On the edge of a large, dense forest lived a family of squirrels — a mother, a father, four squirrel daughters, and one little squirrel son. They lived in a large, spacious hollow that their father had built in a big old oak tree. It was very warm and cozy there, and each little squirrel had their own wooden bed.
The oak tree where the family lived was very old, and it had many acorns. The little squirrels loved to climb out onto the branches and play tag. The four squirrel girls were older, and the youngest was their little brother.
Every morning, his sisters would wake him up with a shout:
Hey, little brother squirrel, wake up! How long can you sleep? It's such beautiful weather outside, the sun is shining, the birds are singing! Come play with us, stop sleeping!
I don't want to!!! I want to sleep more! Leave me alone, go play by yourselves — I'm too lazy to get out of my warm little bed!
The little squirrel would reply.
Children, don't argue! You're brothers and sisters. If our son doesn't want to go out, let him sleep. He's the youngest of you all — he needs to sleep and build up his strength!
Father would say.
The girls would immediately get upset and run off to play in another tree, while the little squirrel continued to sleep sweetly. And this happened almost every day.
The little squirrel was also very timid — he was even afraid of his own shadow. And once, when a strong wind raged outside and thunder rumbled, he burst into tears and hid in the most secluded corner of the hollow, from where his father could barely pull him out.
It was hot outside; it was the month of August. The family often left home together to find food. But the most delicious treat was the acorns that grew on the oak tree. But lately there had been no rain at all, and the hot rays of the sun gradually dried up the leaves of the trees. The acorns fell off, and by autumn the squirrels had nothing left to eat.
Mother and father gathered all the children and said:
Our little squirrels! All summer there has been such terrible heat, and all the supplies on our tree have dried up. Now we have nothing to eat, and we need to go look for another forest where we can live and gather acorns and nuts. Our tree is already old, and we're unlikely to be able to gather any harvest from it.
Wow! This will be our new adventure! We'll all gather together and set off to find a new home and new big trees where lots of acorns grow. We'll walk together, sing cheerful songs, and meet lots of new friends!
The sister squirrels rejoiced.
Unfortunately, father won't be able to go.
Mother said.
It turned out that recently father had gotten into a fight with a marten who wanted to take away the nuts that a hedgehog had given to the little children. In the fight, father had badly injured his paw, and now he wouldn't be able to go far.
I'll go!
Suddenly, unexpectedly for everyone, the little squirrel son said.
Hahahaha! You?! You're afraid of your own shadow! How can you wander through the forest alone — what if the wind blows and thunder rumbles, you'll forget where you were going from fear!
The sister squirrels laughed loudly.
I won't forget anything! When mom and dad were talking once, I heard dad tell mom that in a family, the man should provide food, and the man should also take care of his family. You're girls — you shouldn't have to. And who's the man among us, sisters, you? No! So you'll stay home with mom, and I'll go search for a new forest for our family.
The little squirrel announced decisively.
After packing a little food in a bundle for him, mother and father sent their son on his way.
The little squirrel wandered through the forest, looking around. It was scary to walk here alone — a crow would caw, the wind would blow, the leaves would rustle in the wind... But the little boy knew he had to take care of his family, because father was sick, and the sisters couldn't be left without mother.
The little squirrel walked for a long time, and suddenly, in the distance, he saw a new forest. It was so beautiful, and even the leaves on the trees hadn't yellowed as much as in their forest.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge wild boar appeared in the little squirrel's path.
He bared his tusks and roared loudly:
Who's walking here without my permission? I'm in charge around here, and only I decide who gets to live here and who doesn't.
At first, the little squirrel was very frightened — he couldn't even speak a word, as if a huge lump had appeared in his throat.
I... I... wa...nt...
The little one tried to say something in a whisper.
Speak louder, or I'll eat you right now.
The boar growled.
And then the little squirrel remembered that at home, four sisters, mother, and father were waiting for him and counting on him.
I'm looking for a new home for my family! There was a drought in our forest, and all our supplies dried up. Now my sisters are hungry, and I went searching for a new home and food.
The little squirrel said loudly and clearly.
The boar looked at the little one and said:
You're so small and so brave. You weren't afraid at all to come to our territory, even though everyone knows I'm in charge here and don't like strangers coming. I've never seen such a brave little squirrel before, so I'll allow you to live here.
The little squirrel was so happy that he didn't notice how he hopped all the way home. He told everyone how he traveled to the new forest, how along the way he was afraid of the crows' cries and the rustling leaves. But when he told his sisters and parents the story about the boar, they all exclaimed together:
What a hero you are! Not everyone could negotiate with the boar — everyone knows he's scary and very mean!
The little squirrel felt so proud, because he — a small, timid little one — was no longer afraid of anything.
