There lived an old man in our factory, nicknamed Kokovanya. Kokovani had no family left, so he came up with the idea of taking an orphan as his child. I asked the neighbors if they knew anyone, and the neighbors said:
Recently, the family of Grigory Potopaev was orphaned on Glinka. The clerk ordered the older girls to be taken to the master's needlework, but no one needs one girl in her sixth year. Here you go, take it.
It’s not convenient for me with the girl. The boy would be better. I would teach him his business and raise an accomplice. What about the girl? What am I going to teach her?
Then he thought and thought and said:
I knew Gregory and his wife too. Both were funny and clever. If the girl follows her parents, she won’t be sad in the hut. I'll take it. Will it just work?
Neighbors explain:
Her life is bad. The clerk gave Grigoriev's hut to someone and ordered him to feed the orphan until he grew up. And he has his own family of more than a dozen. They don't eat enough themselves. So the hostess gets at the orphan and reproaches her with a piece of something. She may be small, but she understands. It's a shame for her. How bad will life be from living like this! Yes, and you’ll persuade me, go ahead.
And that’s true,” Kokovanya answers, “I’ll persuade you somehow.”
On a holiday, he came to those people with whom the orphan lived. He sees the hut is full of people, big and small. A girl is sitting on a trestle bed, by the stove, and next to her is a brown cat. The girl is small, and the cat is small and so thin and tattered that it’s rare that anyone would let one like that into the hut. The girl strokes this cat, and she purrs so loudly that you can hear her throughout the hut.
Kokovanya looked at the girl and asked:
Is this a gift from Grigoriev?
The hostess answers:
She's the one. One is not enough, so I picked up a tattered cat somewhere. We can't drive it away. She scratched all my guys, and even feed her!
Kokovanya says:
Apparently your guys are unkind. She's purring.
Then he asks the orphan:
Well, little gift, will you come and live with me?
The girl was surprised:
Grandfather, how did you know that my name is Darenka?
“Yes,” he answers, “it just happened.” I didn’t think, I didn’t guess, I got in by accident.
Who are you? - asks the girl.
I'm kind of a hunter, he says. In the summer I wash the sands, mine for gold, and in the winter I run through the forests after a goat, but I can’t see everything.
Will you shoot him?
No,” Kokovanya answers. “I shoot simple goats, but I won’t do that.” I want to see where he stamps his right front leg.
What do you need this for?
But if you come to live with me, I’ll tell you everything,” Kokovanya answered.
The girl was curious to find out about the goat. And then he sees that the old man is cheerful and affectionate. She says:
I'll go. Just take this cat Murenka too. Look how good it is.
About this, - Kokovanya answers, - what can I say. If you don't take such a loud cat, you'll end up a fool. Instead of a balalaika, we will have one in our hut.
The hostess hears their conversation. I'm glad, I'm glad that Kokovanya is calling the orphan to her. I quickly began collecting Darenka’s belongings. He is afraid that the old man will change his mind.
The cat seems to understand the whole conversation too. It rubs against the nail and purrs:
I came up with the right idea. That's right.
So Kokovan took the orphan to live with him.
He is big and bearded, but she is tiny and has a button nose. They walk down the street, and a tattered cat jumps after them.
So grandfather Kokovanya, the orphan Darenka and the cat Murenka began to live together. They lived and lived, they didn’t gain much wealth, but they didn’t cry about living, and everyone had something to do.
Kokovanya left for work in the morning. Darenka cleaned the hut, cooked stew and porridge, and the cat Murenka went hunting and caught mice. In the evening they will gather and have fun.
The old man was a master at telling fairy tales, Darenka loved to listen to those fairy tales, and the cat Murenka lies and purrs:
He says it right. That's right.
Only after every fairy tale will Darenka remind you:
Dedo, tell me about the goat. What is he like?
Kokovanya made excuses at first, then he said:
That goat is special. He has a silver hoof on his right front leg. Wherever he stamps this hoof, an expensive stone will appear there. Once he stomps - one stone, twice he stomps - two stones, and where he starts to hit with his foot - there is a pile of expensive stones.
I said this, and I wasn’t happy. From then on, Darenka talked only about this goat.
Dedo, is he big?
Kokovanya told her that the goat was no taller than a table, had thin legs, and a light head. And Darenka asks again:
Dedo, does he have horns?
“His horns,” he answers, “are excellent.” Simple goats have two branches, but he has five branches.
Dedo, who does he eat?
“He doesn’t eat anyone,” he answers. It feeds on grass and leaves. Well, the hay in the stacks also eats up in winter.
Dedo, what kind of fur does he have?
In the summer,” he answers, “it’s brown, like our Murenka’s, and in the winter it’s gray.”
Dedo, is he stuffy?
Kokovanya even got angry:
How stuffy? These are domestic goats, but the forest goat smells like the forest.
In the fall, Kokovanya began to gather for the forest. He should have looked at which side had more goats grazing. Darenka and let's ask:
Take me, grandpa, with you. Maybe I’ll at least see that goat from afar.
Kokovanya explains to her:
You can't see him from a distance. All goats have horns in the fall. You can’t tell how many branches there are on them. In winter, it's a different matter. Simple goats walk without horns, but this one... A silver hoof, always with horns, whether in summer or winter. Then you can recognize him from afar.
This was his excuse. Darenka stayed at home, and Kokovanya went into the forest.
Five days later Kokovanya returned home and told Darenka:
Nowadays there are a lot of goats grazing in the Poldnevskaya side. That's where I'll go in the winter.
“But how,” asks Darenka, “will you spend the night in the forest in winter?”
There,” he answers, “I have a winter booth set up near the mowing spoons.” A nice booth, with a fireplace and a window. It's good there.
Darenka asks again:
Is the silver hoof grazing in the same direction?
Who knows. Maybe he's there too.
Darenka is here and let’s ask:
Take me, grandpa, with you. I’ll sit in the booth. Maybe the Silver Hoof will come close, and I’ll take a look.
The old man waved his hands at first:
What you! What you! Is it okay for a little girl to walk through the forest in winter? You have to ski, but you don’t know how. You'll unload it in the snow. How will I be with you? You'll still freeze!
Only Darenka is not far behind:
Take it, grandpa! I don't know much about skiing.
Kokovanya dissuaded and dissuaded, then he thought to himself:
“Should we mix it? Once he visits, he won’t ask again.”
Here he says:
Okay, I'll take it. Just don’t cry in the forest and don’t ask to go home too early.
As winter entered into full force, they began to gather in the forest. Kokovan laid two bags of crackers on his hand sled, hunting supplies and other things he needed. Darenka also imposed a knot on herself. She took scraps to sew a dress for the doll, a ball of thread, a needle and even some rope.
