*Clean birds*
-Have you ever listened to silence, Hedgehog?
- I listened.
- And what?
- Nothing. Quiet.
“And I love it when something moves in silence.”
“Give me an example,” asked the Hedgehog.
“Well, for example, thunder,” said the Bear.

There was a house on the mountain - with a chimney and a porch, with a stove for a cat, with a pole for a rooster, with a stable for a cow, with a kennel for a dog and with new plank gates.
In the evening, smoke came out of the chimney, a grandmother came out onto the porch, a cat climbed onto the stove, a rooster perched on a pole, a cow crunched hay in the barn, a dog sat down by the kennel - and everyone began to wait for the night.
And when night came, a little frog crawled out from under the burdock tree. He saw a blue bell, picked it and ran across the yard. And a blue ringing sound hung over the yard.
-Who is this calling? - asked the grandmother. - Is that you, cat? Is that you, rooster? Is that you, cow?..
And the little frog ran and ran, and the blue ringing rose higher and higher, and soon it hung not only over the yard, but over the entire village.
- Who is this, who is calling like that? - people asked. And they ran out into the street and began to look at the starry sky and listen to the blue ringing.
“It’s the stars that are ringing,” said the boy.
“No, it’s the wind,” said the girl.
“It’s just silence,” said the deaf grandfather.
And the little frog ran tirelessly, and the blue ringing rose so high that the whole earth listened to it.
- Why are you calling? - the grasshopper asked the frog.
“It’s not me who is ringing,” answered the frog. - This blue bell is ringing.
- Why are you calling? - the grasshopper did not let up.
- What do you mean why? — the little frog was surprised. “Not everyone can sleep on the stove and chew hay.” Someone has to ring the bell...

- And here you are! - said Little Bear, waking up one day and seeing Hedgehog on his porch.
- I.
-Where have you been?
“I was gone for a very long time,” said the Hedgehog.
- When you disappear, you need to warn your friends in advance.

Crow

A light snow fell, then stopped, only the wind weakly swayed the tops of the trees. The grass, unfallen leaves, branches - everything faded, brightened from the cold. But the forest was still large and beautiful, only empty and sad.
Raven sat on a branch and thought his old thought. “It’s winter again,” thought Raven. - It will cover everything with snow again, it will snow; the Christmas trees will become frosty; birch branches will become brittle from frost. The sun will flare up, but not for long, dimly, and in the early winter twilight only we, the crows, will fly. Fly and croak."
Dusk was approaching.
“I’m flying,” thought Raven. And unexpectedly he easily slipped from his habitual place.
He flew almost without moving his wings, choosing a path between the trees with a barely noticeable movement of his shoulder.
“Nobody,” Raven sighed. “Where did they all hide?” And indeed, the forest was empty and empty.
- Serrrr! - Raven said out loud. He sat down on an old stump in the middle of the clearing and slowly turned his head with blue eyes.
“Crow,” Little Bear said to the Hedgehog.
- Where?
- Over there on the stump.
They sat under a large fir tree and watched the forest fill with gray twilight.
“Let’s go talk to her,” said the Hedgehog.
- What will you tell her?
- Nothing. I'll call you for tea. I’ll say: “It’s going to get dark soon. Let’s go, Crow, and have some tea.”
“Let’s go,” said the Bear. They crawled out from under the tree and approached Raven.
“It’ll get dark soon,” said the Hedgehog. — Crow, let’s go have some tea.
“I’m Vor-r-ron,” Raven said slowly, hoarsely. — I don’t drink tea.
“And we have raspberry jam,” said Little Bear.
- And fungi!
Raven looked at the Hedgehog and the Little Bear with old, stone eyes and thought: “E-he-heh!..”
“I don’t drink tea,” he said.
“I’ll treat you with honey,” said the Bear.
“And we have lingonberries and cranberries,” said the Hedgehog. Raven didn't say anything.
He flapped his wings heavily and swam over the clearing. In the thick twilight, with outstretched wings, it seemed so huge that the Hedgehog and the Little Bear even sat down.
- This is a bird! - said the Bear. - She will drink tea with you!
“It’s him, Raven,” said the Hedgehog.
- It's still a bird. “We’ll call you, we’ll call you!” - he mimicked the Hedgehog. - They called.
- So what? - said the Hedgehog. - He'll get used to it. Imagine, everyone is one and one. And next time he will definitely agree...
Already almost in the dark, the Raven flew over the field, saw some distant lights and thought almost nothing, only raised and lowered his wings widely and strongly.

A funny fairy tale

One day Donkey was returning home at night. The moon was shining, and the plain was all foggy, and the stars sank so low that with every step they trembled and rang in his ears like bells.
It was so good that Donkey sang a sad song.
“Pass the ring,” Donkey drawled, “a-a-a-brutal...
And the moon went down very low, and the stars spread right across the grass and were now ringing under their hooves.
“Oh, how good,” thought Donkey. - Here I come... Here the moon is shining... Is it really possible that the Wolf does not sleep on such a night?
The wolf, of course, did not sleep. He sat on the hill behind the donkey house and thought: “My gray brother Donkey lingers somewhere...”
When the moon, like a clown, jumped out to the very top of the sky, the Donkey sang:
And when I die
And when I die,
My ears are like ferns
They will sprout from the ground.
He approached the house and now had no doubt that the Wolf was not sleeping, that he was somewhere nearby and that a conversation would take place between them today.
- Are you tired? - asked the Wolf.
- Yes a little.
- Well, rest. Tired donkey meat is not so tasty.
The donkey lowered his head, and the stars, like bells, rang at the tips of his ears.
“Beat the moon like a tambourine,” Donkey thought to himself, “crush wolves with your hoof, and then your ears, like ferns, will remain on the ground.”
-Have you rested yet? - asked the Wolf.
“My leg is going numb,” said Donkey.
“We need to grind it,” said the Wolf.
- Stiff donkey meat is not so tasty.
He approached the Donkey and began to rub his back leg with his paws.
“Just don’t try to kick,” said the Wolf. “Not this time, maybe next time, but I’ll eat you anyway.”
“Beat the moon like a tambourine,” Donkey remembered. “Crush the wolves with your hoof!..” But he didn’t hit, no, he just laughed. And all the stars in the sky laughed quietly with him.
- Why are you laughing? - asked the Wolf.
“I’m ticklish,” said Donkey.
“Well, be patient a little,” said the Wolf. - How is your leg?
- Like wood!
- How old are you?! - asked the Wolf, continuing to work with his paws.
- 365,250 days.
The wolf thought.
- Is this a lot or a little? - he finally asked.
“It’s about a million,” said Donkey.
- And all donkeys are so old?
- In our copse - yes!
The Wolf walked around the Donkey and looked into his eyes.
- And in other copses?
“In others, I think, younger,” said Donkey.
- How long?
- For 18,262 and a half days!
- Hm! - said the Wolf. And he walked off across the white plain, sweeping the stars with his tail like a janitor.
And when I die- Donkey purred, going to bed, -
And when I die,
My ears are like ferns
They will sprout from the ground!

