This November morning Sigismunda Yakovlevna went for her usual bike ride. She rode through the park and looked around. Although there were still leaves on the trees, snow was already on some places.
- November, late fall, she thought, yellow, fallen leaves, snow in some places... Many people don't like this weather, but I do. I'm driving through the park, there's no one around, sometimes birds chirp... It's calm and nice.
But that morning everything did not go according to plan. Because as soon as Sigismunda Yakovlevna thought that, a sound came from somewhere downstairs:
- Eee-ee-ee! E-e-e-e-e!
- Who's that squeaking? It doesn't sound like birds - Sigizmunda Yakovlevna became alarmed and got off the bike. And just in time. Because in the next second from under a pile of leaves and snow came out... a small puppy! Right next to Sigismunda Yakovlevna's bicycle!
- Oh, little one, how did you get in here?! - The puppy turned out to be a girl - How did you get out here alone in the cold, huh?! You're bald! Come with me, I'll take you home!
Sigismunda Yakovlevna rode home. She put the baby in her bicycle basket. When she got home, Sigismunda began to think.
- Okay, the first thing we need to do is get you some water. But where do I put it? - Sigismunda opened the cupboard, took out a small bowl, and poured water.
- Here, you can drink from here," she said, looking at the little girl, who started drinking right away. - and then I'll bring you a real dog bowl. And I'll buy you some food, too.
But first Sigismunda Yakovlevna had to call someone.
- Hello, Vita, hi!
- Hi, Grandma!
- Help me out, please, I need you to babysit someone while I'm at the store. I won't be long.
- Okay, I'll be right there!
Vita came really fast.
- Hey, Grandma, who do you need to sit with? Oh, a dog! It's so small!
- I found this today, someone threw it out, can you believe it? And by the way, do you know what kind of breed it is?
The dog was smooth-haired, mottled and had large, floppy ears. After examining it, Vita answered:
- At first I thought it was a beagle, but she also looks like a basset.
- I see. Will you sit with her? I'll be right back.
- Uh, sure.
And Sigismunda Yakovlevna ran to the pet store. It was on the first floor of a neighboring house. Everyone there knew her well, because her student Timofey's mother, Zoya Kirillovna, was a sales clerk. Timofey and his family were very grateful to Sigizmunda Yakovlevna for helping him prepare for his exams. And also everyone really appreciated that Sigizmunda Yakovlevna always explained the material clearly. In general, everyone in the store had known her for a long time and knew her well, so when Sigizmunda Yakovlevna came into the store and said:
- Hello, Zoya Kirillovna! Do you have a dog bowl?
Zoya Kirillovna was very surprised.
- Oh, you got a dog, huh? What kind of dog?
- Long story. Without going into details, this is what I found this morning. - And with these words Sigismunda Yakovlevna showed Zoya Kirillovna a picture of a doggy. - By the way, do you know what breed it is? Vita, my granddaughter, says it looks like a beagle and a basset.
- Well, yes, on the beagle more - agreed Zoya Kirillovna.
- And I also wanted to ask, Zoya Kirillovna, what do you feed them?
Zoya Kirillovna said what kind of fodder was best to take, and added:
- And also, I would advise you, Sigizmunda Yakovlevna, to take a bottle like this - And Zoya Kirillovna brought a bottle - Here. This is so that the dog can drink outside at any time.
Sigismunda Yakovlevna thanked her, and asked:
- And the most important thing I wanted to ask, Zoya Kirillovna: do you know who to ask about her owners? Maybe we should take her to the hospital?
- Absolutely. First of all, they can tell you if she, or at least a similar dog, has been brought in for vaccinations, and most importantly, they probably know if any puppies have recently been born to pedigree dogs living nearby. I think that if they find such dogs, they won't find many, and the breed won't have to be specified.
- Thank you, Zoya Kirillovna - And Sigismunda Yakovlevna went with the purchases to the dog.
***
Sigizmunda Yakovlevna was lucky: Vita helped her find the number of the nearest veterinary clinic, which found a place.
- Here you go," she said, "the reviews here seem to be good.
- You are my helper - thanked her Sigismunda Yakovlevna - What would I do without you.
The doctor, Olga Leonidovna, turned out to be a cheerful and good-natured woman a little younger than Sigismunda Yakovlevna.
- Oh, what a nice one! - She turned to the dog with a smile - And what's our name?