“Is it not possible,” he thinks, “to catch the Silver Hoof with this rope?”
It’s a pity for Darenka to leave her cat, but what can you do. He strokes the cat goodbye and talks to her:
My grandfather and I, Murenka, will go into the forest, and you sit at home and catch mice. As soon as we see the Silver Hoof, we will return. I'll tell you everything then.
The cat looks slyly and purrs:
I came up with the right idea. That's right.
Let's go Kokovanya and Darenka. All the neighbors marvel:
The old man is out of his mind! He took such a little girl into the forest in winter!
As Kokovanya and Darenka began to leave the factory, they heard that the little dogs were very worried about something. There was such barking and squealing as if they had seen an animal in the streets. They looked around, and there was Murenka running in the middle of the street, fighting off the dogs. Murenka had recovered by then. She has become big and healthy. The little dogs don’t even dare approach her.
Dear friend, we want to believe that reading the fairy tale “The Silver Hoof” by P. P. Bazhov will be interesting and exciting for you. Everyday issues are an incredibly successful way, with the help of simple, ordinary examples, to convey to the reader the most valuable centuries-old experience. Devotion, friendship and self-sacrifice and other positive feelings overcome all that oppose them: anger, deceit, lies and hypocrisy. How charmingly and soulfully the description of nature, mythical creatures and the way of life of the people was conveyed from generation to generation. Reading such creations in the evening, the pictures of what is happening become more vivid and rich, filled with a new range of colors and sounds. Probably due to the inviolability of human qualities over time, all moral teachings, morals and issues remain relevant at all times and eras. With the virtuosity of a genius, portraits of the heroes are depicted, their appearance, rich inner world, they “breathe life” into the creation and the events taking place in it. The fairy tale “The Silver Hoof” by P. P. Bazhov will be fun to read online for free for both children and their parents, the kids will be happy about the good ending, and mothers and fathers will be happy for the kids!
There lived an old man in our factory, nicknamed Kokovanya. Kokovani had no family left, so he came up with the idea of taking an orphan as his child. I asked the neighbors if they knew anyone, and the neighbors said:
— Recently, the family of Grigory Potopaev was orphaned on Glinka. The clerk ordered the older girls to be taken to the master's needlework, but no one needs one girl in her sixth year. Here you go, take it.
- It’s not convenient for me with the girl. The boy would be better. I would teach him his business and raise an accomplice. What about the girl? What am I going to teach her?
Then he thought and thought and said:
“I knew Gregory and his wife too. Both were funny and clever. If the girl follows her parents, she won’t be sad in the hut. I'll take it. Will it just work?
Neighbors explain:
- Her life is bad. The clerk gave Grigoriev’s hut to some sad man and ordered him to feed the orphan until he grew up. And he has his own family of more than a dozen. They don't eat enough themselves. So the hostess eats at the orphan, reproaches her with a piece of something. She may be small, but she understands. It's a shame for her. How bad will life be from living like this! Yes, and you’ll persuade me, go ahead.
“And that’s true,” Kokovanya answers, “I’ll persuade you somehow.”
On a holiday, he came to those people with whom the orphan lived. He sees the hut full of people, big and small. A little girl is sitting on a little hole near the stove, and next to her is a brown cat. The girl is small, and the cat is small and so thin and tattered that it’s rare that anyone would let one like that into the hut. The girl strokes this cat, and she purrs so loudly that you can hear her throughout the hut.
Kokovanya looked at the girl and asked:
- Is this a gift from Grigoriev? The hostess answers:
- She's the one. It’s not enough to have one, but I also picked up a tattered cat somewhere. We can't drive it away. She scratched all my guys, and even feed her!
- Unkind, apparently, your guys. She's purring. Then he asks the orphan:
- Well, how about it, little gift, will you come and live with me? The girl was surprised:
- How did you, grandfather, know that my name is Darenka?
“Yes,” he answers, “it just happened.” I didn’t think, I didn’t guess, I got in by accident.
- Who are you? - asks the girl.
“I,” he says, “are kind of a hunter.” In the summer I wash the sands, mine for gold, and in the winter I run through the forests after a goat, but I can’t see everything.
-Will you shoot him?
“No,” Kokovanya answers. “I shoot simple goats, but I won’t do that.” I want to see where he stamps his right front leg.
- What do you need this for?
“But if you come to live with me, I’ll tell you everything,” answered Kokovanya.
The girl was curious to find out about the goat. And then he sees that the old man is cheerful and affectionate. She says:
- I'll go. Just take this cat Murenka too. Look how good it is.
“About that,” Kokovanya answers, “nothing to say.” If you don’t take such a loud cat, you’ll end up a fool. Instead of a balalaika, we will have one in our hut.
The hostess hears their conversation. I'm glad, I'm glad that Kokovanya is calling the orphan to her. I quickly began collecting Darenka’s belongings. He is afraid that the old man will change his mind.
The cat seems to understand the whole conversation too. It rubs at your feet and purrs:
- I came up with the right idea. That's right. So Kokovan took the orphan to live with him. He is big and bearded, but she is tiny and has a button nose. They walk down the street, and a tattered cat jumps after them.
So grandfather Kokovanya, the orphan Darenka and the cat Murenka began to live together. They lived and lived, they didn’t gain much wealth, but they didn’t cry about living, and everyone had something to do.
Kokovanya went to work in the morning, Darenka cleaned the hut, cooked stew and porridge, and the cat Murenka went hunting and caught mice. In the evening they will gather and have fun. The old man was a master at telling fairy tales, Darenka loved to listen to those fairy tales, and the cat Murenka lies and purrs:
- He says it right. That's right.
Only after every fairy tale will Darenka remind you:
- Dedo, tell me about the goat. What is he like? Kokovanya made excuses at first, then he said:
- That goat is special. He has a silver hoof on his right front leg. Wherever he stamps this hoof, an expensive stone will appear. Once he stomps - one stone, twice he stomps - two stones, and where he starts to hit with his foot - there is a pile of expensive stones.
He said yes and was not happy. From then on, Darenka talked only about this goat.
- Dedo, is he big?
Kokovanya told her that the goat was no taller than a table, had thin legs, and a light head. And Darenka asks again:
- Dedo, does he have horns?
“His horns,” he answers, “are excellent.” Simple goats have two branches, but he has five branches.
- Dedo, who does he eat?
“He doesn’t eat anyone,” he answers. It feeds on grass and leaves. Well, the hay in the stacks also eats up in winter.
- Dedo, what kind of fur does he have?
“In the summer,” he answers, “it’s brown, like our Murenka’s, and in the winter it’s gray.”
- Dedo, is he stuffy? Kokovanya even got angry:
- How stuffy! These are domestic goats, but the forest goat smells like the forest.