Lunar path

The days were sunny and light, and the nights were starry and moonlit.
In the evening, the Hedgehog and the Little Bear invited the Hare to take a walk along the moonlit path.
- Won't we fail? - asked the Hare.
“Moon rovers,” said the Bear Cub and handed the Hare two planks. - You can wear these both here and on the moon.
The Hare raised his head, looked at the moon, it was large and round, then at the Hedgehog and the Little Bear.
- Why the ropes?
“To the paws,” said the Hedgehog.
And the Hare began to watch how the Hedgehog and the Little Bear tied the planks to their paws. Then I tied it myself.
The owl sat on a burnt pine tree and looked at them with round eyes.
- Do you see? - the Hare said inaudibly to the Owl. And he jumped up to try how he could do it on the boards.
“I see,” said the Owl inaudibly. - Now you'll drown.
“They shouldn’t,” said the Bear cub inaudibly. - I calculated.
“He calculated,” Hedgehog said confidently, but also inaudibly.
“You’ll see,” said the Owl.
And the Hare cried silently and turned away.
- Let's go! - said the Hedgehog.
Rustlering the planks, they approached the river.
- Who is first? - asked the Hedgehog.
- C'mon, I'm third! - asked the Hare.
The little bear went down to the water and clapped the planks.
The Little Bear walked straight to the middle of the river without falling through, and the Hedgehog jumped off the bank, ran after him and also didn’t fall through, and the Hare didn’t know what to do, but still jumped off, and also ran, and caught up with the Hedgehog and the Little Bear.
They walked along the moonlit path to the middle of the river, and the Hare was afraid to look at his planks; he felt that it couldn’t be like this, that one more step and he would definitely fail, and so the Hare walked with his head raised and looking at the moon.
-Are you afraid? - asked the Hedgehog.
“Afraid,” said the Bear.
And the Hare thought that if he said a word, he would definitely fail, and therefore he was silent.
“I swallowed my tongue,” said the Bear.
“Out of fear,” said the Hedgehog.
- Don't be afraid! - Little Bear shouted and fell knee-deep.
The hare shuddered and raised his head even higher.
“Don’t be afraid,” said the Hedgehog, picking up the Teddy Bear.
But the Hare still did not believe that this could happen, and he reached the other bank, without even once looking down, in silence.
“Let’s go back,” said the Bear.
“No,” said the Hare. And he climbed ashore.
- What are you afraid of? - said the Hedgehog.
- Let's go! - called Little Bear.
The Hare shook his head, and the Hedgehog and the Little Bear went to the other side.
“Here they are coming to the other side,” thought the Hare. - And they don’t fail. But this can’t be true. "It can not be!" - the Hare shouted inaudibly.
“Well,” said the Little Bear when they returned. - Jump!
The lunar path like a golden fish lay across the river. Her head rested on that bank, and her tail moved right next to the hare’s paws.
- Don't be afraid! - said the Hedgehog.
- Jump! - Little Bear shouted.
The hare looked at his friends and cried silently. He knew that he would never cross the river a second time.

WILL WE ALWAYS BE THERE?

“Is it really all over so quickly?” thought Donkey.
Will summer really end, Little Bear will die and winter will come? Why can't it
to be forever: me, summer and Teddy Bear?
Summer will die before anyone else, summer is already dying. Summer in
believes something. That's why he dies so bravely. Leta doesn’t feel sorry for herself at all -
it knows something. It knows that it will happen again! It won't die for long,
A Then will be born again. And it will die again... It got used to it. It would be good if
I'm used to dying and being born. How sad and how funny!..”
The bear cub rustled the fallen leaves.
- What are you thinking about? - he asked.
“Me?.. Lie down,” said the Donkey.
Now he began to remember how they met,
how they ran through the whole forest in the pouring rain, how they sat down to rest, and how Little Bear
then said:
- Is it true that we will always be there?
- Is it true.
- Is it true that we will never part?
- Certainly.
- True, it will never happen that we need
break up?
- That's impossible!
And now Little Bear was lying on the fallen leaves with a bandaged
head, and blood came out on the bandage.
“How is this so?” thought Donkey. “How is this so,
that some oak tree broke the Bear's head? How is it that he fell
exactly when we passed under it?..”
The Stork has arrived.
“Better?” he asked.
The donkey shook his head.
- How sad! - the Stork sighed and stroked the Teddy Bear
wing
The donkey thought again. Now he was thinking about how
bury Little Bear so that he returns like summer. "I'll bury him on
high, high mountain,” he decided, “so that there was a lot of sun around,
and a river flowed below. I will water it with fresh water and loosen it every day
land. And then he will grow up. And if I die, he will do the same -
and we will never die..."
“Listen,” he said to Little Bear, “don’t be afraid.”
You will grow again in the spring.
- How is the tree?
- Yes. I will water you every day. And loosen
land.
-And you won’t forget?
- What you!
“Don’t forget,” asked the Bear.
He was lying with eyes closed, and if only a little
his nostrils did not twitch, one would think that he was completely dead.
Now Donkey was not afraid. He knew: burying is
means to plant like a tree.

“I can’t even talk to you,” said the Hedgehog.
The little bear was silent.
- Why are you silent?
The little bear did not answer.
He sat on the porch and cried bitterly.
“You’re stupid: we’re talking to you,” he said.
Hedgehog.
- Who will be the Little Bear? - he asked, sobbing
Little bear.

