Blue arrow story. Journey of the Blue Arrow - Gianni Rodari. Flowers of Little Ida by Hans Christian Andersen
A humorous book with interesting characters. It consists of fascinating little stories that do not leave indifferent, which are woven into the outline of the story and make up a single picture. It seems to me a great kind and bright fairy tale for children and adults.
Gianni Rodari raises the issue of social inequality. V "Journey of the Blue Arrow" the theme of wealth and poverty comes through quite distinctly. This is the foundation of the fairy tale, on which the Italian children's writer builds the action.
The plot is for children, because it is simple. New Year. A toy shop. His mistress, who is called the fairy baroness, with the help of her employee delivers (and on a broomstick) gifts to those children whose mothers paid for this service.
Then there is a boy with a simple name Francesco, who, as usual, from the poor, and therefore his mother cannot afford to pay him a gift. This unfortunate child every day comes to the shop window and eagerly examines the toys. And the toys eagerly examine Francesco. On New Year's Eve, when the fairy was supposed to sort out the gifts, the toys decided that they only wanted to live with Francesco, and they planned an escape. They succeed, and then the adventure begins.
Like any other fairy tale "Journey" will end well. Our heroes will experience a lot.
What I liked about the story.
The inhabitants of the store, no doubt, charm! How much love in these little toys, how much devotion and desire to restore justice! Although, if you think about it, maybe that's why the children are so attached to them, sleep with them. Maybe while they sleep, toys really whisper something good in their ear. And that's great.
The work of J. Rodari "Journey of the Blue Arrow" teaches kindness and compassion.
Gianni Rodari
Journey of the Blue Arrow
Journey of the Blue ArrowGianni Rodari
The famous story-tale of the famous Italian writer Gianni Rodari "Journey of the Blue Arrow" about the adventures of a toy train.
Let's go along with the Indians, cowboys, puppets, puppets, a brave general and other toys on a journey on the Blue Arrow, doing good and noble deeds.
Gianni Rodari
Journey of the Blue Arrow
Gianni Rodari La freccia azzurra
© 2008, Edizioni EL S.r.l., Trieste, Italy
© Design. Eksmo Publishing LLC, 2015
Part one
Signora without five minutes baroness
The fairy was an old lady, very well-bred and noble, almost a baroness.
“They call me,” she sometimes muttered to herself, “just Fairy, and I don’t protest: after all, one must have indulgence towards the ignorant.” But I'm almost a baroness; decent people know this.
“Yes, Signora Baroness,” the maid agreed.
“I'm not a 100% baroness, but I don't miss her that much. And the difference is almost imperceptible. Is not it?
“Invisible, Signora Baroness. And decent people don't notice it...
It was just the first morning of the new year. All night long, the Fairy and her maid traveled on the rooftops, delivering gifts. Their dresses were covered with snow and icicles.
“Fire the stove,” said the Fairy, “you need to dry your clothes.” And put the broom in its place: now for a whole year you can not think about flying from roof to roof, and even with such a northerly wind.
The maid put the broom back in its place, grumbling:
“Nice business to fly on a broomstick!” This is in our time, when airplanes were invented! I've already caught a cold because of this.
“Prepare me a glass of flower decoction,” the Fairy ordered, putting on her glasses and sitting down in an old leather chair that stood in front of the desk.
“Just a minute, Baroness,” said the maid.
The fairy looked at her approvingly.
“She is a little lazy,” thought the Fairy, “but she knows the rules of good manners and knows how to behave with the signora of my circle. I will promise her a pay raise. In fact, of course, I will not increase it, and so there is not enough money.
It must be said that the Fairy, for all her nobility, was rather stingy. Twice a year she promised the old maid to increase her wages, but limited herself to promises. The maid had long been tired of hearing only words, she wanted to hear the sound of coins. Once she even had the courage to tell the Baroness about it. But the Fairy was very indignant.
– Coins and coins! she said, sighing. “Ignorant people only think about money. And how bad it is that you not only think, but also talk about it! Apparently, teaching you good manners is like feeding a donkey sugar.
The fairy sighed and buried herself in her books.
So let's strike a balance. Things are not important this year, there is not enough money. Still, everyone wants good gifts from the Fairy, and when it comes to paying for them, they begin to bargain. Everyone is trying to borrow, promising to pay later, as if the Fairy is some kind of sausage maker. However, today there is nothing to particularly complain about: all the toys that were in the store sold out, and now we will need to bring new ones from the warehouse.
She closed the book and began to type out the letters she found in her mailbox.
- I knew it! she spoke. “I risk pneumonia by delivering my goods, and no thanks!” This one did not want a wooden saber - give him a pistol! Does he know that the gun costs a thousand lire more? Another, imagine, wanted to get an airplane! His father is the doorman of the courier of the secretary of one employee of the lottery, and he had only three hundred lire to buy a gift. What could I give him for such a pittance?
The fairy threw the letters back into the box. She took off her glasses and called:
Teresa, is the decoction ready?
“Ready, ready, Signora Baroness.
And the old maid gave the Baroness a steaming glass.
“Did you put a drop of rum in here?”
- Two whole spoons!
- I would have had one ... Now I understand why the bottle is almost empty. To think we only bought it four years ago!
Sipping the boiling drink in small sips and managing not to get burned at the same time, as only old seniors can do, the Fairy wandered around her little kingdom, carefully checking every corner of the kitchen, shop and a small wooden ladder that led to the second floor, where there was a bedroom.
How sad the store looked with its curtains down, empty windows and cupboards littered with toy boxes and piles of wrapping paper!
- Prepare the keys to the warehouse and a candle, - said the Fairy, - you need to bring new toys.
“But Signora Baroness, do you want to work even today, on the day of your holiday?” Do you really think that anyone will come shopping today? After all, New Year's Eve, the night of the Fairy, has already passed ...
“Yes, but there are only three hundred and sixty-five days left until next New Year’s Eve.”
I must tell you that Fairy's shop remained open throughout the year and its windows were always lit.
Thus, the children had enough time to choose one or another toy, and the parents had time to make their calculations in order to be able to order it.
Besides, there are still birthdays, and everyone knows that children find these days very suitable for receiving gifts.
Now you understand what the Fairy does from the first of January until the next New Year? She sits behind a shop window and looks at passers-by. She pays special attention to the faces of the children. She immediately understands whether they like or dislike a new toy, and if they do not like it, she removes it from the window and replaces it with another one.
Oh, sir, something now attacked me with doubt! That's how it was when I was little. Who knows if the Fairy now has this shop with a showcase lined with toy trains, dolls, rag dogs, guns, pistols, figures of Indians and puppets?
I remember it, this Fairy shop. How many hours I spent at this showcase, counting toys! It took a long time to count them, and I never had time to count to the end, because I had to take home the milk I bought.
I want to believe that in Everyday life there is always room for something magical, fabulous, amazing. And when you read some fairy tales, you begin to believe in it. This story was written by Gianni Rodari about half a century ago, and all this time it has received a lot of positive feedback from readers of all ages. A fairy tale gives children the opportunity to believe in a miracle, while adults, while reading, will pay attention to how many deep thoughts and hidden meanings there are in it. Perhaps at some points it is worth explaining to the child what the author wanted to say, describing some act of the hero.
This is a story that tells about the Italian Christmas. Fairy sorceress delivers gifts to children, she is the owner of a toy store. Of course, all this is not free, so parents come and pay for gifts throughout the year. But the parents little boy Francesco has no money at all, they still owe money for the previous two years. Therefore, this time the boy will be left without a gift, and he so dreams of getting a toy train! The toys become sympathetic and decide to help the boy fulfill his little dream.
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Page 1 of 8
Chapter 1
The fairy was an old lady, very well-bred and noble, almost a baroness.
“They call me,” she sometimes muttered to herself, “just Fairy, and I don’t protest: after all, one must have indulgence towards the ignorant.” But I'm almost a baroness; decent people know this.
“Yes, Signora Baroness,” the maid agreed.
“I'm not a 100% baroness, but I don't miss her that much. And the difference is almost imperceptible. Is not it?
“Invisible, Signora Baroness. And decent people don't notice it...
It was just the first morning of the new year. All night long, the Fairy and her maid traveled over the rooftops, delivering gifts. Their dresses were covered with snow and icicles.
“Fire the stove,” said the Fairy, “you need to dry your clothes.” And put the broom in its place: now for a whole year you can not think about flying from roof to roof, and even with such a northerly wind.
The maid put the broom back in its place, grumbling:
“Nice business to fly on a broomstick!” This is in our time, when airplanes were invented! I've already caught a cold because of this.
“Prepare me a glass of flower decoction,” the Fairy ordered, putting on her glasses and sitting down in an old leather chair that stood in front of the desk.
“Just a minute, Baroness,” said the maid.
The fairy eyed her approvingly.
“She is a little lazy,” thought the Fairy, “but she knows the rules of good manners and knows how to behave with the signora of my circle. I will promise her a pay raise. In fact, of course, I will not increase it, and so there is not enough money.
It must be said that the Fairy, for all her nobility, was rather stingy. Twice a year she promised the old maid to increase her wages, but limited herself to promises. The maid had long been tired of hearing only words, she wanted to hear the sound of coins. Once she even had the courage to tell the baroness about it. But the Fairy was very indignant:
– Coins and coins! she said, sighing. “Ignorant people only think about money. And how bad it is that you not only think, but also talk about it! Apparently, teaching you good manners is like feeding a donkey sugar.
