N.Nosov

Hide-and-Seek

Translated by Jim Riordan
freebooksforkids.net
Illustrated by A.Kanevsky

Vitya and Slavik were neighbours. They were always popping in to see each other.

Hide-and-Seek

One day Vitya came to see Slavik and Slavik said to him:

"Let's play hide-and-seek!"

"Okay," said Vitya. "Only bags I'm the first to hide."

"Oh, alright then, I'll try and find you," said Slavik and went into the corridor.

Hide-and-Seek

Vitya ran into the room, crawled under the bed and shouted:

"Ready!"

Hide-and-Seek

Slavik came in, looked under the bed and found him straightaway. Vitya crawled out, complaining:

"That's not fair! I didn't hide properly! If I'd hidden properly you wouldn't have found me. I'll hide again."

"Alright, hide again if you like," Slavik agreed and went back into the corridor.

Hide-and-Seek

Vitya ran out into the yard looking for somewhere to hide. By the shed he saw the dog kennel with Bobik in it. He quickly chased Bobik out of the kennel, crawled inside and shouted:

"Ready!"

Slavik came into the yard and started looking for Vitya. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find him.

Then Vitya got fed up with being inside the kennel and began peeping out. Slavik saw him and cried:

"So that's where you are! Out you come!"

Hide-and-Seek

Vitya crawled out of the kennel and said:

"That's not fair! You didn't find me. I looked out myself."

"Well, why did you look out?"

"I got tired of sitting all hunched up in the kennel. If I hadn't been hunched up you wouldn't have found me. I'll hide again."

"No, it's my turn to hide now," Slavik said.

"Then I won't play at all!" said Vitya huffily.

Hide-and-Seek

"Oh, alright then, hide again if you must," Slavik gave in.

Vitya ran into the room, shut the door, climbed behind the clothes stand and hid under a coat. Slavik set off to look for him again. As he opened the door, Bobik slipped in, padded over to the clothes stand and began nuzzling up to Vitya. Vitya kicked him away angrily.

Slavik saw this and shouted:

"So that's where you are! Behind the clothes stand! Out you come!"

Hide-and-Seek

Vitya crawled out and said:

"That's not fair! You didn't find me. It was Bobik who found me. I'll hide again!"

"No you won't," said Slavik. "You do all the hiding, and I have to look for you each time."

"Well, just look for me once more, then you can hide," said Vitya.

Hide-and-Seek

Slavik closed his eyes tight again, and Vitya ran into the kitchen, pulled all the china out of the cupboard, hid inside it and shouted:

"Ready!"

Hide-and-Seek

Slavik went into the kitchen, saw the china on the floor and immediately guessed where Vitya was. He crept quietly up to the cupboard, latched it, then ran into the yard and started playing hide-and-seek with Bobik. He hid and Bobik looked for him.

Hide-and-Seek

"This is great!" thought Slavik. "Bobik's much more fun to play with than Vitya."

After a while Vitya grew tired of sitting in the cupboard. He tried to get out, but the door wouldn't open.

Then he got scared and shouted:

"Slavik! Slavik!"

Slavik heard him and ran in.

"Let me out of here!" Vitya shouted. "The door won't open."

"I'll let you out if you'll look for me."

"Why should I look for you, if you didn't find me."

"But I did find you."

"It wasn't you who found me. I shouted out. If I hadn't shouted, you wouldn't have found me."

"Then you can stay in the cupboard, and I'll go and play," said Slavik.

"You mustn't do that!" Vitya shouted. "That's not a friendly thing to do."

"Well, is making me look for you all the time a friendly thing to do?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then you can stay in the cupboard all day."

"Alright, I'll look for you, only let me out," Vitya begged him.

Slavik unlatched. Vitya came out, saw the latch and said:

"So you locked me in on purpose? I'm not going to look for you!"

"Well, don't then," said Slavik. "I prefer playing with Bobik."

"But Bobik can't look for you, can he?"

"Oh, yes, he can. He's even better at it than you!"

"Then let's both hide from Bobik."

So Vitya and Slavik went into the yard and began to hide from Bobik. Bobik was good at playing hide-and-seek, only he couldn't keep his eyes closed tight.

Hide-and-Seek

Author: Nosov N.; illustrated by Kanevsky A.

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