In the lush green meadow where the flowers danced with the whispers of the spring breeze, lived Benny the Bunny—a cheerful little creature known for two things: his long floppy ears and his mouth-watering cookies. Every creature, big or small, furry or feathered, awaited this time of year, the annual bake sale where Benny’s cookies would come to charm everyone with their delightful taste.
But one sunny morning, disaster struck! As Benny hopped down his cozy burrow towards his bakery, humming a happy tune, he was greeted by the most pitiful of sights. His shelves, which usually brimmed with jars of cookies—chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter and jelly—were completely bare.
Dismality clawed at Benny’s fluffy heart. “What on earth happened to all my cookies?” exclaimed Benny, as he frantically searched for crumbs, hoping this was just a dream from which he would awaken. But, to his dismay, it was all true. “Oh, no! The bake sale is today! What am I to do?”
Just then, Benny’s closest friends, Penny Partridge and Freddie Fox, appeared. They spotted Benny’s woe and rushed to his side. “What troubles you, Benny?” chirped Penny, fluffing her feathers.
“My cookies,” BBBenny moaned. “All my cookies have vanished!”
Penny and Freddie exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from concern to action. “We’ll help you find them!” declared Freddie with determination sparkling in his clever eyes. “If we hurry, we may still be on time for the bake sale,” added Penny, fanning her wings in agreement.
So, armed with nothing but hope and friendship, the three pals set off into Forest Hollow, the heart of their little world. Benny explained his plan to place notices around the meadow, praying someone had seen the cookie thief.
The trio worked tirelessly, hanging notices on trees, under rocks, and even in the rabbit hole of Burrow Betty, Benny’s neighbor. With the sun inching closer to noon, their resolve started to wane. But just as they were about to give in to despair, Benny’s whiskers quivered with a new idea.
“Benny,” began Freddie, “who else enjoys cookies as much as we do?”
“Benny the Bear,” replied Penny, scratching her head.
“Exactly!” cried Freddie, his eyes brightening. “He lives by the Honey Stream. If anyone knows about cookies, it’s him. Why don’t we pay him a visit?”
In no time, they hopped, skipped, and jumped over the meadows until they reached the slushy banks of the Honey Stream, where Benny the Bear was known to take naps—when his tummy wasn’t busy finding cookies first, of course.
Sure enough, there was Benny the Bear, snoring softly. But perched right next to him was the strangest sight: a tiny stack of cookies resting on his belly, and right beside them, a note scribbled in hasty writing.
“Benny! Wake up!” they called gently, trying not to startle the sleepy bear all at once.
With a slow scratch of his head, Benny the Bear awoke. “Oh, hello there,” he rumbled, and then his eyes widened when he noticed the cookies. “Whoa, where did these come from?”
His friends explained Benny’s dilemma and how they noticed him in such a strange setting.
“I found these shaving a nap without a care in the world,” yawned Benny the Bear, scratching his big tummy again. “A couple of squirrels brought them this morning, right before I took my nap. They said they found them by the big sycamore tree where Miss Emilia Elepphant lives.”
The friend thanked Benny the Bear then made their way to the keying, the aroma of fresh cookies leading them to what could only mean trouble.
When they reached the big sycamore tree, they spotted Emilia the elephant in her flowered apron, listening while Sam the Squirrel chattered away. Sam paused mid-sentence as the friends approached.
“Sam! Emilia!” called Benny. “Have you seen my cookies?”
Sam’s face fell. “Oh, these here?” he squeaked, pointing a tiny paw at the empty plate on Emilia’s lap. “I was just telling Emilia about the treasure of cookies all laid out, but I didn’t get to eat any!”
“I thought they were a gift,” moaned Emilia.
Suddenly, Benny realized the heartbreaking truth. “No, no, they’re mine!” he cried. “They’re all gone!”
But just then, a high-pitched giggle broke through their sadness. They looked around, shocked to see a little Rascal raccoon peeking out from behind the tree. “I had a taste of those cookies!” he squealed. “But they were too sweet for me. Actually, they were better suited for Miss Squirrel than for a raccoon. That’s why I told them where to go!”
“And that is exactly what Squirrel did,” laughed Emilia as he saw all three friends share a shocked glance at each other.
“Then they’re at Miss Squirrel’s house!” Benny shouted with fresh hope. Off they scampered to Miss Squirrel’s hollow in the old oak tree on the hill.
“Hurry, hurry!” panted Benny, his little heart racing with excitement. “Maybe we still have time for the bake sale!” They all agreed with a determined nod and made their way over the hill.
Once they arrived, however, the scene before them was not what they expected. There by Miss Squirrel’s side sat half a dozen woodland creatures—Deedee Duck, Lewis and Larry the Miniature Pigs, and Willa Woodpecker—nibbling away at the heavenly cookies as they all prepared to sing a tune.
“Those are my cookies!” gasped Benny in disbelief. All eyes turned towards him, each filled with surprise. “About time you got here, Benny!” chirped Miss Squirrel. “You know how long I have waited to see everyone enjoy the cookies I had you bake with me last week? Everyone came and told me this morning no one had ever tried them before, but everybody wanted the cookies!” Squirrel then handed Benny a paper bag. “Here—they’re all yours.”
Benny peered down with a mix of confusion and joy. Yes, there were cookies in the bag. Evaluating the bag, he proclaimed, “With this many cookies, there’s enough for everyone at the bake sale—and some to spare!”
True to Benny’s words, at the Bake Sale that afternoon, the table overflowed with cookies and delighted chatter. Benny watched with a full heart as his friends shared the cookies from the bag and those he’d baked anew while enjoying a scenic story time courtesy of Willa Woodpecker reciting “The Three Little Pigs”.
As the sun dipped low, casting a golden glow on the scene, Benny realized something important. Sharing not only made their bellies full but filled their hearts with happiness.
“Next time there’s a bake sale,” huffed Freddie, licking his lips. “Perhaps we can just congregate here with all our friends next time?”
Penny nodded, a smile lighting up her feathery face. “Agreed,” she chuckled. “Though I may have to manage a nap in between cookies if there’s as much as today.”
And at that, the friends laughed together, their bonds woven stronger through each crumb of kind-heartedness and the memory of an unforgettable day.