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Fairy tale Journey of the Blue Arrow. Gianni Rodari - Journey of the Blue Arrow Gianni Rodari Journey of the Blue

Gianni Rodari

Journey of the Blue Arrow

Gianni Rodari La freccia azzurra

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Part one

Signora five minutes to 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, you need to have condescension towards the ignorant.” But I'm almost a baroness; decent people know this.

“Yes, Signora Baroness,” assented the maid.

“I’m not a 100% baroness, but I’m not so far short of her.” And the difference is almost invisible. 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 across the rooftops, delivering gifts. Their dresses were covered with snow and icicles.

“Light the stove,” said the Fairy, “you need to dry your clothes.” And put the broom in its place: now for a whole year you don’t have to think about flying from roof to roof, and even with such a north wind.

The maid put the broom back, grumbling:

- Nice little thing - flying on a broom! This is in our time when airplanes were invented! I already caught a cold because of this.

“Prepare me a glass of flower infusion,” the Fairy ordered, putting on her glasses and sitting down in the old leather chair that stood in front of the desk.

“Right now, 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 lady of my circle. I will promise her to increase her salary. In fact, of course, I won’t give her an increase, and there’s not enough money anyway.”

It must be said that the Fairy, for all her nobility, was rather stingy. Twice a year she promised the old maid an increase in wages, but limited herself to promises alone. The maid had long been tired of listening only to words; she wanted to hear the clink of coins. Once she even had the courage to tell the baroness about this. 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 bring the balance. Things are not good this year, there is not enough money. Of course, everyone wants good gifts from the Fairy, and when it comes to paying for them, they start bargaining. Everyone tries to borrow money, promising to pay it back later, as if the Fairy were some kind of sausage maker. However, today there is nothing particularly to complain about: all the toys that were in the store have sold out, and now we will need to bring new ones from the warehouse.

She closed the book and began to print out the letters she found in her mailbox.

- I knew it! – she spoke. “I risk getting pneumonia by delivering my goods, and no thanks!” This one didn't 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 a doorman for the courier secretary of a lottery employee, and he only had three hundred lire to buy a gift. What could I give him for such pennies?

The fairy threw the letters back into the box. She took off her glasses and called:

- Teresa, is the broth ready?

- Ready, ready, Signora Baroness.

And the old maid handed the baroness a steaming glass.

-Did you put a drop of rum in here?

- Two whole spoons!

– One would be enough for me... Now I understand why the bottle is almost empty. Just think, we bought it only four years ago!

Sipping the boiling drink in small sips and managing not to get burned while doing so, as only old gentlemen can do, the Fairy wandered around her little kingdom, carefully checking every corner of the kitchen, the store and the small wooden staircase that led to the second floor, where there was a bedroom.

How sad the store looked with drawn curtains, empty display cases and cabinets, littered with boxes without toys and piles of wrapping paper!

“Prepare the keys to the warehouse and a candle,” said the Fairy, “we 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, Fairy Night, has already passed...

- Yes, but until the next one New Year's Eve There are only three hundred and sixty-five days left.

I must tell you that Fairy's store remained open throughout the year and its windows were always lit.

Thus, children had enough time to fall in love with this or that toy, and parents had time to make their calculations in order to be able to order it.

In addition, there are also birthdays, and everyone knows that children consider these days very suitable for receiving gifts.

Now do you understand what the Fairy does from the first of January until the next New Year? She sits behind the window and looks at passers-by. She looks especially carefully at the faces of children. She immediately understands whether they like or dislike new toy, and if you don’t like it, remove it from the display case and replace it with another one.

Oh, gentlemen, now something has come over me! It was like this when I was little. Who knows if the Fairy now has this store with a window filled with toy trains, dolls, rag dogs, guns, pistols, Indian figurines and puppets?

I remember it, this Fairy shop. How many hours did I spend at this display case, counting toys! It took a long time to count them, and I never managed to count to the end because I had to take the milk I bought home.

The showcase is filling up

The warehouse was in the basement, which was located just under the store. The fairy and her maid had to go up and down the stairs twenty times to fill the cabinets and display cases with new toys.

Already on the third voyage, 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,” answered 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 carry 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 my own.”

And indeed, it seemed that the Fairy never got tired. Despite her advanced age, she jumped up the steps as if 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.” Even, perhaps, three hundred liras. Nowadays Indians are very fashionable. Don't you think this electric train is just a miracle?! I will call him Blue Arrow and I swear I will quit 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 Main Station Manager, with the Driver and the Train Manager wearing glasses. After lying in the warehouse for so many months, the electric train was completely 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, the Train Manager and the Driver, was painted with blue paint.

