The Punished Clumsy Bear
Rumyanka has rosy cheeks and light brown hair. In her hair, there’s a pink bow. She often visits her grandfather. Her grandfather is a forester. He lives in the forest, in a wooden house.One morning, as he was leaving the house, her grandfather said:
"My dear granddaughter, I’ve been craving some mushroom soup."
"Alright, Grandpa, I’ll make you some soup," replied Rumyanka, adding, "And I’ll also go to the forest and pick some wild strawberries. I know a clearing where the sweetest strawberries in the whole forest grow."
And hardworking Rumyanka set about making the soup.
Meanwhile, her grandfather, with his rifle, walked along the path into the forest and soon disappeared behind the tall maples. Only the smoke from his pipe lingered like a little cloud above the path.
The dry firewood burned well, and the mushroom soup was ready quickly. Rumyanka adjusted her pink bow and took a basket.
"Grandpa will be back by evening, so I have enough time," she thought. "I’ll manage to fill the basket with wild strawberries and return home before he arrives."
By evening, Rumyanka returned home tired but happy. The basket was filled to the brim with sweet wild strawberries picked from the forest clearing. She placed the basket on the bench by the door, went inside, and began setting the table.
As usual, the forester returned home when the first star appeared above the mountain. This time, the wind first carried the smell of smoke from her grandfather’s pipe to Rumyanka, followed by a soft cough, and finally, her grandfather appeared in the doorway.
"Sit down quickly, Grandpa, before the soup gets cold," said Rumyanka, proudly adding, "If only you knew how sweet the strawberries I picked for you are!"
But her grandfather didn’t get to taste the strawberries that evening. While they were having dinner, someone sneaked up to the house and ate all the berries.
When Rumyanka went outside, she saw the overturned, empty basket. The maple leaves that had covered the strawberries were scattered on the ground. Rumyanka felt very upset. Her blue eyes filled with tears.
"I know who ate the strawberries," said her grandfather. "It’s that rascal Kosolapka. I saw him hanging around our house. Last summer, he ate a whole pot of honey from me. But don’t worry, Rumyanka, this time we won’t let him get away with it. We’ll teach him a lesson."
"Go back to your clearing tomorrow and pick another basket of strawberries. But when you return, don’t leave them outside—bring them inside and hide them."
The next evening, the forester came home early. In his cap, he brought a hedgehog.
Rumyanka did as she was told.
Then they sat down to have dinner. A little time passed. Suddenly, there was a noise outside. Her grandfather and Rumyanka looked out into the yard and saw Kosolapka. The little thief, the bear cub, was scampering away on his hind legs along the path. At the same time, he whimpered pitifully and rubbed his pricked nose with his front paws. From then on, he never came close to the forester’s house again.