Short stories for elementary

Short Stories for Children

Please enjoy these great stories, fairy-tales, fables, and nursery rhymes for children. They help kids learn to read and make excellent bedtime stories! We have hundreds of great children's stories for you to share.

You may also enjoy Favorite Fairy Tales, Books for Young Readers, Children's Poems, Lullabies and Short Stories for Students

Looking for chapter books like The Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island? Enjoy our collection of chapter Books for Young Readers

You might also like our whimsical Children's Poems, Yummy Stories and for learn-to-read fun, Pre-K Wordplay!

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Short Stories Elementary Students will Love

Reading is a crucial element to the education of elementary students. However, students who don’t find the activity enjoyable are less likely to stick with it as they age. That’s where really great short stories come in. 

Short stories are an effective way to engage students in reading while teaching them important life lessons and skills. We’ve already shared our favorite modern short stories for middle school and contemporary stories for high school students; now here’s a look at the best stories for elementary students.

The Missing Mail by R.K. Narayan

This story is taken from the Malgudi Days story collection, which is set in India. It follows the theme of arranged marriage and touches on the many traditional virtues still followed there. The Missing Mail includes the theme of human relationships, including those between the woman and her father, and the people in the town, including the postman. 

The story shows what happens when one person makes a decision that affects many others, especially when it isn’t taken with full integrity. The Missing Mail also touches upon the theme of honesty, and the repercussions of being dishonest. This story can be used to raise discussions around cultural differences and can support lessons on culture and identity.

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury was a highly imaginative science fiction writer, and this story is a great way to bring science fiction to an upper elementary classroom. All Summer in a Day is mostly an anti-bullying story, and contains messages about the importance of kindness and compassion. It is set on the planet Venus with nearly no sun, and follows the students’ imaginations, wishes and memories. A short film adaptation on YouTube can be used to accompany this story.

Zlateh the Goat by Isaac Bashevis Singer

This book of short stories is translated from Yiddish and written by Polish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer. The story follows a boy, Aaron, and his relationship with the goat, who he needs to take to the butcher. While the goat meat would bring money necessary to buy Hanukkah necessities, it would also mean losing a friend.

This story can be a great accompaniment to the holiday season, as one of its central themes are Hanukkah and its traditions. Additionally, it shows the importance of bonds between people and humans, and the role of compassion in these relationships. The story has an uplifting ending and can spark conversations about family, animals, cultural traditions and following one’s heart.

Queen Raggy by Templeton Moss

Templeton Moss includes this hilarious modern fairy tale with a lighthearted, unexpected twist in his book, Talking Pigs & Magical Ladies. The story follows a kingdom on its quest to find a new king after he dies. After a poetic prophecy is delivered through the Court Wizard, the kingdom goes in search of a person that can meet that criteria. This results in a funny mix-up of a doll being deemed the queen of the kingdom, shedding light on the fact that appearances aren’t always what they seem. 

This story also shows the importance of authenticity and truth, and how societal standards don’t always allow for the most important aspects of a person to be seen and heard. It can spark discussions about prophecies and can be accompanied by an activity in which students write their own.

Mrs. Pepperpot Stories by Alf Proysen

Mrs. Pepperpot is constantly shrinking! This poses a number of funny and unexpected predicaments that children have loved reading for decades. Each Mrs. Pepperpot story by Alf Proysen places her in a new challenge as a mini human, whether it’s swimming through a pond with frogs or climbing over a mountain of ice cream.  

Young readers will benefit from the creativity of these stories, as it helps spark their imaginations and can provide great fodder for other creative writing activities. For example, what would you do if you were faced with a giant mousetrap? What would you say to a crafty fox? These are the kinds of questions that work well for writing exercises paired with Proysen’s stories.

Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood by Timothy Tocher

This is a funny, fresh twist on a classic children’s tale. Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood by Timothy Tocher follows the big bad wolf and his new food stealing scheme and his encounter with Red Riding Hood. Rather than the traditional story, in which Red Riding Hood relies on the huntsmen to save her, this new version offers a more empowering and feminist twist. 

Red Riding Hood saves the day and herself by using common sense and the help of technology. This is a great story for teaching morals, including why it’s important to be honest and not steal. It also has themes around why you shouldn’t talk to strangers and why trustworthiness is an important virtue.

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner by Terry Pratchett

This lighthearted and funny short story collection is praised by children and adults alike. The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner, like the others in the book by Terry Pratchett, is magical and imaginative. The stories follow characters as they interact with mystical items like a magical vacuum cleaner, a time-traveling television and silly gnomes. 

