The head of the preschool department came to the window.
Outside the window it was frosty December thirtieth and showed
the boss is a fig. Not a soul on the street - the city of Nefteseversk
extracted pre-New Year's oil. “What should I do?” I thought
boss - Pay from the state's pocket? Basically,
possible from the state... although unprincipled.
Don't pay... So two kindergartens will complain,
and justly." The boss looked out the window again. Under the window
stood an old man with a gray beard and, making a visor out of his palm,
looked into the boss's office. What does this need? The old man walked away
from the window and headed around the corner to the front door of the preschool department
institutions. “If only I could recruit from the street,” the boss thought.
“These are the scourges of God... but he’s coming to me!” And it's true:
The door opened slightly and a gray beard poked his head into the office.
- Come in, come in! - the boss began to fuss.
- Don’t you have a broom? - asked the old man.
- Come in, it’s so dirty!
The old man stamped his feet, then took off his hat and began to knock off the snow.
with a coat. The snow was melting on the floor, the boss was wondering how to
It’s better to persuade the old man.
“I’m very glad,” said the boss. - I need you!
I've been waiting for you for a long time.
The old man blinked in surprise.
- You see...
- I see everything. Respectable age... we respect old people everywhere.
Smoke if you smoke. The old man hurriedly took out a tobacco pouch and began
twist the goat leg.
- Where do you work, at the drilling rig? - continued the boss, inflatingnostrils from the long-forgotten smell of shag. - Grandchildren in the nursery
have the garden been arranged? No? Oh, no grandchildren... But we are all for you
we’ll do it... we’ll arrange it, we’ll figure it out, we’ll respond. But you too
should help. Do you respect today's youth?
- Insofar as...
- I completely agree with you! Do you know Belohvatsky?
from the drama theater?
- I didn’t have the honor... - It’s not a great honor to know him. Ordinary
grabber Pay him, you know, double the tariff, otherwise he's Grandfather
Frost will not play. And he knocked out other artists! And I have
kindergartens, do you understand?
- I understand that you are offering me this... that...
- No... that is, yes! Exactly “that one”! Don't interrupt, I'm still
didn't explain all your benefits. Take on two
holiday matinees, today and tomorrow, and earn extra money
for the New Year. Look what kind of coat you have. Collar
frayed, the buttons are different... and the hat.
“The hat is like a hat,” the old man was upset. - From a rabbit.
- Don't be offended. I want the best. Here are the warm boots
could buy. Is it cold in your shoes? Cold. You will receive money
right after the matinee, I'll take care of it. Grandfather Morozovsky
We have the props... Eh, nothing will work! You won't make it in time
learn the role.
- I’ll have time, I’ll have time, it’s not the first time for me! - waved his hands
old man. - I know the role, I just want to repeat it.
“There are coincidences,” the boss was surprised. - You,
actually, for what reason?
“It’s me...” muttered the old man. - That's why I came...In Grandfather
Frosts.
Kindergarten is hectic, parents are very unhappy - they
You asked to leave work, why isn’t the matinee starting?
“Santa Claus is late,” the head of the children’s center reassures everyone.
garden
And here comes Santa Claus. He just came in, heaped up the bundle
with props on children's lockers, wringing out beard, thawing.
Nobody pays attention to him, only one old woman
The cleaning lady recognized him and called the manager:
- Santa Claus has come!
Parents sit down in the music room, whoever plays what,
and the manager takes the old man to his office. There he films
coat and remains in some faded railway
uniform.
“Hmm, yes,” the manager says disappointedly. - I warn you,
that I will sign the paper for you after a full hour, otherwise in the past
year one... similar to you... cheated and spoiled us
the whole matinee. A sheet with gifts in the left corner under the window,
don't forget. Your beard is real, I don’t understand? Fast
change clothes and get to work. Let's begin.
The old man hurriedly takes off his railway uniform and puts on
red robe on batting. Looks in the mirror. Stuck in a robe
yellow Christmas tree needles from last year's matinee. Puts on
red hat with silver stars, black felt boots
with paper snowflakes, puts lipstick on her cheeks and nose. fluffs up
beard Suddenly he gets scared and takes out a crumpled school bag from his pocket.
notebook, leafing through it, raising his eyes to the ceiling and moving his lips.
Sounds are coming from the hallpiano.
- Children, who should come to us? - asks the musical
leader
“Santa Claus...” the children answer discordantly.
- Right! Well done! Let's call him! Together, in chorus: de-du-shka
Mo-rose!
The old man runs out of the office and rushes down the corridor. Parents
at the door, smiling, they make way for him.
