Watercolors and sketchpad tucked under her arm, the Gardener’s wife settled into the dappled shade at the edge of the meadow, flowers nodding in the breeze while bees went about their busyness.

Unaware that she’d attracted an audience, she began to paint — while Rabbit, Squirrel, and Mama Chipmunk watched intently from the garden wall as watercolors bloomed across the page.

Her painting half-finished, the Gardener’s wife stepped away, leaving her paints and sketchpad behind.

When she returned, lemonade in hand, the painting was full of impressionistic flowers and giant abstract bees. And in the corner: a collection of watercolor pawprints.

(Late May 2024)

Story © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another cozy Tiny Garden Story in my ongoing series: peaceful 100-word 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.