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PUSS-IN-BOOTS
"Girls and boys," Raisa Ivanovna said, "I'm very pleased with the way you've ended this term. Now you can really relax after your studies. During your vacation there's going to be a masquerade party at school. There'll be a prize for the best costume, so start thinking." She picked up our notebooks, said goodbye and left the classroom.
On our way home Misha said, "I'm going to be an elf. Mommy bought me a hooded raincape yesterday. So I'll just have to change my face and I'll be set. What're you going to be?"
"I don't know."
I soon forgot all about the masquerade party because when I got home Mommy said she was going on a field trip for ten days and that I was to behave and take care of Daddy. She left the next morning. I certainly had my hands full, taking care of Daddy. Besides, it was snowing and I kept wondering when Mommy'd be back, crossing off the days on my calendar.
One day Misha showed up and yelled when he saw me,
"Aren't you going?"
"Where?"
"Where? To school! This is the day of the masquerade party! Everybody'll be in costume. Can't you see I have my costume on?"
Then I noticed that he was wearing his hooded raincape.
"I don't have a costume. Mommy isn't back yet."
"We can think of something ourselves. D'you have anything that looks funny? You can put it on, and that'll be your costume."
"Not really. Except for Daddy's wading boots, the ones he wears when he goes fishing."
Those rubber boots were really something. You'd never get your feet wet if you had them on when you had to tramp through water or mud.
"Go on, put them on and we'll have a look at you," Misha said.
I stuck my feet, shoes and all, into Daddy's boots. They practically reached up to my armpits. I tried walking in them. It was rather clumsy, but I could manage. Anyway, they had a fierce shine and Misha liked them.
"What about a hat?" he asked.
"How about Mommy's straw hat?"
"Let's have it!"
I found it and put it on. It was a little big on me and kept slipping down over my face, but the flowers on it were nice.
Misha looked at me and said, "It's neat, but I don't know what to call it."
"How about Mushroom?"
"No, not with a hat with flowers on it. Maybe you'll be an old fisherman."
"Humph! How can I be an old fisherman if I don't have a beard?"
Misha was thinking hard. The doorbell rang. It was our neighbor, Vera Sergeyevna. The minute she saw me she gasped and said,
"Oh! You're a real Puss-in-Boots!"
That was it! I'd be Puss-in-Boots. But I didn't have a tail.
"How can I be a cat if I don't have a tail? I need a tail. D'you have anything I could use for a tail, Vera Sergeyevna?" I said.
"Wait a minute. I think I do." She was soon back with a raggedy-looking reddish tail with black spots on it. "Here," she said. "This is the tail of an old fur piece. I use it as a duster, but I think it's what you want."
I thanked her.
"Give me a needle and thread, Dennis. Hurry up. I'll sew it on. It's a terrific tail," Misha said. He started sewing it on, and was doing it real fast and then he stuck me.
"Ow! Can't you see you're sewing me? That hurts!"
"I'm sorry," he said and stuck me again.
"If you don't watch out I'll crack you one!"
"I never sewed anything before," he said and stuck me again.
I really yelled. "What's the matter? D'you want to cripple me for life?""Wait! That's all. It's done! Boy, what a tail! A lot of real cats'll envy you."
Then I dipped a brush into a bottle of India ink and drew long black whiskers across my cheeks.
Then we set out for school.
The place was jam-packed. Everybody was in costume. There must've been about fifty elves. There were also a lot of snow-flakes. That's a costume made of a lot of white gauze with a girl inside.
We all had a wonderful time making noise and dancing.
I danced, too, but I kept tripping over my big boots and my hat kept slipping down over my face.
Then Lucy got up on the stage and said, "Will Puss-in-Boots please come up onto the stage? He's been awarded First Prize for the best costume!"
I clumped up the stairs to the stage and stumbled over the last one and nearly fell. Lucy shook my hand and handed me two books: "Uncle Steeple" and "Rhymes and Riddles". Then Boris Sergeyevich played a flourish and I clumped back down again and tripped and nearly fell again, and everybody laughed.
On the way home Misha said, "There were a lot of elves, but you were the only Puss-in-Boots."
"I know, but all the other elves weren't any good. You were the only funny one. You should've gotten a book, too. Here, take one."
"No, I don't want it."
"Go on, take one. Which d'you want?"
"Uncle Steeple'".
So I gave him "Uncle Steeple".
When I got home I pulled off Daddy's big wading boots and ran over to the calendar and ticked off today. Then, while I was at it, I ticked off tomorrow. That leaves only three days till Mommy'll be back.