"Alyoshka and I Are Friends" by Gennady Mamlin, summary

This story is the writer’s first prose work, published in 1961. It is narrated by twelve-year-old Tolya Korzinkin. The boy honestly and humorously chronicles his own fears, misconceptions, and unexpected maturation in just three days of independent life.

Twelve-year-old Tolya Korzinkin is being transported to a pioneer camp. His parents are heading south, leaving him alone. His father always sets a personal example for Tolya, constantly holding up the ideal child — Alyosha Petukhov, the son of his supervisor. Tolya hates the straight-A student without even realizing it. On the way to the train station, the wind blows his favorite skullcap off. The headdress flies over the fence of a public garden. A random boy his own age initiates a rescue operation and skillfully scales the fence. A police officer issues a citation for this violation, and the boys quickly flee.

The fugitives find themselves in someone else’s yard. The boys accidentally knock over Vera’s red-haired girl’s bucket, shattering a glass jar of honey. The girl lets out a piercing scream.

The boys attempt a secret evacuation, but fall right into the hands of a police officer. Sergeant Major Berezaiko escorts them to the station and meticulously records their statements. The detainees are left alone in the courtroom. The stranger hatches a plan for a daring escape. They dash out into the street. In their haste, the boy confiscates the stranger’s backpack, leaving Tolya with his partner’s luggage. A shocking revelation is made outside. The stranger confesses that he is the very model Alyosha Petukhov.

Life outside the law

On the train, the fugitives disguise themselves under wooden bunks. Vera and her sociable neighbor, Marinka, are stationed in their compartment. The girl is unexpectedly identified as Alyosha’s younger sister. A tall music student, Veniamin Basov, also boards there. He is transporting a heavy German accordion. A police sergeant major also patrols the car.

The boys barely escape capture. Upon arriving at the forest camp, they adopt a survival tactic: outside the law. The fugitives isolate themselves on the terrace of a small house and feign a severe infection. Out of fear, they sabotage their diet. A severe calorie deficit forces them to forage for food, but the backpack is not theirs. Money and a letter are discovered among Alyosha’s belongings. Ten rubles were given to the boy by his kind grandmother. The letter is addressed to Stepan Penochkin, a resident of a neighboring village. The friends erroneously claim that the belongings belong to their neighbor, Basov.

They send the money to Basov by postal order. Alyosha crafts the telegram in a deliberately lofty style. They deliver the letter to Grandfather Penochkin. The old man is identified as the same man who suffered during their escape in the yard. To conceal their identity, the boys mask their faces with handkerchiefs and feign severe toothache. Penochkin opens the envelope. His professor son asks Basov to perform a concert at the local village club.

Tolya is a skilled accordion player. The boy pretends to be Basov. That evening, they secretly commandeer the musician’s instrument and hitch a ride to a logging camp. The concert is a smashing success. Tolya receives thunderous applause from the local audience. The director of the company turns out to be a Hero of the Soviet Union. Alyosha also integrates into the village festival. He understudies a runaway actor in an amateur production of Schiller’s play "The Robbers." He gets a ridiculous red wig, a false nose, and a wide-brimmed hat.

At night, they return the instrument to its original position. Vera and Marinka locate the nighttime visitors. Alyosha, wearing a theatrical prop, panics the girls, leading them to mistake him for a genuine bandit.

Dismantling of gear and rural labor

The next day, the boys identify local poachers. The camp’s night watchman, Pantelei, asks them for help. In exchange, he guarantees a pair of old felt boots. His friend, Pafnutiy Ilyich, constantly quotes church texts. The adults set up a net in the river in complete darkness. Alyosha swims to the other bank and secures the line. Later, the boys realize that the fishing is illegal. They dismantle the poacher’s device without permission. Alyosha dives into the water again and cuts the net with a penknife.

The boys leave a written warning for the poachers. The text is mockingly signed "God." A curious Vera watches them. Soon, Penochkin and the foreman, Senya, appear. They publicly expose Pantelei.

In the morning, the boys head to the collective farm’s orchard. They want to compensate Grandpa Penochkin for the loss of time. The old man had planned to caulk a boat for a guest, but he was drafted to pick apples. The boys volunteer to replace him. At the stable yard, Tolya tries to harness a horse named Serko.

The hero lacks the necessary qualifications, and a stubborn horse tows the cart into an open field. Alyosha demonstrates a high level of competence. He overtakes the horse-drawn vehicle and skillfully subdues the animal. Tolya recognizes his comrade’s reliability. They work all day as part of the gardening team. As payment for their work, the boys receive a sack full of select apples.

Exposure and search

In the evening, the tired boys return to camp. Counselor Valentina Stepanovna harshly criticizes them. She threatens to deport the boys home for persistent disciplinary violations. Soon, Marinka brings the latest issue of the wall newspaper with an offensive caricature of Tolya and Alyosha. The caption reads: "The Robber Brothers."

Tolya flies into a rage and plans to destroy the newspaper with scissors. Suddenly, the boys discover Vera is missing. Tolya had cruelly frightened her the day before, dressed as a theatrical bandit. The boys hypothesize that she ran away due to severe stress. They grab a flashlight and a magnetic compass. In complete darkness and pouring rain, the friends organize a search expedition.

In the forest, the boys completely lose their bearings. Alyosha diagnoses himself with a sprained leg, but Tolya flatly refuses to abandon his injured comrade. They reach a dark river and track the fire. Sergeant Major Berezaiko and old man Penochkin are stationed near the fire. The boys mentally prepare for immediate arrest. Tolya begs the policeman to first organize Vera’s rescue.

Berezaiko laughs cheerfully. He shines a flashlight into the camping tent where the runaway sleeps comfortably. The stern policeman turns out to be her biological father. He’s come to the resort on vacation. Berezaiko explains the closure of their case. The policeman established the boys’ lack of criminal intent. Penochkin also identified the boys and pardoned them.

All misunderstandings are happily resolved. That morning, at the camp assembly, the administration reads a congratulatory telegram. The logging company management publicly commends Tolya and Alyosha for their excellent performance. The female chairperson of the collective farm arrives at the camp. She recruits the entire Pioneer core group for a mass harvest. Tolya no longer panics in the face of life’s obstacles. In three short days, his psyche has undergone an evolution. He has learned to defend the interests of others and implement bold initiatives. Now Tolya Korzinkin is absolutely certain that he and Alyoshka Petukhov have formed a true friendship.