Kaverin's tales are all short. Hourglass

Tale of V. Kaverin

A new teacher appeared in the pioneer camp. Nothing special, ordinary teacher! The large black beard gave him a strange look because she was big and he was small. But it wasn't the beard!

There was one boy in this pioneer camp. His name was Petka Vorobyov. Then there was one girl. Her name was Tanya Zabotkina. Everyone told her that she was brave, and she really liked it. In addition, she loved to look in the mirror, and although each time she found only herself there, she still looked and looked.

And Petka was a coward. They told him that he was a coward, but he answered that he was smart. And it is true: he was smart and noticed what another and brave would not notice.

And then one day he noticed that the new teacher gets up every morning very kind, and in the evening becomes very angry.

It was amazing! Ask him for anything in the morning - he will never refuse! By dinnertime he was already rather angry, and after the dead hour he only stroked his beard and did not say a word. And in the evening! .. Better not approach him! He glared and growled.

The guys enjoyed the fact that in the morning he was kind. They sat in the river for two hours, shot from a slingshot, pulled the girls by the braids. Everyone did what he liked. But after dinner - no! Everyone walked around meek, polite, and only listened to see if "Beard" was growling somewhere - that's what they called him. The guys who liked to talk to him went to him in the evening, before going to bed. But he usually postponed the punishment until tomorrow, and in the morning he got up already kind, kind. With kind eyes and a kind long black beard!

It was a mystery! But this was not the whole mystery, but only half.

And then one day, waking up early in the morning, he remembered that he had left his book in the reading room. The reading room was next to Beard's room, and when Petka ran past, he thought: "I wonder what Beard is in a dream?" By the way, the door to his room was not very open, but just to look in. Petka approached on tiptoe and looked in.

Do you know what he saw? The beard stood on his head! Perhaps one would think that this is morning exercises.

Beard stood for a moment, then sighed and sat down on the bed. He sat very sad and sighed all the time. And then - time! And again on his head, and so deftly, as if it was for him exactly the same thing as standing on his feet. It really was a mystery!

Petka decided that Beard had previously been a clown or an acrobat. But why should he now stand on his head, and even early in the morning, when no one is looking at him?

And why did he sigh and sadly shake his head?

Petka thought and thought, and although he was very clever, he still did not understand anything. Just in case, he did not tell anyone that the new teacher stood on his head - it was a secret! But then he could not stand it and told Tanya.

Tanya did not believe at first.

You lie, she said.

She began to laugh and furtively looked at herself in the mirror: she wondered what she was like when she laughed.

Didn't you dream it?

It was as if he had not dreamed, but he actually dreamed.

But Petka gave his word of honor, and then she believed that this was not a dream.

I must tell you that Tanya was very fond of the new teacher, even though he was so strange. She even liked his beard. He often told Tanya different stories, and Tanya was ready to listen to them from morning to night.

And so the next morning - the whole house was still asleep - Petka and Tanya met at the reading room and went on tiptoe to Beard. But the door was closed, and they only heard Beard sigh.

And I need to tell you that the window of this room overlooked the balcony, and if you climbed up the pole, you could see whether the Beard was standing on his head or not. Petka got scared, and Tanya climbed. She climbed in and looked at herself in the mirror to see if she was too disheveled. Then she tiptoed over to the window and gasped: The beard stood on his head!

At this point, Petka could not stand it either. Although he was a coward, he was curious, and then he had to say to Tanya: "Aha, I told you!" So he got in, and they began to look out the window and whisper.
Of course, they didn't know that this window opened inward. And when Petka and Tanya leaned on it and began to whisper, it suddenly opened wide. Once! - and the guys clapped right at the feet of the Beard, that is, not at the feet, but at the head, because he was standing on his head. If such a story happened in the evening or after a quiet hour, then Tanya and Petka would be unhappy! But Beard, as you know,
In the mornings I was kind-kind! Therefore, he got to his feet, only asked the guys if they were not very hurt.

