A little girl named Marusy had 2 hamsters, Homka and Tusy. The girl loved them very much and looked after them well.
Homka and Tusy were never friends; they fought over everything. Sometimes they would take food from each other, sometimes they would push each other off their sleeping spots. In general, they couldn't seem to get along. The girl often noticed that they were having conflicts, and it upset her greatly.
One day Marusy asked her mum Katerina and dad Mikhail to buy her 2 small cages for Homka and Tusy, since they couldn't live in the same space. Her parents didn't buy these "homes" for the hamsters; they said:
You already have a large cage. You should have bought two from the start.
The girl was very upset and went to play with her pets.
The next day, her grandfather Kolya came to visit Marusy. The girl told him about the hamsters. Grandfather thought for a moment and said:
My dear granddaughter, why don't we make homes for Homka and Tusy ourselves?
Yes, let's! — cried Marusy.
Then come visit me; I have all the tools we need, — he said.
The girl got ready and went with her grandfather to his house. They started making cages and didn't notice how night fell. Grandfather Kolya suggested that Marusy stay overnight. They had tea and went to bed. The next day the girl went home and took the handmade homes with her.
When she came home and placed the cages for Homka and Tusy on her desk, her mum asked Marusy:
Did you go and buy these "homes" without our permission after all?
No, of course not, mum. Grandfather and I made them yesterday.
How clever you both are! — said Katerina. — Well then, go and put your pets in these cages.
The girl went to the cage and saw that Homka and Tusy were no longer fighting; they were sleeping peacefully side by side.
Mum, was it for nothing that we made these homes? Look, they've made up!
Mum went to the large cage and saw how sweetly their hamsters were sleeping.
Marusy, it wasn't for nothing! I think they sensed that you were going to put them in separate cages, and that's why they made up.
Really? — exclaimed the girl.
Of course really! — her mum replied.
From that day on, the hamsters became best friends and never quarrelled again.
