A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya and an elephant who is very hungry. A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya and an elephant who is very hungry Read children's funny tales about Zhenya

The girl's name was Zhenya.
Parents generally immediately came up with, even before her birth, what they would call Zhenya. Autumn is convenient - you can't go wrong, boy or girl. Anyway Zhenya. This is what they decided.

In general, it is strange that it is the parents who choose the name, and then the person lives with him all his life. Even if in his heart he is not Zhenya at all. So the girl Zhenya thought, and dried crackers in the oven in the kitchen.

She made her own croutons. Mom bought a loaf of white bread in the store, and a brick - black bread. Brown actually. Zhenya cut the bread into slices, then into squares, and then dried it in the oven. And they got crackers.

Sometimes she sprinkled the crackers with sugar, and sometimes with salt. It didn't depend on the day of the week.

Zhenya never ate these crackers. She put them in a blue plastic bag and waited for her mother to go for a walk with her.

There was a dragon living in the next yard. It was big and orange, it once had three heads, but over time only two remained, and in place of the third head, the end of a rusty wire stuck out.

But the dragon was still the best. So thought the girl Zhenya.
She put crackers into his open mouth, carefully so as not to bite him. There, in the mouth, the whole Zhenya could fit in. If, of course, she would shrink and pull her legs up to her chin in green breeches.

After eating, the dragon always became more cheerful. Zhenya looked at his large stone wings, covered with orange plaster, and did not understand why he did not fly away?
Such an ugly yard-well.
Those old trash cans.
Such felled trees around the dragon.
Such a big beautiful dragon.

One day Zhenya asked her mother about it. My mother read Françoise Sagan in paperback with frayed corners. Mom looked at the back of Zhenya's head. Mom said "Because you have no one to play with."

"Because you won't have anyone to play with," Mom said.

Since then Zhenya has been very frightened. The dragon can't fly away because of her, Zhenya. Cannot fly to his dragon nest. He sits all the time in St. Petersburg, and here, by the way, the climate is bad.

Day after day, the little girl Zhenya continued to dry crackers for the dragon. Sometimes she persuaded him to fly away, sometimes she simply silently fed him with her hands.

And then Zhenya went to the first grade of the gymnasium at the Philological University of St. Petersburg State University, and stopped going into the courtyard to the dragon. Because the gymnasium was far away, in another area.

And then Zhenya stopped dreaming about the dragon at night, because she was tired for a whole, endlessly long day at school, and also in an extension.

And then Zhenya left for another city.
And then she turned thirty-seven.

By the age of thirty-seven, Zhenya got used to her name. Not that she loved him, but she got used to it.
This always happens if you live with something for a long time: for example, with chronic gastritis or a beloved man.

Now, when Zhenya went for a walk, she no longer put on her blue woolen breeches. She was wearing nice bottle blue Lee jeans.
Zhenya was very fond of her Lee jeans, and felt better in them than in breeches.
To be completely honest, she had already forgotten how she felt in prickly leggings.

For the first time in her thirty-seven-year life, Zhenya came to the dragon empty-handed. She took crackers with her.

Zhenya did not really remember in which of the courtyards the dragon was built. In the yard where she lived as a child, there was now a new playground, with slides, swings, and a United Russia poster.

Zhenya went around many yards before she found her dragon. All yards were the same.

The dragon sat in the middle of a small courtyard, tarnished and dirty, painted with incomprehensible English words from its only head to its tail. Most likely, it was black spray paint.

He looked at Zhenya with sad eyes. He recognized her, despite the fact that Zhenya now wore blue jeans and dyed her hair black.

Probably, the dragon thought to himself that the red hair suited Zhenya more.

Zhenya looked into his sad eyes. And then she looked into his hungry, open mouth. The dragon had ice cream wrappers and empty cigarette packs in its mouth. Zhenya realized that now she would definitely not be able to fit in his mouth.

Zhenya cried.

“Wait,” Zhenya said.

Zhenya stroked the dragon's dirty stone nose and said, "Wait."

The dragon, of course, agreed. After all, he loved Zhenya very much, even though she dyed her hair black.

Zhenya returned to the yard, and then it slowly began to get dark. In St. Petersburg it always gets dark early, especially in the yards.

Zhenya brought with her a large loaf of white bread.