Petka was neither alive nor dead. And Tanya even took out a mirror to see if she had lost her bow while flying.

Well, guys, - Beard said sadly, - I could, of course, tell you that the doctor ordered me to stand on my head in the morning. But you don't have to lie. Here is my story.

When I was a little boy - like you, Petya - I was very impolite. Never, getting up from the table, I did not say "Thank you" to my mother, and when they wished me good night, I only showed my tongue and laughed. I never showed up at the table on time, and it was necessary to call me a thousand times before I finally answered. My notebooks were so dirty that I felt uncomfortable myself.
But since I was impolite, it was not worth keeping the notebooks clean. Mom said: "Politeness and accuracy!". I was impolite - therefore, sloppy.

I never knew what time it was, and the watch seemed to me the most useless thing in the world. After all, even without a watch you know when you want to eat! And when you want to sleep, is it not known without a watch?

And then one day an old woman came to visit my nanny (an old nanny lived in our house for many years).

As soon as she entered, it immediately became clear how clean and tidy she was. She had a clean handkerchief on her head and light-rimmed glasses on her nose. In her hands she held a clean wand, and in general she must have been the cleanest and most tidy old woman in the world.

So she came and put the wand in the corner. She took off her glasses and placed them on the table. She also took off her handkerchief and put it on her knees.

Of course, now I would like such an old woman. But then, for some reason, I really didn't like her. So when she politely said to me, "Good morning, boy!" I stuck my tongue out at her and left.

And that's what I did guys! I slowly returned, crawled under the table and stole a handkerchief from the old woman. Not only that, I stole her glasses from under her nose. Then I put on my glasses, tied it with a handkerchief, got out from under the table and began to walk, hunched over and leaning on the old woman's cane.

Of course it was very bad. But it seemed to me that the old woman was not so offended by me. She only asked if I was always so impolite, and instead of answering, I stuck my tongue out at her again.

"Listen, boy," she said as she walked away. , although it would be worth it, because the wall clock is the most polite and accurate thing in the world. They never talk too much and just know themselves they do their job. But I feel sorry for you. After all, the wall clock is always hanging on the wall, and it's boring. I'd rather turn you into an hourglass."

Of course, if I knew who this old woman was, I would not stick my tongue out at her. It was the Fairy of Politeness and Accuracy - it was not for nothing that she was in such a clean headscarf, with such clean glasses on her nose ...

And so she left, and I turned into an hourglass. Of course, I did not become a real hourglass. Here, for example, I have a beard, but where is the beard seen in an hourglass! But I became quite like a clock. I became the most accurate person in the world. And from accuracy to politeness, as you know, there is only one step.

You probably want to ask me guys: "Then why are you so sad?" Because the most important fairy of Politeness and Accuracy did not tell me. She did not say that every morning I would have to stand on my head, because during the day the sand pours down, but when the sand pours down in the hourglass, they need to be turned upside down. She did not say that in the mornings, when the clock is in order, I will be kind, kind, and the closer to the evening, the angrier I will become. That's why I'm so sad guys! I do not want to be evil at all, because in fact I am really kind. I don't feel like standing on my head every morning. At my age, this is indecent and stupid. I even grew a long beard so that it would not be visible that I was so sad. But the beard helps me a little!

Of course, the guys listened to him with great interest. Petka looked straight into his mouth, and Tanya never looked in the mirror, although it would be very interesting to know what she is like when she listens to the story of the hourglass.

And if you find this fairy, - she asked, - and ask her to make you a man again?

Yes, it can be done, of course, - said Beard. If you really feel sorry for me.

Very much, - said Tanya. - I feel sorry for you, honestly. Especially if you were a boy, like Petka ... And the teacher is uncomfortable to stand on his head.

Petka also said that yes, it's a pity, and then Beard gave them the address of the Fairy of Politeness and Accuracy and asked them to petition for him.

