MUSHROOM RAIN
(The Riddle)

When we wake up early in the morning, I go to my nursery school, and father goes to his motor trade.
That day I woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head - but father was only sleeping. I didn't know why, and mother told me:
- Won't you, please, please, help me?
- But why me, not father?
- Father went to gather mushrooms. It was mushroom rain yesterday.
- But what's mushroom rain? Do mushrooms fall from the sky?
- No. Can you hear me, that when it rains and shines, it's useful for mushrooms?
- But why did father go alone?
- He went very far from here. Norwegian Wood, isn't it good? Besides, today it's a hard day's night.
- But how am I to help you?
- Take this red case with shirts and carry them to the laundry. Here's a lot of money. You know my name, look up the number. That's what I want.
- But would you let me go alone?
- Of course. The next year you'll go to school.
We came to the corner. There was a park in front of the road. Mother told me:
- Don't turn away from the long and winding road. There's a broad street behind the park. Don't cross it alone, but wait till an old man or woman comes up to you, and help them to cross the road.
- What old woman?
- This one, for example. Granny, let my son help you to cross the road.
- With pleasure, - the old woman smiled, took my hand, and I helped her.
I was so glad to run alone at the long and winding road.
And suddenly I saw a strange dog. A golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators was pulling it on a long strap. I'd never seen such a long dog before. It, too, had long nose, ears, and tail, but its curve paws were short and thick.
When the golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators turned aside, the dog's head, curve paws, and front part of body, too, turned aside, but its back and tail still were at the long and winding road, so long it was.
At last, the whole dog turned aside, and I, too, followed it to see what it would do. I thought where those dogs live, what they eat, and who needs them.
I was looking at it, but the dog's golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators turned round and made me face. I, too, wanted to make her face, but so did the dog. I thought it was useless for me to make face to both, and ran away shaking my red case and singing. I didn't even look around.
Suddenly I saw a columned white round house. It was a park library. Its door was locked. There were empty benches and armchairs, and chess tables, but no people.
There was a large green fly on one of the tables. It was moving as a chess-knight - two squares ahead, one aside. The chess fly moved to the edge of the table, and then flew up around the columned house.
I followed it as if it were the sun. It flew around the house, then around a column. I was following it till felt light-headed, then sat on grass with eyes closed, not understanding what I see. When I felt better, I opened my eyes and stood up. There were trees, bushes, and grass, like in a forest - neither people, nor the columned white house. Even the fly disappeared.
I took my red case, and suddenly saw many mushrooms. I took the shirts out and filled my red case. But there were so many mushrooms that I wanted to fill the shirts with them. But I looked around and I noticed there were no shirts. They disappeared, and I understood that I got a trouble. I could go neither to the laundry, nor home, and mother might worry.
I cried, took my red case, and ran away. I was running and crying till saw an empty alley and a bench. The golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators with her long dog was sitting there. I, too, sat on the bench and cried again.
- Cry, baby, cry, make your mother sigh, - she said thru her nose.
- Don't disturb me!
- But really, why do you cry, my lad? - she smiled.
- I got a trouble, don't you understand?
- If you got troubles then don't bring your troubles to me.
- But I'll do.
Her dog came to me and licked my knees, and I stopped crying and told the girl everything about shirts.
- I'm sorry for you, my lad, - she said. - But it isn't worth crying. Hey, Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better!
- But how do you know everything? - I asked. I didn't like how she was talking to me.
- Aren't you a pupil yet, my lad? - she said with French accent.
- I'll be a pupil the next year.
- It doesn't matter what you say, but I know you'll be a pupil anyway.
- But are you a pupil?
- But of course I am.
- But what form are you in?
- But second.
- But why aren't you doing your homework?
- But I did it the night before.
- But what's your dog's name?
- But Martha My Dear.
- But why's it so long?
- But it's a basset-hound.
- But why do you wear these blue jeans?
- But because the sky is blue it makes me cry.
- But do you, really, need these tinted aviators?
- But you don't know the reason why I wear them. Just steel and glass, that's all.
- You're a rutabaga! - I said. - Little but talkative!
She laughed so loudly that I was offended, remembered shirts and mother, and cried again - till heard that she told me:
- Don't cry, my lad! Let's walk with my dog. Pull it on the strap and be quiet. Don't cry, don't shed a tear just as long as you stand by me.
- So give me your dog, - I said.
We stood up and went to the alley; I pulled the long dog and got quiet and even happy.
- Let's forget shirts and laundry! A lot of money, that's what I've got. I'll buy you coffee and honey pies.
- And I'll buy you diamond ring, my friend, if it makes you feel alright.
