Ежик и яблоки

                Мишка лежал в палате один. Он уже  немножко поспал,  порисовал, МариВанна принесла ему альбом и карандаши, и теперь скучал. Зимой вечер наступает  быстро, за окном уже было темно. Окно палаты выходило во двор, а там был только один фонарь, который едва светил, скрытый за деревьями парка. Мишка завернулся в одеяло, подставил табуретку к окну, выглянул в парк. Внизу он увидел снеговика, которого еще утром они лепили с Наташкой. Слабенький фонарь качался на ветру и казалось, что снеговик корчит рожицы Мишке. Он вспомнил, когда они уже заканчивали снеговика и решали, что приделать ему вместо носа, прибежал Колька и позвал его в беседку. В беседке на скамейке стояли несколько куличиков из снега, политых сверху сгущенным молоком.

                -Вот пробуй, почти как настоящая мороженка - похвалился Колька и протянул один Мишке.

Мишка осторожно лизнул, раз, другой и ему понравилось. Хотя это было и не настоящее мороженное, но все равно было вкусно и они с Колькой быстренько съели все снежные куличи.

Потом Мишка начал кашлять, у него поднялась температура и МариВанна отправила его в изолятор, где медсестра напичкала его таблетками и уложила в кровать.

                Ветер раскачивал ветки деревьев, в свете слабенького фонаря Мишка казалось, что по парку гуляют разные звери. То заяц пробежит, то неторопливо пройдет медведь, то мелькнет быстрая лисица. И вдруг, Мишка прилип к стеклу, он увидел своего любимого мультяшного героя – Ежика. Он потихоньку, чтобы не спугнуть, помахал ему рукой. Ежик ему ответил.

                -Иди сюда не бойся - шепотом сказал Мишка и забрался на подоконник.

Ежик подошел поближе, внимательно посмотрел на Мишку и улыбнулся. Мишка увидел у Ежика на иголках красивое красное яблоко. Им такие давали в подарках на Новый Год, но это было давно,  Мишка уже забыл вкус, но помнил запах, и сейчас ему показалось, что он чувствует тот же запах новогоднего яблока и видит новогодние гирлянды на деревьях в парке.

                -Это ты мне принес ?- робко спросил Мишка и обрадовался, когда Ежик закивал головой.

Вдруг Мишка услышал шаги в коридоре и, махнув Ежику рукой юркнул в кровать. В палату вошла МариВанна, Убрала табуретку от окна, поправила одеяло и вышла, задумчиво улыбаясь.

                Утром Мишка, едва открыв глаза, кинулся к окну. За окно светило солнце, а на подоконнике лежало большое красное яблоко. Он осторожно взял его и понюхал, оно пахло Новым Годом. Он радостно запрыгал по палате, но зашла медсестра, уложила его в кровать, заставила выпить лекарство и поставила градусник. Как только она вышла, в палату проскользнул Колька. Они о чем-то долго шептались. Колька недоверчиво крутил головой, Мишка показывал яблоко и убеждал его в том, что он говорит правду.

                МариВанна работала в детском доме недавно,  поэтому не обратила внимания на то, что на утренней прогулке вся группа собралась возле Кольки и внимательно его слушала. Она тоже подошла к ним и услышала, как Колька рассказывает про яблоки и ежика. МариВанна улыбнулась, села на лавочку и достала книгу. Через пять минут в парк вышла директриса Антонина Васильевна. Она подозрительно посмотрела на детей и направилась МариВанне.

                -У вас все нормально?- спросила она у МариВанны.

                -Да все хорошо, а что, что-то не так? – удивилась воспитательница.

                -Коля у нас третий год и я его хорошо знаю. Если он собрал всех вокруг себя, а не носится по всему парку и не шкодничает, я бы была повнимательнее.

                - Он им мультфильм рассказывает про ежика в тумане.

Вечером Антонина Васильевна, у себя в кабинете, успокаивала ревущую в три ручья МариВанну.

                - Ну, ну, ну что вы так убиваетесь, ничего страшного не случилось - говорила она.

                -Ну, я.… Ну я… - ревела МариВанна. – Хотела как лучше, я слышала, как Миша просил яблоко у ежика, и когда он уснул, я принесла и положила на подоконник это проклятое яблоко. Если б я знала - опять заревела МариВанна.

                - Он рассказал об этом Коле - продолжила Антонина Васильевна. – А тот рассказал на прогулке всем остальным, и они тоже захотели яблоки. Они дружно наелись снега и строем отправились в изолятор, а теперь сидят на подоконниках и ждут ежика, который приснился Мише.

МариВанна обреченно кивнула головой, потом встала и решительно шагнула к двери.

                -Нет, - остановила ее директриса.- Вы сейчас посидите у меня в кабинете, а я пойду ждать ежика с яблоками, а завтра будем думать, как выкручиваться. Нельзя чтобы ежик обманывал.

