100 Stories About Alyosha and his Friends

Illustrator Александра Геннадьевна Немкова

© Ирина Иорьевна Немкова, 2019

© Александра Геннадьевна Немкова, illustrations, 2019

ISBN 978-5-0050-3026-9

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

CHAPTER 1. Alyosha and his Friend Timoshka

Meet Alyosha.

He is a boy of ten. He studies at school. Most of all he likes to play computer games.

He has a friend. His name is Timoshka. Timoshka is a big cat. He is very beautiful.

Timoshka likes to sleep on Alyosha’s table near the computer because it is warm there.

When Alyosha plays computer games Timoshka looks at the screen because he likes moving things.

At night, when Mum and Dad sleep, Timoshka likes to talk to Alyosha.

Today at night he comes to Alyosha and says, “I am alone.”

“Why are you alone?” Alyosha asked. “I am always with you. I talk to you, I play with you.”

“But when you are at school I am alone. I want to have other animals at home. I want to play with them when you are at school.”

“Ok”, says Alyosha, “I will ask Mum to buy us some other animal.”

CHAPTER 2. MUM REFUSES

Today Alyosha comes home from school late. He sees that Timoshka is sad.

“Why are you sad?” asks Alyosha.

“I miss you,” says Timoshka. “You are very, very late. I am alone.”

And Alyosha goes to talk to Mum.

In the evening Timoshka comes to Alyosha’s bed.

“What does your mother say?” he asks. “Does she want to buy more animals for me?”

“No,” Alyosha answers, “She says that she doesn’t want to clean the house every day.”

Timoshka is very, very sad.

“You have got many friends at school,” he says, “and I have got only you.”

“I will think about it,” promises Alyosha.

CHAPTER 3. ALYOSHA HAS GOT A GOOD IDEA

Next day Alyosha comes home from school. He sees Timoshka waiting him at the door.

“I have a good idea,” says Alyosha. “You are always at home. Why not go to the yard?”

“Why?” asks Timoshka, “Is it interesting?”

“Yes,” says Alyosha, “I have got a surprise for you.”

Timoshka is interested. “What surprise?” he asks.

“Wait, wait,” says Alyosha, “let’s go to the yard.”

Timoshka is a little afraid because he never goes to the yard, he is always at home. But he is not alone, he goes with his friend.

They go to the yard.

It is so interesting there! So many trees and flowers, green grass, the warm sun.

“Oh, I like the yard, I like to be here,” says Timoshka, “It is so nice here! And where is the surprise?”

“Wait, wait,” Alyosha smiles.

CHAPTER 4. TIMOSHKA MEETS BERTA

Timoshka sees a small house in the corner of the yard. It is blue and it is very beautiful.

“What is that?” he asks, “Is it the surprise?”

“No, the surprise is in the house,” Alyosha answers. He calls, “Bertha, Bertha!”

And a big brown dog goes out of the small house.

Timoshka jumps back and hides behind Alyosha. He is afraid.

“Who is this?” he asks.

“This is Bertha, our dog,” says Alyosha.

“Is she dangerous?” asks Timoshka, “She is so big.”

“No, she is not dangerous, she is very kind and she likes to play,” answers Alyosha, “but she has no friends, just like you. Let’s go to Bertha.”

“No, no, I am afraid.”

Alyosha takes Timoshka and goes to the dog.

He says, “Bertha, meet Timoshka. Timoshka, meet Bertha.”

Berta smiles to Timoshka and he understands that she is not dangerous at all. He smiles too.

“Glad to meet you,” says Bertha.

“Glad to meet you,” says Timoshka.

CHAPTER 5. TIMOSHKA IS NOT AFRAID OF BERTHA ANYMORE

Next morning Timoshka gets up early. He comes to Alyosha.

“Get up,” he says.

“What do you want?” asks Alyosha. “Today is Sunday and I want to sleep.” He is a little angry.

“No, get up,” says Timoshka. “I want to go to Bertha.”

Alyosha begins to laugh. “But you are afraid of her,” he says. He is not angry anymore.

