Sniff had been living in Moominvalley for as long as he could remember. His earliest memory was being found by Moominmamma, who quickly became a sort of adopted mother to him. He also remembered the first time she fed him her own cooking and how delicious it tasted- he never knew that food could taste so good!
And then there were all those other things about which Sniff simply couldn't forget. The way Moominpappa always told stories at night before bedtime- stories of his past adventures, and the adventures he still planned to have; the way they would all sit around the fire after dinner with their heads together discussing what they'd heard or read during the day; the way Moominmamma used to sing lullabies when Sniff was very little... These were memories he'd never forget.
His life had changed when he was eventually reunited with his real parents. Muddler and Fuzzy were their names, and he was always grateful to have them again because now he had two sets of parents instead of just one. But although he loved them all dearly, nothing could ever replace the love he felt for the Moomin family.
In fact, if you asked Sniff right now, he wouldn't be able to tell you why exactly. It was just something he knew. And perhaps this was why he felt so lonely sometimes. Ever since his reunion with his parents he had gone to visit Moominhouse less and less often. Perhaps it was because he felt an obligation to stay close to his long-lost mother and father, but whatever the reason, he hadn't spent much time there lately.
But when he did visit, it was just as he remembered it from his younger days. Full of life and full of love, filled with laughter and songs, and every room brimming over with happiness. Even when the occasional Moomin-ish melancholy set in, it didn't last long. There was too much going on here in Moominvalley to allow sadness to creep in. In fact, it was hardly ever allowed anywhere near. At least, that's how it seemed to Sniff.
Sniff had grown more independent now that he was older, and got along quite well without needing constant supervision. In fact, he considered himself very grown up indeed. Of course, he wasn't entirely certain what "grown up" meant, especially since no one else seemed to know either.
Whatever the precise definition, to Sniff being grown up and independent meant living in his own home, away from Moominhouse. No longer sleeping under someone else's roof, being able to make his own decisions, to take care of himself, and to do anything whatsoever he pleased, whenever he chose to. All these things made Sniff feel like a big boy. As far as he was concerned, he had already reached adulthood.
Of course, his new home wasn't terribly far from Moominhouse, which allowed him to visit his adopted family frequently. If he wanted to go see Moomintroll, he only needed to walk down the road and cross the bridge, and there he was, back where he belonged. And if no one was there to greet him, he merely had to stroll up the front door and knock politely, and someone would come running out to open the door for him. Just like old times.
And today, Sniff intended to do just that.

