This story took place on an island called Eclipse. At first glance it seemed an ordinary island, but if you looked a little closer, you would discover a multitude of wonderful things.
This small piece of land was home to thousands of animals with extraordinary abilities, and the nature was dazzling with dizzying colours! Instead of leaves, fluff drifted on the trees, and the grass in the meadows was so soft and springy that if you jumped, you could leap up two metres. And the water, rushing down from the mountains, spilled into crystal-clear rivers and lakes.
On the bank of one such river lived the heroes of this story, underwater hamsters who could breathe under water.
One of them was named Finn. He was the son of the chief, and he loved to brag to the others about his riches. He always wore expensive pearl beads and never missed a chance to tease the less well-off villagers.
Not far from the village, a large crow lived in the trees. He had neither a nest nor magical powers. Because of this, he envied everyone, and his envy was black and bitter.
On the day when the young hamsters gathered in the main square so that the future brides could choose their partners, the crow sat on the roof of a house. He witnessed how Finn, boasting, humiliated his fellow hamster Milo in front of everyone.
The hamsters took turns performing. Each one showed off an outfit and tried to display the most unusual skills. Every performance was accompanied by loud comments from the chief's son, who never tired of insisting that he could have done any act better.
In front of everyone, he began calling Milo a ragamuffin, and then said he should not have come to the festival at all. Milo felt terribly ashamed. He was hurt and ran off, his head hanging low.
That evening, as Milo sat sadly by the campfire near his little hut, a black crow silently swooped down beside him.
For a couple of minutes he silently stared into the flames alongside the hamster, and then he began to speak, quietly, so that no one else could hear:
I saw everything. You can't let this go. If you don't stand up to that show-off, you'll be left all alone. Brides don't go to cowards. You must get your revenge!
The crow's words, like poison, crept into Milo's mind. He no longer felt shame; anger had overshadowed it.
The crow had done his work and smiled slyly. He had not acted out of fairness. He was tormented by envy of the chief's son, who had everything, while the crow had nothing at all.
Milo jumped up and began pacing back and forth by the fire.
But what should I do? asked the hamster, looking at the crow.
Burn his house down, and he'll lose all his riches, hissed the crow, his tiny black eyes gleaming with madness.
Without a second thought, the hamster grabbed a burning stick and headed toward Finn's house. Suddenly, one of the brides who had been at the festival appeared before him. Her name was Nora, and Milo had liked her very much.
She looked timidly at the fiery hamster with the burning stick in his paw, frozen in surprise. A moment later, she spoke in a gentle, velvety voice:
I choose you as my husband, Milo.
Overjoyed, the hamster leapt up and rushed to hug her, still holding the stick in his paw.
Don't singe my hairdo! Nora cried with a laugh.
Coming to his senses, Milo tossed the stick aside, and the two of them twirled together in each other's arms.
No one noticed the crow slipping away into the darkness. He was left alone with his envy, which had now grown even larger.
That evening, it was not only the crow who was lonely, but also the chief's son. Sitting in his huge, empty house, its walls covered with portraits of himself, he simply could not understand why not a single bride had come to him.
A few days later, at the wedding of Milo and Nora, the chief, who was conducting the ceremony, learned how the crow had urged Milo to burn Finn's house down.
The chief immediately ordered the guards to bring in the crow, and within an hour the troublemaker was standing before the leader, fear in his eyes. The chief was very wise. He did not punish the bird. Instead, he appointed him as an envoy to the neighbouring tribes, thereby putting his envy to rest.
Everyone celebrated at the wedding. After the feast, the chief leaned toward his son's ear and quietly said:
Boasting attracts envy, and from such a union anger is born. And in a home where they live, there is no room for happiness.
The son looked gravely at his father and nodded.