“You know, you were always waiting for me here, and you could not fly to your nest,” Zhenya said.

“And my husband never waited for me. He could fly wherever he wanted,” Zhenya said.

The dragon watched gratefully as Zhenya plucked small pieces from the loaf. Zhenya carefully put pieces of bread into his mouth.

“I haven’t fed you for so long, and now my husband and I are divorcing,” Zhenya said.

And then it got completely dark in the yard, and it was time to go home.

Sometimes she sprinkled the crackers with sugar, and sometimes with salt. It didn't depend on the day of the week.

Zhenya never ate these crackers. She put them in a blue plastic bag and waited for her mother to go for a walk with her.

There was a dragon living in the next yard. It was big and orange, it once had three heads, but over time only two remained, and in place of the third head, the end of a rusty wire stuck out.

One day Zhenya asked her mother about it. My mother read Françoise Sagan in paperback with frayed corners. Mom looked at the back of Zhenya's head. Mom said "Because you have no one to play with."

"Because you won't have anyone to play with," Mom said.

Day after day, the little girl Zhenya continued to dry crackers for the dragon. Sometimes she persuaded him to fly away, sometimes she simply silently fed him with her hands.

And then Zhenya stopped dreaming about the dragon at night, because she was tired for a whole, endlessly long day at school, and also in an extension.

And then Zhenya left for another city.
And then she turned thirty-seven.

Now, when Zhenya went for a walk, she no longer put on her green woolen breeches. She was wearing nice bottle blue Lee jeans.
Zhenya was very fond of her Lee jeans, and felt better in them than in breeches.
To be completely honest, she had already forgotten how she felt in prickly leggings.

For the first time in her thirty-seven-year life, Zhenya came to the dragon empty-handed. She took crackers with her.

Zhenya went around many yards before she found her dragon. All yards were the same.

The dragon sat in the middle of a small courtyard, tarnished and dirty, painted with incomprehensible English words from its only head to its tail. Most likely, it was black spray paint.

He looked at Zhenya with sad eyes. He recognized her, despite the fact that Zhenya now wore blue jeans and dyed her hair black.

Probably, the dragon thought to himself that the red hair suited Zhenya more.

Zhenya cried.

“Wait,” Zhenya said.

Zhenya stroked the dragon's dirty stone nose and said, "Wait."

The dragon, of course, agreed. After all, he loved Zhenya very much, even though she dyed her hair black.

Zhenya returned to the yard, and then it slowly began to get dark. In St. Petersburg it always gets dark early, especially in the yards.

Zhenya brought with her a large loaf of white bread.

“You know, you were always waiting for me here, and you could not fly to your nest,” Zhenya said.

“And my husband never waited for me. He could fly wherever he wanted,” Zhenya said.

The dragon watched gratefully as Zhenya plucked small pieces from the loaf. Zhenya carefully put pieces of bread into his mouth.

“I haven’t fed you for so long, and now my husband and I are divorcing,” Zhenya said.

And then it got completely dark in the yard, and it was time to go home.

Natalia Sovetnaya (from the book "In Search of Treasure", St. Petersburg, 2008)

THE TALE about JENNYA and the GREEN SNAKE

Once upon a time there was a boy Zhenya. Smart, affectionate, kind, obedient - a joy for dad and mom. Zhenya was lucky with her mother. She is beautiful, she is smart, she is a craftswoman. He will sing a song - people will listen, he will play the accordion - his legs will start dancing on their own, he will speak - like a brook is murmuring, he will prepare a treat - to surprise all the guests. And Zhenya loves it so much! Hug him, kiss him and dream:

You will grow up, my dear son, you will become my support, in you is all my hope, in you is all my joy ...

Zhenya's dad is also a good person. Skillful, hardworking, jack of all trades. It just happened to him once.

He walks along the road, and the sun is high, hot. Stuffy, hot - very thirsty. Only there is no river, no lake, no well on the way. Suddenly he hears someone calling him. He went to the voice and sees: running from the mountain steeps, straight from the very heavens, a stream with clear cold water, and the sun's rays are reflected in it with golden crosses. Water murmurs, sings, and a voice is heard:

You do not look for other water,

Drink my water - alive,

Go to my source

At the end of the road you will find paradise.

