Spring this year promised to be late and rainy. Heavy gray 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 dump. There was everything here: old rusty cans, torn car tires, broken glass, boxes of construction debris, fragments of once exquisite and expensive furniture, and other products of life activity. The locals had become so accustomed to this dump that they even met near it, discussing forest news.
So on this overcast morning, at the edge of the dump, old Grandpa Hedgehog and young Squirrel met. Hedgehog was dragging a leg of an expensive chair from the dump, thinking as he went how he would prop up the sagging roof of his burrow with his find. Squirrel, cheerfully jumping along the branches, descended to the ground to add garbage to the dump: two pinecones.
Hello, Grandpa Hedgehog.
Squirrel greeted.
Good morning, Squirrel.
Hedgehog replied.
Littering again?
Yes, the hollow is stuffed with old pinecones after winter. Mom asked me to take them out to the trash.
Squirrel answered.
Soon the forest will be buried in garbage. The dump keeps getting bigger.
Old Hedgehog grumbled.
But Mom said that soon there won't be a dump.
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 come—candidates who will tell us how to make our forest better.
Squirrel joyfully reported, tossing the pinecones 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 election they cawed so much at us that Aunt Fox's ears became longer than her friend Bunny's from all the promises.
Hedgehog chuckled.
No, these are new crows, and one of them even gave Mom a green apple. But although it was big and beautiful, it was sour.
Squirrel interrupted Hedgehog.
What, she just gave you an apple?
Hedgehog was surprised.
And Mom also said that today at noon they're coming to the clearing to tell about themselves. Mom already hopped through the trees to warn the animals. Everyone will gather, it'll be so much fun!
Squirrel rejoiced.
Yes, fun. I won't go home, why crawl back and forth, I'll stay here. Worth watching these candidates, and maybe this year they'll actually clear the dump.
Wise Hedgehog said.
Hedgehog hid the chair leg under last year's foliage and lay down on top. During the conversation with Squirrel, Hedgehog hadn't noticed how forest dwellers began gathering in the clearing.
First to jump into the clearing were the little rabbits, who had far outpaced Papa Rabbit and Mama Bunny. The parents could barely keep up with the children, pushing a stroller with babies born in winter ahead of them.
Mom, Dad, come here. Let's sit here, on this side of the garbage pile. There are so many pinecones here!
The little rabbits 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—Beaver. Behind him smoothly, unhurriedly, floated the impressive-sized Mrs. Beaver, and then a dozen beaver children.
After some time, red tails flashed among the trees. Stepping softly on the thawed ground, Mother Fox with three fox cubs graced the clearing.
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 gray 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 victory lap over the forest dwellers, causing delight among the little ones, and landed right on the dump.
We greet you, forest dwellers. We've heard about your problem, about this old stinking dump. We know how to solve it! Vote for us, and there won't be a trace of the dump left!
Cawed a plump crow with a green tie around its neck.
Yeah, 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 tired of the dump. The sooner the better. We don't even have anywhere to play.
The little rabbits shouted under the approving exclamations of Papa Rabbit and Mama Bunny.
Yes, yes, there won't be a trace of the dump 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 dump smells bad, it's so unaesthetic.
Fox supported the conversation.
There are many more places in the forest where you, dear crows, can help the forest dwellers.
The red one continued, licking her lips and slyly glancing at the deputy candidates.
I guarantee you, you're seeing this dump for the last time. I promise you that today my team and I will tear it apart piece by piece. I will build playgrounds for your children, I will plant flowers everywhere! I..I..I…
A black crow in glasses shouted loudest of all and fussed at the very top of the dump.
Now that's some talk, even I can hear it. Should ask them to clean out the dam while they're at it.
Beaver addressed Mrs. Beaver.
Yes, yes, they'll also make a slide for the beaver kids, but they promise and promise.
Mrs. Beaver agreed.
While Beaver and Mrs. Beaver dreamed, the forest dwellers listened with open mouths in rapture to the crow chorus. And the more promises rang out over the clearing, the more wound up the crows became. It already seemed to the crows that the forest dwellers understood who was capable of solving all forest 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. While the forest dwellers rushed to grab the free gifts, the Crow in glasses turned to his colleague in the red tie and with a sly squint of brazen eyes clicked his beak: "Deal done. These ones are already ours!"
Suddenly the noise and hubbub in the clearing was drowned out by the cracking of branches. A huge brown bear emerged from the forest.
What's going on here?
The bear growled displeasedly.
The locals instantly fell silent, and the brazen talkative crows were taken aback.
Hanging your pre-election nonsense again?
The bear grabbed a hefty branch the size of a small tree, and the crow flock instantly and with displeased noise took off over the clearing.
If you wanted to, you would have cleaned it up long ago, instead of adding garbage with apple cores.
Just then Mother Squirrel arrived, who saw the departing flock of deputy candidates and voters finishing their apples and throwing cores on the ground, not even carrying them to the garbage pile. Little by little, the forest dwellers dispersed. Old Grandpa Hedgehog collected apple cores on his spines and transferred them to the garbage pile. The pre-election campaign had passed, but there would be much more interesting things ahead.