The fairy sighed and buried herself in her books.
So let's strike a balance. Things are not important this year, there is not enough money. Still, everyone wants to receive good gifts from the Fairy, and when it comes to paying for them, everyone starts to bargain. Everyone is trying to borrow, promising to pay later, as if the Fairy is some kind of sausage. However, today there is nothing to particularly complain about: all the toys that were in the store sold out, and now we will need to bring new ones from the warehouse.
She closed the book and began to type out the letters she found in her mailbox.
- I knew it! she spoke. “I risk pneumonia by delivering my goods, and no thanks!” This one did not want a wooden saber - give him a pistol! Does he know that the gun costs a thousand lire more? Another, imagine, wanted to get an airplane! His father is the doorman of the courier of the secretary of one employee of the lottery, and he had only three hundred lire to buy a gift. What could I give him for such a pittance?
The fairy threw the letters back into the box, took off her glasses and called:
Teresa, is the decoction ready?
“Ready, ready, Signora Baroness.
And the old maid gave the Baroness a steaming glass.
“Did you put a drop of rum in here?”
- Two whole spoons!
- I would have had one ... Now I understand why the bottle is almost empty. To think we only bought it four years ago!
Sipping a boiling drink in small sips and managing not to get burned at the same time, as only old gentlemen can do.
The fairy roamed her little kingdom, carefully checking every corner of the kitchen, the store, and the small wooden ladder that led to the second floor where the bedroom was.
How sad the store looked, with the curtains drawn, the windows empty, and the cabinets littered with empty boxes of toys and heaps of wrapping paper!
- Prepare the keys to the warehouse and a candle, - said the fairy, - you need to bring new toys.
“But Signora Baroness, do you want to work even today, on the day of your holiday?” Do you really think that anyone will come shopping today? After all, New Year's Eve, the night of the Fairy, has already passed ...
“Yes, but there are only three hundred and sixty-five days left until next New Year's Eve.
I must tell you that Fairy's shop remained open throughout the year and its windows were always lit. Thus, the children had enough time to choose one or another toy, and the parents had time to make their calculations in order to be able to order it.
And besides, there are still birthdays, and everyone knows that children find these days very suitable for receiving gifts.
Now you understand what the Fairy does from the first of January until the next New Year? She sits behind a shop window and looks at passers-by. She pays special attention to the faces of the children. She immediately understands whether they like or dislike a new toy, and if they do not like it, she removes it from the window and replaces it with another one.
Oh, sir, something now attacked me with doubt! That's how it was when I was little. Who knows if the Fairy now has this shop with a showcase lined with toy trains, dolls, rag dogs, guns, pistols, figures of Indians and puppets!
I remember it, this Fairy shop. How many hours I spent at this showcase, counting toys! It took a long time to count them, and I never had time to count to the end, because I had to take home the milk I bought.
Chapter II. THE SHOWCASE IS FILLING
The warehouse was in the basement, which was a car; once under the shop. The fairy and her maid had to go up and down the stairs twenty times to fill the cupboards and display cases with new toys.
Already during the third flight Teresa was tired.
“Signora,” she said, stopping in the middle of the stairs with a large bunch of dolls in her hands, “Signora Baroness, my heart is beating.
“That's good, my dear, that's very good,” said the Fairy, “it would be worse if it didn't beat anymore.
“My legs hurt, Signora Baroness.
- Leave them in the kitchen, let them rest, especially since you can’t wear anything with your feet.
“Signora Baroness, I don’t have enough air… 
“I didn't steal it from you, my dear, I have enough of mine.
And indeed, it seemed that the Fairy never got tired. Despite her advanced age, she hopped up the steps as if she were dancing, as if she had springs hidden under her heels. At the same time, she continued to count.
- These Indians bring me an income of two hundred lire each, perhaps even three hundred lire. Now the Indians are very fashionable. Don't you think that this electric train is just a miracle?! I will call him the Blue Arrow and, I swear, I will give up trading if from tomorrow hundreds of childish eyes do not devour him from morning to evening.
Indeed, it was a wonderful train, with two barriers, with a station and the Chief Stationmaster, with a Driver, and a Trainmaster with glasses. After lying in the warehouse for so many months, the electric train was covered with dust, but the Fairy wiped it thoroughly with a cloth, and the blue paint sparkled like the water of an alpine lake: the entire train, including the Station Master, Train Master and Driver, was painted blue.
When the Fairy wiped the dust from the Machinist's eyes, he looked around and exclaimed:
At last I see! I have the impression that I was buried in a cave for several months. So when are we leaving? I'm ready.
“Calm down, calmly,” the Head of the Train interrupted him, wiping his glasses with a handkerchief. The train will not move without my order.
“Count the stripes on your beret,” a third voice said, “and you will see who is in charge here.
The Head of the Train counted his patches. He had four. Then he counted the stripes from the Station Master - five. The Head of the Train sighed, hid his glasses and fell silent. The Station Master paced up and down the window, brandishing his baton to signal departure. On the square in front of the station lined up a regiment of tin shooters with a brass band and the Colonel. A little to the side there was a whole artillery battery headed by the General.
Behind the station was a green plain and scattered hills. On the plain around the chief, whose name was Silverfeather, the Indians were camped. At the top of the mountain, the mounted cowboys held their lasso at the ready.
An airplane suspended from the ceiling swayed over the roof of the station: The pilot leaned out of the cockpit and looked down. I must tell you that this Pilot was made in such a way that he could not rise to his feet: he had no legs. It was the Seated Pilot.
Next to the airplane hung a red cage with a Canary, whose name was Yellow Canary. When the cage was slightly rocked, the Canary sang.
There were more puppets in the window, a Yellow Bear, a rag dog named Button, paints, Constructor, a small theater with three Puppets, and a fast two-masted sailboat. The Captain paced nervously along the captain's bridge of the sailboat. Only half of his beard was stuck on to him out of absent-mindedness, so he carefully hid the beardless half of his Face so as not to look like a freak.
The Station Master and the Half-Bearded Captain pretended not to notice each other, but perhaps one of them was already about to challenge the other to a duel to decide on the high command in the display case.
The dolls divided into two groups: some sighed for the Station Master, others cast tender glances at the Half-bearded Captain, and only one black doll with eyes whiter than milk looked only at the Sitting Pilot and no one else.
Concerning rag dog, then he would happily wag his tail and jump for joy. But he could not show these signs of attention to all three, and he did not want to choose one of them, so as not to offend the other two. So he sat quietly and motionless, and he looked a little stupid. His name was written in red letters on the collar: "Button". Maybe it was called that because it was as small as a button.
But then an event occurred that immediately made me forget both jealousy and rivalry. Just at that moment, the Fairy lifted the curtain, and the sun poured into the window in a golden cascade, causing terrible fear in everyone, because no one had seen it before.
“A hundred thousand deaf whales!” barked the Half-bearded Captain. - What's happened? 
- For help! For help! the dolls squealed, hiding behind each other.
The general ordered that the cannons be immediately turned towards the enemy in order to be ready to repel any attack. Only Silver Feather remained unfazed. He took a long pipe out of his mouth, which he did only in exceptional cases, and said:
Don't be afraid, toys. This is the Great Spirit - the Sun, the universal friend. Look how cheerful the whole square is, rejoicing at his arrival.
Everyone looked at the window. The area really sparkled under the rays of the sun. The jets of fountains seemed fiery. Gentle warmth penetrated through the dusty glass into Fairy's shop.
“A thousand drunken whales!” the Captain muttered again. - I'm a sea wolf, not a sun!
The dolls, happily chatting, immediately began to take sunbaths.
However, the sun's rays could not penetrate into one corner of the display case. The shadow fell just on the Engineer, and he was very angry:
“It must have happened that I was the one in the shadows!”
He peered out the window, and his sharp eyes, accustomed to staring at the tracks for hours on long journeys, met a pair of huge, wide-open eyes of a child.
One could look into those eyes the way one looks into a house when there are no curtains on the windows. And looking into them. The driver saw a great childish sadness.
Strange, Blue Arrow Engineer thought. I have always heard that children are funny people. All they know is that they laugh and play from morning to evening. And this one seems sad to me, like an old man. What happened to him?"
The sad boy stared at the window for a long time. His eyes filled with tears. From time to time tears rolled down the cheek and disappeared on the lips. Everyone in the window held their breath: no one had ever seen eyes from which water would flow, and this surprised everyone very much.
“A thousand lame whales!” the Captain exclaimed. - I will record this event in the logbook!
Finally, the boy wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeve, went to the door of the store, grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.
There was a dull bell ringing, which seemed to be complaining, calling for help.
Chapter III. HALF-BEARDED CAPTAIN EXCITED
“Signora Baroness, someone has entered the store,” the maid said.
The fairy, who was combing her hair in her room, quickly descended the stairs, holding hairpins in her mouth and pinning up her hair as she went.
"Whoever it is, why doesn't he close the door?" she muttered. “I didn’t hear the bell, but I immediately felt a draft.
She put on her spectacles for the sake of solidity and entered the shop with small slow steps, as a real lady should walk, especially if she is almost a baroness. But when she saw a poorly dressed boy in front of her, who was crumpling his blue beret in his hands, she realized that the ceremonies were superfluous.