This fantasy collection offers endless amusement and engagement for elementary students, especially those interested in adventure and magic. This collection, written when Pratchett was just 17, was published posthumously and is an ode to his brilliance and dedication to the craft of storytelling.

Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

This is a beautiful alphabet book for pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students. Instead of being one whole story, Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers offers a mini story surrounding each letter to explain its importance in the alphabet. These stories are quirky, humorous and filled with imagination and joy. 

Jeffers book takes ordinary alphabet lessons and turns them into important stories about letters and language. Though short, each story is sweet and filled with life lessons and reflections. This book of stories effectively explores themes of humanity and feelings to achor the importance that letters play in our world.

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories by R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me by R.J. Palacio is an amazing story collection that introduces young students to the ideas of tolerance and understanding. It is a companion book to Wonder by the same author, which follows the tale of a student named Auggie, though it can be read as a stand alone. 

The book is comprised of three stories all revolving around the same events, yet from three different points of view. This helps students understand what other characters are doing in a story, what they might be thinking, and why they act the way they do. It also helps children develop compassion and sensitivity towards those who are different, and can foster a sense of acceptance among students who may feel they are different themselves.

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Stories for children 7-8-9-10 years old. Stories for grades 2-3.

This section of our site contains stories of favorite Russian writers for children 7-8-9-10 years old. Many of them are included in the main school curriculum and extracurricular reading program for grades 2 and 3. However, these interesting stories for children are worth reading not for the sake of a line in the reader's diary. Being classics of Russian literature, the stories of Tolstoy, Bianchi and other authors have educational and educational functions. In short children's stories, the reader is faced with good and evil, friendship and betrayal, honesty and deceit. Younger students learn about the life and way of life of previous generations.

Classical stories not only teach and edify, but also entertain. Funny stories of Zoshchenko, Dragunsky, Oster are familiar to every person since childhood. Plots understandable to children and light humor made the stories the most readable works among junior schoolchildren aged 7-10.

Read interesting stories by Russian writers online on our website!

Dragunsky's funny and instructive story about how Deniska imagined himself as an adult. The boy dreamed about how he would scold his father, mother and grandmother for misbehavior: being late, walking without a hat, talking at dinner, etc. This ...

An interesting and informative story about two friends who bought two toy phones to talk to each other. Yes, only Mishka decided to disassemble his apparatus and see how it works. And to collect, as it was, and ...

A story about two friends who were left alone at the dacha for two days. When leaving, my mother explained how to cook porridge and soup. Yes, only the boys did not listen to advice at all. Read how friends caught fleeing porridge, took out a bucket...

Dragunsky's story about Denisk and Mishka, who did their homework together. At the same time, Deniska tells a friend about lemurs. Then the boys decide to check each other's work and find many mistakes - everything needs to be redone. After…

A funny story about how the yard dog Bobik came to visit his master's Barbos. Bobik was surprised by everything in the house: a wall clock, a hairbrush, a mirror, a TV set. Watchdog, as a hospitable host, explained to a friend about the purpose of objects. And then…

A funny story about a boy who didn't want to eat semolina. Mom promised to take him to the Kremlin if he ate all the porridge. Deniska adds sugar, salt, water and even horseradish to the porridge to make it more…

Dragunsky's story about Denisk, who came to visit his friend Mishka. Mishka gathered a lot of guys. And then it was decided to play hide and seek. Deniska decided to outsmart everyone and hide in one of the communal rooms….

Dragunsky's story about three guys who didn't pronounce the letter Sh. It all started when a truck with a Christmas tree drove into the courtyard of the house. Alyonka says: “Look, there are detectives hanging on the Christmas tree.” This is where it started…

A story about rescuing a dog and a kitten on the river during the ice drift. The guys threw a board on the ice floe and the dog in its teeth with the kitten moved to the shore. She missed her master very much and was very happy when he…

An instructive story about the blacksmith's son Vasya. The boy was very fond of riding a cart drawn by his father's horse. The blacksmith did not approve of this. Once Vasya took a cart and went to the forest. A branch got into the wheel and started whipping the boy...

A story about how a teacher witty weaned Fedya Rybkin from laughing in class. The boy was smeared with mascara, the whole class could not look at him without laughing. This made Fred very happy. The teacher, having discovered the reason for the fun, said that on ...

Nosov's instructive story, which teaches that one should not take someone else's. Pavlik and Kotka once picked cucumbers in the collective farm garden. Kotka's mother saw cucumbers in her son's pocket and found out how he got them. This is strong for her ...

