Little Wings

Nibbles lived in the tallest tree in the forest.

Every day, he watched the birds fly and dreamed of flying through the sky.

One morning, feeling brave, he climbed to the highest branch and jumped.

He fell straight down, landing with a thud.

His mother helped him up. “Squirrels aren’t meant to fly,” she said gently. “You’ll need to find another way.”

At the birds’ tree, Nibbles called out, “Can you teach me to fly?”

The birds fluffed their feathers. “You have no wings,” one said. “Stay in your tree.”

Nibbles stayed in the tree, his dream replaced by fear.

One day, another squirrel named Bubbles noticed he wouldn’t come down. “The ground stops your fall,” she said. “It’s here to help you.”

“What if it hurts again?” Nibbles asked.

“We’ll face it together,” Bubbles said.

With her help, Nibbles stepped onto the ground. It felt solid beneath his feet.

Bubbles shared her story. “I once wanted gills to swim underwater. The fish wouldn’t teach me either.” She smiled.

“Now I build leaf-boats and send them down the stream. I may not have gills, but I can follow the water.”

Nibbles understood. “You made it work.”

“You will too,” she said.

Soon Nibbles was leaping from branch to branch, playing tag with shadows. The older squirrels watched with wonder.

One day, he spotted someone new. A raccoon with a rainbow tail sat alone, looking sad.

“What a colorful tail you have,” Nibbles called out.

The raccoon looked up. “Thank you. I’m Ada. Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong because of it.”

Nibbles sat beside her. “I know what that’s like. Maybe we can help each other.”

Ada’s eyes lit up. “I’d like that.”

They spent their days exploring together.

Months later, Ada returned as Thira the fairy. The forest held its breath as she moved from squirrel to squirrel, her magic wand glowing soft as starlight.

Butterfly wings bloomed from their backs like flowers opening to the sun.

Nibbles felt the magic spread through him.

As he lifted into the sky, he looked down and saw Bubbles in her own leaf-boat, rowing towards the ocean.

The End.