In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming autumn-feast holiday, Mr. Owl’s school was closed for two glorious weeks. His students — little chipmunks, squirrels, possums, mice, rabbits, raccoons, even the fox kits from the far garden — were looking forward to playing in the leaves, napping and reading books, and lying in the middle of the big meadow to watch clouds drift by overhead.

Their elders, of course, were looking forward to having help with chores and with all the cooking and baking for their feasts … and to having rambunctious company on their long daytime walks and cloud-gazing in the woods​.

(Mid-November 2024)

Story © Jennifer McClain 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.

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