The Magic Cheese - стр. 6
“I do not work yet.” Vovka got embarrassed. “I go to school.”
“See that?” The cat turned to the mouse. ”Some people have it tough; other-rs can affor-rd to laugh. Mer-rily he lives and has no gr-riefs. He doesn’t wor-rk yet! That I can see for myself. Then tell me, my dear-r fr-riend, who let you wander-r ar-round fair-ry-tales in wor-rking hours and distur-rb others? Didn’t Sister Aljonushka look pr-roperly after her Br-rother Ivanushka again? You are too big for Ivanushka, though. Too young for the Pr-rince, too clean for the Dir-rty Boy from Moidodir. Are you Phjodor from Pr-rostokvashino? Chr-ristofer Robin and Car-rlsson with his Little Boy live too far away, it will take two days for them to get her-re. So, dear-r guest, if you had to call, tell us, wher-re you came fr-rom.” The cat frowned and stared at Vovka.
“Actually, I am from home. I bought some food, came home, laid the table and then found myself in the meadow,” tried to explain Vovka, feeling that his words were not very convincing.
“Poor thing!” The mouse took pity on him.
“You laid the table and found yourself here?” The cat was doubtful.
“Why, yes! First I had a slice of cheese and then went here.” Vovka sighed. He realized that it was the most unbelievable explanation in the world. If all this hadn’t happened to him, he would have never believed such stories.
“Cheese?! What cheese? Wer-re there any holes in it? How did it appear and why did it vanish her-re?”
“The cheese was so delicious! Like the one you have in your pot on the stove. It smells the same. I have never seen such cheese before, but today, when I was helping that old lady in the store…”
“The old lady? The old lady!” The cat interrupted Vovka and quite unexpectedly gave him a hug. “My dear-rest, my sur-rely best! So, she has been found! Our Gr-randma fr-rom the dair-ry, the Cheese Fair-ry has been found! Where is she?”
“But…I don’t know.” Vovka had no idea what to say. “She vanished! Right there, in the store!”
“Vanished at once, left us no chance…” The cat became sad again.
“Let’s give our guest something to eat at first, Curdfritter. He is still not sitting, so how can he be further speaking? See in people no vice – when they visit, please, be nice. Better look into your pot, or you’ll have your cheese all burnt,” grumbled the little mouse. “Have a seat!” She led Vovka to a table and made him sit down to a wide wooden bench. “You must be hungry after your walk, and meanwhile let us talk.”
Vovka obeyed and got ready to listen. He was really hungry by that time. The only thing he hadn’t decided about yet was whether he should wash his hands. On the one hand, he always washed his hands at home. On the other, he didn’t believe that there could be any bacteria in a magic place like that. And Vovka had no doubts that the place he had got at was really magic.