The Squirrel's Rabbit Friend

Hazel, a small russet-orange squirrel, lives high in the tallest oak tree and is sure the treetops are the finest place anywhere. On a breezy day, a grey rabbit named Pip, new to the forest and wearing a blue scarf, hops into the clearing below. When Hazel invites him up to enjoy the view, his ears droop, because climbing is beyond him. So Hazel scrambles down instead, and Pip proudly demonstrates his own skills, hopping over logs and digging hollows in the soft earth. Hazel gives digging a try, but her paws are suited to gripping branches rather than soil, and for a moment neither friend knows what to say.

Then Hazel has an idea: if she cannot dig and Pip cannot climb, they could build a trail that uses both. Beginning at the base of the oak, Pip digs a snug tunnel beneath the roots while Hazel lines its walls with twigs and woven grass. A platform of sticks and moss follows on a sturdy branch, with Pip passing supplies up from the ground. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.