The Tale of the Two Squirrels and the Golden Acorn ~ Short Stories

 

Once upon a time, in the midst of the Whispering Woods, lived two squirrel brothers by the names of Finn and Gus. These two squirrels had fluffy tails and bright eyes, and they always found themselves busy about the forest collecting acorns for winter. Finn was the elder of the two, as wise as he was careful. Gus, on the other hand, was young, curious, and at times just a tad greedy.

On one sunny autumn morning, when they were collecting acorns, Gus observed something shining under a heap of leaves. His eyes widened as he saw that it was a magnificent golden acorn! It glimmered in the sunlight and felt warm and heavy on his small paws. "It must be a magic acorn!" Gus thought while clutching it tightly to himself.

He is so awestruck by his discovery that Finn leaped to it and saw the acorn himself. "Whoa, Gus!" "Wow! We should maybe take it to the other guys in the forest; think of all that we could trade for something this incredible."

But Gus refused. He wanted that golden acorn all for himself. "But Finn, what if this is the wishing acorn, an acorn that brings a wish? What if it can give us absolutely anything we want? Then someone might take it!" Gus's tail fluffed out in excitement. "I'm going to hide it!".

Finn looked at his brother, who looked back at him with a determined look. He sighed. "Alright, Gus. But be careful. Too much of anything-even acorns-can be a problem.".

Days passed and Gus was more and more enamored with his golden acorn. He had no interest in playing, nor in foraging with the other squirrels to gather food; he simply wanted to sit next to his acorn and imagine all that he might wish for. One day, a wise old owl named Otho, who had been watching Gus from his tree, flew down to speak with him.

What could this little squirrel possibly want about that acorn that makes it so special?

Little squirrel, what's all this that you love so well in that acorn?" asked Otho.

There sat Gus, looking upwards to the owl, but the little squirrel was hanging on tight to the acorn.

"I think this one's gonna make me lucky in case I wish for some special things. I gotta keep it safe till such a perfect wish comes around in my mind.".

Otho smiled. "Ah, but what is that perfect wish?" he asked.

Gus scrunched up his face. "Not exactly… but I know it's huge and amazing!"

Otho nodded thoughtfully. "Greed isn't wrong, little one. It sometimes makes you want harder and be braver in getting what you want, but you have to understand what you're fighting for or you will just wander around wanting more and more."

This is what Gus thought of when the days got colder and food became scarcer. He wanted more than one acorn; he wanted enough food to last him and his brother through winter. He realized he could use his golden acorn to make things better for everyone, so he finally made his wish: he wished for a forest full of acorns, enough for every creature in Whispering Woods.

Immediately, the golden acorn vanished into thin air, and the acorns started falling like rain. All the squirrels, birds, and creatures became happy. They started collecting and feasting on them; for the remainder of the winter, not one creature went hungry.

In the end, Gus came to realize that a little bit of greed sometimes leads a person to great things-only if a generous heart comes with remembering to share it. From then on, Gus and Finn were hailed as the most generous squirrels in the Whispering Woods.

Moral of the story: Well, sometimes little greed creates big dreams and sometimes people do such fabulous things when used wisely.

Here are some questions and answers for kids based on the story:

1. Question: Who are the two main characters in the story?

   Answer: The two main characters are the squirrel brothers, Finn and Gus.

2. Question: What special thing did Gus find in the forest?

   Answer: Gus found a golden acorn.

3. Question: Why did Gus want to keep the golden acorn to himself?

   Answer: Gus thought the golden acorn could grant wishes, so he wanted to keep it safe.

4. Question: Who gave Gus advice about being careful with his wish?

   Answer: The wise old owl named Otho gave Gus advice.

5. Question: What did Gus finally wish for with the golden acorn?

   Answer: Gus wished for a forest full of acorns so everyone could have enough to eat.

6. Question: What happened after Gus made his wish?

   Answer: Acorns began to rain from the trees, and all the animals had plenty to eat for winter.

7. Question: What did Gus learn from his experience with the golden acorn?

   Answer: Gus learned that a little bit of greed can be good if used wisely and shared with others.

8. Question: What is the moral of the story?

   Answer: The moral is that sometimes a little bit of greed can help us dream big, but it’s best when we use it to help others too.