In the fall, Kokovanya began to gather for the forest. He should have looked at which side had more goats grazing. Darenka and let's ask:
- Take me, grandfather, with you. Maybe I’ll at least see that goat from afar.
Kokovanya explains to her:
“You can’t see him from a distance.” All goats have horns in the fall. You can’t tell how many branches there are on them. In winter, it's a different matter. Simple goats walk without horns, but this one, Silver Hoof, always has horns, whether in summer or winter. Then you can recognize him from afar.
This was his excuse. Darenka stayed at home, and Kokovanya went into the forest.
Five days later Kokovanya returned home and told Darenka:
- Nowadays there are a lot of goats grazing in the Poldnevskaya side. That's where I'll go in the winter.
“But how,” asks Darenka, “will you spend the night in the forest in winter?”
“There,” he answers, “I have a winter booth set up near the mowing spoons.” A nice booth, with a fireplace and a window. It's good there.
Darenka asks again:
— Is the silver hoof grazing in the same direction?
- Who knows. Maybe he's there too. Darenka is here and let’s ask:
- Take me, grandfather, with you. I will sit in the booth. Maybe the Silver Hoof will come close, I’ll take a look.
The old man waved his hands at first:
- What you! What you! Is it okay for a little girl to walk through the forest in winter? You have to ski, but you don’t know how. You'll unload it in the snow. How will I be with you? You'll still freeze!
Only Darenka is not far behind:
- Take it, grandfather! I don't know much about skiing. Kokovanya dissuaded and dissuaded, then he thought to himself:
“Is it possible to bring him together? Once he visits, he won’t ask for another.” Here he says:
- Okay, I'll take it. Just don’t cry in the forest and don’t ask to go home too early.
As winter entered into full force, they began to gather in the forest.
Kokovan laid two bags of crackers on his hand sled, hunting supplies and other things he needed. Darenka also imposed a knot on herself. She took scraps to sew a dress for the doll, a ball of thread, a needle and even some rope.
“Isn’t it possible,” he thinks, “to catch the Silver Hoof with this rope?”
It’s a pity for Darenka to leave her cat, but what can you do. He strokes the cat goodbye and talks to her:
“My grandfather and I, Murenka, will go into the forest, and you sit at home and catch mice.” As soon as we see the Silver Hoof, we will return. I'll tell you everything then.
The cat looks slyly and purrs:
- I came up with the right idea. That's right.
Let's go Kokovanya and Darenka. All the neighbors marvel:
- The old man is out of his mind! He took such a little girl into the forest in winter!
As Kokovanya and Darenka began to leave the factory, they heard that the dogs were very worried about something. There was such barking and squealing as if they had seen an animal in the streets. They looked around, and there was Murenka running in the middle of the street, fighting off the dogs. Murenka had recovered by then. She has become big and healthy. The little dogs don’t even dare approach her.
Darenka wanted to catch the cat and take it home, but where are you! Murenka ran to the forest and onto a pine tree. Go catch it!
Darenka shouted, she couldn’t lure the cat. What to do? Let's move on.
They look and Murenka is running away. That’s how I got to the booth.
So there were three of them in the booth. Darenka boasts:
- It’s more fun that way. Kokovanya assents:
— It’s known, it’s more fun.
And the cat Murenka curled up in a ball by the stove and purred loudly:
There were a lot of goats that winter. This is something simple. Every day Kokovanya dragged one or two to the booth. They had accumulated skins and salted goat meat - they couldn’t take it away on hand sleds. We should go to the factory to get a horse, but how can we leave Darenka and the cat in the forest! But Darenka got used to being in the forest. She herself says to the old man:
- Dedo, you should go to the factory to get a horse. We need to transport the corned beef home. Kokovanya was even surprised:
- How smart you are, Daria Grigorievna! How the big one judged. You'll just be afraid, I guess you'll be alone.
“What,” he answers, “to be afraid of.” Our booth is strong, the wolves cannot achieve it. And Murenka is with me. I'm not afraid. Still, hurry up and turn around!
Kokovanya left. Darenka remained with Murenka. During the day, it was customary to sit without Kokovani while he tracked down the goats... As it began to get dark, I became afraid. He just looks - Murenka is lying quietly. Darenka became happier. She sat down by the window, looked towards the mowing spoons and saw some kind of lump rolling through the forest. As I rolled closer, I saw that it was a goat running. The legs are thin, the head is light, and there are five branches on the horns.
Darenka ran out to look, but no one was there. She came back and said:
- Apparently, I dozed off. It seemed to me. Murenka purrs:
- You're right. That's right. Darenka lay down next to the cat and fell asleep until the morning. Another day has passed. Kokovanya did not return. Darenka has become bored, but she is not crying. He strokes Murenka and says:
- Don’t be bored, Murenushka! Grandfather will certainly come tomorrow.
Murenka sings her song:
- You're right. That's right.
Darenushka sat again by the window and admired the stars. I was about to go to bed, and suddenly there was a stomping sound along the wall. Darenka got scared, and there was a stamping on the other wall, then on the one where the window was, then on the one where the door was, and there was a knocking sound from above. Not loudly, as if someone was walking lightly and quickly. Darenka thinks:
“Isn’t that the goat from yesterday that came running?”
And she wanted to see so much that fear didn’t hold her back. She opened the door, looked, and the goat was there, very close. He raised his right front leg - he stomped, and on it a silver hoof glittered, and the goat’s horns were about five branches. Darenka doesn’t know what to do, and she beckons him like he’s at home:
- Meh! Meh!
The goat laughed at this. He turned and ran.
Darenushka came to the booth and told Murenka:
— I looked at the Silver Hoof. I saw the horns and the hoof. I just didn’t see how that goat knocked out expensive stones with his foot. Another time, apparently, will show.
Murenka, know, sings her song:
- You're right. That's right.
The third day passed, but still no Kokovani. Darenka became completely misty. The tears were buried. I wanted to talk to Murenka, but she wasn’t there. Then Darenushka got completely scared and ran out of the booth to look for the cat.
The night is month-long, bright, and can be seen far away. Darenka looks - a cat is sitting close on a mowing spoon, and in front of her is a goat. He stands, raised his leg, and on it a silver hoof glistens.
Moray shakes his head, and so does the goat. It's like they're talking. Then they started running around the mowing beds. The goat runs and runs, stops and lets hit with his hoof. Murenka will run up, the goat will jump further and hit with its hoof again. For a long time they ran around the mowing beds. They were no longer visible. Then they returned to the booth itself.
Then the goat jumped onto the roof and started hitting it with his silver hoof. Like sparks, pebbles fell from under the foot. Red, blue, green, turquoise - all kinds.
