Ирина Немкова - 100 Stories About Alyosha and his Friends

Illustrator Александра Геннадьевна Немкова

© Ирина Иорьевна Немкова, 2019

© Александра Геннадьевна Немкова, illustrations, 2019

ISBN 978-5-0050-3026-9

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Meet Alyosha.

He is a boy of ten. He studies at school. Most of all he likes to play computer games.

He has a friend. His name is Timoshka. Timoshka is a big cat. He is very beautiful.

Timoshka likes to sleep on Alyosha’s table near the computer because it is warm there.

When Alyosha plays computer games Timoshka looks at the screen because he likes moving things.

At night, when Mum and Dad sleep, Timoshka likes to talk to Alyosha.

Today at night he comes to Alyosha and says, “I am alone.”

“Why are you alone?” Alyosha asked. “I am always with you. I talk to you, I play with you.”

“But when you are at school I am alone. I want to have other animals at home. I want to play with them when you are at school.”

“Ok”, says Alyosha, “I will ask Mum to buy us some other animal.”

Today Alyosha comes home from school late. He sees that Timoshka is sad.

“Why are you sad?” asks Alyosha.

“I miss you,” says Timoshka. “You are very, very late. I am alone.”

And Alyosha goes to talk to Mum.

In the evening Timoshka comes to Alyosha’s bed.

“What does your mother say?” he asks. “Does she want to buy more animals for me?”

“No,” Alyosha answers, “She says that she doesn’t want to clean the house every day.”

Timoshka is very, very sad.

“You have got many friends at school,” he says, “and I have got only you.”

“I will think about it,” promises Alyosha.

Next day Alyosha comes home from school. He sees Timoshka waiting him at the door.

“I have a good idea,” says Alyosha. “You are always at home. Why not go to the yard?”

“Why?” asks Timoshka, “Is it interesting?”

“Yes,” says Alyosha, “I have got a surprise for you.”

Timoshka is interested. “What surprise?” he asks.

“Wait, wait,” says Alyosha, “let’s go to the yard.”

Timoshka is a little afraid because he never goes to the yard, he is always at home. But he is not alone, he goes with his friend.

They go to the yard.

It is so interesting there! So many trees and flowers, green grass, the warm sun.

“Oh, I like the yard, I like to be here,” says Timoshka, “It is so nice here! And where is the surprise?”

“Wait, wait,” Alyosha smiles.

Timoshka sees a small house in the corner of the yard. It is blue and it is very beautiful.

“What is that?” he asks, “Is it the surprise?”

“No, the surprise is in the house,” Alyosha answers. He calls, “Bertha, Bertha!”

And a big brown dog goes out of the small house.

Timoshka jumps back and hides behind Alyosha. He is afraid.

“Who is this?” he asks.

“This is Bertha, our dog,” says Alyosha.

“Is she dangerous?” asks Timoshka, “She is so big.”

“No, she is not dangerous, she is very kind and she likes to play,” answers Alyosha, “but she has no friends, just like you. Let’s go to Bertha.”

“No, no, I am afraid.”

Alyosha takes Timoshka and goes to the dog.

He says, “Bertha, meet Timoshka. Timoshka, meet Bertha.”

Berta smiles to Timoshka and he understands that she is not dangerous at all. He smiles too.

“Glad to meet you,” says Bertha.

“Glad to meet you,” says Timoshka.

Next morning Timoshka gets up early. He comes to Alyosha.

“Get up,” he says.

“What do you want?” asks Alyosha. “Today is Sunday and I want to sleep.” He is a little angry.

“No, get up,” says Timoshka. “I want to go to Bertha.”

Alyosha begins to laugh. “But you are afraid of her,” he says. He is not angry anymore.

“No, I am not,” says Timoshka, “I am not afraid of her anymore, and I know that she waits for me.”

“Ok,” Alyosha says, “But first I want to wash my face.”

He washes his face and they go to the yard.

Bertha is near her house. She waits for Timoshka.

She is glad to see her new friend. And Timoshka is also very glad to see Bertha.

He is not afraid of her anymore.

“I want to go home and have breakfast,” says Alyosha, “Do you go with me?”

“No, I want to stay with Bertha,” says Timoshka.

“Bertha, may I stay with you?” he asks Bertha.

“Of course you may,” says Bertha, “You are my friend. You may always stay with me when you want.”

Alyosha goes home.

“Do you want to see my house?” asks Bertha.

“May I? May I really go into your beautiful house?” Timoshka is excited.

“Of course you may. Come in.”

Timoshka enters Bertha’s house. Bertha enters too.

“Do you like my house?” she asks.

“Oh, yes, I like it very much. But you don’t have a carpet,” Timoshka is surprised, “Where do you sleep?”

“I sleep on hay,” says Bertha, “Do you see it on the floor?”

“It is dry grass,” Timoshka says.

“Yes, we call it hay,” Bertha explains.

They see Alyosha. He brings breakfast for Bertha.

He says, “Timoshka, let’s go home. It’s time to have breakfast.”

“May I come here again after breakfast?” asks Timoshka.

“Of course you may.”

After breakfast Timoshka goes to Bertha again.

“Hi, Bertha!” he says.

“Hi, Timoshka!” Bertha says, “I want to show you something.”

“Is it interesting?” asks Timoshka.

“It is strange,” says Bertha.

“Is it dangerous?” asks Timoshka.

“I don’t think so. But really I don’t know,” says Bertha.

Timoshka is a bit afraid. But he is with Bertha and she is big and strong and brave.

So they go to the corner of the yard.

There behind a big tree Bertha shows him a hole in the ground.

“What’s this?” asks Timoshka.

“A strange hole,” answers Bertha, “I think Somebody lives there. It is Somebody’s home.”

“And who is that Somebody? Is he dangerous?” Timoshka asks in a whisper.

“I don’t know,” says Bertha, “I only know that Somebody goes out of the hole at night.”