When the Fairy wiped the dust from the Driver's eyes, he looked around and exclaimed:

– Finally I see! I feel like I was buried in a cave for months. So when do we leave? I'm ready.

“Calm down, calm down,” the Train Manager interrupted him, wiping his glasses with a handkerchief. - The train will not move without my order.

“Count the stripes on your beret,” said a third voice, “and you will see who is the eldest here.”

The Train Master counted his stripes. He had four. Then he counted the Station Master's stripes - five. The Train Manager sighed, hid his glasses and became quiet. The Station Master walked back and forth across the display window, waving the baton that is used to signal departure. A regiment of tin riflemen with a brass band and a Colonel lined up in the square in front of the station. A whole artillery battery headed by the General was located a little to the side.

Behind the station lay a green plain and scattered hills. On the plain around the chief, whose name was Silver Feather, the Indians set up camp. At the top of the mountain, the mounted cowboys held their lassos at the ready.

An airplane suspended from the ceiling swayed above 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 Sitting 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.

In the display case there were also dolls, a Yellow Bear, a rag dog named Button, paints, a “Construction Set,” a small theater with three Puppets and a fast two-masted sailboat. The Captain was nervously pacing the captain's bridge of the sailing ship. Out of absent-mindedness, only half of his beard was glued on to him, 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 planning to challenge the other to a duel to decide the question of high command in the display case.

The dolls were divided into two groups: some sighed for the Station Master, others cast gentle 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 anyone, so as not to offend the other two. Therefore, 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 small, like a button.

But then an event occurred that immediately made one forget both jealousy and rivalry. Just at that moment, the Fairy raised 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.

– One hundred thousand deaf whales! – the Half-Bearded Captain barked. - What's happened?

- For help! For help! – the dolls squealed, hiding behind each other.

The general ordered to immediately turn the guns towards the enemy in order to be ready to repel any attack. Only Silver Feather remained unperturbed. He took the 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, everyone's friend. Look how cheerful the whole square was, rejoicing at his arrival.

Everyone looked at the display case. The square really sparkled under the rays of the sun. The jets of the fountains seemed fiery. Gentle warmth penetrated through the dusty glass into the Fairy's shop.

- Thousands of drunken whales! – the Captain muttered again. - I’m a sea wolf, not a sun wolf!

The dolls, chatting happily, immediately began to sunbathe. However, the sun's rays could not penetrate into one corner of the display case. The shadow fell right on the Machinist, and he became very angry:

“It had to happen that it was I who ended up in the shadows!”

He looked outside the window, and his keen eyes, accustomed to staring at the rails for hours during long trips, 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 Machinist saw great childish sadness.

“Strange,” thought the Machinist of the Blue Arrow. – I have always heard that children are cheerful 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 looked at the display 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! - exclaimed the Captain. – I will record this event in the ship’s log!

Finally, the boy wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, walked up to the door of the store, grabbed the handle and pushed the door. There was a dull ringing of a bell, which seemed to be complaining, calling for help.

The half-bearded captain is excited

“Signora Baroness, someone has entered the store,” the maid said.

The fairy, who was combing her hair in her room, quickly went down the stairs, holding hairpins in her mouth and pinning 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.

For the sake of dignity, she put on her glasses and entered the shop with small, slow steps, as a real signora should walk, especially if she is almost a baroness. But, seeing in front of her a poorly dressed boy who was crumpling his blue beret in his hands, she realized that the ceremonies were unnecessary.

- 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 Train Manager.

- Shh! – ordered the Station Master. - Do not make noise!

- My boy! - exclaimed the Fairy, who felt herself beginning to lose patience, as every time she had to talk to people unaware of her noble titles. – My dear boy, I have very little time. Hurry up or leave me alone, or better yet, write me a good letter.

“But, signora, I already wrote to you,” the boy whispered hastily, afraid of losing courage.

- Oh, that's how it is! When?

- About a month ago.

- Let's see. What is your name?

- Monty Francesco.

- Quardicciolo...

- Hm... 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 - an entire air fleet!

“But I like the train, Signora Fairy.”

- Oh, my dear boy, do you like the train?! Do you know that two days after your letter your mother came here...

- Yes, it was I who asked her to come. I asked her this way: go to the Fairy, I have already written everything to her, and she is so kind that she will not refuse us.