A story about a boy, Kotka, who was sitting at home and did not want to build a hill. However, when the guys built a slide and went home, Kotka went out into the yard to skate. And he wanted to ride from a new mountain. Climb up…

An instructive story about honesty. Minka got an A at school and got so upset that he forgot his diary on a park bench. They brought him a new diary and again put a unit there. In the evening a guest came and brought a forgotten diary...

A humorous story about Denisk and Mishka, who were assigned to sing a duet with satirical verses at a concert. The boys rehearsed for a long time, but during the performance Mishka got excited and repeated the first verse three times. The whole hall fell from ...

Dragunsky's story about the boy Deniska's sympathy for the circus performer. One day he went to the circus with his class. He liked the show very much. Especially the number with a huge blue ball on which a little girl danced. After Denisk's speech was...

The commander left the horse wounded in the leg in the village and the miller Pankrat cured him. But he could not feed the horse, so the horse walked around the village and everyone fed him little by little. But once an unkind boy Filka hit ...

One day Deniska and Mishka played hockey and were late for lessons. They came up with a good reason, but never agreed. As a result, the deceit came out. A fire in an outhouse or a feat in the ice read We are with ...

A funny story about how three friends went on a trip around the world, taking a dog and a whole bag with things: plates, forks, pencils, pillows and other utensils . Read how their campaign ended and Styopka succeeded. ..

Pyotr Terentyev, preparing to go to war, received from his son a beetle, which he found in the garden, as a gift. Peter put him in a box, fed him and let him fly. The beetle went through the whole war with the soldier. Adventures of the Rhinoceros Beetle…

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• Lucky wolf

  Spanish fairy tale

  One morning in the forest the wolf woke up, sneezed three times and decided that he was lucky three times today. He saw two rams and realized that this was his first success ... "Lucky Wolf" read There lived a wolf in the forest ....

• Wolf and fox

  Spanish fairy tale

  A fairy tale about how a smart fox got rid of a stupid and insatiable wolf. “The Wolf and the Fox” read The fox lived with the wolf - she served him. Whatever the wolf says, the fox does. And the fox wanted to...

• Shepherd-small sprout

  Spanish fairy tale

  Once upon a time there lived a shepherd boy of very small stature with a harmful character. Once he met a bird-girl carrying a basket of eggs on her head. The shepherd took the stone and threw it into the basket. All eggs are broken. The bird girl got angry and shouted: “Don’t ...

• Who's there?

  Spanish fairy tale

  In the forest, in a small house, lived an old woman who was very afraid of thieves. One night there was a strong thunderstorm and rain. It was cold and the old woman warmed herself by the fire. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door ... "Who's there?" read In…

• Geese in the polynya

  Astafiev V.P.

  A story about how a goose and her goslings got into a polynya on the Yenisei. The hero of the story and his friends saved the geese from death, they risked themselves. "Geese in the polynya" read Freezing on the Yenisei comes gradually. First…

• Smell of hay

  Astafiev V.P.

  Two boys, cousins, are eager to help their grandfather and uncle bring hay from distant mowing. However, they are not taken with them, the road is hard, the work is difficult. But in the evening, when the hay is already in the yard, the guys are eager and ...

• Autumn sorrows and joys

  Autumn is a hot time. It is necessary to collect and prepare the entire crop. A story about how a large amount of cabbage is salted for the winter in one of the Siberian villages. It is in some way a mystical and interesting ritual and process….

• Photo where I am not present

  Astafiev V.P.

  A story about true friendship, sincere love for the native land and shows what a real teacher should be like. It is important to remember those who were with you as a child. These people can be an important part of your life. And together…

• Russian women

  Nekrasov N.A.

  Contents: ♦ I. Princess Trubetskaya ♦ Part one ♦ Part two ♦ Princess M.N. Volkonskaya ♦ Chapter I ♦ Chapter II ♦ Chapter III ♦ Chapter IV…

• Tam Glen

  Burns R.

  Oh, aunt, I ask for advice! With such a young man, I don’t have to be afraid of the fate of change. I’ll be glad of poverty, - If only I would be with me ...

• Lines about war and love I give my blood In that life-creating battle, What we call love. I glorify the triumph of the world, Contentment and prosperity. It is more pleasant to create one Than to destroy a dozen!

• What's a girl to do

  Burns R.

  What's a girl to do? What shall I do, little girl? How shall I, little girl, live with my hubby? He is grouchy and sick, always dissatisfied. There is cold in his chest, ice in his hands. He grunts, ...

• has analogues in the tales of many other peoples. Our site presents a version of a folk tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Kolobok" read Once upon a time there was an old man with an old woman. Here ...