It was at this time that Kokovanya returned. He can’t recognize his booth. All of him became like a heap of expensive stones. So it burns and shimmers with different lights. The goat stands at the top - and everything beats and beats with a silver hoof, and stones fall and fall. Suddenly Murenka jumped there. She stood next to the goat, meowed loudly, and neither Murenka nor the Silver Hoof were left.
Kokovanya immediately collected half a pile of stones, and Darenka asked:
- Don't touch me, grandfather! We'll take a look at this again tomorrow afternoon.
Kokovanya and obeyed. Only in the morning did a lot of snow fall. All the stones were covered. Then we shoveled the snow, but found nothing. Well, that was enough for them, just how much Kokovanya shoveled into his hat.
Everything would be fine, but I feel sorry for Murenka. She was never seen again, and Silver Hoof didn’t show up either. Amuse me once, and it will be.
And in those mowing spoons where the goat was jumping, people began to find pebbles. The green ones are bigger. They are called chrysolites. Have you seen it?
Pavel Bazhov
Silver hoof
There lived an old man in our factory, nicknamed Kokovanya. Kokovani had no family left, so he came up with the idea of taking an orphan as his child. I asked the neighbors if they knew anyone, and the neighbors said:
Recently, the family of Grigory Potopaev was orphaned on Glinka. The clerk ordered the older girls to be taken to the master's needlework, but no one needs one girl in her sixth year. Here you go, take it.
It’s not convenient for me with the girl. The boy would be better. I would teach him his business and raise an accomplice. What about the girl? What am I going to teach her?
Then he thought and thought and said:
I knew Gregory and his wife too. Both were funny and clever. If the girl follows her parents, she won’t be sad in the hut. I'll take it. Will it just work?
Neighbors explain:
Her life is bad. The clerk gave Grigoriev's hut to someone and ordered him to feed the orphan until he grew up. And he has his own family of more than a dozen. They don't eat enough themselves. So the hostess gets at the orphan and reproaches her with a piece of something. She may be small, but she understands. It's a shame for her. How bad will life be from living like this! Yes, and you’ll persuade me, go ahead.
And that’s true,” Kokovanya answers, “I’ll persuade you somehow.”
On a holiday, he came to those people with whom the orphan lived. He sees the hut is full of people, big and small. A girl is sitting on a trestle bed, by the stove, and next to her is a brown cat. The girl is small, and the cat is small and so thin and tattered that it’s rare that anyone would let one like that into the hut. The girl strokes this cat, and she purrs so loudly that you can hear her throughout the hut.
Kokovanya looked at the girl and asked:
Is this a gift from Grigoriev?
The hostess answers:
She's the one. One is not enough, so I picked up a tattered cat somewhere. We can't drive it away. She scratched all my guys, and even feed her!
Kokovanya says:
Apparently your guys are unkind. She's purring.
Then he asks the orphan:
Well, little gift, will you come and live with me?
The girl was surprised:
Grandfather, how did you know that my name is Darenka?
“Yes,” he answers, “it just happened.” I didn’t think, I didn’t guess, I got in by accident.
Who are you? - asks the girl.
I'm kind of a hunter, he says. In the summer I wash the sands, mine for gold, and in the winter I run through the forests after a goat, but I can’t see everything.
Will you shoot him?
No,” Kokovanya answers. “I shoot simple goats, but I won’t do that.” I want to see where he stamps his right front leg.
What do you need this for?
But if you come to live with me, I’ll tell you everything,” Kokovanya answered.
The girl was curious to find out about the goat. And then he sees that the old man is cheerful and affectionate. She says:
I'll go. Just take this cat Murenka too. Look how good it is.
About this, - Kokovanya answers, - what can I say. If you don't take such a loud cat, you'll end up a fool. Instead of a balalaika, we will have one in our hut.
The hostess hears their conversation. I'm glad, I'm glad that Kokovanya is calling the orphan to her. I quickly began collecting Darenka’s belongings. He is afraid that the old man will change his mind.
The cat seems to understand the whole conversation too. It rubs against the nail and purrs:
I came up with the right idea. That's right.
So Kokovan took the orphan to live with him.
He is big and bearded, but she is tiny and has a button nose. They walk down the street, and a tattered cat jumps after them.
So grandfather Kokovanya, the orphan Darenka and the cat Murenka began to live together. They lived and lived, they didn’t gain much wealth, but they didn’t cry about living, and everyone had something to do.
Kokovanya left for work in the morning. Darenka cleaned the hut, cooked stew and porridge, and the cat Murenka went hunting and caught mice. In the evening they will gather and have fun.
The old man was a master at telling fairy tales, Darenka loved to listen to those fairy tales, and the cat Murenka lies and purrs:
He says it right. That's right.
Only after every fairy tale will Darenka remind you:
Dedo, tell me about the goat. What is he like?
Kokovanya made excuses at first, then he said:
That goat is special. He has a silver hoof on his right front leg. Wherever he stamps this hoof, an expensive stone will appear there. Once he stomps - one stone, twice he stomps - two stones, and where he starts to hit with his foot - there is a pile of expensive stones.
I said this, and I wasn’t happy. From then on, Darenka talked only about this goat.
Dedo, is he big?
Kokovanya told her that the goat was no taller than a table, had thin legs, and a light head. And Darenka asks again:
Dedo, does he have horns?
“His horns,” he answers, “are excellent.” Simple goats have two branches, but he has five branches.
Dedo, who does he eat?
“He doesn’t eat anyone,” he answers. It feeds on grass and leaves. Well, the hay in the stacks also eats up in winter.
Dedo, what kind of fur does he have?
In the summer,” he answers, “it’s brown, like our Murenka’s, and in the winter it’s gray.”
Dedo, is he stuffy?
Kokovanya even got angry:
How stuffy? These are domestic goats, but the forest goat smells like the forest.
In the fall, Kokovanya began to gather for the forest. He should have looked at which side had more goats grazing. Darenka and let's ask:
Take me, grandpa, with you. Maybe I’ll at least see that goat from afar.
Kokovanya explains to her:
You can't see him from a distance. All goats have horns in the fall. You can’t tell how many branches there are on them. In winter, it's a different matter. Simple goats walk without horns, but this one... A silver hoof, always with horns, whether in summer or winter. Then you can recognize him from afar.
This was his excuse. Darenka stayed at home, and Kokovanya went into the forest.
Five days later Kokovanya returned home and told Darenka:
Nowadays there are a lot of goats grazing in the Poldnevskaya side. That's where I'll go in the winter.
“But how,” asks Darenka, “will you spend the night in the forest in winter?”
There,” he answers, “I have a winter booth set up near the mowing spoons.” A nice booth, with a fireplace and a window. It's good there.
Darenka asks again:
Is the silver hoof grazing in the same direction?
Who knows. Maybe he's there too.
