Forest Friends and the Missing Paints

Koi the squirrel zipped through the trees, her fluffy tail bouncing as she carried a basket full of berries. “These will be the tastiest treats for the Big Forest Festival!” she said, beaming.

Down below, Dot the turtle was hard at work on her colorful banner. She had pots of bright paints spread out: sunny yellow, deep green, and a splashy red. “This banner will be the brightest thing at the festival!” Dot said proudly.

Nearby, Pepper the rabbit was practicing her drum. “Boom-boom-BOOM!” she said, thumping the drum. “Everyone will love my music performance!”

Everything was going perfectly—until Dot looked down. Her paints were gone! “Oh no!” she cried. “Where did my paints go?”

Pepper’s ears perked up. “Don’t worry, Dot. We’ll help you find them!” Koi and Pepper hurried over, determined to solve the mystery.

Koi spotted something. “Look! Tiny red paw prints!” They followed the prints through the bushes and over to a shady tree. There, they found Bumble the raccoon, holding a paintbrush! He was busy painting swirls of color on a big piece of bark.

“Bumble!” Dot called. “You took my paints?”

Bumble froze. “Oh! I didn’t mean to take them,” he said nervously, his striped tail twitching. “I just wanted to make something special for the festival, too.”

Dot blinked at the bark painting. It was covered in colorful shapes and patterns. “Wow, Bumble! That’s really pretty,” she said. “But next time, please ask before borrowing something.”

Bumble nodded. “I’m sorry, Dot. Can we use my painting for the festival?”

The friends looked at each other and smiled. “Of course!” Koi said. Together, they carried Bumble’s creation to the festival and tied it next to Dot’s banner.

When the Big Forest Festival began, everyone cheered for the bright decorations, tasty treats, and Pepper’s booming music. And Bumble? He learned that asking—and working together—makes everything more fun.