Chapter 1: ". Borya entered. It was a boy of about twelve, plump, rosy-cheeked. The gray cap sat crookedly on his head, the black jacket flew open. In one hand he held a laundry basket, and in the other a rope bag containing a large green glass jar. He moved along
The carriage slowly, carefully, keeping the bag at a respectful distance from him and not taking his eyes off it. Before Boris appeared, the silence was broken only by the tapping of the wheels and someone's measured snoring. “In the basket Borya was carrying 4 snakes, 2 toads, 8 lizards and 11 frogs. There was a viper in the bank separately. These amphibians and reptiles were to make up the school terrarium.
Chapter 2: “Almost the entire carriage was now listening to the conversation. Smiling faces protruded from all the offices. One of the passengers is a lieutenant, the viper in the bank doubted or not, maybe another one too. Borya took out a jar, but there was no snake in it. “.
It turns out that she is crawling here somewhere. The carriage became very noisy. The lower benches, which had recently been overcrowded, now had a lot of empty seats, but from every third shelf there were several pairs of women's legs. The passengers who remained below sat with their heels on opposite benches. “The conductor of the carriage went to report the incident to the head of the train.
Chapter 3. The viper was found by one of the artisans (student of the vocational school) in the corner, under the bench of the side seat. The guide brought a poker. “. The lieutenant carefully took the poker from her: - Comrades, maybe we won't, huh? Have mercy on the viper. Around. argued. Some said that they wouldn't keep a viper at school anyway; others claimed to be holding, but under special supervision, a biology teacher; still others agreed with the latter, but considered it dangerous to give the viper to Bora: suddenly he would let her out again on the tram or the subway. The lieutenant volunteered to help Bora bring the viper home. They pried the viper with a shovel, pressed it with a poker, removed it and placed it in a jar. “. And the bank, this time solidly closed, was on the knees of the lieutenant. Borya sat next to the lieutenant, silent and radiant. All the way to Moscow, passengers recalled their student years aloud, and it was a lot of fun in the carriage. "
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Viper
A lone lantern floated past the carriage window. The train stopped. Hurried voices were heard on the platform:
- Well, good hour! Look out of the window, don't stick out!
- I won't, grandma.
- How will you arrive, be sure to telegram! .. Borya, do you hear? Is it conceivable to carry such a dirty trick!
The train started moving.
- Goodbye, grandma!
- Kiss your mom. I'll put a handkerchief in your pocket ...
An old man in a Panama hat made of harsh linen remarked quietly:
- So, sir! Now, then, Borya will come here.
The door opened and Borya entered. It was a boy of about twelve, plump, rosy-cheeked. The gray cap sat crookedly on his head, the black jacket flew open. In one hand he held a laundry basket, in the other a rope bag with a large green glass jar. He moved along the carriage slowly, carefully, keeping the bag at a respectful distance from him and not taking his eyes off it. The car was full. Having reached the middle of the carriage, Borya stopped.
- We will make room for a little, and the young man will sit here, on the edge, - said the old man in a Panama hat.
- Thanks! - Borya said indistinctly and sat down, having previously tucked his luggage under the bench.
The passengers watched him surreptitiously. For some time he sat quietly, holding his knees with his hands and breathing deeply, then suddenly slid out of his seat, pulled out his bag and examined the contents of the jar through the glass for a long time. Then he said quietly: "Here", put away the bag and sat down again.
Many were asleep in the carriage. Before Boris appeared, the silence was broken only by the tapping of the wheels and someone's measured snoring. But now these monotonous, familiar, and therefore imperceptible sounds were mingled with a strange continuous rustle, which clearly came from under the bench.
The old man in a Panama hat put a large briefcase on his knees with an edge and turned to Bora:
- Are we going to Moscow, young man?
Borya nodded.
- Were you at the dacha?
- In the village. By Grandma.
- So, so! .. In the village. It's good. - The old man was silent for a while. - Only hard, it must be alone. What luggage you have, not in height.
- Basket? No, it is light. - Borya bent down for some reason, touched the basket and added in passing: - There are only amphibians in it.
- Some amphibians and reptiles. It is light at all.
There was a moment of silence. Then a broad-shouldered worker with a dark mustache said:
- This is how to understand: amphibians and reptiles?
- Well, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes ...
- Brrr, what an abomination! - said the passenger in the corner.
The old man drummed his fingers on the briefcase:
- Y-yes! Interesting! .. And what subject are you talking about, so to speak ...
- We are making a terrarium for the school. Two of our guys are building the very terrarium, and I am fishing.
- What are they doing? - Asked an elderly collective farmer, who was lying on the second shelf.
- Terrarium, - the old man explained, - this, you know, is such a glass box, like an aquarium. It contains all these ...
