Reading how I caught men. Boris Zhitkov: How I Caught Little Men

P. 1 of 2

When I was little, they took me to live with my grandmother. Grandmother had a shelf above the table. And on the shelf is a steamer. I've never seen this. He was quite real, only small. He had a trumpet: yellow and on it two black belts. And two masts. And from the masts, rope ladders went to the sides. At the stern there was a booth, like a house. Polished, with windows and a door. And absolutely at the stern - a copper steering wheel. Below the stern is the steering wheel. And the screw shone in front of the steering wheel, like a copper rose. There are two anchors on the bow. Oh, how wonderful! If only I had one like that!

I immediately asked my grandmother to play with a steamer. My grandmother allowed me everything. And then she suddenly frowned:

“Don't ask for that. Otherwise, play - don't you dare touch. Never! This is a dear memory for me.

I saw that even crying would not help.

And the steamer stood importantly on a shelf on varnished supports. I couldn't take my eyes off him. And grandma:

- Give my word of honor that you won't touch. I’d better hide it from sin. - And went to the shelf.

- Honest, honest, grandmother. - And grabbed my grandmother by the skirt. Grandma didn’t remove the boat.

I kept looking at the steamer. I climbed into a chair to see better. And more and more he seemed real to me. And certainly the door in the booth should open. And probably little people live in it. Small, just the size of the steamer. It turned out that they should be just below the match. I waited to see if any of them would look out the window. Probably peeping. And when no one is at home, they go out on deck. They probably climb the stairs to the masts.

And a little noise - like mice: yurk to the cabin. Down - and hide. I looked for a long time when I was alone in the room. Nobody looked out. I hid behind the door and looked through the crack. And they are cunning, damned little men, they know that I'm spying. Aha! They work at night when no one can scare them away. Sly.

I began to quickly swallow the tea. And asked to sleep.

Granny says:

- What is it? Then you cannot be forced into bed, but here it is such an early morning and you ask to sleep.

And so, when we lay down, grandmother turned off the light. And the steamer is not visible. I turned and turned on purpose, so the bed creaked.

- Why are you all tossing and turning?

- And I'm afraid to sleep without light. The night light is always lit at home. - I lied: the house is dark tight at night.

Grandmother cursed, but stood up. I poked around for a long time and arranged a night light. It burned badly. But all the same it was visible how the steamer on the shelf gleamed.

I covered my head with a blanket, made myself a house and a small hole. And from the hole he looked without moving. Soon I looked so closely that everything became perfectly visible to me on the steamer. I looked for a long time. The room was completely quiet. Only the clock was ticking. Suddenly something rustled softly. I was on my guard - this rustle on the steamer. And it was as if the door had opened slightly. My breath stopped. I moved forward a little. The damned bed creaked. I scared the little man!

Now there was nothing to wait, and I fell asleep. I fell asleep from grief.

The next day I came up with this. The little people are probably eating something. If you give them candy, it's a whole lot for them. It is necessary to break off a piece of the candy and put it on the steamer, near the booth. Near the doors. But such a piece so that it would not crawl through their doors right away. Here they will open the doors at night, look through the crack. Wow! Sweets! For them it is like a whole box. Now they will jump out, quickly drag the candy to themselves. They are in her door, but she does not climb! Now they are running away, bringing hatchets - small, small, but completely real - and they will begin to bale with these hatchets: bale-bale! bale bale! And quickly push candy at the door. They are cunning, if only everything is neat. Not to get caught. Here they are brought in with candy. Here, even if I creak, they still can't keep up: the candy will get stuck in the doorway - neither here nor there. Let them run away, but it will still be seen how they dragged the candy. Or maybe someone with a fright will miss the hatchet. Where will they pick them up! And I will find on the deck of the steamer a tiny real hatchet, sharp and very sharp.

And so I secretly from my grandmother chopped off a piece of candy, just what I wanted. I waited a minute while my grandmother was busy in the kitchen, once or twice - on the table with my feet and put the lollipop at the very door of the steamer. Theirs is half a step from door to lollipop. He got off the table, rubbed his sleeve that he had left with his feet. Grandmother didn't notice anything.

During the day I secretly glanced at the steamer. My grandmother took me for a walk. I was afraid that during this time the little men would drag the lollipop and I would not catch them. I darted on purpose that I was cold, and we returned soon. The first thing I did was look at the steamer! The lollipop was in place. Well yes! Fools they take up such a thing during the day!

