’s voice was heard from somewhere:
- Ku-ku!
Tanya smiled:
- Oh, she hid!
She began to look for Alyonka and, under one stand, she saw a piece of Alyonka’s blue dress between the sheaves.
- See see! She hid herself, but her dress is visible!
Alyonka laughed and crawled out from under the counter.
- But I’ll hide, you won’t find me! – Tanya said. - Well, close your eyes!
Alyonka covered her eyes with her palms. And Tanya ran far away, to the outermost stand, climbed under the sheaves and picked up the dress. Let Alyonka look now!
Alyonka walked across the field and looked under every post. And then she stopped and began to shout:
- Tanya, ah! Tanya, where are you? Aw!
- Look what! – Tanya laughed quietly. “I don’t want to look, so he screams.” Search, search!
It was hot under the counter. Dense sheaves stood closely around. They were new and clean. And the ears of corn were so densely closed over her head that even if it had rained, even if there had been a thunderstorm, Tanya still wouldn’t have gotten wet. Only in the gap between the sheaves the blue sky shone brightly.
- Tanya, Tanya, ah! - Alyonka shouted.
And Tanya laughed again:
- Look, look!
Suddenly something rustled across the stubble. And between the sheaves, Snow’s muzzle, white with a black nose, poked under the counter. Snowball looked at Tanya and barked cheerfully.
- Oh, that's where you are! - Alyonka screamed. - Get out, we found you!
Tanya crawled out from under the counter.
- And why are you, Snowball, climbing? - she said. - I called you, right?
And Snowball looked at her and just waved his tail, as if he wanted to say: “Well, why didn’t you call! You hid, and I found it! Maybe I can play hide and seek too!”

Outfield

While Tanya and Alyonka were hiding under the counters, the mother had already packed the cart. The sheaves lay tightly crosswise, with the ears facing inward. And so that the sheaves would not slip and move apart, the mother grabbed them with a rope and sat down on the cart, in the very middle.
“Let’s run,” said Alyonka, “let’s go for a ride!”
But Tanya didn’t seem to hear. She looked at the distant field beyond the ravines, at the large grains of bread along which were light golden waves.
Alyonka pulled her sleeve:
- Tanya, hurry up! Let's climb onto the cart!
“Alyonka, look,” Tanya said without listening to her, “but there’s a combine harvester running there!”
Alyonka took a closer look:
- Yeah. Combine.
- I wish I had something to ride on! I wish I could climb to the very top...
- And it’s also high on the cart.
- Well, Alyonka, what are you saying! We went on a cart so many times when we were still little! Well, what's on the cart? The horse is pulling the cart. And there is a car! And at the very top there is a wheel - a steering wheel. Our grandfather says that ships also have such steering wheels - for control. Understand?
Alyonka nodded her head:
- Understand.
The horse carefully moved the cart with the sheaves.
– Will you come with me or stay here? - the mother shouted from the cart.
- We'll stay here! – Tanya answered.
“Well, stay,” said the mother, “and when I come the second time, then I’ll take you with me,” and she drove off from the field.
The reaper chirped and dropped armfuls of rye. The women knitted sheaves, cheerfully called to each other, and set up stands.
And Tanya, step by step, went further and further towards the ravines, to a large field beyond the ravines, where a combine harvester was slowly walking among the light golden grains.
Alyonka trudged after Tanya. She didn’t want to lag behind her friend, and she didn’t want to go either, because it was bitter. And Alyonka stopped every now and then:
- Ugh, it stings! And I was eager to go to the combine, it would be better if we rode on sheaves!
But when we got onto the road, Alyonka stopped complaining.
The girlfriends ran to a large field. And across the large field a combine harvester was already moving towards them.
- And his wing also spins! – Alyonka was surprised. - Like a reaper, it’s all the same!
“Yes, it’s true,” said Tanya, “only he doesn’t put the rye on the ground, but drags it right to him on the canvas!” Do you see?
- No, he puts it down! – Alyonka argued. - Look, look, he threw a whole armful onto the stubble! And how many more...
- Is this rye? This is empty straw - my grandfather told me!
Tanya suddenly became thoughtful. Then she said quietly:
- And if my father were alive, he would also work on the combine...
Suddenly, loud voices were heard from afar. And on the compressed gentle slope, T-shirts, dresses, scarves were cheerfully colorful...
- Why are all our guys coming to the field? – Tanya was surprised. – Maybe they want to put up stands?
- No, they probably came to collect the ears of corn! – Alyonka guessed.
“Alyonka, let’s go and collect the spikelets,” Tanya said.
Alyonka was happy:
- Let's go to!
Tanya and Alyonka ran to the kids.
All the collective farm schoolchildren and pioneers came to the field: Yura Chairman, and Vanya Dozorov, and Arisha Rodionova, and Petya Ryabinin, and Nyura Tumanova... But you can’t get through them all!
They walked in a row across the mown field and picked up fallen ears of corn - some into a bag, some into an apron.
Nyura Tumanova was the first to see Tanya and Alyonka.
- Why did you come running here? - she said. – You are not schoolchildren yet.
- Well, so what, not schoolchildren! – Tanya answered. - And we will also go to school soon!
– You never know, soon, but still not schoolchildren yet!
Then counselor Vanya Dozorov approached them.
-What are you arguing about?
“Look,” said Nyura, “they came to collect ears of corn, but they themselves never even went to school!”
“So much the better,” said Vanya, “they’re not schoolchildren yet, but they’ve come to help.”
He placed Tanya and Alyonka next to Nyura.
“Look carefully,” he said, “gather every single ear of corn so that the field is cleanly harvested.”
- Tanya! What will you collect? – asked Alyonka.
- I'm wearing an apron. And you?
- Tanya, I don’t even have an apron!
- Well, you are in my luggage. We will collect together.
So the children walked in a line across the field, walked with songs, with conversations and collected spikelets. Dry stubble rustled under their feet. Dry spikelets rustled in their aprons and bags...
And overhead in the blue sky the sun burned hotly with its last, August heat.
– I still don’t come across something and don’t come across it! - Alyonka was angry.
“I only came across three myself,” said Tanya, “and even then one was broken!”
And Nyura heard and laughed:
- They’re so smart: they’re angry that they don’t come across any ears of corn! Well, if they don’t come across it, it means it’s mowed well!

Finds in the field

The guys walked and walked across the field... Suddenly Yura the chairman shouted:
- Nest!
Everyone ran to look at the nest and surrounded Yura. Tanya and Alyonka also ran. Only Tanya lagged behind, because she did not immediately run, but first took off her apron with the spikelets and put it in the place where she stopped.
The nest was small, made of dry blades of grass and soft stems. And in the nest there were a few red cow hairs.
And there was nothing else in it.
-Where are the chicks? – asked Alyonka.
Everyone laughed:
- That's enough! Yes, the chicks have grown up a long time ago, and now they are about to fly away!
-Whose nest is this? – asked Tanya.
Nyura Tumanova laughed again:
- Whose! Chicken, probably!
But Vanya Dozorov said:
- You shouldn't laugh! Tanya asked correctly. Each bird has its own nest. Well, what kind of bird builds a nest in the rye? Guys, who knows?
- Lark! - the guys shouted.
- Quail!
-Whose nest is this?
- Quail!
- No, not a quail. – Vanya Dozorov took the nest in his hands. “This is a lark’s nest,” he said, “and quails lay their eggs directly on the ground.” They dig a hole in the ground, put some soft grass and straws there - and here the chicks are hatched. We will take this nest with us to the Yunnat corner. And you guys get to work, stand where you are, don’t miss a single step.
The guys ran away, wanted to get up, who was where, but everyone forgot where they stopped. Only Tanya knew her place, because her blue apron with spikelets lay there.
- Well done, Tanya! – said Vanya Dozorov. - Look, huh? Even though she’s not a schoolgirl yet, she turned out to be the smartest of all of us.
And everyone began to say:
- Here we have Tatyanka - small and remote. She'll probably be a good student!
Only Nyura Tumanova didn’t say anything. She silently stood next to Tanya and began collecting spikelets.
And the guys walked across the field again, the dry stubble rustled under their feet again, and the ears of corn in their aprons and bags rustled. And Snowball ran around, looking for mice in the holes.
Suddenly Snowball stopped and started barking.
- Snowball, who did you see? – Tanya shouted.
Snowball looked at Tanya and barked again.
“I’ll run and have a look,” said Alyonka.
She put her spikelet in Tanya's apron and ran. She ran up to Snowball and clasped her hands:
- Oh, there’s a hedgehog here! There's a hedgehog walking along the path!
The kids couldn’t resist and ran to see the hedgehog. Only this time they put their aprons and bags of spikelets in the places where they stopped.
The hedgehog saw the people, snorted and curled up into a ball. No paws, no black face - just needles sticking out in all directions!
- Let's take him into a living corner too! – said Vanya Dozorov. - Young people, who can take a hedgehog?
- I can! - Yura shouted to the chairman.
He quickly took off his T-shirt, covered the hedgehog with it and rolled it into this T-shirt, as if in a bundle.
Tanya felt sorry for the hedgehog.
“You don’t need to take him,” she said, “let him run around in the field, he’ll be bored with you!”
“He won’t be bored,” Yura answered, “we already have one hedgehog.” That hedgehog is really bored. And now the two of them will have fun!
“Maybe you don’t feed them there,” Tanya said, “maybe you forget!”
- How is it possible - we forget! – Yura got angry. - We are young people!
“You’ll soon come to school yourself,” Vanya Dozorov said to Tanya, “so you’ll feed them!”
Tanya was delighted:
- I? Is it possible for me?
- Why not? You will also be a young girl with us.
- OK! – Tanya agreed. And she smiled. And then she touched the hedgehog’s spines through her T-shirt and said: “Nothing, nothing, little hedgehog, don’t snort!” We will feed you. We'll give you milk, you'll see!
And when all the children began to collect spikelets again, Alyonka said:
– What else could we find for the Young People’s corner?
“I don’t know,” Tanya answered. – Let’s take a better look, maybe we’ll meet someone else.
But they didn’t meet anyone else, because the field ended.
And Vanya said:
- Guys, now we'll go home. Let's put all the spikelets into one big bag.
Vanya was holding a large bag. And all the children poured their ears of corn into this bag. And Tanya poured out her spikelets and Alyonkina from her blue apron. We collected a little bit of everything.
- So we helped the collective farm! – Tanya said cheerfully. – And I’m not even tired at all!
– And I’m not tired! – Alyonka picked up. - Shall we run?
- Let's run! – Tanya agreed.
They held hands and ran along the soft and sunny field road. And Snowball, twirling his shaggy tail, ran merrily after them.