– I’m neither good nor bad. I work, but I can't work for free. Your mother didn't have money to pay for the train. She wanted to keep her old watch in exchange for the train. But I can’t see them, these watches! Because they make time move faster. I also reminded her that she still had to pay me for the horse she borrowed last year. And for the top taken two years ago. Did you know about this?

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’re right,” muttered Francesco. “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 to their conversation, hearing that she was called secretary, almost fainted 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 left.

- Good good! – the Fairy muttered rudely. - In the meantime, hang a sign on the door: “Closed until tomorrow” so that other annoying visitors do not come.

- Maybe we should lower the curtain?

- Yes, perhaps lower 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 buried in the window, and waited, not knowing what. The curtain almost hit him on the head as it came down. Francesco buried his nose in the dusty curtain and began to sob.

In the window, these sobs produced an extraordinary effect. One after another, the dolls also began to cry and cried so much that the Captain could not stand it and cursed:

- What kind of monkeys! We've already learned to cry! “He spat on the deck and grinned: “A thousand oblique whales!” Cry over the train! Yes, I wouldn’t trade my sailboat for all the trains of everyone railways peace.

The Great Chief Silver Feather took his pipe out of his mouth, which he had to do every time he wanted to say something, and said:

- Captain Halfbeard doesn't tell the truth. He is very excited about the poor white child.

- What am I? Explain to me, please, what does “excited” mean?

- This means that one side of the face is crying, and the other is ashamed of it.

The captain chose not to turn around, since the beardless half of his face was actually crying.

- Shut up, old rooster! - he shouted. “Or I’ll come down and pluck you like the Christmas turkey!”

And for a long time he continued to spew out curses, so flowery that the General, deciding that 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.

The station manager doesn't know what to do

The next day Francesco returned, and his sad eyes were again fixed on the Blue Arrow. He came both on the second day and on the third. Sometimes he would stop at the display case for just a few minutes and then, without looking back, he would run away. Sometimes I stood in front of the display window for long hours. His nose was pressed against the glass, and his light brown forelock hung down onto his forehead. He looked affectionately at the other toys, but it was clear that his heart belonged to the wonderful train.

The Station Master, the Train Manager and the Driver were very proud of this and looked around with an important look, but no one was offended at them for this.

All the inhabitants of the display case were in love with their Francesco. Other children came and also looked at the toys for a long time, but the inhabitants of the display case hardly noticed them. If Francesco did not appear at the usual time, the Station Master would nervously walk up and down the tracks, casting anxious glances at his watch. The captain cursed. The seated Pilot leaned out of the airplane, risking falling, and the Silver Feather forgot to smoke, so his pipe went out every minute, and he spent whole boxes of matches to light it again.

And so all the days, all the months, all the year.

The fairy received whole stacks of letters every day, which she carefully read, making notes and calculations. But there were so many letters that it took half a day just to open the envelopes, and in the window they realized that Boxing Day was approaching - New Year.

Poor Francesco! Every day his face became more and more sad. Something had to be done for him. Everyone was waiting for the Head of the Blue Arrow Station to offer something, give some idea. But he just took off and put on his beret with five stripes or looked at the toes of his boots, as if he was seeing them for the first time.

Button idea

Poor Button. Nobody ever paid attention to him, because, firstly, it was difficult to understand what breed he was, and secondly, he was silent like a fish all the time. Button was timid and afraid to open his mouth. If any thought came into his head, he thought for a long time before telling it to his friends. But who could he be talking to? The dolls were too elegant gentlemen to pay attention to a dog belonging to God knows what breed. The lead soldiers would not refuse to talk to him, but the officers, of course, would not allow them to do so. 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 has forgotten how to bark...

So this time, when he opened his mouth to explain his brilliant idea to them, such a strange sound was heard - halfway between a cat's meow and a donkey's bray - that the entire storefront burst into laughter.

Only Silver Feather did not laugh, because redskins never laugh. And when the others had finished laughing, he took the pipe out of his mouth and said:

- Sirs, listen to everything that Button says. The dog always talks a little and thinks a lot. Who thinks a lot, says a wise thing.

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 gift from the Fairy this year?

“I don’t think so,” answered the Station Master. “His mother doesn’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 to tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to go to any other boy.

“Me too,” said the three Puppets, who all spoke in unison.

“What will you say,” the dog continued, “if we give him a surprise?”

- Ha ha ha, surprise! – the dolls laughed. - Which one?

“Shut up,” ordered the Captain, “women should always keep quiet.”

