Once upon a time there lived a kitten called Barsik. He was still very small and extremely amusing. From morning till evening his little black fluffy tail would dart here and there. With his pink nose he was constantly sniffing about, as though afraid he might miss something interesting.
Barsik especially loved climbing trees. He would scramble up a tree and look down from the height to see what was happening on the ground below. And there was quite a lot of interesting things happening down there…
Sometimes a flock of timid sparrows would come flying from somewhere and scatter about the yard searching for food, which the rooster Peter didn't like one bit. When these unexpected guests appeared, he would start clucking so loudly that even old cat Vasily, who had been dozing under the blackcurrant bush, would open his eyes. Upon seeing the sparrows, he would instantly transform, becoming a real hunter.
Vasily would begin slowly creeping up to the birds that had let their guard down, preparing to pounce. But it was no use: at the sight of the cat, the sparrows, as if caught by a whirlwind, would soar upwards and disappear from view… Sometimes a dog called Touchmenot would crawl out of his kennel and, arching his back, would stretch, extending his front paws and opening his mouth wide, from which terrifying fangs protruded.
Barsik felt uneasy even when he was at such a safe distance from the fearsome dog. The little one always tried to stay far away from the dog's kennel, thinking that would be safer. After all, who knows what might come into the angry dog's head!
And Touchmenot would get angry over any little thing, especially he was cross with the pesky and cheeky flies that often bothered him, not letting him enjoy the shade on summer days… And then a hen would run across the yard with loud clucking…
Barsik, hiding behind a branch, would watch what was happening below for a long time, until he got bored. Then his gaze would turn to the sky. Clouds driven by a mischievous wind would race across it. Barsik would follow them intently until they disappeared somewhere far away.
He very much wanted to make friends with some little cloud, even the tiniest one. After all, everyone knows that the strength of friendship doesn't depend on whether you're big or very tiny!
But the clouds didn't notice Barsik, and this made the little one feel sad and lonely. Neither the blue tits, nor the beautiful butterflies circling above the flower bed, nor the chatty magpies, which sometimes landed on the tree to rest — nobody paid any attention to the kitten.
Will I never have any friends?
Barsik would sigh sadly and climb down from the tree.
One wonderful morning Barsik, as usual, slipped out of the house and set off in search of new adventures, although his limited life experience was doing everything it could to keep the restless kitten away from the troubles he had already encountered more than once in the yard.
Walking through the garden, he heard an unfamiliar buzzing sound coming from the flower bed where fragrant phloxes were blooming abundantly. Barsik became alert, but curiosity proved stronger than fear. Carefully approaching the flowers, he saw lots of little bees circling above the phloxes.
It seemed to the kitten that the bees were playing a merry game of tag, and he decided, without hesitation, to join in. He crept up to the flowers and stretched out his paw towards one of the bees. But that one, getting angry, stung the little one painfully right on his pink nose.
The poor thing, mewing pitifully, rushed headlong to his refuge: he quickly scrambled up an old birch tree and hid in its thick foliage, afraid of being chased. Once he had calmed down, Barsik dared to look down.
And suddenly he noticed some little grey creature, poking its head out of a burrow and looking about nervously. Barsik, forgetting everything in the world, tumbled down from the tree and found himself face to face with the stranger. The latter froze in surprise.
Who are you?
Asked Barsik, looking over the stranger.
A little mouse. Will you eat me?
Stammered the little one.
Why do you think that?
My mum told me that cats eat mice.
Sighed the little mouse hopelessly.
Well, but I don't want to eat you at all. Let's play instead, because I'm bored on my own.
Offered Barsik.
Let's!
The little mouse was delighted.
And Barsik and his new friend began to frolic about. They didn't notice how evening came. The friends parted with regret, agreeing to meet again the next morning.
Barsik was so happy that he finally had a real friend that he couldn't sleep for a long time and could hardly wait for dawn. With the first rays of the sun he was already in the yard. Soon the little mouse appeared, but not alone… He had brought his brothers. What fun that was!
It turned out that life in the world is so good when you have friends nearby, even if they are so very small.
When Barsik grew up and became a big and strong cat, he continued to be friends with the mice and wouldn't let anyone hurt them. He often had to fight with other cats who, upon seeing a mouse, would immediately chase after the poor thing.
And why are they so silly? Can't one live in friendship?
Barsik would wonder.
Curling up into a ball, he would lie on the porch, enjoying the warm rays of the sun, and would purr with pleasure. And when Barsik fell asleep, he would dream of his little grey friends, with whom he felt so good.
