remember what else was there. Remind me. – suggested old man Literny.
– Yes, tell me, tell me. – the locomotives moved closer. Riding behind the hangar during the morning or evening rest was a favorite pastime of the depot residents.
– There’s nothing to tell here,” Chu-Chukhin began. – In general, everything was like that.
I was traveling loaded then. If my memory serves me right, I was carrying either pipes or fittings. In a word, something metal for the neighboring metal warehouse. The load was heavy and uncomfortable. I constantly fidgeted in the carriages and every time I had to make extra efforts at turns so as not to tip over.
And the day turned out to be the most beautiful. There is not a single cloud in the sky, the sun is cheerful, warming your sides, the breeze is light and favorable. The railway tracks are clear, not a single oncoming traffic and not a single delay at the stops. Only the load is heavy, but otherwise it’s a pleasure to ride.
I had already left the main road and turned onto our western branch, and there, after three kilometers, I had to turn west again, unload at the base, and return to our branch again.
And somewhere, in this gap, I noticed Kolobchuk. More precisely, not quite his. First the stationmaster’s house appeared. The same houses that used to be numerous on the roads and where the railway workers lived, who watched the switches, monitored the track and other railway communications. For example, behind telegraph poles.
Now there are very few of these houses left, they have been replaced with something else, but we were lucky, we still have a few of them left. And in one of them live an old man and an old woman. They have a granddaughter who comes to them for the summer, a cat Vredina and a dog Bobanka.
I met Kolobchuk at the very height of the story, so I will retell the first part of it from his words.
And so, as described in the cookbook on cooking Kolobchuk, one day the grandfather and grandmother decided to eat. But, as usual, they immediately had nothing. The grandfather recommended that the grandmother place the floor, shake the bags, scrape the bottom of the barrel, and look into the cellar. Yes, he recommended doing all this so threateningly that they immediately found flour, salt, sugar, and something else that is put into the dough in such cases.
They kneaded the dough and made a bun. They preheated the oven and placed it there to bake. Yes, they covered it with a flap. And themselves, and the grandfather, and the grandmother, and the granddaughter, and the cat and dog, sat down on the bench and began to wait. Some time passed, the grandmother even began to doze, when from the other side, from the side of the stove, there was a knock on the damper. They knocked so loudly that after the third time the door jumped to the side, and out of the heat a baked, smiling Kolobchuk jumped out into the light.
– Yeah! – he shouted. – I know what you want to do with me! You want to eat me! Only I’m against it. – he blurted out, and while everyone was confused and didn’t understand what to do, he jumped onto the floor, rolled to a chair, jumped onto the chair, from there onto the table, then onto the windows, and then jumped out through the window and out into the street.
So Kolobchuk jumped out into the street and rolled. But it was not there. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Hare, Wolf, Bear and Fox immediately ran out to meet him. As soon as they saw smoke coming from the chimney and smelled the smell of fresh bread, they immediately realized that koloboks were being cooked and, judging by the cookbook about koloboks, they would definitely keep them away from the old people. That’s why they didn’t wait for him on the path until he ran around them all, deceiving them and laughing, but decided to come to the house themselves and play ahead, so to speak.
Kolobchuk was even confused and therefore lost precious time, because his grandfather and grandmother, their granddaughter Alenka, the cat Vredina and the dog Bobanka were already running out of the house into the street.
– Hold him! – the granny screamed. And her cry became a command for Kolobchuk. He came out of his stupor and, as quickly as he could, pulled away from them along the railway tracks, escaping from pursuit.
– And here I appear, – Chu-Chukhin finally moved on to his part of the story. – As you remember, I was traveling laden then, transporting metal to a metal depot and enjoying the weather, nature and the opportunity to travel. This is where I noticed Kolobchuk. He tried his best to break away from his pursuers, but they, raising clouds of dust, rushed after him. Kolobchuk caught up with me, and I quickly asked:
– What’s happened?
– They wanted to eat… – he explained, breathing heavily.
– Jump in! – I commanded, slowing down next to him.
Kolobchuk jumped in and immediately hid in my cabin, and I began to accelerate as best I could. The pursuers did not immediately understand what had happened and even ran past me, still raising clouds of dust. And when we figured out what was what, Kolobchuk and I were already rolling at full speed and Kolobchuk sang his song to them, how he left his grandmother and left his grandfather…
– And then you brought him here and he became a clerk and accountant here. – Thinking that the story was over, the new engine said.
– And then I brought him here and he became a clerk and accountant here, – Chu-Chukhin agreed. – But that’s later. This is not the whole story yet, and I would say that it is just beginning.
– Yes? – the locomotive was surprised. “Then I won’t interrupt.”
– Kolobchuk and I were glad that we broke away from our pursuers so easily. He introduced himself, I also said that my name was Chu-Chukhin. He told me his story, I told him that I live in an interesting place – in an abandoned depot, and now I am fulfilling an order, transporting cargo to a metal depot. After that I can drop him off with us. He was happy and thanked. And after this conversation we arrived at the metal depot itself.
We spent at least three hours at the base. While all the documents were completed, then the crane was occupied, then they unloaded it, everything was weighed, recorded, and only after that they were put into special stackers – where rolled metal products are stored.
I was nervous – I really don’t like all this red tape, but apparently I couldn’t do without it. As for me, there is nothing better than a tailwind and rails running into the distance, but Kolobchuk really liked it all. He carefully followed everything that was happening, from time to time he even entered into an argument with the receiver, and one day he even jumped to the ground and there he proved and showed something.
Three hours passed, or maybe even four, we were finally unloaded, the cargo transportation order was closed, and we were free to go about our business. Kolobchuk took some documents, said that this was important, and we went.
As I already said, we deviated from the route and now returned to it, drove half a kilometer and reached the path that leads across the western bridge to our depot. We were in no hurry, I even wanted to go for a ride, but Kolobchuk protested, saying that we needed to come to the depot and report. True, there was no one to report to – we lived on our own, but Kolobchuk insisted, and I succumbed to his persuasion.
The bridge, as you know, has long been abandoned, the paint from the truss-fences has long peeled off, and it presents the spectacle of an old rusty giant, still full of strength, but long ago lost its youthful prowess. We