It was mid-morning in late autumn, and the sun was shining brightly through the window. Sniff sat upright in bed, stretched, yawned, and gazed wistfully outside. The leaves of the oak trees had long since changed color, contrasting with the evergreen of the juniper and the spruce. They looked beautiful against the cloudy sky.
Sniff sighed deeply and rolled over onto his side. He really must get up soon. He couldn't keep lying there forever. He lay awake for some minutes, thinking about how cold it was outside and how warm his blanket felt against his fur. Sleep called to him, but he refused to let it win. He thought about the wonderful smell of coffee brewing, and of freshly-baked something-or-other, and decided not to risk missing breakfast.
Suddenly he found himself wishing he was sitting in Moominmamma's kitchen, drinking coffee and eating whatever else she had whipped up that morning. Or perhaps a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top would suit him better? Or a piece of apple pie? Wouldn't that be nice?
Still he lay there, trying to will himself to get out of bed and actually join the rest of the world. The house was quiet, except for the gentle sound of the cuckoo clock ticking on the wall above Sniff's head. He listened to it for a while, wondering what time it was. It was probably already past nine o'clock or perhaps even later. When one was independent, it didn't matter when you woke up, though society demanded that you should at least do something productive when you did.
He glanced at the clock. Ten twenty-five. Not bad. Still plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, maybe head into town and earn some coin, and then spend most of the afternoon exploring the woods surrounding Moominvalley. Yes, that sounded good!
Finally he opened his eyes and sat up straight in bed. Now he was ready to face the day. He went to the closet, pulled on his thickest sweater to keep out the cold, and headed out the door.
The air outside smelled fresh and crisp after yesterday's rain. The clouds overhead were still white and fluffy, promising snowfall yet. Sniff smiled appreciatively. After such a lovely summer, autumn was almost as welcome as spring.
The ground felt somewhat cold beneath his paws as he made his way towards his destination. Although winter was approaching fast, there was still enough warmth during the day to make it bearable to walk around without a coat. But it wouldn't be long before everyone was bundling up again.
Soon he was crossing the wooden bridge spanning the stream below. From here Moominhouse was only a short distance away, and the sight of the tall, blue, cylindrical dwelling cheered him greatly. As usual, Moominpappa was sitting on the verandah smoking a pipe and reading his morning newspaper.
"Good morning, Sniff," he said without looking up. "Have you read the news?"
"Hello, Moominpappa," Sniff greeted. "I haven't seen the newspaper yet today."
Moominpappa took a deep puff on his pipe and blew a few smoke rings into the air. "Going to be winter soon," he said. "Big snowfall coming in a few days. Maybe even a blizzard. Isn't that exciting?"
Sniff nodded. That meant the Moomins would begin hibernating for the season; they'd all gather inside and sleep until spring came round once more. Even now, Sniff could imagine them snoring softly inside their quiet little house. Among them would be Moomintroll, leaving Sniff without his closest friend, someone to talk to explore the valley with, for several months.
But Sniff put all of that out of his mind for now, and headed for the front door of Moominhouse. As soon as he entered he was greeted by a cheerful voice.
"Welcome back!" said Moominmamma. She was in the kitchen, standing beside the stove and stirring a pot full of something delicious smelling. "How are you feeling this fine autumn morning?"
"Fine, thanks," answered Sniff, immediately making a beeline towards the table, where he was delighted to find there were still leftovers from breakfast waiting for him. Without hesitation, he began stuffing himself with a big slice of spiced cake, and gulping down huge swallows of coffee. Luckily both were still warm, which lightened Sniff's mood considerably.
"Where's Moomin?" he asked between bites.
"Gone to gather pine needles in the wood," Moominmamma replied. "That's all we can eat before we start hibernating a week from now."
"Oh yes, I remember now," Sniff said, his face scrunched up at the thought of eating such a thing. "Doesn't sound terribly appetizing."
"It's tradition, dear," explained Moominmamma. "And besides, they're quite nutritious."
"Well, if you say so..." Sniff gave her an uncertain look, but Moominmamma merely smiled reassuringly and continued to stir the pot.

When he finished eating, Sniff got to work putting away the dishes. Moominmamma watched him curiously.
"You never used to clean up after yourself like this when you were younger," she observed.
"No, I didn't," admitted Sniff. "But I'm getting older now."
"Yes, you are indeed," agreed Moominmamma. "I'm glad to see you taking on some responsibilities. You've been very helpful lately."
"Maybe I just feel a bit more grown up these days," suggested Sniff.
"Perhaps," said Moominmamma, smiling. "I suppose things change over time. Did you have any plans for today?"
"Not really," admitted Sniff. "I was thinking of going out to find Moomin and see if he wants to help me set up a hot cider stand. I've got some other ideas too..."
Moominmamma smiled in a way that suggested she found his money-making plans amusing, but Sniff didn't notice. "That sounds lovely, dear," she said, nodding approvingly. "Just make sure Moomin is back home in time for dinner."
"Of course I will," promised Sniff, who had no intention of letting anything get in the way of his business venture. As always, he was very excited by the prospect of making more money, and this time he was certain his idea was going to be a success. After all, who doesn't like a nice hot beverage on a cold autumn day like this? And what better place than right in the middle of the village square? He looked forward to seeing how many people flocked to his stall each day.

