A certain girl had a doll that she had once found by her apartment building on a bench, lonely and abandoned. The doll was handmade, sewn from old rags. The eyes were embroidered with thread and looked somewhat sad, gazing off into the distance. It was wet and dirty.
The girl felt sorry for the doll:
Mum, let's take her. After all, it's not right to be abandoned.
Said the girl.
All right.
Said her mum.
But we'll put up a notice that this doll is with us, in case the owner turns up and we have to return her.
Okay.
Answered the girl.
At home they washed and dried the doll.
You're very unusual.
Said the girl to the doll, examining her.
If you stay with me, I'll definitely give you a beautiful name. Do you agree?
The girl looked into the doll's embroidered eyes, and it seemed to her that the doll blinked.
A week later, the doll's owner appeared—August. His mum had sewn this doll for him when he was very small. August had kept it as a memento.
He explained that the doll had been washed and hung to dry on the balcony, the wind had blown it off the line, and it had fallen in the dirt. Apparently someone felt sorry for the poor thing, picked it up and placed it on the bench.
Hello, girl.
Said the visitor.
You have my doll, as it says in the notice.
Yes.
Answered the girl sadly.
Here.
And she handed the doll to its owner.
You know what?
August smiled.
Keep her, I'd be happy if you two became friends. I think she'll be very well off with you.
My name is Renata.
She answered with a happy smile.
Thank you very much!
Renata sat at the table on a pouffe in her room. She was painting an apple with gouache. Next to the paints sat the doll. She accidentally knocked over the white gouache with her hand and spilled paint on the doll.
Oh dear!
Exclaimed Renata.
I'll have to wash you again.
She said to the doll.
The doll looked at the girl in a strange way. At least, that's what it seemed to Renata. The doll was washed and left to dry on the windowsill. Night was falling and Renata went to bed.
The first rays of sun peeped through the window. The doll opened her eyes:
What a lovely morning.
Thought the doll, and smiled at the flower growing in the flowerbed under the window.
Would you mind if I gave you to the girl?
She asked the flower.
I would.
Answered the flower.
You'll pick me, which means I'll simply die.
Nonsense.
Thought the doll and, bending down, picked the flower. The flower immediately wilted and fell silent.
Hey!
The doll tried to cheer it up. But the flower was silent.
I didn't want you to die. I just wanted to give you to the girl, after all she saved me.
The flower was silent. The doll tried to reattach it to the stem. The flower remained silent.
Renata woke up:
Good morning!
She said to the doll.
I thought it was time to give you a name. A name is like a document.
Renata thought for a moment, looked at the doll once more and said:
Let's call you Gennady! Do you like it?
The doll fluttered her cloth eyelashes:
Actually, I'm sort of a girl. Why Gennady?
But she didn't argue with Renata:
Gennady it is—that's actually quite funny.
Thought the doll.
In fact, her thoughts were occupied with something else—behind her back, in her cloth hands, the flower was dying.
I'll definitely save you.
The doll said to the flower.
And you'll live again.
Renata had her own plan for the new day—she was supposed to meet her friends.
You'll come with me.
She said to Gennady.
It's time to introduce you to society.
These meetings usually took place in a clearing not far from where Renata lived.
She opened her rucksack, put Gennady inside, and didn't even notice how the doll grabbed the picked flower with her.
And so Gennady's adventures began.
First Meetings
Gennady opened the rucksack zip and climbed out, holding the flower tightly in her hand.
Dandelions grew in the clearing, and Gennady saw a stranger.
She decided to approach closer. The stranger was very busy: he was the size of a pea, yellow with a brown stripe and with little antennae. Next to Gennady she saw 5-6 more just like him.
She plucked up courage and said:
Hello, I'm Gennady.
One stranger answered:
I'm Maxim, and I'm a bee! Yes, we're all bees here!
I want to bring this little flower back to life. Will you help me?
Asked Gennady.
The bees buzzed indignantly:
We're busy! We need to stock up on honey for winter!!!
And only Maxim answered:
I'll help you!