Zhenya's dad got on his knees to wash his face and hands and drink living water, but suddenly he hears someone shouting:

Stop, well done, wait, don't drink!

He looked back. He sees a girl rushing towards him. Her figure is flexible, thin, covered with a green brocade dress, and in her hands she holds a foaming goblet.

What are you going to do, dude? Cold water doesn't take long to catch a cold! And it flows on dirty ground - you can get sick. And you have to bend over for water, get your knees dirty. And to go far to the source, the path is narrow and thorny.

The girl circles around him, with her yellow eyes, intoxicates, bewitches:

Drink from my cup

Forget your worries soon

Forget the heavenly ways

Follow me, come to me!

She brought him a goblet directly to his lips, he took a sip of dead water, and his mind was clouded, his head was spinning, his heart turned to stone.

There was a malevolent hissing laugh. The girl disappeared as if she never existed. Only the long green tail of the snake flashed in the hole.

After this incident, Zhenya's father often sat up for a bottle of snake potion, he did not notice how addicted to intoxicating poison.

The boy's house became unhappy. Dad is drunk and mom is crying. Mother's songs do not flow anymore, the button accordion does not sound provocatively. I feel sorry for Zhenya's mother.

He kisses her, hugs her, helps in all matters.

Don't cry, mommy, I will never hurt you.

And Zhenya began to ask his father to stop drinking, to stop ruining himself.

Dad thought. Decided to start a sober life. I decided to go for living water.

Again he goes along the same road, again the sun bakes, again he is tormented by thirst. Here is the mountain, here is the brook singing, the voice is heard:

You do not look for other water,

Drink my water - alive,

Go to my source

At the end of the road you will find paradise.

Zhenya's dad was delighted, he runs rather to the stream, he thinks: “This is where the water is real, living, this is where health and happiness are. I will drink from the stream, I will climb high into the mountains and drink from the very source.

Suddenly a girl in a green dress blocked the path, but not alone - her younger sisters were nearby, similar to her. Each holds a goblet in her hands, each fills it with intoxicating drink. They spun in a round dance around the young man, they do not take their yellow poisonous eyes away from him, they start a crafty song:

Drink from our cups

Forget your worries soon

Forget the heavenly ways

His mind was clouded, he forgot that he wanted to drink from the stream and go to the source. He grabbed a goblet and drained it to the bottom, grabbed another and a third.

He drank greedily until he drank it all. An older girl came up to him and said:

You have already given us your soul, we will soon come for your son. -

Although Zhenya's father was drunk, he was frightened and pleaded:

Don't touch your son! Why did you need it?

Don't you know that everyone who drinks our dead water sells us his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren up to the seventh generation? So you are our debtor. And debt payment is red. Wait, we'll come soon! - the sisters laughed, hissed, turned into green snakes and hid in an underground hole, where, together with their father, the terrible Green Serpent, they lived, destroying many human souls.

Zhenya's dad cried and suddenly found himself at home. Outside the window the sun is rising, the birds are singing, my mother is preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

I must have dreamed it all, thought dad, and immediately forgot what had happened to him.

Again he began to come home drunk, again mother became sad.

How much, how little time has passed - Zhenya has grown. He graduated from school, served in the army, received a diploma of higher education and became a respected person at work.

Once he went with his dad on the road. The sun is high and it's hot. Hot, stuffy - very thirsty. They hear as if someone is calling them. We went to the voice and saw: running from the mountain steeps, right from the very heavens, a stream with clear cool water, and the sun's rays are reflected in it with golden crosses. Water gurgles, sings tenderly, and a voice is heard:

You do not look for other water,

Drink my water - alive,

Go to my source

At the end of the road you will find paradise.

Dad, look - living water! - he called and then he saw that his father was surrounded by young girls, similar to each other: all flexible, thin, dressed up in green brocade dresses, all eyes were yellow, poisonous, and goblets with intoxicating drink in their hands .

Release my dad immediately! He will not drink from your cups anymore. We have water from the sources of heaven, living water!

The girls laughed, started a round dance around Zhenya.

