river. They want to go into the water.
Timoshka is still in the car. He doesn’t know what a river is and he is a bit afraid.
He looks out of the car and asks, “Where is the river? I see a lot of water but where is the river?”
Alyosha and Bertha laugh.
“This water is the river,” Alyosha says, “Go out of the car.”
Timoshka goes out of the car. He is sitting on the sand and looking at the river.
“River is water,” he says, “A lot of water. I don’t like water. I don’t like the river.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Bertha says, “River is nice. Try to swim. I like to swim.”
“Maybe I can swim. Maybe I cannot swim, I don’t know,” Timoshka says. “I think I must try.”
He goes to the river and touches the water with his nose. Then he touches it with his paw.
Alyosha and Bertha are already in the water. They are swimming and playing.
“Swim to us!” they cry, “Swim to us!”
“Maybe I cannot swim,” answers Timoshka, “I don’t know.”
Alyosha comes to him and says, “Try, it’s easy to swim. All the cats can swim. I am here, I can help you.”
He takes Timoshka and very, very carefully puts him into the water. “Try to swim. Don’t be afraid,” he says.
Timoshka tries to swim and he understands that he can.
“Wow, wow, wow! I can swim! I am swimming!” he cries.
But where is Moc?
He is still sitting in Alyosha’s pocket. He is afraid to go out. Because he must sit quietly.
CHAPTER 13. MOC MEETS MUM AND DAD
Alyosha thinks, “Where is Moc?”
He goes to the car and finds Moc in the pocket.
“Why are you sitting here?” he asks.
“Because I must sit quietly” Moc answers.
Alyosha laughs. “I think you may meet Mum.”
But Moc is afraid. “I think she may be angry,” he says.
“I don’t think so, she is kind,” Alyosha smiles, “Let’s try.”
He takes Moc and goes to his parents.
“Mum, Dad, meet Moc,” he says.
Mum is surprised, Dad is interested.
“Who is Moc?” they ask.
“Moc is my friend. And he is the friend of Bertha and Timoshka,” Alyosha says, “He is a very nice mouse.”
“A mouse?” Mum says, “But mice eat everything. He may eat everything in our yard, in our car, and in our house. A mouse cannot be a friend.”
Moc tries to go back to Alyosha’s pocket. He is sad because Mum doesn’t like him.
“No, no,” Alyosha says, “Moc doesn’t eat everything. He lives in the yard in his den and comes to play with Bertha and Timoshka.”
“But Timoshka may eat him,” says Dad, “Cats always est mice.”
Timoshka is near. “I never eat mice,” he says, “And Moc is my friend, I cannot eat him.”
But where is Moc?
He is sitting in the pocket again, very, very sad.
Alyosha takes Moc out of the pocket.
“Moc, meet my Mum and Dad,” he says. “Mum, Dad, meet Moc.”
“We are glad to meet you, Moc,” Mum and Dad say.
“I am glad to meet you,” says Moc.
He is happy.
CHAPTER 14. HAPPY HOP
All the family goes home. Father is driving the car. Mother is sitting near him. Alyosha, Timoshka, Bertha, and Moc are sitting behind.
Suddenly they see some animal on the ground. It is small and brown. The animal is sitting and looking at the car.
“Who’s that?” Alyosha asks, “I want to see.”
“Me too,” Timoshka says.
“Me too,” Bertha says.
“Me too,” Moc says.
“Ok,” Father says, “Let’s see.”
They all go out of the car and go to the animal.
“Who are you?” Alyosha asks.
“I don’t know,” the animal says, “But my name is Happy Hop. My friends call me Happy Hop.”
“A strange name,” Timoshka thinks.
“Have you got a family?” Alyosha asks.
“No, I haven’t got a family, I have got only friends,” Happy Hop says.
“And where are your friends?” Alyosha asks.
“I don’t know,” Happy Hop answers, “May I go with you?”
“Let’s take Happy Hop with us,” Alyosha says, “Mum, please.”
“I don’t know,” Mum says, “He may be not good.”
“I am good, I am good,” Happy Hop says, “Take me with you please, I am good.”
“Mum, he is good. Let’s take him with us.”
“Ok,” Mother says, “But Alyosha, you must wash him. I think he is dirty.”
Happy Hop jumps very high on his all four legs. “Wow, wow, wow!” he cries, “I go with you!”
Alyosha laughs. “Now I know why your friends call you Happy Hop,” he says, “because you jump high when you are happy.”
“A nice name,” Timoshka thinks.
The friends are happy. They don’t know who Happy Hop is but they have a new friend.
Happy Hop is happy too.
CHAPTER 15. ALYOSHA WASHES HAPPY HOP
Alyosha brings water and soap to the yard.
“Time to wash,” he says, “Happy Hop, come to me!”
“I don’t want to wash,” says Happy Hop, “I never wash.” And Happy Hop tries to hide behind Bertha.
“But you are dirty,” Alyosha says, “You are so dirty that we cannot understand what animal you are.”
At this moment Mum comes.
“If you don’t wash I am going to take you back to the field,” she says. “Everybody must be clean.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Timoshka says, “It is not dangerous.”
But Happy Hop is a bit afraid. He closes his eyes when Alyosha takes him and puts him into the water, very, very carefully.
All the friends are sitting around them and looking at Alyosha and Happy Hop.
“Happy Hop, how are you?” Bertha asks.
“Happy Hop, are you fine?” Timoshka asks.
“Happy Hop, open your eyes,” Moc says.
Happy Hop opens