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THE PETS' CORNER

Just before the lesson ended Raisa Ivanovna said, "I have good news for you, children. The School Council decided to set up a pets' corner, a little Zoo, in school. You'll take care of the animals yourselves and will study their behavior."

I was so excited I nearly jumped out of my seat. "Where's it going to be?"

"On the third floor, next to the teachers' room."

"How'll we ever get the bison up to the third floor?"

"Which bison?"

"A shaggy one. With big horns and a long tail."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Dennis, but there won't be any bison. We're going to keep hedgehogs, birds, fishes and white mice. Each of you can bring one of these to school to start our pets' corner. That will be all for today."

As I walked home I kept thinking about how nice it would be if the school had an elk, a yak, or at least a hippo, because they were all such wonderful animals. When I got home I saw Misha running across the yard and shouting, "They're selling white mice in the pet shop on Arbat Street!"

This was good news. I ran straight upstairs.

"Happy days, Mommy! They're selling white mice on Arbat Street!"

"White mice? On Arbat Street? So what?"

"They're selling mice in the pet shop! For school! So please give me some money."

Mommy went for her purse. "Why d'you need white mice for school? Won't little gray ones do just as well?"

"Can't you understand? Gray mice are just ordinary mice, but white mice are specially made. Understand?"

Mommy gave me some money and I ran out.

The pet shop was crowded. I might've known, because there's not a person in the world who doesn't want to own a white mouse. That's why there was such a crush. Misha was standing by the counter to see that nobody got through out of turn. Still, I was out of luck. The last mouse was sold just as I was getting close to the counter.

"When will you have some more mice?" I asked the clerk.

"When we get another shipment. Towards the end of the year probably."

"Mice are something everybody needs. You should always have them on sale," I said.

I must've begun losing weight from unhappiness right away, because when Mommy saw me she gasped.

"Don't let those mice upset you so, Dennis. We'll do without them. Let's go and buy you a fish. A fish is just what a first-grader needs. What kind of fish would you like?"

"A Nile crocodile!"

"How about something smaller?"

"Then a tropical fish. They're very small."

Mommy and I went back to the pet shop.

"How much are these tropical fish?" she asked. "I'd like a dozen of these for the school pets' corner."

"A rouble-fifty each," the clerk said.

"Why, that's ridiculous!" Mommy said. "Let's go home, Dennis."

"What about the fish, Mommy?"

"Not these. Let's go home. They're terrible fish. They bite."

What can I take to school? The pet shop is all out of white mice and the fish bite. How can I be happy?"


 
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