Many thousands of years ago, there lived amazing creatures on Earth, and they possessed incredible abilities.
This story is about one of these creatures.
Our hero's name is FO. He was born in the tribe of puffybellies, who had protected the inhabitants of the fluffy forests from the fang-bearing hunters since ancient times.
Hunters often raided to capture rare animals for their king UMA-UMA. Puffybellies hypnotized the raiders using special fur that began to grow on their bellies at age 33.
FO had just turned 33, but the magical fur was nowhere to be seen. When FO was very small, he loved to play in the golden fields with noodle-legs. Once, while riding on the back of his best friend, he fell and badly wounded his belly. Since then, a scar had marked the spot, but there wasn't a hint of fuzz.
The most important event for every puffybelly was approaching—the initiation into forest protectors. FO had three days left before everyone would discover he was a barebelly. He had to act.
Early in the morning, FO and his noodle-leg friend Fri set out to visit the wise stone Gaa. The stone was the most important relic of the puffybellies.
Each puffybelly could turn to Gaa only once in their lifetime. And FO decided that his moment had come.
Approaching the stone, FO shouted his name loudly and asked the question that troubled him so much:
What must I do, Gaa, to cover my belly with magical fur?
There was a deafening crack, and three round pebbles the size of walnuts appeared from beneath the ground next to FO. One was blue, another was red, and the third was black.
Silence fell. FO stared at the unusual stones in amazement and didn't understand what to do with them. Nearly in tears, he collected the pebbles and hid them in his belt pouch.
FO and Fri walked back in silence. Suddenly, a crab-hare jumped onto the road in front of them. It snapped its claws and shouted loudly:
My name is Zabar! Zabar heard everything! Zabar will tell everyone! Everyone will know about the barebelly puffybelly!
What do you want? – the noodle-leg said menacingly.
The crab-hare pinched its own tail with its claws for some reason and hissed:
I spent three years digging my burrow, and a black-and-white bear moved in. He won't leave. Get him out, and I'll keep quiet.
There was no way out, and the friends had to go to the crab-hare's burrow. Before they even descended, Fri and FO heard loud snoring: the bear was definitely inside.
FO went down first. The bear lay curled up on a pile of carrots.
Puffybellies are not cowards. Without hesitation, FO began to wake the uninvited guest by pulling his little tail.
The bear stopped snoring but didn't even move, only said quietly:
Whoever you are, you must leave.
FO thrust his belly forward and said:
I am FO from the fluffy forests. You must leave. This is not your burrow!
The bear turned around, looked at his friends with sad eyes, cried, and whispered softly:
I need my finger.
Tell us what happened, – Fri said, – where did you lose it? Maybe we can help you?
My name is Al, – said the bear, – I was the most beautiful multicoloured bear in my forest. One day I fell asleep on the riverbank, and when I woke up, my paw was in the water. I pulled it out and froze: my little finger was gone! I started searching for it in the water and saw my reflection… I couldn't hold back tears: the colours were gone! I became black and white! I ran for three days until I stumbled upon this burrow. I won't leave until I become bright and beautiful again.
The friends came outside. The crab-hare was already waiting for them.
Well? – Zabar cried impatiently, – when will he leave? When will he disappear from my burrow and my life?!
FO lowered his eyes and said nothing.
You're so useless, – Zabar continued, – I'll do it myself, I'll smoke him out of there!
He quickly clicked his claws and began gathering branches near the burrow entrance.
I need fire! I need fire, FO, or I'll tell everyone about you! – Zabar couldn't calm down.
Fri and FO froze. They didn't know what to do next. Suddenly, the pouch on the puffybelly's belt moved. Startled, he dropped it on the ground, and Gaa's pebbles rolled out... They cracked open, and something was inside each one. The friends looked closer.
In the red stone glowed a coal. In the black one lay the bear's little finger. In the blue one was the magical fur of the puffybellies.
When FO reached out mesmerized to the blue stone, the other two dimmed. FO understood that he could choose only one thing. At that moment, the words of the leader he had admired since childhood echoed in his head.
Always remember, – the leader said, – that puffybellies are the only true forest protectors. They always think first not of themselves, but of the weak and defenceless. Of those in trouble.
FO took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The choice was clear. He grabbed the black pebble with the bear's finger and threw himself into the burrow, attaching the little finger to the bear's paw. The bear flipped over, jumped up, stretched out, and within seconds began shimmering with different colours.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, puffybelly! – the bear cried out, hardly believing his happiness.
But FO was very sad. Al noticed this and said:
My friend, I will be eternally grateful to you for returning my treasure! I will leave this burrow right now, I want to return home immediately! But it's not the crab-hare's home that saddens you. Tell me what happened. Perhaps I can help you too?
You can't help, Al, – FO answered sadly. – I'm 33 years old, my belly is bare, and in three days the initiation into forest protectors will take place. I will become a barebelly and will never be able to fight the fang-bearing hunters.
The bear laughed heartily and cried out cheerfully:
Do you know what they call me in my homeland? Al of Berta, the fur-giver! My strength is in my little finger. I stroke animals who have nothing to warm themselves with, and they grow thick fur. Such fur keeps warm in any frost!
You returned my strength to me, FO. For this, I will give you magical fur, – Al continued tenderly.
The bear raised his paw and stroked his saviour's belly with his little finger. FO's belly tickled. FO couldn't believe his eyes: soft, beautiful fuzz was appearing right on the scar. From that day on, there was no puffybelly in the forest with fur thicker than FO's.
The End.
