Little Mousy Marusya peeped into the pantry under the old pear tree and let out a tiny squeak of fright — every shelf was bare!
Winter was coming soon, and her pantry had hardly any food.
"Oh dear!" squeaked Marusya. "I must fill up my pantry, and fast!"
She picked up her little basket and scurried out to the field. Sunflowers grew there, tall and bright. Marusya gathered a whole basket of seeds and began to drag it home. But the basket was so heavy!
"Marusya, wait!" called a voice behind her.
It was Tarasik the hedgehog, running to catch up.
"Let me help!" he said.
Together they carried the basket all the way to Marusya's pantry.
"I know where the acorns are!" said Tarasik.
So they went to the forest. Under the big oak tree, they found piles and piles of acorns. While they were carrying them home, Olenka the squirrel caught up with them.
"I want to help too!" she chirped.
Olenka showed them a clearing full of hazelnuts. So many nuts!
All three of them carried nuts, acorns, and sunflower seeds into the pantry.
"We still need dried berries," said Marusya.
Olenka knew where the cranberries grew. Tarasik remembered a rosehip bush. And Marusya thought of the hawthorn by the stream.
The friends ran back and forth, carrying berries and putting them on the shelves. They sang little songs and laughed together.
By evening, Marusya's pantry was full! Seeds in one corner, nuts in another, and berries on the top shelves.
Marusya invited her friends for tea with honey.
"Thank you!" she said. "I could never have done it all by myself."
"But it was fun!" laughed Tarasik.
"Yes, lots of fun!" agreed Olenka.
When the friends went home, Marusya looked into the pantry once more. The shelves were full. It smelled of nuts and berries.
The little mouse smiled, curled up in her cozy bed, and closed her eyes. She dreamed of all of them laughing together among the sunflowers.
Outside, the first snowflakes were dancing in the wind.