At night, when my grandmother fell asleep, I settled down in the house from the blanket and began to look. This time the nightlight burned remarkably, and the candy shone like an ice floe in the sun, a sharp spark. I looked, looked at this light and fell asleep, as luck would have it! The little men outwitted me. In the morning I looked - there was no candy, but I got up before everyone else, in one shirt I ran to look. Then he looked from the chair - of course, there was no hatchet. But why should they leave: they worked slowly, without hindrance, and not even a single crumb was lying anywhere - everything was picked up.

Another time I put in the bread. I even heard some fuss at night. The damned night light barely smoked, I could not see anything. But the next morning there was no bread.

Just a few crumbs left. Well, of course, they don't really feel sorry for bread, not candy: there is every crumb for them candy.

I decided that they had shops on both sides of the steamer. Full length. And they sit there in a row during the day and whisper softly. About your business. And at night, when everyone is asleep, they have work here.

I thought about little people all the time. I wanted to take a rag, like a small rug, and put it near the door. Wet a cloth with ink. They will run out, will not notice right away, the legs will get dirty and will leave them all over the ship. I’ll at least see what their legs are. Maybe some barefoot to step quietly. No, they are terribly cunning and will only laugh at all my pieces.

I couldn't take it anymore.

And so I decided by all means to take a steamer and look and catch the little men. At least one. You just need to arrange so that you stay alone at home. Grandmother dragged me everywhere with her, to all the guests. All to some old women. Sit down - and nothing can be touched. You can only pet a cat. And grandmother whispers with them for half a day.

So I see - my grandmother is going: she began to collect cookies in a box for these old women - to drink tea there. I ran into the passage, took out my knitted mittens and rubbed my forehead and cheeks - my whole face, in a word. No regrets. And quietly lay down on the bed.

Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov

How I Caught Little Men

When I was little, they took me to live with my grandmother. Grandmother had a shelf above the table. And on the shelf is a steamer. I've never seen this. He was quite real, only small. He had a trumpet: yellow and on it two black belts. And two masts. And from the masts, rope ladders went to the sides. At the stern there was a booth, like a house. Polished, with windows and a door. And absolutely at the stern - a copper steering wheel. Below the stern is the steering wheel. And the screw shone in front of the steering wheel, like a copper rose. There are two anchors on the bow. Oh, how wonderful! If only I had one like that!

I immediately asked my grandmother to play with a steamer. My grandmother allowed me everything. And then she suddenly frowned:

“Don't ask for that. Otherwise, play - don't you dare touch. Never! This is a dear memory for me.

I saw that even crying would not help.

And the steamer stood importantly on a shelf on varnished supports. I couldn't take my eyes off him. And grandma:

- Give my word of honor that you won't touch. I’d better hide it from sin. - And went to the shelf.

- Honest, honest, grandmother. - And grabbed my grandmother by the skirt. Grandma didn’t remove the boat.

I kept looking at the steamer. I climbed into a chair to see better. And more and more he seemed real to me. And certainly the door in the booth should open. And probably little people live in it. Small, just the size of the steamer. It turned out that they should be just below the match. I waited to see if any of them would look out the window. Probably peeping. And when no one is at home, they go out on deck. They probably climb the stairs to the masts.

And a little noise - like mice: yurk to the cabin. Down - and hide. I looked for a long time when I was alone in the room. Nobody looked out. I hid behind the door and looked through the crack. And they are cunning, damned little men, they know that I'm spying. Aha! They work at night when no one can scare them away. Sly.

I began to quickly swallow the tea. And asked to sleep.

Granny says:

- What is it? Then you cannot be forced into bed, but here it is such an early morning and you ask to sleep.

And so, when we lay down, grandmother turned off the light. And the steamer is not visible. I turned and turned on purpose, so the bed creaked.

- Why are you all tossing and turning?

- And I'm afraid to sleep without light. The night light is always lit at home. - I lied: the house is dark tight at night.

End of introductory snippet.

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When I was little, they took me to live with my grandmother. Grandmother had a shelf above the table. And on the shelf is a steamer. I've never seen this. He was quite real, only small. He had a trumpet: yellow and on it two black belts. And two masts. And from the masts, rope ladders went to the sides. At the stern there was a booth, like a house. Polished, with windows and a door. And absolutely at the stern - a copper steering wheel. Below the stern is the steering wheel. And the screw shone in front of the steering wheel, like a copper rose. There are two anchors on the bow. Oh, how wonderful! If only I had one like that!

I immediately asked my grandmother to play with a steamer. My grandmother allowed me everything. And then she suddenly frowned:

“Don't ask for that. Otherwise, play - don't you dare touch. Never! This is a dear memory for me.

I saw that even crying would not help.