- Well? What's the matter? - With all her appearance, the Fairy seemed to want to say: “Speak quickly, I don’t have time.”
“I… Signora…” the boy whispered. 
Everyone in the window froze, but nothing was heard.
- What did he say? whispered the Head of the Train.
- Shh! ordered the Station Master. - Do not make noise!
- My boy! exclaimed the Fairy, who felt that she was beginning to lose patience, as she always did when she had to speak to people who were unaware of her noble titles. “My dear boy, I have very little time. Hurry up, or leave me alone, or best of all, write me a good letter.
“But, signora, I have already written to you,” the boy whispered hastily, afraid of losing his courage.
- Oh, that's how! When?
“About a month ago.
- Let's see. What is your name?
— Monty Francesco.
- Quardicciolo...
“Um… Monty, Monty… Here, Francesco Monti. Indeed, twenty-three days ago you asked me for an electric train as a gift. Why only the train? You could ask me for an airplane or an airship, or even better, a whole air fleet!
“But I like the train, Signora Feya.
“Ah, my dear boy, do you like the train?! Do you know that two days after your letter your mother came here...
Yes, I asked her to come. I asked her so: go to the Fairy, I have already written everything to her, and she is so kind that she will not refuse us.
“I am neither good nor bad. I work, but I can't work for free. Your mother didn't have the money to pay for the train. She wanted to leave me an old watch in exchange for the train. But I can't see them, these hours! Because they make time move faster. I also reminded her that she still has to pay me for the horse she took last year. And for the top, taken two years ago. Did you know about it?
No, the boy didn't know that. Mothers rarely share their troubles with their children.
“That's why you didn't get anything this year. Do you understand? Don't you think I'm right?
“Yes, signora, you are right,” Francesco muttered, “I just thought you forgot my address.
No, on the contrary, I remember him very well. You see, here I have it written down. And one of these days I will send my secretary to you to take money for last year's toys.
The old maid who was listening in on their conversation, hearing that she was called the secretary, almost lost consciousness and had to drink a glass of water to catch her breath.
- What an honor for me, Signora Baroness! she said to her mistress when the boy was gone.
- Okay, I'm burying you! Fairy muttered rudely. “In the meantime, hang a sign on the door: “Closed until tomorrow” so that other annoying visitors do not come.
“Perhaps lower the curtain?” 
- Yes, please drop it. I see that there will not be good trading today.
The maid ran to follow orders. Francesco was still standing outside the store with his nose in the window, waiting for what he didn't know. The curtain, descending, almost hit him on the head. Francesco stuck his nose into the dusty curtain and sobbed.
In the window, these sobs produced an extraordinary effect. One after another, the dolls also began to cry and wept so hard that the Captain could not stand it and cursed:
- What monkeys! Already learned to cry! He spat on the deck and chuckled. “A thousand skew whales!” Cry for the train! Yes, I would not exchange my sailboat for all the trains of all railways peace.
Grand Chief Silverfeather took his pipe out of his mouth, as he had to do every time he wanted to say something, and said:
“Captain Halfbeard does not tell the truth. He is very excited because of the poor white child.
- What am I? Explain to me, please, what does "excited" mean?
- It means that one side of the face is crying, and the other is ashamed of it.
The captain chose not to turn, as his beardless half of his face was actually crying.
"Shut up, you old cock!" he shouted. “Or I’ll go downstairs and pluck you like a Christmas turkey!”
And for a long time he continued to spit out curses, so flowery that the General, deciding that a war was about to begin, ordered the cannons to be loaded. But Silver Feather took the pipe into his mouth and fell silent, and then even dozed off sweetly. By the way, he always slept with a pipe in his mouth.
CHAPTER I
The fairy was an old lady, very well-bred and noble, almost a baroness.
“They call me,” she sometimes muttered to herself, “just Fairy, and I don’t protest: after all, one must have indulgence towards the ignorant.” But I'm almost a baroness; decent people know this.
“Yes, Signora Baroness,” the maid agreed.
“I'm not a 100% baroness, but I don't miss her that much. And the difference is almost imperceptible. Is not it?
“Invisible, Signora Baroness. And decent people don't notice it...
It was just the first morning of the new year. All night long, the Fairy and her maid traveled over the rooftops, delivering gifts. Their dresses were covered with snow and icicles.
“Fire the stove,” said the Fairy, “you need to dry your clothes.” And put the broom in its place: now for a whole year you can not think about flying from roof to roof, and even with such a northerly wind.
The maid put the broom back in its place, grumbling:
“Nice business to fly on a broomstick!” This is in our time, when airplanes were invented! I've already caught a cold because of this.
“Prepare me a glass of flower decoction,” the Fairy ordered, putting on her glasses and sitting down in an old leather chair that stood in front of the desk.
“Just a minute, Baroness,” said the maid.
The fairy eyed her approvingly.
“She is a little lazy,” thought the Fairy, “but she knows the rules of good manners and knows how to behave with the signora of my circle. I will promise her a pay raise. In fact, of course, I will not increase it, and so there is not enough money.
It must be said that the Fairy, for all her nobility, was rather stingy. Twice a year she promised the old maid to increase her wages, but limited herself to promises. The maid had long been tired of hearing only words, she wanted to hear the sound of coins. Once she even had the courage to tell the baroness about it. But the Fairy was very indignant:
– Coins and coins! she said, sighing. “Ignorant people only think about money. And how bad it is that you not only think, but also talk about it! Apparently, teaching you good manners is like feeding a donkey sugar.
The fairy sighed and buried herself in her books.
So let's strike a balance. Things are not important this year, there is not enough money. Still, everyone wants to receive good gifts from the Fairy, and when it comes to paying for them, everyone starts to bargain. Everyone is trying to borrow, promising to pay later, as if the Fairy is some kind of sausage. However, today there is nothing to particularly complain about: all the toys that were in the store sold out, and now we will need to bring new ones from the warehouse.
She closed the book and began to type out the letters she found in her mailbox.
- I knew it! she spoke. “I risk pneumonia by delivering my goods, and no thanks!” This one did not want a wooden saber - give him a pistol! Does he know that the gun costs a thousand lire more? Another, imagine, wanted to get an airplane! His father is the doorman of the courier of the secretary of one employee of the lottery, and he had only three hundred lire to buy a gift. What could I give him for such a pittance?
The fairy threw the letters back into the box, took off her glasses and called:
Teresa, is the decoction ready?
“Ready, ready, Signora Baroness.
And the old maid gave the Baroness a steaming glass.
“Did you put a drop of rum in here?”
- Two whole spoons!
- I would have had one ... Now I understand why the bottle is almost empty. To think we only bought it four years ago!
Sipping a boiling drink in small sips and managing not to get burned at the same time, as only old gentlemen can do.
The fairy roamed her little kingdom, carefully checking every corner of the kitchen, the store, and the small wooden ladder that led to the second floor where the bedroom was.
How sad the store looked, with the curtains drawn, the windows empty, and the cabinets littered with empty boxes of toys and heaps of wrapping paper!
- Prepare the keys to the warehouse and a candle, - said the fairy, - you need to bring new toys.
“But Signora Baroness, do you want to work even today, on the day of your holiday?” Do you really think that anyone will come shopping today? After all, New Year's Eve, the night of the Fairy, has already passed ...
“Yes, but there are only three hundred and sixty-five days left until next New Year's Eve.
I must tell you that Fairy's shop remained open throughout the year and its windows were always lit. Thus, the children had enough time to choose one or another toy, and the parents had time to make their calculations in order to be able to order it.
And besides, there are still birthdays, and everyone knows that children find these days very suitable for receiving gifts.
Now you understand what the Fairy does from the first of January until the next New Year? She sits behind a shop window and looks at passers-by. She pays special attention to the faces of the children. She immediately understands whether they like or dislike a new toy, and if they do not like it, she removes it from the window and replaces it with another one.
Oh, sir, something now attacked me with doubt! That's how it was when I was little. Who knows if the Fairy now has this shop with a showcase lined with toy trains, dolls, rag dogs, guns, pistols, figures of Indians and puppets!
I remember it, this Fairy shop. How many hours I spent at this showcase, counting toys! It took a long time to count them, and I never had time to count to the end, because I had to take home the milk I bought.
Chapter II. THE SHOWCASE IS FILLING
The warehouse was in the basement, which was a car; once under the shop. The fairy and her maid had to go up and down the stairs twenty times to fill the cupboards and display cases with new toys.
Already during the third flight Teresa was tired.
“Signora,” she said, stopping in the middle of the stairs with a large bunch of dolls in her hands, “Signora Baroness, my heart is beating.
“That's good, my dear, that's very good,” said the Fairy, “it would be worse if it didn't beat anymore.
“My legs hurt, Signora Baroness.
- Leave them in the kitchen, let them rest, especially since you can’t wear anything with your feet.
“Signora Baroness, I don’t have enough air…
“I didn't steal it from you, my dear, I have enough of mine.
And indeed, it seemed that the Fairy never got tired. Despite her advanced age, she hopped up the steps as if she were dancing, as if she had springs hidden under her heels. At the same time, she continued to count.
- These Indians bring me an income of two hundred lire each, perhaps even three hundred lire. Now the Indians are very fashionable. Don't you think that this electric train is just a miracle?! I will call him the Blue Arrow and, I swear, I will give up trading if from tomorrow hundreds of childish eyes do not devour him from morning to evening.