Darenka is here and let’s ask:
Take me, grandpa, with you. I’ll sit in the booth. Maybe the Silver Hoof will come close, and I’ll take a look.
The old man waved his hands at first:
What you! What you! Is it okay for a little girl to walk through the forest in winter? You have to ski, but you don’t know how. You'll unload it in the snow. How will I be with you? You'll still freeze!
Only Darenka is not far behind:
Take it, grandpa! I don't know much about skiing.
Kokovanya dissuaded and dissuaded, then he thought to himself:
“Should we mix it? Once he visits, he won’t ask again.”
Here he says:
Okay, I'll take it. Just don’t cry in the forest and don’t ask to go home too early.
As winter entered into full force, they began to gather in the forest. Kokovan laid two bags of crackers on his hand sled, hunting supplies and other things he needed. Darenka also imposed a knot on herself. She took scraps to sew a dress for the doll, a ball of thread, a needle and even some rope.
“Is it not possible,” he thinks, “to catch the Silver Hoof with this rope?”
It’s a pity for Darenka to leave her cat, but what can you do. He strokes the cat goodbye and talks to her:
My grandfather and I, Murenka, will go into the forest, and you sit at home and catch mice. As soon as we see the Silver Hoof, we will return. I'll tell you everything then.
The cat looks slyly and purrs:
I came up with the right idea. That's right.
Let's go Kokovanya and Darenka. All the neighbors marvel:
The old man is out of his mind! He took such a little girl into the forest in winter!
As Kokovanya and Darenka began to leave the factory, they heard that the little dogs were very worried about something. There was such barking and squealing as if they had seen an animal in the streets. They looked around, and there was Murenka running in the middle of the street, fighting off the dogs. Murenka had recovered by then. She has become big and healthy. The little dogs don’t even dare approach her.
There lived an old man in our factory, nicknamed Kokovanya.
Kokovani had no family left, so he came up with the idea of taking an orphan as his child. I asked the neighbors if they knew anyone, and the neighbors said:
— Recently, the family of Grigory Potopaev was orphaned on Glinka. The clerk ordered the older girls to be taken to the master's needlework, but no one needs one girl in her sixth year. Here you go, take it.
- It’s not convenient for me with the girl. The boy would be better. I would teach him his business and raise an accomplice. What about the girl? What am I going to teach her?
Then he thought and thought and said:
“I knew Grigory, and his wife too. Both were funny and clever. If the girl follows her parents, she won’t be sad in the hut. I'll take it. Will it just work?
Neighbors explain:
- Her life is bad. The clerk gave Grigoriev’s hut to some sad man and ordered him to feed the orphan until he grew up. And he has his own family of more than a dozen. They don't eat enough themselves. So the hostess gets at the orphan and reproaches her with a piece of something. She may be small, but she understands. It's a shame for her. How bad will life be from living like this! Yes, and you’ll persuade me, go ahead.
“And that’s true,” Kokovanya answers. - I’ll persuade you somehow.
On a holiday, he came to those people with whom the orphan lived. He sees the hut full of people, big and small. A girl is sitting by the stove, and next to her is a brown cat. The girl is small, and the cat is small and so thin and tattered that it’s rare that anyone would let one like that into the hut. The girl strokes this cat, and she purrs so loudly that you can hear her throughout the hut. Kokovanya looked at the girl and asked:
- Is this a gift from Grigoriev? The hostess answers:
- She's the one. It’s not enough to have one, but I also picked up a tattered cat somewhere. We can't drive it away. She scratched all my guys, and even feed her!
Kokovanya says:
- Unkind, apparently, your guys. She's purring.
Then he asks the orphan:
- Well, little gift, will you come and live with me? The girl was surprised:
- How did you, grandfather, know that my name is Daryonka?
“Yes,” he answers, “it just happened.” I didn’t think, I didn’t guess, I got in by accident.
- Who are you? - asks the girl.
“I,” he says, “are kind of a hunter.” In the summer I wash the sands, mine for gold, and in the winter I run through the forests after a goat, but I can’t see everything.
-Will you shoot him?
“No,” Kokovanya answers. “I shoot simple goats, but I won’t do that.” I want to see where he stamps his right front leg.
- What do you need this for?
“But if you come to live with me, I’ll tell you everything.” The girl was curious to find out about the goat. And then he sees that the old man is cheerful and affectionate. She says:
- I'll go. Just take this cat, Muryonka, too. Look how good it is.
“About that,” Kokovanya answers, “nothing to say.” If you don’t take such a loud cat, you’ll end up a fool. Instead of a balalaika, we will have one in our hut.
The hostess hears their conversation. I’m glad, I’m glad that Kokovanya is calling the orphan to her. She quickly began to collect Daryonka’s belongings. He is afraid that the old man will change his mind. The cat seems to understand the whole conversation too. He rubs himself at his feet and purrs: “That’s the right idea.” R-right.”
So Kokovan took the orphan to live with him. He is big and bearded, but she is tiny and has a button nose. They walk down the street, and a tattered cat jumps after them.
So grandfather Kokovanya, the orphan Darena and the cat Muryonka began to live together. They lived and lived, they didn’t gain much wealth, but they didn’t cry about living, and everyone had something to do. Kokovanya went to work in the morning, Daryonka cleaned the hut, cooked stew and porridge, and the cat Muryonka went hunting and caught mice. In the evening they will gather and have fun.
The old man was a master at telling tales. Daryonka loved to listen to those fairy tales, and the cat Muryonka lies and purrs:
“He says that right. R-right.”
Only after every fairy tale will Daryonka remind you:
- Dedo, tell me about the goat. What is he like?
Kokovanya made excuses at first, then he said:
- That goat is special. He has a silver hoof on his right front leg. Wherever he stamps this hoof, an expensive stone will appear. Once he stomps - one stone, twice he stomps - two stones, and where he starts to hit with his foot - there is a pile of expensive stones.
I said this, and I wasn’t happy. Since then, Daryonka has only talked about this goat.
- Dedo, is he big?
Kokovanya told her that the goat was no taller than a table, had thin legs, and a light head. And Daryonka asks again:
- Dedo, does he have horns?
“His horns,” he answers, “are excellent.” Simple goats have two branches, but this one has five branches.
- Dedo, who does he eat?
“He doesn’t eat anyone,” he answers. It feeds on grass and leaves. Well, the hay in the stacks also eats up in winter.
- Dedo, what kind of fur does he have?
“In the summer,” he answers, “it’s brown, like our Muryonka’s, and in the winter it’s gray.”
In the fall, Kokovanya began to gather for the forest. He should have looked at which side had more goats grazing. Daryonka and let's ask:
- Take me, grandfather, with you! Maybe I’ll at least see that goat from afar.