And the steamer stood importantly on a shelf on varnished supports. I couldn't take my eyes off him. And grandma:

- Give my word of honor that you won't touch. Otherwise, I'd better hide it from sin.

And she went to the shelf.

- Honest, honest, grandmother. - And grabbed my grandmother by the skirt. Grandma didn’t remove the boat.

I kept looking at the steamer. I climbed into a chair to see better. And more and more he seemed real to me. And certainly the door in the booth should open. And probably little people live in it. Small, just the size of the steamer. It turned out that they should be just below the match. I waited to see if any of them would look out the window. Probably peeping. And when no one is at home, they go out on deck. They probably climb the stairs to the masts.

And a little noise - like mice: yurk to the cabin. Down - and hide. I looked for a long time when I was alone in the room. Nobody looked out. I hid behind the door and looked through the crack. And they are cunning, damned little men, they know that I'm spying. Aha! They work at night when no one can scare them away. Sly.

I began to quickly swallow the tea. And asked to sleep.

Granny says:

- What is it? Then you cannot be forced into bed, but here it is such an early morning and you ask to sleep.

And so, when we lay down, grandmother turned off the light. And the steamer is not visible. I turned and turned on purpose, so the bed creaked.

- Why are you all tossing and turning?

- And I'm afraid to sleep without light. The night light is always lit at home. - I lied: the house is dark tight at night.

How I Caught Little Men is a work by Boris Zhitkov, familiar to many guys. It tells how the boy was visiting his grandmother. She had a miniature steamer on one of the shelves. The grandson often admired him, imagined life on the ship, wanted to see people on this ship. What tricks will he resort to, will he not touch the steamer, as he promised his grandmother? Read the story with the children. He teaches obedience, patience, how important it is to keep your word and be careful with valuable items.

When I was little, they took me to live with my grandmother. Grandmother had a shelf above the table. And on the shelf is a steamer. I've never seen this. He was quite real, only small. He had a trumpet: yellow and on it two black belts. And two masts. And from the masts there were rope ladders to the sides.

At the stern there was a booth, like a house. Polished, with windows and a door. And absolutely at the stern - a copper steering wheel. Below the stern is the steering wheel. And the screw shone in front of the steering wheel, like a copper rose. There are two anchors on the bow. Oh, how wonderful! If only I had one like that!

I immediately asked my grandmother to play with a steamer. My grandmother allowed me everything. And then she suddenly frowned:

“Don't ask for that. Otherwise, play - don't you dare touch. Never! This is a dear memory for me.

I saw that even crying would not help.

And the steamer stood importantly on a shelf on varnished supports. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

And grandma:

- Give my word of honor that you won't touch. I’d better hide it from sin.

And she went to the shelf.

- Honest, honest, grandmother. - And grabbed my grandmother by the skirt.

Grandma didn’t remove the steamer.

I kept looking at the steamer. I climbed into a chair to see better. And more and more he seemed real to me. And certainly the door in the booth should open. And probably little people live in it. Small, just the size of the steamer. It turned out that they should be just below the match. I waited to see if any of them would look out the window. Probably peeping. And when no one is at home, they go out on deck. They probably climb the stairs to the masts.

And a little noise - like mice: yurk to the cabin. Down - and hide. I looked for a long time when I was alone in the room. Nobody looked out. I hid behind the door and looked through the crack. And they are cunning, damned little men, they know that I'm spying. Aha! They work at night when no one can scare them away. Sly.

I began to quickly swallow the tea. And asked to sleep.

Granny says:

- What is it? Then you cannot be forced into bed, but here it is such an early morning and you ask to sleep.

And so, when we lay down, grandmother turned off the light. And the steamer is not visible. I turned and turned on purpose, so the bed creaked.

- Why are you all tossing and turning?

- And I'm afraid to sleep without light. The night light is always lit at home. - I lied: the house is dark tight at night.

Grandmother cursed, but stood up. I poked around for a long time and arranged a night light. It burned badly. But all the same it was visible how the steamer on the shelf gleamed.

I covered my head with a blanket, made myself a house and a small hole. And from the hole he looked without moving. Soon I looked so closely that everything became perfectly visible to me on the steamer. I looked for a long time. The room was completely quiet. Only the clock was ticking. Suddenly something rustled softly. I was on my guard - this rustle on the steamer. And it was as if the door had opened slightly. My breath stopped. I moved forward a little. The damned bed creaked. I scared the little man!

Now there was nothing to wait, and I fell asleep. I fell asleep from grief.

