Open Animals Day

Open Animals Day
Александр Иванович Фурсов

A boy named Misha and his dad went to the zoo. However, the zoo was closed. Fortunately, visitors to the zoo were allowed to take animals for a while to walk with them.

Александр Фурсов

Open Animals Day

On Saturday, dad promised to take Misha to the zoo. The son, like all children, was very fond of going to the zoo. Therefore, this Saturday morning, the boy should have woken up cheerful and joyful. But on the contrary, for some reason he woke up sad. It turned out because he thought it was still Friday, and his mother would again take him to kindergarten, like yesterday and the day before yesterday. And Misha did not want to go to kindergarten at all, because he was a little tired of this kindergarten, or maybe not a little.

Mom entered the room:

– Mishulya! Time to get up!

– Why? – the son asked.

– It's time to go with dad to the zoo! – said my mother.

– Isn't today Friday? – he wondered.

– Friday was yesterday.

– Hooray! – Misha rejoiced. He jumped out of bed and ran to wash himself. On weekdays, when he had to go to the kindergarten, Misha never jumped out of bed, especially as fast as firefighters jump up on the alarm. Usually he would lie around for a long time, slowly open first one eye, then the other, close them again and fall asleep again until mom pulled the blanket off Misha. Then he would sit down and start opening his eyes again, rubbing them with his fists and shaking his head, trying to banish a dream that for some reason did not want to leave. But today was different. Today was a Saturday, and besides, not a simple day off, but a special day – the day of a trip to the zoo. Misha adored animals, even domestic, but he was completely delighted with wild animals. Today, even Misha squeezed toothpaste not on his finger, as usual, but on a brush and began to carefully clean each of his milk teeth, and then his tongue. He saw on TV how the doctor advised to clean and the tongue too. Misha wanted to get to the zoo so badly that he was ready for anything, even all morning to behave like a pai boy. Therefore, at breakfast, he was not capricious, did not scratch the table with a spoon and did not look with a bored view out the window. Misha quickly ate the hated semolina porridge and even smiled at his parents when the plate was empty. After that, he drank unloved boiled milk and did not even wince when he swallowed the foam, which on ordinary days he always caught from the mug and discreetly threw away. After finishing breakfast, the son and dad went outside and got on the red tram that came.

– Is it a fire tram? – Misha asked.

– No, – dad said. – Why did you decide that?

– Вecause it's red, – Misha replied.

– Okay, – dad smiled. – Red, son, there are not only fire engines!

An old tram on the turns chattered from side to side.

– And why does the tram stagger? – Misha asked.

– He's old already, – dad replied.

– Is it time for him to retire?

– It's high time.

– Why isn't he leaving?

– Doesn't let go.

– Who?

– Chief.

– Why?

– Because there is no one to replace, – dad explained.

– And where are the young trams? – Misha asked.

– I'd like to know that myself, – dad sighed. – You need to ask the mayor.

There was a queue at the entrance to the zoo.

– Who's the last? – dad asked.

– Probably us, – replied a tall, thin man with glasses holding the hands of two toddlers. The boys, like dad, were also wearing glasses.

– We're behind you, – dad said.

Out of the gate came a sweaty fat man in shorts on suspenders. On a leash, he led a half-asleep lion.

– Citizen! – four-eyed turned to him. – Why do you have a lion without a muzzle?

– It's not my lion, – the fat man replied.

– It's clear that it's not yours, – the four-eyed said. – Because this lion is from the state zoo, which means that it belongs to all the people. But do you lead it?

– Me, – the fat man admitted. – But I wasn't given muzzled.

– Who didn't give you away? – four-eyed asked.

In response, the fat man only waved his hand towards the gate and dragged the lion further.

– You don't know how many tickets cost? – four-eyed asked.

– I don't know, – dad replied.

– Why don't you know? – asked four-eyed again.

– Because I haven't been to the zoo in a long time – dad replied angrily.

– And if you do not know the cost of tickets, maybe you do not have enough money to buy them? – four-eyed suggested.

– I have enough money, – dad said.

– Are you a millionaire? – four-eyed asked.

– No, I'm an engineer, – dad replied proudly and turned away from the four-eyed and his annoying questions.

When it was their turn, Misha and his dad entered the cash registers. Dad went to the open window and asked:

– Hello! I need one child ticket and one adult ticket!