The forest seemed endless, and time seemed to pass slowly. For a moment he thought he must be nearing the end of the world, because the trees appeared to stretch endlessly toward the sky, like the arms of some gigantic beast reaching out to snatch him up and carry him off. His paws hurt terribly, and he wondered if he'd ever reach the end of them before he died of thirst or starvation.
But eventually the forest suddenly did come to an end, and Sniff was quite surprised and alarmed to find himself at the foot of a mountain, standing before the entrance of a huge cavern. The sight of the vast, gaping hole that seemed to be bored straight into the rock itself left him speechless, and he stood there for a moment, trying to decide whether to turn around and go back the way he came, or press onwards into the darkness beyond.
He decided against turning around. What good would it do? All that would happen is that he would find himself back at that silly campfire and the even sillier man watching it. Better to face whatever lay ahead alone, he told himself sternly.
Sniff peered into the blackness within the cave, and suddenly he felt a rush of cold air pass by, causing the fur on his neck to stand on end. A low moan followed, and he realized that something was moving inside the cave. Something big, and fast, and possibly... hungry?
His long ears stood up straight in fright. Now what was going to happen to him? Hadn't he suffered enough in the past several hours? Wasn't it bad enough that he got lost and scared half to death, and then ended up stranded here in this awful place, with no other direction to go but forward into a horrible, nasty cave? It made him feel like a mouse in a cat's trap, waiting to be eaten.
Feeling like he had no other choice, Sniff crept into the cave, his legs trembling with every step. Maybe, just maybe there was an exit on the other side that would take him back home, and then he would be safe once more. But right now he couldn't see anything except a pitch-black tunnel stretching off into the depths of the earth.
He walked on for what felt like hours, the tunnels twisting and turning every which way. Sometimes the tunnel split into two or three, and he would follow one direction, only to find himself back where he started. Other times he would start following another route, only to discover that it led nowhere. Soon Sniff felt more lost than ever, wandering aimlessly along, never knowing which way to turn next.
With each step he took, his fear grew stronger, and soon he found himself breathing fast and hard, his heart thumping violently in his chest. He was certain now that he would be trapped in this wretched cave forever, and would never again see his beloved friends and family.
Finally he slumped to the ground, out of breath and exhausted, but most of all he was frightened out of his wits, and all alone. Tears flowed from his eyes, and he began sobbing softly to himself, rocking gently back and forth.
He thought about his rare coin collection back home, and his shelf full of semi-precious gemstones, not to mention the little box on his bed-stand where he kept all the small shiny things he'd found lying about- bits of colored glass and inexpensive jewelry made to look more expensive than they really were. They had little monetary value, but he loved collecting them anyway, and having them close at hand gave him a strange sense of comfort.
He thought of the Moomins, of Snufkin and Little My, and all of his friends. He thought about his poor little pet cat, and whether or not she would be able to feed herself without him. But most of all he thought of his parents, and how little time he'd spent with them, even after reuniting. He hardly knew them at all, and now he feared he would never get to know them better. He missed everyone. He missed everything.

