A long time ago, an old woman lived in a village, and she had neither a son, nor a daughter, nor anyone close. In the yard, near her hut, there was a tall tree. In the hollow of this tree a cunning squirrel made a nest for itself.
Every time the old woman prepared dinner, the squirrel managed to steal tidbits unnoticed. The old woman couldn’t figure out who was stealing food from her.
She once cooked rice with milk, sugar, almonds and fruit. When the porridge was ready, the old woman took the pot off the hearth and put it on the ground - let it cool. And she went to the well for water.
That's all Squirrel needed. She quickly jumped to the ground and began to eat. She quickly ate almonds and fruit, then climbed onto the branch again - she sat and cleaned her face with her paws.
The old woman returned, saw the empty pot and thought that it was all the cat’s tricks. She searched the whole house, but couldn’t find the cat anywhere. Then the old woman went to the neighbors, but there was no cat there either. Tired, she sat down under a tree. She raised her head and saw: a squirrel was jumping on the branches, and its face was dirty in rice. The old woman guessed that this was the squirrel’s pranks, that it was she who was stealing her, the old woman’s, food every day. The old woman got angry, began to scold the squirrel, then grabbed the first thing that came to hand - a stick and a shoe - and threw it at the squirrel. The shoe hit the squirrel, and it fell from the tree; Then the old woman grabbed her. The old woman decided to kill the squirrel, but how to do it? She thought and thought and decided to drown the squirrel in the pond. The old woman brought the squirrel to the shore of the pond and dipped it in the water. It was winter, the water was icy, and the old woman’s hands were numb. Squirrel decided that if she didn’t come up with some trick now, she would have to say goodbye to her life. And she pretended that she liked the cold water.
“Mother,” she said. – I am very grateful to you! Hot rice makes my whole body burn, and you make it cold.
The old woman got angry:
- Oh, right? Well, good! Then I'll fry you! The old woman grabbed the squirrel by the tail and dragged it into the house.
She lit a fire in the hearth and held the squirrel directly above it. The squirrel sees that death has come.
“Mother,” he says. - How kind you are! Even though I harmed you, you still repay me with kindness - you warm me, when I’m cold!
The old woman became even more angry.
- Well, okay! - she shouted. - Let's see what you sing now!
The squirrel was silent. Then she said with feigned concern in her voice:
- Mother! Do whatever you want with me, just don’t give me any almonds or fruit. If I eat them, my stomach will burst and I will die!
The old woman was simple-minded. She didn’t realize that the squirrel was deceiving her again.
- Here, here! - she screamed. - This is what I need!
She brought almonds and fruits and began to feed them to the squirrel. She pretends that she doesn’t feel like eating at all, but she devours it herself. She ate her fill and said:
“Oh, mother, my stomach is about to burst.” I'm afraid that you might throw me into the bushes. Then the thorns will dig into me, and that will be the end of me!
- So get it! – the old woman shouted, grabbed the squirrel by the tail and threw it into the bushes. And that’s all the squirrel needed. She quickly dashed into the thicket and climbed up a tree.
And the stupid old woman was left with nothing.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru