It was hot and muggy one day, and then gloriously crisp and blue-skied the next. Ushering in the cool, fresh fall weather, of course (How could it be any other way?) was a full day of blustery wind.

As a gift for the autumn wind, Mama Chipmunk’s grandchildren had crafted a lightweight kite, made of sticky cobwebs and leaves, with a looooong tail of flower petals, all stitched together with their grandmother’s sturdiest quilting thread. They had snuck the kite into school that morning and brought it outside during recess. As soon as they’d unfurled it, a strong gust of wind sent the kite flying and lifted the tiny chipmunk at the end of the kite string — along with the paws-holding-tails line of his cousins and their squirrel friends — right up off the ground.

A split-second later, they heard their normally unruffled teacher, Mr. Owl, bellow “Let go!” and everyone landed in a heap on the ground while the kite danced away on the wind.

(September 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.