On the edge of a big, dense forest lived a family of squirrels — Mum, Dad, four squirrel daughters, and one little squirrel son. They lived in a large, spacious hollow that Dad had built in a big old oak tree. It was very warm and cosy there, and each little squirrel had their own wooden bed.
The oak tree where the family lived was very old, and it had lots of acorns. The little squirrels loved to climb out onto the branches and play tag. The four girl squirrels were older, and the youngest was the little squirrel son.
Every morning, his sisters would wake him up, shouting:
Hey, little brother squirrel, wake up! How long are you going to sleep? It's such lovely weather outside, the sun is shining, the birds are singing! Come out and play with us, stop sleeping!
I don't want to!!! I'm going to sleep some more! Leave me alone, go and play by yourselves. I can't be bothered to get out of my warm little bed!
The little squirrel would reply.
Children, don't quarrel! You're brothers and sisters. If our son doesn't want to go out, let him sleep. He's the youngest of you all, he needs to sleep and build up his strength!
Dad would protest.
The girls would get upset and run off to play in another tree, whilst the little squirrel carried on sleeping soundly. And this happened almost every day.
The little squirrel was also very timid — he was even afraid of his own shadow. And once, when a strong wind blew up outside and thunder rumbled, he burst into tears and hid in the most secluded corner of the hollow, from where Dad could barely pull him out.
It was hot outside; it was the month of August. The family often left home together to find food. But the tastiest treat was the acorns that grew on the oak tree. However, there had been no rain lately, and the hot rays of the sun had gradually dried up the leaves on the trees. The acorns had fallen off, and by autumn the squirrels had nothing left to eat.
Mum and Dad gathered all the children and said:
Our little squirrels! All summer it's been terribly hot, and all the supplies on our tree have dried up. Now we've got nothing to eat, and we need to go and find another forest where we can live and gather acorns and nuts. Our tree is already old, and we're unlikely to be able to gather any harvest from it at all.
Wow! This will be our new adventure! We'll all set off together to search for a new home and new big trees where lots of acorns grow. We'll walk together, sing cheerful songs, and meet lots of new friends!
The sister squirrels rejoiced.
Unfortunately, Dad won't be able to go.
Mum said.
It turned out that the other day, Dad had got into a fight with a marten who wanted to take away the nuts that a hedgehog had given to the little ones. In the fight, Dad had badly injured his paw, and now he wouldn't be able to walk far.
I'll go!
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the little squirrel son said.
Ha ha ha! You?! You're afraid of your own shadow! How are you going to wander through the forest by yourself? What if the wind blows and thunder rumbles — you'll forget where you were going out of fear!
The sister squirrels laughed loudly.
I won't forget anything! Once, when Mum and Dad were talking, I heard Dad tell Mum that in a family, it should be the man who provides food, and it's also the man who should look after his loved ones. You're girls, you shouldn't have to. And who's the man amongst us, sisters — you? No! So you'll stay at home with Mum, and I'll go searching for a new forest for our family.
The little squirrel announced decisively.
Having packed a little food for him in a bundle, Mum and Dad sent their son on his way.
The little squirrel wandered through the forest, looking around. It was scary walking here alone — a crow would caw, the wind would blow, the leaves would rustle in the wind… But the little lad knew he had to look after his family, because Dad was ill, and the sisters couldn't be left without Mum.
The little squirrel walked for a long time, and suddenly, in the distance, he saw a new forest. It was so beautiful, and even the leaves on the trees hadn't turned as yellow as in their forest.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an enormous wild boar appeared in the little squirrel's path.
He bared his tusks and growled loudly:
Who's walking here without my permission? I'm in charge around here, and only I decide who gets to live here and who doesn't.
At first, the little squirrel was terribly frightened — he couldn't even speak, as if a huge lump had appeared in his throat.
I… I… wa…nt…
The little one tried to say something in a whisper.
Speak up, or I'll eat you right now.
The boar protested.
And then the little squirrel remembered that at home, four sisters, Mum, and Dad were waiting for him and counting on him.
I'm looking for a new home for my family! There's been a drought in our forest, and all our supplies have dried up. Now my sisters are hungry, and I've gone searching for a new home and food.
The little squirrel said loudly and clearly.
The boar looked at the little one and said:
You're so small and so brave. You weren't afraid at all to come to our territory, even though everyone knows I'm in charge here and I don't like strangers coming. I've never seen such a courageous little squirrel before, so I'll allow you to live here.
The little squirrel was so happy that he didn't notice how he'd hopped all the way home. He told everyone how he'd made his way to the new forest, how he'd been afraid of the crows' cries and the rustling leaves along the way. But when he told his sisters and parents the story about the boar, they all exclaimed together:
What a clever lad you are! Not everyone could have negotiated with the boar — everyone knows he's scary and very fierce!
The little squirrel felt so pleased, because he — a small, timid little thing — was now afraid of nothing.
