Old Badger Lawrence

In a cozy woodland nestled by a sparkling creek, lived a family of foxes — Papa Whit, Mama Whit, and their curious little kits, Maisie and Archie.

Maisie was a bright-eyed fox kit with rusty red fur that shimmered in the sunlight. Her brother Archie had the same fiery coat, and together they were the merriest pair in all the woods.

One sunny morning, Maisie's whiskers twitched with excitement as she spotted Archie peeking out from behind a tree.

"Archie, let's go on an adventure today!" Maisie exclaimed, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth.

Archie's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I know just the place! Have you ever seen Old Badger Lawrence's garden?"

"No, what's that?" asked Maisie, tilting her head.

"It's the most wonderful garden with rainbow-colored flowers and yummy vegetables growing in neat rows," Archie explained enthusiastically, then leaned closer and whispered, "But Old Badger Lawrence doesn't like visitors."

Maisie's nose quivered. "Maybe we could take just a teeny-tiny peek?"

Archie nodded eagerly. "Just a quick look-see!"

The two little fox siblings trotted through the woods, passed Olaf's house, crossed over the wooden planks of Odyssey Bridge, and tiptoed to the edge of the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.

"Wow!" gasped Maisie, staring at the blooming wonder before her.

Quick as lightning, Archie hopped over the little fence. "Come on, Maisie!"

Soon they were playing hide-and-seek among the tall sunflowers and dancing around the plump tomatoes. Maisie sniffed the sweet roses while Archie leaped from rock to rock like a little frog.

But suddenly, a deep, rumbly voice boomed, "What do we have here?"

The fox kits jumped in surprise! There stood Old Badger Lawrence with his silver-streaked fur and bright, knowing eyes.

"We... we're sorry," mumbled Maisie, her ears drooping.

"We just wanted to see your pretty garden," added Archie softly.

Old Badger Lawrence's whiskers twitched. "Little ones, being curious is wonderful. But we must always ask before entering someone else's special place."

Maisie and Archie looked down at their paws, feeling very small indeed.

But then the old badger smiled gently. "Since you're here, would you like to help me fix the flowers you've trampled?"

The fox siblings nodded happily, and soon they were patting soil around flower stems and watering the vegetable patches. All the while, Old Badger Lawrence told them funny stories about when he was a little badger cub.

As the afternoon sun turned golden, the garden looked even more magical than before.

"You see," said Old Badger Lawrence kindly, "having fun is important, but so is respecting others and their hard work."

With tummies full of the berries Old Badger Lawrence had shared and hearts full of new wisdom, Maisie and Archie said goodbye.

"Next time we'll knock on your door first," promised Maisie.

"And maybe you can teach us how to grow flowers too?" asked Archie hopefully.

"I would like that very much," chuckled Old Badger Lawrence.

That night, as Papa and Mama Whit tucked Maisie and Archie into bed, they told their parents all about their day and the important lesson they had learned.

And from that day on, whenever Maisie and Archie passed by the garden, they waved to Old Badger Lawrence, who always had a smile and sometimes a freshly picked apple just for them.