Sergey Kozlov, Bodyakova Galina: Hedgehog in the fog. Tales of the present (including " Autumn Tale") 720 rub. http://www.labirint.ru/books/488606/?p=11433 795 rub. http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/32731385/?partner=book_set Sergei Kozlov: Autumn Tale Every day it got later and later, and the forest became so transparent that it seemed: if you search it up and down, you won’t find a single leaf. “Soon our birch tree will fly around,” said the Bear. And he pointed with his paw to a lonely birch tree standing in the middle of the clearing. “It will fly around...” agreed the Hedgehog. “The winds will blow,” continued the Little Bear, “and it will shake all over, and in my dreams I will hear the last leaves falling from it.” And in the morning I wake up, go out onto the porch, and she’s naked! “Naked...” agreed the Hedgehog. They sat on the porch of the bear's house and looked at a lonely birch tree in the middle of the clearing. - If only leaves would grow on me in the spring! - said the Hedgehog. - I would sit by the stove in the fall, and they would never fly around. - What kind of leaves would you like? - asked the Bear. - Birch or ash? - Like maple! Then I would be red-haired in the fall, and you would mistake me for a Little Fox. You would say to me: “Little Fox, how is your mother?” And I would say: “My mother was killed by hunters, and now I live with Hedgehog. Come visit us!” And you would have come. “Where is Hedgehog?” - you would ask. And then I finally guessed, and we would laugh for a long, long time, until spring... “No,” said the Bear. - It would be better if I didn’t guess, but asked: “So what?” Did the hedgehog go for water? - "No!" - you would say. “For firewood?” - "No!" - you would say. “Maybe he went to visit Little Bear?” And then you would nod. And I would wish you Good night and ran to his room, because you don’t know where I’m hiding the key now, and you’d have to sit on the porch. - But I would have stayed at home! - said the Hedgehog. - Well then! - said the Bear. - You would sit at home and think: “I wonder if Little Bear is pretending or if he really didn’t recognize me?” In the meantime, I would run home, take a small jar of honey, return to you and ask: “What, the Hedgehog hasn’t returned yet?” And you would say... - And I would say that I am the Hedgehog! - said the Hedgehog. “No,” said the Bear. - It would be better if you didn’t say anything like that. And he said this... Then the Little Bear paused, because three leaves suddenly fell from a birch tree in the middle of the clearing. They spun a little in the air, and then softly sank into the reddish grass. “No, it would be better if you didn’t say anything like that,” repeated the Bear. - And we would just drink tea with you and go to bed. And then I would have guessed everything in my sleep. - Why in a dream? “The best thoughts come to me in my dreams,” said the Bear. - You see: there are twelve leaves left on the birch tree. They will never fall again. Because last night in a dream I realized that this morning they need to be sewn to a branch. - And sewed it on? - asked the Hedgehog. “Of course,” said the Bear. - The same needle that you gave me last year.

Autumn Tale

Every day it dawned later and later, and the forest became so transparent that it seemed: if you search it up and down, you won’t find a single leaf.

“Soon our birch tree will fly around,” said Little Bear. And he pointed with his paw to a lonely birch tree standing in the middle of the clearing.

It will fly around... - agreed the Hedgehog.

The winds will blow,” continued the Little Bear, “and it will shake all over, and in my dreams I will hear the last leaves falling from it.” And in the morning I wake up, go out onto the porch, and she’s naked!

Naked... - Hedgehog agreed.

They sat on the porch of the bear's house and looked at a lonely birch tree in the middle of the clearing.

If only leaves would grow on me in the spring! - said the Hedgehog. -I would sit by the stove in the fall, and they would never fly around.

What kind of leaves would you like? - asked the Bear. - Birch or ash?

Like maple! Then I would be red-haired in the fall, and you would mistake me for a little Fox in the fall. You would say to me: “Little Fox, how is your mother?” And I would say: “My mother was killed by hunters, and now I live with the Hedgehog. Come visit us!” And you would have come. “Where is Hedgehog?” - you would ask. And then, finally, he would have guessed, and we would have laughed for a long time, until spring...

No, said Little Bear. - It would be better if I didn’t guess, but asked: “What, did the Hedgehog go for water?” - "No!" - you would say. "For firewood?" “No,” you would say. “Maybe he went to visit Little Bear?” And then you would nod your head. And I would wish you good night and run to my place, because you don’t know where I’m hiding the key now, and you would have to sit on the porch.

But I would have stayed at home! - said the Hedgehog.

Well then! - said the Bear. -You would sit at home and think: “I wonder if Teddy Bear is pretending or didn’t really recognize me?” In the meantime, I would run home, take a small jar of honey, return to you and ask: “What, the Hedgehog hasn’t returned yet?” Would you say...

And I would say that I am the Hedgehog! - said the Hedgehog.

No, said Little Bear. - It would be better if you didn’t say anything like that. I would say this...

Then the Little Bear faltered, because three leaves suddenly fell from a birch tree in the middle of the clearing. They spun a little in the air, and then softly sank into the reddish grass.

No, it would be better if you didn’t say anything like that,” repeated the Bear. - And we would just drink tea with you and go to bed. And then I would have guessed everything in my sleep.

Why in a dream?

The best thoughts come to me in my dreams,” said Little Bear. - You see: there are twelve leaves left on the birch tree. They will never fall again. Because last night in a dream I realized that this morning they need to be sewn to a branch.

And sewed it on?” asked the Hedgehog.

Of course,” said Little Bear. - The same needle that you gave me last year.

Kozlov S.G. Autumn tale // Kozlov S.G. Is it true that we will always be there?: Fairy tales / Artist. S. Ostrov.-M.: Sov. Russia, 1987.-P.73-75.

Pull! - Whispered the Bear.

The hedgehog waved his fishing rod - and a small star flew high into the sky, above the moon.

So... - Hedgehog whispered, taking out two new peas. - Now if only there was enough bait!..

And they, forgetting about the fish, spent the whole night catching the stars and throwing them all over the sky.

And before dawn, when the peas ran out. The bear cub hung from the bridge and pulled two orange maple leaves out of the water.

There is nothing better than fishing with a maple leaf! - he said.

And he was about to doze off, when suddenly someone grabbed the hook tightly.

Help!.. - Little Bear whispered to the Hedgehog.

And the two of them, tired and sleepy, barely pulled the sun out of the water.

It shook itself off, walked along the narrow bridge and rolled into the field.

It was quiet and good all around, and the last leaves, like small boats, slowly floated down the river...

Autumn Tale

Every day it dawned later and later, and the forest became so transparent that it seemed: if you search it up and down, you won’t find a single leaf.

“Soon our birch tree will fly around,” said Little Bear. And he pointed with his paw to a lonely birch tree standing in the middle of the clearing.

It will fly around... - Hedgehog agreed.

The winds will blow,” continued the Little Bear, “and it will shake all over, and in my dreams I will hear the last leaves falling from it.” And in the morning I wake up, go out onto the porch, and she’s naked!

Naked... - Hedgehog agreed.

They sat on the porch of the bear's house and looked at a lonely birch tree in the middle of the clearing.

What if leaves grew on me in the spring? - said the Hedgehog. - I would sit by the stove in the fall, and they would never fly around.

What kind of leaves would you like? - asked the Bear. - Birch or ash?

How about maple? Then I would be red-haired in the fall, and you would mistake me for a little Fox. You would say to me: “Little Fox, how is your mother?” And I would say: “My mother was killed by hunters, and now I live with Hedgehog. Come visit us? And you would have come. “Where is Hedgehog?” - you would ask. And then, finally, I guessed, and we would laugh for a long, long time, until spring...