On current

Tanya and Alyonka passed the ravine and went out into the nearby field, where the reaper was working and where they were hiding under the stands today. There are much fewer stands in the field. Cars came to the field to transport sheaves. And you can load a whole mountain of sheaves on a car, not like on a cart. But they also carried horses. The sooner you remove the bread, the better. Carts with sheaves walked and walked from the field to the collective farm drain.
- Look, look! - Alyonka screamed. - There's your mother riding in a cart! She’s probably come for the third time - but we’re still not there!
Tanya was delighted and waved her hand:
- Mommy, take it to your cart!
The mother rode out of the stubble onto the road and stopped the horse:
- Well, climb up!
Tanya and Alyonka ran up to the cart. "Climb"! How to climb? The cart stands wide, like a stove... The mother looked at them from above and laughed:
- Well, why are you walking around the cart? Get in!
- What to hold on to? – asked Tanya. - Right behind the sheaves?
“Stand on the shaft,” said the mother, “and now – on the horse’s back... Stand, stand, don’t be afraid!”
Tanya timidly climbed from the shaft onto the horse. The horse stood quietly, only waving its head, driving away the flies, and the fur on its back was smooth and warm.
- Well, now give me your hand - and here! - said the mother.
And before Tanya had time to look back, she was already sitting next to her mother on a wide cart.
- What about me? – asked Alyonka.
“Yes, and you too,” the mother answered, “have you seen how Tanya is?” Climb, don’t be afraid, I’ll give you a hand!
- Climb, climb! – Tanya shouted. - It is nice here!
Alyonka contrived and also climbed onto the cart.
“Is everyone here,” the mother asked, “or is there anyone else there?”
- Everyone is here! - Alyonka answered.
Suddenly, Snowball whined barely audibly from below. He stood at the shaft, twirled his tail and looked up with pleading eyes.
- And you too? – the mother laughed. - Well, no, you can go for a run on foot. We have two legs, and you have four!
The mother touched the reins and the horse walked. The cart rocked quietly. Tanya and Alyonka sat in the very middle, in the thick of warm ears, and held tightly to the rope. The cart smelled hot of fresh straw, the sheaves were tight, smooth, and the sun shone in every straw.
The cart drove slowly across the field and turned towards the barn. Near the barn there were tall, steep hills. The mother got off the cart, led the horse to the sheaves and untied the rope with which the sheaves were tied.
-Are you going to get down or not? – she shouted to the girls.
- No, we won’t! – Tanya answered.
- We will not! – Alyonka repeated.
They laughed and buried themselves deeper into the sheaves.
“Well, that means we’ll have to dump it along with the sheaves,” said foreman Uncle Savely.
He leaned his shoulder on the cart, the cart tilted, the sheaves slid and crawled.
- Ay-ay, we're falling! – Tanya and Alyonka shouted.
They laughed and grabbed the sheaves. But the cart tilted more and more, the wheels on one side completely rose - and the sheaves fell like a mountain to the ground. Tanya and Alyonka floundered in the sheaves laughing. Snowball looked and looked at them and also jumped into their sheaves. And mother and uncle Savely looked at them and also laughed.
- This is how we disembark passengers! - said Uncle Savely. - You will know!
- And it’s like we went down a hill! – Tanya answered. - It’s not even scary at all!
- Not even at all! – Alyonka confirmed.
The girls crawled out of the sheaves and shook themselves off. And the mother threw the last sheaves from the cart and said:
- Sit down, I’ll take you home.
“We won’t go,” Tanya answered, “we will still help!”
“Well, help,” said the mother. And she left.
- Tanya, why are we going to help? – asked Alyonka.
“Whatever,” said Tanya, “whatever they say.”
There were three haystacks standing near the barn. And they put another stack next to it. The nimble girl Varya Sokolova served the sheaves, and Uncle Kuzma stacked them. He laid them in a circle, close to each other, with the ears inward. If it rains, let the straw wet, but the ears inside the hay will remain dry. The haystack grew higher and higher, and it became more and more difficult for Varya to throw the heavy sheaves up.
- Varya, let’s throw sheaves too? – Tanya said.
But Varya answered:
- You can’t finish it, it’s hard. Better go to the current, help there.
It was very noisy on the current. The threshing machine rattled, the winnowing machines crackled, the straw rustled. The boys hauling straw shouted at the horses. Neighbor Marya was feeding sheaves into the thresher. The thresher tirelessly grabbed them one after another with iron teeth.
And Aunt Marya stood all wrapped up in a scarf, because the dust was whirling around the threshing machine.
“We won’t go there,” said Alyonka, “it’s dusty there.”
“You never know how dusty it is,” Tanya answered. - And if necessary?
Uncle Savely heard them.
“They won’t let you in there,” he said, “you have to work skillfully there.”
- Uncle Savely, where should we go?
- And you go to the winnowing machine to clear away the rubbish.
The winnowing fan crackled merrily, and light, small straw flew above it. And below, heavy, clean grain flowed down the chute. Two girls stood with brooms and carefully swept away the straws and remnants of ears of grain that had fallen from above.
- Where else is the broom? – asked Tanya. - We will also sweep away the rubbish.
“You’ll probably sweep away the grain along with the rubbish,” said one girl, Grusha Mironova. - You girls, better take a rake and rake the straw from the threshing floor.
The girls ran under the shed for a rake and began to rake out the threshed straw. The straw was light and bright, like a cloud.
- So-so! - the collective farmers, who were also raking up straw, shouted to them. - Live, live, there’s no time to sleep!
“Their rakes were just flying up, the straw was making noise.
Tanya and Alyonka also tried their best.
Suddenly, far, far away in a village, a bell rang.
It rang and fell silent.
- Finish your work! - said Uncle Savely. - The bell rang for lunch!
The thresher hummed more quietly and stopped. The winnowing machine stopped rattling.
Uncle Savely raked up and trimmed a heap of threshed rye with a large wooden shovel.
Tanya and Alyonka carried the rake under the shed.
“My whole forehead is wet,” said Tanya, “and yours?”
- And I have! - Alyonka answered. - Both your forehead and neck are wet! And there were thorns everywhere!
Tanya and Alyonka began to pull out straw and thorns from their hair - tendrils from ears of corn. They dusted off their dresses. At this time, Tanya’s grandfather came to the lecture.
“Grandfather,” Tanya shouted, “and Alyonka and I were raking out the straw!”
- Well done! - said grandfather. – It’s good to listen to something good.
- Grandfather, did you come to thresh?
- Yes, not to thresh, but to guard the heap. I’ll sit by the heap while the people have lunch. And who knows? A cattle might wander in, a bird might swoop in.
- So we went, Mironych! - said Uncle Savely. - Make sure you don’t fall asleep here near the heap!
“I won’t doze off,” answered grandfather. - Dine in peace, I know the price of collective farm bread!

Girlfriends help guard the heap

Everyone left the threshing floor - Uncle Savely, Uncle Kuzma, and all the collective farmers. And immediately there was silence.
- What are you little birds sitting here? - said grandfather. “Go home for dinner—you’re probably tired.”
“We’re not tired,” Tanya answered. “You and I will guard the bread.”
Tanya sat down next to the heap. She ran her hand over the silvery grain, ran her hands through the heap, scooped up handfuls and spilled the grains back through her fingers. And the heap lay in front of her like a heavy mountain, and each grain glittered as if beaten.
Grandfather sat down on the sheaves under the canopy. Then Tanya and Alyonka sat down next to him and immediately began to tell their grandfather:
– Today we picked up spikelets in the field!
- And when they were collecting the spikelets, they met a hedgehog!
- And they found the nest!
“Only the nest is completely empty,” said Alyonka, “there wasn’t a single chick.”
- Well, what kind of chicks are they now! - said grandfather. “They’re all grown up now, they’re flying, they’re getting ready for a long journey.” Yes, it’s time for them to go to warm countries - the month of September is on the outskirts, autumn is walking through the forest, painting the trees...
Tanya thought about it. She remembered how swans flew from warm countries in the spring and screamed. And the geese walked along the road, raised their heads and listened to them.
- Grandfather, will the swans fly to warm countries again?
- They'll fly again. And the larks will fly. And swallows. And the cranes... I once saw how the cranes flew across the sea.

Lyubov Fedorovna Voronkova

Girlfriends go to school

House under the cart

It was hot outside, the sun was on the grass and on the road. And only under the cart, which stood near the yard, lurked a piece of shadow and coolness.

Tanya and Alyonka climbed under the cart with their dolls.

- This will be our home. Okay, Alyonka?

- We'll have lunch here.

- What about lunch?

- Yes, we’ll bring it from the garden!

The girls sat the dolls in a circle, and they themselves ran to the garden and brought all sorts of food: fresh carrots, green cucumbers, and pea pods. They rolled a round log of wood under the cart, covered it with burdock - and there was a table covered with a tablecloth. We picked round plantain leaves - here are the plates. The food has been laid out on plates - sit down, guests, to dine!

But then Tanya looked at the set table and said:

- But there is no bread! What is lunch without bread?

Tanya wanted to run home for bread, but Alyonka stopped her:

- Our Dyomushka is coming with a piece, we’ll take it from him.

Dyomushka slowly approached the cart. In one hand he held a large red tomato, and in the other a piece of bread with salt. And Snowball ran next to Dyomushka and, wagging his shaggy tail, looked at the bread.

Alyonka called Dyomushka:

- Demka, will you play?

“I will,” said Dyomushka.

- Well, crawl under the cart and sit at the table. Don't eat bread.

-Where does he go?

- And here it is. Put it on a plate, we'll have lunch together.

Everyone sat down around the log. And Snowball stuck his head here. It was cramped under the cart, but it was fun. And the sun was not hot.

Tanya was the hostess at the table and treated everyone:

-Here, eat some carrots. Here are the cucumbers. But the peas are very sweet, like sugar!

Tanya took a little of the treats, and Alyonka took a little. And Dyomushka tried the peas and grabbed almost all the pods onto his lap.

- What are you doing? – Tanya said. - Is that what they do when visiting? You must take one pod at a time!

- You can’t taste it just by yourself...

– Chew better, you’ll taste it. Put the peas back!

Tanya reached out to Dyomushka for peas. And at this time, Snowball took a moment, grabbed the bread from the table and ate it along with the “plate”.

- Oh, what kind of guests are these! - Alyonka screamed. - So they grab everything from the table!

And Tanya got angry and pushed Snowball out from under the cart.

- Get out of here, we don’t need such guests!

“And Tanya’s mother is coming with a horse,” Dyomushka suddenly said, leaning out from behind the wheel. - Harness, probably.

He quickly grabbed a handful of sweet pods, crawled out from under the cart and ran away.

“Well, run,” Tanya said, “we can do it alone...

At this time, Tanya’s mother actually approached the cart and led the dark bay horse Nochka on the reins.

- Is it like the sparrows are huddled together? - said the mother, looking under the cart. - Get out, I’ll harness it!

- And here is our home! – Tanya shouted.

“Your house will now go to the field for sheaves,” the mother answered and began to lead the horse into the shafts.

Tanya quickly jumped out from under the cart. And Alyonka is behind her.

- And we are with you too! – asked Tanya. - Mommy, can we be in the field too?

“Get into the cart,” said the mother, tightening the collar on the horse.

