Solsori and the Sparkly Seed

Morning sunshine tiptoed into the forest, soft and golden. Little squirrel Solsori swished his fluffy tail and found a tiny seed sparkling beside a tree root. “Oh! It looks like a piece of a star! ” he cried, bouncing hop-hop-hop on his small feet.

Solsori wanted to plant the seed right away. “If I hurry, it will hurry too and become a big tree!” he said. He dug with his little paws. Scritch-scratch, puff-puff! But the ground was dry and hard. The seed rolled away, tumble-tumble, and slipped under a small stone.

Just then, Nuru the snail came slowly along. “Solsori, wait a little,” Nuru said kindly. “Listen to the forest, as if you are asking the seed what it needs. ” Solsori tilted his head. “But seeds cannot talk.” Nuru smiled. “They do not use words, but quiet things can still tell us something.”

So Solsori sat very still for the first time. The wind went whoo-soft, the leaves rustled shh-shh, and far away the stream sang gurgle-gurgle. Then a cool, damp smell tickled his nose. Sniff-sniff! Solsori followed it and found soft earth near the stream.

“Would this be a good place?” Solsori whispered. Nuru nodded slowly, and Popo the sparrow chirped, “Yes, yes! ” Solsori tucked the seed into the soft soil and covered it with a cozy blanket of earth. Then he carried water in an acorn cup and poured just a little, splash-sparkle, not too much.

The next morning, a tiny green sprout peeked up from the soil. Solsori clapped his paws. “Hurrying was not the wisest way. Listening helped me know! ” All his friends smiled. The sprout shone in the warm sun, and Solsori’s heart shone warmly too.