Suddenly Sniff heard a strange sound coming from down the corridor behind him. Slowly he turned his head, and was greeted by a huge pair of bright green eyes.
Sniff shrieked in terror and leapt backwards, scrambling up the nearest stalagmite, hoping to get away from the creature below. He hung there like a cat on a branch, yelling bloody murder, eyes shut tight.
"Get away!" he yelled furiously, shaking his paws madly, trying to make the creature disappear. "I'm warning you! Get away!"
It wasn't long before Sniff realized that nothing was happening, so he opened his eyes and looked down. Instead of chasing after him, the monster simply sat there, staring at him with its massive round eyes, seemingly unmoved by his screams.
"What are you?" Sniff asked, still gasping for breath. "Are you some kind of demon sent to torment me?"
Its eyes blinked, and Sniff could have sworn he saw a faint smile cross its lips. It didn't answer, and instead lowered its huge, shaggy head to reveal Moomin himself, riding on top of the great beast like a knight on a horse!
Sniff's eyes widened in shock. What manner of creature had Moomin made friends with now? It looked like a giant bear or a wolf, with long white fur and huge fangs that gleamed in the darkness. Strangest of all was that it was holding a harp, and humming a peculiar tune.
"Moomin! Can it really be you?" Sniff cried, feeling tears of joy welling up in his eyes. "How did you get here? And what is that thing??"
"I followed you when I realized that you might get into trouble all by yourself," Moomin explained, giving Sniff a reassuring smile. "And it looks like you did!"
Then Moomin looked down at the beast, and began petting its unruly fur. "This fellow lives here in this cave! Isn't he something?" he went on. "Say hello to Sniff, won't you?"
The creature didn't speak at first, and simply continued playing its harp. But then it began to play a different tune.
"Oh, Sniff, my dear one, why dost thou so often hide thyself in the dark?" it sang. "Why art so shy when the wind blows? Oh, Sniff, why art thou so sad? Why art thou so pale?"
Sniff stared wide-eyed at the beast. "What's that supposed to mean?" he said to it, feeling somewhat annoyed.
"Don't take it personally, Sniff. I'm afraid this creature can only sing and not talk," Moomin said, giving it another affectionate pat. "He's very shy, you see."
Sniff stared at the weird white-furred thing, who was still incessantly playing its harp and humming to itself.
"You must be joking!" he shouted.
Moomin just smiled at him. "He's just very lonely, that's all," he said. "He's really nice, and it would be so nice to show him to my parents."
"But... but..." Sniff stammered.
"Come down won't you, Sniff?" Moomin implored him. "I promise he's perfectly tame!"
Sniff didn't know what to say or think, but eventually he decided it was safe. "Well... okay," he said reluctantly. "As long as it doesn't try to eat me."
He climbed down the stalagmite slowly, and the moment he set foot on the cavern floor, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief. There was no danger here, no horrible monsters lurking around every corner waiting to pounce upon him. In fact, Sniff found himself smiling, feeling quite happy that he wouldn't have to wander through those tunnels alone any longer. His fear seemed to fade away completely, replaced by a curious sense of excitement. The prospect of seeing his friends and family again was almost too much to bear.
"Let's go straight home together, shall we?" he asked Moomin happily.
Sniff nodded, wiping away his tears. "Yes, let's," he agreed.

And so they made their way through the tunnels side by side, heading back toward the entrance of the cave. The strange creature with the harp clearly had the path memorized, and soon they were safely outside once more.
The sun was low in the sky, bathing the trees in light and casting a deep orange glow over the valley. A gentle breeze blew gently across the clearing, carrying with it scents of pine needles and damp earth. Everything was cool and peaceful, making Sniff feel relaxed and content.
As Moomin unmounted the creature, it began singing an odd lilting melody. "It is with a heavy heart that I tell thee that I must leave you now," it burbled, strumming its harp softly. "So, until next time, farewell, dear friend Sniff!"
With that the creature slunk away back into the cave, where it disappeared amongst the shadows. Sniff watched it go, uncertain as to whether or not he cared much for the beast. He certainly appreciated being rescued, but other than that...
Moomin waved goodbye after it, then turned to Sniff. "You'll be very glad to know that I've discovered a way home!" he announced.
Sniff's eyes widened in astonishment. "A way home?" he repeated. "But how? I thought we were lost for good!"
"There's a path just east of here that leads to our part of the valley, not far from Moominhouse," Moomin explained. "We weren't so very lost after all!"
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Sniff exclaimed, clapping his paws together. "Let's hurry there right away!"
They hurried off along the path, which wound its way around the mountainside. Soon they came to a fork in the road, and Moomin pointed to the left.
"See? You can just about see the smoke from our chimney!" he told Sniff. "No doubt about it. That's Moominhouse!"
Sniff walked ahead eagerly, peering anxiously out onto the landscape before them. Sure enough, there was a large plume of smoke rising from a nearby chimney. It wasn't hard to spot, even though it was hidden behind some trees.
"I can't believe it," he muttered to himself. "All this time we were just a detour away... Oh, I feel like such a dunce!"
Suddenly Sniff felt awfully useless, and he sat down on a rock to stare dejectedly at his feet. How could he have been so stupid as to get lost in the first place? He could have wandered endlessly through these woods forever, trying fruitlessly to find his way home, if it hadn't been for Moomin.
Moomin saw how unhappy Sniff seemed, and went to stand beside him.
"What's wrong, Sniff?" he asked. "Aren't you happy to be going back home?"
"I am," Sniff replied, not bothered to look up. "But it's all my fault for getting us into this mess. If I hadn't been so obsessed with making money, none of this would have happened. This whole trip has been a complete waste!"
"Come now, Sniff, it wasn't all bad," Moomin said. "I thought our adventures were rather exciting! Didn't you enjoy yourself?"
"Not at all," Sniff said. "I was half out of my wits with worry. When I got lost in that cave, I thought I'd never see the sun again. I thought I'd never see you or anyone else again..."
Sniff buried his face in his paws. "I'm sorry I stormed off and left you behind," he continued. "I'm sorry for being such an awful friend..."
"Never mind that," Moomin said soothingly. "It wasn't your fault. You were only doing what you thought best. Anyway, things couldn't have worked out better, since we're here now, safe and sound."
Sniff looked up at Moomin, who smiled encouragingly at him. "So don't worry about anything," he said. "Just think about how nice it will be when we arrive home, and see everyone again."
Sniff gave him a curious look. "I don't know how you can be so cheerful sometimes, Moomin," he said.
"I guess it comes down to one simple thing," Moomin said. "I always try to remind myself that life isn't really all that serious anyway. After all, we're just tiny little creatures living in a huge world full of dangers, and yet we survive... somehow."
Sniff smiled softly. "Thank you, Moomin," he said quietly. "And thank you for putting up with me. I can hardly put up with myself sometimes."
"Don't mention it," Moomin said. "Besides, things are always more, shall we say... interesting when you're involved!"

