A Basket for Ellie

7-9 min read
13 pages
6+

One chilly fall evening, a little squirrel named Ellie can't find her winter acorns anywhere. Oliver the owl knows just who to ask, so he walks her through the forest to the beavers, the rabbits, and the birds, and each of them shares some food with her. A gentle bedtime story about asking for help and sharing in return.

In the middle of a big, deep forest, the trees grew tall and birds sang in their branches. High in one of those trees lived a wise old owl named Oliver. Whenever the animals needed help, they came to Oliver from all over the woods. And Oliver always helped.

One cool fall evening, when the leaves had turned gold, a little squirrel named Ellie came racing up to Oliver. Her tail was twitching with worry.

“Oh, Oliver, what do I do?” Ellie's voice shook. “Everyone is getting ready for winter. But my acorns are gone, and I can't find them anywhere! What will I eat when the snow comes?”

Oliver blinked his big round eyes, slow and calm. “Don't be scared, Ellie,” he said softly. “We'll figure something out together.” Ellie felt a little better.

So off they went down the forest path to visit the neighbors. As they walked, Oliver told stories about how the whole forest sleeps under the snow. Soon Ellie felt less afraid.

First they came to the river, where the beavers lived. “Hello, beavers,” said Oliver. “Ellie has nothing for winter. Can you share a little?” Ellie held her breath.

“Of course!” said the beavers. They held out a wooden basket of big pinecones they had found on the riverbank. “These are full of tasty seeds,” one beaver told Ellie. “They'll last you a long, long time!” Ellie hugged the basket and smiled.

Next they stopped by the rabbits' home, where the rabbits were busy pulling carrots. “Hello, rabbits,” said Oliver. “Can you share a little with Ellie?” Right away, the rabbits hopped over with a few crunchy orange carrots. Ellie's winter pile was growing!

Last of all, they found a flock of birds, flapping and chattering. They were getting ready to fly far away to warm places. “Hello, birds,” said Oliver. “Can you share a few berries with Ellie?” The birds were in a hurry, but they swooped down with little red berries just for her. Ellie laughed out loud.

Ellie looked at all her gifts: a basket of pinecones, a bunch of carrots, and a heap of red berries. Her neighbors had shared with her, and now she had plenty to eat. Let winter come! Ellie wasn't scared anymore. “Someday, when somebody needs help,” she thought, “I'll share, too.”

Ellie's eyes sparkled. “Thank you, Oliver, for taking me to the neighbors,” she said. “The beavers, the rabbits, the birds—they were all so kind! I have so many friends now.”

Oliver gave a soft hoot. “When you need help, don't be afraid to ask,” he said. “And when someone else needs help, share, just like your neighbors did. Even a little bit can make somebody smile. That's how our forest stays a good place for everyone.”

Then winter came, and snow covered the whole forest. The animals kept looking out for one another. They shared their food and helped dig paths through the snow, because that's what good neighbors do. High up in his favorite tree, Oliver watched them all. He gave a happy little hoot and smiled.

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