There was no need to repeat this to my friends. They quickly climbed onto the cart. The mother harnessed the horse, sat on the edge of the cart, and pulled the reins. Night quickly ran along the white, dry road; the cart rolled... Snowball forgot that he had recently been pushed out of the guests, cheerfully twirled his shaggy tail and ran after. And on the meadow there remained a round table - a block of wood, covered with a green tablecloth, and the dolls sat around it, stretching out their hands to bitten cucumbers and carrots.

Hide under the counters

“Look, mommy,” said Tanya, “how rye bows to us!” She’s the one greeting us – right?

“Of course,” the mother smiled, “but what about it?” He recognizes his own people!

“It seems to be cracking somewhere...” said Alyonka, listening.

Tanya stood up on the cart.

- Where? – and then shouted: “I see!” The wings are spinning - the reaper is coming! This reaper is cracking, and you, Alyonka, didn’t recognize it? Mommy, we’ll run and have a look now!

Tanya wanted to jump off the cart, but her mother said:

- Where are you going to buy bread? Once we get to the mowed area, then run along the stubble. They have looked at this reaper a hundred times - and they are still interested!

So the summer has passed... It's deep autumn in the yard. The leaves flew off the trees, the flowers dried up, and the grass turned yellow. The birds do not sing in the forest, the reapers do not make noise in the field, the cars heavily loaded with grain do not gather dust on the roads - the harvest has been harvested from the fields. You can only hear how the threshing machine on the collective farm threshing floor makes noise from morning to evening and the winnowing machines chirp in two voices.
In the morning, the mother dragged a large wooden trough into the hut, and the grandfather sharpened the chops. Tanya was delighted:
- Chop the cabbage!
Grandfather took a hatchet and went into the garden to cut heads of cabbage. Tanya said:
- I’ll also go to the garden. I will help!
“Go help,” said the mother, “just dress better.” Help for yourself and for me, because I don’t have time to chop cabbage with you - I’m off to threshing.
Tanya got dressed. She tucked the light curls from her forehead under her scarf and ran into the garden. The garden was empty: no carrots, no cucumbers. Only large, disheveled heads of cabbage sat lonely in the beds.
“Grandfather, they’ve gotten bored here,” said Tanya, “the carrots are in the underground, and the turnips and potatoes are lying there, and the heads of cabbage live here alone, and the cold wind blows on them!”
“But now we’ll get them out of here too,” said grandfather. “I’ll chop it up, and you drag it into the pile.”
Grandfather cut the heads of cabbage, and they rolled into the boundary. And Tanya dragged them into a pile. The heads of cabbage were strong and tight. And there were some that couldn’t be lifted.
“Don’t carry these,” said grandfather, “I’ll bring these myself.”
And then he collected the heads of cabbage in a basket and took it home. Tanya also ran after him, but saw that Alyonka was standing on her porch.
- Alyonka! – Tanya shouted. - Come to us, they are chopping cabbage!
“And I’m wearing felt boots,” said Alyonka, “how do I feel in the mud?”
- And you go to the side.
- OK. I'll make my way now.
Alyonka had very large felt boots. She began to make her way to the side, stumbled and fell into a puddle. Tanya got angry:
- You always end up in puddles, Alyonka!
- But no, not always! - said Alyonka.
- And yes, always!
- But no!
Here Alyonka again fell into a puddle and did not argue anymore. But since her felt boots were already wet, she ran to Tanya straight through the mud, without making out the road.
The saw in the hut clattered loudly and frequently. Grandma was chopping cabbage.
“Grandma, let’s chop too,” Tanya said. - We came to help you!
But the grandmother answered:
- You’d better chew the stalks. And somehow I’ll chop up the cabbage myself.
Tanya and Alyonka picked up the stumps and went to the porch. They sat down on the steps and began to peel the stalks. The stalks crunched like sugar. And they were sweet, like sugar. Alyonka put one stalk in her pocket:
“And I’ll take this one to Demka.” He also loves stalks. I even ran after them into the collective farm garden - over there, across the river!.. We haven’t chopped cabbage yet.
“Take it,” Tanya said. - Take more!
Alyonka took two more and put them in another pocket.
“Okay,” she said. - And when we start chopping cabbage, you will come to us too. Whichever stump you want, that’s the one you choose!

Current page: 1 (book has 3 pages in total)

Lyubov Fedorovna Voronkova

Girlfriends go to school

House under the cart

It was hot outside, the sun was on the grass and on the road. And only under the cart, which stood near the yard, lurked a piece of shadow and coolness.

Tanya and Alyonka climbed under the cart with their dolls.

- This will be our home. Okay, Alyonka?

- We'll have lunch here.

- What about lunch?

- Yes, we’ll bring it from the garden!

But then Tanya looked at the set table and said:

- But there is no bread! What is lunch without bread?

Tanya wanted to run home for bread, but Alyonka stopped her:

- Our Dyomushka is coming with a piece, we’ll take it from him.

Alyonka called Dyomushka:

- Demka, will you play?

“I will,” said Dyomushka.

- Well, crawl under the cart and sit at the table. Don't eat bread.

-Where does he go?

- And here it is. Put it on a plate, we'll have lunch together.

Everyone sat down around the log. And Snowball stuck his head here. It was cramped under the cart, but it was fun. And the sun was not hot.

Tanya was the hostess at the table and treated everyone:

-Here, eat some carrots. Here are the cucumbers. But the peas are very sweet, like sugar!

Tanya took a little of the treats, and Alyonka took a little. And Dyomushka tried the peas and grabbed almost all the pods onto his lap.

- What are you doing? – Tanya said. - Is that what they do when visiting? You must take one pod at a time!

- You can’t taste it just by yourself...

– Chew better, you’ll taste it. Put the peas back!

Tanya reached out to Dyomushka for peas. And at this time, Snowball took a moment, grabbed the bread from the table and ate it along with the “plate”.

- Oh, what kind of guests are these! - Alyonka screamed. - So they grab everything from the table!

And Tanya got angry and pushed Snowball out from under the cart.

- Get out of here, we don’t need such guests!

“And Tanya’s mother is coming with a horse,” Dyomushka suddenly said, leaning out from behind the wheel. - Harness, probably.

He quickly grabbed a handful of sweet pods, crawled out from under the cart and ran away.

“Well, run,” Tanya said, “we can do it alone...

At this time, Tanya’s mother actually approached the cart and led the dark bay horse Nochka on the reins.

- Is it like the sparrows are huddled together? - said the mother, looking under the cart. - Get out, I’ll harness it!

- And here is our home! – Tanya shouted.

“Your house will now go to the field for sheaves,” the mother answered and began to lead the horse into the shafts.

Tanya quickly jumped out from under the cart. And Alyonka is behind her.

- And we are with you too! – asked Tanya. - Mommy, can we be in the field too?

“Get into the cart,” said the mother, tightening the collar on the horse.

Hide under the counters

“Look, mommy,” said Tanya, “how rye bows to us!” She’s the one greeting us – right?

“Of course,” the mother smiled, “but what about it?” He recognizes his own people!

“It seems to be cracking somewhere...” said Alyonka, listening.

Tanya stood up on the cart.

- Where? – and then shouted: “I see!” The wings are spinning - the reaper is coming! This reaper is cracking, and you, Alyonka, didn’t recognize it? Mommy, we’ll run and have a look now!

Tanya wanted to jump off the cart, but her mother said:

- Where are you going to buy bread? Once we get to the mowed area, then run along the stubble. They have looked at this reaper a hundred times - and they are still interested!

– When did you watch it? – Tanya said. – Last year, when we were little. But this year we haven’t watched it even once! Look how she flaps her wings. Alyonka, do you see?

But Alyonka sat tightly on the cart. With one hand she held onto the crossbar, and with the other she moved away the rye ears, which kept hitting her on the forehead and tickling her with their short, dry tendrils. And she didn’t see any reaper.

But then the field seemed to open up and move apart - the road ran out onto the stubble. On the mown it became far visible: the forest, and the bushes in the ravine, and beyond the ravine - a distant field. And in the far field there was still rye, and one could see light golden waves moving across the rye expanses.

Two horses, red and gray, were dragging a reaper. The reaper chattered like a big grasshopper, twirled its wings and nimbly worked with sharp knives. The cut rye lay on the reaper. And when a large armful of rye was gathered, the reaper gently dropped it onto the stubble with its wing.

Following the reaper were the collective farm women. They picked up the rye, tied it into sheaves, and placed the sheaves in racks. The entire field was full of stands. The sheaves stood like huts: with their bottoms to the ground and their ears up. Let the sun still warm the grain, let the breeze dry it still.

Tanya and Alyonka jumped off the cart and ran to the reaper.

- Alyonka, do you see what teeth she has? – asked Tanya. – You see on the wing - it’s like a rake anyway? So she throws off the rye with them! Do you see?

But Alyonka did not answer. Tanya looked around - why is Alyonka silent? He looks, but she’s not there. Tanya stopped:

- Alyonka!

- Here's Alyonka for you! – collective farmer Elena Dozorova, who was immediately knitting sheaves, laughed. - Here's your girlfriend! Gone!

Tanya walked slowly across the field. Suddenly Alyonka’s voice was heard from somewhere:

Tanya smiled:

- Oh, she hid!

She began to look for Alyonka and, under one stand, she saw a piece of Alyonka’s blue dress between the sheaves.

- See see! She hid herself, but her dress is visible!

Alyonka laughed and crawled out from under the counter.

- But I’ll hide, you won’t find me! – Tanya said. - Well, close your eyes!

Alyonka covered her eyes with her palms. And Tanya ran far away, to the outermost stand, climbed under the sheaves and picked up the dress. Let Alyonka look now!

Alyonka walked across the field and looked under every post. And then she stopped and began to shout:

- Tanya, ah! Tanya, where are you? Aw!

- Look what! – Tanya laughed quietly. “I don’t want to look, so he screams.” Search, search!

It was hot under the counter. Dense sheaves stood closely around. They were new and clean. And the ears of corn were so densely closed over her head that even if it had rained, even if there had been a thunderstorm, Tanya still wouldn’t have gotten wet. Only in the gap between the sheaves the blue sky shone brightly.

- Tanya, Tanya, ah! - Alyonka shouted.

And Tanya laughed again:

- Look, look!

Suddenly something rustled across the stubble. And between the sheaves, Snow’s muzzle, white with a black nose, poked under the counter. Snowball looked at Tanya and barked cheerfully.

- Oh, that's where you are! - Alyonka screamed. - Get out, we found you!

Tanya crawled out from under the counter.

- And why are you, Snowball, climbing? - she said. - I called you, right?

And Snowball looked at her and just waved his tail, as if he wanted to say: “Well, why didn’t you call! You hid, and I found it! Maybe I can play hide and seek too!”

Outfield

“Let’s run,” said Alyonka, “let’s go for a ride!”

But Tanya didn’t seem to hear. She looked at the distant field beyond the ravines, at the large grains of bread along which were light golden waves.

Alyonka pulled her sleeve:

- Tanya, hurry up! Let's climb onto the cart!

“Alyonka, look,” Tanya said without listening to her, “but there’s a combine harvester running there!”

Alyonka took a closer look:

- Yeah. Combine.

- I wish I had something to ride on! I wish I could climb to the very top...

