One squirrel, whom everyone called Mrs. Squirrel, got into the habit of feasting on pumpkins in a peasant’s field. She especially liked the core. She caused considerable damage to the peasant.
But he could not catch it: the squirrel was very dexterous and did not allow itself to be grabbed. In addition, a reliable assistant in the robbery of the squirrel was the snail, which looked after Mrs. Squirrel every day when she ate, and warned if anyone appeared nearby. True, sometimes she made fun of Mrs. Squirrel, shouting that the owner of the field was coming.
The frightened Squirrel quickly stuck her head out of the pumpkin, but when she saw that no one was there, she calmed down and continued to feast on it.
But one day the owner of the field actually came to the field where the squirrel was feeding. The snail, seeing him, warned Mrs. Squirrel about the danger. But she, accustomed to the snail’s pranks, did not attach any significance to her words and continued to eat the pumpkin. She did not notice how the peasant came very close and killed her with a blow to the head with a stick.
Soon the vulture arrived. He began to lick his lips while looking at the dead squirrel. But he had to wait while the animals and birds sang her funeral service.
They sang like this all night. By morning the squirrel's body had already decomposed.
Then the snail said:
“Okay, let’s go, let everyone leave, and first of all you,” she ordered the vulture, “don’t even think about eating Mrs. Squirrel.”
“Sorry,” said the vulture, “I’m tired and really want to sleep, I’ll go and rest a little, go, I’ll catch up with you on the road.”
The vulture pretended to be asleep, but when he saw that everyone was already far away, he took and ate Mrs. Squirrel. When he caught up with the others, the snail asked:
-Didn't you eat Mrs. Squirrel?
“No, no, as possible,” the vulture answered fearfully.
- Well, then good! - the snail sighed.
So, they all walked together until they reached the high road and stopped under a large pich tree to rest in its shade. They see a man coming. They stopped him and asked where he was going.
The man replied:
— I’m looking for several musicians because my daughter is getting married and I want there to be music.
Then, to prove their skill, the animals began to sing a song in honor of Lady Squirrel.
The man liked the singing and hired them immediately. But when he led them to the house, his wife began to shout:
-Are you crazy? You just left and have already returned, haven’t you thought about hiring musicians?
- That's not true, woman. It so happened that right on the road I met a group of vacationing musicians, and I hired them. Look, one is even wearing pants,” he said, referring to the vulture.
The animals entered his house and were immediately fed and watered.
After drinking too much, the vulture fluttered its wings so much that the poor snail flew to the wall and, hitting, died.
And without the snail, the other animals could not sing because she conducted them.
They could not organize their choir and took so long that people began to shout at them:
- What happened, maestro, we want music!
Then Grif started singing and he was very bad at it. He repented of what he had done and went to look for the snail. When I found her, I began to sing well. The holiday continued.
When I passed there, everyone was still having fun, and the animals were singing a song in honor of Lady Squirrel.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru