Crow had almost reached Raccoon’s tree with her full-to-bursting string bag, when the bag’s handle broke, sending lemons bouncing and rolling across the garden. Crow squawked, rather more loudly than she meant to, and the commotion brought everyone running outside, despite the drowsy heat.

Rabbit, Squirrel, and a multitude of chipmunks made quick work of gathering up the runaway lemons and piling them back inside the remains of Crow’s string bag, which she grasped in her talons and delivered safely to Raccoon.

And later that evening, everyone gathered at Rabbit’s to savor ice-cold lemonade and feast on fresh lemon bars.

(Late August 2024)

Story © Jennifer McClain 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.

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