- And it’s also high on the cart.

- Well, Alyonka, what are you saying! We went on a cart so many times when we were still little! Well, what's on the cart? The horse is pulling the cart. And there is a car! And at the very top there is a wheel - a steering wheel. Our grandfather says that ships also have such steering wheels - for control. Understand?

Alyonka nodded her head:

- Understand.

The horse carefully moved the cart with the sheaves.

– Will you come with me or stay here? - the mother shouted from the cart.

- We'll stay here! – Tanya answered.

“Well, stay,” said the mother, “and when I come the second time, then I’ll take you with me,” and she drove off from the field.

The reaper chirped and dropped armfuls of rye. The women knitted sheaves, cheerfully called to each other, and set up stands.

Alyonka trudged after Tanya. She didn’t want to lag behind her friend, and she didn’t want to go either, because it was bitter. And Alyonka stopped every now and then:

- Ugh, it stings! And I was eager to go to the combine, it would be better if we rode on sheaves!

But when we got onto the road, Alyonka stopped complaining.

The girlfriends ran to a large field. And across the large field a combine harvester was already moving towards them.

- And his wing also spins! – Alyonka was surprised. - Like a reaper, it’s all the same!

“Yes, it’s true,” said Tanya, “only he doesn’t put the rye on the ground, but drags it right to him on the canvas!” Do you see?

- No, he puts it down! – Alyonka argued. - Look, look, he threw a whole armful onto the stubble! And how many more...

- Is this rye? This is empty straw - my grandfather told me!

Tanya suddenly became thoughtful. Then she said quietly:

- And if my father were alive, he would also work on the combine...

- Why are all our guys coming to the field? – Tanya was surprised. – Maybe they want to put up stands?

- No, they probably came to collect the ears of corn! – Alyonka guessed.

“Alyonka, let’s go and collect the spikelets,” Tanya said.

Alyonka was happy:

- Let's go to!

Tanya and Alyonka ran to the kids.

All the collective farm schoolchildren and pioneers came to the field: Yura Chairman, and Vanya Dozorov, and Arisha Rodionova, and Petya Ryabinin, and Nyura Tumanova... But you can’t get through them all!

They walked in a row across the mown field and picked up fallen ears of corn - some into a bag, some into an apron.

Nyura Tumanova was the first to see Tanya and Alyonka.

- Why did you come running here? - she said. – You are not schoolchildren yet.

- Well, so what, not schoolchildren! – Tanya answered. - And we will also go to school soon!

– You never know, soon, but still not schoolchildren yet!

Then counselor Vanya Dozorov approached them.

-What are you arguing about?

“Look,” said Nyura, “they came to collect ears of corn, but they themselves never even went to school!”

“So much the better,” said Vanya, “they’re not schoolchildren yet, but they’ve come to help.”

He placed Tanya and Alyonka next to Nyura.

“Look carefully,” he said, “gather every single ear of corn so that the field is cleanly harvested.”

- Tanya! What will you collect? – asked Alyonka.

- I'm wearing an apron. And you?

- Tanya, I don’t even have an apron!

- Well, you are in my luggage. We will collect together.

So the children walked in a line across the field, walked with songs, with conversations and collected spikelets. Dry stubble rustled under their feet. Dry spikelets rustled in their aprons and bags...

And overhead in the blue sky the sun burned hotly with its last, August heat.

– I still don’t come across something and don’t come across it! - Alyonka was angry.

“I only came across three myself,” said Tanya, “and even then one was broken!”

And Nyura heard and laughed:

- They’re so smart: they’re angry that they don’t come across any ears of corn! Well, if they don’t come across it, it means it’s mowed well!

Finds in the field

The guys walked and walked across the field... Suddenly Yura the chairman shouted:

- Nest!

Everyone ran to look at the nest and surrounded Yura. Tanya and Alyonka also ran. Only Tanya lagged behind, because she did not immediately run, but first took off her apron with the spikelets and put it in the place where she stopped.

The nest was small, made of dry blades of grass and soft stems. And in the nest there were a few red cow hairs.

And there was nothing else in it.

-Where are the chicks? – asked Alyonka.

Everyone laughed:

- That's enough! Yes, the chicks have grown up a long time ago, and now they are about to fly away!

-Whose nest is this? – asked Tanya.

Nyura Tumanova laughed again:

- Whose! Chicken, probably!

But Vanya Dozorov said:

- You shouldn't laugh! Tanya asked correctly. Each bird has its own nest. Well, what kind of bird builds a nest in the rye? Guys, who knows?

- Lark! - the guys shouted.

- Quail!

-Whose nest is this?

- Quail!

- No, not a quail. – Vanya Dozorov took the nest in his hands. “This is a lark’s nest,” he said, “and quails lay their eggs directly on the ground.” They dig a hole in the ground, put some soft grass and straws there - and here the chicks are hatched. We will take this nest with us to the Yunnat corner. And you guys get to work, stand where you are, don’t miss a single step.

The guys ran away, wanted to get up, who was where, but everyone forgot where they stopped. Only Tanya knew her place, because her blue apron with spikelets lay there.

- Well done, Tanya! – said Vanya Dozorov. - Look, huh? Even though she’s not a schoolgirl yet, she turned out to be the smartest of all of us.

And everyone began to say:

- Here we have Tatyanka - small and remote. She'll probably be a good student!

Only Nyura Tumanova didn’t say anything. She silently stood next to Tanya and began collecting spikelets.

And the guys walked across the field again, the dry stubble rustled under their feet again, and the ears of corn in their aprons and bags rustled. And Snowball ran around, looking for mice in the holes.

Suddenly Snowball stopped and started barking.

- Snowball, who did you see? – Tanya shouted.

Snowball looked at Tanya and barked again.

“I’ll run and have a look,” said Alyonka.

She put her spikelet in Tanya's apron and ran. She ran up to Snowball and clasped her hands:

- Oh, there’s a hedgehog here! There's a hedgehog walking along the path!

The kids couldn’t resist and ran to see the hedgehog. Only this time they put their aprons and bags of spikelets in the places where they stopped.

The hedgehog saw the people, snorted and curled up into a ball. No paws, no black face - just needles sticking out in all directions!

- Let's take him into a living corner too! – said Vanya Dozorov. - Young people, who can take a hedgehog?

- I can! - Yura shouted to the chairman.

He quickly took off his T-shirt, covered the hedgehog with it and rolled it into this T-shirt, as if in a bundle.

Tanya felt sorry for the hedgehog.

“You don’t need to take him,” she said, “let him run around in the field, he’ll be bored with you!”

“He won’t be bored,” Yura answered, “we already have one hedgehog.” That hedgehog is really bored. And now the two of them will have fun!

“Maybe you don’t feed them there,” Tanya said, “maybe you forget!”

- How is it possible - we forget! – Yura got angry. - We are young people!

“You’ll soon come to school yourself,” Vanya Dozorov said to Tanya, “so you’ll feed them!”

Tanya was delighted:

- I? Is it possible for me?

- Why not? You will also be a young girl with us.

- OK! – Tanya agreed. And she smiled. And then she touched the hedgehog’s spines through her T-shirt and said: “Nothing, nothing, little hedgehog, don’t snort!” We will feed you. We'll give you milk, you'll see!

And when all the children began to collect spikelets again, Alyonka said:

– What else could we find for the Young People’s corner?

“I don’t know,” Tanya answered. – Let’s take a better look, maybe we’ll meet someone else.

But they didn’t meet anyone else, because the field ended.

And Vanya said:

- Guys, now we'll go home. Let's put all the spikelets into one big bag.

Vanya was holding a large bag. And all the children poured their ears of corn into this bag. And Tanya poured out her spikelets and Alyonkina from her blue apron. We collected a little bit of everything.

- So we helped the collective farm! – Tanya said cheerfully. – And I’m not even tired at all!

– And I’m not tired! – Alyonka picked up. - Shall we run?

- Let's run! – Tanya agreed.

They held hands and ran along the soft and sunny field road. And Snowball, twirling his shaggy tail, ran merrily after them.

- Look, look! - Alyonka screamed. - There's your mother riding in a cart! She’s probably come for the third time - but we’re still not there!

Tanya was delighted and waved her hand:

- Mommy, take it to your cart!

The mother rode out of the stubble onto the road and stopped the horse:

- Well, climb up!

Tanya and Alyonka ran up to the cart. "Climb"! How to climb? The cart stands wide, like a stove... The mother looked at them from above and laughed:

- Well, why are you walking around the cart? Get in!

- What to hold on to? – asked Tanya. - Right behind the sheaves?

“Stand on the shaft,” said the mother, “and now – on the horse’s back... Stand, stand, don’t be afraid!”

Tanya timidly climbed from the shaft onto the horse. The horse stood quietly, only waving its head, driving away the flies, and the fur on its back was smooth and warm.

- Well, now give me your hand - and here! - said the mother.

And before Tanya had time to look back, she was already sitting next to her mother on a wide cart.

- What about me? – asked Alyonka.

“Yes, and you too,” the mother answered, “have you seen how Tanya is?” Climb, don’t be afraid, I’ll give you a hand!

- Climb, climb! – Tanya shouted. - It is nice here!

Alyonka contrived and also climbed onto the cart.

“Is everyone here,” the mother asked, “or is there anyone else there?”

- Everyone is here! - Alyonka answered.

Suddenly, Snowball whined barely audibly from below. He stood at the shaft, twirled his tail and looked up with pleading eyes.

- And you too? – the mother laughed. - Well, no, you can go for a run on foot. We have two legs, and you have four!

The mother touched the reins and the horse walked. The cart rocked quietly. Tanya and Alyonka sat in the very middle, in the thick of warm ears, and held tightly to the rope. The cart smelled hot of fresh straw, the sheaves were tight, smooth, and the sun shone in every straw.

The cart drove slowly across the field and turned towards the barn. Near the barn there were tall, steep hills. The mother got off the cart, led the horse to the sheaves and untied the rope with which the sheaves were tied.

-Are you going to get down or not? – she shouted to the girls.

- No, we won’t! – Tanya answered.

- We will not! – Alyonka repeated.

They laughed and buried themselves deeper into the sheaves.

“Well, that means we’ll have to dump it along with the sheaves,” said foreman Uncle Savely.

He leaned his shoulder on the cart, the cart tilted, the sheaves slid and crawled.

- Ay-ay, we're falling! – Tanya and Alyonka shouted.

They laughed and grabbed the sheaves. But the cart tilted more and more, the wheels on one side completely rose - and the sheaves fell like a mountain to the ground. Tanya and Alyonka floundered in the sheaves laughing. Snowball looked and looked at them and also jumped into their sheaves. And mother and uncle Savely looked at them and also laughed.

- This is how we disembark passengers! - said Uncle Savely. - You will know!

- And it’s like we went down a hill! – Tanya answered. - It’s not even scary at all!

- Not even at all! – Alyonka confirmed.

The girls crawled out of the sheaves and shook themselves off. And the mother threw the last sheaves from the cart and said:

- Sit down, I’ll take you home.

“We won’t go,” Tanya answered, “we will still help!”