Thank you.
Said Gennady happily.
But I need to find what will bring it back to life.
The bee Maxim, thinking for a moment, said:
I know what that is! Didn't Renata's white gouache bring you to life?
Yes.
That's what we need to find! Does Renata still have any left?
Asked Maxim.
No.
Answered Gennady sadly.
We'll have to look for it! Otherwise the flower will die in just two days!
How do you know?
Asked Gennady fearfully.
I studied 'FLOWEROLOGY' at school and got top marks in it!
Boasted Maxim.
Oh! I know some ants—they collect everything that falls. We should ask them about the white gouache.
Will you come with me?
No, unfortunately! I have to work with everyone else, or they'll throw me out of the hive! And I really don't want that!
Oh well!
Said Gennady sadly.
All right, good luck!
And Maxim flew away!
Bye.
Gennady set off on her way, but remembered that the bee Maxim hadn't told her where to go! She looked around, saw a large mound, thinking it was an anthill, and headed towards it.
The Ant Colonel
The journey turned out to be not so short. Gennady finally reached the anthill. All around her, small creatures were busily carrying things from place to place.
These must be the ants:
Thought Gennady.
And suddenly she noticed that the one commanding the work was looking at her suspiciously:
Hello, I'm Gennady.
Said the doll hurriedly.
Hello.
He said in a loud voice.
Who sent you, comrade?
I came from Maxim, he's a bee.
Maxim... I haven't heard from him in ages! What are you here for?
I came for white gouache to bring a little flower back to life.
Too late. Oh yes, sorry, Gennady, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Colonel Michael!
That is, Misha?
That's right!
And who did you give the white gouache to?
To my soldier brothers and the red ants!
And where are they?
The soldiers are over there!
Colonel Misha pointed at the kerb.
And the red ants are over there!
And he pointed at the trees.
But! You'd better go to the soldiers first!
All right, thank you! Bye!
Gennady ran towards the soldiers.
Good luck, comrade Gennady!
Said the colonel and returned to his duties.
Gennady turned round and waved to him.
Soldier Masha
The first one Gennady noticed was a red ant with black spots and little antennae:
Hello, I'm Gennady.
Hello, I'm Masha, and I'm in a great hurry!
Muttered the red ant with black spots and little antennae.
Colonel Misha sent me.
Sorry, I'm in a terrible hurry! I need to get to those bushes over there urgently. Let's talk later!
I can help you.
Really? Then what are you waiting for, help!
All right.
And they got there in a flash.
Thanks so much! I'll be right back, please wait.
Said Masha and disappeared into the bushes.
Appearing a minute later, she asked Gennady:
So what did you want to talk about?
I came for white gouache, from Colonel Misha.
You're too late, my dear, my subjects have used it all up. You'll have to go to the red ants. Well, never mind, all is not lost!
Thank you.
Said Gennady and set off to the red ants, but it turned out that they too had no white gouache left that could bring the flower back to life.
The day was ending, and Gennady had to return to the clearing with dandelions and bees.
Seeing that Renata was already packing her rucksack, she slipped inside unnoticed, clutching the wilted flower to herself.
Back home, Renata placed the doll on the windowsill and asked:
Well, did you enjoy the walk? It's a shame you can't talk.
Said Renata.
All right, don't be sad, I'm going to talk to Mum.
And she shut the door.
In the doll's cloth chest, a tiny heart beat desperately with pain and hurt at having killed the flower.
A tear rolled from her toy eyes... and fell on the flower.
It stirred and sighed.
Don't cry, Gennady, instead collect the seeds from my head. In spring, scatter them in the flowerbed. Rain will come and they'll wake up. Many, many new flowers will grow. Don't cry, but remember, to make one happy, you cannot hurt another.
I'll remember.
Smiled Gennady.
Night fell. Renata was getting ready for bed.
Come on, I'll put you to bed with me.
She said to the doll.
No need for you to sit there alone.
Renata placed the doll on the pillow, hugged her, and the girl thought she heard the beat of a real heart...