“I beg your pardon,” shouted the Sitting Pilot, “don’t make so much noise, otherwise you won’t hear anything above!” Let the Button do the talking.

“We know his name,” said Button when silence was restored. - We know his address. Why don't we all go to him?

- To whom? – asked one of the dolls.

- To Francesco.

For a moment there was silence, then a lively discussion unfolded: everyone shouted their own, not listening to what others were saying.

- But this is a riot! – exclaimed the General. “There’s no way I can afford something like that.” 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 by instinct.”

Now it was necessary not to chat, but to make a decision. Everyone looked towards the Artillery General.

For some time the General, scratching his chin, walked in front of his five cannons lined up in battle formation, then said:

- Fine. I will cover the movement with my troops. Frankly, I don’t really like being under the command of the old Fairy either...

- Hurray! - the artillerymen shouted.

The riflemen's orchestra began to play a march capable of resurrecting the dead, and the Engineer turned on the locomotive's whistle and blew it 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 display case would be empty.

– Imagine what kind of face she will have! – the Captain grinned, spitting on the deck of his sailboat.

And the next evening...

Part two

Next evening

The first thing the toys had to solve was how to get out of the store. It turned out that they were unable to cut through the curtain, as the Chief Engineer had suggested. 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 discovered 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 this disadvantage of sticking our noses everywhere.” Sometimes this disadvantage can be useful.

“Very good,” the General objected sharply, “but I can’t imagine how you can lower artillery into the warehouse down all these stairs.” And Blue Arrow? Have you ever seen a train going down stairs?

Silver Feather took the pipe out of his mouth. Everyone fell silent expectantly.

“White people always quarrel and forget the Sitting Pilot.”

-What do you mean by this, great leader?

– The seated Pilot transports everyone on the airplane.

Indeed, this was the only way to go down to the warehouse.

The Sitting Pilot liked the proposal:

– A dozen flights – and the transition is made!

The dolls were already looking forward to the pleasure of traveling on an airplane, but Silver Feather disappointed them:

- He who has legs does not need wings.

Thus, everyone who had legs went down themselves, and transported artillery, carriages and a sailboat by plane.

But the Captain refused to leave the bridge even during the flight. To the envy of the General and the Station Master, who were descending the steep steps, the Captain was flying above their heads.

The last one to come down was the Motorcyclist-Acrobat. For him, riding a motorcycle down the stairs was like drinking a glass of water.

He was still halfway there when a maid shouted from the store:

- Help, help! Signora Baroness, thieves, robbers!

- All the toys were stolen from the display case!

But the Chief Engineer of “Constructor” had already broken through the warehouse door, and the fugitives rushed into a corner littered with a heap of empty boxes.

As soon as they disappeared, the footsteps of two old women were heard, who hastily ran down the stairs and buried their noses in the locked door.

- Quickly, the keys! - the Fairy screamed.

“The lock won’t open, Signora Baroness.”

- They locked themselves from the inside! Okay, they can't get out of there. We'll have to sit here and wait until they give up.

Needless to say, the Fairy was a brave old lady. But this time her courage was useless. Our fugitives, following the Button, who showed the way, had already crossed the mountain of empty boxes and, one after another, made their way through a hole in the wall into the neighboring basement.

This was not the first time for Blue Arrow to go through tunnels. The Station Master and the Train Manager took their places next to the Driver, the smallest dolls, who had already begun to get tired, settled into the carriages, 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 “Constructor” workers took care of this. They instantly built a cart on eight wheels and loaded the ship and the Captain onto it.

We made it just in time.

The fairy, tired of waiting, pushed the door open with her shoulder and began to search the warehouse.

-What a strange story! – trembling with fear, the old woman muttered.

- There is no one, Signora Baroness. Maybe an earthquake is to blame?

“The Blue Arrow has disappeared,” the Fairy whispered sadly. – Disappeared without leaving any traces.

Let's leave the poor old women for a while and follow our friends.

They had no idea what adventures awaited them ahead. I know them all from beginning to end. Some of them are scary, some are funny, and I will tell you everything in order.

The yellow bear cub gets off at the first stop

Immediately on the other side of the wall, adventures began. The General raised the alarm. As you may have already noticed, the General had an ardent temperament and constantly got involved in all sorts of quarrels and incidents.

“My guns,” he said, twirling his mustache, “my guns are rusty.” It takes a little war to clean them out. It may be small, but you still need to shoot for at least a quarter of an hour.

This thought stuck like a nail in his head. As soon as the fugitives found themselves behind the warehouse wall, the General pulled out his sword and shouted:

- Alarm, alarm!