No, said Little Bear. - It would be better if I didn’t guess, but asked: “So what?” Did the hedgehog go for water? - "No?" - you would say. “For firewood?” - "No?" - you would say. “Maybe he went to visit Little Bear?” And then you would nod your head. And I would wish you good night and run to my place, because you don’t know where I’m hiding the key now, and you would have to sit on the porch.

But I would have stayed at home! - said the Hedgehog.

Well then! - said the Bear. - You would sit at home and think: “I wonder if Little Bear is pretending or if he really didn’t recognize me?” In the meantime, I would run home, take a small jar of honey, return to you and ask: “What? Has the hedgehog returned yet? Would you say...

And I would say that I am the Hedgehog! - said the Hedgehog.

No, said Little Bear. - It would be better if you didn’t say anything like that. And he said so...

Here Little Bear faltered, because three leaves suddenly fell from a birch tree in the middle of the clearing. They spun a little in the air, and then softly sank into the reddish grass.

No, it would be better if you didn’t say anything like that,” repeated the Bear. - And we would just drink tea with you and go to bed. And then I would have guessed everything in my sleep.

Why in a dream?

The best thoughts come to me in my dreams,” said Little Bear. - You see: there are twelve leaves left on the birch tree. They will never fall again. Because last night in a dream I realized that this morning they need to be sewn to a branch.

And sewed it on? - asked the Hedgehog.

Of course,” said Little Bear. - The same needle that you gave me last year.

How Donkey had a terrible dream

The autumn wind was blowing. The stars circled low in the sky, and one cold, blue star caught on a pine tree and stopped right in front of the Donkey’s house.

The donkey sat at the table, resting his head on his hooves and looking out the window.

“What a prickly star,” he thought. And fell asleep. And then the star descended straight to his window and said:

What a stupid Donkey! So gray, but no fangs.

Klykov! - said the star. - The gray boar has fangs and the gray wolf, but you don’t.

Why do I need them? - asked Donkey.

“If you have fangs,” said the star, “everyone will be afraid of you.”

And then she blinked quickly, quickly, and the Donkey grew a fang behind one and the other cheek.

And there are no claws,” the star sighed. And she made him claws.

Then the Donkey found himself on the street and saw the Hare.

Hello, Ponytail! - he shouted. But the scythe ran as fast as he could and disappeared behind the trees.

“Why is he scared of me?” - thought Donkey. And I decided to go visit Little Bear.

Knock-Knock! - Donkey knocked on the window.

Who's there? - asked the Bear.

Who? - asked the Little Bear.

I? Open up!..

The little bear opened the door, backed away and instantly disappeared behind the stove.

“What is he doing?” - Donkey thought again. He entered the house and sat on a stool.

“I came to drink some tea,” Donkey wheezed. “However, I have a strange voice,” he thought.

No tea! - Little Bear shouted. - The samovar has leaked!

How did you get thin?!

Just last week I gave you a new samovar!

You didn't give me anything! It was Donkey who gave me the samovar!

And who am I?

I?!. What you! I love tr-r-ravka!

Weed? - Little Bear leaned out from behind the stove.

I'm not a wolf! - said Donkey. And suddenly he accidentally clashed his teeth.

He grabbed his head and... couldn’t find his long fluffy ears. Instead of them, some hard, short ears stuck out...

He looked at the floor and was stunned: clawed wolf paws were hanging from the stool...

I'm not a wolf! - repeated the Donkey, clicking his teeth.

Tell us! - said the Little Bear, crawling out from behind the stove. He had a log in his paws, and a pot of ghee on his head.

What are you thinking?! - Donkey wanted to shout, but only growled hoarsely: - Rrrrr!!!

The little bear hit him with a log and grabbed the poker.

Will you pretend to be my friend Donkey? - he shouted. - Will you?!

Honestly, I’m not a wolf,” muttered Donkey, retreating behind the stove. - I love weed!

What?! Weed?! There are no such wolves! - Little Bear shouted, opened the stove and snatched a burning brand from the fire.

Then Donkey woke up...

Someone knocked on the door, so hard that the hook jumped.

Who's there? - Donkey asked subtly.

It's me! - Little Bear shouted from behind the door. - Why are you sleeping there?

Yes,” said Donkey, unlocking it. - I saw a dream.

Well?! - said Little Bear, sitting down on a stool. - Interesting?

Scary! I was a wolf, and you hit me with a poker...

Yes, you should have told me that you are a Donkey!

“I said it,” sighed Donkey, “but you still didn’t believe it.” I said that even if I seem like a wolf to you, I still love to pinch grass!

So what?

Did not believe…

Next time,” said the Little Bear, “you tell me in a dream: “Little Bear, do you remember what we talked about?” And I will believe you.

Trusting Hedgehog

It snowed for two days, then it melted and it began to rain.

The forest was soaked to the last aspen. The fox went to the very tip of its tail, but old Owl didn’t fly anywhere for three nights, sat in his hollow and was upset. "Ugh!" - he sighed.

And throughout the forest it was heard: “Wow-h-h!..”

And in Hedgehog’s house the stove was burning, the fire was crackling in the stove, and Hedgehog himself was sitting on the floor by the stove, blinking, looking at the flames and rejoicing.

Good morning! - A blade of grass told him.

Good morning! - Hedgehog muttered. I washed my face in the dew and went to have breakfast.

After breakfast, he went out onto the porch again, stretched, went to a wide clearing and sat down there under a thick elm tree.

The sunbeams danced in the grass, birds sang in the branches, and the Hedgehog looked with all his eyes and listened.

Little Bear came, sat down next to Hedgehog, and they began to watch and listen together.

How beautifully they dance! - said the Bear, moving slightly to the right.

Very! - said the Hedgehog. And he also moved closer, because the sunbeams were gradually moving the round dance to the right.

“I have never seen such large sunbeams,” said Little Bear.

“Me too,” Hedgehog confirmed.

How do you think they have ears? - asked the Little Bear, continuing to quietly move around the trunk following the hare's round dance.

No,” said the Hedgehog, trying to keep up with the Little Bear. - I think no.

But in my opinion, there is! - said the Bear.

And I think so,” agreed the Hedgehog.

So you just thought differently!

“I like to think in different ways,” answered the Hedgehog, moving his paws.

“It’s bad to think differently,” said Little Bear.

They had already turned around the elm once and now went for the second circle.

To think differently, continued Little Bear, means to speak differently...

What you! - Hedgehog objected. - you can say the same thing. - And he moved.

No, said Little Bear. - If you think differently, you speak differently!

But no! - said the Hedgehog. You can think differently, but say the same thing.

How so? - Little Bear was surprised, continuing to move and listen to the birds. He even raised the ear farthest from the Hedgehog to hear the birds better.

