The weather had turned gloomy and cold again, but the windows of Rabbit’s tea shop blazed with cheery candlelight. A few customers waited by the bookcase for their tea-water to boil, some sat in mismatched old chairs at the two small tables under the windows and cradled steaming cups of tea in their paws, and some contemplated the treats under the glass dome of the cake stand (today was a special cupcake day: carrot cake with pecans and cream-cheese frosting).

In the giant upholstered chair in the corner were nine of Mama Chipmunk’s grandchildren: one little chipmunk sat against the back of the chair, reading out loud from a book of fairy tales, and everyone else piled around her while they listened, laying their heads on her shoulders, lounging against the arms of the chair, lying down on the ottoman and “resting their eyes.” Even Crow was listening to the story while she perched on the edge of the side table and nibbled at a cupcake.

(March 2023)

Story & Photo © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another vignette in my ongoing series of Tiny Garden Stories: peaceful 1-minute tales, full of cozy vibes, delicious details, and generous dollops of imagination & whimsy. 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 Private Garden page. Or click the third button to learn more about my Tiny Garden Stories. Want each week’s featured story delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to my Substack.