Vladimir Kryshtalov

Did you ever want to be strong and wise? Surely? Then let me tell you about a little mouse that wanted just the same.

Friends called him Mick. He lived in a pretty forest full of sunlight and flowers. Other animals enjoyed every day in this wonderful forest, but Mick didn't. In fact, he felt too much fear.

Mick was afraid of everything. Falling leaf could make him run back to his hole. Near sound was unbearable horror for him. He trembled even when his neighbours spoke loud.

"I want to be strong and wise," Mick said to himself everyday, but nothing changed.

Once our little mouse walked to the nearby field. He wanted just to fill up his wheat stockpile. "It is summer now, but I should be ready for the coming winter. I don't want to be hungry, when there is nothing but snow. The farmer's field is very close. Nothing can happen to me. If there is something wrong, I'll call my neighbours to help me. There's nothing to fear."

So he thought, trying to feel some courage. And he almost felt it! The forest around him looked quiet and friendly. "Why should I be afraid of it?" Mick wondered. "It is so much sunlight! The world is beautiful!"

But at the moment a terrifying noise came from a place beside the path. Something very big made his way through the bushes.

Mick froze in panic. "Hide!" he thought.

Where should be place for hiding? Mick looked around and found none. But then he saw a hollow in the nearby tree. The hollow was not high from ground. Quickly Mick jumped into it.

The noise-maker came out of the bushes. It turned out to be bear.

"Oh, he is so big!" the poor mouse thought hopelessly.

The bear was very tired. And he sat for the rest by the same tree, where Mick was hiding.

"I'm lost!" our mouse cried to himself, trembling. "He will not let me out! He is hunting me!"

This cry was heard by the bear. He wondered what it could be.

"Who is there?" the bear asked.

Mick understood that he disclosed himself. The bear kept wondering, found the hollow, and began pushing his arm through it. He imagined there was something he could eat. Mick thought: "Now I am surely lost!" And the thought gave him strength. He cried out: "Hey, stop now!"

"Why?" the bear asked amazingly. He didn't see any reason to stop his attempts. His claws moved right next to Mick's face.

"I am the spirit of the Greatest Bear!" little mouse began as impressive as he could.

"What?" the bear put his arm out. Mick repeated: "I am the Ghost of the Greatest Bear! You can't reach me. Yet, I can answer your questions. Ask!"

The bear seemed to be interested. He thought awhile and said: "Well, if you are the Ghost, you should know my name. Tell it!"

Mick confused. He didn't know the name. But then he remembered about one bear in Far Wood. Everybody knew of that bear, though he didn't visit these lands. He was very selfish. "Maybe I should try," the mouse thought and then loudly cried out: "Your name is Greedy! And I'm waiting for next question!"

But the bear was frightened when he heard his real name. He didn't know that he got bad reputation. He decided that there was true ghost in the tree. And quickly Greedy ran away, back to Far Wood.

Mick got out the hollow and went to the farmer's field. He felt no more fear.

Since that day he lived happily and enjoyed his life.

"I have understood" little mouse said to his friend "that fear doesn't depend on strength or wisdom. Aren't we wise when we prepare some food for a winter? Sure, we are. However, we can be afraid of something. On the other hand, Greedy-bear was much stronger than me, but I made him fear. So, these are different things. You can be strong or weak, little or big, you can know much or less. That doesn't matter. Don't let the fear in, whoever you are!"