In a wonderful forest, unknown to us, animals lived happily and got along with one another. Sometimes they feasted, sometimes they grieved, but they always helped each other.
Time flies quickly, and winter came after autumn, bringing snow with it. Snowdrifts piled up in the wonderful forest! You couldn't drive or walk through it! And soon it would be New Year.
All the animals gathered on a small hill where stood a green tree, fluffy and tall, its top reaching into the clouds.
And the animals decided to decorate this tree for the New Year. They even announced a contest!
Magpie flew through the forest, chattering and singing on every meadow:
Forest dwellers! Listen to this wonderful news! And don't say later that you didn't hear! There stands on a small hill a green tree, fluffy and tall, its top reaching into the clouds! For the New Year, the forest folk will gather around the tree! And we announce a contest: Decorate the tree for the holiday! We'll use any decorations: small and large, short and tall, narrow and wide! Both solid colors and colorful! Any tree ornaments! They will hang on the tree year after year, and we will dance around it in a circle!
And what a commotion started in the forest! Squirrels scampered up pines and spruces, gathered pinecones, and made decorations. Boars dug in the snow with their snouts, gathered acorns, and made garlands from them. The bear gathered branches and wove a star for the top. Little birds—bullfinches and tits—gathered rowan berries and strung them into beads on a spider web.
But the Clever Fox watched and grew angry, having nothing to boast about. She looked at her little house and got an idea—to collect icicles from her roof and decorate the tree with them!
The animals gathered in the clearing, decorated the tree, and stood admiring it.
And then the Clever Fox appeared in the clearing. She carried a whole basket of sparkling decorations! The animals froze in amazement! The fox danced around the tree, waving her tail, hanging decorations on the tree and saying:
Decorations made of pure crystal! Magical, transparent, like spring streams! They sparkle in the sun, jingle in the wind, reflect moonlight, and glow in the dark!
The animals folded their paws in surprise, stood there gasping and marveling at the never-before-seen decorations. A breeze blew—the crystal figurines jingled in the wind.
Everyone decided that the Clever Fox had won! The bear gave the fox the grand prize—a barrel of honey from his personal stores and a jar of raspberry jam.
The fox stood on the hill, pleased with herself, rejoicing at how clever and smart she was.
But then the sun came out. The fox's decorations warmed up in the sunshine and began to drip with water.
The magpie started chattering:
Look, forest animals, at the fox's decorations! They were crystal, but now they're leaking water! They melt in the sun, only drops sparkle!
The animals gasped in astonishment! They realized these were ordinary icicles, not magical decorations. The animals got angry, grabbed the icicles, and started throwing them at the fox.
The Clever Fox rolled down the hill in fear, and her icicles flew after her! She even lost her barrel of honey! She barely escaped. And the Magpie flew after her, chattering:
Oh, Fox so fair! You've deceived the forest animals again! You still don't understand: it's not the one who looks good that's good, but the one who does good!!!
