Once upon a time there lived a teacup. It had lived a long time, worked honestly, served milk and warmed people with tea. But suddenly it felt sad for some reason. It no longer chimed like a little bell, unlike the other cups sitting side by side on the drying rack. It didn't sparkle with cleanliness, no matter how often it was washed.
So the teacup quietly decided to leave home. It wanted to see the world it had heard so much about during teatime. Most of all, it wanted to find a friend.
For a long time it wandered along unfamiliar paths, saw many things, and miraculously stayed whole. But it never found a friend. Then one day it sat on the bank of a stream, feeling sad, and it seemed to hear someone crying.
It looked closer and saw a tiny, grubby little piglet. Pip sniffled softly and didn't notice anyone around him. So the teacup sent him a sunbeam. It ran cheerfully across Pip's back, peeked into his tearful little eyes, and dried every tear.
The little piglet squealed with joy so loudly that the teacup nearly cracked from fright. Then it filled itself with spring water and offered Pip a bath. The sun warmed the water, and Pip splashed happily in the cup as if it were a bathtub. And it turned out he had a soft, rosy pink color.
All the forest residents gathered, and everyone felt merry. But then a magpie flew in and reported that Pip's mother was running through the forest looking for her beloved little son. So the animals wove a strong rope from grass and tied it to the handle of the cup.
Pip climbed into the cup, and the birds took off, holding the loose end of the rope in their beaks. They lifted the cup high and flew so high that Pip's breath was taken away. But they quickly reached Pip's home.
Everyone was overjoyed: Mother found her son, and the cup found friends. Little Pip was happy for everyone.
And that's where the tale ends. Do you have a favorite cup of your own? Would you like to share your secrets with it?