- These reptiles?
“W-well, yes. Not reptiles, but amphibians and reptiles, in scientific terms. - The old man again turned to Bora: - And ... and a lot, then you have these amphibians?
Borya raised his eyes and began to bend the fingers on his left hand:
- There are four of them, two toads, eight lizards and eleven frogs.
- What a horror! Came from a dark corner.
The collective farmer rose on her elbow and looked down at Borya:
- Will you take everyone to school?
- Not all. We replace half of the snakes and frogs with newts in the girls' school.
“You’ll get a lot from the teachers ...”
Borya shrugged his shoulders and smiled indulgently:
- "Will hit"! Not at all. On the contrary, they will even say thank you.
“So it won't get in for training,” agreed the mustachioed worker.
The conversation interested other passengers: a young tanned lieutenant came out of the next compartment and stopped in the aisle, resting his elbow on the second shelf; two collective farm girls came up, loudly cracking nuts; a tall bald citizen in pince-nez approached; two artisans approached. Borah was evidently flattered by this attention. He spoke more lively, no longer waiting for questions:
- You know how we benefit the school ... One already in the pet store costs seven fifty, and even try to get it! And frogs ... Let at least three rubles a piece, that's thirty-three rubles ... And the terrarium itself! .. If you buy one in a store, it will cost five hundred rubles. And you say "it will hit"!
The passengers laughed and nodded their heads.
- Well done!
- What do you think! And in fact they are beneficial.
- How long did you catch them? The lieutenant asked.
- Two whole weeks. In the morning I will have breakfast - and immediately go hunting. I'll come home, have lunch - and fish again, until the evening. - Borya took off his cap from his head and began fanning himself with it. - With frogs and toads, nothing else ... and lizards often come across, but with snakes ... I once saw one, rushed to him, and he - into the pond, and I could not resist - and also into the pond. Think it's not dangerous?
“Dangerous, of course,” the lieutenant agreed.
Almost the entire carriage was now listening to the conversation. Smiling faces protruded from all the offices. When Borya spoke, there was silence. When he fell silent, muffled laughter and low voices were heard from everywhere:
- What an amusing boy!
- Small, but how conscious!
- N-yes! - said the old man in Panama. - Socially useful work. In our time, citizens, there were no such children. There were no such children!
“I would have caught even more if not for my grandmother,” said Borya. “She’s scared to death of them.
- Poor your grandmother!
- I didn’t tell her anything about the viper anyway.
- About whom?
- About the viper. I tracked her for four hours. She went under the stone, and I was waiting for her. Then she got out, I pinched her ...
- So, you are carrying a viper too? - the worker interrupted him.
- Aha! I have it in my bank, separately. - Borya waved his hand under the bench.
- That was still lacking! - moaned a passenger in a dark corner.
The audience quieted down a little. Their faces became more serious. Only the lieutenant continued to smile.
- Maybe it's not a viper? - he asked.
- "Not a viper"! - Borya was indignant. - And then what do you think?
- Another already.
- Do you think I can't tell the difference?
- Well, show me!
- Yes, leave it! - they started talking around. - Well her!
- Let, let him show. Interesting.
- Well, what's interesting! Look disgusting!
- Don't you look.
Borya pulled out a bag from under the bench and squatted down in front of her. Those who stood in the aisle parted, those sitting on the benches rose from their seats and stretched their necks, looking at the green can.
“I've lived for forty years, but I can't tell a viper from a snake,” said the citizen in pince-nez.
- Here! The old man responded instructively. - And if you had a terrarium in your school, then you could.
- He has such yellow spots near his head, - said Borya, looking from the side inside the can. - And the viper has such specks ... - He suddenly fell silent. His face took on a concentrated expression. - The viper ... the viper has such specks ... - He again did not finish and looked at the jar from the other side. Then he looked under the bench. Then he slowly scanned the floor around him.
- What, no? Someone asked.
Borya got up. Holding his knees with his hands, he was still staring at the can.
- I ... I recently checked it ... There was ...
The passengers were silent. Borya looked under the bench again:
- The rag is untied. I tied her very tightly, and she ...
The rag was of no interest to anyone. Everyone looked at the floor cautiously and shifted from foot to foot.
- God knows what! The citizen in pince-nez hissed through clenched teeth. - It turns out that she is crawling here somewhere.
- N-yes! History!..
- It will sting you in the cramped quarters!
An elderly collective farmer sat down on a shelf and stared at Borya:
- What have you done to me! Cute! I have to go in three stops, and I have my things under the bench. How am I going to get them now?
Borya did not answer. His ears were dyed deep red, beads of sweat appeared on his face. He then bent down and peered under the bench, then stood with his hands down, mechanically tapping his thighs with his fingers.
