Overnight, new snow piled on top of the snow that already blanketed the garden, making everything look like it was covered in whipped cream.

After breakfast, Squirrel and his cousins dashed outside again to run and play, and even Raccoon, Rabbit, and Old Possum were persuaded to join in a snowball fight.

When the wind blew in, and the temperature dropped, everyone made their way — tired and laughing — to Possum’s house, where all of them (except Possum, who settled himself in his rocking chair) collapsed in front of the fire, damp fur steaming in the sudden warmth.

Someone handed Possum a giant mug of hot peppermint tea, and he could soon be heard snoring gently, while the fire crackled in the grate and everyone else whispered their plans to meet later at Rabbit’s tea shop for spicy chai and gingerbread.

(Mid-January 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.