- De-du-shka Mo-rose! - the children call.
- I hear, I hear! - the old man shouts. - I'm running!
The music director begins to play "Father's March"
Frost", the old man begins to sing and enters the hall: Played out
blizzards, The pines are groaning, the spruce trees are groaning... Suddenly he is horrified
remembers that he forgot his main props on the bus -
a thick, knotty magic stick.
“The sclerotic is abnormal,” he mutters and rushes off.
to the exit. The parents laugh, but the music director doesn't
to the point of laughter. She tries to save the situation:
- Grandfather Frost, what happened? Tell us! Maybe we
We will all help you together.
- I forgot my stick on the bus... oh, yes, my fault. Dear children,
I have great misfortune! The evil gray wolf stole mine
magic stick! What should I do now?
The children are perplexed. Musical director closely
looks at the cleaning lady, she goes to the kitchen and begins
stick pieces of cotton wool onto the floor brush.
- Grandfather Frost, don’t you see what they have prepared for you?
children? - the music director asks affectionately and
looks at the old man angrily. He's still clumsily stomping around
in the middle of the hall and finallynotices the Christmas tree.
- Wow, what a tree! - he admires. - My God, what
toys, what firecrackers! Musical director
starts to boil. The old man looks at her and thinks:
“Why did I drag God in? They won’t sign the paper yet...” It’s time
sit under the tree. Most of all in this ancient
New Year's scenario he likes twenty minutes of sitting
under the tree.
“I’m tired, kids,” the old man groans. - The road was not easy,
the heart attack makes itself felt. I’ll sit under the Christmas tree and relax... And where
my chair? - the old man suddenly gets scared. Parents laugh, music
looking for the cleaning lady with scary eyes. She brings a chair and a beautiful
magic mop:
- Here, grandfather, the Snow Maiden gave it to you. She has this stick
took away the gray wolf. Sit down, sweetie.
“Thank you, grandma,” the old man whispers. - If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know
what to do. Finally sits down.
“Grandfather Frost,” says the music director. -
- Listen to what poems the children learned especially for you.
Vovochka! “Christmas trees!” the old man recalls. “I completely forgot!”
He jumps up, waving his mop menacingly:
- Sorry, Vovochka! Now with my magic stick I will light
lights on the Christmas tree!
- It's still early! - the music director hisses.
- Don't worry, my dear, everything will be fine, let the kids
will rejoice. One, two, three, light up the tree! Failure. Via
the entire room, sliding on the mastic, rushes to the socket of the cleaning lady.
She nods to the old man and when heblaming the unfortunate
gray wolf, shouts again: “Christmas tree, light up!”, sticks a fork
into the socket. A crash is heard, sparks fly, and the kindergarten
plunges into darkness.
- The traffic jams are burned out! - the parents gasp.
- These are not traffic jams! - the voice of the long-suffering musical
leaders. - Grandfather Frost will tell this in verse
about your journey. At this time, two knowledgeable dads, lighting
matches, go into the corridor to the traffic jams.
- Why in verse?! - the old man is indignant in the darkness. - I'm sure
I remember that it’s not in verse... or in verse? He gropes for a chair
opens his robe and goes with the flow: - What kind of
poetry, kids... You can’t describe it in poetry! It was difficult
journey, I must tell you, kids. I came out of the forest
it was bitterly cold. And I, although I am Santa Claus, am also alive
man, right? Don't go back when they're waiting for me
such good children. Here. When suddenly he came to me from behind the Christmas tree
shaggy wolves run out! Sit down, Aibolit... uh... no
then... Sit down, Santa Claus, on horseback, we will get you there quickly. If
If not these good wolves, bye bye... you won’t see me at the Christmas tree!
The light comes on, the old man barely has time to wrap his robe around him.
The music director stares numbly at the keys.
“Let’s continue the matinee,” the old man says tiredly. - Where is it?
Vovochka?
- I! - Don't pick your nose. Give me your poem. Sela
a fly on the jam, That's the whole poem.
- That's all?
- Yeah!
- FriendlyLet's applaud Vovochka! - the music comes to life
leader
- Now the snowflake girls from the younger group will dance!
The old man watches with emotion how the snowflakes dance.
- And now the bunny boys from the middle group will dance! Bye
the bunnies are dancing, the old man is resting.
- And now Grandfather Frost will dance for us... - musical
the manager looks at the frightened old man and changes
solution.
- No! It’s better to let Kolenka tell Grandfather Frost a riddle.