- You see, Olga Leonidovna, - Sigizmunda Yakovlevna began to explain, - the thing is that this doggy doesn't have a name yet - And she briefly told the story of the appearance of her pet. When Sigismunda Yakovlevna finished, Olga Leonidovna's face was white with fear.
- What happened? - Sigismunda Yakovlevna was frightened.
- I remembered - Olga Leonidovna replied - once a very strange woman came to our hospital.
- And why was she strange? - Sigismunda Yakovlevna asked.
- She demanded (not asked, exactly, but demanded) that I induce her dog to miscarry.
Sigismunda Yakovlevna was shocked.
- A dog? A miscarriage? That's terrible.
- That's right. I refused to help her, and the other doctors said the same thing. I forgot to tell you, her dog was a beagle with papers, a girl. I don't know who got her pregnant, but it probably wasn't a beagle. And the owner was probably making money selling puppies. And mestizos, even if they look like beagles, you can't sell them for a lot of money. In general, this woman left us angry, and I never found out how it all ended.
Here Sigismunda Yakovlevna began to guess.
- And there was this...
- Almost three and a half months ago - Olga Leonidovna finished - I don't know what became of that dog, and whether the puppies (at least one) survived, but if so, they are the same age as this little girl. And since no one was expecting beagle puppies (all of them were either already born or had to be born later), I'm sure that her mom is the dog I told you about.
Sigismunda Yakovlevna realized that Olga Leonidovna was right, which meant that anything could happen to the puppies that had already been born.
- I can't get mad at people like that! - She said, "How could this have happened?
- Divorcees - Olga Leonidovna shrugged her shoulders - no one can tell them what to do. The only punishment for them is the disappearance of demand for the people they place.
- So we'll make sure that there will be no demand for them in our town," Sigismunda decided. In her head a plan had matured.
But this plan was not feasible without Vita. And Sigismunda Yakovlevna asked:
- Vitul, remind me, do you have anyone in your class who has a lot of pets? Especially dogs and cats.
- Yes, no - shrugged her shoulders - except that a few have a cat and someone who lives in a cage, and Dima has one cat, and a dog, also one.
- Yes, - thought Sigizmunda Yakovlevna - it turns out that there are only two people with dogs for the whole class - Sofia with Barney and this Dima, who has a dog and a cat.
- Has anyone gotten any kittens or puppies?
- No - Vita answered again - and why do you ask? Has something happened?
- You see, most likely, the owners of this dog's mom," Sigizmunda Yakovlevna nodded at the puppy, "are breeders.
And Sigismunda Yakovlevna told her granddaughter everything she had learned. After listening to her, Vita said:
- I'll see what I can find out.
And it didn't take long to find him. When Vita told her friends about everything, Sasha said that in one of the neighboring houses lives a very strange boy, Yura. And that's putting it mildly.
- He's kind of crazy, Yurka. He shuns everyone. And when it comes to animals, he gets a bit jumpy.
Upon learning of this, Sigismunda Yakovlevna asked:
- And where this Yurka lives, can you show me?
- Not a question - answered Sasha and led Vita and Sigismunda Yakovlevna to her yard.
In the courtyard they immediately saw a short, blond-haired boy of about ten years old. When he saw Sigismunda Yakovlevna, he immediately began to weep:
- I didn't mean to! I didn't know where to drop her off! Pashka put me up to it!
- Wait, who didn't you know where to drop off? - asked Sigismunda Yakovlevna, who was afraid that Yurka had already managed to drop someone else off.
And Yurka told me everything.
Pashka was the son of a woman who came to the veterinary hospital three months ago. He was not like his mother, determined to save the puppies, and took Yurka as an assistant. The only thing Sigizmunda Yakovlevna and Vita never realized was whether any of the puppies survived, except for their foundling. Yurka's parents wouldn't let him keep the dog, so he had to give it up. And out of fear, he just didn't think of anything else.
But the most unpleasant for Sigismunda Yakovlevna was the meeting with Pashka's mother. When she found out what had happened, she screamed:
- Take those filthy dogs! All of them! I don't want those ugly midgets!
Turns out the little girl's father was... short-legged, and the doggie might have turned out the same way.
- And here I absolutely agree with you - replied Sigismunda Yakovlevna.
The dogs were indeed all taken away, sterilized and many of them found new homes. And Sigizmunda Yakovlevna named her foundling Simona.
The end