No sooner said than done! But Petka was suddenly frightened. He didn't know if he was polite or impolite. What if the Fairy of Politeness and Accuracy wants to turn it into something?

And Tanya went to the fairy alone...

It was the cleanest room in the world! Multi-colored clean rugs lay on the clean floor. The windows were so clean that it was impossible to tell where the glass ended and the air began. There was a geranium on a clean window sill, and every leaf shone.

In one corner there was a cage with a parrot, and he looked like he was washing himself with soap every morning. And in the other - hung walkers. What were these wonderful walkers! They did not say anything superfluous, but only "tick-tock", but it meant: "Do you want to know what time it is? Please."

The fairy herself was sitting at the table and drinking black coffee.

Hello! Tanya told her.

She bowed as politely as she could. At the same time, she looked in the mirror to find out how she did it.

Well, Tanya, - said the fairy, - I know why you came. But no, no! This is a very nasty boy.

He is no longer a boy, - said Tanya. - He has a long black beard.

For me, he is still a boy, - said the fairy. - No, please don't ask for it! I can't forget how he pulled off my glasses and handkerchief and how he mimicked me, hunched over and leaning on a stick. I hope he remembers me quite often since then.

Tanya thought that one should be very polite with this old aunt, and just in case she bowed to her again. At the same time, she again looked in the mirror to find out how she did it.

Or maybe you still would have disenchanted him? she asked. - We love him very much, especially in the morning. If the camp finds out that he has to stand on his head, they will laugh at him. I feel so sorry for him...

Oh, do you feel sorry for him? the fairy grumbled. - That's another matter. This is the first condition for me to forgive. But can you do the second condition?

What is it?

You have to give up what you love most in the world. - And the fairy pointed to the mirror, which Tanya had just taken out of her pocket to find out how she looks when she talks to the fairy. - You should not look in the mirror for exactly one year and one day.

Here's one for you! Tanya did not expect this. A whole year not to look in the mirror?

How to be? Tomorrow there is a farewell ball at the pioneer camp, and Tanya was just about to put on a new dress, the very one that she had wanted to wear all summer.

It's very inconvenient, she said. - For example, in the morning when you braid braids. How about no mirror? After all, then I will be disheveled, and you yourself will not like it.

As you wish, said the fairy.

Tanya thought.

"Of course, it's terrible. After all, to tell the truth, I look in the mirror every minute, and here hello! A whole year and even a whole day! But it's still easier for me than for poor Beard to stand upside down every morning."

I agree, she said. - Here's my mirror. I will come for him in a year.

And a day later, - the fairy grumbled.

And so Tanya returned to the camp. On the way, she tried not to look even into the puddles that came across her. She was not supposed to see herself for exactly a year and a day. Oh, it's very long! But since she decided, then so be it.

Of course, she told Petka what was the matter, but no one else, because although she was brave, she was still afraid that the girls would take and slip a mirror - and then everything was gone! And Petka will not slip.

I wonder if you see yourself in a dream? - he asked.

Sleep doesn't count.

What if you look in the mirror in your dream?

It doesn't count either.

She simply told the beard that the fairy would disenchant him in a year and a day. He was delighted, but not very, because he did not really believe.

And now for Tanya, difficult days began. While she lived in the camp, it was still possible to somehow manage without a mirror. She asked Petka:

Be my mirror!

And he looked at her and said, for example: "Parted" or "The bow is tied obliquely." He even noticed that Tanya herself did not come to mind. In addition, he respected her for her strong will, although he believed that not looking in the mirror for a year was just nonsense. He, for example, even if he didn’t look at least two!

But the summer ended, and Tanya returned home.

What's wrong with you, Tanya? her mother asked when she returned. - You probably ate blueberry pie?

Oh, that's because I didn't see Petka before I left, Tanya answered.

She completely forgot that her mother did not know anything about this story. But Tanya did not want to tell: what if nothing comes of it?