• 2 - Three little pigs

  Mikhalkov S.

  A fairy tale about three pig brothers who built houses for themselves. One brother built a house out of straw, another out of twigs and twigs, and a third out of bricks. "Three Little Pigs" read Once upon a time there were three little pigs in the world. Three brothers. All…

• 3 - Little Red Riding Hood

  Charles Perrault

  A short story about a trusting girl and a cunning gray wolf. Disobeying her mother, the girl turns off the road and talks to a stranger - a gray wolf ... "Little Red Riding Hood" read Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her mother loved her without memory, and her grandmother ...

• 4 - Turnip

  Russian folk tale

  The turnip is a famous fairy tale for the little ones with a lot of repetitions. The child quickly remembers the sequence of presentation and a simple plot. "Turnip" read Grandfather planted a turnip and says: - Grow a turnip, sweet, sweet! Grow big, big! A turnip has grown, sweet and big, big….

• 5 - Bremen Town Musicians

  Entin Yu.S. and Livanov V.B.

  The story of the animals and the young Troubadour who went to the city of Bremen to become street musicians. In the city they stopped in front of the royal castle. The king and princess came out onto the balcony of the palace, the townspeople ran to the square and it began ...

• 6 - Wolf and seven kids

  Russian folk tale

  The tale tells about an evil wolf who changed his voice, made his way into the goat's house and ate little kids. But the mother goat will be able to save her children and get rid of the wolf. "The Wolf and the Seven Kids" read Once upon a time there was a goat with kids ....

• 7 - Seven-flower flower

  Kataev V.P.

  A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya, who was presented with a magic seven-flower flower. It had seven petals and could grant any seven wishes. Zhenya spent the first six wishes, but did not receive any pleasure and only made her last wish ...

• 8 - The Snow Queen

  Hans Christian Andersen

  The Snow Queen is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairy tales about love that can overcome any trial and melt even an icy heart! "The Snow Queen" read Table of Contents: ♦ The first story, which tells about ...

• 9 - The Tale of Tsar Saltan

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son, the glorious and mighty hero Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the beautiful Swan Princess was created on the basis of the folk tale "Wonderful Sons". Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin enriched the folk work with new plot twists, ...

• 10 - Three Bears

  Russian folk tale

  Three Bears is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in the bears' house. There she behaved very rudely: without permission, she ate from every cup, sat on every chair, lay in every bed, ...

• 11 - Geese-Swans

  the swan geese carried the boy away and the little sister went to look for him. The stove, apple tree and river helped the girl save her brother. Read the fairy tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Geese-swans" read There lived a man and a woman. At…

• 12 - Wizard of the Emerald City

  Volkov A.M.

  "The Wizard of the Emerald City" - a fairy tale story by Alexander Volkov written in 1939 based on the fairy tale "The Wise Man of Oz" by American writer Frank Baum with some changes. In 1959, a new edition of the book was published, significantly revised . ..

• 13 - The Frog Princess

  Russian folk tale

  The Frog Princess is a Russian folk tale where the main character, Ivan Tsarevich, married a frog by the will of fate. Ivan had no idea that his wife was Vasilisa the Wise, turned by Koshchei into a frog. Ivan hurried, burned the frog skin and had to ...

• 14 - The Fox and the Crane

  Russian folk tale

  The Fox and the Crane is a fairy tale about friendship between a cunning fox and a clever crane. The crane could not eat the semolina porridge, which the Fox smeared on a plate. He invited her to his place and treated her to a tasty okroshka, which he put down…

• 15 - Winnie the Pooh and everything

  Alan Milne

  A cheerful and beloved fairy tale about Winnie the Pooh does not obey the laws of the fairy tale genre. The tale is devoid of negative characters, the struggle between good and evil forces. The main characters of the tale are the toys of the boy Christopher, with whom funny situations happen in a magical ...

• 16 - Masha and the Bear

  Russian folk tale

  Masha and the Bear is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a bear's hut. The bear did not let Mashenka go home, however, the girl came up with a way to return to her grandparents. Masha and ...

