Veniamin Kaverin. Town Nemukhin (№ 357783)

He appeared suddenly. But the Physician-Pharmacist still managed to come up with an interesting plan: close all the Windows and silent, and when he comes closer, put a poster: "we're fine". And when will approach even closer - a second poster: "We are perfectly asleep." Even closer is the third: "Zabotkina - success", a little bit closer - shout in turn, that all things are good and he is bad. In General, the plan failed, but not immediately, because the Great Envious at first pretended to be pious, as always, when he was in danger.
- Little did I pharmacists, he said as if to himself, but loud enough to be heard in the house. One ran away - God bless him! Let them rest, the more he knows that by the first of July of miracles at my disposal.
Petya put in the window the first poster.
- Well, what? Very glad, - said the Great Envious. And I'm fine.
Petya put up a second poster - "We are perfectly asleep," and the Great Envious look a little pale. As you know, perfectly asleep, those who have a clear conscience, and clean of conscience in any case, envy is. He closed his eyes, not to read the third poster, but out of curiosity still opened them and clutched at his heart.
- Here is how? Have Zabotkina - success? he asked, smiling cheerfully. - And should I care? By the way, I would like to talk to you, Doctor-Pharmacist. How do you do? How are you?
- Yes, success! - gathered the courage, cried the Physician-Pharmacist. - It is necessary to read Newspapers! For "portrait of the wife" he received a Gold Medal. Wait a thousand years, and people will still look at his picture. By the way, he never thought to die.
- Here is how?
- Yes-S. Yesterday, bathed. Dives like a fish! Jealous?
Great Envious embarrassed smiled: - not at all!
- Happy lot! - cried the Tailor, - I, for example, in love and getting married. Jealous?
Your miracles nobody wants! We have our own cleaner!
- All the better!
- The companions heard? Recently launched the fourth, to Mars! Jealous? Got fat, you rascal!
And they excitedly began to shout to him that all is well and will, no doubt, better and better. And as he was a Great Undesirable Good to Anyone and was jealous of anyone who was happy with his fate, envy, which was full of his heart, spilled out with such force that he felt its bitterness in his mouth.