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Getting a Christmas tree

– Grandpa, why haven’t you decorated the Christmas tree with granny? The New Year is soon, isn’t it? – asked little granddaughter Katushka pulling her grandfather’s sleeve. It’s been over an hour that grandfather has been trying to get concentrated and to finish his academic article.

– Yes! That’s true! – said grandfather with a smile having abandoned all hope of finishing today’s work. – Galina! – he cried to Baba Galya who was occupied in the kitchen, – I think I’ll go to get a Christmas tree for our granddaughter.

– Be careful, Volodya, it’s cold outside. Perhaps, we’ll do without a Christmas tree? And Katushka’s parents will take her home soon, – said Baba Galya going into the husband’s study, but after having seen the enthusiasm in his fi eyes, she understood that her real-life thoughts hadn’t found any support. – Do you know at least where can you buy Christmas trees? – uttered Baba Galya petting cherishingly the back of her husband.

– I do! – there was the sound of the short answer. Grandpa struck the hands together, collected his sheets of paper, arranged them carefully on the shelves,

and rushed to get dressed.

– I also want to buy a Christmas tree! Ba, can I? – whined Catherina.

– Wait, Katush, it’s very cold today, and after all, we don’t know how much time he will be looking for a tree… I’d better pull out our old toys and garlands, and we’ll decorate the flat, – said Baba Galya to her irrepressible granddaughter. – Katya, could you help to get to the entresols?

Granddaughter took thought at a loss. To walk with grandpa was very joyful, but the entresols under the very ceiling were something very magic and tempting. There were a lot of old things that she’s wanted to see for a long time. And now she got the chance!

While granny was persuading her to stay at home, grandpa was already ready waiting at the door.

– Well, girls. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon! – he blurted out inspired by the idea of cutting loose and cheering up his granddaughter.

It turned up to be super interesting in the entresols: there were carefully put old carpets, books, magazines, a stack-stand for a Christmas tree in the form of a huge snowflake, boxes with garlands and Christmas toys. That was a fund of unexplored things which she was pulling out and studying.

In order to distract her from throwing about this home junkyard which there was many, Baba Galya said,

– Katushka, let’s drink some tea with sweets, and I’ll tell you a story about my brother and me, how we went to look for a Christmas tree.

– But I’ll go up there again, okay? – descending the ladder answered the girl, she adored the Granny’s stories.

The kettle made a noise and turned off. Granny got a bag with multicolored sweets.

– Guess what color this sweet is? – asked lively Grandmother Galya putting her hand into a bag with multicolored sweets.

– Green! – granddaughter answered playfully.

– You haven’t guessed, you haven’t guessed! – smiled granny, – Now this sweet is mine. Guess what color this sweet is?

– Maybe red? – Katya asked hopefully.

– Attagirl! This sweet is yours! – said Baba Galya giving “Red poppy” to her.

Katushka unwrapped the chocolate sweet with joy, bit off a piece and took tea with an appetite.

– Now I want to make play, – said granddaughter taking the bag. – Guess what color this sweet is?

– Yellow!

– So cunning you are, Baba! I won’t have sweets so if you play like that! Well, here you are! – and she gave “Pineapple” sweet to her grandmother. – Listen, Ba, you wanted to tell me how you had gone to get a Christmas tree with brother…

– Ah,…yes! – pronounced Baba Galya chewing her aromatic sweet.

Whengrandmotherstaredtellingaboutherchildhood, Katusha was narrowing her eyes and imagining that little Galochka – Alochka –is a girl from nursery, that they often walk holding their hands, that they’ve been friends for a long time and they share the most intimate secrets. And everybody says: surprising the way Katusha and Alochka are alike: their smiles, figures and vivacity of characters!

Lookingatthesparklinginterestinthegranddaughter’s eyes, grandmother continued.

It was winter in one small village in the Urals where was located my grandfather’s military base. Dad was at work, and we with my brother Vasya and mother were preparing for the New Year. I was about ten years old, Vasya – about fi Well, we decided with my brother while mum was cooking lunch to go and fetch a Christmas tree. Of course, we said nothing to our mum, we just took our skis, dad’s handsaw and headed towards the forest that was next to us – over the fi We went from one tree to another and couldn’t possibly fi an appropriate one.

