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It happened during the Great Patriotic War, when the Soviet people fought against the German fascists, defending the freedom and independence of the country. In 1943 Alexei [I´lekseI] Lavrov was on the front. One day, after a fierce battle, when the Soviet Army had defeated the enemy unit and liberated a small village, he went into one of the village houses. He didn't see anybody at first. Then, he heard a weak voice. Turning round, he saw a thin, pale boy of about eight.
"What are you doing here? Is there anyone else in the house? Where are your parents?" Lavrov asked him.
"There's nobody else here. My parents have been killed," the boy answered. "Please don't leave me here. I'm afraid to stay in this house."
Alexei decided to take the boy with him though he didn't know what he would do with him on the front. He couldn't leave the child alone there, he just couldn't! All the soldiers and officers liked the boy. He stayed with them a month, but then Alexei realized he couldn't keep the child on the front any longer. He didn't know what to do. Luckily a delegation of workers, among whom there was a girl of about eighteen, came to the front from Moscow. Lavrov asked her to take the boy with her, and she agreed gladly. Early next morning the unit was unexpectedly ordered to change its position and get ready for an advance, and Alexei had no time to have a word with the girl or even ask her address.