“No, I am not,” says Timoshka, “I am not afraid of her anymore, and I know that she waits for me.”

“Ok,” Alyosha says, “But first I want to wash my face.”

He washes his face and they go to the yard.

Bertha is near her house. She waits for Timoshka.

She is glad to see her new friend. And Timoshka is also very glad to see Bertha.

He is not afraid of her anymore.

CHAPTER 6. BERTHA’S HOUSE

“I want to go home and have breakfast,” says Alyosha, “Do you go with me?”

“No, I want to stay with Bertha,” says Timoshka.

“Bertha, may I stay with you?” he asks Bertha.

“Of course you may,” says Bertha, “You are my friend. You may always stay with me when you want.”

Alyosha goes home.

“Do you want to see my house?” asks Bertha.

“May I? May I really go into your beautiful house?” Timoshka is excited.

“Of course you may. Come in.”

Timoshka enters Bertha’s house. Bertha enters too.

“Do you like my house?” she asks.

“Oh, yes, I like it very much. But you don’t have a carpet,” Timoshka is surprised, “Where do you sleep?”

“I sleep on hay,” says Bertha, “Do you see it on the floor?”

“It is dry grass,” Timoshka says.

“Yes, we call it hay,” Bertha explains.

They see Alyosha. He brings breakfast for Bertha.

He says, “Timoshka, let’s go home. It’s time to have breakfast.”

“May I come here again after breakfast?” asks Timoshka.

“Of course you may.”

CHAPTER 7. A HOLE IN THE GROUND

After breakfast Timoshka goes to Bertha again.

“Hi, Bertha!” he says.

“Hi, Timoshka!” Bertha says, “I want to show you something.”

“Is it interesting?” asks Timoshka.

“It is strange,” says Bertha.

“Is it dangerous?” asks Timoshka.

“I don’t think so. But really I don’t know,” says Bertha.

Timoshka is a bit afraid. But he is with Bertha and she is big and strong and brave.

So they go to the corner of the yard.

There behind a big tree Bertha shows him a hole in the ground.

“What’s this?” asks Timoshka.

“A strange hole,” answers Bertha, “I think Somebody lives there. It is Somebody’s home.”

“And who is that Somebody? Is he dangerous?” Timoshka asks in a whisper.

“I don’t know,” says Bertha, “I only know that Somebody goes out of the hole at night.”

CHAPTER 8. SOMEBODY GOES OUT OF THE HOLE

It is evening.

Timoshka is at home.

He thinks, “Bertha wants to know who lives in the hole. She wants to wait near the hole at night. And to see Somebody who lives in the hole.

I want to see Somebody too. Of course, I am not afraid. But he may be dangerous. What to do? To go or not to go? But Bertha waits. I think it is better to go.”

He goes out of the house.

Bertha and Timoshka are near the hole. They wait. It’s dark and quiet.

Suddenly they hear some noise from the hole.

Timoshka jumps back and hides behind Bertha.

“Who is there?” he asks in a trembling voice.

Somebody goes out of the hole. And the friends see a small mouse.

Berta smiles because the mouse is very, very small.

“Who are you?” Timoshka asks.

“I am a mouse. My name is Moc, the little mouse answers.

“Are you dangerous?” Timoshka asks.

“No, I am not. But I think you are dangerous,” Moc says.

Timoshka is very surprised.

“Why am I dangerous?” he asks.

“Because you are a cat. Cats eat mice,” Moc says.

“No, I never eat mice,” Timoshka says.

“Really?” now Moc is surprised, “You are a very nice cat. Glad to meet you.”

CHAPTER 9. TIMOSHKA GOES TO A DOCTOR

Timoshka is sad. He goes to a doctor today.

After breakfast, he goes out of the house to see Bertha.

Bertha sees that Timoshka is sad.

“Why are you sad?” Bertha asks.

“I go to a doctor today,” Timoshka says.

“You are sad because you go to a doctor, why?” Bertha asks again, “What does the doctor do? Is he angry?”

“No,” Timoshka says, “he is not angry, he is very kind.”