“Well, help,” said the mother. And she left.

- Tanya, why are we going to help? – asked Alyonka.

“Whatever,” said Tanya, “whatever they say.”

There were three haystacks standing near the barn. And they put another stack next to it. The nimble girl Varya Sokolova served the sheaves, and Uncle Kuzma stacked them. He laid them in a circle, close to each other, with the ears inward. If it rains, let the straw wet, but the ears inside the hay will remain dry. The haystack grew higher and higher, and it became more and more difficult for Varya to throw the heavy sheaves up.

- Varya, let’s throw sheaves too? – Tanya said.

But Varya answered:

- You can’t finish it, it’s hard. Better go to the current, help there.

It was very noisy on the current. The threshing machine rattled, the winnowing machines crackled, the straw rustled. The boys hauling straw shouted at the horses. Neighbor Marya was feeding sheaves into the thresher. The thresher tirelessly grabbed them one after another with iron teeth.

And Aunt Marya stood all wrapped up in a scarf, because the dust was whirling around the threshing machine.

“We won’t go there,” said Alyonka, “it’s dusty there.”

“You never know how dusty it is,” Tanya answered. - And if necessary?

Uncle Savely heard them.

“They won’t let you in there,” he said, “you have to work skillfully there.”

- Uncle Savely, where should we go?

- And you go to the winnowing machine to clear away the rubbish.

The winnowing fan crackled merrily, and light, small straw flew above it. And below, heavy, clean grain flowed down the chute. Two girls stood with brooms and carefully swept away the straws and remnants of ears of grain that had fallen from above.

- Where else is the broom? – asked Tanya. - We will also sweep away the rubbish.

“You’ll probably sweep away the grain along with the rubbish,” said one girl, Grusha Mironova. - You girls, better take a rake and rake the straw from the threshing floor.

The girls ran under the shed for a rake and began to rake out the threshed straw. The straw was light and bright, like a cloud.

- So-so! - the collective farmers, who were also raking up straw, shouted to them. - Live, live, there’s no time to sleep!

“Their rakes were just flying up, the straw was making noise.

Tanya and Alyonka also tried their best.

Suddenly, far, far away in a village, a bell rang.

It rang and fell silent.

- Finish your work! - said Uncle Savely. - The bell rang for lunch!

The thresher hummed more quietly and stopped. The winnowing machine stopped rattling.

Uncle Savely raked up and trimmed a heap of threshed rye with a large wooden shovel.

Tanya and Alyonka carried the rake under the shed.

“My whole forehead is wet,” said Tanya, “and yours?”

- And I have! - Alyonka answered. - Both your forehead and neck are wet! And there were thorns everywhere!

Tanya and Alyonka began to pull out straw and thorns from their hair - tendrils from ears of corn. They dusted off their dresses. At this time, Tanya’s grandfather came to the lecture.

“Grandfather,” Tanya shouted, “and Alyonka and I were raking out the straw!”

- Well done! - said grandfather. – It’s good to listen to something good.

- Grandfather, did you come to thresh?

- Yes, not to thresh, but to guard the heap. I’ll sit by the heap while the people have lunch. And who knows? A cattle might wander in, a bird might swoop in.

- So we went, Mironych! - said Uncle Savely. - Make sure you don’t fall asleep here near the heap!

“I won’t doze off,” answered grandfather. - Dine in peace, I know the price of collective farm bread!

HOUSE UNDER THE CART

It was hot outside, the sun was on the grass and on the road. And only under the cart, which stood near the yard, lurked a piece of shadow and coolness.

Tanya and Alyonka climbed under the cart with their dolls.

This will be our home. Okay, Alyonka?

We'll have lunch here.

What about lunch?

We'll bring it from the garden!

But then Tanya looked at the set table and said:

But there is no bread! What is lunch without bread?

Tanya wanted to run home for bread, but Alyonka stopped her:

Our Demushka is coming with a piece, we’ll take it from him.

Alyonka called Dyomushka:

Demka, will you play?

“I will,” said Dyomushka.

Well, crawl under the cart and sit at the table. Don't eat bread.

Where should he go?

And here it is. Put it on a plate, we'll have lunch together.

Everyone sat down around the log. And Snowball stuck his head here. It was cramped under the cart, but it was fun. And the sun was not hot.

Tanya was the hostess at the table and treated everyone:

Here, eat some carrots. Here are the cucumbers. But the peas are very sweet, like sugar!

Tanya took a little of the treats, and Alyonka took a little. And Dyomushka tried the peas and grabbed almost all the pods onto his lap.

What are you doing? - Tanya said. - Is that what they do when visiting? You must take one pod at a time!

But you can’t try it alone...

Chew better, you'll taste it. Put the peas back!

Tanya reached out to Dyomushka for peas. And at this time, Snowball took a moment, grabbed the bread from the table and ate it along with the “plate”.

Oh, what kind of guests are these! - Alyonka screamed. - So they grab everything from the table!

And Tanya got angry and pushed Snowball out from under the cart.

Get out of here, we don't need such guests!

“And Tanya’s mother is coming with a horse,” Dyomushka suddenly said, leaning out from behind the wheel. - Harness, probably.

He quickly grabbed a handful of sweet pods, crawled out from under the cart and ran away.

Well, run,” Tanya said, “we can do it alone...

At this time, Tanya’s mother actually approached the cart and led the dark bay horse Nochka on the reins.

Is it like the sparrows are huddled under guard? - said the mother, looking under the cart. - Get out, I’ll harness it!

And here is our home! - Tanya shouted.

Your house will now go to the field for sheaves,” the mother answered and began to lead the horse into the shafts.

Tanya quickly jumped out from under the cart. And Alyonka is behind her.

And we are with you too! - Tanya asked. - Mommy, can we be in the field too?

“Get into the cart,” said the mother, tightening the collar on the horse.

HIDE UNDER STANDS

Look, mommy,” said Tanya, “how rye bows to us!” She's the one greeting us - right?

Of course,” the mother smiled, “but what about it?” He recognizes his own people!

It seems to be cracking somewhere... - Alyonka said, listening.

Tanya stood up on the cart.

Where? - and then shouted: - I see! The wings are spinning - the reaper is coming! This reaper is cracking, and you, Alyonka, didn’t recognize it? Mommy, we’ll run and have a look now!

Tanya wanted to jump off the cart, but her mother said:

Where will you go for bread? Once we get to the mowed area, then run along the stubble. They've looked at this reaper a hundred times - and everything is interesting to them!

When did you watch it? - Tanya said. - Last year, when we were little. But this year we haven’t watched it even once! Look how she flaps her wings. Alyonka, do you see?

But then the field seemed to open up and move apart - the road ran out onto the stubble. On the mown, it became far visible: the forest, and the bushes in the ravine, and beyond the ravine - a distant field. And in the far field there was still rye, and one could see light golden waves moving across the rye expanses.

Tanya and Alyonka jumped off the cart and ran to the reaper.

Alyonka, do you see what teeth she has? - asked Tanya. - You see on the wing - it’s like a rake anyway? So she throws off the rye with them! Do you see?

But Alyonka did not answer. Tanya looked around - why is Alyonka silent? He looks, but she’s not there. Tanya stopped:

Here's Alyonka for you! - collective farmer Elena Dozorova, who was immediately knitting sheaves, laughed. - Here you have a girlfriend! Gone!

Tanya walked slowly across the field. Suddenly Alyonka’s voice was heard from somewhere:

Tanya smiled:

Ah, she hid!

She began to look for Alyonka and, under one stand, she saw a piece of Alyonka’s blue dress between the sheaves.

See see! She hid herself, but her dress is visible!

Alyonka laughed and crawled out from under the counter.

But I’ll hide, you won’t find me! - Tanya said. - Well, close your eyes!

Alyonka covered her eyes with her palms. And Tanya ran far away, to the outermost stand, climbed under the sheaves and picked up the dress. Let Alyonka look now!

Alyonka walked across the field and looked under every post. And then she stopped and began to shout:

Tanya, oh! Tanya, where are you? Aw!

Wow! - Tanya laughed quietly. “I don’t want to look, so he screams.” Search, search!

It was hot under the counter. Dense sheaves stood closely around. They were new and clean. And the ears of corn were so densely closed over her head that even if it were raining, even if there was a thunderstorm, Tanya still wouldn’t get wet. Only in the gap between the sheaves the blue sky shone brightly.

Tanya, Tanyushka, oh! - Alyonka shouted.

And Tanya laughed again:

Search, search!

Suddenly something rustled across the stubble. And between the sheaves, Snow’s muzzle, white with a black nose, poked under the counter. Snowball looked at Tanya and barked cheerfully.

Ah, that's where you are! - Alyonka screamed. - Get out, we found you!

Tanya crawled out from under the counter.

And why are you, Snowball, climbing? - she said. - I called you, right?

And Snowball looked at her and just waved his tail, as if he wanted to say: “Well, why didn’t you call! You hid, and I found it! Maybe I can play hide and seek too!”

IN THE FAR FIELD

“Let’s run,” said Alyonka, “let’s go for a ride!”

But Tanya didn’t seem to hear. She looked at the distant field beyond the ravines, at the large grains of bread along which were light golden waves.

Alyonka pulled her sleeve:

Tanya, hurry up! Let's climb onto the cart!

Alyonka, look,” Tanya said, not listening to her, “but there’s a combine harvester running there!”

Alyonka took a closer look:

Yeah. Combine.

That would be something to ride! I wish I could climb to the very top...

And it’s also high on the cart.

Well, Alyonka, what are you saying! We went on a cart so many times when we were still little! Well, what's on the cart? The horse is pulling the cart. And there is a car! And at the very top there is a wheel - a steering wheel. Our grandfather says that ships also have such steering wheels - for control. Understand?

Alyonka nodded her head:

Understand.

The horse carefully moved the cart with the sheaves.

Will you come with me or stay here? - the mother shouted from the cart.

We'll stay here! - Tanya answered.

Well, stay,” the mother said, “and when I come the second time, then I’ll take you with me,” and she drove off from the field.

The reaper chirped and dropped armfuls of rye. The women knitted sheaves, cheerfully called to each other, and set up stands.

Alyonka trudged after Tanya. She didn’t want to lag behind her friend, and she didn’t want to go either, because it was bitter. And Alyonka stopped every now and then:

Phew, how it hurts! And I was eager to go to the combine, it would be better if we rode on sheaves!

But when we got onto the road, Alyonka stopped complaining.

The girlfriends ran to a large field. And across the large field a combine harvester was already moving towards them.

And his wing also spins! - Alyonka was surprised. - Like a reaper, it’s all the same!

Yes, it’s true,” said Tanya, “only he doesn’t put the rye on the ground, but drags it straight to him on the canvas!” Do you see?

No, he does! - Alyonka argued. - Look, look, he threw a whole armful onto the stubble! And how many more...

Is this really rye? This is empty straw - my grandfather told me!

Tanya suddenly became thoughtful. Then she said quietly:

And if my father were alive, he would also work on the combine...

Why did all our guys come to the field? - Tanya was surprised. - Maybe they want to put up stands?

