Rabbit operated her tea shop on a pay-what-you-like system, which seemed to work well for everyone, especially since Raccoon donated all of her scones and cupcakes and cookies, and Rabbit herself simply loved sharing her teas and would’ve happily given them away.

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And so, when the older chipmunk and squirrel children came barreling into the tea shop after their run, they paid for their tea and scones with tiny polished rocks, a shiny silver button, two mismatched empty jars (for Rabbit to use in making candles), cotton string for candle wicks, a book for the tea-shop bookcase, and an I.O.U. promising cake.

(August 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 Private Garden page. Or click the third button to learn more about my Tiny Garden Stories.