Oscar and the Old Map

7-9 min read
14 pages
7+

Oscar the mole loves to dig his tunnels. When he finds an old map under a tree root, he and his friends set off through faraway tunnels full of glittering crystals, old carved pictures, and a cave of glowing mushrooms. Along the way, they find out how much they love their own burrows, and how good it feels to come home.

Under the green forest, little tunnels wiggled through the dirt like paths. A mole named Oscar lived there. More than anything, Oscar loved to dig.

Oscar liked the feel of cool dirt on his paws. He knew every bend and every nook. Up above, the forest bustled with birds and breezes. Down below, it was quiet and snug. His friends lived just down the tunnel, and Oscar was happy right where he was.

One day, Oscar dug a new tunnel by the root of a big old tree. Scritch, scratch… His paw touched something crinkly. It wasn’t a root. It wasn’t a stone. Gently, he brushed the dirt away. Oscar gasped. An old map!

The map was old and worn and crackly. But its lines were still clear. Oscar saw his own tunnels—and more. Lots more! Tunnels wiggled on and on, far past anywhere he had ever dug. Oscar had thought he knew every tunnel under the ground. But the world down here was much, much bigger! “Where do they go?” Oscar whispered. “What’s way out there?”

Oscar couldn’t wait. He raced down the tunnel to Mina, Rufus, and Stella. “Look what I found!” he cried. “A map! Let’s go see where these tunnels go. What’s way out there?”

Mina, Rufus, and Stella listened with their mouths wide open. Their eyes sparkled. They wanted to see the faraway tunnels too! “Let’s go,” said Mina. So Oscar held up the map, and off they went, all four together, into a brand-new tunnel.

None of them had ever been here before—not even Oscar. Crystals glittered in the walls. The moles sniffed them and patted them with their paws. Cool and smooth! Old, old pictures were carved into the stone, as if someone had lived here long, long ago.

They went deeper and deeper. The tunnels grew longer and wider. The caves grew so big that the four moles felt tiny. At first it was fun. But they had walked so long, so far from home. Everything smelled strange. Where did these tunnels go?

When it was time to rest, they stopped in a cave of glowing mushrooms. Oscar spoke softly. “We’ve seen so many wonderful things,” he said. “But I feel kind of sad. Do you feel sad too?”

Mina nodded. “Me too,” she said. “Even with all these sparkly things.” Rufus scratched his nose. “Hmm,” he said slowly. “You know what I found out on this trip? I really, really miss my burrow.” “Yes,” said Stella softly. “The world is so big. But there’s no place better than our own burrows back home.”

Oscar sat still and thought. He thought about his burrow, warm and snug. It smelled like good dirt, the kind he knew best. Every nook there was his own. “I love my home,” Oscar said quietly. “I love it so much.” His friends snuggled close.

After a good long sleep, the four friends set off for home. They walked and walked. Then Oscar sniffed. “I know this tunnel!” he cried. Oscar was glad he had seen how big the world was. But he was even gladder to be going home.

Home at last! Oscar took a deep sniff of his own warm dirt, and he smiled. Mina, Rufus, and Stella smiled too. The trip had been wonderful. But coming home was the very best part.

Now Oscar knew: the very best things are often right close by. He dug his tunnels. He visited his friends. And when he curled up in his cozy burrow, he smiled. Home was where he was happiest of all.

Oscar and the Old Map

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