- Got it! Little ones! - exclaimed a passenger in a dark corner.
- Aunt Masha! Aunt Mash! One of the girls shouted.
- Well? - came from the end of the car.
- Be careful there. The viper crawls under the benches.
- What about? What viper?
The carriage became very noisy. The girl-guide left the service compartment, blinked sleepily with her eyes and suddenly opened them wide. Two fellow artisans put a neat old woman on the second shelf:
- Come on, come on, granny, evacuate!
The lower benches, which had recently been overcrowded, now had a lot of empty seats, but from every second shelf there were several pairs of women's legs. The passengers who remained below sat with their heels on opposite benches. Several men were hovering in the aisle, lighting the floor with flashlights and matches.
The conductor walked along the carriage, looking into each compartment:
- What's the matter? What do you have here?
No one answered her. Dozens of voices were heard from all sides, both indignant and laughing:
- Because of some boy, people are so worried!
- Misha! Misha, wake up, we have a viper!
- A? Which station?
Suddenly there was a heart-rending female squeal. Silence reigned instantly, and in this silence, from somewhere above, an affectionate Ukrainian dialect sounded:
- Don't be afraid! The whole strap fell on you.
Borya blinked his light eyelashes so guiltily that the guide stared at him and immediately asked:
- Well? .. What have you done here?
- The rag came loose ... I tied it with a rag, and she ...
- I wonder what kind of teacher makes students carry poisonous snakes! - said the citizen in pince-nez.
- Nobody forced me, - Borya stammered. “I… I thought of it myself to bring her.
- He took the initiative, - the lieutenant grinned.
The guide understood everything.
Borya dropped to all fours and crawled under the bench. The guide grabbed his boot and shouted louder than ever:
- What are you? Have you lost your mind? .. Get out! Get out, they tell you!
Borya sobbed under the bench and slightly jerked his leg:
- Himself… I missed it… myself and… I will find it.
"Enough, friend, don't be silly," said the lieutenant, pulling the hunter out from under the bench.
The conductor stood for a while, turned her head in confusion and headed for the exit:
- I'm going to report to the senior.
She did not return for a long time. The passengers are tired of worrying. The voices sounded less frequently, calmer. The lieutenant, two artisans, and several other men continued to search for the viper, carefully pulling suitcases and sacks from under the seats. The rest occasionally inquired about how they were doing, and talked about poisonous snakes in general.
- What are you telling me about cobras! Cobras live in the south.
-… bandage your hand tighter, suck the blood, then cauterize with a hot iron.
- Thank you! "Hot iron"!
An elderly collective farmer complained, without addressing anyone:
“I’ll go after them now! .. In 1944 my sister-in-law was bitten by this. I spent two weeks in the hospital.
The old man in a Panama hat was already sitting on the third shelf.
- Your sister-in-law got off cheaply. A viper bite can be fatal, ”he said coolly.
- There is! Here she is! - suddenly cried out one of the artisans.
It seemed as if the carriage itself sighed with relief and rattled the wheels more cheerfully.
- Where is "here"?
- Hit her quickly!
The squatting artisan was surrounded by several people. Pushing, interfering with each other, they looked under the side seat where the lieutenant was shining a flashlight.
- Under the bench, you say? The passengers asked them.
- Aha! Crawled into the very corner.
- How to get it?
- It's hard!
- Well, what are you standing? Will go away!
The elder came, and the girl-guide was with him. The elder bent down and, without taking his eyes off the dark corner under the bench, waved his hand at the conductor:
- Nodder! .. Nodder! Bring the boy!
The guide left. The car was silent, waiting for the junction. An old man in a Panama hat, sitting on the third shelf, took out his watch:
- In forty minutes Moscow. Time has passed imperceptibly. Thanks… um… thanks to the young man.
Some laughed. All those gathered around the craftsman looked at Borya, as if they had just now remembered about him. He stood aside, sad, tired, and slowly rubbed his soiled palms against each other.
- What, friend, are your labors lost? Said the lieutenant. - I hunted, hunted, my grandmother was completely drunk, and now this uncle will take your visual aid with a poker.
Borya raised his palm to the very nose and began to scrape off the dirt with his index finger.
- It's a pity, hunter, eh? The artisan asked.
- Think not! - Borya whispered.
The passengers were silent.
“It looks like it’s really not going well,” said the mustachioed worker suddenly. He sat quietly in his place and smoked, crossing his legs, looking at the toe of his mud-stained boot.
- What's not good? - turned the elder.
- Not for pampering, the guy is lucky. Killing is kind of inconvenient.
- What do you want to do with her? - asked the citizen in pince-nez.
- To catch! "What to do"! - answered the artisan. - Catch and give to the hunter.
