The Sleepy Squirrel Who Missed Autumn
Once, in a cozy forest filled with tall trees and colorful leaves, lived a little squirrel named Sammy. Sammy loved to sleep. When autumn came, and all the other squirrels were busy gathering nuts, Sammy found the softest pile of leaves and curled up for a long nap. He slept and he slept.
When Sammy finally woke up, he stretched and yawned. But something was different. Very different. Sammy looked around and gasped. The colorful leaves were gone! Instead of the warm colors of autumn, everything was white and sparkly. Snow was everywhere!
Sammy had slept through autumn!
He scampered out of his leafy bed and looked around. He saw his friend, Hazel the Hare, hopping by. "Hazel!" he cried. "What happened? Where are all the colors?"
Hazel stopped and brushed some snow off her fur. "Sammy! You overslept! Winter is here. All the leaves have fallen, and the snow has come to cover the forest."
Sammy's heart sank. He had missed his favorite season! He loved the bright red, yellow, and orange leaves. He loved the crisp, cool air. He felt very sad.
Just then, Rosie Robin flew down from a snowy branch. "Don't worry, Sammy," she chirped. "We can still show you some of the autumn magic."
And so, the woodland creatures decided to help Sammy. Hazel showed him the very last red leaf clinging to a tall oak tree. "It's like a tiny spark of autumn," she said.
Rosie Robin sang him the special songs she used to sing in autumn, songs about the falling leaves and the gentle breeze.
Barnaby Bear, who had also stayed awake for a little while longer than Sammy, showed him a patch of golden grass hidden under a thin layer of snow. "The sun shines on it, just like it did in autumn," he explained.
Even though it wasn't quite the same, Sammy felt a little better. His friends had shown him that even though most of autumn was gone, its beauty could still be found in small ways. He learned that even when things change, there is still beauty to be found, and that friends can always make you feel better.
From that day on, Sammy still loved to sleep, but he made sure not to miss all of autumn again. And he always remembered the kindness of his friends, who helped him find the last bits of autumn magic.