Mishka was the only patient in the ward. He had already slept awhile, had made a few sketches (MaryVanna had brought him a sketch-book and some pencils), and felt bored at the moment. Afternoon wore on early in the winter, it was quite dark outside. The ward window looked into the yard, where there was just one lantern that beaconed dimly, hidden among the trees in the park. Mishka wrept himself into the blanket, placed a stool under the windowsill, and peeped out into the park. Downwards out there he could see the snowman that Natashka and him had made back in the morning. The faint lantern was swinging in the wind and the snowman seemed to make faces at Mishka. He recalled Kolka having come running when they had been finishing making the snowman and thinking what to use for its nose, and having called him to the pavilion. On the bench there were a few Easter cakes made of snow covered with the glazing of condensed milk.
– “Here, try this, tastes like real ice-cream,” – boasted Kolka and offered one to Misha.
Carefully, Mishka licked it once, and again, and he found it tasted good. Though they were not real ice-creams, still they were delicious, and Kolka and him had eaten all the snow Easter cakes in no time.
Later, Miska started coughing, he had high fever and MaryVanna sent him to the isolation ward where a nurse stuffed him with pills and put him to bed.

The wind swayed the branches of the trees, in the dim light of the lantern, it seemed to Miska that he could see different animals prowling about the park. Now, an hare went running past, then a bear stumped along, or a spry fox passed swiftly by. Suddenly Mishka stuck at the window, he saw his favourite animation character – Little Hedgehog. Gingerly, not to scare him away, the boy waved his hand at him. Little Hedgehog wagged back.
– “Calm, calm, come here,” – pleaded Mishka in whisper and perched upon the sill.
Little Hedgehog approached, looked at Mishka closely and smiled. Upon Little Hedgehog’s needles Mishka saw a beautiful red apple. They used to give the children apples like that in the New Year presents, but that was long ago, and Mishka had forgotten the taste but he could still remember the smell, and now he seemed to feel that wonderful smell of the New Year apple and see the New Year garlands in the park trees.
– “Have you brought that to me?” – asked Mishka humbly, and he rejoiced at seeing Little Hedgehog nod.
At that moment Mishka heard somebody walking along the corridor, and, having waved back to Little Hedgehog, he whisked into his bed. MaryVanna entered the ward, put the stool away from the window, set the blanket straight and left, smiling thoughtfully.

In the morning, hardly having opened his eyes, Mishka rushed to the window. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and on the windowsill there was a large red apple. He took it cautiously and sniffed it, it smelt the New Year. The boy capered about the ward in joy, but there came the nurse, put him into the bed, made him take his pills and put the thermometer. No sooner had she left when Kolka slipped into the ward. The boys discussed something under their breath for some time. Kolka shook his head distrustfully, Mishka demonstrated the apple and assured his friend that he was telling the truth.

MaryVanna was new at the orphanage, so she took no notice of the whole group having gathered around Kolka when they were out taking their morning round in the yard. Everyone was listening attentively. She came up to the children and heard Kolka telling them a story about Little Hedgehog and an apple. MaryVanna smiled and took her place on the bench. Five minutes later the orphanage principal Antonina Vasilyevna came into the park. She looked at the children suspiciuosly and approached MaryVanna.
– “Is everything all right?” she asked MaryVanna.
– “Yes, everything is OK; is anything wrong?” the mentor looked surprised.
– “Kolya has been with us for three years already and I know the boy very well. Him having gathered everybody round him instead of scampering about the park and behaving badly…, I’d grow much more observant if I were you.”
– “He is retelling a cartoon about a little hedgehog in the mist.”

In the evening Antonina Vasilyevna was busy trying to calm down MaryVanna who came to her office shedding floods of tears.
– “There, there, why should you waste yourself away with grief like that, nothing terrible has happened,” said she.
“Well, but I… Well, but I…” wept MaryVanna. – “I had only the best intentions. I had overheard Misha asking Little Hedgehog to bring him an apple, so, when he was fast asleep, I brought that damned apple and put it on the windowsill. If only I could imagine…” MaryVanna drowned in tears.
– “He shared that with Kolya,” Antonina Vasilyevna continued. “And the boy told the story the rest of the children, and they wanted to have an apple, too. They all set to eating snow and later, in a friendly line, went to the isolation ward, and now they’re sitting on the windowsills waiting for Little Hedgehog Misha saw in his dream.”
MaryVanna shook her head as if doomed, then stood up and went to the door determinately.
– “No,” the principal stopped her. – “Stay in my office for a while and I’ll go and wait for Little Hedgehog with apples. Tomorrow we’ll think over the way to get out of this scrape. We can’t afford Little Hedgehog deceiving the children."

