Spring's tale
(Written by Sergey Kozlov. Translated by Dmitry Samoshin)
Never before has anything like this happened to Hedgehog. Never before has he wanted to sing and have fun without a reason. And now, when the month of May came, he sang and had fun whole days, and if someone asked him why he singing and having fun Hedgehog just smiled and began to sing louder.
"It's because the spring has come," said Bear. "That's why Hedgehog is having fun!"
And Hedgehog took out a violin from the closet, called two hares and told them:
"Go and take your last year's drums and come back to me!"
And when the hares came with the drums over his shoulders, Hedgehog told them to walk behind him and went first, playing the violin.
"Where does he go?" asked First Hare.
"I don't know," said Second Hare.
"Should we beat the drums?" he asked Hedgehog.
"No, not yet," said Hedgehog. "Can't you see that I'm playing the violin!.."
And so they went through the whole forest.
At the edge in front of a tall pine Hedgehog stopped, lifted his face and began to play the most tender melody that he knew without taking his eyes off Squirrel's hollow. It was called "Sad Midge".
"Wee-wee-wee-wee-e!.." sang the violin. And Hedgehog even closed his eyes, so he felt good and sad.
"Why are we stopping here?" asked First Hare.
"Do not you understand?" surprised Hedgehog. "The Red Sun lives here!"
"Shall we beat the drums?"
"Wait," growled Hedgehog. "I'll tell you when..."
And again he closed his eyes and played "Sad Midge".
Squirrel was sitting in the hollow and knew that Hedgehog is standing under the pine, playing "Sad Midge" and calling her Red Sun... But she wanted to listen to the violin longer, so she did not look out of the hollow.
And Hedgehog played all day until evening and, when tired, nodded to the hares and they quietly drummed, so that Squirrel knew that Hedgehog still stands at the bottom and waits for her to look out.
