Yes, yes, it's me again, your furry detective Thomas. I've recently returned from vacation. I was in the country. I stayed with my host at his grandmother's house. They took me there to have a rest, but in the end, everyone but me had a rest... You'll soon find out.
***
So, as I said, Valera and Nadia went to visit their grandmother in the summer. She lives in the village, so she doesn't see her grandchildren as often as she would like. Grandma Anya, that's her name, is nice, and she was very happy that the grandchildren took me with them. She also often treats me to milk and cheese that one of her neighbors makes. Baba Anya herself supplies him with the milk for this cheese. So you could say they have a kind of exchange. It's because of this cheese that the whole story happened. But first things first.
***
That day I noticed that Grandma Anya was sad. The grandchildren noticed it too and asked what was wrong.
- Vasily said there would be a problem with the cheese.
- Why?
- Sabir is missing.
Sabir is a dog who helps the local shepherd. And, I must tell you, he is a very clever guy, because other four-legged shepherds work with only one person - either with cows or goats (in the extreme case, with goats and sheep). Sabir, on the other hand, can work with anyone. And he started working when he was almost six months younger than the other shepherds. And although Sabir has a difficult character, he always treated his work very responsibly. I immediately realized that the owners, baba Anya and her neighbors could not cope with this task without me. Ah, goodbye vacation, I'm off to the rescue!
***
I realized that I would have to investigate the case, because the bipeds had only one version of Sabir's disappearance, but even they realized that it was wrong: first, it would mean that he had been stolen by one of their own, so the thief would have been found quickly, and besides, something else would probably have been stolen, but nothing was missing from the villagers, and there was nothing to steal from them. And secondly, Sabir had such a temper that one could not approach him, and it was not allowed to wake him up at all. So he couldn't have been stolen. But then where did he go?
It was clear that only the four-legged villagers could help me find Sabir. But who? Dogs were either sleeping or guarding the house, cats were either sleeping or walking (and Sabir's neighbors didn't have any at all). Cows fall asleep on the move even during the day, so there is no point in going to them. But the goats... They are a talkative people and must have heard something. So I went to them.
The goats did talk a lot, but their conversations were incoherent. The only topic they were sticking to in any way was the fair, which was two weeks before we arrived. Suddenly one goat said:
- Where do you think Sabir went?
My ears perked up.
- I don't know," her neighbor replied, "but I think he ran to Bella. Remember, he didn't leave her side, did he?
- Maybe - agreed the first goat - but this Bella lives so far away! What, we'll have no watchman now?
I slapped myself on the forehead with my paw. Of course I did! Grandma Anya had told me about this fair! She even told me the name of the village where this Bella lived!
- It wasn't as far as I'd feared, so I'd get there," I decided, and ran to Bella. Her owner met me there.
- Oh, I recognize you! - He said happily - You're Thomas the house cat! Now I'm going to call Anna Andreyevna!
***
In the course of this conversation it turned out that Sabir was really there and would not be going back: he had decided to stay with Bella. But I have been following this story, and I know that Baba Ani's village will not be lost, because Sabir and Bella had a son! And Bella's master has promised to give him to Sabir's former master. I am sure Sabir the second will do well, because both his parents are shepherds. So the wolves won't be spared!
The end