Indeed, it was a wonderful train, with two barriers, with a station and the Chief Stationmaster, with a Driver, and a Trainmaster with glasses. After lying in the warehouse for so many months, the electric train was covered with dust, but the Fairy wiped it thoroughly with a cloth, and the blue paint sparkled like the water of an alpine lake: the entire train, including the Station Master, Train Master and Driver, was painted blue.
When the Fairy wiped the dust from the Machinist's eyes, he looked around and exclaimed:
At last I see! I have the impression that I was buried in a cave for several months. So when are we leaving? I'm ready.
“Calm down, calmly,” the Head of the Train interrupted him, wiping his glasses with a handkerchief. The train will not move without my order.
“Count the stripes on your beret,” a third voice said, “and you will see who is in charge here.
The Head of the Train counted his patches. He had four. Then he counted the stripes from the Station Master - five. oskazkax.ru - oskazkax.ru The Head of the Train sighed, put his glasses away and quieted down. The Station Master paced up and down the window, brandishing his baton to signal departure. On the square in front of the station lined up a regiment of tin shooters with a brass band and the Colonel. A little to the side there was a whole artillery battery headed by the General.
Behind the station was a green plain and scattered hills. On the plain around the chief, whose name was Silverfeather, the Indians were camped. At the top of the mountain, the mounted cowboys held their lasso at the ready.
An airplane suspended from the ceiling swayed over the roof of the station: The pilot leaned out of the cockpit and looked down. I must tell you that this Pilot was made in such a way that he could not rise to his feet: he had no legs. It was the Seated Pilot.
Next to the airplane hung a red cage with a Canary, whose name was Yellow Canary. When the cage was slightly rocked, the Canary sang.
There were more puppets in the window, a Yellow Bear, a rag dog named Button, paints, Constructor, a small theater with three Puppets, and a fast two-masted sailboat. The Captain paced nervously along the captain's bridge of the sailboat. Only half of his beard was stuck on to him out of absent-mindedness, so he carefully hid the beardless half of his Face so as not to look like a freak.
The Station Master and the Half-Bearded Captain pretended not to notice each other, but perhaps one of them was already about to challenge the other to a duel to decide on the high command in the display case.
The dolls divided into two groups: some sighed for the Station Master, others cast tender glances at the Half-bearded Captain, and only one black doll with eyes whiter than milk looked only at the Sitting Pilot and no one else.
As for the rag dog, he would wag his tail with pleasure and jump for joy. But he could not show these signs of attention to all three, and he did not want to choose one of them, so as not to offend the other two. So he sat quietly and motionless, and he looked a little stupid. His name was written in red letters on the collar: "Button". Maybe it was called that because it was as small as a button.
But then an event occurred that immediately made me forget both jealousy and rivalry. Just at that moment, the Fairy lifted the curtain, and the sun poured into the window in a golden cascade, causing terrible fear in everyone, because no one had seen it before.
“A hundred thousand deaf whales!” barked the Half-bearded Captain. - What's happened?
- For help! For help! the dolls squealed, hiding behind each other.
The general ordered that the cannons be immediately turned towards the enemy in order to be ready to repel any attack. Only Silver Feather remained unfazed. He took a long pipe out of his mouth, which he did only in exceptional cases, and said:
Don't be afraid, toys. This is the Great Spirit - the Sun, the universal friend. Look how cheerful the whole square is, rejoicing at his arrival.
Everyone looked at the window. The area really sparkled under the rays of the sun. The jets of fountains seemed fiery. Gentle warmth penetrated through the dusty glass into Fairy's shop.
“A thousand drunken whales!” the Captain muttered again. - I'm a sea wolf, not a sun!
The dolls, happily chatting, immediately began to take sunbaths.
However, the sun's rays could not penetrate into one corner of the display case. The shadow fell just on the Engineer, and he was very angry:
“It must have happened that I was the one in the shadows!”
He peered out the window, and his sharp eyes, accustomed to staring at the tracks for hours on long journeys, met a pair of huge, wide-open eyes of a child.
One could look into those eyes the way one looks into a house when there are no curtains on the windows. And looking into them. The driver saw a great childish sadness.
Strange, Blue Arrow Engineer thought. I have always heard that children are funny people. All they know is that they laugh and play from morning to evening. And this one seems sad to me, like an old man. What happened to him?"
The sad boy stared at the window for a long time. His eyes filled with tears. From time to time tears rolled down the cheek and disappeared on the lips. Everyone in the window held their breath: no one had ever seen eyes from which water would flow, and this surprised everyone very much.
“A thousand lame whales!” the Captain exclaimed. - I will record this event in the logbook!
Finally, the boy wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeve, went to the door of the store, grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.
There was a dull bell ringing, which seemed to be complaining, calling for help.
Chapter III. HALF-BEARDED CAPTAIN EXCITED
“Signora Baroness, someone has entered the store,” the maid said.
The fairy, who was combing her hair in her room, quickly descended the stairs, holding hairpins in her mouth and pinning up her hair as she went.
"Whoever it is, why doesn't he close the door?" she muttered. “I didn’t hear the bell, but I immediately felt a draft.
She put on her spectacles for the sake of solidity and entered the shop with small slow steps, as a real lady should walk, especially if she is almost a baroness. But when she saw a poorly dressed boy in front of her, who was crumpling his blue beret in his hands, she realized that the ceremonies were superfluous.
- Well? What's the matter? - With all her appearance, the Fairy seemed to want to say: “Speak quickly, I don’t have time.”
“I… Signora…” the boy whispered.
Everyone in the window froze, but nothing was heard.
- What did he say? whispered the Head of the Train.
- Shh! ordered the Station Master. - Do not make noise!
- My boy! exclaimed the Fairy, who felt that she was beginning to lose patience, as she always did when she had to speak to people who were unaware of her noble titles. “My dear boy, I have very little time. Hurry up, or leave me alone, or best of all, write me a good letter.
“But, signora, I have already written to you,” the boy whispered hastily, afraid of losing his courage.
- Oh, that's how! When?
“About a month ago.
- Let's see. What is your name?
— Monty Francesco.
- Quardicciolo...
“Um… Monty, Monty… Here, Francesco Monti. Indeed, twenty-three days ago you asked me for an electric train as a gift. Why only the train? You could ask me for an airplane or an airship, or even better, a whole air fleet!
“But I like the train, Signora Feya.
“Ah, my dear boy, do you like the train?! Do you know that two days after your letter your mother came here...
Yes, I asked her to come. I asked her so: go to the Fairy, I have already written everything to her, and she is so kind that she will not refuse us.
“I am neither good nor bad. I work, but I can't work for free. Your mother didn't have the money to pay for the train. She wanted to leave me an old watch in exchange for the train. But I can't see them, these hours! Because they make time move faster. I also reminded her that she still has to pay me for the horse she took last year. And for the top, taken two years ago. Did you know about it?
No, the boy didn't know that. Mothers rarely share their troubles with their children.
“That's why you didn't get anything this year. Do you understand? Don't you think I'm right?
“Yes, signora, you are right,” Francesco muttered, “I just thought you forgot my address.
No, on the contrary, I remember him very well. You see, here I have it written down. And one of these days I will send my secretary to you to take money for last year's toys.
The old maid who was listening in on their conversation, hearing that she was called the secretary, almost lost consciousness and had to drink a glass of water to catch her breath.
- What an honor for me, Signora Baroness! she said to her mistress when the boy was gone.
- Okay, I'm burying you! Fairy muttered rudely. “In the meantime, hang a sign on the door: “Closed until tomorrow” so that other annoying visitors do not come.
“Perhaps lower the curtain?”
- Yes, please drop it. I see that there will not be good trading today.
The maid ran to follow orders. Francesco was still standing outside the store with his nose in the window, waiting for what he didn't know. The curtain, descending, almost hit him on the head. Francesco stuck his nose into the dusty curtain and sobbed.
In the window, these sobs produced an extraordinary effect. One after another, the dolls also began to cry and wept so hard that the Captain could not stand it and cursed:
- What monkeys! Already learned to cry! He spat on the deck and chuckled. “A thousand skew whales!” Cry for the train! Yes, I would not exchange my sailboat for all the trains of all the railways in the world.
Grand Chief Silverfeather took his pipe out of his mouth, as he had to do every time he wanted to say something, and said:
“Captain Halfbeard does not tell the truth. He is very excited because of the poor white child.
- What am I? Explain to me, please, what does "excited" mean?
- It means that one side of the face is crying, and the other is ashamed of it.
The captain chose not to turn, as his beardless half of his face was actually crying.
"Shut up, you old cock!" he shouted. “Or I’ll go downstairs and pluck you like a Christmas turkey!”
And for a long time he continued to spit out curses, so flowery that the General, deciding that a war was about to begin, ordered the cannons to be loaded. But Silver Feather took the pipe into his mouth and fell silent, and then even dozed off sweetly. By the way, he always slept with a pipe in his mouth.
Chapter IV. STATION HEAD DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
Francesco returned the next day, his sad eyes fixed on the Blue Arrow again. He came on the second day, and on the third. Sometimes he would stop at the shop window for only a few minutes and then run away without turning around. Sometimes he stood idle in front of the shop window for long hours. His nose was pressed against the glass, and his blond forelock hung down on his forehead. He affectionately glanced at the other toys, but it was clear that his heart belonged to the wonderful train.