Son, do not look at them, - the father asks, - do not listen to their songs, do not take a cup from them. They will destroy you, as they destroyed me.-

And the girls keep circling, they don’t take their eyes off Zhenya, they sing and fascinate:

Drink from our cups

Forget your worries soon

Forget the heavenly ways

His mind was clouded, he forgot that he wanted to drink from the stream and go to the source, he forgot about his father. He drank a poisonous potion from a goblet, and his heart turned to stone. He looks indifferently as the girls tied his father's hands and beckon him with a goblet full of them, as he follows them straight into the hole - underground darkness. There was a hiss of a snake, the girls turned into poisonous snakes and disappeared together with Zhenya's dad ...

After the death of his father, mother and Zhenya were left alone. It was difficult for them.

Nothing, mommy, - the son said, - I will be for you for two, I will do everything that is needed in the house, I will help in everything, I will never offend.

But Zhenya had already drunk from the goblet of the intoxicating poisonous potion. I didn’t even notice how addicted to it. He began to come home late, began to be rude to his mother, began to offend her, to scold her with bad words. He turned into a completely dishonest person.

At work, Zhenya's colleagues cannot recognize him: where did his irresponsibility, absent-mindedness, deceit come from? They stopped trusting him, demoted him in his position, and then completely fired him.

Gloomy life in Zhenya's house became, as if a joyless, painful night had come. Again, the mother spent time in tears and sadness. I didn't know how to help my son.

Once she was walking past the Temple of God, and her feet themselves led into the church gates. She looks, the people of the Mysteries of Christ take communion, the priest sprinkles everyone with holy living water, and the children's choir sings prayers with angelic voices. Sadness suddenly receded somewhere, and tears flowed from her eyes, only these tears were not sorrowful, but joyful.

I will implore the souls of my husband and son, and my sinful one, -

she decided.

Zhenya's mother prayed for a long time, asking forgiveness for everyone, mercy and help. The Angel of God heard her prayers, came to her and said:

I want to help you, Elizabeth. After all, your son loved you very much and pitied you. And love is the main commandment of God, love is omnipotent. I will ask the Lord for a disease for you. Your son will see how you suffer, take pity on you and stop drinking intoxicating poison. Do you agree to be sick and suffer?

I agree, I agree, my Angel, I agree to everything, if only to save my son, his soul!

How much, how little time has passed, Zhenya's mother fell ill. Weaker every day, her legs are taken away from her, her hands do not obey well. She can't do anything without her son's help. Zhenya stopped leaving the house. Everything must be done in time: clean the house, wash the linen, cook dinner, go to the store, and dress, feed, and put mum to bed. He began to forget about the poisonous potion, but no such luck.

The serpent maidens got agitated, they do not want to let Zhenya go free, they want to take his soul to the dungeon. They frequented him in dreams. They look into his eyes, sing a bewitching song and fill their goblets with intoxicating poison: either with flattering champagne, or deceitful beer, or sour wine, or bitter vodka. Zhenya's head began to spin, he forgot about his sick mother and drank again to unconsciousness. The snake-girls picked him up, dragged him into the darkness of the underground.

Elizabeth prayed, calling the Guardian Angel, calling the saints and the Mother of God, asking to save her son.

The Angel of God comes to her again. His face is mournful.

Your son has chosen his own path. Didn't listen to the voice of God. Now he is dying.

The mother cried bitter tears. Begged, pleaded:

Why should I live here, on earth, if my son, my bloodline, is not next to me? It’s better that I die instead of him, and he will live and beg forgiveness from God with tears for me, save his soul from the machinations of hell, drink living water and rise to the source.

Your love is strong, mother, - said the Angel, - be your way.

He took the soul of Elizabeth and rushed along with her to the entrance to the underground hole. They made it in time. The terrible green Serpent has already opened its mouth. It smelled of a deadly stench of fumes, blazed with hellish fire. And the Serpent almost swallowed Zhenya, but the Angel and Elizabeth picked him up and carried him out of the dungeon into the light of God. She hugged her son's mother for the last time, blessed him for a sober life and ascended high, high into the Sky, to the very Source.

She looked down and saw: an ambulance was rushing down the street, an alarm siren was heard, Zhenya was lying under a dropper in the car, and next to him was the Angel of God. He raised his eyes to Heaven, met the eyes of Elizabeth and said:

Thank God, your prayers have been heard, mother - rejoice!

Tale about a girl Zhenya and an Elephant who is very hungry
We drew an elephant. When the work with a simple pencil was completed, I asked the guys: -What color are elephants?