We found the shop, bought coffee and honey pies, fed the dog, and ourselves wanted to eat, but I saw a strange scene: a big fat sparrow flew up to a branch and sat down to it. And the branch shook up and down like a swing. Then, three more sparrows sat down to the same branch. I'd never seen anything of the kind.
The golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators asked me:
- Open up your eyes now, tell me what you see?
I told her everything. She answered:
- Is it really possible, my lad? It's very interesting. You tell me you've seen seven wonders but the bird can swing.
An old woman said:
- It's just wind, no else.
I answered:
- No wind. They shake themselves.
Some of them began to argue, but I was looking at the shaking sparrows not even touching my coffee.
And suddenly I saw another sparrow. It was sitting alone, but not shaking. All the sparrows' heads were colourful, but this one's was black. I felt so sorry for this sad sparrow that, again, looked at the shaking ones. There were many people, too, looking at them. Somebody said:
- They can't shake themselves unless wind.
- But you see they shake, - I said.
- So, it's the wind.
- But where? - I asked.
- Here, there, and everywhere, - the golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators answered.
But suddenly the shop-girl shouted:
- Go off, nasty bird!
And I saw the sad black-headed sparrow sitting on my cup and drinking coffee. I shouted:
- Don't touch it! Allow it to drink!
But I myself frightened it so much that it flew away at once.
- May it also need cocoa or chocolate? - somebody asked.
The old woman said:
- I've got aquarium fishes and feed them with cucumbers.
- It wanted to drink the whole cup. Remains aren't useful for it.
- But how's it to drink remains? It's afraid to get into the cup upside down.
- It's yourselves who are afraid!
But suddenly I felt so upset because of the poor sparrow that remembered mother, put honey pies into my pocket, took my red case, and told the golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators:
- Let's go from here!
- You mean soon we'll be away from here, step on gas and wipe the tears away, don't you? - she asked.
- No, I want to say let's go at once, but I can't go home!
- But I want to show you the ferrous wheel. It was opened two days ago.
The ferrous wheel was enormous. I was so astonished that forgot even the golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators with her long dog, tho they were near me. Everything around me was seen. I was just sitting and watching the wheel go round.
There was a bridge and a fountain where rocking horse people ate marmalade pies.
There were swans in the lake.
There was the shop with coffee. Sparrows were invisible, but the old woman having aquarium fishes was drinking coffee.
There was a small tram going towards my nursery school.
There was a boat on the river far away.
There was the motor trade where father works.
There was a horse near a shop.
There was the columned white library where the chess fly had confused me. I'd gathered mushrooms near it.
There was the laundry.
And, at last, there was my home - large, pink, with a tower on its top.
But suddenly, I felt badly. What was the matter with mother? I couldn't suffer any more.
When the ferrous wheel stopped I jumped out, and the golden-plaited girl wearing blue jeans and tinted aviators with her long dog followed me. I opened my red case, gave one mushroom to the girl, another to her dog, and asked:
- What's your name? I'm hurrying, do you understand?
- I'm Irene, - she said taking off her tinted aviators, and I first time saw her large blue eyes.
- And I'm Alex. See you tomorrow. Goodbye! - I answered, and ran away.
But I didn't forget that I'd promised mother to help an old man or woman to cross the road.
Suddenly, an old woman took my hand.
- Let's go! - she said helping me to cross the road.
- Who are you? - I asked.
She looked at me thru her granny glasses, and said:
- You aren't my boy. But where's mine?
And I ran home. I saw pale mother standing there, and cried again.
At home, I opened my red case, showed her mushrooms, and told everything.
- So, really, red is the colour that makes me blue, it's true, - mother said, and didn't talk to me at all till the evening.
But in the evening, father came. His large basket was almost empty. And he began to read newspaper at once.
- Your son's gathered a caseful of mushrooms in the park, - mother said, and I laughed. Then, she told me to go to bed, but I didn't sleep and listened how father and mother were talking. Soon, father came to me, sat down to my bed, and asked:
- Won't you show me tomorrow where mushrooms grow in the park?
- Of course I will, - I answered. - Besides, I've met the beautiful girl. Her name's Irene, she wears blue jeans and tinted aviators, and her dog's as long as our TV antenna. And let's go to the ferrous wheel. Okay?
- Okay. And now, go to bed, - he said, and went out turning off the light.
But I was lying in the dark and thinking of everything had happened that day. Then, I remembered the honey pies in my pocket, took out one of them, ate a little, went to bed, and fell asleep with the honey pie in my hand.
The next day, I went to the park with father. Irene wearing her customary blue jeans and tinted aviators with her basset-hound was there, too.
Since then, our appointments repeated every week-end during thirteen years - till we, at last, got married. Let it be!

Find as many songs by the Beatles in this story as possible.