Squirrel and Mama Chipmunk attended the birds’ braiding party, too, although they were busy with their sewing.

Using the thin silver needles Squirrel had borrowed, and nearly translucent strands of cobweb thread, they carefully pieced together the last of the patchwork panels — overlapping edges of dried birch leaves held together with tiny embroidery and hand-quilting stitches.

And while they were both focused on their delicate sewing project, Raccoon came outside to investigate all the singing (and the rather large piles of grass and twigs and cobwebs).

Which meant that Squirrel then had to explain his balloon plan to Raccoon, too. She nodded, ran home, and returned a short time later with enough mint tea and cheese-and-cracker snacks for everyone.

(September 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.