Sweet Little Things

Once upon a time, at the edge of a sunny strawberry patch, a little bunny named Blossom dug a cozy burrow under the biggest strawberry she could find.

She spent her days napping, nibbling, and writing tiny letters to no one in particular.

One rainy afternoon, there was a knock, knock, knock at Blossom's door. Outside stood a very soggy frog.

"Sorry to bother you," he said, dripping all over the doorstep. "The pond overflowed."

His name was Sprout, and he was hugging a very wet book and a little letter.

When the rain stopped, they had tea outside. Blossom poured from her tiny teapot while Sprout laid his book out on the grass to dry, one page at a time.

By the time his book was dry, he didn't really want to leave… so he didn't.

One sunny morning, Blossom baked a strawberry tart for afternoon tea. It was the most beautiful tart she had ever made, with the biggest, reddest strawberry right on top.

She set it on the windowsill to cool and hopped off to pick some flowers.

But when she came back, the biggest strawberry was gone!

"Hmm," said Blossom, putting on her detective hat and reaching for her magnifying glass. "This is a case for a detective."

Just then, Sprout hopped in with a magnifying glass of his own.

"Did somebody say mystery?" he asked. "I love mysteries."

Together they crept across the floor and found their first clue: a trail of tiny, sticky footprints leading out the door.

The footprints led all the way to the pond, straight to Sprout's lily pad. There sat a little bowl with one very big, very red strawberry in it.

"Oh," said Sprout, turning a little pink. "I only meant to taste it."

Blossom laughed so hard her ears flopped. Then she filled a jar with fresh strawberries from the patch.

"Next time," she said, "just ask. There are plenty to share."