Gray, of course! - Dasha immediately answered, who always knew everything.

Wow, what a boring color, so not interesting and not fabulous at all! - Zhenya stamped her foot. I don't want to draw like that!

And I do not want to! Polina repeated after her.

And me too! Alice replied. That hour it became clear to me that a strike was beginning, and I said:

In nature, the elephant, indeed, is gray, but in the picture, it can be whatever you want!

The children shouted in unison: "Hurrah!" and, with delight, looked at their boxes of colored pencils.

My elephant's head will be as yellow as cheese! - Zhenya said.

Does he like cheese? I asked - I've never heard that slans eat cheese!

Yeah, - Polina agreed with me, - maybe his head would be better as yellow as a banana? A banana is at least a fruit! she suggested to Zhenya, while she enthusiastically painted her head yellow.

And the right leg will be crimson, - the girl dreamed, - because the elephant loves raspberries very much! And the left one is blackberry! - Zhenya was completely amused, smartly shading the elephant's leg with a purple pencil. - I'll make the elephant's tail brown, because he loves to eat chocolates, and then rustle loudly with candy wrappers! - she told the rest of the children with inspiration, who understood her perfectly, because they also loved chocolates and rustling candy wrappers.

Isn't it time for us to get together? Our lesson is already over! I noticed looking at my watch. Parents were already crowding at the door of the studio to guide their children home, and we had to take a break.

Arriving home, Zhenya still could not calm down and excitedly told mom and dad about her Miracle Elephant. About how delicious colors fill him and how much he loves bananas, blackberries and chocolate.

You have no idea, she repeated, what a huge elephant! And therefore it is not at all easy to draw! I'm so tired-a-la! - the girl added with a yawn and went to bed.

Meanwhile, the Elephant was plagued by insomnia. He rolled over from side to side, his legs itched: either one by one, or all at once.

This is all from the fact, - thought the Elephant, - that I didn’t eat properly, and I didn’t eat because I couldn’t understand what I want to eat more: bananas or raspberries; blackberries or chocolate... But now I realized that I want all this right now, that's how hungry I am! But where to get food at such a late dark time?

The elephant thoughtfully scratched behind his ear, and a picture floated in his head, or rather, a sign of one store, by which he once passed. The signboard read:

PRODUCTS. 24 HOURS.

DELICACY WILL SAVE YOU FROM STRESS!

Remembering this, the Elephant briskly got out of bed and ran as fast as he could to that wonderful store where you can buy anything, at any time of the day or night.

Having stuffed the cart full of bananas, raspberries, blackberries, chocolate and other yummy, just in case, an unusual buyer went to the checkout, where a pretty cashier was dozing, hanging her head.

Girl, - the Elephant said somewhat embarrassed, - please sell me all this, otherwise I really want to eat!

The cashier drowsily rubbed her eyes and even seemed not at all surprised to see the Elephant in front of her. She looked angrily at the full shopping cart and said ungraciously:

At this time, normal people do not eat! And I have no change! - added the girl, although the Elephant had not even taken out his wallet yet. - Put the goods in their places and come tomorrow!

The elephant, accustomed to communicating with polite people, almost sobbed from resentment:

What should I do now, - he cried - they told me to come tomorrow, but there is something, I want it now! Who is the boss in this store? the famished buyer trumpeted in despair.

Out of nowhere, a pretty little girl appeared at the cash register and said importantly:

Me. I'm the Home here! What happened to you?

Yes, you see, I’m so hungry, and they tell me that normal people don’t eat at such a time, and if you notice, I’m not a person at all, but a normal Elephant, it’s just that my head wants bananas, my right leg wants raspberries, my left one - blackberries, and a chocolate tail in a rustling piece of paper!

Oh poor Elephant! The girl took pity on him. - I drew you in class, but I was too lazy to draw food for you! Eat whatever you want for free!

The elephant joyfully launched its trunk into the cart with the goods and began to devour it greedily. Only after the whole cart was empty did he stroke his belly with his trunk and purred:

Thank you, kind girl, now I am full and I can calmly go to bed!

The elephant leisurely swam out of the store and disappeared between the houses.

