When this story happened—nobody remembers or knows. And whether it happened at all—that too remains a great mystery. In short, it could have happened anywhere and at any time.
In an old cottage, in a dark cellar lived four little mice: Zhulya, Zhuzha, Musya and Masya. Zhuzha and Zhulya were the most ordinary grey mice, whilst Masya and Musya were unlike them: their fur was white.
The grey sisters Zhulya and Zhuzha felt no affection for their unusually coloured sisters, since they were not like everyone else.
They are most likely not our real sisters; they must have been left on our doorstep.
The sisters would constantly say.
But this was not the only reason they disliked them. Every time the little mice went out to gather crumbs or treat themselves to something tasty, or simply to run about and play in the big cottage, they immediately became targets for the master's black cat Basil.
Before the sisters could even creep through, the cat was already there, waiting and watching with his cunning little bead-like eyes for the white sisters, frightening the others. They decided to split up and not venture out of their burrow all together.
At first the white sisters felt hurt, but then they came to terms with it and began to venture out of the cellar on their own. They were frightened, for Basil could appear at any moment. But curiosity and a thirst for adventure drove away the fear.
Whilst exploring the cottage, they came into an interesting unusual room that was filled with toys. The sisters were so captivated by the toys that they did not hear a girl enter the room with the black cat in her arms.
The girl was called Nadia, and the cat, already known to them, was Basil. Nadia was also taken aback, for she had never seen white mice before, and certainly not ones so curious and fearless.
Thus, Masya, Musya, Nadia and Basil became friends. Every morning the sisters would run to their new-found friends; they enjoyed spending time together. And the grey sisters grew to dislike Masya and Musya even more, for the cat Basil began to hunt only them.
One New Year's Eve the white mice went to visit Nadia, whilst Zhuzha and Zhulya stayed at home in the cellar. Loud unfamiliar sounds from above gave them no peace. Curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to see what was happening up there. And as luck would have it, they met the cat on the way.
Basil pounced on the mice and grabbed them by their grey fur. The cat loved it when his owners praised him. He brought the mice to the adults, but in the New Year's bustle they had no time for him, so the cat put the mice in a cage.
The time to make wishes and open presents was drawing closer. Nadia with Masya and Musya went down to the Christmas tree. Under the tree there were so many presents! Nadia had prepared gifts for her friends too, for on New Year's Eve everyone should have a present.
But what is this? On the table in a cage sit Zhuzha and Zhulya. And however much the sisters disliked each other, however many reproaches they had heard, they were still sisters. They felt so sorry for them!
Dear Nadia, please do us a special favour: let our dear sisters go!
Zhuzha and Zhulya squeaked in unison.
Nadia was a kind and good girl, and she granted her friends' request.
There was no end to their joy. The four little sisters spun in a dance, pulling Nadia and Basil along with them.
From that time on the sister mice never quarrelled or parted. Now all four of them would visit Nadia and the cat Basil together.