- What’s the matter, what happened? - the soldiers asked each other, who had not yet noticed anything.

“There’s an enemy on the horizon, can’t you see?” All to guns! Load the guns! Prepare to shoot!

An incredible commotion arose. The artillerymen lined up their cannons in battle formation, the riflemen loaded their guns, the officers shouted commands in sonorous voices and, imitating the General, twirled their mustaches.

- A thousand deaf and dumb whales! – the Captain barked from the height of his sailboat. - Order to immediately drag several cannons aboard my ship, otherwise they will let me sink.

The Blue Arrow driver took off his beret and scratched the back of his head:

“I don’t understand how you can go to the bottom here.” In my opinion, the only water here is in the washbasin, and there is a stone floor all around.

The Station Manager looked at him sternly.

“If Signor General says that the enemy has appeared, that means that it really is so.”

- I saw it, I saw it too! - shouted the Sitting Pilot, flying a little forward.

- What you see?

- The enemy! I'm telling you that I saw it with my own eyes!

The frightened dolls hid in the Blue Arrow carriages. Doll Rose complained:

- Oh, gentlemen, now the war will begin! I just styled my hair, and who knows what will happen to my hairstyle now!

The general ordered the alarm to sound.

- Shut up everyone! - he commanded. “Because of your chatter, the soldiers do not hear my orders.”

He was about to open fire, when suddenly Button’s voice was heard:

- Stop! Please stop!

- What is it? Since when did dogs begin to command troops? Shoot him immediately! – ordered the General.

But Button was not afraid:

- Please, I beg you, hang up! I assure you, this is not really an enemy. It's just a child, a sleeping child!

- Child?! – exclaimed the General. – What does a child do on the battlefield?

- But, Signor General, we are not on the battlefield - that’s the whole point. We're in the basement, can't you see? Sirs, I ask you to look around. We are, as I said, in a basement from which you can go outside. It turns out that this basement is inhabited. And in the depths of it, where the fire is burning, 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 can see the child and not see the enemy.

“This is, of course, some kind of trick,” the General insisted, not wanting to give up the battle. “The enemy pretended to be an innocent and unarmed creature.

But who listened to him now?

Even the dolls came out of their hiding places and looked into the dimness of the basement.

“It’s true, it’s a child,” said one.

“This is an ill-mannered child,” said the third, “he sleeps and holds his finger in his mouth.”

In the basement, near the walls, there was old, tattered furniture, a tattered straw mattress lay on the floor, a basin with a broken edge, an extinguished fireplace, 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 turn off the small kerosene lamp that stood on the nightstand. Perhaps he was afraid of the dark, or perhaps he liked to look at the large, 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! – thundered the Half-Bearded Captain, nervously stroking the beardless half of his chin. “And I thought that a pirate ship had appeared on the horizon.” But unless my telescope deceives me, this child does not look like a pirate. He has no grappling hooks, no black eye patch, no black pirate flag with a skull and crossbones. It seems to me that this brigantine is floating peacefully in the ocean of dreams.

The seated Pilot flew to reconnaissance right to the 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:

- There is no danger, Signor General. Enemy, excuse me, I meant to say, the child fell asleep.

“Then we will take him by surprise,” the General announced.

But this time the cowboys were indignant:

– Capture the child? Is this really what our lassos are designed for? We catch wild horses and bulls, not children. On the first cactus we will hang anyone who dares to harm a child!

With these words, they set their horses into a gallop and surrounded the General, ready to lasso him at any moment.

“I was just saying that,” the General grumbled. - You can’t even joke a little. You have no imagination!

The column of fugitives approached the bed. I will not assure you that all hearts beat calmly. Some dolls had not yet recovered from the fright and were hiding behind others, for example, behind the back of the Yellow Bear. His little brain made of sawdust thought very slowly. He did not perceive the events taking place immediately, but in the order of their sequence. If it was necessary to understand two things at the same time, the Yellow Bear 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 the enemy.

The little bear immediately had the desire to jump on the bed and play with him. He didn’t even think about the fact that sleeping boys don’t play with bear cubs, even toy ones.

On the nightstand next to the lamp lay a piece of paper folded into four. On one side of it in capital letters the address was written.

“I guarantee you that this is a coded message,” said the General, who already suspected the boy of being an enemy spy.

“Perhaps,” agreed the Station Manager. - But, one way or another, we still couldn’t read it. It is not addressed to us. Do you see? It says here: "Signora Fairy."