Kokovanya explains to her:
“You can’t see him from a distance.” All goats have horns in the fall. You can’t tell how many branches there are on them. In winter, it's a different matter. Simple goats go hornless in winter, but this one, Silver Hoof, always has horns, whether in summer or winter. Then you can recognize him from afar.
This was his excuse. Daryonka stayed at home, and Kokovanya went into the forest.
Five days later Kokovanya returned home and told Daryonka:
- Nowadays there are a lot of goats grazing in the Poldnevskaya side. That's where I'll go in the winter.
“But how,” asks Daryonka, “will you spend the night in the forest in winter?”
“There,” he answers, “I have a winter booth set up near the mowing spoons.” A nice booth, with a fireplace and a window. It's good there.
Daryonka asks again:
- Dedo, is Silver Hoof grazing in the same direction?
- Who knows. Maybe he's there too.
Daryonka is here and let’s ask:
- Take me, grandfather, with you! I will sit in the booth. Maybe the Silver Hoof will come close - I’ll take a look.
The old man waved his hands at first:
- What you! What you! Is it okay for a little girl to walk through the forest in winter? You have to ski, but you don’t know how. You'll unload it in the snow. How will I be with you? You'll still freeze!
Only Daryonka is not far behind:
- Take it, grandfather! I don't know much about skiing. Kokovanya dissuaded and dissuaded, then he thought to himself: “Really? Once he visits, he won’t ask for another.”
Here he says:
- Okay, I'll take it. Just don’t cry in the forest and don’t ask to go home too early.
As winter entered into full force, they began to gather in the forest. Kokovan laid two bags of crackers on his hand sled, hunting supplies and other things he needed. Daryonka also imposed a bundle on herself. She took scraps to sew a dress for the doll, a ball of thread, a needle and even a rope. “Is it not possible,” he thinks, “to catch the Silver Hoof with this rope?”
It’s a pity for Daryonka to leave her cat, but what can you do! He strokes the cat goodbye and talks to her:
“My grandfather and I, Muryonka, will go into the forest, and you sit at home and catch mice.” As soon as we see the Silver Hoof, we will return. I'll tell you everything then.
The cat looks slyly, and she purrs: “That’s a great idea.” R-right.”
Let's go Kokovanya and Daryonka. All the neighbors marvel:
- The old man is out of his mind! He took such a little girl into the forest in winter!
As Kokovanya and Daryonka began to leave the factory, they heard that the dogs were very worried about something. There was such barking and squealing as if they had seen an animal in the streets. They looked around, and there was Muryonka running in the middle of the street, fighting off the dogs. Muryonka had recovered by then. She has become big and healthy. The little dogs don’t even dare approach her.
Daryonka wanted to catch the cat and take it home, but where are you! Muryonka ran to the forest and onto a pine tree. Go catch it!
Daryonka shouted, but could not lure the cat. What to do? Let's move on. They look - Muryonka is running away. That’s how I got to the booth.
So there were three of them in the booth. Daryonka boasts:
- It’s more fun that way.
Kokovanya assents:
— It’s known, it’s more fun.
And the cat Muryonka curled up in a ball by the stove and purred loudly: “You're right. R-right.”
There were a lot of goats that winter. This is something simple. Every day Kokovanya dragged one or two to the booth. They had accumulated skins and salted goat meat - they couldn’t take it away on hand sleds. I should go to the factory to get a horse, but why leave Daryonka and the cat in the forest! But Daryonka got used to being in the forest. She herself says to the old man:
- Dedo, you should go to the factory to get a horse. We need to transport the corned beef home. Kokovanya was even surprised:
- How smart you are, Daria Grigorievna! How the big one judged. You'll just be afraid, I guess you'll be alone.
“What,” he answers, “are you afraid of!” Our booth is strong, the wolves cannot achieve it. And Muryonka is with me. I'm not afraid. Still, hurry up and turn around!
Kokovanya left. Daryonka remained with Muryonka. During the day, it was customary to sit without Kokovani while he tracked the goats... As it began to get dark, I became afraid. He just looks - Muryonka is lying quietly. Daryonka became happier. She sat down by the window, looked towards the mowing spoons and saw some kind of lump rolling from the forest. As I rolled closer, I saw that it was a goat running. The legs are thin, the head is light, and there are five branches on the horns. Daryonka ran out to look, but no one was there. She waited and waited, returned to the booth, and said:
- Apparently, I dozed off. It seemed to me. Muryonka purrs: “You're right. R-right.”
Daryonka lay down next to the cat and fell asleep until the morning.
Another day has passed. Kokovanya did not return. Daryonka has become bored, but she is not crying. He strokes Muryonka and says:
- Don’t be bored, Muryonushka! Grandfather will certainly come tomorrow.
Muryonka sings her song: “You're right. R-right.”
Daryonushka sat again by the window and admired the stars. I was about to go to bed - suddenly there was a stomping sound along the wall. Daryonka got scared, and there was a stamping on the other wall, then on the one where the window was, then on the one where the door was, and then there was a knocking sound from above. Quietly, as if someone was walking lightly and quickly.
Daryonka thinks: “Isn’t that the goat from yesterday who came running?”
And she wanted to see so much that fear didn’t hold her back. She opened the door, looked, and the goat was there, very close. He raised his right front leg - he stomped, and on it a silver hoof glittered, and the goat’s horns were about five branches.
Daryonka doesn’t know what to do, and she beckons him like he’s at home:
- Meh! Meh!
The goat laughed at that! He turned and ran.
Daryonushka came to the booth and told Muryonka:
— I looked at the Silver Hoof. And I saw the horns and the hoof. I just didn’t see that little goat stomping his foot and knocking out expensive stones. Another time, apparently, will show.
Muryonka, know your song, sings: “You're right. R-right.”
The third day has passed, but still no Kokovani. Daryonka became completely misty. The tears were buried. I wanted to talk to Muryonka, but she wasn’t there. Then Daryonushka got completely scared and ran out of the booth to look for the cat.
The night is month-long, bright, and can be seen far away. Daryonka looks - the cat is sitting close on the mowing spoon, and in front of her is a goat. He stands, raised his leg, and on it a silver hoof glistens.
Muryonka shakes her head, and so does the goat. It's like they're talking. Then they started running around the mowing beds.
The goat runs and runs, stops and lets hit with his hoof. Muryonka will run up, the goat will jump further and hit with its hoof again. For a long time they ran around the mowing beds. They were no longer visible. Then they returned to the booth itself.
Then the goat jumped onto the roof and started hitting it with his silver hoof. Like sparks, pebbles fell from under the foot. Red, blue, green, turquoise - all kinds.