He laughed cheerfully, and Sniff joined in, feeling lighter now that his worries had been lifted. The two of them set off once more toward their destination, and as they did so they talked happily together, sharing memories of past adventures.
Soon they reached the path leading directly to Moominhouse, which stood amongst the tree like a big blue stovepipe. For a moment they stood together looking out over the valley below, which stretched out beneath them, seemingly endless. The sunlight glinted off the snow, casting a soft glow over everything.
Then they took off running, waving and shouting cheerfully at Moominmamma and Moominpappa, who were out on the verandah waiting for them. They ran straight inside without stopping, laughing and chattering excitedly.
"Well, son, it's about time you got back," Moominpappa said, lifting his pipe.
"We were so worried about you," Moominmamma added, hugging her son tightly. "Whatever happened to you two?"
"The truth is, we've been lost in the forest for hours," Sniff confessed sheepishly. "It seems I was terribly mistaken about the way home..."
"Oh, but we had a great time, mamma," Moomin said. "I saw a big white creature that only sang and played the most beautiful music on its harp. And so many other things that I don't even know where to begin!"
Moominpappa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And where is this musical beast?" he asked.
"Oh, he had to stay home. He didn't like leaving his cave," Moomin replied. "It's too bad, you would have liked him. Or her. I wasn't too sure."
"Didn't like leaving its cave?" Moominpappa repeated. "You mean, it refused to come along?"
"That's right, pappa," Moomin confirmed. "Anyway, it's very shy, and doesn't talk much. But it's actually quite friendly, so perhaps we could go visit it again sometime!"
"Yes, perhaps we could," Moominpappa agreed.

The Moomins continued talking and laughing while Sniff watched, smiling and thinking about how glad he was to be with familiar company again. It wasn't long before he felt like he was intruding on their reunion, so he tactfully retreated and made his way back out the door.
He stepped out onto the verandah that extended out from Moominhouse, where he watched the sun slowly sink behind the mountains into the west. Then he looked down upon the valley beyond, the tiny village nestled peacefully beneath him. All was quiet and peaceful. Only a few windows remained lit by flickering candles, each house waiting until dawn.
After a while he heard Moomin's voice calling after him. "Sniff, where did you go?"
A moment later, Moomin was peering through the front door. "There you are, Sniff!" he said. "For a moment I thought you'd lost yourself again."
Sniff grinned sheepishly. "Just wanted some fresh air, that's all," he said. "I should probably be on my way back to my house now, anyway..."
"You're welcome to stay the night," Moomin said, joining him on the verandah.
"I don't want to intrude," Sniff said, shaking his head. "But thanks anyway. Besides, aren't you going to start hibernating tonight?"
"Not until the first snowfall," Moomin explained.
"Hmm, well then, I guess I could stay a little longer..."