Yes, it was not a joke! Day after day passed, and Tanya even forgot what she was, and before that she thought that she was pretty. Now it happened that she imagined herself a beauty, and she herself sat with an ink blot on her forehead! And sometimes, on the contrary, she seemed to herself a real freak, but she herself was just pretty - ruddy, with a thick braid, with sparkling eyes.

But all this is nothing compared to what happened in the Palace of Pioneers.

In the city where Tanya lived, the Palace of Pioneers was supposed to open. It was an excellent palace! In one room there was a captain's bridge, and one could shout into a loudspeaker: "Stop! Reverse!" In the wardroom, the guys played chess, and in the workshops they learned how to make toys - not just any, but real ones.

A toy craftsman in a black round cap would say to the children: "That's right" or "That's not right." There were mirrored walls in the hall of mirrors, and everywhere you looked, everything was made of mirror glass - tables, chairs and even carnations, on which paintings hung in mirror frames. The mirrors were reflected in the mirrors - and the hall seemed endless.

The guys have been waiting for this day for a whole year, many had to perform and show their art. Violinists spent hours on end with their violins, so even their parents had to cover their ears with cotton from time to time. Artists walked smeared with paints. The dancers practiced from morning to evening, and among them - Tanya.

How did she prepare for this day? She ironed the ribbons that are braided into braids eight times - she still wanted them to remain as smooth in braids as on an ironing board. The dance that Tanya was supposed to perform, she danced every night in her sleep.

And then came the solemn day. The violinists played their violins for the last time, and the parents removed the cotton from their ears to listen to their minuets and waltzes. Tanya danced her dance for the last time. It's time! And everyone ran to the Palace of Pioneers.

Who did Tanya meet at the entrance? Petka.

Of course she told him:

Be my mirror!

He examined her from all sides and said that everything was fine, only her nose was like a potato. But Tanya was so worried that he missed it.

Beard was also here. The opening was scheduled for twelve o'clock in the morning, and therefore he was still kind. They put him in the first row, because you can't put a man with such a long, beautiful beard in the second or third row. He sat and waited impatiently for Tanya to speak.

And then the violinists performed their waltzes and minuets, and the artists showed how wonderfully they can draw, and the Chief Steward with a big blue bow on his chest came running and shouted:

Tanya! Tanya! To the stage! the guys shouted.

Now Tanya will dance, - Beard said with pleasure. - But where is she?

Indeed, where is she? In the darkest corner, she sat and cried, covering her face with her hands.

I will not dance,” she told the Chief Steward. I didn't know that I would have to dance in a hall of mirrors.

What nonsense! said the Chief Steward. - It's very beautiful! You will see yourself in a hundred mirrors at once. Don't you like it?

For the first time in my life I meet such a girl!

Tanya, you promised - so you must! - said the guys.

It was absolutely true: she promised, so she must. And she could not explain to anyone what the matter was, only Petka! But Petka at that time stood on
captain's bridge and spoke into the mouthpiece: "Stop! Reverse!".

Well, - Tanya said, - I will dance.

She was in a light white dress, so light, clean and white that the Fairy of Politeness and Accuracy herself, who loved cleanliness so much, would have been pleased with them.

Beautiful girl! They agreed on this as soon as she appeared on the stage. "But let's see," they all said to themselves, "how she will dance."

Of course, she danced very well, especially when she could spin in one place, or bow, crouching, or shrug her arms beautifully. But
strange: when it was necessary to run across the stage, she stopped halfway and suddenly turned back. She danced like the scene was all over
small, but I must tell you that the stage was very large and high, as it should be in the Palace of Pioneers.

Yes, not bad, they all said. - But, unfortunately, not very, not very much! She dances uncertainly. She seems to be afraid of something!

And only Beard found that Tanya danced beautifully. “Yes, but look how strangely she stretches her arms out in front of her as she runs across the stage,” he was told. She is afraid to fall. No, this girl will probably never learn to dance well.