The Stationmaster, the Trainmaster and the Engineer were very proud of this and looked around with an important air, but no one was offended by them for this.
All the inhabitants of the shop window were in love with their Francesco. Other children came, who also looked at the toys for a long time, but the inhabitants of the shop window hardly noticed them. If Francesco didn't show up at the usual time. The Station Master paced nervously up and down the tracks, glancing anxiously at his watch. The captain cursed. The seated Pilot leaned out of the airplane, risking falling, and Silver Feather forgot to smoke, so that his pipe went out every minute, and he spent whole boxes of matches to relight it.
And so all the days, all the months, the whole year.
The fairy daily received whole bundles of letters, which she carefully read, making notes and calculations. But now there were so many letters that it took half a day just to open the envelopes, and in the window they realized that the day of gifts - the New Year - was approaching.
Poor Francesco! Every day his face became more and more sad. Something had to be done for him. Everyone was waiting for the Blue Arrow Station Master to come up with something, some idea. But he only took off and put on his beret with five stripes, or looked at the toes of his boots, as if seeing them for the first time.
Chapter V. THE BUTTON IDEA
The idea - who would have thought - was given by a rag dog - Poor Button. No one ever paid attention to him, because, firstly, it was difficult to understand what breed he was, and secondly, he was silent all the time like a fish. Button was timid and afraid to open his mouth. If any thought came into his head, he thought for a long time before telling his friends about it. But who could he talk to? The dolls were too elegant gentlemen to pay attention to a dog that belonged to God knows what breed. The lead soldiers wouldn't refuse to talk to him, but the officers certainly wouldn't let them. In general, everyone had some reason not to notice the rag dog, and he was forced to remain silent. And do you know what came of it? He learned how to bark...
So this time, when he opened his mouth to explain his brilliant idea to them, there was such a strange sound, midway between a cat's meow and a donkey's roar, that the whole shop window burst into laughter.
Only Silver Feather didn't laugh, because redskins never laugh. And when the others had finished laughing, he took the pipe out of his mouth and said:
- Signors, listen to everything that Button says. The dog always talks little and thinks a lot. Who think a lot, a wise thing to say.
Hearing the compliment, Button blushed from head to tail, cleared his throat, and finally explained his idea.
– This boy… Francesco… Do you think he will receive any present from the Fairy this year?
"I don't think so," said the Stationmaster. “His mother didn’t come here anymore, and she doesn’t write letters anymore – I always keep a close eye on the mail.
- Well, - continued Button, - it also seems to me that Francesco will not receive anything. But I really wouldn't want to go to any other boy.
"Me too," muttered Yellow Bear, scratching the back of his head.
“So are we,” said the three Puppets, who all spoke in unison.
“What do you say,” continued the dog, “if we surprise him?”
Ha ha ha, surprise! the dolls laughed. - What is it?
“Shut up,” the Captain ordered, “women must always keep quiet.”
“I beg your pardon,” the Sitting Pilot shouted, “don’t make such a noise, otherwise you can’t hear anything upstairs!” Let the button speak.
“We know his name,” Button said when silence returned. We know his address. Why don't we all go to him?
- To whom? one of the dolls asked.
- To Francesco.
Silence reigned for a moment, then a lively discussion unfolded: everyone shouted his own, not listening to what others were saying.
But this is a riot! exclaimed the General. “I can't afford such a thing. I suggest you obey my orders!
“And go where the Fairy takes us?” Then Francesco will not receive anything this year either, because his name is written in the debt book ...
- A thousand whales!
"However," the Station Master intervened, "we know the address, but we don't know the road."
“I thought about it,” Button whispered timidly, “I can find my way with my instincts.”
Now it was necessary not to chat, but to make a decision. Everyone looked towards the General of Artillery.
For some time the General, scratching his chin, paced in front of his five cannons, lined up in battle order, then said:
- Good. I will cover the movement with my troops. Frankly, I don’t really like being under the command of the old Fairy either…
– Hurrah! shouted the gunners.
A band of riflemen played a march capable of resurrecting the dead, and the Machinist turned on the horn of the locomotive and honked until everyone was almost deaf.
The trip was scheduled for the next new year's eve. At midnight, the Fairy was supposed to come, as usual, to the store to fill her basket with toys ... But the showcase would be empty.
“Imagine what her face will look like!” the Captain grinned, spitting on the deck of his sailboat.
And the next evening...
Chapter VI. FOR THE NEXT EVENING
The first thing the toys had to decide was how to get out of the store. Cutting through the curtain, as suggested by the Chief Engineer, turned out to be beyond their power. And the store door was locked with three locks.
“I thought about that, too,” said Button.
Everyone looked with admiration at the little rag puppy, who had been thinking for a whole year without saying a single word.
Do you remember the warehouse? Remember the pile of empty boxes in the corner? Well, I was there and found a hole in the wall. On the other side of the wall is a cellar with a ladder that leads to the street.
“And how do you know all this?”
- We dogs have such a disadvantage - to stick our nose everywhere. Sometimes this shortcoming is useful.
“Very well,” the General retorted sharply, “but I can’t imagine how you can lower the artillery down all these ladders into the warehouse. A Blue Arrow? Have you ever seen a train going down stairs?
Silverfeather took the pipe out of his mouth. Everyone was silent, waiting.
“White people always quarrel and forget the Sitting Pilot.
What do you mean by that, great leader?
Seated Pilot to transport everyone in an airplane.
Indeed, it was the only way to get down to the warehouse. The seated Pilot liked the offer:
- A dozen flights - and the transition is done!
The dolls were already looking forward to the pleasure of traveling on an airplane, but Silver Feather disappointed them:
Whoever has legs does not need wings.
Thus, everyone who had legs descended on their own, and artillery, wagons and a sailboat were transported by plane.
But the Captain, even during the flight, refused to leave the bridge. To the envy of the General and the Station Master, who were descending the steep stairs, the Captain flew over their heads.
The last to descend was the Acrobat Motorcyclist. For him, riding his motorcycle down the stairs was like drinking a glass of water.
He was still halfway there when a maid shouted in the store:
Help, help! Signora Baroness, thieves, robbers!
- All the toys were stolen from the window!
But the Chief Engineer of the "Constructor" had already broken through the warehouse door, and the fugitives rushed into the corner, littered with a pile of empty boxes. As soon as they disappeared, the steps of two old women were heard, who hurriedly ran down the stairs and poked their noses at the locked door.
- Get the keys! Fairy screamed.
“The lock won't open, Signora Baroness.
They've locked themselves in! Okay, they can't get out of there. We'll have to sit here and wait until they give up.
Nothing to say. The fairy was a brave old woman. But this time her courage was useless. Our fugitives, following the Button, which pointed the way, had already crossed the mountain of empty boxes and, one by one, through a hole in the wall, made their way to the neighboring basement.
It was not the first time for the Blue Arrow to go through the tunnels. The Head of the Station and the Head of the Train took their places next to the Driver, the smallest puppets, who were already getting tired, got into the cars, and the wonderful train, whistling softly, entered the tunnel.
It was more difficult to drag a sailboat through the hole, which could only move on water. But the workers of the "Constructor" took care of this. They built a cart on eight wheels in an instant and loaded the ship onto it along with the Captain.
They got there just in time.
The fairy, tired of waiting, pushed open the door with a shove of her shoulder and began to search the warehouse.
What a strange story! the old woman muttered, trembling with fear.
“There is no one, Signora Baroness!” squealed the maid, clutching at her mistress's skirt in fear.
- I see it myself. And there is nothing to tremble.
“I am not trembling, Signora Baroness. Maybe an earthquake is to blame?
“The Blue Arrow has disappeared,” the Fairy whispered sadly. She disappeared without leaving any trace.
Let's leave the poor old women for a while and follow our friends. They had no idea what adventures lay ahead of them. I know them all from start to finish. There are scary ones among them, there are also funny ones, and I will tell you everything in order.
Chapter VII. YELLOW BEAR GET OUT AT THE FIRST STOP
Adventures began immediately on the other side of the wall. The General raised the alarm. As you may have noticed, the General had an ardent temperament and constantly got involved in all sorts of quarrels and incidents.
“My guns,” he said, twirling his moustache, “my guns are rusty. It takes a little war to clean them up. Let it be small, but still you need to shoot at least a quarter of an hour.
This thought, like a nail, stuck in his head. As soon as the fugitives found themselves behind the wall of the warehouse. The general drew his sword and shouted:
- Alarm, alarm!
- What's the matter, what happened? the soldiers, who had not yet noticed anything, asked each other.
“The enemy is on the horizon, can't you see? All to guns! Load the guns! Get ready to shoot!
There was an incredible commotion. The gunners lined up their cannons in battle formation, the riflemen loaded their guns, the officers shouted out the words of command in sonorous voices and, imitating the General, twirled their mustaches.
- A thousand deaf-mute whales! the Captain barked from the height of his sailboat. - Order immediately to drag a few guns aboard my ship, otherwise they will let me go to the bottom.
The Blue Arrow driver took off his beret and scratched the back of his head.
“I don’t understand how it can go to the bottom here. In my opinion, there is only water here, which is in the washbasin, and there is a stone floor all around.
The Station Master looked at him sternly.
- If Signor General says that the enemy has appeared, then it really is so.
