Another dreary, gray day in the garden. During a lull at her tea shop, Rabbit stepped outside.

Despite the chill in the air, and a multitude of swirling snowflakes, she could sense movement and growth in the mud beneath her paws.

Closing her eyes, she imagined that she could see the snowdrops sprouting and the buds on the winter roses getting fat; that she could hear seeds germinating, and earthworms stretching and yawning and burrowing deeper to avoid the hungry robins.

Rabbit stood still, listening and sniffing the air. Despite the chill, and the snow, today was halfway between the shortest day and the equinox, and spring was on its way.

(Early February 2024)

Story © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another vignette in my ongoing series of Tiny Garden Stories: peaceful 1-minute tales that let you read like a kid again. Click one of the first two buttons below to go to (or back to, if that’s where you fell down the rabbit hole) either the “Public Garden” archive page or (if you’re a Story Club member) to the members-only “Private Garden” page. Or click the third button to learn more about my Tiny Garden Stories. If you’re new to Tiny Garden Story-land and would like 10 days’ worth of stories from our first year, visit ReadPurrNewsletter.com.