The Cinnamon Forest

Pip is a bold young squirrel with russet-brown fur and amber eyes, always eager to be the first to investigate something new. His friend Nutmeg is smaller and more cautious, carrying a little acorn-cap pouch and noticing details that Pip often rushes past. One morning after a soft rain, a sweet, warm cinnamon smell drifts across their meadow, and the two squirrels follow it into a forest they have never visited, where the tall reddish-brown trees themselves seem to give off the fragrance.

There Pip's excitement gets the better of him, and he learns that the trees feel cold and hurt when their coat is torn. Old Barkwick, the gnarled guardian of the forest, appears to explain how the trees share their scent after rain and how visitors should behave, showing the squirrels a gentler way to explore. Written by Yavuz DEMİRKIRAN, this short tale for young children follows Pip and Nutmeg as they practice care alongside curiosity. The story can be read on Online Masal.