This was one of the rare years when it was too cold for everyone to sit outside on All Hallow’s Eve, and far too gusty for their traditional bonfire.

And so they had all gathered in the late evening at Rabbit’s tea shop instead, where they slurped hot, brothy soup and took turns telling ghost stories.

The next morning, Old Possum was ambling toward Raccoon’s tree nest. Looking down, he noticed pools of soft, watery sunshine on the garden path and, looking up, gray-and-white clouds that looked as though they’d been painted across a pale, watercolor sky. “Ahh, a perfect day,” Possum said to himself.

And he said as much again to Raccoon, during their second breakfast of tea and cake, although she was a bit more skeptical.

Later in the day, though, Possum had been proven correct: while still brisk, the day had turned bright, and the afternoon, full of long shadows, was fading into a calm, still evening — perfect for a bonfire.

(Early November 2023)

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.