Plot
This is a story about a little hedgehog (voiced by Mariya Vinogradova), who is on his way to visit his friend the bear cub. As explained in the introductory narration, the two would meet every evening to drink tea from the cub's samovar, which was heated on a fire of juniper twigs. As they drank their tea, the hedgehog and the bear would converse and count the stars together.
On this day, the hedgehog decides to bring the bear cub some raspberry jam. As Hedgehog heads out, a sinister looking eagle-owl is following him. Hedgehog passes through the woods and encounters a beautiful white horse standing in a fog. He is curious as to whether the horse would drown if it went to sleep in the fog. The hedgehog decides to explore the fog for himself. As he goes down an incline into the fog, it is soon so thick that the hedgehog can't even see his own pink paw.
The fog alternately thickens and thins; when it thins the hedgehog briefly catches vague sight of objects and creatures which disappear again as the fog thickens. Hedgehog finds himself in a surreal and often frightening world inhabited by shapes which are not always identifiable and various creatures ranging from dangerous predators to benevolent animals, in a world of silence and rustles, of darkness, tall grass and enchanting stars.
The owl, which has been following the hedgehog, appears near him suddenly and hoots only to disappear again, prompting the Hedgehog to call it psycho (Russian: псих). He is frightened, but his curiosity keeps him exploring the unknown. Occasionally an unseen distant voice is heard calling out for Hedgehog. Hedgehog explores a large hollow tree, then panics as he realises he has dropped the raspberry jam he was carrying. He encounters a large dog, which is initially frightening to Hedgehog, until the dog retrieves the jam for him.
Later he falls into a river and believes he is going to drown as he floats downstream on his back until he is rescued by a mysterious Somebody (a catfish) in the river that "speaks" to him silently and sets him on shore. The Hedgehog finds himself at the campfire where friend Bear cub is brewing tea. Bear (voiced by Vyacheslav Nevinniy) says how worried he was at Hedgehog's absence; he had been calling out to him but heard no answer. The two sit together, contemplating how good it is to be together again—and the mysterious horse in the fog.
The characters Hedgehog and Bear Cub are convivial and tame. In contrast, the eagle-owl is more wild and mischievous, lacking Hedgehog's introversion.
Read more about this topic: Hedgehog In The Fog
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