And it's very simple! - said the Hedgehog. - For example, I always think about how nice it is to sit under an elm tree and look at the sunbeams, but I’m talking about something completely different.

How about someone else?! - Little Bear was indignant. - We're talking about whether they have ears!

Of course not! - said the Hedgehog.

You just said that there is!

And now I say no.

And aren't you ashamed?!

Why should I be ashamed? - Hedgehog was surprised. - I can have my own opinion.

But yours is different!..

Why can’t I have a different opinion? - Hedgehog asked and moved closer.

While he was speaking, the Little Bear did not move from his place, and now a considerable distance had formed between them.

“You upset me,” said the Bear and sat down next to the Hedgehog. - Let's silently look at the hares and listen to the birds.

Thuy! Thuy! - the birds sang.

Still, it’s better to think the same way! - Bear sighed.

The hares got tired of dancing and stretched out on the grass.

Now Hedgehog and Little Bear sat motionless under the elm tree and looked at the setting sun.

You shouldn’t be upset,” said the Hedgehog. - Of course, sunbeams have ears!..

And although the Hedgehog and the Little Bear almost quarreled, it was a very happy sunny day!

Autumn Tales

- Here you and I talk, we talk, the days fly by, and you and I keep talking.

“We’re talking,” agreed the Hedgehog.

- Months pass, the clouds are flying, the trees are bare, and we are still talking.

- We're talking.

- And then everything will completely pass, and you and I will only be left alone.

- If!

- What will happen to us?

- We can fly too.

- How are the birds?

- Yeah.

- And where to?

“To the south,” said the Hedgehog.

How to catch a cloud

When the time came for the birds to fly south, the grass had long since withered and the trees had fallen. The Hedgehog said to the Little Bear:

Winter is coming soon. Let's go catch some fish for you one last time. You love fish!

And they took fishing rods and went to the river.

It was so quiet, so calm on the river that all the trees bowed their sad heads towards it, and clouds slowly floated in the middle. The clouds were gray and shaggy, and Little Bear became scared.

“What if we catch a cloud? - he thought. “What are we going to do with him then?”

- Hedgehog! - said the Bear. - What will we do if we catch a cloud?

“We won’t catch you,” said the Hedgehog. - Clouds cannot be caught on dry peas! Now, if you caught it with a dandelion...

Can you catch a cloud with a dandelion?

Certainly! - said the Hedgehog. - You can only catch clouds with dandelions!

It began to get dark.

They sat on a narrow birch bridge and looked into the water. Little Bear looked at Hedgehog's float, and Hedgehog looked at Little Bear's float. It was quiet, and the floats were motionless reflected in the water.

Why doesn't she bite? - asked the Bear.

“She listens to our conversations,” said the Hedgehog. - Pisces are very curious in autumn!

Then let's be silent.

And they sat in silence for a whole hour.

Suddenly Little Bear's float began to dance and dive deep.

It's biting! - Hedgehog shouted.

Oh! - exclaimed the Little Bear. - Pulls!

Hold it, hold it! - said the Hedgehog.

“Something very heavy,” the Little Bear whispered. - Last year an old cloud drowned here. Maybe this is it?..

Hold it, hold it! - Hedgehog repeated.

But then Little Bear's fishing rod bent in an arc, then straightened out with a whistle - and a huge red moon flew high into the sky.

And the moon swayed and floated quietly over the river.

And then Hedgehog’s float disappeared.

Pull! - Whispered the Bear.

The hedgehog waved his fishing rod - and a small star flew high into the sky, above the moon.

So... - Hedgehog whispered, taking out two new peas. - Now if only there was enough bait!..

And they, forgetting about the fish, spent the whole night catching the stars and throwing them all over the sky.

And before dawn, when the peas ran out. The bear cub hung from the bridge and pulled two orange maple leaves out of the water.

There is nothing better than fishing with a maple leaf! - he said.

And he was about to doze off, when suddenly someone grabbed the hook tightly.

Help!.. - Little Bear whispered to the Hedgehog.

And the two of them, tired and sleepy, barely pulled the sun out of the water.

It shook itself off, walked along the narrow bridge and rolled into the field.

It was quiet and good all around, and the last leaves, like small boats, slowly floated down the river...

Autumn Tale

Every day it dawned later and later, and the forest became so transparent that it seemed: if you search it up and down, you won’t find a single leaf.

“Soon our birch tree will fly around,” said Little Bear. And he pointed with his paw to a lonely birch tree standing in the middle of the clearing.

It will fly around... - Hedgehog agreed.

The winds will blow,” continued the Little Bear, “and it will shake all over, and in my dreams I will hear the last leaves falling from it.” And in the morning I wake up, go out onto the porch, and she’s naked!

Naked... - Hedgehog agreed.

They sat on the porch of the bear's house and looked at a lonely birch tree in the middle of the clearing.

What if leaves grew on me in the spring? - said the Hedgehog. - I would sit by the stove in the fall, and they would never fly around.

What kind of leaves would you like? - asked the Bear. - Birch or ash?

How about maple? Then I would be red-haired in the fall, and you would mistake me for a little Fox. You would say to me: “Little Fox, how is your mother?” And I would say: “My mother was killed by hunters, and now I live with Hedgehog. Come visit us? And you would have come. “Where is Hedgehog?” - you would ask. And then, finally, I guessed, and we would laugh for a long, long time, until spring...

No, said Little Bear. - It would be better if I didn’t guess, but asked: “So what?” Did the hedgehog go for water? - "No?" - you would say. “For firewood?” - "No?" - you would say. “Maybe he went to visit Little Bear?” And then you would nod your head. And I would wish you good night and run to my place, because you don’t know where I’m hiding the key now, and you would have to sit on the porch.

But I would have stayed at home! - said the Hedgehog.

Well then! - said the Bear. - You would sit at home and think: “I wonder if Little Bear is pretending or if he really didn’t recognize me?” In the meantime, I would run home, take a small jar of honey, return to you and ask: “What? Has the hedgehog returned yet? Would you say...

And I would say that I am the Hedgehog! - said the Hedgehog.

No, said Little Bear. - It would be better if you didn’t say anything like that. And he said so...

Here Little Bear faltered, because three leaves suddenly fell from a birch tree in the middle of the clearing. They spun a little in the air, and then softly sank into the reddish grass.

No, it would be better if you didn’t say anything like that,” repeated the Bear. - And we would just drink tea with you and go to bed. And then I would have guessed everything in my sleep.

Why in a dream?

The best thoughts come to me in my dreams,” said Little Bear. - You see: there are twelve leaves left on the birch tree. They will never fall again. Because last night in a dream I realized that this morning they need to be sewn to a branch.