These words seemed to reach Tanya. She rushed across the stage - after all, there were many of her friends and acquaintances in the hall of mirrors, and she really wanted them to see how well she could dance. She was no longer afraid of anything, in any case, no one could say anymore that she was afraid of something.

And in the whole huge hall of mirrors, only one person understood everything! How worried he was for Tanya! It was Petka.

"That's it girl!" - he said to himself and decided that he would definitely need to become as brave as Tanya.

"Oh, if only this dance would end soon!" - he thought, but the music was still playing, and since the music was playing, Tanya, of course, she should have been dancing.

And she danced bolder and bolder. She ran closer and closer to the very edge of the stage, and each time Petka's heart sank.

"Well, stop the music," he said to himself, but the music didn't stop.

Well, dear, rather," he kept saying, but the music played and played.

Look, this girl dances beautifully! they all said.

Yep, I told you! Beard said.

And in the meantime, Tanya, circling and circling, kept approaching the very edge of the stage.

Oh! And she fell.

You cannot imagine what a commotion arose in the hall when, while still spinning in the air, she fell off the stage! Everyone was frightened, screamed, rushed to her and were even more frightened when they saw that she was lying with eyes closed.

Beard was kneeling before her in desperation. He was afraid she was dead.

Doctors, doctors! he shouted.

But Petka, of course, shouted the loudest.

She danced with her eyes closed! he shouted. - She promised not to look in the mirror for exactly a year and a day, and only six months have passed! It doesn't matter if her eyes are closed! She will open them in the next room!

Quite right! In the next room, Tanya opened her eyes.

Oh, how badly I danced, she said.

And everyone laughed because she danced beautifully. Perhaps this could be the end of the tale of the Hourglass. No, you can't! Because the next day the Fairy of Courtesy and Accuracy herself came to visit Tanya.

She came in a clean handkerchief, and she had light-rimmed glasses on her nose. She put her wand in a corner, and took off her glasses and put it on the table.

Well hello Tanya! - she said. And Tanya bowed to her as politely as she could.

At the same time, she thought: "I wonder how I did it?"

You fulfilled your promise, Tanya, the fairy told her. “Although only half a day and half a day has passed, you have behaved very well during these half a day and half a day. Well, I'll have to disenchant this nasty boy.

Thank you, aunt fairy, - said Tanya.

Yes, you will have to disenchant him, - the fairy repeated with regret, - although he behaved very badly then. I hope he has learned something since then.

Oh yeah! Tanya said. Since then, he has become very polite and tidy. And then, he is no longer a boy. He is such a respectable uncle, with a long black beard!

For me, he is still a boy, ”the fairy objected. - Okay, have it your way. Here is your mirror. Take him! And remember that you should not look in the mirror too often.

With these words, the fairy returned her mirror to Tanya and disappeared.

And Tanya was left alone with her mirror.

Come on, let's see, she told herself. The same Tanya was looking at her from the mirror, but now she was resolute and serious, as befits a girl who knows how to keep her word.

Veniamin Kaverin FAIRY TALES

HOURGLASS

A new teacher appeared in the pioneer camp. Nothing special, ordinary teacher! The large black beard gave him a strange look because she was big and he was small. But it wasn't the beard!

And Petka was a coward. They told him that he was a coward, but he answered that he was smart. And it is true: he was smart and noticed what another and brave would not notice.

And then one day he noticed that the new teacher gets up every morning very kind, and in the evening becomes very angry.

The guys who liked to talk to him went to him in the evening, before going to bed. But he usually postponed the punishment until tomorrow, and in the morning he got up already kind, kind. With kind eyes and a kind long black beard!

It was a mystery! But this was not the whole mystery, but only half.

And then one day, waking up early in the morning, he remembered that he had left his book in the reading room. The reading room was next to Beard’s room, and when Petka ran past, he thought: “I wonder what Beard is in a dream?” By the way, the door to his room was not very open, but just to look in. Petka approached on tiptoe and looked in.