“But why are you sad?” Bertha does not understand.

“Usually the doctor just looks at me and touches me. Sometimes he gives me a pill,” Timoshka explains, “But sometimes he gives me an injection. It is painful.”

At this moment Moc comes to them.

“Hi,” he says, “Why are you both so sad?”

“Timoshka goes to a doctor,” Bertha says.

“Is he angry, the doctor?” Moc asks.

“No, he is kind,” Bertha explains, “But he may give Timoshka an injection.”

“Is it painful?” asks Moc in a trembling voice.

“Yes, it is a bit painful,” Timoshka says.

At this moment Alyosha comes.

“Timoshka, it’s time to go to the doctor”, he says.

CHAPTER 10. TIMOSHKA AND THE DOCTOR

Timoshka and Alyosha are at the animal’s hospital.

The doctor looks at Timoshka and asks, “How are you, Timoshka?”

Timoshka doesn’t answer because he is a bit afraid.

But he thinks, “I am not afraid, I am not afraid.”

Alyosha says, “He is well. He doesn’t need an injection.”

Timoshka thinks, “I am not afraid, I am not afraid.”

The doctor touches Timoshka with his kind hands.

“Yes,” he says, “He is well. He doesn’t need an injection.”

Timoshka and Alyosha are happy. No injection, they may go home.

When they go into the yard they see Bertha and Moc.

They sit near Bertha’s house. They wait for Timoshka. They worry about him.

Timoshka jumps from Alyosha’s hands and runs to his friends.

“How are you?” Moc asks.

“How are you?” Bertha asks.

Timoshka smiles, “I am well. No injection. The doctor says I am well.”

Timoshka, Alyosha, Bertha and Moc are happy.

CHAPTER 11. THE FRIENDS WANT TO GO TO THE RIVER

Bertha, Timoshka, and Moc are sitting in the yard.

It’s warm. The weather is nice.

Alyosha comes to the friends and says, “We are going to the river.”

“Who is going to the river?” Moc asks.

“Mum, Dad and me,” Alyosha answers. “And Bertha can go too.”

“Me too,” says Timoshka, “I want to go to the river too.”

“I don’t know,” Alyosha says, “Cats don’t like rivers.”

“I don’t know what a river is,” Timoshka says. “Maybe I like the river. Maybe I don’t like the river. Is It dangerous?”

Bertha laughs, “No, it’s not dangerous,” she says, “It’s nice.”

“Ask Mum,” says Timoshka, “May I go with you too?”

Alyosha goes to ask Mum and she allows to take Timoshka to the river.

Bertha is happy. Timoshka is happy.

But Moc is sad. He is very, very sad. He wants to the river too.

“Ask Mum,” says Timoshka, “Maybe Moc can go with us too.”

“No, I don’t think that Mum will allow,” Alyosha says.

Moc is very, very sad.

“I stay at home,” Bertha says.

“I stay at home,” Timoshka says.

Suddenly Alyosha says, “I have an idea.”

He takes Moc and puts him into his pocket.

“How are you there?” Alyosha asks.

“I am fine,” Moc looks out of the pocket and smiles.

Timoshka and Bertha smile too.

“But you must sit very, very quietly.”

CHAPTER 12. NEAR THE RIVER

Mum, Dad, Alyosha, Timoshka, and Bertha are sitting in the car. They are going to the river. They are happy.

Moc is in the car too. He is sitting in Alyosha’s pocket very, very quietly and is happy too.

The car stops. They are near the river.

Alyosha and Bertha jump out of the car and run to the river. They want to go into the water.

Timoshka is still in the car. He doesn’t know what a river is and he is a bit afraid.

He looks out of the car and asks, “Where is the river? I see a lot of water but where is the river?”

Alyosha and Bertha laugh.

“This water is the river,” Alyosha says, “Go out of the car.”

Timoshka goes out of the car. He is sitting on the sand and looking at the river.

“River is water,” he says, “A lot of water. I don’t like water. I don’t like the river.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Bertha says, “River is nice. Try to swim. I like to swim.”