With all that in mind, Sniff left Moominhouse and headed off towards the woods, in the hopes of finding Moomin and inviting him along to join him. The weather was still cold, and seemed to be getting colder as made his way deeper into the forest. A sudden chilly wind rushed past, leaving Sniff shivering as he trudged across the nearly frozen ground. His breath clouded before him and condensed into tiny ice crystals, making it hard to see ahead.
It felt good though, rather invigorating even, so he kept walking, determined to reach his goal. Soon he spotted a small clearing not far away, and saw Moomin bent over a pile of fallen pine needles, gathering them up his paws.
"There you are! Thought I'd lost you," called Sniff cheerfully, running towards him.
Moomin turned around, startled, but smiled once he recognized his friend. "Oh hello, Sniff!" he greeted. "What brings you all the way out here?"
"Looking for you," said Sniff. "I wanted to invite you to my new business venture."
"A business venture?" said Moomin, looking a trifle dubious. "Oh Sniff, not another one of your money-making schemes!"
Sniff grinned, unfazed by Moomin's reluctance. "This one's different!" he said. "This time I've got an idea that's sure to work!"
"I don't know..." muttered Moomin, looking at the pine needles he had collected. "I'm supposed to be gathering these for winter..."
"Come on, try it out with me first," urged Sniff. "If it doesn't work, then we'll give up. No harm done."
"All right," said Moomin, giving in reluctantly. "But only for a little while, I've got to get enough for the whole season, you know..."
"Of course, of course," Sniff said hurriedly, tugging on Moomin's arm. "Let's go! It won't take long."

Moomin found himself being pulled along behind Sniff without much resistance, causing his collection of needles to fall back down onto the ground. He watched as the little pile quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving him wondering if he should ever gather enough this year if this sort of thing kept happening. But Sniff was his friend, so there was nothing he could do about it except follow him and try to keep up with his enthusiasm.
"Where are we going anyway?" Moomin asked.
"To collect some apples," Sniff replied.
"What for?"
"For cider, of course!" Sniff explained. "We'll also need spices, a cider press, some wooden planks, a few nails..."
Moomin said nothing, but simply followed Sniff through the trees, hoping desperately that this would turn out to be worthwhile. It didn't sound like a job that would be finished in a single afternoon for one, let alone by only two people. Still, he knew Sniff wouldn't stop until he succeeded... or failed spectacularly. That was just the kind of person he was.
As for Sniff, he wasn't particularly worried. He already knew he was on to something big. All he needed was someone else to believe in him too, and he'd soon be able to turn his dream into reality. If he could just convince Moomin of that fact, everything would be fine.

It was a long while before Sniff suddenly came to a stop at a fork in the path, where an old signpost stood pointing in two directions. The hand-painted letters had long faded away, leaving only faint traces of their shapes.
"Which way now?" asked Moomin.
Sniff was silent for a moment. He was certain he had gone the right way, but this part of the valley didn't look familiar at all. In fact, it looked quite strange indeed. There were tall, mossy trees growing everywhere, and the ground beneath his feet was covered in layers upon layers of dead leaves. They crumbled underfoot whenever he stepped, creating an unpleasant sort of crunching noise.
"Hmm... I think I might have taken a wrong turn somewhere," Sniff admitted hesitantly.
"Well, that's a bit worrying," said Moomin, frowning. "Perhaps we should retrace our steps a bit."
"No, no, we're almost there," insisted Sniff. "I'm sure of it." But the truth was he wasn't sure at all. This was very unlike any area of the valley he had ever seen before. So he decided to trust his instincts and continue onward. Perhaps they would lead him straight to what he was looking for after all?

And so the two of them continued forward, following the same path they had been following since leaving Moominhouse, or at least what they thought was the same path. Although neither of them spoke, both were thinking deeply, trying to make sense of whatever it was they were seeing. It was certainly still Moominvalley, there was no doubt about that, but it was a part of it that they had never explored before. At times, it felt as if they were traveling through a completely unknown landscape, and yet at other moments it was strangely familiar.
Eventually they found themselves at the shores of a huge lake, which stretched far off into the distance. It was quiet and peaceful, unspoiled by activity, Moomin-ish or otherwise. The sandy beach was dotted by stones of various sizes, smooth and rounded by centuries of wear. A gentle breeze blew from across the water, stirring the surface gently and sending ripples toward shore. Nothing seemed to indicate that anyone had ever come here before.
Sniff sat down on a rock, and put his head in his paws. He was too distracted by his own thoughts to notice the picturesque beauty of the place. He couldn't understand how he had gotten himself so entirely lost, especially since he was fairly certain he hadn't made a wrong turn anywhere. And yet here he was, at some strange lake he'd never seen before.

As Sniff sat there muttering to himself, he suddenly thought he could hear a faint voice calling out from somewhere. Both he and Moomin glanced up, searching for the source of the sound. It seemed to be coming from the lake itself.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Sniff asked curiously.
There was no immediate answer, but the sound began to slowly grow louder. Sniff frowned in concentration as he listened closely, eventually realizing that the sound was actually coming from inside the water, and they heard the voice again, slightly clearer this time.
It was a low, rhythmic sound, almost like a song being sung underwater. Sniff leaned closer, straining to pick out more words, but they were drowned out by the wind and the waves. Finally, however, he managed to catch the words clear enough to understand.
"Good afternoon..." the voice said faintly. "Good evening... Good morning..."
As he listened, Sniff could see some bubbles rising up from the water, moving around erratically in the current. Suddenly a huge, strange creature rose out of the lake with a loud splashing sound, its wet body gleaming brightly in the sunlight. It was easily thirty meters long, and had a long, slender neck ending in a huge, bulbous snout. As it emerged from the water, it let out a few deep puffs of air, then turned to face the pair sitting nearby, staring down at them with curious, glassy eyes.
Sniff jumped up in alarm, but Moomin remained perfectly calm. "Hello. Who might you be?" he asked.
"My name is Ambrose, and I'm very glad to meet you," the creature said, giving them a weird smile. "Come closer so I can show you how friendly I am."
Moomin cautiously approached the enormous thing, who smiled even wider.
"Please don't be afraid," it told them. "You are my guests. I won't hurt you."
The creature reached out one massive arm, and gestured invitingly. It extended its hand toward Sniff, who hesitated just briefly, then timidly stepped closer and took hold of it. His fur bristled with fear momentarily, but when he realized that this thing really wouldn't harm him, he relaxed immediately. But only a little.
Suddenly the creature took several slow strides forward, until it was nearly on top of them. Then it crouched down, putting one massive paw on each of their shoulders.
"Now, tell me your names," Ambrose urged them.
"My name is Moomintroll- Moomin for short- and this is Sniff," Moomin said. "We're very glad to meet you!"
The creature grinned again, exposing rows of sharp teeth. "As am I. I hardly ever get visitors," it said. "I've always wanted to have friends, but everyone thinks I'm dangerous. Now that you know I'm not going to eat you, we'll be good friends! Won't we?"
But Sniff didn't seem quite convinced. "Are you sure you won't eat us?" he wondered suspiciously.
Ambrose laughed. "Of course not!" he said. "Why I don't think I've ever eaten anything besides fish and perhaps a few... small animals who had the misfortune of drowning in the lake."
The thought of such a thing made Sniff suddenly feel very ill. This creature may have been acting friendly, but how could he be certain that it wasn't just pretending to be amiable in order to lure him into a trap?
"I almost drowned myself once," Moomin replied, seemingly undisturbed by what the creature had said. "In fact, I was rescued by a mermaid. She took me to her island and gave me some fish soup and then she said she'd made a new friend."
"How nice," Ambrose said, making an odd gurgling sound in his throat.
"I don't remember that ever happening, Moomin," Sniff said.
"Oh, you weren't there, Sniff," Moomin said. "It's too bad, it was very exciting!"
"I miss everything," Sniff complained with a groan.
"Well, maybe that was a dream then," Moomin said.
"Ah, but if it was a dream, it might not ever end," the creature said in a sing-song voice. "And now I must go back under the water. Goodbye, my friends. Thank you for speaking with me today. And thank you most of all for visiting me."