The next day I came up with this. The little people are probably eating something. If you give them candy, it's a whole lot for them. It is necessary to break off a piece of the candy and put it on the steamer, near the booth. Near the doors. But such a piece so that it would not crawl through their doors right away. Here they will open the doors at night, look through the crack. Wow! Sweets! For them it is like a whole box. Now they will jump out, quickly drag the candy to themselves. They are in her door, but she does not climb! Now they are running away, bringing hatchets - small, small, but completely real - and they will begin to bale with these hatchets: bale-bale! bale bale! And quickly push candy at the door. They are cunning, if only everything is neat to them. Not to be caught. Here they are brought in with candy. Here, even if I creak, they still can't keep up: the candy will get stuck in the doorway - neither here nor there. Let them run away, but it will still be seen how they dragged the candy. Or maybe someone with a fright will miss the hatchet. Where will they pick them up! And I will find on the deck on the steamer a tiny real hatchet, sharp, very sharp.

And so I secretly from my grandmother chopped off a piece of candy, just what I wanted. I waited a minute while my grandmother was busy in the kitchen, once or twice on the table with her feet, and put the lollipop at the very door on the steamer. Theirs is half a step from door to lollipop. He got off the table, rubbed his sleeve that he had left with his feet. Grandmother didn't notice anything.

During the day, I secretly glanced at the steamer. My grandmother took me for a walk. I was afraid that during this time the little men would drag the lollipop and I would not catch them. I darted on purpose that I was cold, and we returned soon. The first thing I did was look at the steamer! The lollipop was in place. Well yes! Fools they take up such a thing during the day!

At night, when my grandmother fell asleep, I settled down in the house from the blanket and began to look. This time the nightlight burned remarkably, and the candy shone like an ice floe in the sun, a sharp spark. I looked, looked at this light and fell asleep, as luck would have it! The little men outwitted me. In the morning I looked - there was no candy, but I got up before everyone else, in one shirt I ran to look. Then he looked from the chair - of course, there was no hatchet. But why should they leave: they worked slowly, without hindrance, and not even a single crumb was lying anywhere - everything was picked up.

Another time I put in the bread. I even heard some fuss at night. The damned night light was barely smoking, I could not see anything. But the next morning there was no bread. Just a few crumbs left. Well, of course, they don't really feel sorry for bread, not candy: there is every crumb for them candy.

I decided that they had shops on both sides of the steamer. Full length. And they sit there in a row during the day and whisper softly. About your business. And at night, when everyone is asleep, they have work here.

I thought about little people all the time. I wanted to take a rag, like a small rug, and put it near the door. Wet a cloth with ink. They will run out, will not notice right away, the legs will get dirty and will leave them all over the ship. I’ll at least see what their legs are. Maybe some barefoot to step quietly. No, they are terribly cunning and will only laugh at all my pieces.

I couldn't take it anymore.

And so - I decided by all means to take a steamer and look and catch the little men. At least one. You just need to arrange so that you stay alone at home. Grandmother dragged me everywhere with her, to all the guests. All to some old women. Sit down - and nothing can be touched. You can only pet a cat. And grandmother whispers with them for half a day.

So I see - my grandmother is going: she began to collect cookies in a box for these old women - to drink tea there. I ran into the passage, took out my knitted mittens and rubbed my forehead and cheeks - my whole face, in a word. No regrets. And quietly lay down on the bed.

Grandma suddenly missed:

- Borya, Boryushka, where are you? - I was silent and closed my eyes. Grandma to me:

- Why are you lying down?

- My head hurts.

She touched her forehead.

- Look at me! Sit at home. I'll go back - I'll get raspberries from the pharmacy. I'll be back soon. I will not sit for long. And you take off your clothes and lie down. Lie down, lie down without speaking.

She began to help me, put me to bed, ducked me with a blanket and kept repeating: "I'll be right back, in a living spirit."

Grandma locked me with a key. I waited five minutes: what if it comes back? Suddenly forgot something there?

And then I jumped out of bed as I was, in a shirt. I jumped on the table and took a steamer from the shelf. Immediately I realized with my hands that he was made of iron, quite real. I pressed it to my ear and began to listen: are they moving? But they, of course, fell silent. They realized that I had grabbed their steamer. Aha! Sit there on a bench and become silent like mice.

I got off the table and began to shake the steamer. They will shake themselves off, will not sit on the benches, and I will hear them hanging out there.

But it was quiet inside.

I understood: they are sitting on benches, their legs are tucked in and with their hands that they have the strength they clung to the seats. They sit as if glued.

