In a big, beautiful forest where the trees touched the clouds, there lived a little squirrel with a very bushy tail. The little squirrel loved to hop. Hop, hop, hop over the crunchy leaves. Hop, hop, hop over the soft, green moss. One bright morning, the little squirrel found something wonderful. It was a seed. It was a small, round, brown seed that felt very smooth in the squirrel’s tiny paws. The little squirrel decided to plant the seed in a patch of soft earth right next to a big, old oak tree. The little squirrel used tiny paws to dig a little hole, tucked the seed inside, and covered it with a warm blanket of brown dirt. Now, the little squirrel wanted to see the seed grow into a tall, waving flower right away.
The little squirrel sat very still and watched the dirt. The sun was warm and yellow in the sky. The little squirrel waited and waited. 'Is it a flower yet?' the little squirrel asked the big oak tree. The big oak tree rustled its leaves gently in the breeze. 'Not yet, little squirrel,' the tree whispered. 'Good things take time. You must have patience.' The little squirrel sighed a soft sigh and decided to wait a little longer. The little squirrel watched a blue butterfly flutter past. The butterfly landed on a daisy and then flew away. The dirt stayed flat and brown. The seed was still sleeping deep inside the earth, where it was safe and warm.
Soon, the sky turned a soft grey and tiny drops of rain began to fall. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter went the rain on the leaves. The little squirrel crawled under a large, red mushroom to stay dry. The mushroom felt like a little umbrella. The little squirrel watched the rain water the thirsty earth. 'Is the flower growing now?' the little squirrel asked a ladybug crawling by. The ladybug blinked its tiny eyes. 'Not yet,' the ladybug said. 'The seed is drinking the water. It needs to drink so it can be strong. You must be patient.' The little squirrel nodded and listened to the music of the rain. The forest smelled fresh and clean, and the little squirrel felt very cozy under the mushroom.
After the rain stopped, the sun came out again, looking like a giant gold coin. The little squirrel went back to the patch of dirt. The little squirrel looked and looked, but there was still no flower. The little squirrel felt a little bit sad. Waiting was very hard. A wise old owl blinked down from a high branch. 'Why are you sad, little squirrel?' the owl hooted softly. 'I am waiting for my seed,' the squirrel said. 'I have waited all morning and all afternoon.' The owl smiled a slow smile. 'Patience is like a quiet song,' the owl said. 'While you wait, you can listen to the birds, you can feel the wind, and you can watch the clouds. The seed is busy growing its secret roots.'
So, the little squirrel decided to enjoy the waiting. The little squirrel spent the next day playing hide-and-seek with a bunny. They ran through the tall grass and laughed. The little squirrel found a shiny pebble and a pretty feather. Every morning, the little squirrel visited the seed and said, 'Good morning, seed. I am here waiting for you.' The little squirrel wasn't in a hurry anymore. The squirrel liked the way the sun felt on its fur. The squirrel liked the way the grass tickled its toes. The little squirrel learned that the forest was full of magic, even when things were moving very slowly.
One morning, when the dew was still sparkling like diamonds on the grass, the little squirrel saw something new. There, in the middle of the brown dirt, was a tiny dot of green. The little squirrel leaned in very close. It was a sprout! It was a tiny, baby plant with two teeny-weeny leaves. 'You’re here!' the little squirrel chirped with joy. The sprout was small, but it was strong and bright. It had grown roots while the squirrel was waiting. It had grown tall because the squirrel was patient. The little squirrel felt a big, happy glow inside. The waiting had made the surprise feel even more special, like a gift from the earth.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in colors of pink and orange, the little squirrel felt very tired. It had been a big day of discovery. The little squirrel went back to the cozy nest high up in the tree. The nest was lined with soft moss and dry grass. The little squirrel curled up into a fuzzy ball and tucked its nose under its big, bushy tail. The forest was quiet and peaceful. The little squirrel thought about the tiny green sprout sleeping in the dirt below. 'Tomorrow, you will grow a little more,' the squirrel whispered. With a happy heart and a sleepy mind, the little squirrel closed its eyes and fell fast asleep, knowing that some of the best things in the world are worth waiting for.