“Very interesting,” said the General. – The letter is addressed to Signora Fairy, that is, our mistress. Or maybe the boy is telling her information about us? Maybe he was watching us? We must read this letter at all costs!

“You can’t,” the Station Manager persisted. – This is a violation of postal secrecy.

But, oddly enough, this time Silver Feather agreed with the General.

“Read it,” he said unexpectedly and put his pipe into his mouth again.

This turned out to be enough. The general climbed onto a chair, unfolded the piece of paper, cleared his throat, as if he was about to announce a decree about the beginning of the war, and began to read:

“Signora Fairy, I heard about you for the first time this year; I had never received gifts from anyone before. This evening I do not put out the lamp and hope to see you when you come here. Then I will tell you what kind of toy I would like to receive. I'm afraid to fall asleep and that's why I'm writing this letter. I beg you, Signora Fairy, do not refuse me: I am a good boy, that’s what everyone says, and I will be even better if you make me happy. Otherwise, why should I be a good boy?

Your Giampaolo."

The toys held their breath, and only one doll sighed so much that everyone turned around and looked at her, and she became very embarrassed.

– What does it mean to become bad? – asked the doll Rose.

But no one answered her, and the other dolls pulled her skirt to keep her quiet.

“Something needs to be done,” said the Station Master.

“A volunteer is needed,” the Colonel prompted.

At this time, a strange cough was heard. When people cough like that, it means they want to say something, but are afraid.

- Speak up boldly! - shouted the Pilot, who was always the first to see what happened from above.

“So,” said the Yellow Bear, coughing again to hide his embarrassment, “to tell 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 I could stay here?

Poor Yellow Bear! He wanted to pass himself off as a cunning man, he wanted to hide his kind heart. Who knows why people with good hearts 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 have a wonderful nap waiting for the dawn, and you will wander the streets in such cold and look for Francesco.

“Okay,” said the Captain, “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 Yellow Bear's paw and wish him happiness. But at this time a loud, long beep was heard. The Station Master raised his whistle to his lips, the Train Master shouted:

- Hurry, gentlemen, to the carriages! Train departs! On to the carriages, gentlemen!

The dolls, afraid to fall behind the train, created an unimaginable commotion.

The shooters settled on the roofs of the carriages, and the Captain's sailboat was loaded onto the platform.

The train started moving slowly.

The basement door was open and opened into 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 much that the boy’s hair moved as if from a breath of wind.

“Hush, hush, my friend,” Little Bear said to himself, “don’t wake him.”

The boy did not wake up, but a slight smile flashed on his lips.

“He’s dreaming,” Little Bear said to himself. - He sees in a dream that right now the Fairy passed near 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 now. But who knows what gift the Fairy will give him in a dream?

And so the Little Bear embarked on a trick that would never have occurred to you: he leaned down 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. A key sticks out of his back to wind up the spring, and when it is wound up, Little Bear dances, like bears dance at fairs and in the circus. Now I'll show you.

With great difficulty, the Yellow Bear reached the spring and wound it up.

At that same moment, he felt that something strange was happening to him. At first a shiver ran down Little Bear’s back, and he felt incredibly cheerful. Then a trembling ran through his legs, and they themselves began to dance.

Yellow Bear has never danced so well. The boy laughed in his sleep and woke up laughing. He batted his eyelashes to get used to the light, and when he saw the Yellow Bear, he realized that the dream had not deceived him. While dancing, Little Bear winked at him, as if saying: “You’ll see, we’ll be friends.”

Chapter 1. SIGNORA FIVE MINUTES BARONESS

The fairy was an old lady, very well-bred and noble, almost a baroness.

“Yes, Signora Baroness,” assented the maid.

“I’m not a 100% baroness, but I’m not so far short of her.” And the difference is almost invisible. Is not it?

- Invisible, Signora Baroness. And decent people don’t notice her...

It was just the first morning of the new year. All night long the Fairy and her maid traveled across the rooftops, delivering gifts. Their dresses were covered with snow and icicles.

“Light the stove,” said the Fairy, “you need to dry your clothes.” And put the broom in its place: now for a whole year you don’t have to think about flying from roof to roof, especially with such a north wind.

The maid put the broom back, grumbling:

- Nice little thing - flying on a broom! This is in our time when airplanes were invented! I already caught a cold because of this.

“Prepare me a glass of flower infusion,” the Fairy ordered, putting on her glasses and sitting down in the old leather chair that stood in front of the desk.

“Right now, Baroness,” said the maid.

