Vera’s Acorn Applause — Under the tick-tick of falling oak leaves, Vera tucked acorns into a willow basket where no one would see. Read the full story →
Under the tick-tick of falling oak leaves, Vera tucked acorns into a willow basket where no one would see. She wanted the smallest forest neighbors to find supper after the first frost, so she chose the plumpest caps and brushed away the dirt with a fern stem. The air smelled like bark, mushrooms, and leaf smoke from far-off chimneys.
A red squirrel sat on a branch above her and clicked two acorns together. Clack-clack! Vera nearly dropped a whole twig of nuts. The squirrel clicked again, then pointed to the basket, then to a hollow log where beetles, mice, and one sleepy toad had already found her hidden snacks. “Are you… cheering?” Vera asked.
The squirrel puffed his tail and tossed her an acorn with a tiny leaf stuck to its cap like a hat. Soon Vera was leaving treats, and the squirrel was giving every secret gift a nutty round of applause. If you spot the basket, imagine the quiet clack-clack that followed each acorn she tucked away under the tick-tick of falling oak leaves.