And sewed it on? - asked the Hedgehog.

Of course,” said Little Bear. - The same needle that you gave me last year.

How Donkey had a terrible dream

The autumn wind was blowing. The stars circled low in the sky, and one cold, blue star caught on a pine tree and stopped right in front of the Donkey’s house.

The donkey sat at the table, resting his head on his hooves and looking out the window.

“What a prickly star,” he thought. And fell asleep. And then the star descended straight to his window and said:

What a stupid Donkey! So gray, but no fangs.

Klykov! - said the star. - The gray boar has fangs and the gray wolf, but you don’t.

Why do I need them? - asked Donkey.

“If you have fangs,” said the star, “everyone will be afraid of you.”

And then she blinked quickly, quickly, and the Donkey grew a fang behind one and the other cheek.

And there are no claws,” the star sighed. And she made him claws.

Then the Donkey found himself on the street and saw the Hare.

Hello, Ponytail! - he shouted. But the scythe ran as fast as he could and disappeared behind the trees.

“Why is he scared of me?” - thought Donkey. And I decided to go visit Little Bear.

Knock-Knock! - Donkey knocked on the window.

Who's there? - asked the Bear.

Who? - asked the Little Bear.

I? Open up!..

The little bear opened the door, backed away and instantly disappeared behind the stove.

“What is he doing?” - Donkey thought again. He entered the house and sat on a stool.

“I came to drink some tea,” Donkey wheezed. “However, I have a strange voice,” he thought.

No tea! - Little Bear shouted. - The samovar has leaked!

How did you get thin?!

Just last week I gave you a new samovar!

You didn't give me anything! It was Donkey who gave me the samovar!

And who am I?

I?!. What you! I love tr-r-ravka!

Weed? - Little Bear leaned out from behind the stove.

I'm not a wolf! - said Donkey. And suddenly he accidentally clashed his teeth.

He grabbed his head and... couldn’t find his long fluffy ears. Instead of them, some hard, short ears stuck out...

He looked at the floor and was stunned: clawed wolf paws were hanging from the stool...

I'm not a wolf! - repeated the Donkey, clicking his teeth.

Tell us! - said the Little Bear, crawling out from behind the stove. He had a log in his paws, and a pot of ghee on his head.

What are you thinking?! - Donkey wanted to shout, but only growled hoarsely: - Rrrrr!!!

The little bear hit him with a log and grabbed the poker.

Will you pretend to be my friend Donkey? - he shouted. - Will you?!

Honestly, I’m not a wolf,” muttered Donkey, retreating behind the stove. - I love weed!

What?! Weed?! There are no such wolves! - Little Bear shouted, opened the stove and snatched a burning brand from the fire.

Then Donkey woke up...

Someone knocked on the door, so hard that the hook jumped.

Who's there? - Donkey asked subtly.

It's me! - Little Bear shouted from behind the door. - Why are you sleeping there?

Yes,” said Donkey, unlocking it. - I saw a dream.

Well?! - said Little Bear, sitting down on a stool. - Interesting?

Scary! I was a wolf, and you hit me with a poker...

Yes, you should have told me that you are a Donkey!

“I said it,” sighed Donkey, “but you still didn’t believe it.” I said that even if I seem like a wolf to you, I still love to pinch grass!

So what?

Did not believe…

Next time,” said the Little Bear, “you tell me in a dream: “Little Bear, do you remember what we talked about?” And I will believe you.

Trusting Hedgehog

It snowed for two days, then it melted and it began to rain.

The forest was soaked to the last aspen. The fox went to the very tip of its tail, but old Owl didn’t fly anywhere for three nights, sat in his hollow and was upset. "Ugh!" - he sighed.

And throughout the forest it was heard: “Wow-h-h!..”

And in Hedgehog’s house the stove was burning, the fire was crackling in the stove, and Hedgehog himself was sitting on the floor by the stove, blinking, looking at the flames and rejoicing.

How good! How warm! How amazing! - he whispered. - I have a house with a stove!

“A house with a stove! House with a stove! A house with a stove!” - he sang and, dancing, brought more firewood and threw them into the fire.

Ha ha! - Fire laughed and licked the firewood. - Dry!

Still would! - said the Hedgehog.

Do we have a lot of firewood? - asked Fire.

Enough for the whole winter!

Ha ha ha ha ha! - Fire laughed and began to dance so much that the Hedgehog was afraid that he would jump out of the stove.

You're not very good! - he said to Fire. - You'll jump out! - And covered it with the door.

Hey! - Fire shouted from behind the door. - Why did you lock me up? Let's talk!

Whatever you want! - said Fire and stuck his nose into the crack.

No, no, no! - said the Hedgehog and hit Fire on the nose.

Oh, you're fighting! - the Fire soared and hummed so that the Hedgehog was scared again.

They were silent for some time.

Then the Fire calmed down and said plaintively:

Listen, Hedgehog, I'm hungry. Give me some more firewood - we have a lot of it.

No,” said the Hedgehog, “I won’t give it.” The house is already warm.

Then open the door and let me look at you.

“I’m dozing,” said the Hedgehog. - It’s not interesting to look at me now.

Well, what are you talking about! My favorite thing is to look at dozing Hedgehogs.

Why do you like to look at people dozing?

Dormant Hedgehogs are so beautiful that it’s hard to look at them enough.

And if I open the stove, you will watch, and I will doze?

And you will doze, and I will doze, only I will still look at you.

“You’re beautiful too,” said the Hedgehog. - I will look at you too.

No. It’s better not to look at me,” said Fire, “and I will look at you, and breathe hotly, and stroke you with warm breath.”

“Okay,” said the Hedgehog. - Just don’t get out of the oven.

The fire was silent.

Then Hedgehog opened the stove door, leaned against the firewood and dozed off. The fire was also dozing, and only in the darkness of the stove did its evil eyes sparkle.

Forgive me, please, Hedgehog,” he turned to Hedgehog a little later, “but it will be very good for me to look at you if I am full.” Throw some firewood.

The hedgehog was so sweet by the stove that he threw three logs and dozed off again.

Woohoo! - Fire hummed. - Oooh! What a beautiful Hedgehog! How he sleeps! - and with these words he jumped onto the floor and ran around the house.

Smoke began to creep in. The hedgehog coughed, opened his eyes and saw Fire dancing throughout the room.

I'm burning! - Hedgehog shouted and rushed to the door.

But Fire was already dancing on the threshold and did not let him in.

The Hedgehog grabbed a felt boot and began to beat Fire with the felt boot.

Get into the oven, you old liar! - Hedgehog shouted.

But Fire only laughed in response.

Ah well! - Hedgehog shouted, broke the window, rolled out into the street and tore the roof off his house.

