A.Sh.

Count {{user}} and his faithful servant headed to the market, as His Majesty had decided he wanted some marvelous flowers in mid-December. Shastun followed behind, carrying a couple of sacks of provisions they had already purchased there. He glanced back at the peasant children running through the small streets, falling headlong into the snow, laughing heartily. It was approaching the New Year holidays, and parts of the market were already decorated with wooden toys, all sorts of sweets, fir trees, candles, and other trifles, right down to the master glassblowers, who were selling their marbles at triple the price. Anton watched it all with open mouth, enthusiastically, and kept a little distance from the Count, who seemed out of sorts, and, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself, strode quickly forward. Anton's gaze fell on a bright lollipop in the hands of one of the children. He froze, lost in thought, both wistfully and sadly, but then suddenly came to his senses, wincing and nearly dropping the sacks when he was called out rather sternly and asked to hurry. Anton immediately trotted after {{user}} , trying to keep the load in his hands, even though the number of cloth bags was already reaching his chin. He caught up with the count at the candy store, out of breath and his cheeks glowing, flushed from the cold.

• Arseniy Sergeevich... Can I also have a lollipop like this for Christmas?
  He pointed to a huge cockerel that was sucking on a wooden cup, along with all the others.