No, they probably came to collect the ears of corn! - Alyonka guessed.

Alyonka, let’s go and collect the spikelets,” Tanya said.

Alyonka was happy:

Tanya and Alyonka ran to the kids.

They walked in a row across the mown field and picked up fallen ears of corn - some into a bag, some into an apron.

Nyura Tumanova was the first to see Tanya and Alyonka.

Why did you come running here? - she said. - You are not schoolchildren yet.

So what if it’s not schoolchildren! - Tanya answered. - And we will also go to school soon!

You never know, soon, but still not schoolchildren yet!

Then counselor Vanya Dozorov approached them.

What are you arguing?

Look,” said Nyura, “they came to collect ears of corn, but they themselves never even went to school!”

So much the better,” said Vanya, “they’re not even schoolchildren, but they’ve come to help.”

He placed Tanya and Alyonka next to Nyura.

“Look carefully,” he said, “gather every single ear of corn so that the field is cleanly harvested.”

Tan! What will you collect? - asked Alyonka.

I'm wearing an apron. And you?

Tanya, I don’t even have an apron!

Well, you're in my luggage. We will collect together.

And overhead in the blue sky the sun burned hotly with its last, August heat.

I still can’t come across something and still don’t get it! - Alyonka was angry.

I only came across three myself,” said Tanya, “and even then one was broken!”

And Nyura heard and laughed:

That's how smart they are: they get angry that they don't come across any ears of corn! Well, if they don’t come across it, it means it’s mowed well!

FINDS IN THE FIELD

The guys walked and walked across the field... Suddenly Yura the chairman shouted:

The nest was small, made of dry blades of grass and soft stems. And in the nest there were a few red cow hairs.

And there was nothing else in it.

Where are the chicks? - asked Alyonka.

Everyone laughed:

That's enough! Yes, the chicks have grown up a long time ago, and now they are about to fly away!

Whose nest is this? - asked Tanya.

Nyura Tumanova laughed again:

Whose! Chicken, probably!

But Vanya Dozorov said:

You shouldn't be laughing! Tanya asked correctly. Each bird has its own nest. Well, what kind of bird builds a nest in the rye? Guys, who knows?

Lark! - the guys shouted.

Quail!

Whose nest is this?

Quail!

No, not quail. - Vanya Dozorov took the nest in his hands. “This is a lark’s nest,” he said, “and quails lay their eggs directly on the ground.” They dig a hole in the ground, put some soft grass and straws there - and here the chicks are hatched. We will take this nest with us to the Yunnat corner. And you guys get to work, stand where you are, don’t miss a single step.

The guys ran away, wanted to get up, who was where, but everyone forgot where they stopped. Only Tanya knew her place, because her blue apron with spikelets lay there.

Well done, Tanya! - said Vanya Dozorov. - Look, huh? Even though she’s not a schoolgirl yet, she turned out to be the smartest of all of us.

And everyone began to say:

Here we have Tatyanka - small but remote. She'll probably be a good student!

Only Nyura Tumanova didn’t say anything. She silently stood next to Tanya and began collecting spikelets.

Suddenly Snowball stopped and started barking.

Snowball, who did you see? - Tanya shouted.

Snowball looked at Tanya and barked again.

“I’ll run and have a look,” said Alyonka.

She put her spikelet in Tanya's apron and ran. She ran up to Snowball and clasped her hands:

Oh, there's a hedgehog! There's a hedgehog walking along the path!

The kids couldn’t resist and ran to see the hedgehog. Only this time they put their aprons and bags of spikelets in the places where they stopped.

The hedgehog saw the people, snorted and curled up into a ball. No paws, no black face - just needles sticking out in all directions!

Let's take him into a living corner too! - said Vanya Dozorov. - Young people, who can take a hedgehog?

I can! - Yura shouted to the chairman.

He quickly took off his T-shirt, covered the hedgehog with it and rolled it into this T-shirt, as if in a bundle.

Tanya felt sorry for the hedgehog.

“You don’t need to take him,” she said, “let him run around in the field, he’ll be bored with you!”

“He won’t be bored,” Yura answered, “we already have one hedgehog.” That hedgehog is really bored. And now the two of them will have fun!

And maybe you don’t feed them there,” Tanya said, “maybe you forget!”

How is this possible - we forget! - Yura got angry. - We are young people!

“You yourself will come to school soon,” Vanya Dozorov said to Tanya, “so you will feed them!”

Tanya was delighted:

I? Is it possible for me?

Why not? You will also be a young girl with us.

OK! - Tanya agreed. And she smiled. And then she touched the hedgehog’s spines through her T-shirt and said: “Nothing, nothing, little hedgehog, don’t snort!” We will feed you. We'll give you milk, you'll see!

And when all the children began to collect spikelets again, Alyonka said:

What else could we find for the Young People’s corner?

“I don’t know,” Tanya answered. - Let’s take a better look, maybe we’ll meet someone else.

But they didn’t meet anyone else, because the field ended.

And Vanya said:

Guys, now we're going home. Let's put all the spikelets into one big bag.

So we helped the collective farm! - Tanya said cheerfully. - And I’m not even tired at all!

And I'm not tired! - Alyonka picked up. - Shall we run?

Let's run! - Tanya agreed.

They held hands and ran along the soft and sunny field road. And Snowball, twirling his shaggy tail, ran merrily after them.

ON CURRENT

Look, look! - Alyonka screamed. - There's your mother riding in a cart! She’s probably come for the third time - but we’re still not there!

Tanya was delighted and waved her hand:

Mommy, take it to your cart!

The mother rode out of the stubble onto the road and stopped the horse:

Well, climb up!

Tanya and Alyonka ran up to the cart. "Climb"! How to climb? The cart stands wide, like a stove... The mother looked at them from above and laughed:

Well, why are you walking around the cart? Get in!

What to hold on to? - asked Tanya. - Right behind the sheaves?

Stand on the shaft, - said the mother, - and now - on the horse’s back... Stand, stand, don’t be afraid!

Tanya timidly climbed from the shaft onto the horse. The horse stood quietly, only waving its head, driving away the flies, and the fur on its back was smooth and warm.

Well, now give me your hand - and here! - said the mother.

And before Tanya had time to look back, she was already sitting next to her mother on a wide cart.

What about me? - asked Alyonka.

“And you too,” the mother answered, “have you seen how Tanya is?” Climb, don’t be afraid, I’ll give you a hand!

Climb, climb! - Tanya shouted. - It is nice here!

Alyonka contrived and also climbed onto the cart.

“Is everyone here,” the mother asked, “or is there anyone else there?”

Everyone is here! - Alyonka answered.

Suddenly, Snowball whined barely audibly from below. He stood at the shaft, twirled his tail and looked up with pleading eyes.

And you too? - the mother laughed. - Well, no, you can go for a run on foot. We have two legs, and you have four!

Are you going to get off or not? - she shouted to the girls.

No, we won't! - Tanya answered.

We will not! - Alyonka repeated.

They laughed and buried themselves deeper into the sheaves.

Well, that means we’ll have to dump it along with the sheaves,” said foreman Uncle Savely.

He leaned his shoulder on the cart, the cart tilted, the sheaves slid and crawled.

Ay-ay, we're falling! - Tanya and Alyonka shouted.

This is how we disembark passengers! - said Uncle Savely. - You will know!

And we went down a hill! - Tanya answered. - It’s not even scary at all!

Not even at all! - Alyonka confirmed.

The girls crawled out of the sheaves and shook themselves off. And the mother threw the last sheaves from the cart and said:

Sit down, I'll take you home.

“We won’t go,” Tanya answered, “we will still help!”

Well, help,” said the mother. And she left.

Tanya, why are we going to help? - asked Alyonka.

“Whatever,” Tanya said, “whatever they say.”

Varya, let's throw sheaves too? - Tanya said.

But Varya answered:

You can’t finish it, it’s hard. Better go to the current, help there.

And Aunt Marya stood all wrapped up in a scarf, because the dust was whirling around the threshing machine.

“We won’t go there,” said Alyonka, “it’s dusty there.”

“You never know, it’s dusty,” Tanya answered. - And if necessary?

Uncle Savely heard them.

They won’t let you in there,” he said, “you have to work skillfully there.”

Uncle Savely, where should we go?

And you go to the winnowing machine to clear away the rubbish.

Where else is the broom? - asked Tanya. - We will also sweep away the rubbish.

“You’ll probably sweep away the grain along with the rubbish,” said one girl, Grusha Mironova. - You girls, better take a rake and rake the straw from the threshing floor.

The girls ran under the shed for a rake and began to rake out the threshed straw. The straw was light and bright, like a cloud.

So-so! - the collective farmers, who were also raking up straw, shouted to them. - Live, live, there’s no time to sleep!

Their rakes were just flying up and the straw was making noise.

Tanya and Alyonka also tried their best.

Suddenly, far, far away in a village, a bell rang.

It rang and fell silent.

Finish your work! - said Uncle Savely. - The bell rang for lunch!

The thresher hummed more quietly and stopped. The winnowing machine stopped rattling.

Uncle Savely raked up and trimmed a heap of threshed rye with a large wooden shovel.

Tanya and Alyonka carried the rake under the shed.

“My whole forehead is wet,” Tanya said, “and yours?”

Me too! - Alyonka answered. - Both your forehead and neck are wet! And there were thorns everywhere!

Tanya and Alyonka began to pull out straw and thorns from their hair - tendrils from ears of corn. They dusted off their dresses. At this time, Tanya’s grandfather came to the lecture.

“Grandfather,” Tanya shouted, “and Alyonka and I were raking out the straw!”

Well done! - said grandfather. - It’s good to listen to something good.

Grandfather, did you come to thresh?

Not to thresh, but to guard the heap. I’ll sit by the heap while the people have lunch. And who knows? A cattle might wander in, a bird might swoop in.

So we went, Mironych! - said Uncle Savely. - Make sure you don’t fall asleep here near the heap!

“I won’t doze off,” answered the grandfather. - Dine in peace, I know the price of collective farm bread!

GIRLFRIENDS HELP GUARD THE HEAP

Everyone left the threshing floor - Uncle Savely, Uncle Kuzma, and all the collective farmers. And immediately there was silence.

What are you little birds sitting here? - said grandfather. - Go home for dinner - you're probably tired.

“But we didn’t get tired,” Tanya answered. - You and I will guard the bread.

Tanya sat down next to the heap. She ran her hand over the silvery grain, ran her hands through the heap, scooped up handfuls and spilled the grains back through her fingers. And the heap lay in front of her like a heavy mountain, and each grain glittered as if beaten.

Grandfather sat down on the sheaves under the canopy. Then Tanya and Alyonka sat down next to him and immediately began to tell their grandfather:

Today we picked up spikelets in the field!

And when they were collecting the spikelets, they met a hedgehog!

And they found the nest!

Only the nest is completely empty,” said Alyonka, “there wasn’t a single chick.”