The conductor came in with a poker. She looked warlike.
- Is there still? Didn't leave? Shine someone.
The lieutenant carefully took the poker from her.
- Comrades, maybe we won't, huh? Have mercy on the viper? .. Look at the little boy: after all, a man worked, he worked!
The perplexed passengers were silent. The senior looked at the lieutenant and blushed:
- You laugh, comrade, but our brother can be attracted if something happens to the passenger!
“But if you kill the viper, you, dad, will be attracted for something else,” the artisan said seriously.
- "Will attract" ... - held out the conductor. - For what is this attracted?
- For damaging school property, that's what.
All around they laughed and argued. Some said that they wouldn't keep a viper at school anyway; others claimed to be holding, but under special supervision, a biology teacher; still others agreed with the latter, but considered it dangerous to give the viper to Bora: what if he would let her out again in the tram or the subway!
- I will not let out! Here's an honest pioneer, I won't let it out! - said Borya, looking at the adults with such eyes that even an elderly collective farmer was moved.
- Yes, he will not release! - she pulled pityingly. - Tea, now a scientist! After all, you also need to have sympathy: other children run and frolic during the holidays, and he and his reptiles spent two weeks rummaging around.
- Y-yes! So to speak, respect for other people's work, - said the old man in Panama.
The citizen in pince-nez raised his head:
- You philosophize there. Would you walk him home?
- I AM? Hm! .. Actually ...
The lieutenant waved his hand.
- OK! I'm taking ... Where do you live?
- I live on Chernyshevsky Street.
- I will. Say thank you! I'm doing the hook because of you.
- Well, hunters, killed? Someone asked from the other end of the car.
- No. Pardoned, - answered the artisan.
The elder looked sternly at the "hunters":
- Children are small! - He turned to the conductor: - Bring the scoop. We put a scoop under it, and press it with a stump. Carry it!
- Children are small! - the conductor repeated, walking away.
Ten minutes later, the viper was lying in the jar, and the jar, this time very solidly closed, was on the lieutenant's lap. Borya sat next to the lieutenant, silent and radiant.
All the way to Moscow, passengers recalled their student years aloud, and it was a lot of fun in the carriage.
The protagonist of Yuri Sotnik's story "The Viper" is a boy named Borya. He returned from his grandmother to Moscow by train and carried with him a large basket and glass jar tied with a rag. The passengers asked the boy what he was carrying? It turned out that Bori had amphibians in his basket: frogs, lizards and snakes, which he had caught for the school terrarium.
A little later it turned out that the boy was carrying a real viper in the bank. One of the passengers, a young lieutenant, began to doubt that Borya had caught a viper and not a snake. Then Borya took out a can from under the bench to demonstrate the viper to the incredulous lieutenant.
And then he saw that the jar was empty. The rag that closed the can weakened and the snake got free. Upon learning that a viper was crawling along the carriage, the passengers began to worry, and the most fearful climbed onto the upper shelves.
Several men took up the search for a poisonous snake, and the viper was found. A dispute broke out among the passengers - to kill the snake or catch it. In the end, it was decided that the boy was doing a useful job, catching animals for the school terrarium. Therefore, it was decided to catch the snake and return it back to the bank, which was done.
And so that the viper does not run away again, the young lieutenant promised to accompany the boy home. The calmed passengers talked about their school years all the way to Moscow.
This is the summary of the story.
The main idea of the Centurion's story "The Viper" is that dangerous transportations require special precautions. Boy Borya did not really think about it, and as a result, he has a bad closed can a poisonous snake crept out, frightening the passengers of the train.
The story teaches you to be careful and accurate, especially in those matters that pose a danger to others. In life, you should always think over security measures. And if you are transporting a poisonous animal, then you need to take additional safety measures.
In the story, I liked the lieutenant, who suggested not to kill the snake, and who volunteered to escort the boy with a dangerous load to his home. The lieutenant did not take into account his personal time, and for safety reasons he accompanied the amphibian collector home.
What proverbs fit the Centurion's story "The Viper"?
The best of the snakes is still a snake.
On the cowardly and already - a snake.
How many snakes not to hold, but to expect troubles from it.
Sections: Literature
The purpose of the lesson: to expand the circle of students' reading, to continue working on the analysis of a prose work.
Lesson Objectives:
educational: develop the ability to observe an artistic word, make independent conclusions, show the role of speech characteristics in revealing the characters of heroes, the role of detail, means of expression;
developing: to form the ability to analyze a prose work, conduct a dialogue, form the main idea of the work, develop the ability to reason, develop research abilities (the ability to compare);
educational: draw the attention of students to issues related to the emergence of sympathy, respect for other people and all living things.