• 17 - The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of a poor fisherman who caught a golden fish in his net. The old man took pity on the fish, released it into the sea. For this, the fish promised to fulfill his every wish. The old man didn’t ask for anything, but when he returned home, he told about…

• 18 - Hen Ryaba

  Russian folk tale

  Hen Ryaba is the first fairy tale-parable that mothers read to their babies. Children quickly grasp a simple plot and remember it by heart. Hen Ryaba read Once upon a time there was a grandfather and a woman. And they had a Ryaba Hen. The hen laid an egg, yes…

• 19 - The Little Mermaid

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A touching tale about the Little Mermaid's strong love for the prince. The little mermaid is ready to give up everything that is dear to her for the sake of the human soul and the love of the prince ... The fairy tale formed the basis of the plots of many films, cartoons and musicals. Little Mermaid read In the open…

• 20 - Thumbelina

  Hans Christian Andersen

  The fairy tale about Thumbelina is loved by children all over the world. A tiny girl born from a flower goes through many trials on the way to her happiness. Fate rewards Thumbelina for her kind heart. The swallow, which she saved earlier, endures…

• 21 - Puss in Boots

  Charles Perrault

  The tale of an unusual cat, which was inherited by the younger brother from the miller's father. The young man was not very happy at first with his share of the inheritance, but the cunning and intelligent cat made him the richest man and son-in-law of the king ... The cat in ...

• 22 - Sleeping Beauty

  Charles Perrault

  A fairy tale about a beautiful princess who was cursed by an offended fairy at a celebration in honor of her birth. The old fairy predicted the girl's death from a spindle prick, but the good fairy was able to commute the sentence. The girl did not die, but fell asleep on…

• 23 - Porridge from an ax

  Russian folk tale

  Porridge from an ax is a short fairy tale about a witty soldier. The greedy old woman did not want to feed the soldier, but he outwitted her and got porridge with butter ... Read porridge from an ax The old soldier went on a visit. Tired in…

• 24 - The ugly duckling

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A fairy tale about the miraculous transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. The duckling was born unlike his brothers, the inhabitants of the poultry yard disliked him for his dissimilarity to the others. The duckling had to leave the house and go through many trials before he…

• 25 - The Princess and the Pea

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A short story about how the prince wanted to marry a real princess. One day, a girl knocked on the gate, who was soaked to the skin, but assured that she was a real princess. She was allowed to sleep, and the old queen gave her a check……

• 26 - Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka

  Russian folk tale

  Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka is a fairy tale about how the younger brother disobeyed his sister, got drunk from a hoof and turned into a kid goat to read ... Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka lived -there was an old man and an old woman, they had ...

• 27 - Bean seed

  Russian folk tale

  Cockerel and bean seed - Russian folk tale about a rooster who was always in a hurry when he pecked the grains. The hen warned him all the time and asked him to peck more slowly. One day he choked on a bean seed and fell down. But the chicken ...

• 28 - Fear's eyes are big

  Russian folk tale

  Fear's eyes are big - a short fairy tale about the fact that from fear you can see what was not really ... (from M.M. Serova's collection) Fear eyes are big to read Once upon a time there was an old grandmother, a laughing granddaughter, a hen-klohtushka and a mouse-leaf. Every…

• 29 - Sivka Burka

  Russian folk tale

  Sivka-Burka is a fairy tale about the adventures of Ivan the Fool and his gallant horse. Sivka Burka read The old man had three sons: two smart ones, and the third Ivanushka the Fool; day and night the fool is lying on the stove. The old man sowed wheat, and it grew ...

• 30 - Baba Yaga

  Russian folk tale

  A fairy tale about a girl who was able to get out of the clutches of Baba Yaga, thanks to the advice of her own aunt and a kind cat . .. Baba Yaga read Once upon a time there was a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife fell ill and died. Grieved, grieved…

• 31 - Crocodile Gena and his friends

  Uspensky E.N.

  Tale of a lonely crocodile Gena. Coming home from work from the zoo, he was left alone and bored. Crocodile Gena decided to make friends with someone. He wrote an ad that he was looking for friends, hung them around the city and ...

• 32 - Teremok

  Russian folk audio tale

  Listen to the Russian folk tale "Teremok" online on the Mishkina Books website!

• 33 - Twelve months

  Samuel Marshak

  Do you know how many months there are in a year? - Twelve. And what are their names? — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. As soon as one month ends, another immediately begins. And…

• 34 - The tale of the priest and his worker Balda

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of the stingy priest and resourceful worker Balda. Somehow Balda was hired for the service for three clicks on the forehead of the priest. When the time of reckoning was approaching, the priest decided to give Balda an impossible task in order to get rid of him. But Balda…

• 35 - Little Humpbacked Horse

  Ershov P.

  There lived an old man in a village and he had three sons. They grew wheat and sold it in the market. But then someone got into the habit of trampling wheat in the field at night ... Table of contents: ♦ Part one. Starting…

• 36 - Alice in Wonderland

  Carroll L.

