The fox, the wolf and the bear. (8+)
Once upon a time, two girls went to the forest to pick mushrooms. There were a lot of mushrooms that year. One of the girls, by the name of Lera, stepped off the road and she saw a rabbit behind a bush. The rabbit looked at the girl with a great interest. Lera was afraid to move. She didn’t want to scare the rabbit. She knew that it was easy to scare rabbits. But this rabbit was different. Lera slowly moved closer to the rabbit. She was really interested. Rabbit was so cute.
And Lera said, “You are so cute, little rabbit!”
“I am not little,” the rabbit answered suddenly.
“You can speak?!” Lera asked in surprise.
“And I always run after you. And I listen to you talk,” said the rabbit.
“Wow! And why do people use the word “sideways” when they talk about you? Do you know?” Lera asked.
“Sure I know. When I run I hop from side to side. I run sideways. This way I run from my enemies,” the rabbit answered.
“But this isn’t what my grandpa told me. Your eyes are on the sides of your head. So you can see everything. And you don’t need to move your head. When you run from your enemy, can you see him?” Lera asked.
“Sure I can. And you are clever. Just like me!” the rabbit said.
“But when you run and look back, you can’t see where you are running. And you can bump into a tree!” Lera said sadly.
“It happens,” the rabbit sighed and looked down.
“And now you look at me so funny! Like you pile your eyes together,” Lera laughed.
“Okay, let it be,” the rabbit grumbled.
“Don’t worry. It would be right to call you just a rabbit,” Lera tried to calm the rabbit down. “People call you a rabbit because you have long ears and a small tail.”
“Interesting. And what do you call other animals?” the rabbit asked.
“The fox is called a fox because it has a long, red, fluffy tail. The wolf is called a wolf because it is grey and runs fast. The bear is called a bear because it is big and walks slowly. And it eats grass, berries and mushrooms, most of all it adores to eat honey” the girl answered.
Then Lera heard someone calling her name.
“Oh, my friends are calling me. I’ve just forgotten my time over talking,” and Lera ran away to her friends.
“Interesting, very interesting…” the rabbit was thinking. “Now I know the animals’ names,” and he leaped into the forest. Then he saw a squirrel on a tree. She was sharpening her little claws.
“Hello, fox!” the rabbit said.
“Are you talking to me?” the squirrel asked.
“Yes, to you,” the rabbit answered.
“Why do you call me a fox?” the squirrel said in surprise.
“Because you are a fox. That’s what the two-legged animals – people, call you,” the rabbit told her.
“Interesting. But I don’t understand. And why am I a fox?” the squirrel asked again.
“Because you have a long and fluffy tail,” the rabbit answered. “Also, I know who is a wolf. And who is a bear,” he said.
“So interesting! Will you show me?” asked “the fox”.
And they went together. The rabbit hopped on the ground. “The fox” hopped on the branches.
Then they saw a mouse.
“Hello, wolf!” the rabbit said.
“Hello, wolf!” the “fox” followed suit.
“Hello!” the mouse answered. “Does the word ‘wolf’ mean ‘hello’ too?” the mouse asked.
“No. But the two-legged animals – people, call you a wolf,” the rabbit answered.
“Why do they call me a wolf?” the mouse persisted.
“Because you are grey. And you run fast,” said the rabbit. “I am a rabbit because I have long ears and a small tail. She is a fox because she has a long, red, fluffy tail,” the rabbit pointed at the squirrel.
“Oh...Okay,” nodded “the wolf”.
“And we know who is a bear,” the rabbit told him.
“So interesting! I want to see a bear too. Can I go with you?” asked “the wolf”.
And they went ahead together. The rabbit hopped on the ground. “The fox” hopped on the branches. And “the wolf” ran after the rabbit. Then they heard the snapping sound of dry twigs. And a big animal snorted. It was an elk. He was eating the tree leaves.
“Hello, bear!” said the rabbit.
“Hello, bear!” said the squirrel, “the fox”.
“Hello, bear!” squeaked the mouse, “the wolf”.
“Hello!” said the elk loudly. “Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, we are talking to you” the animals said together.
“Does the word ‘bear’ mean ‘hello’ too?” the elk asked. “It is new to me,” he said in surprise.
“Noooo! This is what the two-legged animals – people, call you,” the rabbit answered.
“Why?” the elk asked again.
“Because you are big and walk slowly. And you eat leaves, berries and mushrooms,” the rabbit said.
“Okay. Let it be. I like it,” the elk agreed.
A hedgehog was passing by:
“Hello!” he said to the rabbit, squirrel, mouse and elk.
But they didn’t know what to call the hedgehog.