It was raining heavily. The drops stomped on the floor and began to trample Fire’s arms, legs, beard, and nose.

“Slap-slap! Slap-slap!” - the drops said, and the Hedgehog beat Fire with a wet felt boot and didn’t say anything - he was so angry.

When the Fire, hissing angrily, climbed back into the stove. The hedgehog covered his house with a roof, blocked the broken window with firewood, sat down by the stove and became sad: the house was cold, wet and smelled of burning.

What a red-haired, lying old man! - said the Hedgehog.

The fire didn't answer. And what was there to say to Fire, if everyone except the gullible Hedgehog knows what a deceiver he is.

Piglet in a prickly coat

- Let's not fly away anywhere, Hedgehog. Let's sit on our porch forever, and in the winter - in the house, and in the spring - again on the porch, and in the summer too.

- And our porch will slowly grow wings. And one day you and I will wake up together high above the earth.

“Who’s that dark guy running down there? - you ask. - Is there another one nearby?

“Yes, it’s you and me,” I’ll say. “These are our shadows,” you add.

snow flower

Aw! aw! aw! - the dog barked.

Snow was falling - the house, the barrel in the middle of the yard, the dog's kennel, and the dog itself were white and fluffy.

It smelled like snow and New Year's tree, brought in from the frost, and this smell was bitter like a tangerine peel.

Aw! aw! aw! - the dog barked again.

“She probably smelled me,” thought the Hedgehog and began to crawl away from the forester’s house.

He was sad to walk through the forest alone, and he began to think how at midnight he would meet the Donkey and the Little Bear in the Big Glade under the blue Christmas tree.

“We will hang a hundred red chanterelle mushrooms,” thought the Hedgehog, “and we will feel light and cheerful. Maybe the hares will come running, and then we will start dancing in a circle. And if the Wolf comes, I will prick him with a needle, the Bear will hit him with his paw, and the Donkey will hit him with his hoof.”

And the snow kept falling and falling. And the forest was so fluffy, so shaggy and furry that Hedgehog suddenly wanted to do something completely unusual: well, say, climb into the sky and bring a star.

And he began to imagine how he and the star would descend onto the Big Glade and give the star to the Donkey and the Little Bear.

“Take it, please,” he says. And Little Bear waves his paws and says: “Well, what are you doing? You have only one...” And the Donkey next to him nods his head, saying that you have only one! - but he still makes them obey, take the star, and he himself runs away to heaven again.

“I’ll send you more!” - he shouts. And when he already rises very high, he hears a barely audible voice: “What are you talking about, Hedgehog, is one enough for us?..”

But he still takes out the second one and again descends into the clearing - and everyone is having fun, everyone is laughing and dancing.

"And for us! And for us!" - the hares shout.

He gets it for them too. But he doesn’t need it for himself. He is already happy that everyone is having fun...

“Here,” thought the Hedgehog, climbing a huge snowdrift, “if there was a flower somewhere that said, “EVERYONE IS GOOD AND EVERYONE HAS FUN,” I would dig up the snow, take it out and put it in the middle of the Big Glade. And the hares, and the Little Bear, and the Donkey - everyone, everyone who saw him, immediately felt good and happy!”

And then, as if hearing him, the old fluffy Yolka took off her white hat and said:

I know where such a flower grows, Hedgehog. Two hundred pine trees from me, behind the Crooked Ravine, near an icy stump, flows the Non-Freezing Spring. There, at the very bottom, is your flower!

Didn’t I dream about you, Yolka? - asked the Hedgehog.

“No,” said Yolka and put on her hat again.

And the Hedgehog ran, counting the pines, to the Crooked Ravine, climbed over it, found an icy stump and saw the Non-Freezing Key.

He leaned over it and cried out in surprise.

Very close, shaking its transparent petals, stood a magical flower. It looked like a violet or a snowdrop, or maybe just like big snowflake, does not melt in water.

The hedgehog extended his paw, but didn’t reach it. He wanted to pull the flower out with a stick, but was afraid of hurting it.

“I’ll jump into the water,” Hedgehog decided, “I’ll dive deep and carefully grab it with my paws.”

He jumped and when he opened his eyes under water, he did not see the flower. "Where is he?" - thought the Hedgehog. And he dived ashore.

Still rocking at the bottom wonderful flower.

How can this be!.. - Hedgehog cried. And again he jumped into the water, but again he saw nothing.

The Hedgehog dived into the Non-Freezing Spring seven times...

Chilled to the last needle, he ran home through the forest.

“How is this possible? - he sobbed. - How so?" And he himself didn’t know that on the shore he was turning into a snowflake as white as a flower.

And suddenly the Hedgehog heard music, saw a large clearing with a silver tree in the middle, a Teddy Bear, a Donkey and hares dancing in a round dance.

“Tara-tara-tam-ta-ta!..” - the music played. The snow swirled, hares glided smoothly on soft paws, and a hundred red light bulbs illuminated this celebration.

Oh! - exclaimed Donkey. - What an amazing snow flower!

Everyone spun around the Hedgehog and, smiling, dancing, began to admire him.

Oh, how good and fun everyone is! - said the Bear. - What a wonderful flower! The only pity is that there is no Hedgehog...

"I'm here!" - Hedgehog wanted to shout.

But he was so chilled that he could not utter a word.

Piglet in a prickly coat

It was winter. It was so cold that Hedgehog didn’t leave his house for several days, turning on the stove and looking out the window. The frost decorated the window with different patterns, and from time to time Hedgehog had to climb onto the windowsill and breathe and rub the frozen glass with his paw.

“Here,” he said, seeing again the tree, stump and clearing in front of the house. Snowflakes were circling over the clearing and either flying up somewhere or falling to the very ground.

The hedgehog pressed his nose to the window, and one Snowflake sat on his nose on the other side of the glass, stood up on thin legs and said:

Is that you, Hedgehog? Why don't you come out to play with us?

It’s cold outside,” said the Hedgehog.

No,” Snowflake laughed. - We're not cold at all! Look how I fly!

And she flew off the Hedgehog’s nose and spun over the clearing. “See? Do you see? - she shouted, flying past the window. And the Hedgehog pressed himself so close to the glass that his nose was flattened and looked like a pig’s snout; and it seemed to Snowflake that it was no longer the Hedgehog, but a pig wearing a prickly fur coat, looking at her from the window.

Piglet! - she shouted. - Come out with us for a walk!

“Who is she calling?” - thought the Hedgehog and pressed himself even harder into the glass to see if there was a piglet on the rubble.

And Snowflake now knew for sure that there was a pig in a prickly fur coat sitting outside the window.

Piglet! - she shouted even louder. - You have a fur coat. Come out and play with us!