I saw, I saw too! shouted the Sitting Pilot, flying forward a little.
- What you see?
- Enemy! I tell you I saw it with my own eyes!
The frightened puppets hid in the Blue Arrow carriages. Rose doll complained:
“Oh, gentlemen, the war is about to begin!” I just got my hair done and who knows what will happen to my hair now!
The general ordered the alarm to be sounded.
- Shut up everyone! he commanded. “Because of your chatter, the soldiers do not hear my orders.
He was about to open fire when Button's voice suddenly rang out.
- Stop! Please stop!
- What is it? Since when did dogs start commanding troops? Shoot him immediately! the General ordered.
But Button was not afraid.
“Please, I beg you, hang up!” I assure you, this is not really an enemy. It's just a baby, a sleeping baby!
- Child?! exclaimed the General. What is a child doing on the battlefield?
“But, Signor General, we are not on the battlefield, that is the whole point. We're in the basement, can't you see? Signors, I'll ask you to look around. We are, as I said, in the basement, from which you can go outside. It turns out that this basement is inhabited. And in the depths of it, where the light burns, there is a bed, and a boy is sleeping in the bed. Do you really want to wake him up with shots?
- The dog is right. I see the child and not see the enemy.
“This is, of course, some kind of trick,” insisted the General, not wanting to give up the fight. - The enemy pretended to be an innocent and unarmed creature.
But who listened to him now?
Even the puppets came out of their hiding places and looked into the semi-darkness of the basement.
“It’s true, it’s a child,” said one.
- This is an ill-bred child, - said the third, - he is sleeping and holding his finger in his mouth.
In the basement near the walls stood old, tattered furniture, on the floor lay a tattered straw mattress, there was a basin with a chipped edge, an extinct hearth, and a bed in which a child slept. Obviously, his parents went to work, or maybe they were begging and the child was left alone. He went to bed, but did not put out the small kerosene lamp that stood on the bedside table. Maybe he was afraid of the dark, or maybe he liked to look at the big wavering shadows that the lamp cast on the ceiling. And, looking at these shadows, he fell asleep.
Our brave General was endowed with a rich imagination: he mistook a kerosene lamp for the lights of an enemy camp and raised the alarm.
“A thousand newborn whales!” boomed the Half-bearded Captain, nervously stroking the beardless half of his chin. “I thought there was a pirate ship on the horizon. But if my spyglass doesn't deceive me, this kid doesn't look like a pirate. He has no grappling hooks, no black eyepatch, no black pirate flag with a skull and crossbones. It seems to me that this brigantine floats peacefully in the ocean of dreams.
The seated Pilot flew for reconnaissance to the very bed, flew two or three times directly over the boy, who waved his hand in his sleep, as if driving away an annoying fly, and, returning, reported:
“No danger, Signor General. Enemy, I'm sorry, I meant to say, the child fell asleep.
"Then we'll take him by surprise," the General announced.
But this time the cowboys were outraged:
- Capture a child? Is that really what our lassoes are for? We catch wild horses and bulls, not children. On the first cactus, we will hang the one who dares to harm a child!
With these words, they launched the horses into a gallop and surrounded the General, ready at any moment to throw a lasso on him.
“I was just talking like that,” the General grumbled. - You can't joke a little. You don't have any imagination!
The column of fugitives approached the bed. I will not assure you that all hearts beat calmly. Some of the dolls had not yet recovered from the fright and hid behind others, for example, behind the back of the Yellow Bear. His little sawdust brain was very slow. He did not perceive the events at once, but in the order of their priority. If it was necessary to understand two things at the same time, the Yellow Bear cub immediately began to have a terrible headache. But he had good eyesight. He was the first to see that a small sleeping boy was mistaken for an enemy. The bear cub was immediately seized by the desire to jump on the bed and play with him. He did not even think about the fact that sleeping boys do not play with bear cubs, even if they are toys.
On the bedside table, next to the lamp, was a piece of paper folded in four. On one side of it capital letters address was written.
“I guarantee you that this is a coded message,” said the General, who had already suspected the boy of an enemy spy.
"Perhaps," agreed the Station Master. “But one way or another, we still couldn’t read it. It is not directed to us. See? It says here: Signor Fey.
“Very interesting,” said the General. “The letter is addressed to Signora Fairy, that is, to our mistress. Or maybe the boy tells her information about us? Maybe he was following us? We must by all means read this letter!
"You can't," the Station Master persisted. “This is a violation of postal secrecy.
But, oddly enough, this time Silverfeather agreed with the General.
“Read it,” he said suddenly, and put his pipe back into his mouth.
This turned out to be enough. The general climbed onto a chair, unfolded the paper, cleared his throat, as if he were about to announce a decree on the beginning of the war, and began to read:
“Signora Feya, I heard about you for the first time this year; I had never received a gift from anyone before. I am not putting out the lamp this evening, and I hope to see you when you come here. Then I will tell you what kind of toy I would like to have. I'm afraid to fall asleep and that's why I'm writing this letter. I beg you, signora Feya, do not refuse me: I am a good boy, everyone says that, and I will be even better if you make me happy. Why else should I be a good boy? Your GIAMPAOLO."
The toys held their breath, and only one doll sighed so hard that everyone turned around and looked at her, and she became very embarrassed.
What does it mean to be bad? Rose doll asked.
But no one answered her, and the other dolls pulled her skirt to silence her.
“Something must be done,” said the Stationmaster.
“Volunteer needed,” the Colonel said.
At this time there was a strange cough. When people cough like that, it means that they want to say something, but they are afraid.
- Speak bolder! shouted the Pilot, who was always the first to see what had happened from above.
“So,” said Yellow Bear, coughing again to hide his embarrassment, “to tell you the truth, I don’t like too long trips. I'm already tired of wandering around the world and would like to rest. Don't you think that I could stay here?
Poor Yellow Bear! He wanted to pass himself off as a sly one, he wanted to hide his good heart. Who knows why people with a good heart always try to hide it from others?
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, “or I’ll turn into a red Bear.” It seems to me that on this bed I can take a wonderful nap while waiting for the dawn, and you will wander the streets in this cold and look for Francesco.
“All right,” the Captain said, “stay here. Children and bears live together because they have at least one thing in common: they always want to play.
Everyone agreed and began to say goodbye. Everyone wanted to shake the paw of the Yellow Bear cub, wish him happiness. But at that moment there was a loud, long blast. The Stationmaster raised his whistle to his lips, the Trainmaster shouted:
“Hurry, gentlemen, to the wagons!” Train departs! On the wagons, gentlemen!
The dolls, fearful of falling behind the train, raised an unimaginable commotion.
The shooters settled on the roofs of the cars, and the Captain's sailboat was loaded onto the platform.
The train moved slowly.
The basement door was open and opened onto a dark, narrow alley. The Yellow Bear cub, perched near the pillow, next to Giampaolo's head, looked with some sadness at his comrades, who were slowly moving away. The little bear sighed so hard that the boy's hair stirred as if from a breath of wind.
“Hush, hush, my friend,” Little Bear said to himself, “don’t wake him up.”
The boy did not wake up, but a slight smile flashed across his lips.
“He is dreaming,” Little Bear said to himself. - He sees in a dream that right now the Fairy passed by him, putting a gift on his chair, and the breeze raised by her long skirt ruffled his hair. I'm willing to bet that's what he's seeing right now. But who knows what gift the Fairy will give him in a dream?
And so the Little Bear embarked on a trick that you would never have thought of: he leaned over to the boy’s ear and quietly began to whisper:
– The Fairy has already come and left you the Yellow Bear. Wonderful Little Bear, I assure you! I know him well, because I have seen him in the mirror so many times. From his back he has a key for winding the spring, and when it is wound up, Little Bear dances, as bears dance at fairs and in the circus. Now I'll show you.
With great difficulty, Yellow Bear reached for the spring and wound it up. At that moment, he felt that something strange was happening to him. At first, a shiver ran down Bear's back, and he became unusually cheerful. Then a shiver ran through his legs, and they themselves started to dance.
Yellow Bear has never danced so well. The boy laughed in his sleep and woke up laughing. He fluttered his eyelashes to get used to the light, and when he saw Yellow Bear, he realized that the dream had not deceived him. Dancing, Little Bear winked at him, as if saying: "You'll see, we'll be friends."
And for the first time in his life, Giampaolo felt happy.
Chapter VIII. CHIEF ENGINEER CONSTRUCTS BRIDGE
The alley went uphill, but Blue Arrow easily made it up the hill and into a large square just in front of Fairy's shop. The driver leaned out of the window and asked:
- Which way should we go now?
Straight all the time! the General shouted. - Frontal attack - the most best tactic to topple the enemy!
- What enemy? asked the Stationmaster. - Stop your nonsense, please. On the train, you are a passenger like everyone else. Clear? The train will go where I say!
“Very well,” said the Machinist, “but speak quickly, because we are about to crash into the pavement.”
- So, to the right! said the Station Master.
And Blue Arrow turned right at full speed. The seated Pilot flew at a height of two meters from the ground so as not to lose sight of the train. He tried to climb higher, but almost ran into the tram wires.
Silent cowboys and Indians galloped to the right and left of the train and looked like bandits surrounding it.
“Hm-hm,” the General said incredulously, “I bet my epaulettes against the holey soldo that this journey will not end well. These riders have a very unreliable look. At the first stop, I will move to the platform where my guns are.
