The hero of the Johnny Vorobyov stories is always at the center of all sorts of interesting matters—whether it’s tracking down a mysterious crocodile or staging a school play. But the main thing, perhaps, isn’t the adventures, but the friends Johnny has in abundance—from little kids in kindergarten to the school principal.
Contents:
◆ 1. The Flight of the Horned Vikings (1969)
Summer for Johnny and his friends turned out badly—almost all the boys from their group scattered in every direction. But Tolyka Samokhin’s team stayed in the city, in full force. Even then, you can put the enemy to flight if you use military ingenuity, a dab of paint, and the mischievous goat of Grandma Natasha.
— First publication: the magazine “Pioneer”, 1969, No. 4.
◆ 2. The Trail of the Crocodile (1975)
On the way to the cinema, by the riverbank, Johnny sees the trail of a crocodile. There’s only one of them—but that’s enough for an adventure to enter life...
— First publication: the newspaper “Pioneer Truth”, July 15, 18, 25, 29; August 1, 5, 8, 12, 1975.
◆ 3. The Musketeer and the Fairy (1978)
During the New Year holidays a carnival of book characters will take place. Johnny wants to be in a musketeer costume, so he lets his hair grow. But his untrimmed look annoys teacher Inna Matveevna.
— First publication: the magazine “Pioneer”, 1978, No. 3–4.
◆ 4. The Helmet of the Knight (1981)
In Grandma Natasha’s vegetable garden stands a scarecrow, and on the scarecrow there’s an old knight’s helmet. Johnny and Vika come to take the helmet from Grandma—but they took… a recipe for an ancient remedy against baldness.
— First publication: the magazine “Pioneer”, 1981, No. 7–8.
◆ 5. The Secret of the Pyramids (1985)
Zhenya Vorobyov from the fifth grade is friends with the school principal, serves as director for the New Year play about Zmey Gorynych, and boosts the third-graders’ performance using pyramids. And it’s all because Vorobyov has grown up.
— First publication: the magazine “Pioneer”, 1985, No. 2–4. In subsequent editions all five stories about Johnny Vorobyov were always published under the general title “The Musketeer and the Fairy”.