– Хорошо. А мама меня сильно наругает?

– Натворила – отвечай.

Катюшка слушала бабушку не моргая.

– Больше всех в этой истории досталось маме, не уследившей за детьми, и в этот Новый год она была немного грустная. А облысевшая с одного боку ёлка всё равно была самая красивая в деревне. Несколько шишек на ней уцелело и вызывало неподдельную зависть у местной малышни, – закончила свой рассказ баба Галя.

– Ну, девчата, принимайте лесную

красавицу! – громко крикнул краснощёкий дед, стоящий с огромной пушистой ёлкой на пороге.

– Ух ты, деда, молодец! Как приятно пахнет! Теперь у вас будет настоящий Новый год, как в твоём детстве, да, бабушка? – прыгая вокруг зелёной гостьи, радовалась Катюшка.

Баба Галя улыбнулась, и в её глазах заблестели едва заметные слезинки.

Getting a Christmas tree

– Grandpa, why haven’t you decorated the Christmas tree with granny? The New Year is soon, isn’t it? – asked little granddaughter Katushka pulling her grandfather’s sleeve. It’s been over an hour that grandfather has been trying to get concentrated and to finish his academic article.

– Yes! That’s true! – said grandfather with a smile having abandoned all hope of finishing today’s work. – Galina! – he cried to Baba Galya who was occupied in the kitchen, – I think I’ll go to get a Christmas tree for our granddaughter.

– Be careful, Volodya, it’s cold outside. Perhaps, we’ll do without a Christmas tree? And Katushka’s parents will take her home soon, – said Baba Galya going into the husband’s study, but after having seen the enthusiasm in his fi eyes, she understood that her real-life thoughts hadn’t found any support. – Do you know at least where can you buy Christmas trees? – uttered Baba Galya petting cherishingly the back of her husband.

– I do! – there was the sound of the short answer. Grandpa struck the hands together, collected his sheets of paper, arranged them carefully on the shelves,

and rushed to get dressed.

– I also want to buy a Christmas tree! Ba, can I? – whined Catherina.

– Wait, Katush, it’s very cold today, and after all, we don’t know how much time he will be looking for a tree… I’d better pull out our old toys and garlands, and we’ll decorate the flat, – said Baba Galya to her irrepressible granddaughter. – Katya, could you help to get to the entresols?

Granddaughter took thought at a loss. To walk with grandpa was very joyful, but the entresols under the very ceiling were something very magic and tempting. There were a lot of old things that she’s wanted to see for a long time. And now she got the chance!

While granny was persuading her to stay at home, grandpa was already ready waiting at the door.

– Well, girls. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon! – he blurted out inspired by the idea of cutting loose and cheering up his granddaughter.

It turned up to be super interesting in the entresols: there were carefully put old carpets, books, magazines, a stack-stand for a Christmas tree in the form of a huge snowflake, boxes with garlands and Christmas toys. That was a fund of unexplored things which she was pulling out and studying.

In order to distract her from throwing about this home junkyard which there was many, Baba Galya said,

– Katushka, let’s drink some tea with sweets, and I’ll tell you a story about my brother and me, how we went to look for a Christmas tree.

– But I’ll go up there again, okay? – descending the ladder answered the girl, she adored the Granny’s stories.

The kettle made a noise and turned off. Granny got a bag with multicolored sweets.

– Guess what color this sweet is? – asked lively Grandmother Galya putting her hand into a bag with multicolored sweets.