“Maybe I can swim. Maybe I cannot swim, I don’t know,” Timoshka says. “I think I must try.”

He goes to the river and touches the water with his nose. Then he touches it with his paw.

Alyosha and Bertha are already in the water. They are swimming and playing.

“Swim to us!” they cry, “Swim to us!”

“Maybe I cannot swim,” answers Timoshka, “I don’t know.”

Alyosha comes to him and says, “Try, it’s easy to swim. All the cats can swim. I am here, I can help you.”

He takes Timoshka and very, very carefully puts him into the water. “Try to swim. Don’t be afraid,” he says.

Timoshka tries to swim and he understands that he can.

“Wow, wow, wow! I can swim! I am swimming!” he cries.

But where is Moc?

He is still sitting in Alyosha’s pocket. He is afraid to go out. Because he must sit quietly.

CHAPTER 13. MOC MEETS MUM AND DAD

Alyosha thinks, “Where is Moc?”

He goes to the car and finds Moc in the pocket.

“Why are you sitting here?” he asks.

“Because I must sit quietly” Moc answers.

Alyosha laughs. “I think you may meet Mum.”

But Moc is afraid. “I think she may be angry,” he says.

“I don’t think so, she is kind,” Alyosha smiles, “Let’s try.”

He takes Moc and goes to his parents.

“Mum, Dad, meet Moc,” he says.

Mum is surprised, Dad is interested.

“Who is Moc?” they ask.

“Moc is my friend. And he is the friend of Bertha and Timoshka,” Alyosha says, “He is a very nice mouse.”

“A mouse?” Mum says, “But mice eat everything. He may eat everything in our yard, in our car, and in our house. A mouse cannot be a friend.”

Moc tries to go back to Alyosha’s pocket. He is sad because Mum doesn’t like him.

“No, no,” Alyosha says, “Moc doesn’t eat everything. He lives in the yard in his den and comes to play with Bertha and Timoshka.”

“But Timoshka may eat him,” says Dad, “Cats always est mice.”

Timoshka is near. “I never eat mice,” he says, “And Moc is my friend, I cannot eat him.”

But where is Moc?

He is sitting in the pocket again, very, very sad.

Alyosha takes Moc out of the pocket.

“Moc, meet my Mum and Dad,” he says. “Mum, Dad, meet Moc.”

“We are glad to meet you, Moc,” Mum and Dad say.

“I am glad to meet you,” says Moc.

He is happy.

CHAPTER 14. HAPPY HOP

All the family goes home. Father is driving the car. Mother is sitting near him. Alyosha, Timoshka, Bertha, and Moc are sitting behind.

Suddenly they see some animal on the ground. It is small and brown. The animal is sitting and looking at the car.

“Who’s that?” Alyosha asks, “I want to see.”

“Me too,” Timoshka says.

“Me too,” Bertha says.

“Me too,” Moc says.

“Ok,” Father says, “Let’s see.”

They all go out of the car and go to the animal.

“Who are you?” Alyosha asks.

“I don’t know,” the animal says, “But my name is Happy Hop. My friends call me Happy Hop.”

“A strange name,” Timoshka thinks.

“Have you got a family?” Alyosha asks.

“No, I haven’t got a family, I have got only friends,” Happy Hop says.

“And where are your friends?” Alyosha asks.

“I don’t know,” Happy Hop answers, “May I go with you?”

“Let’s take Happy Hop with us,” Alyosha says, “Mum, please.”

“I don’t know,” Mum says, “He may be not good.”

“I am good, I am good,” Happy Hop says, “Take me with you please, I am good.”

“Mum, he is good. Let’s take him with us.”

“Ok,” Mother says, “But Alyosha, you must wash him. I think he is dirty.”

Happy Hop jumps very high on his all four legs. “Wow, wow, wow!” he cries, “I go with you!”

Alyosha laughs. “Now I know why your friends call you Happy Hop,” he says, “because you jump high when you are happy.”

“A nice name,” Timoshka thinks.

The friends are happy. They don’t know who Happy Hop is but they have a new friend.

Happy Hop is happy too.