In the middle of a sunny forest, there lived a little squirrel named Pippin. Pippin had the fluffiest tail, the brightest eyes, and the biggest sense of curiosity. Every morning, while the other squirrels were busy gathering nuts, Pippin would wonder about the world.
One day, Pippin noticed a shiny red feather on the ground. “Who could this belong to?” Pippin wondered. Clutching the feather, he decided to find out.
Pippin hopped over to his friend Hoot the Owl, who was perched on a low branch. “Hoot, do you know whose feather this is?” asked Pippin.
Hoot blinked slowly and said, “Hmm, that looks like it might belong to Ruby the Cardinal. She loves shiny things. Try looking near the blueberry bush.”
“Thank you, Hoot!” said Pippin, and off he went.
When Pippin reached the blueberry bush, he saw a flash of red darting through the leaves. It was Ruby! “Ruby! Is this your feather?” Pippin called out.
Ruby flew down, her bright red wings shining in the sunlight. “Oh, thank you, Pippin! I was looking for this feather. It fell from my tail while I was making my nest.”
Pippin smiled and gave Ruby her feather. “I’m glad I could help! What’s it like to fly way up high?”
Ruby chirped, “It’s like dancing on the wind. Do you want to try?”
“Me? Fly?” Pippin’s eyes grew wide.
Ruby laughed. “Not by yourself, but hold onto this feather and jump. I’ll catch you!”
Pippin clutched the feather tightly, took a deep breath, and jumped! Ruby swooped underneath him, and for a few moments, Pippin felt the wind rush through his fur as Ruby carried him gently through the air.
When they landed, Pippin said, “That was amazing! Thank you, Ruby.”
From that day on, Pippin had a new story to share. And whenever he saw Ruby, he would wave and remember his tiny flight in the big, sunny forest.