The fairy looked at her approvingly.

“She’s a little lazy,” thought the Fairy, “but she knows the rules of good manners and knows how to behave with the lady of my circle. I will promise her to increase her salary. In fact, of course, I won’t give her an increase, and there’s not enough money anyway.”

It must be said that the Fairy, for all her nobility, was rather stingy. Twice a year she promised the old maid an increase in wages, but limited herself to promises alone. The maid had long been tired of listening only to words; she wanted to hear the clink of coins. Once she even had the courage to tell the Baroness about this. 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 bring the balance. Things are not good this year, there is not enough money. Of course, everyone wants to receive good gifts from the Fairy, and when it comes to paying for them, everyone starts bargaining. Everyone tries to borrow money, promising to pay it back later, as if the Fairy were some kind of sausage maker. However, today there is nothing particularly to complain about: all the toys that were in the store have sold out, and now we will need to bring new ones from the warehouse.

She closed the book and began to print out the letters she found in her mailbox.

- I knew it! – she spoke. – I risk getting pneumonia delivering my goods, and no thanks! This one didn't 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 a doorman for the courier secretary of a lottery employee, and he only had three hundred lire to buy a gift. What could I give him for such pennies?

The fairy threw the letters back into the box, took off her glasses and called:

- Teresa, is the broth ready?

- Ready, ready, Signora Baroness.

And the old maid handed the baroness a steaming glass.

-Did you put a drop of rum in here?

- Two whole spoons!

– One would be enough for me... Now I understand why the bottle is almost empty. Just think, we bought it only four years ago!

Sipping the boiling drink in small sips and managing not to get burned, as only old gentlemen can do.

The fairy wandered around her little kingdom, carefully checking every corner of the kitchen, the store and the small wooden staircase that led to the second floor, where there was a bedroom.

How sad the store looked with drawn curtains, empty display cases and cabinets, littered with boxes without toys and piles of wrapping paper!

“Prepare the keys to the warehouse and a candle,” said the fairy, “we need to bring new toys.”

– Yes, but until next New Year’s Eve there are only three hundred and sixty-five days left.

I must tell you that Fairy's store remained open throughout the year and its windows were always lit. Thus, children had enough time to fall in love with this or that toy, and parents had time to make their calculations in order to be able to order it.

And besides, there are also birthdays, and everyone knows that children consider these days very suitable for receiving gifts.

Now do you understand what the Fairy does from the first of January until the next New Year? She sits behind the window and looks at passers-by. She looks especially carefully at the faces of children. She immediately understands whether they like or dislike the new toy, and if they don’t like it, she removes it from the display and replaces it with another.

Audio tale The Journey of the Blue Arrow by Gianni Rodari. You can listen to the story online or download it. The audiobook “Journey of the Blue Arrow” is presented in mp3 format.

Audio tale The Journey of the Blue Arrow, contents:

The magical audio tale The Journey of the Blue Arrow tells about the events that began just before the new year. Francesco came into the toy store. He was a boy from a poor family and he wanted to know why he did not receive a gift. It turned out that his mother could not even pay for last year’s toy, and the fairy who owned the store did not intend to do charity work.

The toys, hearing this conversation, took pity on the poor children and ran away on a toy train so that these children would have gifts for the New Year.

Jampalo was the first to receive a New Year's surprise - he got a cute teddy bear. Then the Blue Arrow crew continued their difficult journey and reached the beggar girl - the doll was left with her. "Blue Arrow" had to go through the most difficult tests to please the poor kids!

One day, Francesco noticed late at night that robbers had broken into the fairy’s toy shop. The police did not listen to explanations and, without understanding, took the boy with them, so he had to spend the night in a cell. When he was released, the Fairy offered him a job as an assistant in her toy store. This concludes the online audio tale about the Blue Arrow.

A fairy tale about the adventures of toys that escaped from a fairy's store. They rush to a very poor boy, Francesco, to become his New Year's gift. Dolls, toys and puppets hit the road on the toy train " Blue Arrow" IN big world they will see a lot of injustice and grief, they will understand that there are many poor children in the world, except Francesco, who will also be left without a gift...

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Published by: Mishka 15.11.2017 11:14 24.05.2019

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Journey of the Blue Arrow

Gianni Rodari

Journey of the Blue Arrow

SIGNORA 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, “simply Fairy, and I don’t protest: after all, you need to have leniency 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'm not so far short of her. And the difference is almost invisible. Is not it?

Unnoticed, Signora Baroness. And decent people don't notice her...