Do you know what he saw? The beard stood on his head! Perhaps one would think that this is morning exercises.

Beard stood for a moment, then sighed and sat down on the bed. He sat very sad and sighed all the time. And then - time! And again he stood on his head, and so deftly, as if it was for him exactly the same thing as standing on his feet. It really was a mystery!

Petka decided that Beard had previously been a clown or an acrobat. But why should he now stand on his head, and even early in the morning, when no one is looking at him? And why did he sigh and sadly shake his head?

Tanya did not believe at first.

You lie, she said.

She began to laugh and furtively looked at herself in the mirror: she wondered what she was like when she laughed.

Didn't you dream it?

It was as if he had not dreamed, but he actually dreamed.

But Petka gave his word of honor, and then she believed that this was not a dream.

And so the next morning - the whole house was still asleep - Petka and Tanya met at the reading room and went on tiptoe to Beard. But the door was closed, and they only heard Beard sigh.

At this point, Petka could not stand it either. Although he was a coward, he was curious, and then he had to say to Tanya: “Aha, I told you!” So he got in, and they began to look out the window and whisper.

I must tell you that this window opened inwards. When Petka and Tanya leaned on it and began to whisper, it suddenly opened wide. Once! - and the guys clapped right at the feet of the Beard, that is, not at the feet, but at the head, because he was standing on his head. If such a story happened in the evening or after a quiet hour, then Tanya and Petka would be unhappy! But Beard, as you know, in the mornings was kind, kind! Therefore, he got to his feet, only asked the guys if they were not very hurt.

Petka was neither alive nor dead. And Tanya even took out a mirror to see if she had lost her bow while flying.

Well, guys, - Beard said sadly, - I could, of course, tell you that the doctor ordered me to stand on my head in the morning. But you don't have to lie. Here is my story.

When I was a little boy - like you, Petya - I was very impolite. Never, getting up from the table, I did not say “Thank you” to my mother, and when they wished me good night, I only showed my tongue and laughed. I never showed up at the table on time, and it was necessary to call me a thousand times before I finally answered. My notebooks were so dirty that I felt uncomfortable myself. But since I was impolite, it was not worth keeping the notebooks clean. Mom said: "Politeness and accuracy!". I was impolite - therefore, sloppy.

And then one day an old woman came to visit my nanny (an old nanny lived in our house for many years).

So she came and put the wand in the corner. She took off her glasses and placed them on the table. She also took off her handkerchief and put it on her knees.

Of course, now I would like such an old woman. But then, for some reason, I really didn't like her. So when she politely said to me, "Good morning, boy!" I stuck my tongue out at her and left.

Of course it was very bad. But it seemed to me that the old woman was not so offended by me. She only asked if I was always so impolite, and instead of answering, I stuck my tongue out at her again.

"Listen, boy," she said as she walked away. - I can't teach you politeness. But on the other hand, I can teach you accuracy, and, as you know, there is only one step from accuracy to politeness. Don't be afraid, I won't turn you into a wall clock, although I should, because a wall clock is the most polite and accurate thing in the world. They never talk too much and just know for themselves they do their job. But I pity you. After all, the wall clock always hangs on the wall, which is boring. I'd rather turn you into an hourglass."

You probably want to ask me guys: “Then why are you so sad?” Because the most important fairy of Politeness and Accuracy did not tell me. She did not say that every morning I would have to stand on my head, because during the day the sand pours down, but when the sand pours down in the hourglass, they need to be turned upside down. She did not say that in the mornings, when the clock is in order, I will be kind, kind, and the closer to the evening, the angrier I will become. That's why I'm so sad guys! I do not want to be evil at all, because in fact I am really kind. I don't feel like standing on my head every morning. At my age, this is indecent and stupid. I even grew a long beard so that it would not be visible that I was so sad. But the beard helps me a little!

Veniamin Kaverin FAIRY TALES

HOURGLASS