Once upon a time, there lived a cat named Bonya and a little fox named Sonya. They lived in the forest, near a birch grove. They loved cleanliness and order very much.
One day, Bonya and Sonya went to a meadow to have a picnic and play in the fresh air. But when they arrived, they were very frightened and surprised: garbage was scattered everywhere! Candy wrappers, juice and chip packages, plastic bottles and cups, tin cans, food scraps and bits of paper covered the entire ground. Their mood was ruined by all this dirt. Even the bright spring sun no longer brought joy…
This is absolutely outrageous! ― exclaimed Sonya.
The two of us can't handle such a mountain of garbage! ― Bonya said sadly.
Sonya and Bonya decided to call the forest animals for help. They went to the wolf.
Wolf, we need your help! Our beautiful green meadow is very dirty, and it needs to be cleaned up and cleared of garbage!
I've been chasing rabbits and I'm very tired, ― said the wolf, ― and besides, the meadow is of no use to me.
Then Bonya and Sonya went to the bear.
Grandfather Bear, our meadow is filled with garbage, we need to tidy it up right away!
Oh, I'm already too old for this, ― answered the bear.
The cat and the little fox decided to go to the rabbits.
Dear Mrs. Rabbit! Your little ones love to play on the forest meadow! Help us clean it up from garbage!
Dear girls, I would be happy to help you, but I have a large family and so many household chores, ― said the rabbit and hopped away to her burrow.
Sonya and Bonya wandered through the forest for a long time, hoping for help from the forest creatures. But everyone was either busy or simply didn't want to get dirty. Bonya sat down on a tree stump and cried bitterly.
How can we handle such a mountain of garbage? This was our favourite meadow! We loved to play there on the grass, pick flowers, look for the first mushrooms after the rain… And now all this beauty will be destroyed! Garbage decomposes and kills everything living!
Just then, a little squirrel came scampering up.
Hello! I happened to hear that you want to clean up the garbage on the meadow! I know how to help you: on the edge of the forest lives the Old Forest Keeper, he's a wizard! He always finds a way out of difficult situations!
Thank you, little squirrel! ― said the girls and set off to find the Old Forest Keeper.
They walked for a long time ― through a pine forest, around a field of daisies ― and finally saw by the river a little old man in a green coat, a red hat and yellow mittens.
Hello, Grandfather! ― greeted him Sonya and Bonya.
Hello, girls! ― answered the old man.
They say you can help in any trouble?
I can, ― answered the Forest Keeper sadly, ― but in return you will help me!
The old man told them that this was his beloved river, but now it had become very dirty because of the garbage that people scatter. And he really needed the help of noble girls to make the forest and river clean. Of course, Sonya and Bonya agreed, because this river flows near their beloved meadow too. Very soon all the garbage would be carried to them by the current.
I will give you magical containers. With their help, you will be able to collect garbage and sort it for removal and proper recycling.
The Old Forest Keeper struck his magical staff on the ground, and four containers appeared on the riverbank: for plastic, for glass, for paper and for household waste.
Thank you so much, Old Forest Keeper! You've helped us so much! ― said the girls and got to work.
Sonya and Bonya collected garbage for a long time, sorting it into the right containers. They cleaned day and night until the river, and then the meadow, were completely cleaned.
When the work was finished, all the forest animals came running to celebrate on the clean green meadow.
So the cat Bonya and the little fox Sonya made the forest clean, and all its inhabitants understood that they needed to maintain cleanliness and order! And they never again refused to help Sonya and Bonya.
