"Lazar Lagin. The Old Genie Hottabych (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

rose. "I await your further orders."
"And now," Volka mumbled uncertainly, "if it's not too much trouble ..
. would you be kind enough ... of course, if it's not too much trouble....
What I mean is, I'd really like to be back on the floor again."
That very moment he found himself standing beside old man Hottabych, as
we shall call our new acquaintance for short. The first thing Volka did was
to grab the seat of his pants. There was no hole at all.
Miracles were beginning to happen.

THE GEOGRAPHY EXAMINATION


"Order me as you wish!" Hottabych continued, gazing at Volka devotedly.
"Is there anything that grieves you, 0 Volka ibn Alyosha? Tell me, and I
will help you."
"My goodness!" Volka cried, glancing at the clock ticking away loudly
on the table. "I'm late! I'm late for my exam!"
"What are you late for, 0 most treasured Volka ibn Alyosha?" Hottabych
asked in a business-like way. "What does that strange word 'ex-am' mean?"
"It's the same as a test. I'm late for my test at school."
"Then know ye, 0 Volka, that you do not value my powers at all," the
old man said in a hurt voice. "No, no, and no again! You will not be late
for your exam. Just tell me what your choice is:
to hold up the exam, or to find yourself immediately at your school
gates?"
"To find myself at the gates," Volka replied.
"Nothing could be simpler! You will now find yourself where your young
and honourable spirit draws you so impatiently. You will stun your teachers
and your comrades with your great knowledge."
With the same pleasant tinkling sound the old man once again pulled a
hair from his beard; then a second one.
"I'm afraid I won't stun them," Volka sighed, quickly changing into his
school uniform. "To tell you the truth, I have little chance of getting an
'A' in geography."
"In geography?" the old man cried and raised his thin hairy arms
triumphantly. "So you're to take an exam in geography?! Then know ye, 0 most
wonderful of all wonderful ones, that you are exceptionally lucky, for I
know more about geography than any other Genie-I, your devoted Hassan
Abdurrakhman ibn Hottab. We shall go to school together, may its foundation
and roof be blessed! I'll prompt you invisibly and tell you all the answers.
You will become the most famous pupil of your school and of all the schools
of your most beautiful city. And if anyone of your teachers does not accord
you the greatest praise, he will have to deal with me! Oh, they will be
very, very sorry!" Hottabych raged. "I'll turn them into mules that carry
water, into homeless curs covered with scabs, into the most horrible and
obnoxious toads-that's what I'll do to them! However," he said, calming down
as quickly as he had become enraged, "things will not go that far, for
everyone, 0 Volka ibn Alyosha, will be astounded by your answers."
' "Thank you, Hassan Hottabych," Volka sighed miserably. "Thank you,
but I don't want you to prompt me. We pioneers are against prompting as a