“Hello!” the hedgehog said again. “Don’t you remember me?” he said in surprise.
“We remember you. We see you often. But we don’t know your name,” they told him.
“I don’t understand. Did I miss something?” the hedgehog was even more surprised.
“You know, we all have names. I am a rabbit because I have long ears and a small tail,” the rabbit said.
“I am a fox because I have a long, red, fluffy tail,” said “the fox”.
“I am a wolf because I am grey and I run fast,” said “the wolf”.
“And I am a bear because I am big and I walk slowly in the forest,” said “the bear”.
“If I don’t have a name, it means I am nobody?” the hedgehog said sadly. “Maybe because I am spiny?” he cried. “I will never have a name.”
“Don’t cry. We will go to the two-legged animals – people, and ask them. Maybe they have a name for you too,” the animals calmed the hedgehog.
And they went together. The rabbit hopped on the ground. “The fox” sat on “the bear’s” back. “The bear” bowed his head and “the wolf” and the hedgehog sat on his head.
And the animals arrived at the edge of the forest. The girls found a lot of mushrooms. They were ready to go home.
Lera saw the rabbit and asked him in surprise, “Are you still running after us, rabbit? And you listen to us talking?”
“No,” the rabbit answered. “I am here with my friends. The fox, the wolf and the bear.”
“Aaaah!” Lera screamed. “Run, run for your lives!”
Lera wanted to run away. But the elk was on her way. He had the squirrel, the mouse and the hedgehog on his back.
“Don’t worry,” said the rabbit. “These are my friends. The fox, the wolf and the bear.”
“The fox, the wolf and the bear?” asked Lera. Her eyes widened. “Is it a bad dream?” she thought.
The squirrel and the mouse jumped off the elk’s back.
“I am a fox,” said the squirrel.
“I am a wolf,” squeaked the mouse.
“And I am a bear,” introduced himself the elk.
“See? They are not scary. And we all eat grass,” the rabbit told Lera. “But we don’t know what’s his name,” the rabbit pointed at the hedgehog.
“Phew!” Lera touched her forehead. It was all sweaty. “You scared me a lot. Rabbit, dear. You are wrong. This is a mouse, not a wolf. This is a squirrel, not a fox. And this is an elk, not a bear. And this is a hedgehog,” smiled Lera. “But is it so important? You are cute and funny. And you don’t need to call each other by names. You are in this world with us and it is important. And we people know this.”
Once upon a time, two girls went to the forest to pick mushrooms. There were a lot of mushrooms that year. One of the girls, by the name of Lera, stepped off the road and she saw a rabbit behind a bush. The rabbit looked at the girl with a great interest. Lera was afraid to move. She didn’t want to scare the rabbit. She knew that it was easy to scare rabbits. But this rabbit was different. Lera slowly moved closer to the rabbit. She was really interested. Rabbit was so cute.
And Lera said, “You are so cute, little rabbit!”
“I am not little,” the rabbit answered suddenly.
“You can speak?!” Lera asked in surprise.
“And I always run after you. And I listen to you talk,” said the rabbit.
“Wow! And why do people use the word “sideways” when they talk about you? Do you know?” Lera asked.
“Sure I know. When I run I hop from side to side. I run sideways. This way I run from my enemies,” the rabbit answered.
“But this isn’t what my grandpa told me. Your eyes are on the sides of your head. So you can see everything. And you don’t need to move your head. When you run from your enemy, can you see him?” Lera asked.
“Sure I can. And you are clever. Just like me!” the rabbit said.
“But when you run and look back, you can’t see where you are running. And you can bump into a tree!” Lera said sadly.
“It happens,” the rabbit sighed and looked down.
“And now you look at me so funny! Like you pile your eyes together,” Lera laughed.
“Okay, let it be,” the rabbit grumbled.
“Don’t worry. It would be right to call you just a rabbit,” Lera tried to calm the rabbit down. “People call you a rabbit because you have long ears and a small tail.”
“Interesting. And what do you call other animals?” the rabbit asked.
“The fox is called a fox because it has a long, red, fluffy tail. The wolf is called a wolf because it is grey and runs fast. The bear is called a bear because it is big and walks slowly. And it eats grass, berries and mushrooms, most of all it adores to eat honey” the girl answered.
Then Lera heard someone calling her name.
“Oh, my friends are calling me. I’ve just forgotten my time over talking,” and Lera ran away to her friends.
“Interesting, very interesting…” the rabbit was thinking. “Now I know the animals’ names,” and he leaped into the forest. Then he saw a squirrel on a tree. She was sharpening her little claws.
“Hello, fox!” the rabbit said.
“Are you talking to me?” the squirrel asked.
“Yes, to you,” the rabbit answered.
