– Well, daughter, in this dress we should keep you away from the beet-root! Sit down and relax, I’ll tell you how I amazed all the guests with my surprising costume when I was a child.

Katushka looked into Baba Galya’s eyes very carefully and thought, “I can’t believe that there was a time when grandmother was like me. That would be wonderful to meet, to play with little Galochka- Alochka and to ask, “How are you?””.

Meanwhile, grandmother started her story about the adventures with her brother.

That year the neighbors from the same street invited father, mother, Alochka and Vaska to celebrate the New Year. They had three sons, a year apart in age, a bit elder and younger that Alochka. It was time to go out, but she hasn’t decided yet which dress to put on to pay a visit. If there were girls, there wouldn’t be any questions, but this time there are boys…

If she puts on a sequined tinseled snowflake dress, these troublemakers will certainly pull the decorations and rip everything. If she chooses the cat costume, she’ll back home without tail. Maybe, the fox costume? No, she’s been fed up with the fox in three years, and, anyway, her hair will sweat et become gummed up under the hat with flaps in the warm house.

– Alochka, baby, are you ready? I’ve clother Vasya and taken the rooster costume. And who will you be at the party? – asked mother trying to put on the hat on constantly twirly Vasya.

– I’ve decided to put on a trouser suit. I’ll be… a girl wearing a

blue suit! – answered drily Alochka who did love to amaze guests with her costumes, but today something went wrong.

– It’s strange, but okay. If you’ve decided like that.

Well, can we go out? – uttered mother.

It was a real magic night. It was snowing. One might see a wonderful dance of every flying snowflake under the street lights. The path to the neighbors’ house sparkled with diamonds. Alochka wasn’t in a hurry at all to see the naughty boys, she walked slower and slower enjoying the freshness of the air and the beauty of the New Year night.

– Daughter, where are you? We are already knocking at the neighbors’ door! – said mother in a bit annoyed voice.

– I’m coming! I’ll just finish up my snowman and get up to you! – answered Alochka putting one snow ball on another.

In ten minutes all the family: father, mother, Vasya and Alochka were already at the table and were eating pasties with poppy seeds baked by the housemistress. It was the most favorite delicacy of all the children, and Alochka loved it too, of course. After three pasties the children were full and spread in the house to the adults’ delight.

One, two, three, four, five! Ready or not, here I come! – cried eight year old boy Leshka.

Alochka run into the next dark room and squeezed under the sofa. The crack between the sofa and the floor was narrow, but thin Alochka in skinny blue trousers just wriggled into there.

Leshka has run already two times past the secret place, he even peeped and looked into Alochka’s eyes, but he saw nobody in the dark. At first, it was ridiculous, but then she was bored and even disgusted. They haven’t washed under the sofa for a long time and her noses started intching much. She couldn’t help it any longer and started sneezing loudly, that’s how she attracted attention of Leshka who had definitively lost her.

Meanwhile, content and relaxed adults were at the table talking about the success of their children who blasted past whooping over and over again. Finally, Leshka found sneezing Alochka and led her from the dark room to the guests. Silence fell at the table, and only mother couldn’t help saying a word.