Then it disappeared beneath the surface of the lake, leaving the two travelers alone again. The sun was setting behind them, casting the scene in a golden glow.
"Do you suppose that was real?" Moomin asked.
"I don't know," Sniff mumbled, feeling sickened by the whole episode. "Real or no, he certainly didn't do anything to help us find our way back home!"
"Hmm, you're right about that," agreed Moomin. "He was an awfully friendly sort of fellow though, wasn't he?"
Sniff grumbled something unintelligible and slumped down onto the ground beside Moomin. They sat together in silence as dark grey clouds gathered overhead, and a sudden gust of wind blew across the beach, causing the sand to dance wildly in the breeze before settling back down again.
After a while, Moomin spoke up. "It's no use sitting around and moping, Sniff," he said, standing up. "Let's just keep walking, okay?"
"Okay," Sniff sighed. It was quite obvious that his plans for a cider stand had been dashed, but he knew it was best to put the whole thing behind him as quickly as possible. Now all he wanted to do was to find his way back to someplace he recognized, and unlose himself. Besides, he was getting hungry. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

So the pair of them started off along the path once again, heading straight away from the lake, hoping they would soon reach a more familiar part of Moominvalley.
As they walked, Sniff remembered something Moominmamma had once told him: "If you ever get lost, all you need to do is remember where you've been, and make your way backwards." It was good advice, although Sniff doubted that any ordinary person like himself could possibly manage to retrace his steps backward through the valley without getting hopelessly confused. Still, it was worth trying at least.
They trudged onward for a while, and gradually the scenery began to change. The trees grew more sparse, and eventually they came upon a wide clearing, surrounded by tall grass. In the center of the clearing a campfire was burning, and sitting nearby was an odd-looking man, closely watching the fire.
"G'morning," he said, his gaze never leaving the fire.
"You mean good afternoon, don't you?" Moomin replied politely.
"Whatever you say," the stranger said. "What brings you here?"
Moomin explained briefly about their adventure so far, and asked if the man knew which direction Moominhouse was.
"Nope," the man replied. "Been watching the fire. Got to make sure it doesn't go anywhere."
"That's not very helpful," Sniff said, feeling his frustration increase.
"Sorry. I'm just a little preoccupied," the man said, never once looking up. "I need to keep an eye on the fire. If it goes out, or if someone starts throwing rocks at it, I'll know they're planning to steal my things. It's my job, fire-watching."
"Your job?" Moomin repeated.
"It pays pretty well," the man said, shrugging. "So long as nobody comes here and fools around, I can sit here and watch this fire forever."
"How very interesting," Moomin said, leaning forward and peering into the fire himself. "Is the fire really all that important?"
"Important enough to pay for my food and shelter," the man replied. "Without fires to cook food over, we wouldn't have much of a life, would we?"
"Indeed," Moomin concurred, his eyes beginning to take on the same dull gleam as the man's.
The conversation went on in this vein for several minutes, until finally Sniff broke it off. "Really, Moomin, don't you think we should be going?" he said, his voice coming out more whiny than usual. "This character is just a half-wit, what's the use of sitting around talking and carrying on like this!"
Moomin looked away from the fire, frowning. "Here now, Sniff, there's no need to be so rude!" he said. "I'm sure he has his own reasons for living the way he does! Besides, we were only having a bit of fun! Don't worry, we won't stay here too long, I promise!"
Sniff groaned, and threw up his paws in frustration. For someone whose life had been spent traveling through strange lands and facing unknown dangers, Moomin seemed surprisingly naive sometimes. There was nothing wrong with having a few pleasant conversations every now and then, but there was a limit to how many times one could indulge oneself in such activities, especially when one's stomach was growling as loudly as his.
"Well, I for one have had enough of such nonsense," he declared, as he turned and began stomping down the path. "I'm going back home, with or without you!"
Moomin's eyes widened, obviously surprised by this outburst. But rather than arguing further, he simply remained sitting by the fire and resumed staring at it, as if entranced.
"If you insist," he said, sounding resigned. "But I hope you realize that means you'll have to walk all the way back by yourself..."
Sniff stopped for a moment, feeling a sudden surge of fear creep up his spine. But it quickly passed, and he continued onward, his paws pounding the ground indignantly.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much," he said angrily, stamping harder still. But even though he might have meant it, the words sounded hollow and insincere. And yet somehow he couldn't quite bring himself to admit that to Moomin, who didn't seem to understand why Sniff was so upset.
Sniff could faintly hear Moomin calling after him in the distance, but he refused to pay any attention. Instead he kept walking faster and faster, determined to put as much distance between him and Moomin as possible. He wanted desperately to find someplace he knew, somewhere that would tell him he was on his way home. Anywhere but where he was now.

end part 1