Once upon a time there lived a very small mouse. He was a desperate restless person: he could not sit still for a minute. It was very difficult for the mother mouse to keep track of him. And so that he wouldn’t get lost, she hung a tiny bell around his neck. The mouse ran, the bell rang, and the mother mouse always quickly found her fidget.
But one day it happened that the mouse lost his bell among the garbage. Now the mother mouse did not hear the ringing of the bell, and the little mouse himself could not find his way home.
The mouse began to ask the pile of garbage to show where his bell was hidden. He stood on his hind legs, cried, he begged the pile of garbage to give him the bell. But the crowd was silent. She didn't want to give him the bell.
Then the mouse ran to the fire that was burning on the river bank.
- Bonfire, bonfire, give me a spark! - asked the mouse.
- What do you need a spark for? What will you do with her? - asked the fire.
“I lost my bell in a pile of rubbish.” I'll set the garbage on fire, it will burn and I'll find my bell!
- Uh! No!.. You can’t give fire to little ones like you, you don’t know how to handle it yet. You might get burned! - answered the fire. - Go your way!
The little mouse cried and ran to the river.
- River, river, give me some water! - he asked.
- Why do you need water? - asked the river.
“I want to water the fire, it will get scared and give me a spark, and it will set fire to a pile of garbage.” The trash will burn and I can find my bell.
- Here's more! What nonsense! So little ones shouldn't play around with water! And don’t ask... I won’t give it to you!
Then the mouse ran up to the horses, which were grazing nearby in a clearing.
“Horses, horses,” squeaked the mouse, “go to the river and stir up the water, please!”
The horses shook their heads, waved their tails and asked:
– Why do you need to muddy the water in the river?
“The river doesn’t want to give me even a drop of water.” But I'm looking for my bell! – the little mouse squeaked, crying.
- What nonsense! What does the bell have to do with it? And why would we muddy the water in the river, because we drink it!
Then the mouse ran to the shepherds who were grazing the horses.
- Shepherds, shepherds, get on the horses and drive them well: they are evil, they didn’t want to help me. And I have to find my bell!
- What did you want! - the shepherds exclaimed. - May we race our horses because of you! This won't happen! Get out of here while you're still alive!
The mouse got scared and ran into the forest. He was tired, hungry and no longer hoped to find either his bell or his way home. At the edge of the forest, he pressed himself against an old, rotten stump and cried.
But suddenly he saw mowers working not far away, in a clearing. He jumped up and ran towards them.
- Mowers, mowers, run quickly: the shepherds have eaten your lunch! - he shouted.
The mowers grabbed their scythes and ran to beat the shepherds. The shepherds got scared, jumped on their horses and drove them to the river.
The horses ran into the water. Sprays flew in all directions and hit the fire. The fire crackled and sparks flew out of it.
The rising wind carried them to a pile of garbage. And the garbage burned.
And in the ashes the mouse found his bell. He put it around his neck and the bell rang merrily.
The mother mouse heard the ringing and found her little mouse.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru