Ирина Немкова - 100 Stories About Alyosha and his Friends

“Where may I live?” Happy Hop asks.

“You may live in the big house with me and Timoshka,” Alyosha answers, “or you may live in the yard with Bertha or with Moc. But we have no house for you in the yard.”

“We don’t need one more house,” Bertha says, “Happy Hop may live with me in my house.”

“Or he may live with me in my den,” Moc says.

Happy Hop is interested. “May I look at your houses and choose?” he asks.

“Of course you may,” his friends say.

At first, Happy Hop goes to the big house where Alyosha lives with his parents. And with Timoshka.

He looks at all the rooms and says, “I think this house is too big for me. Let’s see Moc’s den.”

They return to the yard and Moc with Happy Hop go into the hole.

Bertha and Alyosha are waiting for them near the hole.

When Moc and Happy Hop return Bertha asks, “Do you like Moc’s home?”

“Yes, very much,” Happy Hop says, “but I cannot live there.”

“Why?” Alyosha and Bertha are surprised.

“Because when I jump I bump into the ceiling,” Happy Hop says. “Moc’s home is too small for me. Bertha, may I see your house?”

“Of course you may,” Bertha says, “You are welcome.”

Happy Hop goes to Bertha’s house. “Oh, I like it!” he says.

He sits down on the hay. “It’s nice to sleep here,” he says.

Then he jumps, high, high, very high. And he doesn’t bump into the ceiling. “Oh, I like it!” he says. “I want to live here. I choose Bertha’s house.”

“I am glad,” Bertha says, “You are welcome to live in my house.”

Today is Sunday.

Alyosha does not go to school. But he gets up early and goes to the yard. His friends are still sleeping.

He goes to the sandbox and begins to play.

Then Moc gets up and comes to Alyosha.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“I am building a castle,” Alyosha answers.

“What is a castle?” Moc asks.

“A castle is a big and beautiful house where King and Queen live.”

“Do they live there alone?” Moc asks.

“No, they live there with many people and dogs and cats,” Alyosha says.

“And with mice?” Moc asks.

“Yes, and with mice.”

“And with hamsters?” Happy Hop is already sitting on the sand and listening.

“Yes,” Alyosha smiles, “and with hamsters.”

At this moment Bertha comes.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“He is building a castle,” Moc says.

“What is a castle?” Bertha asks.

“A castle is a big and beautiful house where King and Queen live,” Moc and Happy Hop answer together.

Timoshka comes to his friends.

“What are you doing?” he asks Alyosha.

“He is building a castle,” Moc and Happy Hop answer together.

“What is a castle?” Timoshka asks.

“A castle is a big and beautiful house where King and Queen live,” Bertha, Moc and Happy Hop answer together.

“And they live there with many people, cats, dogs, mice and hamsters,” Moc says.

At this moment Mother calls Alyosha to have breakfast.

When Alyosha returns all his friends are sitting around the sandbox and waiting for him.

Alyosha has got a big box in his hands.

“What have you got in the box?” Bertha asks.

Alyosha opens the box and his friends see many small figures there.

They are interested. “What’s this?” they ask.

Alyosha takes a figure of a man. “This is King,” he says.

Then he takes a figure of a woman. “This is Queen,” he says.

“And where is the cat?” Timoshka asks.

“I have got many cats here,” and Alyosha takes out several different cats. The cats are white, black, grey and red.

“One, two, three, four, five, six,” Timoshka counts. “Oh, we have got six cats!”

“And dogs, have you got many dogs too?” Bertha looks into the box.

Alyosha takes out several different dogs. They are big and small, black, white and brown.

“How many dogs have we got?” asks Bertha.

“Try to count,” Alyosha says.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,” Bertha counts. “We have got seven dogs.”

“I want to see mice,” Moc says, “have you got mice too? Many mice?”

“Not many,” Alyosha says, “try to count the mice,” and he takes several mice out of the box. The mice are small and grey.

“One, two, three, four, five,” Moc counts, “no, not many.”

Happy Hop doesn’t ask anything. He is sitting on the sand very, very sad.

“Happy Hop, why don’t you ask about hamsters?” Alyosha asks. “And why are you so sad?”

“Because I cannot count,” Happy Hop says. “You all can count and I cannot.”

“Cannot you count at all?” Moc asks. “Alyosha, let’s teach him to count!”

“Yes, Alyosha, let’s teach him to count!” all the friends say.

“Ok,” Alyosha says, “Look,” and he puts one figure on the sand, “this is one.”

“One,” Happy Hop repeats.

Alyosha puts one more figure. “This is two.”

“Two,” Happy Hop repeats.

Then Alyosha puts more figures on the sand and counts, “three, four, five.”

“Three, four, five,” Happy Hop repeats.

Alyosha puts five more figures on the sand and says, “Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

Happy Hop repeats.

“And now let’s count hamsters,” Alyosha says, “I have got several hamsters in the box, let’s count them.”

He puts all the hamsters on the sand and Happy Hop begins to count, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

“You have got ten hamsters,” he says.

“Yes,” Alyosha says, “I have got ten hamsters. Now you can count.”

“Wow!” Happy Hop cries, “Now I can count!”

He begins to jump, high, high, very high. Because he is happy.

Alyosha and his friends continue to build the castle. Dad comes to them.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“We are building a castle,” Alyosha answers.

Father is surprised. “You all? And what is Bertha doing?” he asks.

“She is digging big holes for big rooms,” Alyosha says.

“And what is Moc doing?” Father asks.

“I am digging small holes for small rooms,” Moc answers.

“And what are you doing?” Father asks Happy Hop.

“I am digging corridors,” Happy Hop says.