Vine to Burrow

Scout's Accidental Road Trip

The sun was warm, the soil was soft, and Scout the Squirrel was having a perfect afternoon in his garden. His denim overalls were already dusted with dirt as he harvested plump, red tomatoes, carefully setting them in a neat little pile.

"A fine haul," he muttered, admiring his work. "But what’s a harvest without a snack?"

That’s when he saw it—a large bucket of sunflower seeds gleaming in the back of a farmer’s truck.

Scout’s ears perked up. Sunflower seeds were his favorite! He scurried closer, checking the scene. The truck was parked, the farmer nowhere in sight. Just a quick grab and go, he thought. Easy.

He leapt into the truck bed, stuffing his cheeks and tiny paws with seeds, when—RUMBLE. The engine roared to life. The truck lurched forward.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Scout yelped, gripping the edge as the farm disappeared behind him. The wind rushed past his ears as fields blurred by. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

When the truck finally rattled to a stop, Scout peeked out. He wasn’t sure how far he’d gone, but it was definitely not his garden.

"Lost already?" came a familiar voice.

Perched on a wooden fence post was Crow, casually preening his feathers. "I saw you go flying down the road in that truck. Chasing sunflower seeds?"

"I wasn’t chasing them! I was… temporarily relocating them," Scout huffed, hopping down. "Where am I?"

Crow cawed a chuckle. "Just a few farms down the road. Not as far as you think. Lucky for you, I know the way back."

Relief flooded Scout’s little squirrel heart. "Okay, great! Let’s go."

But their journey home wouldn’t be so simple.

Halfway through a field of tall grass, a shadow streaked past them—a sleek, orange barn cat.

"Uh-oh," Scout gulped.

The cat’s golden eyes locked onto him. "Well, well," it purred. "A squirrel far from home."

Scout took a step back, eyeing the nearest tree. "Listen, I don’t want any trouble, I—"

"Run!" Crow cawed, swooping low over the cat’s head.

Scout bolted. The cat pounced, missing him by inches as Crow flapped and squawked, distracting it. Scout scrambled through a fence hole, landing safely on the other side.

"That was too close!" Scout panted, catching his breath.

Crow landed beside him, ruffling his feathers. "Told you, don’t go chasing sunflowers."

After a few more twists and turns, Scout finally saw the familiar treetops of home. The scent of a campfire filled the air, and the chatter of his woodland friends greeted them as they arrived.

"Where’ve you two been?" Raccoon asked, gnawing on a roasted peanut.

Scout plopped down, exhausted but grinning. "Oh, you know… just a little road trip."

The others laughed as Crow nudged him with a wing. "And what did we learn today?"

Scout considered this, then grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket. "That every adventure should end with a snack."

The woodland crew cheered, and under the glow of the campfire, they shared their food and stories, already looking forward to the next adventure - and meal.