As the leaves turned golden and the air grew crisp, Benny the Bear was busy gathering berries in the heart of Whispering Woods. Daydreaming about the feast he would have, he wandered deeper into the woods, forgetting how far he had gone. When he finally realized it was time to head home, he noticed he had taken a wrong turn.
“Grumble, grumble,” went Benny’s tummy. He felt lost and a bit frightened. The woods, so exciting earlier, now seemed dark and eerie. So he began to call out, “Ricky! Lila! Tommy!”
Hearing their friend’s calls, Benny’s pals knew he must need them. Ricky the Rabbit led the way, his ears flopping as he hopped swiftly. Close behind him was Lila the Lizard, her tail ticking the ground, adding a musical rhythm to their journey. Slow yet steady, Tommy the Tortoise followed, determined to contribute his part no matter how long it took.
They checked all the paths and explored every nook and cranny of the woods, but still, there was no sign of Benny.
“I know,” said Ricky, his eyes sparkling with an idea. “Why don’t we make a noise to let him know where we are? When I was just a baby bunny, my mother told me that loud noises bring others close to you.”
His friends nodded, appreciating the clever plan. Ricky began stamping his foot and thumping the earth while Lila croaked and chirped, and Tommy blew into a huge shell he’d found. But still, there was no Benny.
They took a break to refresh themselves with water from a sparkling stream. Each friend took turns gathering cool, clear water in leaves and pouring it into a hollowed stone until they had enough.
Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the trees. It was Benny, nearly bursting with joy and relief when he saw his friends. “Oh, how I missed you all! I was afraid you forgot me!” he exclaimed.
“We would never forget good old Benny,” said Lila.
“You see, Benny, we were making noise to let you know where we were,” said Ricky as he took a sip from the leaf-cup.
“And now let’s all get back home,” added Tommy. “And don’t you ever again go wandering away from your friends. Remember, together is always best!”
So, with hearts light and happy, they all scampered back through the woods and out the other side, forever grateful for good friends and the comfort of being together.
Trusting your friends can lead to wonderful outcomes.