  A captivating story about a girl Alice, who met a talking White Rabbit and ended up in amazing worlds where she met very unusual characters ... Chapter 1. Down the rabbit hole Alice got bored of sitting with his sister on the shore…

• 37 - The Little Prince

  Antoine de Saint-Exupery

  A fairy tale about how a pilot, who remained a child at heart, met the Little Prince in the desert, who arrived from another planet. Dedication I ask the children to forgive me for dedicating this book to an adult. I’ll justify it: this one…

Skrebitsky G. A story about saving a dog and a kitten.

A story about rescuing a dog and a kitten on the river during the ice drift. The guys threw a board on the ice floe and the dog in its teeth with the kitten moved to the shore. She missed her master very much and was very happy when he was found.

Contents:

• ♦ Goodbye winter!
• ♦ On an ice floe
• ♦ Among strangers
• ♦ Joyful meeting

Goodbye winter!

It was quite warm for three consecutive days; the snow had already melted everywhere, and Lyubochka, having come to the kindergarten, told the children that she had seen a yellow butterfly on the street.

As they started eating breakfast, the kids kept looking out the window and dreaming about how they would now run for a walk. They just didn’t know where: to their garden or, perhaps, to the countryside, to a grove, because Marya Ivanovna had been talking about this for a long time. But none of the guys even imagined what a wonderful walk they would have.

When breakfast was over Marya Ivanovna said cheerfully:

— Well, get dressed quickly. We will go now to the river to watch the ice drift.

What just rose up - squealing, squeaking and general jubilation. Everyone got dressed twice as fast as usual. Even Petya, the hood, almost did not lag behind the others, only he could not cope with the galoshes, for some reason they did not want to fit on the shoes.

“Why, you put your right galosh on your left foot,” Lyubochka came to the rescue indignantly.

Petya quickly corrected this little mistake, and everything turned out to be in order.

The children, accompanied by Marya Ivanovna, talking cheerfully, walked along the familiar street through the whole town. Here are the last houses, and then a steep slope, and behind it the river.

When the guys ran up the hill, everyone even subsided from amazement. Below them was a river, but not at all the same as in summer - quiet, calm. Now even the water was almost invisible. The entire surface of the river was covered with a solid mass of floating ice.

Ice floes rushed one after another straight to the bridge. And in front of the bridge, huge triangles of logs stuck out of the water, hammered into the bottom of the river, like the prows of ships. Ice floes hit them and cracked into small pieces.

— Look, guys, — said Marya Ivanovna, — what a device is arranged in front of the bridge.

— What is it for? asked the curious Kolya. He needed to know everything.

— So that the big ice floes break up, otherwise they will damage the bridge, — answered Marya Ivanovna.

“Wow, how they push, they even climb on top of each other,” the guys were surprised, looking at the ice floes. “Look, look, they both reared up and shattered. That's scary!

— And there is someone on the ice floe, — Kolya was surprised. - Looks like a human.

Everyone began to peer. The ice floe swam closer, and then the children saw that it was not a person standing on it at all, but a snow scarecrow. It was dressed in matting, in its hand was a broom, and on its head instead of a hat was an old sieve.

The scarecrow swam past the very shore, with its carrot nose up high and as if winking at the guys with black eyes - coals.

“Look, children,” said Marya Ivanovna, laughing, “it’s on the ice floe that winter flees from spring.

“That's right, that's right,” the guys shouted joyfully and began to wave their hats.

Goodbye winter!

to contents ↑

On the ice floe

The guys continued to look at the floating ice.

- Oh, what is this! Lyubochka suddenly exclaimed. - It looks like a dog on an ice floe.

Indeed, on a large ice floe, which was rushing past the guys, a red dog was rushing about. Neighboring ice floes floated very unevenly, now sinking into the water, then jumping one on top of the other and splitting. The dog was afraid to climb onto them and only rushed about helplessly from place to place.

“Listen, he is barking, squealing, asking for help,” the guys shouted excitedly. - How to help her? Now it will drag you to the bridge, it will smash against the logs!

Marya Ivanovna was as worried as the children, but did not know how to help the poor fellow.

Now she is being brought to a terrible place. Now drown.

The children clung to Marya Ivanovna in horror.

But at that moment two guys jumped out of the nearest house on the shore. They ran with all their might, carrying a long plank.

The little dog, apparently, also noticed the help. She stood up on her hind legs and squealed loudly with joy.

“Run to the cape, throw it onto the ice floe,” the guys shouted. They stopped at the water's edge, holding a raised board at the ready and waiting for the ice floe to float past them. Just enough board or not?

The ice floe is near.

- Drop it!