They then sat together on the front steps, watching the sky slowly grow darker above them. As the evening wore on, the stars came out one by one, illuminating the darkness with their pale light. Soon the moon rose high overhead, bathing the whole landscape in silver.
"You're going to be gone a long time, you know," Sniff said after a while. "While you're hibernating, I mean. Same as last year. And the year before that."
Moomin was thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he finally replied. "I never really thought of it that way before."
Moomin turned to Sniff. "You don't hibernate, do you?" he asked.
Sniff shook his head. "I don't," he said. "I do sleep quite a lot. There's not much else to do, really."
Moomin looked down at the ground. "I suppose you must miss us terribly," he said. "Like I miss Snufkin when he goes away."
Sniff laughed awkwardly. "It's not as bad as all that," he told him. "I'm all grown-up, and grown-ups can be alone as long as they must, if it comes down to it."
Now it was Sniff's turn to look at the ground. He thought about all the things that he would miss if the Moomins were to move away suddenly, and never come back. He thought about what it might be like to live in a world without any Moomins at all...
"I have to admit though, it does get awfully boring around here without you..." Sniff confessed.
Moomin smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Sniff," he assured him. "If there's anything you need or want, just come and wake me up. You'll always find me here."
Sniff chuckled. "Moomin, you always say the sappiest things..."
"Well, that's because I am a sap," Moomin said proudly. "What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic."
"No offense meant, of course..." said Sniff.
"None taken," said Moomin.

Just then, Moominmamma appeared carrying a large ceramic bowl with a lid, her hands covered by a pair of patterned oven mitts. Curled wisps of steam rose from the bowl, and the delicious smell of some kind of stew wafted through the air.
Sniff's eyes lit up at the sight, and his stomach growled loudly. He remembered that he hadn't eaten a single thing since his late breakfast that morning, and he was famished.
"Are you going home now, Sniff?" Moominmamma asked.
"Yes, I really should be going," Sniff told her. "I need to check on my cat... She hasn't been fed all day..."
"I thought as much," Moominmamma said, nodding. "Let me put this in a basket for you so you can carry it with you when you leave. I'm sure you must be hungry after wandering around all day."
Sniff smiled gratefully as she did just that, and handed the basket to him. Alongside the stew was a loaf of freshly baked bread, several fat slices of cheese, a jar of honey, and even a couple of jars of jam. It was enough to keep Sniff from going hungry for a long while yet!
"Thank you, Moominmamma," he said. "That's very kind of you..."
"You're quite welcome. And thank you for being such a good friend to our son," Moomin added. "We couldn't ask for better than you."
"Oh please, you're flattering me," Sniff protested. "I'm no saint, after all!"
"Of course you're not," Moomin agreed. "But we appreciate you nonetheless."
Sniff smiled brightly, and did his best to hold back happy tears. "Thank you..." he said quietly.
"Alright then," Moomin said, smiling back. "We'll see you tomorrow, then?"

Sniff nodded, and the two friends then embraced warmly before waving farewell. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by everything that had happened today, Sniff made his way off toward his own house, basket in tow. The sun had long set over the mountains, and the night had fallen quickly, leaving only the moon and the stars to light his path.
Looking up into the dark blue sky, Sniff felt a strange sense of peace settle upon him. His shoulders seemed lighter somehow, and he began to hum softly to himself.
Soon he was back home, where he found his cat curled up sound asleep next to the stove, snoring softly. Sniff took a seat beside her, gently stroking her fur. She opened one eye slowly, but didn't move from her sleeping spot. Yawning lazily, she stretched out her legs, and then closed her eyes again.
Satisfied that she was alright, Sniff sat down at his table and ate the whole bowl of stew in mere moments. No longer hungry, he then made his way to bed and curled up under the sheets.
The first snowfall was coming, and winter would arrive soon, signaling the beginning of the Moomins' long hibernation. It wasn't something he was looking forward to, but he was mature enough to handle such things. Besides, there were plenty of other things to occupy his time during those months ahead. Things like reading books and starting new businesses, which would keep him busy until spring finally arrived.
For now, Sniff felt safe and secure within his blankets, listening to the soft sounds of nature outside. Nothing could disturb his sleep tonight. In the end, he knew that it was going to be a long and somewhat lonely winter, but he also knew that it wasn't going to last forever. It was a comforting thought, and soon he drifted off into peaceful slumber.