Pip the Badger and the Berry Patch

a single badger can eat several 100 earthworms in one night but our story is about a little badger named bib who found something much much sweeter last time we heard how leo the mouse found his courage in the big meadow today bib will need to find a different kind of courage the courage to share pip the badger was shuffling through the forest sunlight made little warm patches on his back his nose always twitching suddenly stopped he smelled something wonderful something sweet and juicy and wild he followed the scent past the big oak tree and around a mossy rock and there he saw it a patch of wild berries they were like tiny

dark red jewels hanging in clusters from the bushes the sun made them glow pip's tummy gave a happy little rumble he popped one into his mouth oh it was perfect sweet a little bit tangy he ate another and another a thought popped into his head as round and shiny as a berry these were his berries all of them he would gather every single one and have a feast all by himself he imagined a giant pile of berries just for him he could eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner a smile spread across his furry face he found a big sturdy leaf to use as a basket he began picking as fast as he could dropping

the berries onto the leaf plink plunk plink his pile grew bigger and bigger he was so busy he didn't hear the soft rustle in the leaves behind him hello pip what are you doing pip jumped it was squeaky the squirrel peering down from a branch and next to him sat hoot a little owl who was blinking in the afternoon sun pip's heart did a funny little flip flop he quickly tried to cover his giant pile of berries with another leaf oh nothing he mumbled squeaky's nose twitched it smells like berries he said hopefully bib looked at his huge pile then he looked at his two friends for the first time his giant pile of berries didn't look exciting it just looked lonely the thought of eating them all by himself suddenly felt empty the joy he'd felt just a minute ago was gone

he slowly pulled the leaf away squeaky and hoot's eyes went wide wow whispered hoot pip felt his cheeks get warm he took a deep breath i i found some berries he said softly would would you like some the smiles that spread across his friends' faces were brighter than the sun on the berries really chirped squeaky pip nodded and a new feeling started to bloom inside his chest it was warm and light they all sat together on the soft moss pip passed his leaf basket around and everyone took a handful the berries tasted even sweeter now they laughed and talked and ate until the sun started to dip below the trees

painting the sky orange and pink pip's tummy was full of berries but his heart was even fuller he learned that a few berries shared with friends were much better than a whole pile eaten all alone and as they said their goodbyes pip snuggled into his burrow feeling the warm quiet glow of kindness