Let's see how he can guess. Dance, thank God, already
no need; but the worst thing for the old man comes -
solving riddles. Kolenka comes out and makes a wish: He is cheerful
and funny, long-nosed, mischievous, wearing a red hat on top of his head,
And his name is... “Pinocchio, or what?..” - he thinks feverishly
old man. Finally he realizes:
- Parsley! - he shouts joyfully.
Kolenka looks in bewilderment, the music director
ready to burst into tears.
“No,” says Kolenka.
The old man is dejected. He feels that he guessed correctly.
- How about “no”, how about “no”?! - he fusses. - Parsley,
exactly! I bet.
“No, everything is correct,” Kolenka is offended. - But you have to
I couldn't guess at first. I should have answered first
"frog", then "pillow", and then you should have
guess. It's a game, you know?
“I’m not understanding,” the old man gets angry. - Next time I will
know. The matinee is coming to an end.
- Grandfather Frost, what are you doing?have you forgotten yet? - asks the musical
leader
“I don’t remember what I forgot,” the old man gets angry. This time he
acts exactly according to the script, although he does not know it. Muzruk
happy:
- Children, let's remind Grandfather Frost that he has forgotten! In chorus!
- Present! - the children shout.
- Exactly! - the old man rejoices. - I am kind Grandfather Frost,
I brought you gifts! They are in this room. Now they
my magic stick will find it.
The old man remembers well where the gifts are hidden. He solemnly
walks to the right corner, pushes parents apart, but presents
doesn't find it. Heads to another corner, to a third... finally
wanders to the last, fourth corner. There by the sheet with gifts
a young girl sits and, drooling chocolate, disembowels
bag of sweets.
“Come on, baby, you can help me distribute gifts,” he says tiredly.
old man.
The sullen manager and the music director were waiting for him in the office.
leader
“You ruined our matinee,” said the manager. - I tell you
I won't sign the paper.
“But I saw the matinee through to the end,” the old man timidly objected. -
- And then, I’m not an expert...
- It's none of our business! - the music director flushed
and burst into tears.
- I have a methodology, an approved script... and you... Isn’t it possible?
is this a matinee? What the hell! Two mothers entered the office.
“We are from the parent committee,” the first mother introduced herself. -
- We want to thank Santa Claus. It was a lot of fun, yougood artist.
“Allow me on behalf of...” said the second mother and handed it to the old man.
bag of sweets.
When the delegation left, the music director
stopped crying and started thinking, but the manager hesitated
and signed the paper. The old man quickly changed his clothes and, like a young man,
rushed to the preschool department. They were expecting him there
boss and envelope with money. The boss shook his hand.
- Until what time are children's stores open? - asked the old man.
- In my opinion, everything is already closed.
- How? - The old man was taken aback and hurried to the central department store.
He came out of there joyful, with a bag under his arm. It remained
do two more things and then go home. He went into the cookery, there
it was empty.
“Everything is sold, we’re closing,” said the butcher, loudly clicking
large padlock.
“I want bones... five kilograms... or better yet six,” he asked
old man.
The butcher was so surprised that he put the castle aside and, in addition to the bones,
I found an empty bag and some meat. The old man was very grateful.
And finally the last thing. But the winery was already closed. old man
knocked softly.
- It’s already closed, don’t you see?! - the wine-maker roared from inside, but
the old man remained silent so mournfully that she let him in and poured
glass of vermouth.
Vermouth warmed his soul. That's it. He sat down with a warm soul
got on the bus and went to the farthest district of Nefteseversk. Him
They gave way, he sat down by the window and squinted into the darkness. Then
he unwrapped the bag and was happy, looking atpink downy
hat and scarf. Then the bus emptied, but he kept going; then
he ate a candy from a gift bag and saw that the bus
arrives at the final stop. He hastily untied the knot,
took off his coat and dressed up as Santa Claus again. The driver looked
and smiled at him. The snow was falling slowly. It was a little dark, but
the old man found his way easily. He walked around the last house, crossed
pit filled with piles and found himself at the edge of the forest. Here he is
whistled softly. Two seasoned wolves ran up to him,
harnessed to a light sleigh.
- How are you? asked the wolves.
“It’s normal,” the old man answered.
- Did you bring anything? The old man patted the bag.
The wolves sniffed and said: - Normal.
The old man sat down in the sleigh, and visibility melted behind the fluffy snow.
He drove through the forest-tundra to his hut for two hours and almost froze.
He warmed himself by the gas torches. He was greeted by the Snow Maiden and hot tea
and a warm bed. Even Santa Claus needs a little warmth.
Last-modified: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 06:17:47 GMT
Share your thoughts about the article