Just at that moment, the cries of Button were heard. Obviously, he sensed some kind of danger. But it was already too late. The driver did not have time to slow down, and the Blue Arrow at full speed entered a deep puddle. The water rose almost to the level of the windows. The dolls were very frightened and moved to the arrows, on the roofs of the cars.
“We are on the ground,” said the Machinist, wiping sweat from his face.
"You mean we're in the water," the Captain corrected. “There is nothing left to do but launch my sailboat and take everyone on board.
But the sailboat was too small. Then the Chief Engineer proposed to build a bridge.
“We'll be caught before the bridge is built,” said the Captain, shaking his head.
However, there was no other choice. The workers of the "Designer", under the leadership of the Chief Engineer, began to build the bridge.
“We’ll lift the Blue Arrow with a crane and put it on the bridge,” the Engineer promised, “the passengers won’t even have to get out.”
With these words, he cast a proud glance at the dolls. They looked at him with admiration. Only Nera's doll remained faithful to her Pilot and did not take her eyes off him.
It is snowing. The water level in the puddle began to rise, and the Engineer's complex calculations were nullified.
"It's not an easy thing to build a bridge during a flood," the Engineer said through gritted teeth. “But we will still try.
To speed up work. The Colonel put all his riflemen at the Engineer's disposal. The bridge rose above the water. In the dark snowy night, the sound of iron, the blows of hammers, the creak of wheelbarrows could be heard.
The Indians and cowboys crossed the puddle on horseback and camped on the other side. Far below, a red dot was visible, which either faded or flared brightly like a firefly. It was a Silver Feather pipe.
Looking out from the windows of the carriages, the passengers followed this red light, which shone like a distant hope.
The Three Puppets suggested in chorus:
It looks like a star!
They were sentimental Puppets: they managed to see the stars even on a snowy night. And they were probably happy, weren't they?
But then the shouts of "Hurrah" rang out. The people of the Chief Engineer and the arrows reached the shore - the bridge was ready!
The crane lifted the Blue Arrow and placed it on the bridge, which, like all railway bridges, had already been laid rails. The Station Master raised the green semaphore signaling departure, and the train moved forward with a slight screech.
But before he could drive a few meters, the General raised the alarm again:
- Put out all the fires! There is an enemy plane above us!
“A thousand crazy whales!” exclaimed the Half-bearded Captain. - Eat my beard if it's not a Fairy!
With a menacing rumble, a huge shadow descended onto the square. The fugitives could already distinguish the Fairy's broom and the two old women sitting on it.
Fairy, I must tell you, has almost come to terms with the loss of her best toys. She collected all the toys left in the cupboards and in the warehouse, and set off on her usual route, flying out of the chimney on a broom as always.
But she had not yet reached half the square, when the maid's exclamation made her turn back.
“Signora Baroness, look down!”
- Where? Ah, I see, I see!.. Why, these are the headlights of the Blue Arrow!
“It seems to me that this is so, Baroness.
Wasting no time, the Fairy turned the handle of the broom to the southwest and dived straight into the light reflected in the water of the puddle.
This time the General raised the alarm not in vain. The light has been extinguished. The driver turned on the engine at full speed and in an instant crossed the bridge. The platform on which the Captain's sailboat stood, and the last two carriages, barely had time to stand on solid ground, when the bridge collapsed with a roar.
Someone suggested that the Fairy began to bomb the bridge, but it turned out that the General, without warning anyone, mined the bridge and blew it up.
“I would rather swallow it in pieces than leave it to the enemy!” he exclaimed, twirling his mustache. The Fairy had already descended almost to the water's edge, and was approaching the Blue Arrow with great speed.
- Faster to the left! shouted one of the cowboys.
Without waiting for the Stationmaster to confirm the order, the Engineer turned left, so quickly that the train nearly split in half, and entered the dark entrance, in which the light of the Silver Feather pipe flickered.
The Blue Arrow was placed as close as possible to the wall, the entrance door was closed and bolted.
“I wonder if she saw us?” the Captain whispered.
But the Fairy did not notice them.
- Weird! she muttered at that moment, describing circles over the square. "You'd think they were swallowed up by the earth: no traces anywhere... The Blue Arrow was the best toy in my store!" Fairy continued with a sigh. - I don’t understand anything: maybe they ran away from the thieves and are looking for a way home? Who knows! But let's not waste time. Get to work! We have countless gifts to deliver. - And, turning the broom to the north, she disappeared into the snow.
Poor old lady! Imagine yourself in her place: her store was robbed just on New Year's Eve, and she knows that in thousands of houses on this day, the guys hang a stocking from the fireplace in order to find a gift from the Fairy in it in the morning.
Yes, there is reason to grab your head! .. And in addition, this snow: it beats in the face, closes up the eyes and ears. What a night, my lords, what a night!
Chapter IX. FAREWELL ROSE DOLL!
It's as dark as an ink bottle in here,” said the Station Master.
“The enemy can lay any trap for us here,” the General added. -
It might be better to turn on the headlights.
The engine driver turned on the Blue Arrow headlights. The fugitives looked around. They were in an entrance cluttered with empty fruit crates. It was the entrance to a fruit shop.
The dolls got out of the cars, gathered in a corner and made an incredible noise there.
“A thousand talker whales!” grumbled the Half-bearded Captain. These girls can't keep quiet for a minute.
“Oh, there is someone here! - exclaimed the Rose doll in her sweet voice, like a trill of a clarinet.
“It also seems to me that there are people here,” said the Machinist. – But who could come up with the stupid idea of sitting in the stairwell on such a cold night? As for me, I would give the wheel of my locomotive for a good bed with a heating pad in my legs.
“It’s a girl,” said the dolls.
Look, she is sleeping.
How cold she is! She has cold skin.
The most daring dolls stretched out their hands to feel how cold the girl's skin was. They did it very quietly, afraid to wake the girl, but she did not wake up.
- What a tattered one she is! Maybe she had a fight with someone?
- Or maybe her friends beat her, and now she is afraid to return home in such dirty and torn clothes?
Imperceptibly they began to speak louder, but the girl did not hear anything, remaining motionless and white as snow. She clenched her hands under her chin, as if wanting to keep warm, but her hands were icy.
“Let's try to warm her up,” the Rose doll suggested.
She gently touched her little hands with her little hands and began to rub them. Useless. The girl's hands were like two pieces of ice. One shooter climbed down from the roof of the car and approached the girl.
“Uh-uh,” he drawled, glancing at the little one, “I have seen many such girls ...
– Do you know her? the dolls asked.
– Do I know her? No, I don't know this one, but I've met people like her. This is a girl from a poor family, and that's it.
“Like the boy from the basement?”
Even poorer, even poorer. This girl has no home. The snow caught her on the street, and she took refuge in the entrance, so as not to die from the cold.
- Is she sleeping now?
“Yes, he is,” the soldier replied. But she has a strange dream.
- What are you trying to say?
I don't think she will ever wake up.
- Don't talk nonsense! – resolutely objected doll Rosa. Why shouldn't she wake up? But I'll stay here until she wakes up. I'm tired of traveling. I'm a house doll and I don't like to roam the streets at night. I will stay with this girl and when she wakes up I will go with her.
The Rose doll has completely changed. Where did her stupid and boastful look, which so irritated the Half-bearded Captain, go! An amazing fire lit up in her eyes, and they became even more blue.
- I'll stay here! Rosa repeated decisively. “Of course, this is not good for Francesco, but in general I don’t think that my absence would upset him. Francesco is a man, and he won't even know what to do with the doll. You will give him my regards and he will forgive me. And then, who knows, maybe this girl will go to visit Francesco, take me with her, and we will see each other again.
But why was she talking and talking endlessly, as if her throat was full of words and she had to throw them out so as not to suffocate?
Because she didn't want the others to talk. She was afraid to hear a negative answer, she was afraid that she would have to leave a lonely girl in a dark entrance in such a cold. But no one answered her. Button went out to investigate from the entrance and, returning, announced that the road was clear and you could hit the road.
One by one, the fugitives boarded the train. Just in case, the head of the station ordered to go with the lights out.
The Blue Arrow moved slowly towards the exit.
- Bye Bye! the toys whispered to the Rosa doll.
The three Puppets all leaned out of the window together.
- Goodbye! they shouted in unison. We want to cry, but you know it's impossible. We are made of wood and we have no heart. Goodbye!
And the Rose doll had a heart. In truth, she had never felt it before. But now, left alone in a dark, unfamiliar entrance, she felt deep, quickened beats in her chest and realized that it was her heart that was beating. And it beat so hard that the doll could not utter a word.
Through her heartbeat, she barely heard the sound of the wheels of the departing train. Then the noise died down and it seemed to her that someone said: "You will not see your friends again, little one."
She became very frightened, but the weariness and excitement endured during the journey made themselves felt. Rose doll closed her eyes. And what was the point of keeping them open. It was so dark that she couldn't even see the tip of her nose. Closing her eyes, she quietly fell asleep.
And so the doorkeeper found them in the morning: embracing like sisters, a frozen girl and a Rosa doll were sitting on the floor.
The doll did not understand why all these people had gathered in the entrance, and looked at them in bewilderment. Real live carabinieri came, so big that it's just terrible.
The girl was taken to the car and driven away. Doll Rosa did not understand why the girl did not wake up: after all, she had never seen the dead before.