What a strange dream I had! - Stretching sweetly, Zhenya told her mother. - As if I worked in the store as the Most Important, and at night my yesterday's elephant came to my store hungry!

And did you feed him? Mom asked.

Certainly! He ate as much as he could! - The girl said happily and suddenly wrinkled her forehead.

And if the elephant gets hungry again? .. After all, he is so big! And I don’t work in a store, so what should he, such a gourmet, do then ?!

Zhenya thought a little, jumped out of bed, took out pencils with an album and, on the page where her elephant was flaunting, carefully added a basket of raspberries, three bunches of bananas, a jar of blackberry jam and a huge bag of chocolates in bright rustling candy wrappers.

Now my elephant will never, ever be hungry!

When the girl is next

Strawberries ripened in the forest. Dad took a mug, mom took a cup, the girl Zhenya took a jug, and little Pavlik was given a saucer. They went into the forest and began to pick berries: whoever picks them up first. Zhenya's mother chose a better clearing and says:

Here's a great place for you, daughter. There are a lot of strawberries here. Go collect.

Zhenya wiped the jug with burdock and began to walk around. She walked and walked, looked and looked, found nothing and returned with an empty jug. He sees - everyone has strawberries. Dad has a quarter cup. Mom has half a cup. And little Pavlik has two berries on a silver platter.

Mom, and mom, why do you all have it, but I don’t have anything? You probably chose the worst clearing for me.

Did you search well?

Good. There are no berries, only leaves.

Have you looked under the leaves?

Didn't look.

Here you see! We must look.

Why doesn't Pavlik look in?

The peacock is small. He himself is as tall as strawberries, he doesn’t even need to look in, and you are already a pretty tall girl.

And dad says:

Berries are tricky. They are always hiding from people. You need to be able to get them. Watch how I do.

Then dad sat down, bent down to the very ground, looked under the leaves and began to look for berry after berry, saying:

Okay, Zhenya said. - Thank you, daddy. I will do so.

Zhenya went to her clearing, squatted down, bent down to the very ground and looked under the leaves. And under the leaves of the berries, apparently invisible. Eyes run wide. Zhenya began to pick berries and throw them into a jug. Vomiting and saying:

I take one berry, I look at another, I notice the third, and the fourth seems to me.

However, Zhenya soon got tired of squatting.

Enough with me, he thinks. - I already and so, probably, have typed much.

Zhenya got to her feet and looked into the jug. And there are only four berries. Quite a few! Again, you need to squat down. It's nothing you can do.

Zhenya sat down again on her haunches, began to pick berries, saying:

I take one berry, I look at another, I notice the third, and the fourth seems to me.

Zhenya looked into the jug, and there were only eight berries - even the bottom had not yet been closed.

Well, - he thinks, - I don’t like to collect at all. Bend over and bend over all the time. Until you pick up a jug, what good, and you can get tired. I'd better go and look for another clearing.

Zhenya went through the forest to look for such a clearing, where strawberries do not hide under the leaves, but climb into their eyes and ask for a jug.

I walked and walked, I didn’t find such a clearing, I got tired and sat down on a stump to rest. He sits, from nothing to do, takes out berries from a jug and puts it in his mouth. She ate all eight berries, looked into an empty jug and thinks:

What to do now? If only someone could help me!

As soon as she thought this, the moss stirred, the ant parted, and a small, strong old man crawled out from under the stump: a white coat, a gray beard, a velvet hat and a dry blade of grass across the hat.

Hello girl, she says.

Hello, uncle.

I'm not an uncle, but a grandfather. Al didn't know? I am an old boletus, a native forester, the head of all mushrooms and berries. What are you sighing about? Who hurt you?

Offended me, grandfather, berries.

Don't know. They are meek. How did they hurt you?

They don’t want to be seen, they hide under the leaves. You can't see anything from above. Bend over bend over. Until you pick up a full jug, what good, and you can get tired.

The old boletus, the indigenous forester, stroked his gray beard, grinned into his mustache and said:

Sheer rubbish! I have a special pipe for this. As soon as she starts to play, so now all the berries from under the leaves will appear.

An old boletus, a native forester, took out a pipe from his pocket and said:

Play, motherfucker.

The pipe began to play by itself, and as soon as it began to play, berries peeked out from under the leaves from everywhere.

Stop it, motherfucker.

