Suhrik the Traveller

This story happened at the very end of summer, when the leaves on the trees began to turn yellow, rain fell more often, the sun started setting earlier behind the hill, and the days were getting shorter.

Suhrik woke up early in the morning, poked his little grey nose outside, and squeaked:

Brrr, it's gotten so cold in the mornings!

Yes, my son, autumn will arrive in a few days.

Sighed Mama Grey Mouse.

Well, autumn is coming, and I haven't seen anything good all summer long.

Said Suhrik indignantly.

How can that be? We have such a wonderful forest. Your friends—the forest creatures—live here. The birds sing such beautiful songs, colourful butterflies fly about, and so many fragrant flowers and aromatic berries have grown in the meadow. Soon the lingonberries will ripen, and I'll bake your favourite lingonberry pie!

Mama said, surprised.

But I don't want lingonberry pie! I want to try pineapples and coconuts. A crane I know told me that far, far away in warm lands on islands in the ocean, these exotic fruits grow.

Said the young mouse angrily. He snorted so hard that his whiskers trembled!

Mama Grey Mouse became upset and sad. She lowered her grey head and continued to listen to Suhrik's complaints.

I want to visit the islands and see how coconuts and pineapples grow!

He repeated.

The young mouse stomped his grey paw and hurried out of his burrow. He quickly ran along the forest path and soon found himself at the forest stream.

"Now I'll make myself a little boat and sail in it to the warm lands to see the islands," Suhrik decided firmly.

Looking around, he found a watermelon rind on the stream bank, became very happy, and confidently said:

This will be my boat. I'll sit in it and sail to the warm lands to look at the islands in the ocean.

Muttered the young mouse to himself.

Happy Suhrik sat in his watermelon rind boat, content and joyful, and sailed along the forest stream.

Bush after bush, tree after tree, the little boat floated quickly. The young mouse daydreamed and imagined how his boat would float down the winding stream to the blue sea, and then the sea would carry him into the deep ocean. And in the ocean, islands with palm trees awaited him, on which coconuts grew….

But suddenly a strong wind blew, a dark cloud rushed in, and it immediately grew dark. The storm howled. The young mouse became very frightened; his boat swayed from side to side. And suddenly the watermelon rind cracked and burst……

The young mouse fell into the water and cried out:

Mama, mama, where are you, save me!!!

Suddenly he felt someone skillfully catch him in the water and pull him to the shore. It turned out that Suhrik was saved by a young beaver named Tarasik, who was building a dam on the stream at that moment and saw the young mouse floating by on the watermelon rind.

Where were you going, Suhrik, if you can't even swim?

Asked Tarasik.

I wanted to get to the warm lands and see the islands. I wanted to see how coconuts and pineapples grow. First I had to sail down the stream, then across the blue sea, and then across the deep ocean.

Said the wet Suhrik quietly, shaking water droplets from his fur.

What a silly little mouse you are! How could you set off on such a long journey on a watermelon rind?

Asked Tarasik. The young mouse lowered his little black bead-like eyes. He didn't know what to say to the young beaver.

Your mama is worried, running all over the forest, asking all the animals where her son has gone.

Tarasik continued.

The young mouse remembered his kind mama, the cosy burrow near which purple bellflowers grew. And mama probably had lit the stove and baked a delicious lingonberry pie…. Suhrik became very sad, he lowered his head sadly, and bitter tears began to fall to the ground.

I want to go to mama!

Cried Suhrik.

Let me take you home. I know where your burrow is.

Offered Tarasik.

Bush after bush, tree after tree, soon the young mouse found himself at home. Mama was very happy that her son had returned. She hugged her little one and said:

Suhrik, how wonderful that you're safe, and she kissed his little shiny nose.

The young mouse ate a piece of fragrant lingonberry pie, lay down in his little bed, and fell into a sweet sleep. He was happy to be home with his beloved mama.

And Suhrik dreamed of distant warm wonderful lands and paradise islands in the ocean with beautiful tropical palm trees.