Анатолий Киргинцев. «Ёжик и яблоки»
http://parnasse.ru/prose/small/stories/ezhik-i-jabloki.html Mishka was the only patient in the ward. He had already slept awhile, had made a few sketches (MaryVanna had brought him a sketch-book and some pencils), and felt bored at the moment. Afternoon wore on early in the winter, it was quite dark outside. The ward window looked into the yard, where there was just one lantern that beaconed dimly, hidden among the trees in the park. Mishka wrept himself into the blanket, placed a stool under the windowsill, and peeped out into the park. Downwards out there he could see the snowman that Natashka and him had made back in the morning. The faint lantern was swinging in the wind and the snowman seemed to make faces at Mishka. He recalled Kolka having come running when they had been finishing making the snowman and thinking what to use for its nose, and having called him to the pavilion. On the bench there were a few Easter cakes made of snow covered with the glazing of condensed milk.
– “Here, try this, tastes like real ice-cream,” – boasted Kolka and offered one to Misha.
Carefully, Mishka licked it once, and again, and he found it tasted good. Though they were not real ice-creams, still they were delicious, and Kolka and him had eaten all the snow Easter cakes in no time.
Later, Miska started coughing, he had high fever and MaryVanna sent him to the isolation ward where a nurse stuffed him with pills and put him to bed.

The wind swayed the branches of the trees, in the dim light of the lantern, it seemed to Miska that he could see different animals prowling about the park. Now, an hare went running past, then a bear stumped along, or a spry fox passed swiftly by. Suddenly Mishka stuck at the window, he saw his favourite animation character – Little Hedgehog. Gingerly, not to scare him away, the boy waved his hand at him. Little Hedgehog wagged back.
– “Calm, calm, come here,” – pleaded Mishka in whisper and perched upon the sill.
Little Hedgehog approached, looked at Mishka closely and smiled. Upon Little Hedgehog’s needles Mishka saw a beautiful red apple. They used to give the children apples like that in the New Year presents, but that was long ago, and Mishka had forgotten the taste but he could still remember the smell, and now he seemed to feel that wonderful smell of the New Year apple and see the New Year garlands in the park trees.
– “Have you brought that to me?” – asked Mishka humbly, and he rejoiced at seeing Little Hedgehog nod.
At that moment Mishka heard somebody walking along the corridor, and, having waved back to Little Hedgehog, he whisked into his bed. MaryVanna entered the ward, put the stool away from the window, set the blanket straight and left, smiling thoughtfully.

In the morning, hardly having opened his eyes, Mishka rushed to the window. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and on the windowsill there was a large red apple. He took it cautiously and sniffed it, it smelt the New Year. The boy capered about the ward in joy, but there came the nurse, put him into the bed, made him take his pills and put the thermometer. No sooner had she left when Kolka slipped into the ward. The boys discussed something under their breath for some time. Kolka shook his head distrustfully, Mishka demonstrated the apple and assured his friend that he was telling the truth.

MaryVanna was new at the orphanage, so she took no notice of the whole group having gathered around Kolka when they were out taking their morning round in the yard. Everyone was listening attentively. She came up to the children and heard Kolka telling them a story about Little Hedgehog and an apple. MaryVanna smiled and took her place on the bench. Five minutes later the orphanage principal Antonina Vasilyevna came into the park. She looked at the children suspiciuosly and approached MaryVanna.
– “Is everything all right?” she asked MaryVanna.
– “Yes, everything is OK; is anything wrong?” the mentor looked surprised.
– “Kolya has been with us for three years already and I know the boy very well. Him having gathered everybody round him instead of scampering about the park and behaving badly…, I’d grow much more observant if I were you.”
– “He is retelling a cartoon about a little hedgehog in the mist.”

In the evening Antonina Vasilyevna was busy trying to calm down MaryVanna who came to her office shedding floods of tears.
– “There, there, why should you waste yourself away with grief like that, nothing terrible has happened,” said she.
“Well, but I… Well, but I…” wept MaryVanna. – “I had only the best intentions. I had overheard Misha asking Little Hedgehog to bring him an apple, so, when he was fast asleep, I brought that damned apple and put it on the windowsill. If only I could imagine…” MaryVanna drowned in tears.
– “He shared that with Kolya,” Antonina Vasilyevna continued. “And the boy told the story the rest of the children, and they wanted to have an apple, too. They all set to eating snow and later, in a friendly line, went to the isolation ward, and now they’re sitting on the windowsills waiting for Little Hedgehog Misha saw in his dream.”
MaryVanna shook her head as if doomed, then stood up and went to the door determinately.
– “No,” the principal stopped her. – “Stay in my office for a while and I’ll go and wait for Little Hedgehog with apples. Tomorrow we’ll think over the way to get out of this scrape. We can’t afford Little Hedgehog deceiving the children."

Анатолий Киргинцев. «Ёжик и яблоки»
http://parnasse.ru/prose/small/stories/ezhik-i-jabloki.html