Cap. 2Maia and the Squirrel’s Secret Stash

The squirrel climbed down the tree and sat on a log. It pointed its nose toward a hollow in the trunk. “I hide my nuts there,” it said. Maia’s eyes got big. She had never seen a tree hollow before. She reached up and touched the bark. It felt rough, like a bumpy blanket. The squirrel showed her how to push the branches aside to see inside. There were shiny, round nuts stacked like little balls.

Maia touched one of the nuts with her finger. It felt smooth and hard. She smelled it, and it smelled like earth and sunshine. The squirrel laughed and said, “They are my treasure!” Maia’s heart felt warm, like when she ate her favorite strawberry. She wanted to share the discovery, but the squirrel said, “You can’t tell anyone. It’s a secret!” Maia nodded, and the squirrel climbed back up the tree. She smiled, thinking about the secret she had just learned.