Technology: Personality-oriented.
Equipment: computer, slides with sound effects, children's drawings.
DURING THE CLASSES
1. Preparation for perception.
A phonogram sounds (you can hear the noise of a departing train, a railway station, the sound of wheels).
Do you guys hear? The train started moving. Here it is picking up speed, the wheels are knocking louder and louder. Let us, too, go in one of the carriages together with the heroes of the story "The Viper".
2. The teacher's word about the writer.
On this journey we were invited by a wonderful modern writer Yuri Vyacheslavovich Sotnik (slide No. 1 appears with a portrait of Yuri Sotnik). The heroes of his works are ordinary guys who could live, or maybe live next to us. Yuri Sotnik is a writer with a subtle sense of humor, you probably noticed that. The funny in the writer's story often turns into the serious and vice versa. But the author always shows the guys in difficult life situations. Why do you think?
3. Goal-setting.
The author reflects on what qualities a person needs to build good relationships with everyone around him. We will discuss this topic together with the writer. This is the purpose of our tutorial. What qualities do you think are in question? And what qualities hinder people in relations with each other? (Work in groups, then collective compilation and writing of the table).
Slide number 2 appears.
4. Text analysis(conversation on the content).
So, a boy enters the carriage in which we are going, too. What is unusual about his behavior? How does the author explain this? (The boy moved slowly through the carriage, keeping the bag at a respectful distance from him and not taking his eyes off it. ”In the bag of Bori (that was the boy's name) were“ amphibians and reptiles. ”)
What was the reaction of the passengers to the news that Borya was carrying “frogs, toads, lizards, snakes”? Prove with text. Don't forget that you are on this train too.
Would you like the neighborhood of such animals? (Working in pairs, then brainstorming and writing on the board.)
Passengers reacted differently.
What kind of relationship has developed between casual fellow travelers? What qualities contributed to this?
But the good-hearted relationship between the passengers is being tested. Which one?
Advance assignment: expressive reading in roles from the words “He has such yellow spots near his head” to “Come on, come on, granny, evacuate!”
Guys, what do you think Borya felt in those minutes? Find words and phrases that describe the boy's experiences. (Work in pairs). (The boy was confused. He was scared, he was ashamed of himself, sorry for the snake, he did not know what to do: “he suddenly fell silent,” “his face took on a concentrated expression,” “Borya sobbed under the bench,” “his ears were colored in a dark red color ”,“ beads of sweat appeared on the face. ”)
What do you think the boy needed most at that moment (imagine yourself in his place).
(Borya needed help, understanding, sympathy.)
Each of us, finding ourselves in a difficult situation, has the right to count on the understanding and sympathy of others. Do you often treat others with understanding? Did Borya find sympathy among the passengers? How did they behave?
When the viper was found, everyone argued about what to do with it. I remind you that you and I are also passengers of this train. Let's argue with others.
(Building a dialogue.)
Find the keywords in the text that are the most important arguments in defense of the viper.
(“You must have sympathy,” “respect for other people's work.”)
5. Vocabulary work.
(The guys work in pairs with explanatory dictionaries, look for dictionary entries for the words "sympathy", "respect", write down in a notebook, on the board, slide number 3 with dictionary entries and children's drawings.)
What other prefixed words are known to everyone? What unites them?
(Compassion, complicity, empathy, cooperation, involvement, community ..., Slide No. 4.)
6. Observation of the language of the work.
(Work in groups.)
In what words and actions of the heroes of the story the qualities that we talked about were manifested. What are these words? (Work in groups: 1 - observation of the speech and actions of the lieutenant, 2 - the worker, 3 - the collective farmer). Based on the results of the work - drawing up a table (slide number 5).
7. Generalization, conclusions.
Guys, what can you say about the passengers at the beginning of the story? What has changed in the final? Compare. Why did the change take place?
(At the beginning of the story we have disunited people: “many were sleeping in the carriage”, “the passengers were surreptitiously watching”, “until Boris appeared, the silence was broken only by the tapping of the carriage was very fun. ”People became friends, because they did a good deed together, showed the best human qualities, and this always brings even very different people closer together.)
So, guys, let's once again recall those qualities that contribute to the rapprochement of people, make communication pleasant, and life happier (slide number 2, left column with pictures of the guys.)
8. Summing up the lesson.
A lone lantern floated past the carriage window. The train stopped. Hurried voices were heard on the platform:
- Well, good hour! Look out of the window, don't stick out!
- I won't, grandma.
- How will you arrive, be sure to telegram! .. Borya, do you hear? Is it conceivable to carry such a dirty trick! The train started moving.
- Goodbye, grandma!
