No matter how tempting it is to present Volka Kostylkov as a boy without faults, the well-known truthfulness of the author of this tale won’t permit him to do so. And if envy is to be justly considered a fault, then, to our great sorrow, we must admit that at times Volka experienced this feeling keenly. During the last few days he had been very envious of Goga. Long before their exams had begun, Goga boasted that his mother had promised him an Alsatian puppy as soon as he was promoted to the 7th grade.
“Sure, you just wait!” Volka had sniffed at the time, feeling that he was turning cold from envy.
In his heart of hearts, he had to admit that Pill’s words certainly resembled the truth. The whole class knew that Goga’s mother never skimped on anything for her little darling. She’d refuse herself the bare necessities of life, but she’d get Goga a present that would leave them all speechless.
“She’ll certainly get me a puppy,” Goga persisted. “If you want to know, my mother never refuses me anything. If she promised, it means she’ll buy me one. If the worst comes to the worst, she’ll borrow some money and buy it. You don’t know how highly they think of her at the factory!”
That was true. Goga’s mother was greatly respected at the factory. She was the senior draughtsman and was a modest, hard-working and cheerful person. Everyone liked her, both her fellow-workers and her neighbours at home. Even Goga was fond of her in his own way. And she really doted on Goga. Anyway, if she had promised to buy him a puppy, it meant she would.
Perhaps, at this sorrowful moment, when Volka, crushed by all he had gone through that day, was slowly mounting the stairs, Goga-the-Pill, the very same Pill who deserved such happiness less than anyone else in their class, in their school, or even in all of Moscow, was playing with a magnificent, happy, furry puppy right next door, in apartment 37.
Such were Volka’s thoughts. The only consideration that afforded him some solace was that it was highly unlikely that Goga’s mother, even though she really and truly intended to buy her son a dog, had done so already. After all, Goga had only taken his last exam several hours before, and it’s not so easy to buy a puppy. You don’t walk into a pet shop and say, “Please wrap up that puppy for me.” You have to look long and hard for a good dog.
The very moment Volka’s grandmother opened the door, he heard the high-pitched, squeaky yelping of a puppy coming from behind the closed door of apartment 37 .
“So she bought it after all!” he thought bitterly. “An Alsatian… or maybe even a Boxer…”
It was more than he could bear, to imagine Goga the proud owner of a real, live service dog. Volka slammed the door shut to blot out the exciting, unimaginably wonderful, magical barking of a dog.
He also heard the frightened exclamation which escaped Goga’s mother. The puppy had probably bitten him. But even this could not console our young hero.
Volka’s father had not yet returned, as he was staying late at a meeting. His mother had apparently called for him at the factory after her evening classes.
Despite all his efforts to appear calm and happy, Volka looked so gloomy that his grandmother decided to give him supper first and then start asking him questions.
“Well, how are things, Volka dear?” she asked hesitantly, when her only grandchild had made quick work of his supper.
“Uh, you see…” he said vaguely, pulling off his polo shirt and heading towards his room.
His grandmother followed him with a sorrowful and kindly gaze that was full of silent sympathy. There was no need to ask him any questions. Everything was all too clear.
Volka sighed and got undressed. Then he stretched out under the clean cool sheet. Still, he was restless.
On the night table near his bed lay a large, thick volume in a brightly-coloured dust-cover. Volka’s heart skipped a beat. Yes, that was it, the longed-for astronomy book! On the frontispiece in a large familiar hand were the words:
“To Vladimir Kostylkov, the Highly Educated 7th-Grade Student and Acting Member of the Astronomy Club of the Moscow Planetarium, from his Loving Grandma.”
What a funny inscription! Grandma always invented something funny. But why didn’t it make Volka smile? Oh, why didn’t it! And imagine, he wasn’t at all happy to have finally received such a fascinating book, the one he had wished for for so long. Grief was eating out his heart. He felt a great weight on his chest… It was unbearable!
“Grandma!” he shouted, turning away from the book. “Grandma, would you come here a minute?”
“Well, what do you want, mischief-maker?” his grandmother answered, pretending to be angry, but really pleased that she’d have a chance to talk to him before he went to sleep. “Why, the Sandman can’t even cope with you, you astronomer! You night owl!”
“Grandma,” Volka whispered fervently, “close the door and come sit on my bed. I have to tell you something terribly important.”
“Perhaps we’d better put off such an important conversation till morning,” his grandmother answered, though she was consumed with curiosity as to what it was all about.
“No, right now. This very minute. I … Grandma, I wasn’t promoted, I mean, I wasn’t yet. I didn’t pass the exam.”
“Did you fail?” his grandmother gasped.
“No, I didn’t fail. I didn’t pass, but I didn’t fail, either. I started to tell them what the ancients thought about India , the horizon, and all kinds of things. Everything I said was right. But I just couldn’t tell them about the scientific point of view. I began to feel very bad and Varvara Stepanovna said I should come back after I had had a good rest.”
Even now, he could not bring himself to talk about Hottabych, not even to his grandma. Anyway, she’d never believe him and would think he was really ill.
“At first, I didn’t want to say anything. I wanted to tell you after I took the exam again, but I felt ashamed. D’you understand?”
“What’s there to understand! A person’s conscience is a great thing. There’s nothing worse than doing something that’s against your conscience. Now go to sleep, my dear astronomer!”
“You can take the book back meanwhile,” Volka suggested in a trembling voice.
“Nonsense! And where would I put it? Let’s consider that I’ve given it to you for safe-keeping for the time being. Go to sleep now, will you?”
“Yes,” Volka answered. A load had fallen from his chest. “And I promise you, upon my word of honour, that I’ll get an ‘A’ in geography. D’you believe me?”
“Certainly, I do. Now go to sleep and get strong. What about Father and Mother? Shall I tell them, or will you tell them yourself?”
“You’d better tell them.”
“Well, good night.” Grandma kissed him good night, turned off the light, and left the room.
For some while after, Volka lay in the darkness, holding his breath, waiting to hear his grandma tell his mother and father the sad news. However, he fell asleep before they came home.