The board flashed in the air and flopped end-to-end into the water without reaching the edge of the ice floe. But the dog, apparently, was encouraged by the help of the guys. She squealed again, then grabbed something small in her teeth, lying right there on the ice floe, and bravely threw herself into the water.

Now she has already grabbed the edge of the board with her paws, climbs on it, breaks off, climbs again, and finally climbed onto the board.

— Hurrah! the children shouted enthusiastically and, overtaking each other, rushed down to the river. Marya Ivanovna did not lag behind them.

They ran ashore when the dog had already climbed out of the water and was shaking himself, trembling all over with fright and from the ice bath. And at her feet a tiny wet kitten was also dusting itself off and trembling all over. The dog dragged him in his teeth from the ice floe.

— These are miracles, — Marya Ivanovna was amazed. Where did the dog get it from? And why are both on the ice? - Marya Ivanovna looked inquiringly at the guys who saved the dog and kitten. But both boys looked at the rescued with no less amazement and, apparently, did not even know what to do with them.

— Will you take them for yourself? Lyubochka asked timidly.

“What do we need,” one boy smiled. We have our own dog and cat at home.

— Is it possible for them to stay with us? the children began to ask Marya Ivanovna.

“Of course you can,” she agreed. “We will arrange a warm bed for them, we will feed and care for them.

- Oh, how good! - the kids were delighted, caressing the dog. And Lyubochka had already picked up the kitten in her arms and tried to warm him at least a little.

— And you guys, come to visit us at the Kindergarten, — Marya Ivanovna said cheerfully, pointing to a dog with a kitten.

— All right, let's go, — the older boy answered with a shy smile. - Well, Sasha, let's go home.

“Come on,” another nodded. - Farewell, tyutka, - he patted the dog on the head, and both friends, having grabbed the board, went to the house.

Seeing that they were leaving, the dog got excited. She rushed to Lyubochka, trying to take the kitten away from her, then she wanted to run after the guys, but Marya Ivanovna managed to catch her.

— Wait, doggie, where are you going? she said kindly. "Stay with us, we won't hurt you."

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Among strangers

The children dragged unexpected guests to the kindergarten and began to arrange a dwelling for them in the front. We found a large wooden box, put it sideways, and a great house came out. In the meantime, Marya Ivanovna took out an old rug from the pantry and sewed a pillowcase out of it. And the guys stuffed it with various rags, rags, cotton - it turned out to be a good soft bedding. They put her in a box. Here is the bed ready.

“Now we need to feed our pets,” Maria Ivanovna said. She went into the kitchen and brought out a bowl of soup. Bread was crumbled into the soup and whitened with milk. It turned out to be very tasty food.

— Well, eat, — said Lyubochka, offering the bowl to the dog and placing the kitten next to it. But neither one nor the other even touched the food.

After sitting in a corner, the dog slowly climbed into the box prepared for it and lay down there. And the kitten immediately climbed onto her back and also lay down, curled up.

— Let them rest, — said Marya Ivanovna, — let's go, maybe they will eat without us.

The children ran out to play in the yard.

After dinner everyone came again to visit their pets. They were still in the box. Food and drink were untouched.

The guys were very upset.

“After all, they can die like that,” the children said anxiously.

"No, they won't die from this," Marya Ivanovna consoled them. - They will rest today, and tomorrow they will eat. It's just a pity we don't know what to call them. Well, the kitten is still small, but the doggie, of course, knows his nickname.

Children with Marya Ivanovna went over all the nicknames they remembered, but the dog did not respond to any of them.

"We'll have to come up with a new one," said Marya Ivanovna.

Then each of the guys began to offer his own: Mushka, Zhuchka, Nakhodka…

“Do you know how I propose,” said Marya Ivanovna. “We don’t know anything about her: where she came from, why she got on the ice floe and why she dragged the kitten. All this is a mystery to us. Let's call it the Mystery.

“That's right, that's right,” the guys rejoiced.

So we decided. The nickname was found, but the dog, of course, did not respond to it. It still needed to be taught.

That day, until the very evening, the dog and kitten did not leave their kennel.

And the next morning they met the boys in their own way. The riddle still lay on the mat and looked at the children with intelligent, tired eyes. She never left her house. But the kitten, apparently, completely recovered during the night, rested and cheered up. He immediately jumped out to meet the kids, fluffed his tail and began to rub against their legs.

Lyubochka brought him milk in a dish.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss…” she beckoned.

The kitten instantly ran to the saucer, sat down next to it and began to eagerly lap up the milk.