It was at this time that Kokovanya returned. He can’t recognize his booth. All of him became like a heap of expensive stones. So it burns and shimmers with different lights. The goat stands at the top - and keeps beating and beating with his silver hoof, and stones are falling and falling.
Suddenly Muryonka jumps there! She stood next to the goat, meowed loudly, and neither Muryonka nor Silver Hoof were gone.
Kokovanya immediately collected half a pile of stones, and Daryonka asked:
- Don't touch me, grandfather! We'll take a look at this again tomorrow afternoon.
Kokovanya and obeyed. Only in the morning did a lot of snow fall. All the stones were covered. Then we shoveled the snow, but found nothing. Well, that was enough for them, just how much Kokovanya packed into his hat.
Everything would be fine, but I feel sorry for Muryonka. She was never seen again, and Silver Hoof didn’t show up either. Amused once - and it will be.
And in those mowing spoons where the goat was jumping, people began to find pebbles. The green ones are bigger. They are called chrysolites. Have you seen it?
There lived an old man in our factory, nicknamed Kokovanya.
Kokovani had no family left, so he came up with the idea of taking an orphan as his child. I asked the neighbors if they knew anyone, and the neighbors said:
Recently, the family of Grigory Potopaev was orphaned on Glinka. The clerk ordered the older girls to be taken to the master's needlework, but no one needs one girl in her sixth year. Here you go, take it.
It’s not convenient for me with the girl. The boy would be better. I would teach him his business and raise an accomplice. What about the girl? What am I going to teach her?
Then he thought and thought and said:
I knew Grigory, and his wife too. Both were funny and clever. If the girl follows her parents, she won’t be sad in the hut. I'll take it. Will it just work?
Neighbors explain:
Her life is bad. The clerk gave Grigoriev’s hut to some sad man and ordered him to feed the orphan until he grew up. And he has his own family of more than a dozen. They don't eat enough themselves. So the hostess gets at the orphan and reproaches her with a piece of something. She may be small, but she understands. It's a shame for her. How bad will life be from living like this! Yes, and you’ll persuade me, go ahead.
“And that’s true,” Kokovanya answers. - I’ll persuade you somehow.
On a holiday, he came to those people with whom the orphan lived. He sees the hut full of people, big and small. A girl is sitting by the stove, and next to her is a brown cat. The girl is small, and the cat is small and so thin and tattered that it’s rare that anyone would let one like that into the hut. The girl strokes this cat, and she purrs so loudly that you can hear her throughout the hut. Kokovanya looked at the girl and asked:
Is this a gift from Grigoriev? The hostess answers:
She's the one. It’s not enough to have one, but I also picked up a tattered cat somewhere. We can't drive it away. She scratched all my guys, and even feed her!
Kokovanya says:
Apparently your guys are unkind. She's purring.
Then he asks the orphan:
Well, little gift, will you come and live with me? The girl was surprised:
Grandfather, how did you know that my name is Daryonka?
“Yes,” he answers, “it just happened.” I didn’t think, I didn’t guess, I got in by accident.
- Who are you? - asks the girl.
“I,” he says, “are kind of a hunter.” In the summer I wash the sands, mine for gold, and in the winter I run through the forests after a goat, but I can’t see everything.
Will you shoot him?
No,” Kokovanya answers. “I shoot simple goats, but I won’t do that.” I want to see where he stamps his right front leg.
What do you need this for?
But if you come to live with me, I’ll tell you everything. The girl was curious to find out about the goat. And then he sees that the old man is cheerful and affectionate. She says:
I'll go. Just take this cat, Muryonka, too. Look how good it is.
About this, - Kokovanya answers, - what can I say. If you don't take such a loud cat, you'll end up a fool. Instead of a balalaika, we will have one in our hut.
The hostess hears their conversation. I’m glad, I’m glad that Kokovanya is calling the orphan to her. She quickly began to collect Daryonka’s belongings. He is afraid that the old man will change his mind. The cat seems to understand the whole conversation too. He rubs himself at his feet and purrs: “That’s the right idea.” R-right.” 
So Kokovan took the orphan to live with him. He is big and bearded, but she is tiny and has a button nose. They walk down the street, and a tattered cat jumps after them.
So grandfather Kokovanya, the orphan Darena and the cat Muryonka began to live together. They lived and lived, they didn’t gain much wealth, but they didn’t cry about living, and everyone had something to do. Kokovanya went to work in the morning, Daryonka cleaned the hut, cooked stew and porridge, and the cat Muryonka went hunting and caught mice. In the evening they will gather and have fun.
The old man was a master at telling tales. Daryonka loved to listen to those fairy tales, and the cat Muryonka lies and purrs:
“He says that right. R-right.”
Only after every fairy tale will Daryonka remind you:
Dedo, tell me about the goat. What is he like?
Kokovanya made excuses at first, then he said:
That goat is special. He has a silver hoof on his right front leg. Wherever he stamps this hoof, an expensive stone will appear. Once he stomps - one stone, twice he stomps - two stones, and where he starts to hit with his foot - there is a pile of expensive stones.
I said this, and I wasn’t happy. Since then, Daryonka has only talked about this goat.
Dedo, is he big?
Kokovanya told her that the goat was no taller than a table, had thin legs, and a light head. And Daryonka asks again:
Dedo, does he have horns?
“His horns,” he answers, “are excellent.” Simple goats have two branches, but this one has five branches.
Dedo, who does he eat?
“He doesn’t eat anyone,” he answers. It feeds on grass and leaves. Well, the hay in the stacks also eats up in winter.
Dedo, what kind of fur does he have?
In the summer,” he answers, “it’s brown, like our Muryonka’s, and in the winter it’s gray.”
Dedo, is he stuffy?
Kokovanya even got angry:
How stuffy! These are domestic goats, but the forest goat, it smells like the forest.
In the fall, Kokovanya began to gather for the forest. He should have looked at which side had more goats grazing. Daryonka and let's ask:
Take me, grandpa, with you! Maybe I’ll at least see that goat from afar.
Kokovanya explains to her:
You can't see him from a distance. All goats have horns in the fall. You can’t tell how many branches there are on them. In winter, it's a different matter. Simple goats go hornless in winter, but this one - Silver Hoof - always has horns, be it in summer or winter. Then you can recognize him from afar.
This was his excuse. Daryonka stayed at home, and Kokovanya went into the forest.
Five days later Kokovanya returned home and told Daryonka:
Nowadays there are a lot of goats grazing in the Poldnevskaya side. That's where I'll go in the winter.
“But how,” asks Daryonka, “will you spend the night in the forest in winter?”
There,” he answers, “I have a winter booth set up near the mowing spoons.” A nice booth, with a fireplace and a window. It's good there.
Daryonka asks again:
Dedo, is Silver Hoof grazing in the same direction?
Who knows. Maybe he's there too.