Well, what are the chicks like now! - said grandfather. “They’ve all grown up now, they’re flying, they’re getting ready for a long journey.” Yes, it’s time for them to go to warm countries - the month of September is on the outskirts, autumn is walking through the forest, painting the trees...

Tanya thought about it. She remembered how swans flew from warm countries in the spring and screamed. And the geese walked along the road, raised their heads and listened to them.

Grandfather, will the swans fly to warm countries again?

They'll fly again. And the larks will fly. And swallows. And the cranes... I once saw how the cranes flew across the sea.

How, grandpa?

I was in Crimea then. They gave me a ticket to a rest home, and I went.

Grandfather, what kind of Crimea is this?

And this place is Crimea, right by the sea. There are mountains all around, and the sea is blue and blue and everything is noisy, and everything is noisy, and waves one after another run to the shore... So one morning I was sitting on the shore, looking at these blue waves, listening to how they rustled. Suddenly familiar voices: “Kurls! Kurls! I jumped up - were they really cranes? He raised his head, and they were flying from behind the mountain. And they went, they went across the sea to that Turkish shore. They fly, but they themselves scream and shout - so pitifully, as if they don’t want to fly to a foreign shore, as if they are saying goodbye to their homeland.

Oh, grandfather,” Tanya whispered, “I feel sorry for them!”

“What can you do,” said grandfather, “the homeland is dear to everyone!” But the birds remember their native places well. They'll wait out the cold and go home again. Yes, with joy, and with songs!

Tanya wiped her eyes with her palm.

Meanwhile,” grandfather continued, “while we’re talking here, we have a heap of foals coming up!”

Tanya immediately jumped up:

The foals were grazing nearby in the meadow. They got tired of nibbling grass, so they approached the barn and wanted to try some bread. But Tanya and Alyonka jumped out from under the canopy, shouted at them, and waved their arms. And then, out of nowhere, Snowball jumped out and barked. The foals got scared and ran back to the meadow.

Snowball, where have you been? - Tanya was surprised. - I thought you ran home a long time ago!

He probably slept in the sheaves,” said Alyonka. - There's so much straw in the tail!

So Tanya and Alyonka sat with their grandfather, and grandfather told them about the swallows that overtake the train in the air, and about the corncrake, which does not like to fly, but increasingly walks...

Grandfather,” said Tanya, “you say that the month of September is near the outskirts... But Alyonka and I will go to school on the first of September!”

“My mother has already sewed pockets for me for the alphabet,” Alyonka responded.

“And my grandmother sewed it for me,” Tanya said, “with a red border.” This is called a cash register.

Good morning! - Grandfather answered them. - So, soon you will read books to me, and I will listen. My eyes have become very difficult to see!

And then the bell rang in the village. And grandfather said:

Well, our watch is over. Now people are going to work, and we are going to lunch. Run home, little birds!

Tanya and Alyonka ran home. As soon as Tanya entered the hut, she went straight to her grandmother:

Grandma, please let me have lunch quickly: today Alyonka and I helped the collective farm all day!

PEAR APPLE

In the morning Alyonka appeared with a large sunflower. The sunflower was wide, like a basket, and all filled with black silky seeds. Alyonka pulled out one seed at a time, and a bright, empty nest remained in the sunflower.

And Tanya put the dolls to bed. Yesterday she completely forgot about them, and the dolls sat outside all night behind a round log. Their green “tablecloth” withered, their “plates” shrank, the chickens pecked at the food, and they themselves were soaked through with the night dew.

Tanya, where should we go to help today? - asked Alyonka, plucking the seeds.

Tanya covered the dolls with a blanket and also took hold of Alyonka’s sunflower.

“I don’t know,” she said. - Maybe back to the threshing floor?

“You’d better go to the gardener, Uncle Timofey,” said the grandmother, “today he was gathering people to pick apples.” And there are few people - everyone is in the field and threshing.

The girlfriends broke the sunflower in half and went to Uncle Timofey’s garden.

Dyomushka heard that they were going to pick apples, and he also went with them.

How to rake the straw, you didn’t come,” said Alyonka, “but when I heard about the apples, you immediately came running!”

Dyomushka did not answer anything, but walked and walked after them.

The collective farm garden was surrounded on all sides by a thick fence and lined with poplars. The poplars rustled slightly with their silvery leaves. They stood like a flat wall, protecting the garden from cold winds.

The gate to the garden was open. Not far from the gate stood a straw hut. And near the hut lay brand new wooden boxes, several sheaves of fresh yellow straw and large piles of apples. The collective farm watchman, Grandfather Anton, was putting apples in boxes, and his grandchildren, Vanya and Vasya, helped him.

Among the trees, here and there, colorful scarves and sweaters could be seen - collective farmers were picking apples from the branches.

Tanya, Alyonka and Dyomushka entered the garden one after another and stopped. Uncle Timofey saw them:

What do you want - an apple?

Yes,” said Dyomushka.

No, we're not looking for apples! - Tanya said hastily and angrily pulled Dyomushka by the sleeve. - We came to help!

Well done kids! - said Uncle Timofey. - And I really need help, I don’t have many people today.

Uncle Timofey ordered them to collect fallen apples - apples that had fallen from the branches - into a pile.

If you like it, eat it,” he said, “but don’t pick it from the trees.”

The children scattered around the wide garden. And what a beautiful garden it was! Tanya walked and didn’t know where to look: either down, at her feet, to look for fallen apples, or up, at the apple trees that stood around, like in a round dance. Apples hung above her head - red, pink, yellow, with blush, without blush, and green with dark red stripes.

Why do you just walk and look, but don’t collect anything? - Alyonka told her. - I’ve already picked up a lot and ate two apples!

Tanya came to her senses and also began to collect apples from the grass - here and there apples peeked out: one with a bruised side, another gnawed by a worm, the third - unripe... Tanya collected them in her blue apron. And when I came across a ruddy and crumbly apple, Tanya said:

You can eat whatever you like. But I really like this! - and ate a sweet apple.

So Tanya, Alyonka and Dyomushka walked around the garden, picking apples, carrying them in a heap to the hut. And they feasted on it themselves: when they come across a sweeter apple, they will eat it.

And Dyomushka didn’t collect as much as he ate. Finally he got tired of collecting padans.

Large round apples looked at him from the branch - dark red, almost brown. Dyomushka lightly touched the branch and shook it - the apples did not fall. But from somewhere above, one large apple suddenly fell, made a noise through the foliage and hit Dyomushka on the top of his head.

Oh! - said Dyomushka and jumped to the side.

Then Alyonka ran up to him and shouted:

Are you picking apples? Now we’ll tell Uncle Timofey!

I didn't even vomit! - said Dyomushka and rubbed the top of his head with his palm. - It fell on its own.

But then Tanya attacked him:

Why did you touch the branch? Oh you! Uncle Timofey let you into the garden, but you are deceiving him, tearing apples!

Dyomushka did not answer them. He silently gathered his padans into the hem of his shirt. And he also put down the apple that fell from above and took it to the hut.

The kids were picking and collecting apples. They brought in a whole bunch of apples.

Well, thank you! - said Uncle Timofey. - They helped me a lot today. And for work, take yourself some apples - whichever ones you want, whichever ones look at you!

Dyomushka stuffed honey ranetki into his pockets. Alyonka picked up red striped ones. And Tanya chose the three largest apples for herself. One yellow, transparent one is for grandpa. Another crumbly, red one is for grandma. The third golden, liquid, with a ruddy barrel is mothers.

What about yourself? - Uncle Timofey asked.

Tanya smiled:

But I don't need it anymore. I already ate a lot of them today.

Well, then I’ll give it to you myself,” said Uncle Timofey.

He took a pear apple from the tree, the sweetest, most fragrant, and gave it to Tanya.

In the evening, everyone - grandmother, grandfather, and mother - drank tea with apples and praised Tanya:

This is what a nice helper Tanya is growing up with!

HOW DYOMUSHKA TREATED SNOW

The next day, Tanya helped her grandmother pick cucumbers in the garden. All the cucumbers were collected - only the vines with rough leaves remained in the beds. Grandmother washed the cucumbers and pickled them in a large tub.

“So we’ve dealt with the cucumbers,” she said.

But the next day a truck arrived from the collective farm gardens. And the car is full of cucumbers.

Sima the gardener said:

We will distribute these to the collective farmers for workdays,” and she ordered them to be poured out near the collective farm storeroom.

Here's your time! - said the grandmother. - And I thought that I had dealt with the cucumbers... And where did so many cucumbers come from these days!

While the cucumbers were being unloaded, children gathered around the car. And before they even had time to close the sides, they were already sitting in the back like porcini mushrooms in a basket.

Where are you going, I would like to know? - asked the driver.

Wherever you go, we will go! - the kids shouted.

Or maybe I'll go to Moscow?

And we are off to Moscow!

Well, in that case, sit tight.

The car snorted, made noise and drove off. The kids grabbed the side, some grabbed the cabin, and some sat right on the bottom of the body. Tanya and Alyonka huddled close to the cabin and held each other.

The car was racing along the packed white road, light, dry dust escaping from under the rear wheels. The wind blew towards me and ruffled my hair. And the poles with wires were counted one after another along the road.

Tanya, look: Snowball is running! - Alyonka suddenly said.

Snowball actually ran after the car, sneezing every now and then from the dust. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not catch up with the car. He fell further and further behind, and finally, somewhere down the hill, he completely fell behind.

Well, where is he running? - Tanya said. - He probably knocked off all his paws!

The car slowed down slightly and turned towards the vegetable gardens. Here, in the garden, not far from the road, there were heaped heaps of cucumbers. And right there, one on top of the other, large baskets full of tomatoes were piled up. The car approached these baskets and stopped.

We've arrived! - the driver shouted.

That's how Moscow is! - Alyonka laughed. - Garden beds and a river, but nothing else.

And Tanya silently got off the car. She kept looking at the road - was Snowball running? This dog is so stupid that he can get lost!

At this time, two girls - Klasha Galkina and Masha Fonareva - brought another basket of tomatoes.

Here's what a horde I brought you! - said the driver. - They'll eat everything you have here now!

But Klasha and Masha only laughed in response:

Let them eat, there is enough for everyone - and there will still be left. Carry - do not transport!

Where shall we go, - Alyonka asked Tanya, - for tomatoes or peas? Or shall we look for poppy seed?

What are you saying, poppies have already been collected a long time ago! - Tanya said.

Then maybe we should run for some sunflowers?

“And I’m going for tomatoes,” Dyomushka decided.

They walked along the beds. The tomatoes hung on low branches and almost lay on the ground. Tanya walked and chose a tomato for herself:

I don’t want this one: its side is green. I don’t want this one: it’s still small. But I’ll take this one: it’s big and red!

Eat, eat, kids! - said the gardener Sima. - The tomatoes will run out soon, we’ll remove the last ones.

And the guys ran to pull the carrots! - Dyomushka shouted. - I'll run too!

Eat the tomato first! - said Alyonka. - He’s in such a hurry everywhere, he’s afraid of being late!

Tanya and Alyonka each ate a good tomato and also went for carrots.