It was just the first morning of the new year. All night long the Fairy and her maid traveled across the rooftops, delivering gifts. Their dresses were covered with snow and icicles.

The maid put the broom back, grumbling:

Nice little thing - flying on a broom! This is in our time when airplanes were invented! I already caught a cold because of this.

“Prepare me a glass of flower infusion,” the Fairy ordered, putting on her glasses and sitting down in the old leather chair that stood in front of the desk.

“Right now, Baroness,” said the maid.

The fairy looked at her approvingly.

“She’s a little lazy,” thought the Fairy, “but she knows the rules of good manners and knows how to behave with the lady of my circle. I will promise her to increase her salary. In reality, of course, I won’t increase her, and there’s not enough money anyway.” .

It must be said that the Fairy, for all her nobility, was rather stingy. Twice a year she promised the old maid an increase in wages, but limited herself to promises alone. The maid had long been tired of listening only to words; she wanted to hear the clink of coins. Once she even had the courage to tell the Baroness about this. 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 bring the balance. Things are not good this year, there is not enough money. Of course, everyone wants to receive good gifts from the Fairy, and when it comes to paying for them, everyone starts bargaining. Everyone tries to borrow money, promising to pay it back later, as if the Fairy were some kind of sausage maker. However, today there is nothing particularly to complain about: all the toys that were in the store have sold out, and now we will need to bring new ones from the warehouse.

She closed the book and began to print out the letters she found in her mailbox.

I knew it! - she spoke. - I risk getting pneumonia delivering my goods, and no gratitude! This one didn't 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 secretary of a lottery employee, and he only had three hundred lire to buy a gift. What could I give him for such pennies?

The fairy threw the letters back into the box, took off her glasses and called:

Teresa, is the broth ready?

Ready, ready, Signora Baroness.

And the old maid handed the baroness a steaming glass.

Did you put a drop of rum in there?

Two whole spoons!

One would be enough for me... Now I understand why the bottle is almost empty. Just think, we bought it only four years ago!

Sipping the boiling drink in small sips and managing not to get burned, as only old gentlemen can do. The fairy wandered around her little kingdom, carefully checking every corner of the kitchen, the store and the small wooden staircase that led to the second floor, where there was a bedroom.

How sad the store looked with drawn curtains, empty display cases and cabinets, littered with boxes without toys and piles of wrapping paper!

Prepare the keys to the warehouse and a candle, - said the fairy, - you need to bring new toys.

But, Madam 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, Fairy Night, has already passed...

Yes, but until next New Year's Eve there are only three hundred and sixty-five days left.

And besides, there are also birthdays, and everyone knows that children consider these days very suitable for receiving gifts.

Now do you understand what the Fairy does from the first of January until the next New Year? She sits behind the window and looks at passers-by. She looks especially carefully at the faces of children. She immediately understands whether they like or dislike the new toy, and if they don’t like it, she removes it from the display and replaces it with another.

THE SHOW SHOW IS FULL

The warehouse was in the basement, which was located in the car; once under the store. The fairy and her maid had to go up and down the stairs twenty times to fill the cabinets and display cases with new toys.

Already on the third voyage, 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,” answered 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 carry 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 my own.

These Indians bring me an income of two hundred liras each, perhaps even three hundred liras. Nowadays Indians are very fashionable. Don't you think this electric train is just a miracle?! I will call him Blue Arrow and I swear I will quit 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 Main Station Manager, with the Driver, and the Train Manager in glasses. After lying in the warehouse for so many months, the electric train was completely 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, the Train Manager and the Driver, was painted with blue paint.

When the Fairy wiped the dust from the Driver's eyes, he looked around and exclaimed:

Finally I see! I feel like I was buried in a cave for months. So when do we leave? I'm ready.

Calm down, calm down,” the Train Manager interrupted him, wiping his glasses with a handkerchief. - The train will not move without my order.

Count the stripes on your beret,” said a third voice, “and you will see who is the eldest here.”

The Train Master counted his stripes. He had four. Then he counted the Station Master's stripes - five. The Train Manager sighed, hid his glasses and became quiet. The Station Master walked back and forth across the display window, waving the baton used to signal departure. A regiment of tin riflemen with a brass band and a Colonel lined up in the square in front of the station. A whole artillery battery headed by the General was located a little to the side.

Behind the station was a green plain and scattered hills. On the plain around the chief, whose name was Silver Feather, the Indians set up camp. At the top of the mountain, the cowboys on horseback held their lasso at the ready.