Of course, none of the «ocean» ships go along the Yauza River, but the heroes of the book will construct «ocean ships» for themselves from an old punt, a plastic basin, a rubber boat and set off on a journey «to the ocean» in their dreams and songs, where, as befits brave travelers, both land and sea entertaining adventures await them …

      Faced with an obstacle on the Yauza in their campaigns «to the ocean», the heroes of the book will not be afraid of the dangers and difficulties that have arisen. How they will overcome them and what adventures await them (on land and on water) in the vicinity of the Yauza and on the Yauza River, read on the pages of the book.

      It is, of course, a long way to the «ocean», but the fact that the Yauza flows into the Moscow River is accurate, and there Oka → Volga → Caspian … And there are, after all, other opportunities to achieve your dreams …

      And now, dear readers, let's join the heroes of the book.

      To the world of entertaining adventures.

      First book

      The first adventure!

      Nobility is always stronger than fear and self-interest

      Nearby, in the sources of a swampy and shallow water, overgrown along the banks with reddish, reed and tall forbs, but from this no less beloved by all the heroes of this book and singing it as «full-flowing», «wide», «rich in all kinds of large fish», «running up to the ocean itself», the Yauza River, in one of the gardens with tall grasses and fragrant flowers, spreading apple trees, cherries, plums and other woody and shrub plants, a multitude of both songbirds and non-songbirds lived a hedgehog.

      The hedgehog lived, of course, not alone in this garden. The hedgehog had dad Hedgehog, mom Hedgehog and several brothers and sisters.

      The hedgehog was the youngest in the family and the biggest coward in the whole huge garden.

      And maybe further.

      And although daddy the Hedgehog and mommy Hedgehog, and all the older brothers and sisters, told the hedgehog many and many times that all hedgehogs are very brave and are not afraid to fight even with a poisonous snake, the hedgehog did not become any braver from this. And the hedgehog from these stories became even cowardly.

      As soon as a branch rustled on a tree or the grass rustled, the hedgehog imagined that it was a snake crawling and, as befits each of the family of hedgehogs according to the stories of the elders, he would have to fight it.

      And the hedgehog ran away in the opposite direction from rustling and rustling.

      Out of breath from running, the hedgehog climbed into the deepest thickets of the garden, under the most overgrown bush, curled up there tightly – tightly into a thorny ball.

      And the hedgehog remained in this state until hunger forced him to leave the shelter. And even then, carefully, sensitively listening to the rustles, until the obvious absence of any snake nearby returned the little hedgehog to his cheerful and sociable disposition.

      He tried to cultivate fearlessness towards snakes in his son and his cheerful and good-natured dad, a hedgehog, by his benevolent nature with the help of all kinds of games and stories about fearless Hedgehogs!

      And while the hedgehog was next to his strong and brave dad – the hedgehog, he was not afraid of any snakes, had fun with him and bravely looked around.

      But as soon as the hedgehog dad plunged into his adult affairs, and the hedgehog was left alone, he began to sensitively listen to every rustle, ready to immediately run away from all his four legs from the insidious snake, with which he, as a representative of hedgehogs, inevitably needed would join the single combat and win!

      As a result of such constant cowardice of the hedgehog, who had never seen mice, everyone began to call him the Mouse. This name turned into his name, which was not at all offensive for the hedgehog himself, because he himself did not know anything about the mouse yet.

      But, as much as the hedgehog was cowardly, so, and maybe more, he was an inquisitive and passionate lover to travel and discover new places!

      Many inhabitants of the neighborhood knew the little traveler – hedgehog, his good-natured, inquisitive disposition and were glad to see him. The hedgehog was not at all afraid of children in his habitat, because they did not offend him and sometimes even treated him to delicious sweets, for example, «ice cream»!

      The hedgehog loved this «ice cream» even more than wild raspberries, and when he saw children in the forest, he tried to catch their eyes – what if they had this wonderful «ice cream» with them!

      And every morning the little thorny traveler set off on his next journey, along the way to everyone he met, wishing good morning.

      And everyone they met also smiled at the little hedgehog and wished him a good journey. And the hedgehog happily ran on. The chicken, while his mother was distracted by other chickens, ran out onto the path to greet the little Mouse and chuckled – take me with you for a walk in the forest!

      Hedgehog Mouse also greeted the chicken, but he didn’t take it with him – little one, you will get lost in the forest without a mother, grow up … The chicken chuckled – yes, I am growing, growing … And he looked after the little hedgehog Mouse for a long time.

      Hedgehog was glad with all his heart to every meeting on his way. And