– Do you like this one? – Alochka asked her brother once again.

– Nope. It’s clooked, – answered scrupulous Vasya mispronouncing the sound “r”.

– Well, you’re right. Let’s move on, – sighed Alochka. – And this one, look, is it good? – asked sister hoping to win his approval.

– That’s is too small, Petka has a bigger one! – answered one meter tall chief having bent the brows.

– Petka, Petka! And how long are are we going to climb snowbanks? Do you know that the sunset is soon? Maybe, mum is already looking for us, and we haven’t chosen a tree yet, – elder sister started to resent, – but what tree do you want? You don’t know yourself! I’ll cut down the first available tree and we’ll go home, you see! – said Alochka almost switching to yelling.

– With cones, – grumbled Vaska.

– What?

– With cones, downy and big, – lisped younger brother strictly specifying the necessary qualities for the tree.

Aloshka stopped near a tall tree and raised her head up.

– So, commander. Be here, I’m going to get a tree with cones. Look, this one is good? – Alochka asked Vasya pointing at the very top of the huge, old, branchy spruce that was full of cones.

– Yes! – brother cried joyfully.

Determined Alochka climbed up. Soon, Vasya lost sight of her. He had fun walking in the forest, but it was getting colder and colder to stand and to wait for sister.

– Ala, you finif soon? – younger brother started whimpering. – I am cold…what are you doing there for such a long time?

– I am sawing. I am also cold, but I stay patient. Isn’t that you who want to have a beautiful Christmas tree with cones at the top? – he heard the sister’s voice from somewhere above.

After a while a plaintive voice of the operation commander peeped.

– Galka, get down, I don’t want these curfed cones, I hear wolves earn… it’s getting dark, I’m so cold… I’m scared…

– Do five steps back from the tree! Do you hear me, Vasya? – cried Alochka with all her strength.

Only the fact that the sawn top of the tree drooped over a big lower twig saved him, terribly frozen, from being hit. Alla jumped off and only then she realized how she risked after having thrown the tree.

– Alochka, you are here, hullay! Let’s go home! – Vasiliy threw himself in his sister’s warm arms.

–Well, pal, we’vefoundthemostbeautiful Christmas tree in the village! I’ll carry you! – commanded sister for whom Vaska’s life was more important that the trophy recovered from the nature.

– Okay… – said brother with chattering teeth.

Vaska climbed up the tree, and Alla pulled it jerkily as she could, she had put the tree on Vasya’s skis.

The adventurers saw clearly the house over the forest gap and the field, but now they were exhausted and with the huge load they had an impression that there are thousands of kilometers to it.

Perhaps, they would have frozen there if their father hadn’t found them who was back from work.

– Hello, children! Where have you found such a tree with cones? – he was surprised and out of breath after a run through snowbanks.

– W-w-we have sa-a-a-wn the top of the tree there… – reported the commander of the operation with the frozen lips.

– Good job, the tree is outstanding! Well, but I see that we should save the soldier! – said dad taking son in his arms. – Vasya and the tree, it’s up to me, and you, Galina, run ahead, calm your mother that you’ve been found. And promise that in winter, at night, alone, you will never go to the fi without adults. Okay?

– Okay. And mother will scold me?

– You’ve made a mess. Take rap.

– Katushka was listening to her granny without twinkling eyes.

That was the mother who had the most of the problems because she hadn’t kept an eye oh the children, and this New Year she was a bit sad. But the thin on one side tree was anyway the most beautiful in the village. Some cones came off undamaged and made sincerely jealous local kids, – Baba Galya fi her story.

– Well, girls, take a forest beauty! – shouted loudly ruddy grandpa who was at the door with a huge, downy tree.

– Wow, grandpa, good job! It smells so good! Now we’ll have the real New Year like in your childhood, that’s right, granny? – Katushka was glad jumping around the green guest.

Baba Galya smiled, barely noticeable tears gleamed in her eyes.