- Kiss your mom. I'll put a handkerchief in your pocket ... An old man in a Panama hat made of harsh linen remarked quietly:
- So, sir! Now, then, Borya will come here. The door opened and Borya entered. It was a boy of about twelve, plump, rosy-cheeked. The gray cap sat crookedly on his head, the black jacket flew open. In one hand he held a laundry basket, in the other a rope bag with a large green glass jar. He moved along the carriage slowly, carefully, keeping the bag at a respectful distance from him and not taking his eyes off it.
The car was full. Some of the passengers even climbed onto the upper shelves. Having reached the middle of the carriage, Borya stopped.
- We will make room for a little, and the young man will sit here, on the edge, - said the old man in a Panama hat.
- Thanks! - Borya said indistinctly and sat down, having previously tucked his luggage under the bench.
The passengers watched him surreptitiously. For some time he sat quietly, holding his knees with his hands and breathing deeply, then suddenly slid out of his seat, pulled out his bag and examined the contents of the jar through the glass for a long time. Then he said quietly: "Here", put away the bag and sat down again.
Many were asleep in the carriage. Before Boris appeared, the silence was broken only by the tapping of the wheels and someone's measured snoring. But now these monotonous, familiar, and therefore imperceptible sounds were mingled with a strange continuous rustle, which clearly came from under the bench.
The old man in a Panama hat put a large briefcase on his knees with an edge and turned to Bora:
- Are we going to Moscow, young man? Borya nodded.
- Were you at the dacha?
- In the village. By Grandma.
- So, so! .. In the village. It's good. - The old man was silent for a while. - Only hard, it must be alone. What luggage you have, not in height.
- Basket? No, it is light. - Borya bent down for some reason, touched the basket and added in passing: - There are only amphibians in it.
- How?
- Some amphibians and reptiles. It is light at all.
There was a moment of silence. Then a broad-shouldered worker with a dark mustache said:
- This is how to understand: amphibians and reptiles?
- Well, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes ...
- Brrr, what an abomination! - said the passenger in the corner. The old man drummed his fingers on the briefcase:
- Y-yes! Interesting! .. And what subject are you talking about, so to speak ...
- We are making a terrarium for the school. Two of our guys are building the very terrarium, and I am fishing.
- What are they doing? - Asked an elderly collective farmer, who was lying on the second shelf.
- Terrarium, - the old man explained, - this, you know, is such a glass box, like an aquarium. It contains all these ...
- These reptiles?
“W-well, yes. Not reptiles, but amphibians and reptiles, in scientific terms. - The old man again turned to Bora: - And ... and a lot, then you have these amphibians?
Borya raised his eyes and began to bend the fingers on his left hand:
- There are four of them, two toads, eight lizards and eleven frogs.
- What a horror! Came from a dark corner. An elderly collective farmer rose on her elbow and looked down at Borya.
- And you're taking everyone to school?
- Not all. We replace half of the snakes and frogs with newts in a nearby school.
“You’ll get a lot from the teachers ...”
Borya shrugged his shoulders and smiled indulgently:
- "Will hit"! Not at all. On the contrary, they will even say thank you. “So it won't get in for training,” agreed the mustachioed worker.
The conversation interested other passengers: a young tanned lieutenant came out of the next compartment and stopped in the aisle, resting his elbow on the second shelf; two collective farm girls came up, loudly cracking nuts; a tall bald citizen in pince-nez approached; two artisans approached. Borah was evidently flattered by this attention. He spoke more lively, no longer waiting for questions:
- You know what benefits we bring to the school ... One already in the pet store costs seven and fifty, and even try to get it! And frogs ... Let at least three rubles a piece, that's thirty-three rubles ... And the terrarium itself! .. If you buy one in a store, it will cost five hundred rubles. And you say "it will hit"!
The passengers laughed and nodded their heads.
- Well done!
- What do you think! And in fact they are beneficial.
- How long did you catch them? The lieutenant asked.
- Two whole weeks. In the morning I will have breakfast - and immediately go hunting. I'll come home, have lunch - and fish again, until the evening. - Borya took off his cap from his head and began fanning himself with it, - With frogs and toads, nothing else ... and lizards often come across, but with snakes ... I once saw one, rushed to him, and he - into the pond, but I could not resist - and also into the pond. Think it's not dangerous?
“Dangerous, of course,” the lieutenant agreed. Almost the entire carriage was now listening to the conversation. Smiling faces protruded from all the offices. When Borya spoke, there was silence. When he fell silent, muffled laughter and soft words were heard from everywhere: - What an interesting little boy!
- Small, but how conscious!
- N-yes! - said the old man in Panama. - Socially useful work. In our time, citizens, there were no such children. There were no such children!
“I would have caught even more if not for my grandmother,” said Borya. “She’s scared to death of them.
