In one huge dense forest, in a large old house made of pine logs, lived a gray wolf named Ivan Serabok. He was called that because one of his sides was gray. He was the most important one in the forest, and all the animals respected him and listened to him.
When any mishaps occurred in the forest, Ivan Serabok always found the right solution, so many came to him for advice. Sometimes Mother Squirrel would hop over to complain about her wayward son, sometimes Snake Lady would slither in to tell him that her neighbor was bothering her.
Or the phone would ring:
Ivan Serabok, I need your advice! I want to build myself a new house, could you suggest where to get good branches?
Wild Boar shouted on the other end of the line.
And Serabok had no choice but to set Squirrel's son on the right path, have long conversations with Snake Lady's neighbor, and call all the stores where one could buy sturdy branches for Wild Boar's house.
But one fine morning, when the sun was shining brightly and birds were singing their songs cheerfully, such melancholy came over the Wolf that he turned off his phone, firmly closed the doors of his house, took his old traveling pipe and lit it. And he began to remember his younger years, when he was healthy, strong and young.
Serabok had a close buddy—Wolf Burabok. They had lived in the same forest since childhood and were friends "thick as thieves." Many interesting stories happened to them, they had been everywhere and seen everything.
And how many funny incidents happened to them—impossible to tell them all. Wolf Serabok sits, smoking his pipe, and remembers one of these funny stories. Funny to some, sad to others.
Both friends decided to steal nuts from Squirrel's hollow. Burabok climbed the tree, reached the very top, filled his pockets full of nuts, but couldn't climb down. He sat in the tree all night, while Serabok sat under the tree afraid to tell his mother, because they both would have gotten "what for." Their mothers were stern she-wolves.
And Beaver—an old firefighter—helped them then. He tore his shirt and ripped his pants when getting Burabok down from the tree. As a sign of gratitude, the friends decided to help Beaver plant a garden. They came in the morning, dug up the beds while the firefighter went for seeds. They saw some roots lying on a bench along the garden.
Well, the old firefighter probably forgot about these seeds! And we'll do him a good deed—we'll plant them all around the garden, let them grow and bear fruit.
Burabok and Serabok decided to help Beaver.
And half a month later, the firefighter came running to them shouting:
I got you down from the tree, saved your lives, and you planted my garden with weeds, and such weeds that can't be hoed with any hoe or cut down with any axe! Now nothing grows there except this useless grass! I struggled in vain and planted vegetables, all for nothing because of your "help"!
And there was another funny incident when close buddies Serabok and Burabok guarded the forest from lumberjacks. There were several detachments of defenders at the border. And Serabok was a cook there. Once he cooked a full pot of porridge and instead of sugar put salt in it, and not a pinch, but a whole five. He mixed them up.
And everyone ate silently, pretending it was tasty. And all because Burabok—his close friend—ordered everyone to be quiet and praise the porridge, so that Serabok wouldn't be punished and wouldn't be put in "the brig."
Ivan Serabok was so lost in his daydreams, sprawled in his armchair, that a knock on the door startled him.
Well, here we go! Who's come to me for advice again!
Serabok opened the door and saw on the threshold—you'll never guess who—Ivan Burabok! He too had been terribly missing his friend and decided to visit him.
