The Forest of Sharing

In the green forest lived a squirrel named Squeaky. Squeaky loved acorns. He kept all his acorns in a big secret pile under his oak tree. "They are mine, mine, mine!" he chittered.

One autumn morning, Squeaky saw his friend Henrietta the hedgehog looking sad. "My acorn tree did not grow this year," she sighed. Squeaky looked at his giant pile. He wanted to share, but his paws felt sticky.

Then along came Owl, wise and round. "Squeaky," Owl hooted, "acorns shared are smiles squared." Squeaky thought hard. He picked up two acorns and gave them to Henrietta.

Henrietta's smile glowed. Then a bird sang, a beetle danced, and Squeaky felt warm inside. He shared more acorns with Mr. Beaver, with the baby fox, with everyone.

That winter, when Squeaky's pile got low, his friends brought him pinecones, berries, and seeds. The forest had become a forest of sharing.