Carrots lay in red heaps among the black dug-up beds. And nearby there were still untouched beds, lush and fluffy with carrot greens. This is a late variety, it’s too early to pull these carrots. But Tanya still pulled one out - that’s how the fresh carrot crunched in her teeth, like a lump of sugar!

We also went for peas. But I didn’t like the peas: they had already become dry and hard. Then we made our way through dense beet beds and a row of rutabaga beds - straight to the poppy plot. The poppy seed has been ripe for a long time and has been harvested for a long time. Only two or three dry brown heads rattled in the wind. The girls broke them and shook poppy seeds out of them right into their mouths.

Then they were lured by the turnip beds. How to miss, how not to try! The turnip is clean, yellow, like honey. And when you take a bite, sweet juice will squirt out of it!

Tanya held the turnip by the green cowlick and shook the earth off it. Suddenly she heard some noise in the thick beet tops and looked around.

Alyonka, look,” she shouted, “Snowball has come running!”

Snowball looked at them with his tongue hanging out and wagging his tail with joy. And Tanya herself was very happy.

I came running and didn’t get lost! And how did you find us in such a large garden?

“He’s probably hungry,” said Alyonka.

Yes, I'm so hungry! - said Dyomushka, who also came for the turnip. - I gave him a tomato - he doesn’t eat, he gave him a cucumber - he doesn’t eat, he gave him swede - he doesn’t eat. So hungry!

And Tanya laughed and said:

That's how spoiled you are, Snowball!

FOREST GIFTS

After washing the gardens, the girls did not go along the road, but straight through the woods. Snowball also ran after them. But Dyomushka stayed with the kids - he didn’t want to leave the gardens yet.

The forest was quiet and elegant. The fir trees were thickly green. Light golden sparkles glowed in the birch trees. And the aspen trees stood ruddy, scarlet and quietly trembled with their round leaves.

Tanya remembered how her grandfather said: “It’s autumn that colors the trees.”

She walked slowly and looked around - if only she could see how autumn walks through the forest and paints the trees!

Wow, how many honey mushrooms! - Alyonka shouted. - Tanya, run here!

Tanya ran up to Alyonka. And there stood a tall stump, all planted with yellow honey fungi. They grew in groups - larger, smaller, and very small, like peas.

You can fill a whole basket! - Tanya said.

“We don’t have any basket,” said Alyonka. - Oh, what a pity!

There is no basket, but there is an apron! - Tanya answered.

She took off her blue apron and spread it on the ground.

The girls collected mushrooms in their apron, tied it in a knot and moved on.

In the clearing they came across a wide walnut bush. Among its rough leaves hung nuts in green wrappers - one, two, three.

Tanya and Alyonka put the bundle of mushrooms on the grass, and they themselves began to tear the nuts.

Where will we put the nuts? - asked Alyonka.

“Nuts are also in the apron,” Tanya answered.

They picked a lot of nuts, and even more remained on the bush. But the bush is very tall, you can’t reach the top branches.

The girls went home. At the edge of the forest they saw a rowan tree. And on the rowan tree, like handfuls of red beads, hung tight red berries.

Alyonka, shall we pick it up?

We'll get it, of course.

Where should I put it?

Yes, we’ll put it in the apron too. We'll figure it out at home.

And they picked rowan trees. Moreover, along the way, Tanya could not resist - she broke red aspen branches. They were very beautiful!

So they went with forest gifts: mushrooms, nuts, rowan berries. And when they entered the field, rainbow autumn cobwebs quietly floated and glowed above them in the crystal air.

Tanya and Alyonka came home, sat on the porch and began making necklaces out of rowan trees. They took a ball of harsh thread and a thick needle from their grandmother, strung berries on the threads and put them around their necks.

“I’ll go and show myself to my grandmother,” Tanya said.

She wanted her grandmother to see how smart she was.

But at this time Dyomushka came.

Give me some mountain ash! - he asked.

“I’m late,” Alyonka answered, “we strung all the mountain ash on beads.”

Well, then I'll tear off the bead! - said Dyomushka.

And he tore several rowan beads from Alyonka’s necklace.

What are you doing! - Alyonka shouted at him.

And Tanya jumped up:

Get out of here!

Dyomushka backed down the steps, but stumbled and almost fell. And in order not to fall, he grabbed Tanya and accidentally tore off her red necklace.

Messed up everything! - Tanya almost cried. - I crushed all the beads!

Then the grandmother came out onto the porch.

What are you shouting? - she said. - What didn’t you share?

Grandma, look, he tore off my beads! - Tanya complained.

Look how many beads I crushed! - Alyonka supported Tanya.

“Eh, girls,” said the grandmother, “why are you making so much noise over an empty matter!” Dyomushka is still small, what can we take from him? And you are already big, you will soon go to school. Are you really going to look up to Demushka?

Tanya and Alyonka looked at each other. Yes, really, in a few days - back to school! And both of them somehow became quiet, thoughtful and forgot about their red necklaces.

GIRLFRIENDS GO TO SCHOOL

These few days flew by very quickly, flew by like yellow leaves from a birch tree, blown by the wind. The first of September has arrived.

That day Tanya woke up very early. The clear September sun peered slantingly through the window, and the grandmother’s stove was still burning in the kitchen.

Tanya jumped out of bed and, padding her bare feet, ran to the kitchen.

Why did you get up so early? - said the grandmother. - My breakfast isn’t ready yet!

That's how it should be early! - Tanya answered. - You, grandma, probably forgot everything!

What is it that I forgot?

Grandma, I’m going to school today!

So why are you shouting? - Grandma was surprised. - At school, too, classes don’t start until daybreak.

Then she pulled out a large flatbread sizzling in the frying pan from the oven and said:

So I baked a cake for you, you can take it with you to school. You see - I haven’t forgotten anything!

Tanya ran to the porch to wash. My cheeks and ears immediately burned from the cold water. Tanya dried herself tightly with a harsh towel, but looked at her hands and ran to the porch again. Her hands were chapped and brown from the sun. Tanya rubbed them and soaped them, rubbed and soaped them...

Yes, it will be for you! - said the grandmother.

But how will it be, grandma? - Almost crying, Tanya answered. “And the attendant will see that the hands are black and say: “Leave the class.” Nyura Tumanova over there says that the people on duty there are always watching their hands!

Mother came home from threshing for breakfast.

“I’ll get my daughter ready for school now,” she said. - Come on, come here!

She gave Tanya an ironed brown dress, buttoned her black apron, put a handkerchief in her pocket and combed Tanya’s hair herself. I combed my hair and thought:

What should we do with your hair? It’s not good to go to school like that, it’s like a barn is on fire on your head - the curls are sticking out in all directions. Either they need to be cut or braided.

Braid your hair! - Tanya said.

The mother took a blue ribbon from the chest of drawers and braided Tanya’s hair. The pigtail came out small and curled upward. But Tanya was happy and proud and touched everything with her hand. Tanya has never worn a pigtail in her life!

The mother looked at Tanya to see if she was okay, and said:

Study, daughter, diligently, listen to what the teacher says, gain your wits!

Tanya drank tea and blew into the saucer, because she was in a hurry, and the tea was hot and did not cool down. At this time Alyonka looked in the window. Tanya put the saucer of tea on the table:

Alyonka nodded her head.

Where are you going? - Granny said to Tanya. - At least finish your tea!

But Tanya had already grabbed her bag, which they had prepared for her for school, and jumped out onto the porch. And in the bag there was a warm flatbread, a bottle of milk and canvas pockets for the alphabet.

The girlfriends went outside.

Wow, how the wires sparkle in the sun! - Tanya said. - Maybe they are silver?

Probably silver,” Alyonka agreed.

Tanya looked around cautiously:

Can't see the snow? As if he wouldn't follow us!

And Snowball seemed to be just waiting to be remembered. He ran out of the gate and began jumping around Tanya.

Don't you dare walk with us! - Tanya shouted at him. - Go home!

But Snowball looked at her and wagged his tail, as if he wanted to say: “Well, why can’t I go with you? I will go!"

Then Tanya raised a twig and swung at Snowball:

To whom they say - go home! Here I am!

Snowball was offended, lowered his tail and fell behind. He stood and watched as Tanya and Alyonka walked further and further along the road.

At the end of the street, all the collective farm schoolchildren had already gathered. Some are going to the fourth grade, some are going to the third, some are going to the second, and some are just going to school for the first time. Everyone got together and went to school together. And Tanya and Alyonka went too.

A bright field lay on the sides of the road. The field was already empty, the grain had been harvested, and the yellow stubble glistened faintly in the sun. And beyond the field stood an elegant September forest.

Oats were transported from distant fields. Large shaggy carts, swaying, walked along the road.

Hey, schoolchildren, sit down, we'll give you a ride! - they shouted to them from the carts.

“You’ll give me a ride to Riga,” the guys answered, “but we need to go to school.” Not on the way!

In Riga, a threshing machine was noisy, winnowing machines were rattling, voices were heard... The cheerful noise of work carried far over the empty fields.

Do you hear? - Yura said to the chairman. - That’s how it is now - all threshing machines and winnowing machines run on electricity! The hydroelectric power station was launched! - And then he shouted: - Guys, stay away! The car is behind!

The kids ran off the road. The car drove along, kicking up a little dust. It was loaded to the brim with heavy bags - the collective farm was sending grain to a dump point.

They also shouted from the car:

Maybe I could give you a ride?

You're going far! - the guys answered. - Take you to the area, and our school is close.

The road descended into a ravine overgrown with alder trees. And when I climbed the hill, the bushes parted and the school became visible. Here it stands on a green meadow - new, with blue trim - and its large windows sparkle in the sun.

Alyonka looked around and nudged Tanya:

Tanya, look at this!

Tanya looked back too. Two more walked along the road: Dyomushka and his comrade Vanya Berezkin. And Snowball ran behind him, twirling his shaggy tail.

That’s right,” said Tanya, “everything is here!”

They think they will be accepted too! - Alyonka grinned.

From all sides, from all villages, students gathered for school. The teachers met them and took them to their classes.

Tanya and Alyonka, holding each other, entered the first class and sat down at the desk.

But as soon as all the students sat down, the door opened and two more entered - Dyomushka and Vanya Berezkin. They entered, took off their hats and stopped at the door.

The teacher looked at them:

Why did you come?

And we also study,” said Dyomushka.

How old are you?

Seven. Almost eight.

“And I’m almost nine,” Vanya Berezkin said, growing bolder.

The teacher smiled:

Your eighth will be in a year, and your ninth in two years. Come next fall, but now go home!

Dyomushka and Vanya looked at each other, put on their hats and went home.

That's how! - Tanya laughed. - We've already learned!

“Sit up straight, children,” the teacher said, “put your hands on the desk…” And suddenly she looked at the door: “Who is that scratching behind the door?”

The teacher opened the door and Snowball ran into the classroom. He saw Tanya and immediately wagged his tail. All the kids laughed, the teacher also laughed and said:

This is how the student appeared! Well, no, we don’t need such students! Leave, leave the class!

She shouted at Snowball and drove him away. The guys laughed, but soon calmed down and began to listen to what the teacher was saying.