“You should eat too, at least a little,” Lyubochka suggested to the dog, dipping a piece of bread in milk and bringing it to its muzzle.

But the Enigma was only turning away.

- Maybe she caught a cold, got sick? the children were worried.

"No, she's not sick," said Marya Ivanovna, who had come up. “He just misses his master a lot.

- Why doesn't the pussy get bored? Little Petya was surprised.

"Because the dog gets used to the owner more," answered Marya Ivanovna. “And this kid is also quite silly. Looks like he's playing with paper.

The kitten actually found some piece of paper on the floor. Throwing it up, he jumped and caught it with tenacious paws.

The guys tied a piece of paper to a string and dragged it across the floor. Kitten at full speed set off in pursuit.

But he didn't have time to run even ten steps, when suddenly the Riddle whined plaintively, jumped out of the box, grabbed the kitten by the scruff of the neck and dragged it back.

The children were completely bewildered.

Having put the kitten on the mat, Riddle began to lick it. And he, lying on his side, looked with cheerful, mischievous eyes at the dog and kept trying to grab it by the tongue with his paws. Then he jumped up on all fours, jumped onto the dog’s back and began to pull at her ear, as if he wanted to say: “You don’t let him run, well, let’s play here!” But Riddle, apparently, did not want to play. She just shook her head and pressed her ears tighter.

After playing alone for a while, the kitten curled up into a ball again, basked in soft dog fur and dozed off.

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Joyful meeting

The next day the same thing happened again. The kitten cheerfully met the guys, ate milk with appetite, then ran and jumped near the box. And Riddle still lay sadly on her bed and looked anxiously so that her little nimble friend would not run far. She still refused food and only drank some water.

But in the afternoon she finally got out of the box and lay down on the porch in the sun. She dozed, trembling every minute, as if she were cold.

The children watched the dog from a distance.

Maybe lie down in the sun, warm up and become more cheerful, they said.

At that time some guys were walking along the street, past the fence, talking.

- Come here and ask. They say they brought them from somewhere the other day,” one of the passers-by said loudly.

— I'll go and ask, another answered.

And then something completely incomprehensible happened. As if an invisible spring threw up the Riddle. She squealed, rushed to the fence, began to circle around him with a deafening bark.

Before the children and Marya Ivanovna had time to come to their senses, the gate flew open and a boy ran into the yard.

“Naydochka,” he shouted, and in the next moment he was hugging the dog.

And she was not quite barking, not quite squealing, she even choked with delight and twirled her fluffy tail so quickly that it only flickered in the air. At that moment, she even forgot about her four-legged friend - a kitten. And he was running around in bewilderment, tail up and, apparently, not at all understanding what was happening here.

Finally calming down a little from such a joyful meeting, the boy got up from the ground and began to tell Marya Ivanovna and the children how his dog and kitten had disappeared.

“They have been friends for a long time, wherever Naida goes, Fluffy goes there,” the boy said. They eat and play and sleep together. He finds it by the tail, catches it by the tongue, and she takes it all right into her mouth, looks like she will swallow it. Sometimes he will take it by the head and drag it. He hangs like a sack, but he himself, at least something, will not even utter a peep. And then, as it breaks out, shakes itself off and again for the game ...

— Well, how did they get on the ice floe? asked Marya Ivanovna.

— And that's probably how it happened, — the boy answered. - Our aunt lives in another village across the river. My little sister went to her and took Pushka with her to show how big he had grown. Naida, too, of course, got in touch with them. And in the morning the ice on the river started. My aunt stayed with her sister, but Naida must have run home and dragged the kitten with her. Jumped out on the ice, and got stuck. It's good that they didn't drown.

The boy stroked the dog and picked up the kitten.

“I've been looking for them all these days, asking anyone, anyone,” he added.

— Well, here is the answer to our riddle, — said Marya Ivanovna. “Now let’s give our guest a proper treat and give Naidochka a better meal before parting.” I think that now she will not refuse food.

Indeed, coming to her senses from her insane joy, Naida threw herself on the food with such greed that the children laughed, as if she had not even swallowed the bowl.

And then Naida grabbed the kitten in her teeth and rushed at full speed with him around the yard. The kids couldn't catch up with her.

Finally, the unexpected guest is going home. The children were very sorry to part with Fluff, and especially with Naida, who suddenly became so funny and cheerful. But there's nothing you can do about it.

But in parting, the owner of the dog said to the kids: "When Naida's puppies are born, I'll give you the best."

The boy took the dog, put the kitten in his bosom and went to the river bank. He definitely wanted to find and thank those guys who rescued his little faithful friend from trouble.

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