Ricky Brings It Back

5-6 min read
11 pages
5+

Ricky the raccoon grabs a bag of chips from a blanket in the park and eats them in the woods. That night, he can't stop thinking about it, so in the morning he brings back what's left. A gentle story about owning up to a mistake and making a new friend.

Ricky was a raccoon who lived in a little town. He loved to scamper and climb. He loved snacks even more. Sometimes Ricky did things first and thought about them later.

One sunny day, Ricky was trotting through the park when he smelled something yummy. Sniff, sniff! He followed his nose to a blanket on the grass. On it sat a bag of crunchy, golden chips. Nobody was around.

Ricky's eyes lit up. His heart went thump-thump-thump. Before he could even think, his paws grabbed the bag. Off he ran, as fast as he could, all the way to the woods. Out there, nobody would see him munch.

Ricky sat down under a big oak tree. Crunch, crunch! The first chip tasted so good. But with each chip after that, they tasted a little less yummy. His ears drooped. Inside, he felt wiggly and wrong. Ricky knew those chips weren't his.

That night, Ricky couldn't fall asleep. He rolled this way. He rolled that way. He kept thinking about the blanket in the park. Someone must have brought those chips for a fun day outside.

“What if they were waiting to eat those chips?” Ricky wondered. “What if I made them sad?” He felt very, very sorry.

Ricky knew what he had to do. Early the next morning, he picked up the bag. Only a few chips were left inside. He carried it back to the park, to the very same spot. A little girl was sitting there on a blanket. Could these be her chips?

Ricky's knees wobbled. He took a deep breath and tiptoed closer. He set the bag down in front of her and looked up with sad eyes. The girl blinked in surprise. She looked at the bag. Then she looked at Ricky. Now she knew what had happened.

“Was it you who took my chips yesterday?” she asked softly. Ricky's ears went down. He nodded. “Don't worry,” said the girl. “We all goof up sometimes. Thank you for being brave and coming back.”

All at once, Ricky felt light as a leaf—so light he wanted to hop. The girl held out the bag. “Here, have one,” she said. Ricky reached in slowly and took just one chip. His eyes shone. Crunch! He felt warm and cozy all the way down to his toes.

From that day on, Ricky and the girl were friends. Ricky visited the park often. They shared snacks on the blanket and played hide-and-seek by the trees. Now, when Ricky wanted something, he asked first. No more grabbing! And snacks tasted so much better with a friend.

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