Tikki, Miko, and the Star Visitor

9-11 min read
23 pages
7+

Tikki the fox cub and Miko the wolf cub argue about everything, until a bright light in the sky leads them to Zuni, a tiny star traveler whose starship can't fly. To help him get home, the two stubborn neighbors must find three magic crystals: one in a treetop, one in a lake, and one in a mountain cave. Along the way, they learn to listen to each other and do together what neither could do alone.

Deep in a thick green forest lived two little neighbors: Tikki, a red fox cub, and Miko, a gray wolf cub. Their meadows sat side by side. But were they friends? Nope. They argued about everything!

“This forest is for the quick and the clever,” Tikki bragged, swishing his fluffy tail. “Foxes are the smartest!” “No! It’s for the strong and the brave!” Miko growled. “Wolves are the bravest!” And so it went, every single day. If Tikki said raspberries were best, Miko said blueberries. If Miko wanted to play hide-and-seek, Tikki wanted to play tag.

One evening, Tikki watched the stars from his meadow. Miko watched from his, just a hop away. Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the whole sky! “A falling star! It landed by Stony Mountain!” Tikki yelled. “No way! It landed by Silver Lake!” Miko yelled back.

Each cub was sure he was right. And each one wanted to get there first. “I’ll find that falling star before you!” Tikki called, racing toward Stony Mountain. “No, I will!” Miko called, dashing the other way, toward Silver Lake.

On the way, each cub spotted a glow between the trees and turned toward it. Puffing hard, they burst into the same little clearing from opposite sides. There stood a shiny silver thing, like a giant egg. Tikki and Miko froze. Slowly… it began to open!

Inside sat a tiny traveler from the stars. His blue skin twinkled like the night sky. Two antennas wiggled on his round head, each with a little star on top. His big round eyes looked at the cubs, curious and kind. And just like that, they weren’t scared anymore.

“Hello, forest friends!” he said. His voice tinkled like a tiny bell. “My name is Zuni. I came here from a faraway star. But my starship broke, and now I can’t fly home.” He gave a little sigh.

Tikki and Miko stared, mouths wide open. They had never, ever seen anything so wonderful. “We’ll help you!” Tikki cried. “You bet!” said Miko. For once, they agreed! Zuni’s antennas twinkled. “Oh, thank you! My starship needs three magic crystals. When I landed—bump!—they flew all over your forest.”

Zuni held up a little glowing screen. “One crystal is at the top of the tallest tree. One is at the bottom of Silver Lake. And one is in the cave in Stony Mountain.” “I can climb that tree super fast!” said Tikki. “And I’ll swim for the one in the lake!” said Miko.

But the cave… Neither cub said a word. “It’s dark in there,” Tikki whispered. “And scary.” Miko shuffled his paws. “They say a giant badger lives in that cave.”

“You two should go together,” Zuni said gently. “With two of you, it won’t be so scary. What one can’t do, two can.” But the cubs were already arguing again. “I know the way to the cave!” “No, I know a shorter way!” “We need a big stick!” “No, we need a torch!”

Zuni watched them patiently. Then he pulled out something that looked like a little watch. “This is my getting-along watch,” he said. “Back home, we use it when we just can’t agree.”

He pressed a button. Whoosh! Tikki and Miko were floating among the stars! And that wasn’t the strangest part. They had swapped bodies!

“What happened?” squeaked Tikki in Miko’s voice, staring at his gray paws. “I don’t know!” said Miko, wiggling his new red ears. “Ugh, your tail is so tickly! And now it’s on me!” Zuni floated up beside them. “Don’t be scared. This is just a magic dream, and you’re safe. Now, Tikki, you know how Miko’s paws feel. And, Miko, you know how Tikki’s nose works!”

Blink! They were back in the clearing, each in his own fur. Tikki remembered the strong wolf paws. Miko remembered the sharp fox nose and the ears that caught every rustle. “Do you understand each other a little better now?” asked Zuni. The cubs nodded. “Then off you go!” said Zuni. “I’ll get my starship ready.” Tikki ran one way. Miko ran the other.

Zip, zip, zip! Tikki scrambled to the top of a tall pine. The first crystal sparkled in the branches. Splash! Miko dove into cool Silver Lake. The second crystal gleamed in the mud below.

Together, Tikki and Miko set off for the cave with a torch Zuni had lit from his antenna star. Nobody argued. “You’re strong,” said Tikki. “You’ll keep us safe from the badger.” “And you have the sharpest nose and ears,” said Miko. “You’ll find the way.”

Inside, the cave was dark and drippy. Tikki led the way—sniff, sniff—his ears up. Miko held the torch high. Then, there he was: the old badger! The cubs didn’t run. They didn’t growl. They said hello politely and asked about the crystal for their star friend.

“A star crystal?” the badger mumbled. “Oh, you mean this funny glowing thing? It just bounced into my cave tonight. Too bright for my old eyes. Take it!” With all three crystals, the cubs raced back to Zuni. His starship was all ready. It only needed the crystals.

“Wonderful!” Zuni twirled with joy. “Now I can fly home!”

Before he left, Zuni gave them a teeny-tiny getting-along watch. “It will glow when you argue and don’t listen,” he said. “Then you’ll remember our adventure.” Tikki and Miko blinked, then smiled.

After Zuni flew away, Tikki and Miko played together often in the meadow between their homes. Sometimes they still argued. But now they listened, too. And whenever the little watch began to glow, they burst out laughing and remembered their big adventure.

“You know what?” said Tikki. “Maybe we’re both right.” Miko grinned. “Or maybe we’re both wrong!” They laughed so hard they rolled in the grass. Being neighbors was fine. But being friends was way more fun.

Tikki, Miko, and the Star Visitor

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