"The Red Buttons"

The shadows of the long fingered pine needles were dancing in the forest.
The snow was melting, and droplets were falling like diamonds to the moss covered earth below.
The sun was peeking at me from behind the sleeping giants,,,, and so,,,, I peeked back.
And then as I gazed into the sky. I saw the forest branches glistening.
The sun reached down and wrapped its rays around me like a giant hug.
A hush seemed to have overtaken my forest, and so I tip toed very quietly into the solitude.

I sat by the creek pondering my many, many thoughts,, , and then suddenly I saw what appeared to be a red button floating in the stream.
My bones trembled with curiosity., "What a Tweedles to do" but investigate!
I stepped as close to the waters edge as I could without falling in,, and then I saw more red buttons laying in the snow...... across the creek.
I remember those buttons from somewhere,,, I just do not know where.,,,

And so I climbed upon a log that stretched its limbs across the swirling stream,,,, I followed the trail of buttons. And then there were little paw tracks in the snow.
I followed the buttons.
I followed those very familiar buttons.
I followed the tracks..
My paws were so dirty and grungy from the snow and mud,,, and they were cold. But I did not care.
In a manner of minutes I was surrounded by a thicket of briars and thorns, and a deep dark hollow.
The entrance to the hollow was small.

Surely I can squeeze my body inside, I said to myself,,, and so I poked my head into the hole.

Oh my gosh, I whispered softly,,,,
I must get out of here quick!

I tried to pull my head out, but I was stuck!

I wiggled, but my feet slipped.
I wiggled until I was exhausted.
I wiggled until I was flat on my nose!
Suddenly, just like magic,,, in a fairy tale story some thing from behind me gave a big PUSH,,, and instantly , I rolled head over tail inside the hollow.
I was surrrounded by rabbits,, forest rabbbits. The rabbits were all different colors.

Some had long ears, and some had short ears and they all had long whiskers. .

The rabbits were sitting in a circle around a crackling camp fire.
The rabbits were munching on long stemmed carrots.
I looked to my left and standing beside me was Niblet, my mysterious bunny friend who always borrowed carrots from my garden.
"This is where I live " Niblet said. "This is my family."
Strands of yarn and strings of buttons draped from the withered tree branches in the hollow. I stood up to shake the dried leaves from my tail.
And then I saw it,,,, a tattered and torn blue jacket was stretched from branch to branch like an umbrella.
My mind zoomed backwards, as I remembered this was MY old blue jacket.

This was my old blue jacket that had gotten stuck on the barbed wire fence in September.
I had tugged and pulled on the jacket, but it would not come down, and so I had decided to leave the jacket hanging on the fence.
Surely,,,, it would scare the crows, I thought to myself.
Strands of golden yarn were carefully placed over every little tear.

The rabbits were patching the torn and tattered blue jacket with love.
As I sat huddled with my new friends,, Niblet brought me a bowl of hot carrot- cider. The cider warmed my cold bones. I looked up, as Nibblett snuggled beside me.
Niblets whiskers began to twitch,, and then he began to speak. "Tweedles, is your heart asking you why you followed the trail of red buttons to our den?
I nodded my head and whispered "Yes, please tell me".
And so Niblet told me that "one day, Granny rabbit had made a wish on the brightest star in the sky.
Grannys wish, was that her family of rabbits would have a new comforter for the log bed that all of the rabbits slept in.
Each day as I pased by your garden, I thought of you Tweedles.

And then I thought of wishes made on stars.

I saw your blue jacket become tattered and torn.
And so one day,, I remembered that special day when my Granny, wished upon a star.
I brought the jacket home and now all the rabbits have been sewing and mending.
We had dreams for the tattered and torn blue jacket.
All the holes are filled with yarn. We stuffed the jacket with wish flowers blossoms.
Tonight we place the blue jacket comforter on our bed.
We wanted to thank you Tweedles for this blue jacket, but we did not know how.

We wanted you to be a part of this.
We all agreed that you must see it with "your eyes."
My eyes filled with joyful tears. I blinked and then I hugged the rabbits.
Carefully one by one, all the rabbits paws took a corner of blue jacket comforter.
Like playing follow the leader, all the rabbits walked over to the log bed and gently lowered the comforter onto the bed.
It was then that Granny rabbit handed each rabbit a red button. And then Granny handed me a button and a pine needle ,threaded with golden yarn,,,,,, as Granny stitched the first red button onto the comforter,, I watched.
I was next in line." I have never done this before",, I whispered to Granny.
My paws trembled as the golden yarn dangled from my paws. Then gentle as a butterfly, Grannys giant paw took my paw, and together we stitched the red button onto the....... no longer tattered jacket,,, my heart beat with joy!
I will never forget,,, the happy rabbits faces. I will never forget this day.
As I was ready to leave, Niblet took my paw and led me to a door...

As I opened the door,, A door I did not know was there.,,,

I gasped at the beauty...

there before my eyes was the lengthening shadows as they stretched across the forest. I followed the path way home,,, thinking,,, and remembering my friends at Golden Pines, who said the words,,,"The path to a friends home is never long"

Tonight I will wish on stars.
Nitey nite my friends
love
tweedles