Daryonka is here and let’s ask:
Take me, grandpa, with you! I will sit in the booth. Maybe the Silver Hoof will come close - I’ll take a look.
The old man waved his hands at first:
What you! What you! Is it okay for a little girl to walk through the forest in winter? You have to ski, but you don’t know how. You'll unload it in the snow. How will I be with you? You'll still freeze!
Only Daryonka is not far behind:
Take it, grandpa! I don't know much about skiing. Kokovanya dissuaded and dissuaded, then he thought to himself: “Really? Once he visits, he won’t ask for another.”
Here he says:
Okay, I'll take it. Just don’t cry in the forest and don’t ask to go home too early.
As winter entered into full force, they began to gather in the forest. Kokovan laid two bags of crackers on his hand sled, hunting supplies and other things he needed. Daryonka also imposed a bundle on herself. She took scraps to sew a dress for the doll, a ball of thread, a needle and even a rope. “Is it not possible,” he thinks, “to catch the Silver Hoof with this rope?” 
It’s a pity for Daryonka to leave her cat, but what can you do! He strokes the cat goodbye and talks to her:
Muryonka, my grandfather and I will go into the forest, and you sit at home and catch mice. As soon as we see the Silver Hoof, we will return. I'll tell you everything then.
The cat looks slyly, and she purrs: “That’s a great idea.” R-right.”
Let's go Kokovanya and Daryonka. All the neighbors marvel:
The old man is out of his mind! He took such a little girl into the forest in winter!
As Kokovanya and Daryonka began to leave the factory, they heard that the little dogs were very worried about something. There was such barking and squealing as if they had seen an animal in the streets. They looked around, and there was Muryonka running in the middle of the street, fighting off the dogs. Muryonka had recovered by then. She has become big and healthy. The little dogs don’t even dare approach her.
Daryonka wanted to catch the cat and take it home, but where are you! Muryonka ran to the forest and onto a pine tree. Go catch it!
Daryonka shouted, but could not lure the cat. What to do? Let's move on. They look - Muryonka is running away. That’s how I got to the booth.
So there were three of them in the booth. Daryonka boasts:
It's more fun that way.
Kokovanya assents:
Known, more fun.
And the cat Muryonka curled up in a ball by the stove and purred loudly: “You're right. R-right.”
There were a lot of goats that winter. This is something simple. Every day Kokovanya dragged one or two to the booth. They had accumulated skins and salted goat meat - they couldn’t take it away on hand sleds. I should go to the factory to get a horse, but why leave Daryonka and the cat in the forest! But Daryonka got used to being in the forest. She herself says to the old man:
Dedo, you should go to the factory to get a horse. We need to transport the corned beef home. Kokovanya was even surprised:
How smart you are, Daria Grigorievna! How the big one judged. You'll just be afraid, I guess you'll be alone.
“What,” he answers, “are you afraid of!” Our booth is strong, the wolves cannot achieve it. And Muryonka is with me. I'm not afraid. Still, hurry up and turn around!
Kokovanya left. Daryonka remained with Muryonka. During the day, it was customary to sit without Kokovani while he tracked down the goats... As it began to get dark, I became afraid. He just looks - Muryonka lies quietly. Daryonka became happier. She sat down at the window, looked towards the mowing spoons and saw some kind of lump rolling from the forest. As I rolled closer, I saw that it was a goat running. The legs are thin, the head is light, and there are five branches on the horns. Daryonka ran out to look, but no one was there. She waited and waited, returned to the booth, and said:
Apparently I dozed off. It seemed to me. Muryonka purrs: “You're right. R-right.”
Daryonka lay down next to the cat and fell asleep until the morning.
Another day has passed. Kokovanya did not return. Daryonka has become bored, but she is not crying. He strokes Muryonka and says:
Don't be bored, Muryonushka! Grandfather will certainly come tomorrow.
Muryonka sings her song: “You're right. R-right.”
Daryonushka sat again by the window and admired the stars. I wanted to go to bed - suddenly there was a stomping sound along the wall. Daryonka got scared, and there was a stamping on the other wall, then on the one where the window was, then on the one where the door was, and then there was a knocking sound from above. Quietly, as if someone was walking lightly and quickly.
Daryonka thinks: “Isn’t that the goat from yesterday who came running?”
And she wanted to see so much that fear didn’t hold her back. She opened the door, looked, and the goat was there, very close. He raised his right front leg - he stomped, and on it a silver hoof glittered, and the goat’s horns were about five branches.
Daryonka doesn’t know what to do, and she beckons him like he’s at home:
Meh! Meh!
The goat laughed at that! He turned and ran.
Daryonushka came to the booth and told Muryonka:
I looked at the Silver Hoof. And I saw the horns and the hoof. I just didn’t see that little goat stomping his foot and knocking out expensive stones. Another time, apparently, will show.
Muryonka, know your song, sings: “You're right. R-right.”
The third day has passed, but still no Kokovani. Daryonka became completely misty. The tears were buried. I wanted to talk to Muryonka, but she wasn’t there. Then Daryonushka got completely scared and ran out of the booth to look for the cat.
The night is month-long, bright, and can be seen far away. Daryonka looks - the cat is sitting close on the mowing spoon, and in front of her is a goat. He stands, raised his leg, and on it a silver hoof glistens.
Muryonka shakes her head, and so does the goat. It's like they're talking. Then they started running around the mowing beds.
The goat runs and runs, stops and lets hit with his hoof. Muryonka will run up, the goat will jump further and hit with its hoof again. For a long time they ran around the mowing beds. They were no longer visible. Then they returned to the booth itself. 
Then the goat jumped onto the roof and started hitting it with his silver hoof. Like sparks, pebbles fell from under the foot. Red, blue, green, turquoise - all kinds.
It was at this time that Kokovanya returned. He can’t recognize his booth. All of him became like a heap of expensive stones. So it burns and shimmers with different lights. The goat is standing at the top - and he keeps beating and beating with his silver hoof, and the stones are falling and falling.
Suddenly Muryonka jumps there! She stood next to the goat, meowed loudly, and neither Muryonka nor Silver Hoof were gone.
Kokovanya immediately collected half a pile of stones, and Daryonka asked:
Don't touch me, grandpa! We'll take a look at this again tomorrow afternoon.
Kokovanya and obeyed. Only in the morning did a lot of snow fall. All the stones were covered. Then we shoveled the snow, but found nothing. Well, that was enough for them, just how much Kokovanya packed into his hat.
Everything would be fine, but I feel sorry for Muryonka. She was never seen again, and Silver Hoof didn’t show up either. Amused once - and it will be.
And in those mowing spoons where the goat was jumping, people began to find pebbles. The green ones are bigger. They are called chrysolites. Have you seen it?