The pipe stopped, and the berries hid.

Zhenya was delighted:

Grandpa, Grandpa, give me this pipe!

I can't donate. And let's change: I'll give you a pipe, and you give me a jug - I really liked it.

Fine. With great pleasure.

Zhenya gave the jug to the old boletus, the indigenous forester, took the pipe from him and quickly ran to her clearing. She ran, stood in the middle, said:

Play, motherfucker.

The pipe began to play, and at the same moment all the leaves in the clearing stirred, began to turn, as if the wind had blown on them.

First, the youngest curious berries, still quite green, looked out from under the leaves. Behind them, the heads of older berries were stuck out - one cheek is pink, the other is white. Then the berries came out quite ripe - large and red. And finally, old berries appeared from the very bottom, almost black, wet, fragrant, covered with yellow seeds.

And soon the whole clearing around Zhenya was strewn with berries, which shone brightly in the sun and reached for the pipe.

Play, darling, play! Zhenya screamed. - Play faster!

The pipe began to play faster, and even more berries poured out - so many that under them the leaves were not visible at all.

But Zhenya did not let up:

Play, darling, play! Play even faster.

The pipe began to play even faster, and the whole forest was filled with such a pleasant, quick ringing, as if it were not a forest, but a music box.

The bees stopped pushing the butterfly off the flower; the butterfly flapped its wings like a book, the robin chicks looked out from their light nest, which swayed in the elderberry branches, and opened their yellow mouths in admiration, the mushrooms rose on tiptoe so as not to miss a single sound, and even the old, pop-eyed dragonfly, known for its grumpy character , stopped in the air, admiring the wonderful music to the depths of her soul.

Now I’ll start picking!” Zhenya thought, and was already stretching out her hand to the largest and reddest berry, when she suddenly remembered that she had exchanged a jug for a pipe and now she had nowhere to put the strawberries.

Ooh, stupid bastard! the girl shouted angrily. - I have nowhere to put the berries, and you played out. Shut up now!

Zhenya ran back to the old boletus, the native forester, and said:

Grandpa, grandpa, give me back my pitcher! I have nowhere to pick berries.

Well, - answers the old boletus, a native forester, - I will give you your jug, only you give back my pipe.

Zhenya gave the old man a boletus, a native forester, his pipe, took her jug and quickly ran back to the clearing.

She ran, and there was not a single berry visible - only leaves. What a misfortune! There is a jug - there are not enough pipes. How to be here?

Zhenya thought, thought, and decided to go again to the old boletus, the native forester, for a pipe.

Comes and says:

Grandpa, grandpa, give me the pipe again!

Fine. Just give me the jug again.

I'm not giving it. I myself need a jug to put berries in it.

Well, then I won't give you a pipe.

Zhenya pleaded:

Grandfather, and grandfather, how am I going to pick berries in my jug when, without your pipe, they all sit under the leaves and don’t show up? I certainly need both a jug and a pipe.

Look, what a smart girl! Give her both a pipe and a jug! You can do without a pipe, with one jug.

I won't, grandpa.

And how do other people manage?

Other people bend down to the very ground, look under the leaves from the side and take berry after berry. They take one berry, look at another, notice the third, and imagine the fourth. So I don't like collecting. Bend over bend over. Until you pick up a full jug, what good, and you can get tired.

Ah, that's how! - said the old boletus, a native forester, and was so angry that his beard instead of a gray-gray one became black-black. - Oh, that's how! Yes, you, it turns out, just a lazybones! Take your jug and get out of here! You won't get any fluff.

With these words, the old boletus, the indigenous forest man, stamped his foot and fell under the stump.

Zhenya looked at her empty jug, remembered that her father, mother and little Pavlik were waiting for her, quickly ran to her clearing, squatted down, looked under the leaves and began to quickly take berry after berry. He takes one, looks at the other, notices the third, and imagines the fourth ...

Soon Zhenya took a full jug and returned to her father, mother and little Pavlik.

Here's a good girl, - dad said to Zhenya, - she brought a full jug! Are you tired?

Nothing, daddy. The pitcher helped me. And everyone went home - dad with a full mug, mom with a full cup, Zhenya with a full jug, and little Pavlik with a full saucer.

Zhenya didn't say anything about the pipe to anyone.