“Why do you call me a fox?” the squirrel said in surprise.
“Because you are a fox. That’s what the two-legged animals – people, call you,” the rabbit told her.
“Interesting. But I don’t understand. And why am I a fox?” the squirrel asked again.
“Because you have a long and fluffy tail,” the rabbit answered. “Also, I know who is a wolf. And who is a bear,” he said.
“So interesting! Will you show me?” asked “the fox”.
And they went together. The rabbit hopped on the ground. “The fox” hopped on the branches.
Then they saw a mouse.
“Hello, wolf!” the rabbit said.
“Hello, wolf!” the “fox” followed suit.
“Hello!” the mouse answered. “Does the word ‘wolf’ mean ‘hello’ too?” the mouse asked.
“No. But the two-legged animals – people, call you a wolf,” the rabbit answered.
“Why do they call me a wolf?” the mouse persisted.
“Because you are grey. And you run fast,” said the rabbit. “I am a rabbit because I have long ears and a small tail. She is a fox because she has a long, red, fluffy tail,” the rabbit pointed at the squirrel.
“Oh...Okay,” nodded “the wolf”.
“And we know who is a bear,” the rabbit told him.
“So interesting! I want to see a bear too. Can I go with you?” asked “the wolf”.
And they went ahead together. The rabbit hopped on the ground. “The fox” hopped on the branches. And “the wolf” ran after the rabbit. Then they heard the snapping sound of dry twigs. And a big animal snorted. It was an elk. He was eating the tree leaves.
“Hello, bear!” said the rabbit.
“Hello, bear!” said the squirrel, “the fox”.
“Hello, bear!” squeaked the mouse, “the wolf”.
“Hello!” said the elk loudly. “Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, we are talking to you” the animals said together.
“Does the word ‘bear’ mean ‘hello’ too?” the elk asked. “It is new to me,” he said in surprise.
“Noooo! This is what the two-legged animals – people, call you,” the rabbit answered.
“Why?” the elk asked again.
“Because you are big and walk slowly. And you eat leaves, berries and mushrooms,” the rabbit said.
“Okay. Let it be. I like it,” the elk agreed.
A hedgehog was passing by:
“Hello!” he said to the rabbit, squirrel, mouse and elk.
But they didn’t know what to call the hedgehog.
“Hello!” the hedgehog said again. “Don’t you remember me?” he said in surprise.
“We remember you. We see you often. But we don’t know your name,” they told him.
“I don’t understand. Did I miss something?” the hedgehog was even more surprised.
“You know, we all have names. I am a rabbit because I have long ears and a small tail,” the rabbit said.
“I am a fox because I have a long, red, fluffy tail,” said “the fox”.
“I am a wolf because I am grey and I run fast,” said “the wolf”.
“And I am a bear because I am big and I walk slowly in the forest,” said “the bear”.
“If I don’t have a name, it means I am nobody?” the hedgehog said sadly. “Maybe because I am spiny?” he cried. “I will never have a name.”
“Don’t cry. We will go to the two-legged animals – people, and ask them. Maybe they have a name for you too,” the animals calmed the hedgehog.
And they went together. The rabbit hopped on the ground. “The fox” sat on “the bear’s” back. “The bear” bowed his head and “the wolf” and the hedgehog sat on his head.
And the animals arrived at the edge of the forest. The girls found a lot of mushrooms. They were ready to go home.
Lera saw the rabbit and asked him in surprise, “Are you still running after us, rabbit? And you listen to us talking?”
“No,” the rabbit answered. “I am here with my friends. The fox, the wolf and the bear.”
“Aaaah!” Lera screamed. “Run, run for your lives!”
Lera wanted to run away. But the elk was on her way. He had the squirrel, the mouse and the hedgehog on his back.
“Don’t worry,” said the rabbit. “These are my friends. The fox, the wolf and the bear.”
“The fox, the wolf and the bear?” asked Lera. Her eyes widened. “Is it a bad dream?” she thought.
The squirrel and the mouse jumped off the elk’s back.
“I am a fox,” said the squirrel.
“I am a wolf,” squeaked the mouse.
“And I am a bear,” introduced himself the elk.
“See? They are not scary. And we all eat grass,” the rabbit told Lera. “But we don’t know what’s his name,” the rabbit pointed at the hedgehog.
“Phew!” Lera touched her forehead. It was all sweaty. “You scared me a lot. Rabbit, dear. You are wrong. This is a mouse, not a wolf. This is a squirrel, not a fox. And this is an elk, not a bear. And this is a hedgehog,” smiled Lera. “But is it so important? You are cute and funny. And you don’t need to call each other by names. You are in this world with us and it is important. And we people know this.”