- Poor your grandmother!
- I didn’t tell her anything about the viper anyway.
- About whom?
- About the viper. I tracked her for four hours. She went under the stone, and I was waiting for her. Then she got out, I pinched her ...
- So, you are carrying a viper too? - the worker interrupted him.
- Aha! I have it in my bank, separately. - Borya waved his hand under the bench.
- That was still lacking! - moaned a passenger in a dark corner.
The audience quieted down a little. Their faces became more serious. Only the lieutenant continued to smile.
- Maybe it's not a viper? - he asked.
- "Not a viper"! - Borya was indignant. - And then what do you think?
- Another one too.
- Do you think I can't tell the difference?
- Well, show me!
- Yes, leave it! - they started talking around. - Well her!
- Let, let him show. Interesting.
- Well, what's interesting! Look disgusting!
- Don't you look.
Borya pulled out a bag from under the bench and squatted down in front of her. Those who stood in the aisle parted, those sitting on the benches raised themselves off their bridge and stretched their necks, looking at the green can.
“I've lived for forty years, but I can't tell a viper from a snake,” said the citizen in pince-nez.
- Here! The old man responded instructively. - And if you had a terrarium in your school, then you could.
- He has such yellow spots near his head, - said Borya, looking from the side inside the can. - And the viper has such specks ... - He suddenly fell silent. His face took on a concentrated expression. - The viper ... the viper has such specks ... - He again did not finish and looked at the jar from the other side. Then he looked under the bench. Then he slowly scanned the floor around him.
- What, no? Someone asked. Borya got up. Holding his knees with his hands, he was still staring at the can.
- I ... I recently checked it ... There was ... The passengers were silent. Borya looked under the bench again:
- The rag is untied. I tied her very tightly, and she ... see?
The rag was of no interest to anyone. Everyone looked at the floor cautiously and shifted from foot to foot.
- God knows what! The citizen in pince-nez hissed through clenched teeth. - It turns out that she is crawling here somewhere.
- Y-yes! History!
- It will sting you in the cramped quarters!
An elderly collective farmer sat down on a shelf and stared at Borya:
- What have you done to me! Cute! I have to go in three stops, and I have my things under the bench. How am I going to get them now?
Borya did not answer. His ears were dyed deep red, beads of sweat appeared on his face. He then bent down and peered under the bench, then stood with his hands down, mechanically tapping his thighs with his fingers.
- Got it! Little ones! - exclaimed a passenger in a dark corner.
- Aunt Masha! Aunt Mash! One of the girls shouted.
- Well? - came from the end of the car.
- Be careful there. The viper crawls under the benches.
- What about? What viper?
The carriage became very noisy. The girl-guide left the service compartment, blinked sleepily with her eyes and suddenly opened them wide. Two fellow artisans put a neat old woman on the second shelf:
- Come on, come on, granny, evacuate!
The lower benches, which had recently been overcrowded, now had a lot of empty seats, but from every third shelf there were several pairs of women's legs. The passengers who remained below sat with their heels on opposite benches. Several men were hovering in the aisle, lighting the floor with flashlights and matches.
The conductor walked along the carriage, looking into each compartment:
- What's the matter? What do you have here? No one answered her. Dozens of voices were heard from all sides, both indignant and laughing:
- Because of some boy, people are so worried!
- Misha! Misha, sleep it off, we have a viper!
- A? Which station?
Suddenly there was a heart-rending female squeal. Silence reigned instantly, and in this silence, from somewhere above, an affectionate Ukrainian dialect sounded:
- You are not afraid! The chain strap fell on you. Borya blinked his light eyelashes so guiltily that the guide stared at him and immediately asked:
- Well? .. What have you done here?
- The rag came loose ... I tied it with a rag, and she ...
- I wonder what kind of teacher makes students carry poisonous snakes! - said the citizen in pince-nez.
- Nobody forced me ... - Borya stammered. “I… I thought of it myself to bring her.
- He took the initiative, - the lieutenant grinned. The guide understood everything.
- "By myself"! - She cried in a crying voice - Climb under the bench now and catch! As you want, catch it! Am I going to climb for you? Climb, I say!
Borya dropped to all fours and crawled under the bench. The guide grabbed his boot and shouted louder than ever:
- What are you? I'm out of my mind ... Get out! Get out, they tell you!
Borya sobbed under the bench and slightly jerked his leg:
- Himself… I missed it… myself and… I will find it.
"Enough, friend, don't be silly," said the lieutenant, pulling the hunter out from under the bench.
The conductor stood for a while, turned her head in confusion and headed for the exit:
- I'm going to report to the senior.
