The sun had set, and the tables in the meadow were ready, laid with Raccoon’s best china; Rabbit’s favorite candles; the last of the late-blooming flowers; and platters, bowls, and tureens full of the most delicious-looking food.

There was butternut squash soup with sourdough croutons, roasted chestnuts, banana-walnut bread with honey butter, nut pie, pumpkin pie, and — for the cats, who had ventured outside the cottage for the festivities — grilled sardines and crackers.

To drink, there was mulled wine for the adults and mulled cider for the youngsters, both made using the recipe in Old Possum’s family-heirloom cookbook. He’d even brought out his grandmother’s ancient punch bowl, with its matching collection of tiny ceramic mugs, from the top shelf in the hall closet.

(November 2022)

Story © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another vignette in my ongoing series of Tiny Garden Stories: peaceful 1-minute tales, full of cozy vibes, delicious details, and generous dollops of imagination & whimsy. 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. Want each week’s featured story delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to my Substack.