“So,” thought the Hedgehog. “There’s probably a little pig sitting there under the window in a fur coat and doesn’t want to play.” We need to invite him into the house and give him tea.”

And he climbed down from the windowsill, put on his felt boots and ran out onto the porch.

Piglet? - he shouted. - Go have some tea!

“Hedgehog,” said Snowflake, “the pig just ran away.” Come play with us!

I can not. Cold! - Hedgehog said and went into the house.

Closing the door, he left his felt boots at the threshold, threw some firewood into the stove, climbed onto the windowsill again and pressed his nose to the glass.

Piglet - Snowflake shouted. -Are you back? Come out! Let's play together!

“He’s back,” thought the Hedgehog. I put on my felt boots again and ran out onto the porch. - Piglet! - he shouted. - Pig-oh-ok!.. The wind howled and the snowflakes swirled merrily.

So until the evening, the Hedgehog either ran onto the porch and called the pig, then, returning to the house, climbed onto the windowsill and pressed his nose to the glass.

Snowflake didn’t care who she played with, and she called either the piglet in a prickly fur coat when the Hedgehog was sitting on the windowsill, or the Hedgehog himself when he ran out onto the porch.

And the Hedgehog, falling asleep, was afraid that the piglet in the prickly coat might freeze on such a frosty night.

On a long winter evening

Oh, what snowdrifts the blizzard has made! All the stumps, all the hummocks were covered with snow. The pines creaked dully, swayed by the wind, and only the toiling woodpecker was hammering and hammering somewhere above, as if he wanted to break through the low clouds and see the sun...

The hedgehog was sitting at home by the stove and was no longer looking forward to spring coming.

“I wish,” thought the Hedgehog, “the streams would gurgle, the birds would sing and the first ants would run along the paths!.. Then I would go out into the clearing, shout to the whole forest, and the Squirrel would come running to me, and I would say to her: “Hello.” , Squirrel! Spring has come! How was your winter?’”

And Belka would fluff her tail, wave it in different directions and answer: “Hello, Hedgehog! Are you healthy? And we would run throughout the forest and examine every stump, every tree, and then we would begin to trample down last year’s paths...

“You trample on the ground,” Belka would say, “and I’ll trample on top!” And I would jump through the trees...

Then we would see Little Bear.

"And it's you!" - Little Bear would shout and begin to help me trample the paths...

And then we would call Donkey. Because without it it is impossible to build a big path.

The donkey would run first, followed by the little bear, and then me...

“Clock-clack-clack” - the Donkey would clatter his hooves, “tap-clop-clop” - the Little Bear would stomp, and I wouldn’t keep up with them and would just roll.

“You're ruining the path! - Donkey would shout. “You tore it all apart with your needles!”

"No problem! - Little Bear would smile. “I’ll run after the Hedgehog and trample the ground.”

“No, no,” said the Donkey, “it’s better to let the Hedgehog loosen the gardens!”

And I would roll on the ground and loosen the vegetable gardens, and the Donkey and the Little Bear would carry water...

“Now loosen mine!” - Chipmunk would ask.

“And mine!” - the Forest Mouse would say... And I would ride all over the forest and benefit everyone.

And now I have to sit by the stove,” Hedgehog sighed sadly, “and it’s still unknown when spring will come...”

How Donkey, Hedgehog and Little Bear greeted New Year

Throughout the pre-New Year week, a blizzard raged in the fields. There was so much snow in the forest that neither the Hedgehog, nor the Donkey, nor the Little Bear could leave the house all week.

Before the New Year, the blizzard subsided, and friends gathered at Hedgehog’s house.

That’s it,” said Little Bear, “we don’t have a Christmas tree.”

No,” agreed Donkey.

“I don’t see that we have it,” said the Hedgehog. He liked to express himself in elaborate ways on holidays.

“We have to go look,” said Little Bear.

Where can we find her now? - Donkey was surprised. - It’s dark in the forest...

And what snowdrifts!.. - Hedgehog sighed.

“And yet we have to go get the tree,” said Little Bear.

And all three left the house.

The blizzard had subsided, but the clouds had not yet dispersed, and not a single star was visible in the sky.

And there is no moon! - said Donkey. - What kind of tree is there?!

What about the touch? - said the Bear. And crawled through the snowdrifts.

But by touch he found nothing. There were only large trees, but they still wouldn’t have fit into Hedgehog’s house, and the small ones were all covered with snow.

Returning to the Hedgehog, Donkey and Little Bear became sad.

Well, what a New Year this is!.. - sighed the Bear.

"If only some autumn holiday, so the tree may not be necessary, thought Donkey. “And in winter you can’t live without a Christmas tree.”

Meanwhile, the hedgehog boiled the samovar and poured tea into saucers. He gave the little bear a jar of honey, and the Donkey a plate of dumplings.

The Hedgehog didn’t think about the Christmas tree, but he was sad that it had been half a month since his clock had broken, and the watchmaker Woodpecker had promised, but had not arrived.

How do we know when it's twelve o'clock? - he asked the Bear.

We will feel it! - said Donkey.

How will we feel this? - Little Bear was surprised. “Very simple,” said Donkey. - At twelve o’clock we will already be sleepy for exactly three hours!

Right! - Hedgehog was happy.

Why not a Christmas tree? - Little Bear shouted.

So they did.

They put a stool in the corner, Hedgehog stood on the stool and fluffed up the needles.

The toys are under the bed,” he said.

The Donkey and the Little Bear took out toys and hung a large dried dandelion on the Hedgehog's upper paws, and a small spruce cone on each needle.

Don't forget the light bulbs! - said the Hedgehog.

And three chanterelle mushrooms were hung on his chest, and they lit up cheerfully - they were so red.

Aren't you tired, Yolka? - asked the Little Bear, sitting down and sipping tea from a saucer.

The hedgehog stood on a stool, like a real Christmas tree, and smiled.

No, said the Hedgehog. - What time is it now?

The donkey was dozing.

Five minutes to twelve! - said the Bear. - As soon as the Donkey falls asleep, it will be exactly New Year.

Then pour me and yourself some cranberry juice,” said the Hedgehog-Yolka.

Do you want some cranberry juice? - Little Bear asked Donkey. The donkey was almost completely asleep.

The clock should be striking now,” he muttered.

The hedgehog, carefully, so as not to spoil the dried dandelion, took a cup of cranberry juice in his right paw and, stamping on his lower paw, began to chime the clock.

Bam! bam! bam! - he said.

It’s already three,” said the Bear. - Now let me hit!

He hit the floor with his paw three times and also said:

Bam! bam! bam!.. Now it’s your turn, Donkey!

The donkey hit the floor with his hoof three times, but said nothing.