One day Vasily was walking to nursery school with his mum. They were in such a hurry that, not noticing a stone in the road, the boy stumbled and fell. He sprawled on the pavement and began to cry. A little dog ran up to him and licked his nose.
Mum said:
How did you not see that stone? You must watch where you're going. Now we'll have to buy you some glasses.
The little dog wagged its tail, barked loudly and ran ahead, looking back as if showing them the way. Vasily and his mum followed the dog. Turning the corner, they saw a bright sign above a shop door that hadn't been there before.
The sign read 'Necessities and Enchantments'. The dog ran into the shop, and Vasily and his mum followed. Mum asked the shopkeeper if he had glasses so that one could notice stones and pebbles in time.
No, but we have glasses for noticing all sorts of delicious things with interchangeable lenses.
The shopkeeper replied.
What delicious things? What nonsense!
Mum was surprised. And the shopkeeper laid a pair of glasses with strawberry-coloured lenses on the counter:
You can try them on.
Mum said that such glasses wouldn't suit her, and she didn't really need glasses anyway—it was her son who needed them to notice stones and pebbles.
The dog, jumping onto the counter, with a clever flick of its tail placed the glasses with strawberry-coloured lenses on the boy's nose.
Oh!
Vasily exclaimed.
What's wrong with you?
Mum cried out.
How delicious!
Said the boy. He took an eraser from the table, which turned into a ripe strawberry in his hands, and ate it. The air smelled of strawberries.
What on earth is this?
Mum asked. But the shopkeeper didn't answer her. He removed a curtain from a shelf unit standing against the wall, on whose shelves multicoloured glass pieces gleamed in different colours.
What on earth is this?
Mum repeated her question.
These are interchangeable lenses for the glasses. Will you take them?
I'm not entirely sure I understand…
Mum began.
What other lenses do you have?
Vasily interrupted her.
Here, please, let me introduce you.
The shopkeeper led him to the shelf unit. The little glass pieces chimed merrily. The shopkeeper took the glasses and changed the strawberry lenses for grape ones. The boy put on the glasses, picked up a pencil lying on the table, which immediately turned into a beautiful bunch of grapes.
We'll take the glasses!
The boy cried out joyfully.
Yes, yes, of course we'll take them, but is there an instruction manual? And what's the warranty period? And how much…
Said mum.
The shopkeeper wrapped the glasses and lenses in a bag, handed it to the boy and said:
For you, as our very first customers, it's free.
Completely free?
Mum asked.
Completely.
And the warranty?
You don't need a warranty. The glasses can only break if you want them to—or rather, if you don't want them to help you.
'Woof-woof-woof,' came from the table.
Oh, excuse me, I almost forgot.
He went over to the dog and put on it glasses with sausage-coloured lenses.
Won't you be late for nursery school?
Oh, thank you for reminding me. I need to get to work! Thank you so much!
Mum suddenly remembered and they hurried to nursery school.
After dropping her son at the gate and greeting the carer, mum rushed to the bus stop—she was late for work. Vasily went over to his friends from his group. The children were sitting in the sandpit making things. Each was making something different. He wanted to work with the sand too, but there wasn't enough room.
You're late!
Said a girl named Svetochka.
We're playing at a vegetable and fruit shop. Buy some vegetables and fruit!
She called out.
And here are bananas! Here are watermelons, though they're small. And these are nuts.
A boy named Semka had laid out small pebbles in front of him. Vasily loved nuts very much. He put on the glasses with nut-coloured lenses:
Very tasty nuts.
He began to take the pebbles and crunch them with pleasure. Semka said:
What are you doing? We're playing pretend!
Help yourself!
Vasily opened his palm, which held nuts.
Ah! You were joking.
Realised a boy named Igorek. He had seen Vasily take stones and hadn't noticed them turn into nuts.
Does anyone have oranges?
Vasily asked.
Here.
Said Anyutka, showing her sand fruit.
I'll buy them.
Vasily put on the glasses with orange-coloured lenses, and all the children saw him pick up an orange from Anyutka's counter.
We went to the circus too. There was an uncle magician who pulled a rabbit out of a hat, and he also made doves appear from his pocket.
Said Katyushka.
I want a watermelon!
Vasily changed the lenses. All the children gathered in amazement around a watermelon that had appeared from nowhere in the sandpit.
We'll need to wash it and cut it first.
Said Vasily. While the children sat around with their mouths open, he ran to fetch plates, a bucket of water and a knife. After cutting the watermelon, he said to the children:
Help yourselves!
The children timidly began to take pieces of watermelon and cautiously tried it. But the watermelon was very juicy and sweet. Their caution disappeared. Vasily took off the glasses and asked little Katyushka:
What would you like?
A pineapple.
Vasily changed the lenses and put the glasses on Katyushka.
Oh!
She cried out, then suddenly burst out laughing, holding a large pineapple in her hands.
I want an apple!
Said Vlada.
And I want a peach.
Said Mishenka. Vasily was kept busy changing lenses. The carers noticed that extraordinary things were happening in the sandpit.
Right then, who brought the fruit?
Asked the older carer.
Did you wash them?
We did, we did! Help yourselves!
Said Vasily.
No, thank you.
Is it someone's birthday today?
Asked the younger carer, coming over to the sandpit.
And where's the cake?
She joked. Vasily handed her the glasses:
Here's your cake!
He pointed to a large pile of sand. The younger carer laughed, put on the glasses and said:
A virtual sponge cake?
It's real. Try it.
Said Vasily.
Where did the cake come from? I'm quite sure it wasn't here.
The older carer was surprised.
And you can see it?
Asked the younger carer. She took off the glasses, carefully reached out her hand, picked up some icing with her finger and tasted it:
Vanilla. My throat's a bit dry.
She said.
Vasily changed the lenses in the glasses, and everyone saw that the spade she was holding had turned into a large bottle of lemonade. She looked questioningly at the children and the older carer. And the older carer said:
Let's celebrate…
Celebrate what?
Interrupted the younger carer.
Let's celebrate the Day of Wonders!
Hurray!!!
The children shouted. The glasses passed from hand to hand, and Vasily kept changing the lenses. The whole nursery school gathered around the sandpit.
There were carers and nannies, the cook Auntie Masha, the caretaker, the facilities manager and even the nursery director, a candidate of pedagogical sciences. And everyone was treated to food, everyone laughed, and everyone congratulated each other on the holiday of the 'Day of Wonders'.
When parents arrived in the evening, they were very surprised because the children and carers and nannies, the cook Auntie Masha, the caretaker, the facilities manager and even the nursery director—a candidate of pedagogical sciences—who met them at the gate were somehow smeared with cream and chocolate.
