Kir Bulychev: “Alisa’s Journey. The Little Bushes”

Kir Bulychev (real name Igor Vsevolodovich Mozheiko, 1934–2003) was a famous Russian science-fiction writer. He wrote many stories about Alisa Selezneva, a girl from the future. The story is told by Alisa’s father, a biologist. The spaceship «Пегас» (Pegasus) flies over a desert on a distant planet and finds low bushes around a spring. The scientists dig them up and bring them aboard in a box of sand. In space the bushes suddenly «sing», then climb out of the box and start walking through the ship! The mechanic Zeleny is frightened and the father tries to stop them. Alisa waters the bushes from a watering can and they calm down. Alisa explains: the bushes are plants and needed water; they wander to find water, and their singing shows worry about water when a sandstorm approaches. Fantastic: walking, singing bushes. Alisa’s character: kind, resourceful, observant. The famous cartoon «Тайна третьей планеты» is also about Alisa.