A Woodland Party

On a cool, dewy morning in May, a small floppy-eared bunny hopped out of her tree stump and looked around. Thick mist enveloped the forest around her, but not even the muted dawn light could dampen the bunny's mood.

“It’s such a perfect morning!” she whispered to herself, shivering in the brisk, chilly morning air. 

She hopped back into her warm home and started preparing for the big day when a knock sounded on her door. 

“H-hello! Anyone in?” 

“Oh, Buckley! Come in, come in!”

The door opened to reveal a red squirrel, tail twitching. He entered cautiously and squeaked, “A-are you sure it’s okay, Lola? I don’t mean to interrupt anything. I just wanted to be the first to wish you a v-v-very Happy Birthday. W-would you like any help?” 

The bunny smiled, revealing two dainty white teeth, “Help would be very appreciated, Buckley. And thank you very much! You are the first this morning to wish me a happy birthday. I am very excited for the party. I’ll grab us aprons, and if you could start getting out the ingredients for the food, that would be very helpful. The recipe for the cake is on the table.” Lola bounded into the pantry to pick out a frilly pink apron for herself and a green apron with a brown ribbon for her friend. She came back to find Buckley scurrying about in her kitchen.

“What’s wrong, Buckley?” she asked calmly.

“I-I- I can’t find the f-flour.” Buckley pulled his ear down and started nibbling at the already thin fluff.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Here, it’s just here in the cabinet. See?”

“Ok-kay, I’m sorry to have worried you, Lola.”

“No, it’s okay! Here is your apron. Now, what else do we need? Ah, yes, strawberries. Mmmmmmmm, my favorite.” 

Lola looked in the pantry and the cabinets, in the nut jars, and in the oven. She also checked the parlor, the guest room, and the bedroom, but the strawberries were nowhere to be found. 

“Buckley, I fear I have no more strawberries for the cake!” Her foot began to thump, and her golden ears twitched.

“It’s okay, Lola. Why don’t we go to Sarah’s strawberry patch?”

“I don’t know if we have time.”

“I’m sure we c-can do it.”

“Okay, I’ll grab my satchel.” She darted through a moss veil into her room and soon returned with a pink-laced satchel draped across her fluffy body. 

“Can we d-drop by my house so I can grab my hat for the hike?”

“Yes, of course! Are you ready?”

Buckley nodded, and they left the stump, embarking on an adventure neither of them knew was going to happen.

*        *       *

After stopping at Buckley’s tree, the two friends started on the path to Sarah’s cabin. Sarah was a beautiful, kind-hearted woman who grew a strawberry patch and allowed the forest animals to enjoy some strawberries. But she always saved the ripest for Lola. 

It was a long hike for the animals, and they had to hurry. 

“Dear me, I hope we can get there and back in time.” Lola thought out loud. Her satchel thumped against her side as she bounded along the path, blanketed with pine needles. 

“I-I’m sure it will be f-fine, Lola.” Buckley comforted his friend, scurrying from branch to branch above the forest floor. 

Suddenly, Lola stopped in her tracks. She sat up and sniffed the wind, and her foot began to thump. “Hide, Buckley. Hide!” 

She scurried into a bush and hunkered down. Her nose twitched, and her blue eyes darted left and right, searching the bushes across the path for any sign of danger.

“I don’t se-” Lola was interrupted by a flash of white, and a black, moist nose was shoved close to her face. She shrieked and bolted from the bushes. Dirt and leaves flew as she darted around trees and under bushes.

“I’m coming, Lola! I’ll help you!” Buckley chittered down to the bunny as he followed in the trees.

“No, don’t. Save yourself!”

“I won’t leave you, Lola!”

“I won’t risk you getting caught, Buckley! Do not come down!”

Lola leaped over a branch and darted around a thicket of bramble bushes, but nothing could shake the animal pursuing her. Just as she thought she’d lost it, the sound of air whooshing behind her and the animal's excessive panting caused her fur to stand on end. As soon as she leaped from behind the thicket, she was caught in mid-air. She squeaked and made a desperate attempt to get away, but after a minute, she went limp. 

