Sammy Squirrel was a bouncy, brown ball of fluff, with a tail as swirly as a cinnamon bun.
He lived high up, high up, high up in a tree, with his mama and his papa and a whole bunch of siblings, you see!
One sunny morning, Sammy woke up with a yawn and a stretch. But something was different. Something was...off.
Sammy's nose twitched. His whiskers wiggled. Where was his favorite thing in the whole wide world?
"My speckle!" cried Sammy. "My favorite acorn with the white speckle, it's gone!"
Mama Squirrel chuckled, "Sammy, honey, it's probably rolled away. Now hush and eat your breakfast."
But Sammy couldn't eat. He wanted his speckle back. So, with a flick of his tail and a hop, he was off!
Down, down, down the tree trunk he climbed, then scampered through the grass, his tiny heart thump-thump-thumping.
First, Sammy met Rosie Robin, chirping a merry tune. "Rosie!" Sammy cried. "Have you seen my speckle?"
Rosie tilted her head, "Speckle? Is it red and juicy? I love red and juicy things!"
"No, silly!" Sammy giggled. "It's brown and hard and has a white dot!"
"Hmm, not today, Sammy," chirped Rosie, pecking at the ground. "Good luck!"
Sammy scurried on, his tail a furry flag behind him. He spotted Benny Bluebird, perched on a branch.
"Benny!" Sammy called. "Have you seen my speckle?"
Benny puffed up his blue feathers, "Is it a wriggly worm? Because I just ate a delicious one!"
Sammy shook his head, his speckle-less heart sinking. "No, it's round and bumpy and has a white dot!"
"Nope, can't say I have," sang Benny, taking flight. "Maybe Freddy Frog has it?"
Sammy hopped and skipped towards the pond, where Freddy Frog was soaking up the sun.
"Freddy! Freddy!" Sammy shouted. "Have you seen my speckle?"
Freddy blinked his bulgy eyes, "Is it a crunchy cricket? Because those are my favorite!"
"No!" Sammy sighed, his shoulders drooping. "It's brown and hard and has a white dot!"
"Never seen it, pal," croaked Freddy, diving into the water with a splash. "But keep looking!"
Sammy sat by the pond, his tail drooping. He missed his speckle. It was special.
Suddenly, Sammy felt a tap on his head. He looked up. It was Rosie Robin, Benny Bluebird, and...a very wet Freddy Frog!
Rosie dropped something at Sammy's feet. It was brown and hard and...had a white dot!
"My speckle!" Sammy squealed, snatching it up. "You found it! But how?"
Benny chirped, "Rosie saw it fall out of your fur when you were talking to me!"
"And we all know how much you love it," croaked Freddy, grinning. "So we brought it back!"
Sammy beamed. He didn't just have his speckle back, he had friends who helped him. And that made him the happiest squirrel in the whole wide world!
Reflection Questions