One carabinieri took her with him and carried her to the commander. The commander had a girl, and the commander took the doll for her.
But the Rosa doll did not stop thinking about the frozen girl, near whom she spent New Year's Eve. And every time she thought of her, she felt her heart freeze.
Chapter X. THE HEROIC DEATH OF THE GENERAL
Lowering his muzzle to the ground. Button ran in front of the locomotive. Snow covered the pavement in a thick blanket. It was getting harder and harder to find under the snow the smell of Francesco's torn shoes. Button often stopped, hesitantly looked around, came back, changed direction.
“Maybe Francesco stopped here to play?” the dog said to himself. That's why the tracks are so confusing.
The engineer, screwing up his eyes, slowly drove the train behind the Button. Passengers on the train began to freeze.
“We need to go faster,” the Captain urged. - I'm afraid that we will arrive in this way only next year or we will be crushed in the morning by the first tram.
The tracks zigzag, and Blue Arrow had to climb up and down sidewalks, trace curves through squares, cross the same street three or four times.
“What a way to roam the streets! grumbled the Station Master. - They teach, teach children that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and as soon as they go outside, they immediately begin to wander around the circle. Take this Francesco: on a ten meter path, he crossed the street ten times. I'm surprised he didn't get hit by a car.
Button searched tirelessly for Francesco's footprints in the snow. He hardly felt either cold or tired, and on the way he spoke mentally to Francesco, as if he could hear him: “We are all coming to you, Francesco! It will be a wonderful surprise for you. You will see".
He was so carried away by a mental conversation with Francesco that he did not notice that the traces had disappeared somewhere. He scoured in all directions, but could not find them. The trail ended here, in the middle of this narrow, dimly lit street, and not in front of the entrance or somewhere on the sidewalk.
“Incredible! Button thought. "Couldn't he have taken to the air?"
- What happened there? shouted the General, who seemed to have enemies everywhere.
"The button won't find any trace of Francesco," the Machinist said coolly.
There was a general groan. The dolls had already seen themselves buried under the snow in the middle of the street.
- A thousand frozen whales! exclaimed Halfbeard. “We just didn’t have enough!
- It's been stolen! the General said excitedly.
- Who was stolen?
- Child, damn it! Our Francesco! His footprints reach the middle of the street and end there. What does this mean?
“The child was lifted into the air, thrown into a car and driven away.
But who could have stolen it? Who needs a child?
Rescued by the Seated Pilot. He offered to fly on reconnaissance, and since no one could think of anything better, Pilot's offer was accepted. The plane took off. For some time he was still seen in the faint light of a street lamp, but now he disappeared from view, and soon the noise of the engine died down.
“I bet the boy was stolen,” the General insisted. “That means we are all in danger. To me, soldiers! Load the cannons faster, place them along the train and get ready to open fire!
The gunners grumbled:
- Let him catch a cold! Charge and discharge all night long! And the charges are already wet and will not explode, even if they are thrown into Vesuvius!
– Shut up! the General yelled at them.
The gunners, who stood motionless on the roofs of the wagons, looked down on their brothers, who were sweating, carrying heavy guns.
“Lucky artillerymen! thought the shooters. “They are working, and we are already covered with snow up to our knees. A little time will pass, and we will turn into snow statues!”
The musicians were also in despair: snow had packed into the pipes and clogged them.
Then something incomprehensible happened: as soon as the first gun was removed from the platform, it disappeared under the snow. The second fell through, as if there was a lake underneath. The earth swallowed the third cannon as well. In short, as soon as the cannon was lowered from the platform, it disappeared under the snow.
- What is it ... This is ... - the General was speechless from surprise and indignation. He knelt down and began to tear the snow with his hands.
And then everything became clear. It turned out that the guns were placed directly on a pit covered with snow and they fell into the water, murmuring under the snow.
The general remained on his knees, as if struck by lightning. He tore off his beret, began tearing the hair on his head, and, perhaps, would have tore off his skin if he had not heard the gunners laughing.
- Unhappy! The best, the only guns of our army have fallen into the trap of the enemy, and you are laughing! Don't you understand that we are now unarmed? Everyone under arrest! When you return to the barracks, you will all face a court-martial!
The gunners immediately took on a serious look, but continued to shudder with barely suppressed laughter.
Not so bad, they thought, at least we won't load and unload the cannons anymore! Let Signor General shout as much as he likes. We are fine even without guns: less work.”
The general seemed to have aged twenty years. His hair turned white, perhaps also because he took off his beret and the snow fell on his head at a centimeter per second.
The stones would shed tears at the sight of this scene! But, unfortunately, the stones could not see this: after all, they themselves were under the snow.
- Everything is over! sobbed the General. - It's over! I have nothing more to do!
He had the feeling that he was eating a wonderful cake and suddenly, in some unknown way, all the sweetness disappeared, and he found himself chewing something like tasteless cardboard. Without guns, the General's life was tasteless, like food without salt.
He continued to kneel motionless, ignoring all requests, and did not even brush off the snow from himself.
“Signor General, snow is falling on you,” the gunners noticed and wanted to shake the snow off his shoulders.
Leave me, leave me alone!
“Because the snow will completely cover you.” He has already reached his knees.
- Never mind.
- Signor General, the snow is already up to your chest.
- I don't feel cold. My heart is now colder than snow.
In an instant, the General was almost entirely covered in snow. For some time his mustache was still visible, but now they disappeared. Instead of the General, there was a snow statue, a statue of a kneeling General, clutching the edges of the pit with his hands, into which his cannons fell. Poor General, what a death!
In my opinion, he did not deserve such a fate, although he desired it. Nobody prevented him from getting up, brushing off the snow and hiding in the carriage. As a General, he had the right to ride in a first class carriage. However, he chose to turn into a snow statue.
But let's leave the General with his cold fate. Farewell, Signor General! We won't forget you.
I'm good! I'm wasting my time at the General's wake when the Blue Arrow passengers are in serious trouble. This time it's about the Cat. A real, not a toy Cat, the size of two whole Blue Arrow cars.
While we were all looking at the General and our thoughts were occupied with his self-sacrifice, a terrible predator quietly crept up through the snow, examined everyone with her green eyes and chose a prey.
Have you forgotten about the Canary in the cage, which jumped on its spring and sang “chik-chik” all the time? Well, I will only add that the cage with the Canary was suspended from the outside to the window of the Blue Arrow. In fact, the cage was supposed to hang in the car, but Canary was so tired of everyone with her incessant singing that the cage was hung outside.
The cat noticed the careless Canary and decided to feast on it.
I'll break the cage with one stroke of my paw, she thought.
And so it happened.
One more blow will silence the Canary, thought the Cat.
But it didn't work out that way.
The canary felt sharp claws slither across its wings and let out a desperate chik-chik.
Then something cracked, clicked - and the straightened spring hit the aggressor painfully on the nose.
Half-blinded in pain and terrified by an unexpected blow - who could have expected such a vigorous defense from the Canary? - The cat got away. The cowboys tried to pursue her for some time, but their horses fell into the snow and could not run fast.
Yes, this time the Cat received a blow to the nose instead of prey. But the poor Canary lay in the snow all mutilated.
A steel spring protruded from under her wings. The open beak is silent forever.
Within minutes, the Blue Arrow lost two of its passengers.
The third one - the Seated Pilot - at that moment was flying in an unknown place on his plane. Or maybe a gust of wind had already hit him against the chimney? Or did he collapse to the ground under the weight of snow that stuck to the weak wings of his plane? Who knows?
A canary with military honors was buried under the snow. The archers shook the snow out of their pipes and played a funeral march. To tell the truth, the sound of the pipes was somehow cold: it seemed that the music was coming from afar, from a neighboring street. But it was still better than nothing.
However, the story of the Canary does not end there. Her friends at Blue Arrow do not know the continuation of this story, because after burying the Canary, they resumed their night march. But I lingered here for a while and saw the night watchman get off his bicycle, the wheel of which came across the Canary's cage.
The night watchman picked her up, hung her on a bicycle, and right there, right in the middle of the street, tried to set the spring. What won't two skillful hands do! A few minutes later, Canary's "chik-chik" sounded, a little muffled, but that made it even more cheerful and nonchalant.
My son will like her, thought the night watchman. “I will tell him that the Fairy gave me the Canary. I will say that I met her at night on the street and she conveyed her greetings and wishes for a cheerful, happy life.
So thought the night watchman. Maybe he was thinking of something else, but I don't have time to tell you about it, because I must continue the story of the adventures of the Blue Arrow.
Chapter XI. SEATED PILOT FLIGHT
Are we all together? No, what's missing is the Sitting Pilot, who went in his airplane to look for signs of Francesco. It was a dangerous flight: after all, the weather was completely non-flying.
Trying to stay in the middle of the street so as not to get tangled in electrical wires or run into any building. The seated Pilot thought of the Fairy with envy:
“I wonder how this old lady flies on her broom, if I am on a plane of the latest design and every minute I risk falling to the ground? .. I would like to know,” the valiant aviator continued to himself, “in which direction should I go now? Nothing is visible above or below, neither to the left nor to the right, and I do not believe that Francesco left any traces in the clouds. I think we need to go down."
He began to descend, but immediately had to climb back up to avoid landing on the head of a night watchman who was speeding down the street on his bike. Perhaps it was the same watchman who found the Canary.
