Welcome to the wonderful world of the Forest Friends! Today, we join Sage Squirrel as she learns an important lesson about being herself.
One sunny morning, Sage sat on a low branch, watching her friends play in the clearing. Blaze bounded gracefully across the grass, while Blossom carried large sticks with ease. Even shy Daisy Deer seemed so tall and graceful. Sage’s tail drooped as she sighed. “Everyone’s so much bigger than me…”
Rascal noticed his friend looking sad. “Hey Sage!” he called. “Look at these animal tracks! Want to follow them with me?”
Sage shuffled her paws, looking at the variety of prints in the soil. Some were huge, like Blaze’s, while others were even smaller than her own. “I don’t know… it doesn’t look like I can fit in anyone else’s tracks.”
Daisy approached gently, her own delicate hoofprints marking the ground. “Why don’t we just pretend? I’d like to have small tracks sometimes. It would be great to go all the places a squirrel can go!”
“Watch this!” Blaze boomed, wanting to play as well. “Big tracks can mean giant steps! I’m going to pretend to be an alligator. Growl!”
Rascal laughed, seeing so many ways to have fun with this game. He hopped along a line of rabbit prints. “And these make me hop-hop-hop!”
Encouraged by her friends’ enthusiasm, Sage tried following Daisy’s deer tracks. Her eyes sparkled with delight, even as she stumbled a bit. “This is fun! You get to go really fast with these big steps!”
“That looks like fun.” Blossom said. “I think I’ll be a squirrel!” She tried to scamper up a tree but slid down with a splash in her pond.
Sage couldn’t help giggling. “That’s not how squirrels climb!”
Daisy attempted to take tiny squirrel steps, her long legs tangling as she tried to move quickly. “Oh my! These tiny steps are tricky!”
As Sage watched her friends try to move like she did, she realized something. “You’re all having trouble with my small steps!”
“That’s because we each move in our own special way,” Blaze explained with a smile.
Sage’s chest puffed with pride as she demonstrated her special squirrel moves. “Watch this! Scamper-scamper-climb! No one follows squirrel tracks better than me!”
Soon all the friends were laughing together as they tried each other’s ways of moving. Some stumbled, some tumbled, but everyone had fun trying new paths.
And that, friends, is how Sage discovered that whether tracks are big or small, being yourself is the best path of all!
The End
Family Discussion and Activity Time:
- Talk about differences: What makes each Forest Friend special? What makes you special?
- Discuss movement: How do different animals move? Can you try moving like your favorite animal?
- Learn about tracks: Look for animal tracks in your neighborhood or at a park. What animals made them?
- Create track art: Make prints using paint and your hands or feet to show different animal movements.
- Practice appreciation: Share what you admire about how your friends and family members move differently.
Remember, just like Sage and her friends, everyone has their own special way of moving through the world!
The Forest Friends stories are written by Amy Bashor. All rights reserved. © 2024
Want to experience more Forest Friends adventures? Come visit us at Standing Pines campground, where you can follow Sage’s Discovery Path yourself!