Aha! So wait. I'll pick up and raise the deck. And I'll cover you all there. I began to get a table knife from the sideboard, but I did not take my eyes off the steamer so that the little men would not jump out. I began to pick up the deck. Wow, how tightly everything is sealed. Finally I managed to slip the knife a little. But the masts were lifted with the deck. And the masts were not allowed to rise by these rope ladders that went from the masts to the sides. They had to be cut off - there was no other way. I stopped for a moment. Just for a moment. But now, with a hasty hand, he began to cut these ladders. Sawed them with a blunt knife. Done, they all hung, the masts are free. I began to lift the deck with a knife. I was afraid to give a big gap right away. They will rush all at once and scatter. I left the latch to crawl through alone. He'll climb, and I'll bang him! - and slam like a beetle in the palm of my hand. I waited and had my hand ready to grab.

Not one climbs! I then decided to immediately turn the deck and slap it in the middle with my hand. At least one will be caught. You just need to right away: I suppose they are already there - you will open it, and the little men will sprinkle everything to the sides.

I quickly threw the deck back and slammed it in with my hand. Nothing. Nothing at all! There weren't even those benches. Bare sides. Like a saucepan. I raised my hand. And at hand, of course, nothing. My hands were shaking as I fitted the deck back. Everything became crooked. And there is no way to attach the ladders. They hung out at random. I somehow pushed the deck back into place and put the steamer on the shelf. Now everything is gone!

I quickly threw myself into bed, wrapped my head.

I hear the key in the door.

- Grandmother! I whispered under the covers. - Grandma, dear, dear, what have I done!

And my grandmother was already standing over me and stroking my head:

- Why are you crying, but why are you crying? You are my dear, Boryushka! See how soon I am?

She hadn’t seen the steamer yet.

How I Caught Little Men

Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov

Reader for elementary school Large reader for primary school Modern Russian literature

“When I was little, they took me to live with my grandmother. Grandmother had a shelf above the table. And on the shelf is a steamer. I've never seen this. He was quite real, only small. He had a trumpet: yellow and on it two black belts. And two masts. And from the masts there were rope ladders to the sides. At the stern there was a booth, like a house. Polished, with windows and a door. And absolutely at the stern - a copper steering wheel. Below under the stern - the steering wheel. And the screw shone in front of the steering wheel, like a copper rose. There are two anchors on the bow. Oh, how wonderful! If only I had one like that! .. "

Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov

How I Caught Little Men

When I was little, they took me to live with my grandmother. Grandmother had a shelf above the table. And on the shelf is a steamer. I've never seen this. He was quite real, only small. He had a trumpet: yellow and on it two black belts. And two masts. And from the masts, rope ladders went to the sides. At the stern there was a booth, like a house. Polished, with windows and a door. And absolutely at the stern - a copper steering wheel. Below the stern is the steering wheel. And the screw shone in front of the steering wheel, like a copper rose. There are two anchors on the bow. Oh, how wonderful! If only I had one like that!

I immediately asked my grandmother to play with a steamer. My grandmother allowed me everything. And then she suddenly frowned:

“Don't ask for that. Otherwise, play - don't you dare touch. Never! This is a dear memory for me.

I saw that even crying would not help.

And the steamer stood importantly on a shelf on varnished supports. I couldn't take my eyes off him. And grandma:

- Give my word of honor that you won't touch. I’d better hide it from sin. - And went to the shelf.

- Honest, honest, grandmother. - And grabbed my grandmother by the skirt. Grandma didn’t remove the boat.

I kept looking at the steamer. I climbed into a chair to see better. And more and more he seemed real to me. And certainly the door in the booth should open. And probably little people live in it. Small, just the size of the steamer. It turned out that they should be just below the match. I waited to see if any of them would look out the window. Probably peeping. And when no one is at home, they go out on deck. They probably climb the stairs to the masts.

And a little noise - like mice: yurk to the cabin. Down - and hide. I looked for a long time when I was alone in the room. Nobody looked out. I hid behind the door and looked through the crack. And they are cunning, damned little men, they know that I'm spying. Aha! They work at night when no one can scare them away. Sly.

I began to quickly swallow the tea. And asked to sleep.

Granny says:

- What is it? Then you cannot be forced into bed, but here it is such an early morning and you ask to sleep.

And so, when we lay down, grandmother turned off the light. And the steamer is not visible. I turned and turned on purpose, so the bed creaked.

- Why are you all tossing and turning?

- And I'm afraid to sleep without light. The night light is always lit at home. - I lied: the house is dark tight at night.

Read the entire book by purchasing the full legal version (http://www.litres.ru/boris-zhitkov/kak-ya-lovil-chelovechkov/?lfrom\u003d279785000) in liters.

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