Crow was flying in giant, lazy circles above the garden and the surrounding neighborhood, enjoying the cool air, and listening to things.

It was such a still morning that, in addition to the rustle of other birds’ wings, Crow could hear squirrels racing each other up and down the papery bark of the birch trees. And below that, from their snug house inside the stone wall, she could hear the clinking of spoons and bowls as Mama Chipmunk’s grandchildren ate their cereal. And from way over in the woods, she could even hear the whistle of Mrs. Mouse’s kettle as she prepared her morning tea.

(Mid-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.