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 into the tribe of fluffybellies, who had protected the inhabitants of the fluffy forests from the fang-bearing hunters since ancient times.
The hunters often raided to capture rare animals for their king UMA-UMA. The fluffybellies hypnotised 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, whilst 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 was not a single hint of fuzz.
The most important event for every fluffybelly was approaching—the initiation as forest protectors. FO had three days left before everyone would discover that he was a baldybelly. He had to act.
Early in the morning, FO and his noodle-leg friend Fri set off to the wise stone Gaa. The stone was the most important relic of the fluffybellies.
Each fluffybelly could only turn to Gaa once in their lifetime. And FO decided that this moment had come for him.
Approaching the stone, FO shouted his name loudly and asked the question that troubled him so much:
What must I do, Gaa, to make my belly covered with magical fur?
There was a deafening crack, and three round pebbles the size of walnuts appeared from beneath the earth next to FO. One was blue, another was red, and the third was black.
Silence fell. FO gazed at the unusual stones in amazement and didn't understand what to do with them. Almost in tears, he collected the pebbles and hid them in his waist pouch.
FO and Fri walked back in silence. Suddenly, a crab-hare jumped onto the road in front of them. It clicked its claws and shouted loudly:
My name is Zabar! Zabar heard everything! Zabar will tell everyone! Everyone will find out about the bald belly of the fluffybelly!
What do you want? – said the noodle-leg threateningly.
The crab-hare pinched its own tail with its claws for some reason and hissed:
I spent three years digging myself a burrow, and a black-and-white bear moved in. He won't leave. Get him out, and I'll keep quiet.
There was no choice, and the friends had to go to the crab-hare. Before they'd even descended into the burrow, Fri and FO heard loud snoring: the bear was definitely inside.
FO went in first. The bear lay curled up in a ball on a pile of carrots.
Fluffybellies are not cowards. Without hesitation, FO began to wake the uninvited guest by pulling his short tail.
The bear stopped snoring, but didn't even move, only said quietly:
Whoever you are—you must leave.
FO stuck 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, – said Fri, – where did you lose it? Perhaps 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 was stunned: my little finger was gone! I started searching for it in the water and saw my reflection… I couldn't hold back my 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 here until I become bright and beautiful again.
The friends went outside. The crab-hare was already waiting for them.
Well? – cried Zabar 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 got more and more worked up, – I'll do it myself, I'll smoke him out of there!
He quickly clicked his claws and began gathering firewood 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 fluffybelly's belt moved. Startled, he dropped it on the ground, and out rolled the pebbles of Gaa... They cracked open, and something was inside each one. The friends looked closer.
In the red pebble, a coal glowed. In the black one lay the bear's little finger. In the blue one was the magical fur of the fluffybellies.
When FO reached out mesmerised to the blue pebble, the other two dimmed. FO understood that he could only choose one thing. At that moment, the words of the leader, whom he had admired since childhood, echoed in his head.
Always remember, – said the leader, – that fluffybellies 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 obvious. He grabbed the black pebble with the bear's finger, and the other stones turned to dust in the same instant. Without wasting time, the fluffybelly rushed into the burrow and attached the little finger to the bear's paw. The bear rolled over, jumped up, stretched out straight, and after a few seconds began to shimmer with different colours.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, fluffybelly! – cried the bear, 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'll 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, Al, – FO answered sadly. – I'm 33 years old, my belly is bald, and in three days there will be an initiation into forest protectors. I will become a baldybelly and will never be able to fight the fang-bearing hunters.
The bear burst out laughing 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 keep warm, and they grow thick fur. Such fur keeps you 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 rescuer'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 fluffybelly in the forest with fur thicker than FO's.
The End.