A laugh sounded from the tree above them.

“That was a v-very impressive try, Lola, but Tiara always catches you.”

Lola sighed. “I lasted longer than last time. Good game, Tiara.” 

The ground approached steadily as the dog gently put the bunny down.

“That was a really good run, Miss Lola!” 

“Thank you, Tiara. I have been practicing.” 

“Tiara! It’s Lola’s birthday today.” Buckley, scittered down the tree trunk and came to sit on his haunches next to Lola. 

“Is this true, Miss Lola? Oh, how exciting!”

“Yes! I would love for you to come to my party! I am on my way to Sarah’s, for I am in desperate need of strawberries for my cake.”

“You have no strawberries? How tragic.”

“Yes, but I’m afraid I lost my way during our game.” 

“Oh, yes. I could show you to Sarah’s if you like.”

“Thank you, Tiara, your kindness is greatly appreciated.” 

The little group of animals started through the woods, passing mushrooms and mice, deer and dogwood, until they arrived at a cozy cabin surrounded by a field of lavender. The fragrant smell made Lola’s eyes water and her nose itch as she hopped along, the grass and lavender parting before her. Tiara ran ahead, barking for her owner. The squirrel and bunny followed suit, and soon they came to the yard. Bumblebees buzzed, taking turns hugging each flower, and butterflies fluttered about lazily in the mellow morning sun. The enchanting yard belonged to Tiara’s owner, Sarah, who now appeared on the front step of the house.    

“Hello, Tiara! What have you been up to?” She bent down and tickled her dog behind the ears. Tiara barked and ran over to Lola and Buckley, who were sitting by the lilies of the valley. 

“Well, Lola and Buckley! Hello, you two! Oh, Lola. I have a fresh basket of ripe strawberries for you! I’ll grab Arnold, and then I’ll walk back with you to drop the strawberries off. It’s quite a big batch this time, and I’ve been wanting to go for a walk anyway.” After answering some questions Buckley had about pansies, Sarah went back inside and soon reappeared with a basket of sparkling, glossy, red strawberries. Arnold the hedgehog sat in the basket with the strawberries, but when Sarah noticed him nibbling on the bottom of one of the strawberries, she lifted him out and placed him on the ground. 

“Arnold, I know you don’t want to go for a walk, but you’re a hedgehog; the woods are your home.” Arnold scrunched up into a ball and sat there until Sarah picked him back up and put him on her shoulder, where he snuggled up against her neck and fell asleep. The chickadees serenaded the group as they walked, hopped, pranced, and skittered through the woods to Lola’s house. 

“I don’t have much time before the party! Oh dear, I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

“We c-can help, Lola. I know where all the ingredients a-are after all.” Buckley grinned at his friend. 

“Yes, Miss Lola. I’d be delighted to help you!” Tiara wagged at the little bunny.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

“Arnold, why don’t you help Lola, too?” Sarah suggested. She gently took the hedgehog off her shoulder and set him on the soft earth. Arnold woke up and, after nuzzling Sarah’s warm hand, he waddled into the stump to ‘supervise’ as he called it, but they all knew he was going to fall asleep again in Lola’s bean bag.

“I really wish I could help, but I’m not bunny-sized, so I’ll head back home and tend to the alliums. Tiara, make sure you and Arnold get home safely. Have fun!” The animals waved at Sarah as she disappeared into the woods, humming as she went. 

“Okay, let’s get to work!” Lola hopped inside. “Buckley, can you get the ingredients out? Tiara, you have really good taste, and you know what I like. Would you please get the party area outside ready and decorated? And Arnlod-where’s Arnold? Oh, well, we won’t wake him. I’ll get the strawberries washed and cut.”

So Buckley and Lola baked, Tiara decorated, and Arnold slept. Everything was ready when the guests started arriving. Lola tied a pink bow between her flop ears and stepped out to greet them. The party was grand, the guests were merry, and the strawberries tasted sweeter than ever before.