She did not return for a long time. The passengers are tired of worrying. The voices sounded less frequently, calmer. The lieutenant, two artisans, and several other men continued to search for the viper, carefully pulling suitcases and sacks from under the seats. The rest occasionally inquired about how they were doing, and talked about poisonous snakes in general.
- What are you telling me about cobras! They live in the south.
-… bandage your hand tighter, suck the blood, then cauterize with a hot iron.
- Thank you! "Hot iron"!
An elderly collective farmer complained, without addressing anyone:
“I’ll go after them now! .. In 1944 my sister-in-law was bitten by this. I spent two weeks in the hospital. The old man in a Panama hat was already sitting on the third shelf.
- Your sister-in-law got off cheaply. A viper bite can be fatal, ”he said coolly.
- There is! Here she is! - suddenly cried out one of the artisans.
It seemed as if the carriage itself sighed with relief and rattled the wheels more cheerfully.
- Found it?
- Where is "here"?
- Hit her quickly!
The squatting artisan was surrounded by several people. Pushing, interfering with each other, they looked under the side seat where the lieutenant was shining a flashlight.
- Under the bench, you say? The passengers asked them.
- Aha! Crawled into the very corner.
- How to get it?
- It's hard!
- Well, what are you standing? Will go away!
The elder came, and the girl-guide was with him. The elder bent down and, without taking his eyes off the dark corner under the bench, waved his hand at the conductor:
- Nodder! .. Nodder! Bring the boy! The guide left. The car was silent, waiting for the junction. An old man in a Panama hat, sitting on the third shelf, took out his watch:
- In forty minutes Moscow. Time has passed imperceptibly. Thanks… um… thanks to the young man.
Some laughed. All those gathered around the craftsman looked at Borya, as if they had just now remembered about him.
He stood aside, sad, tired, and slowly rubbed his soiled palms against each other.
- What, friend, are your labors lost? Said the lieutenant. - I hunted, hunted, my grandmother was completely drunk, and now this uncle will take your visual aid with a poker.
Borya raised his palm to the very nose and began to scrape off the dirt with his index finger.
- It's a pity, hunter, eh? The artisan asked.
- Think not! - Borya whispered. The passengers were silent.
“It looks like it’s really not going well,” said the mustachioed worker suddenly. He sat quietly in his place and smoked, crossing his legs, looking at the toe of his mud-stained boot.
- What's not good? - turned the elder.
- Not for pampering, the guy is lucky. Killing is kind of inconvenient.
- What do you want to do with her? - asked the citizen in pince-nez.
- To catch! "What to do"! - answered the artisan. - Catch and give to the hunter.
The conductor came in with a poker. She looked warlike.
- Is there still? Didn't leave? Shine someone. The lieutenant carefully took the poker from the dog.
- Comrades, maybe we won't, huh? Have mercy on the viper? .. Look at the little boy: after all, a man worked, he worked!
The perplexed passengers were silent. The senior looked at the lieutenant and blushed:
- You laugh, comrade, but our brother can be attracted if something happens to the passenger!
“But if you kill the viper, you, dad, will be attracted for something else,” the artisan said seriously.
- "Will attract" ... - held out the conductor. - For what is this attracted?
- For damaging school property, that's what. All around they laughed together, then argued. Some said that they wouldn't keep a viper at school anyway; others claimed to be holding, but under special supervision, a biology teacher; still others agreed with the second, but considered it dangerous to give the viper to Bora: what if he let her out again in the tram or the subway!
- I will not let out! Here's an honest pioneer, I won't let it out! - said Borya, looking at the adults with such eyes that even an elderly collective farmer was moved.
- Yes, he will not release! - she pulled pityingly. - Tea, now a scientist! After all, you also need to have sympathy: other children run and frolic during the holidays, and he and his reptiles spent two weeks rummaging around.
- Y-yes! So to speak, respect for other people's work, - said the old man in Panama.
The citizen in pince-nez raised his head:
- You philosophize there ... Would you accompany the child home with his snake?
- I AM? Hm! .. Actually ... The lieutenant waved his hand:
- OK! I'm taking ... Where do you live?
- I live on Chernyshevsky Street.
- I will. Say thank you! I'm doing the hook because of you.
- Well, hunters, killed? Someone asked from the other end of the car.
- No. Pardoned, - answered the artisan. The elder looked sternly at the "hunters":
- Children are small! - He turned to the conductor: - Bring the scoop. We put a scoop under it, and press it with a stump! Carry it!
- Children are small! - the conductor repeated, walking away. Ten minutes later, the viper was lying in the jar, and the jar, this time very solidly closed, was on the lieutenant's lap. Borya sat next to the lieutenant, silent and radiant.
All the way to Moscow, passengers recalled their student years aloud, and it was a lot of fun in the carriage.
