Nikolai Nikolaevich Nosov

Knock-Knock

Drawings by E. Migunov

The three of us - me, Mishka and Kostya - arrived at the pioneer camp a day before the entire detachment. We had a task: to decorate the room for the arrival of the guys. We ourselves asked our counselor Vitya to send us forward. We really wanted to get back to camp.

Vitya agreed and went with us himself. When we arrived, the house was already being cleaned. We hung posters on the walls, pictures that we brought with us, then cut flags from multi-colored paper, strung them on strings and hung them under the ceiling. Then they picked flowers in the field, made bouquets of them and placed them on the windows in jars of water. Well done!

In the evening, counselor Vitya went back to the city. Marya Maksimovna, the camp watchman, who lived nearby in a small house, told us to go and spend the night with her, but we did not want to. Mishka said that we were not afraid of anything and would spend the night alone in the house. Marya Maksimovna left, and we put the samovar in the yard, sat on the porch and rested.

It was good in the camp! Tall rowan trees grew near the house itself, and along the fence - huge old lindens. They have many round crow nests.

Crows circled over the lindens and shouted loudly. May beetles buzzed in the air. They rushed in different directions, flew into the walls of the house and plopped down on the ground. The bear picked them up and put them in a box.

And then the sun disappeared behind the forest, and the clouds in the sky flared with red flames. It has become so beautiful! If I had paints, I would immediately draw a picture: red clouds at the top, and our samovar at the bottom. And from the samovar smoke rises directly to the clouds, as from a steamer pipe.

Then the clouds faded and became gray, like mountains. Everything has changed around. It even began to seem to us that by some miracle we had landed in other lands.

The samovar boiled over. We carried him into the room, lit the lamp and sat down to drink tea. Butterflies flew through the window; they circled around the lamp as if they were dancing. Everything was somehow extraordinary. So quiet, only the samovar on the table makes noise. We sit and drink tea, we are our own masters.

After tea, Mishka locked the door on a hook and tied it with a rope by the handle.

So that the robbers do not climb, - he says.

Do not be afraid, - we say, - no one will climb.

I'm not afraid. Yes, just in case. And the shutters must be closed.

We laughed at him, but nevertheless closed the shutters, just in case, and began to pack the mail. Moved three beds together to make it easier to talk.

The bear began to ask to let him in the middle. Kostya says:

You obviously want the robbers to kill us first, and then only get to you. Okay, lie down.

They put him in the middle. But he must have been afraid anyway: he took an ax from the kitchen and put it under his pillow. Kostya and I almost burst with laughter.

Just don’t kill us by mistake, we say. “Or you’ll take us for robbers and hit us on the head with an axe.”

Don't be afraid, - says Mishka, - I won't bite!

We put out the lamp and began to tell each other fairy tales in the dark. Mishka told me first, then I, and when it was Kostya's turn, he began some long, scary tale about sorcerers, witches, devils, and Koshchei the Immortal. Mishka, out of fear, wrapped his head in a blanket and began to ask Kostya not to tell this tale again. And Kostya, in order to frighten Mishka, began to beat on the wall with his fists and say that it was the devil knocking. I myself became frightened, and I told Kostya to stop.

Finally Kostya calmed down. The bear calmed down and fell asleep. It became quiet. For some reason, Kostya and I could not sleep for a long time. We lie, listen, as Mishka's bugs in the box rustle.

Dark as a cellar! Kostya said.

It's because the shutters are closed, I say.

And yet we are brave! We are not afraid to sleep alone! - says Kostya.

It soon brightened up a bit. The cracks in the shutters became visible.

Probably it's already dawn, - says Kostya. Now the nights are very short.

Or maybe the moon has risen?

Finally I dozed off. Suddenly I hear through a dream: knock-knock-knock!

I woke up. Mishka and Kostya are sleeping. I woke Kostya.

Someone is knocking, I say.

Who can knock?

But listen.

We listened. Quiet. Then again: knock-knock-knock!

There is a knock on the door, - says Kostya. - Who is it?

We waited. They don't knock anymore.

“Maybe it seemed,” we think.

Suddenly again: knock-knock-knock! Knock-Knock!

Hush, whispers Kostya, no need to respond. Maybe knock and leave.

We waited. Suddenly again: knock-knock! Tra-ta-ta-ta!

Oh, to break you! Doesn't leave! - says Kostya.

Maybe someone came from the city? I say.

Why travel so late? Let's wait. If they knock again, we'll ask.

We wait. Nobody here.

Probably left, - says Kostya.

As soon as we calmed down, suddenly again: tra-ta-ta-ta!

I jumped in bed in surprise.

Let's go, - I say, - ask.

We crept up to the door.

Who's there? - asks Kostya.

Quiet. Nobody is answering.

Who's there?

Who's there?

No answer.

Probably gone, I say.

We went back. Just moved away from the door: knock-knock-knock! Fuck-ta-tah!

Rushed again to the door:

Who's there?

What is he, deaf, or what? - says Kostya.

We stand and listen. Behind the door, as if someone is rubbing against the wall.

Who's there?

Doesn't answer anything.

We moved away from the door. Suddenly again: knock-knock-knock!

We climbed onto the bed and are afraid to breathe. Sat, sat - no more knocking. Lie down. We think it will no longer knock.

Quiet. Suddenly we hear - rustling on the roof. And suddenly on the iron: bang-bang-bang! Fuck!

Climbed up on the roof! Kostya whispered.

Suddenly from the other side: boom-boom-boom! Bach!

Yes, not one, but two! I say. - What are they, they want to dismantle the roof?

We jumped out of bed, closed the door to the next room, from where there was a passage to the attic. They moved a table to the door and propped it up with another table and a bed. And on the roof they all knock: first one, then the other, then together at once. And a third one was added to them. And someone else started banging on the door again.

Maybe it's someone on purpose to scare us, I say.

Come out, - says Kostya, - and beat them on the neck, so as not to disturb their sleep!

They also kick us, I say. Suddenly there are twenty of them!

Or maybe they aren't people!

Then who?

Some damn.

Stop, - I say, - tell fairy tales! And scary without fairy tales!