Sukhrik the Mouse's Birthday

Have you met Sukhrik the mouse? And do you know why he's called that? He lives in a cosy little burrow with his mum, a grey mouse.

This story happened on a hot, scorching summer's day. One beautiful early morning, when the sun was already shining brightly and songbirds were singing loudly, Mum, the grey mouse, woke up. She hurried to wake the little mouse. She went over to his tiny bed, bent down, looked at her beloved son's little face and squeaked softly:

My little one, wake up quickly, for today is your Birthday!

Sukhrik opened his tiny bead-like eyes, stretched sweetly in his warm bed and sleepily asked:

Mummy, what is a birthday?

A birthday is a special day, because exactly a year ago, on this very day, you came into the world!

Wow! How wonderful! And what will happen today?

Asked the curious little mouse happily.

Today we will have a celebration, because on this day guests come to congratulate and delight the birthday child.

But how do you delight someone?

The little mouse asked again. He was still very young and didn't know what a birthday was, or that he was the birthday child today.

For a birthday, guests prepare kind words and wishes, congratulate the birthday child and give presents!

Mum answered. She kissed the little mouse on his shiny black nose and said:

Get up quickly and run to the pine forest, to the old pine tree. Fill your basket with pine cones.

But why?

Sukhrik asked in surprise.

Today we will drink tea from a large decorated samovar, which we'll heat with pine cones.

Oh, how exciting! I've never drunk tea from a samovar before.

Replied the little mouse.

Hurry up, Sukhrik, and I'll stay home and bake a bilberry pie. At midday our guests will arrive — the forest animals — and we'll celebrate your holiday.

Said Mum, the grey mouse.

The little mouse grabbed his basket, scurried out of the burrow and scampered along on his tiny paws as fast as he could. He hurried along the forest path to the pine forest.

His mood was wonderful, and all the way he jumped with joy, smiled at the birds and butterflies flying past, and his happiness spread through the forest like cheerful mischievous splashes.

After all, today was such a marvellous and magical day. His best friends would come to visit, and there would be a cheerful celebration at home!

Meanwhile, Mum mouse was busy in the kitchen, kneading dough, stoking the stove and baking a fragrant bilberry pie. Then the mouse spread a smart new tablecloth on the clearing, placed a beautiful decorated samovar with a chimney on it and arranged teacups with saucers.

The little mouse collected pine cones in the forest, he tried very hard, because he wanted to treat his friends to delicious pie and fragrant tea. He barely managed to drag the heavy basket home.

Mum mouse poured fresh spring water from the stream into the samovar, added sprigs of mint, thyme and linden flowers, and put pine cones in the chimney. They lit the samovar and waited for the guests.

The samovar hissed and steamed, smelling of pine and fir, and the rosy bilberry pie gave off an aroma throughout the forest. Sukhrik's friends had been looking forward to this day and had prepared presents.

Ruzhulia the squirrel had collected a whole basket of fragrant wild strawberries, Stepashka the hare had gathered sweet lingonberries.

Kvakushka the frog had collected the largest cranberries from the bog.

And Yashka the hedgehog had picked a basketful of juicy wild raspberries and gathered a bouquet of the little mouse's favourite flowers — lilac bluebells.

The animals came to visit and congratulated Sukhrik on his Birthday, wished him all the best and good things, gave him presents, and sat down to drink fragrant tea with the festive pie.

The little mouse was very happy! He smiled. Every guest was pleased. The friends played cheerful games and had fun. First they played tag, then hide-and-seek. To finish, they all sang songs together, danced and celebrated.

The birthday turned out to be wonderful. The animals were delighted, because they had never before drunk such healthy, fragrant tea made from forest herbs with a fragrant, rosy bilberry pie! The guests were amazed that you could heat a samovar with pine cones.

The satisfied little animals thanked the birthday child for the delicious treat and went home, as their mums were waiting for them.

The sun set behind the hill, and the forest grew dark. Mum hugged her little one with her paws, looked at him tenderly and said:

Sukhrik, soon stars will appear in the sky, look at them and make a wish. After all, a wish made on your birthday always comes true!

The little mouse looked up at his tiny bead-like eyes, looked at the first star that lit up in the sky, and winked at Sukhrik with its bright magical light. The little one made his secret wish….

Mum, the grey mouse, kissed the little mouse on his shiny black nose and said:

And now, my good one, it's time to go to sleep! For tonight you will have a magical, wonderful dream.