Spring this year promised to be late and rainy. Heavy grey clouds slowly drifted over the clearing that spread out in the middle of the old forest.
The edge of the clearing had long been known to the forest inhabitants, as it was the noisiest place — the forest rubbish tip. There was everything here: old rusty tins, torn car tyres, broken glass, boxes of building waste, fragments of once exquisite and expensive furniture, and other products of life. The locals had become so accustomed to this tip that they even met near it, discussing forest news.
So on this overcast morning, at the edge of the tip, old Grandfather Hedgehog and young Squirrel met. Hedgehog was dragging a leg from an expensive chair off the tip, thinking as he went how he would prop up the sagging roof of his burrow with his find. Squirrel, meanwhile, cheerfully hopping along the branches, descended to the ground to add rubbish to the tip: two pine cones.
Hello, Grandfather Hedgehog.
Squirrel greeted him.
Good morning, Squirrel.
Hedgehog replied.
Littering again?
Yes, the hollow is stuffed with old pine cones after winter. Mum asked me to take them out to the rubbish.
Squirrel answered.
Soon the forest will be buried in rubbish. The tip is getting bigger and bigger.
Old Hedgehog grumbled.
But Mum said that soon there won't be a tip.
And how can that be done?
Hedgehog was surprised.
A Crow flew by and said that soon there will be elections to the Forest Parliament. And today messengers will arrive — candidates who will tell us how to make our forest better.
Squirrel joyfully reported, tossing the pine cones onto a pile of dried twigs, sticks, and rotten bark.
Crows, those chatterboxes who are always flying around the forest cawing pointlessly. I remember how at the last elections they cawed so much at us that Auntie Fox's ears became longer than her friend Hare's from all the promises.
Hedgehog chuckled.
No, these are new crows, and one of them even gave Mum a green apple. But although it was big and beautiful, it was sour.
Squirrel interrupted Hedgehog.
What, just gave her an apple like that?
Hedgehog was surprised.
And Mum also said that today at midday they're flying to the clearing to tell us about themselves. Mum has already hopped through the trees warning the animals. Everyone will gather, it'll be such fun!
Squirrel rejoiced.
Yes, fun. I won't go home, why crawl back and forth, I'll stay here. Worth having a look at these candidates, and perhaps this year they'll actually clear the tip.
Wise Hedgehog said.
Hedgehog hid the chair leg under last year's leaves and lay down on top. During the conversation with Squirrel, Hedgehog hadn't noticed how the forest dwellers had begun gathering in the clearing.
First to hop onto the clearing were the young hares, who had far outpaced Father Hare and Mother Hare. The parents could barely keep up with the children, pushing a pram with babies born in winter ahead of them.
Mum, Dad, come here. Let's sit here, on this side of the rubbish heap. There are so many pine cones here!
The young hares shouted.
At this time, from the other side of the clearing, a family of beavers was approaching. At the front strode the head of the family importantly — Beaver. Behind him glided smoothly, unhurriedly, the imposing Beaver Wife, and then a dozen beaver children.
After a while, ginger tails flashed amongst the trees. Treading softly on the thawing ground, Mother Fox arrived at the clearing with three fox cubs.
The forest dwellers gathered, noisily discussing the upcoming event and the news accumulated over winter. At this time, the first messenger appeared in the sky. A grey nimble crow sharply descended from the heavens, perched on a branch, and cawed loudly:
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the guests!
High in the sky above the forest edge, a flock of crows appeared. Over the clearing, the crows sharply descended, made a lap of honour above the forest dwellers, causing delight amongst the little ones, and landed right on the tip.
We greet you, forest dwellers. We've heard about your problem, about this old smelly tip. We know how to solve it! Vote for us, and there won't be a trace of the tip left!
Cawed a plump crow with a green tie round its neck.
Yes indeed, won't be a trace left. We've heard something like this before, and more than once.
Hedgehog grumbled.
Yes, we want this. We're fed up with the tip. The sooner the better. We don't even have anywhere to play.
The little hares shouted to the approving exclamations of Father Hare and Mother Hare.
Yes, yes, there won't be a trace of the tip left. We only think about how to make life in the forest happy. Just vote for us, and everything in life will change.
The crow in the red tie cawed in support.
The tip smells dreadful, it's so unaesthetic.
Fox supported the conversation.
There are many other places in the forest where you, respected crows, can help the forest dwellers.
The ginger one continued, licking her lips and slyly eyeing the parliamentary candidates.
I guarantee you, this is the last time you'll see this tip. I promise you that today my team and I will scatter it to splinters. I'll build playgrounds for your children, I'll plant flowers everywhere! I..I..I…
A black crow in spectacles shouted loudest of all and fussed about at the very top of the tip.
What a talker, even I can hear. Should ask him to clean out the dam whilst he's at it.
Beaver addressed Beaver Wife.
Yes, yes, and they'll build a slide for the young beavers too, but they promise and promise.
Beaver Wife agreed.
Whilst Beaver and Beaver Wife were dreaming, the forest dwellers listened with open mouths in rapture to the crow chorus. And the more promises rang out over the clearing, the more worked up the crows became. It already seemed to the crows that the forest dwellers understood who was capable of solving all the forest's problems.
And now, we want to treat the children and you, our beloved voters.
The black crow shouted. And his entire flock began handing out apples. Whilst the forest dwellers rushed to grab the free gifts, the Crow in spectacles turned to his colleague in the red tie and with a cunning squint of brazen eyes clicked his beak: "Job done. These ones are ours now!"
Suddenly the noise and hubbub in the clearing was drowned out by the crack of branches. Out of the forest came a huge brown bear.
What's going on here?
The bear growled discontentedly.
The locals instantly fell silent, and the brazen talkative crows were taken aback.
Spinning your pre-election nonsense again?
The bear grabbed a hefty bough, the size of a small tree, and the crow flock instantly and with disgruntled noise took flight above the clearing.
If you'd wanted to, you'd have cleared it up yourselves long ago, instead of adding rubbish with your apple cores.
Just then Mother Squirrel arrived, who saw the departing flock of parliamentary candidates and the voters finishing off apples and throwing cores on the ground, not even carrying them to the rubbish heap. Gradually the forest dwellers dispersed. Old Grandfather Hedgehog collected the apple cores on his spines and carried them to the rubbish heap. The election canvassing had passed, but there would be much of interest ahead.
