Do you remember Shelby, the little girl who wasn't very kind and was very bossy? Do you also remember how Emma tried to be her friend? It was only a few weeks ago when Shelby had moved into the neighborhood, and friendships were not going very well for her. Emma tried hard to be a good friend to her by inviting Shelby to play with her and to swim in her swimming pool with all the other neighborhood kids. But nothing Emma did could change Shelby's heart. She just wanted everything to go her way. By the end of the summer, Shelby found herself all alone without any friends. Nobody wanted to play with Shelby.
One Saturday afternoon, Emma thought that she would try one more time to be a friend to Shelby. So Emma went over to Shelby's house and found her crying on her back porch steps. Emma was surprised to see Shelby so upset. She didn't think anything could make Shelby cry. But she was wrong. Emma went over to her and sat down beside her and asked, " Why are you crying Shelby?" Through her tears and sniffles, Shelby tenderly relied," Emma, I never wanted to move here. I don't like this neighborhood and I thought if I acted badly and had no friends, my parents would move me back to Haggerville. I had lots of friends there." Emma surprisingly answered, "You did? WOW Shelby, you sure fooled me. I never thought that you were putting on a act, so that you could move back to Haggerville."
Shelby's secret was out and now Emma knew why she was acting so unkind with all the kids " Well, Shelby, did it work? Is your family moving back to Haggerville?" asked Emma inquisitively. "No, Emma, it didn't work and now I have made a BIG mess of everything for myself. What am I going to do?"
Emma was very happy to learn that Shelby really wasn't unfriendly, but only making believe to influence her parents, which didn't work. "Shelby, I think we can fix everything. You just give me a little time and you will see that this neighborhood really does like you, if you just give them a chance." Emma explained.
Shelby dried her tears and hugged Emma, " You really do like me, don't you Emma?" "Yes, I do Shelby. I really do want to be your friend, and I would like to invite you to my pool party next Saturday , if it doesn't rain. All the kids will be there and we are going to have a surprise birthday party for Ralphie. Would you like to come?"
Shelby was thrilled to be invited. From that day on, she no longer tried to make enemies, but made new friends. Shelby's heart had changed. She went to Ralphie's birthday party and all the neighborhood kids were so surprised to see how kind and friendly Shelby had become. She shared her roller blades and let the kids ride her new bicycle. She became one of Emma's closest friends. Once the neighborhood kids knew about Shelby's secret they all accepted her as one of them.
This is a story how a little red fox who became friends with the bunnies. Little Red was a little fox about four years old, who lived in the Green Forest. One day when he was playing outside in the back yard, he wandered too far away from his den and was lost in the Green meadow. His mommy and daddy had told him many times not to ever go out of his yard, but Little Red forgot. He wandered so far away from his den that he could not find his way back home. His mommy and daddy looked for him everywhere, but they could not find him. It was getting late and Little Red was cold and very much afraid. He curled up under a bush to keep warm. His little body was trembling with fear. The 'animal alert' for little Red went out through the Green Forest, but no one could find him. Mommy and daddy were very sad and hardly could sleep that night, thinking of their Little Red out in the cold, dark Green Forest.
Late afternoon that same day two little bunnies Muff and Fluff had just finished picking blueberries from their dinner and were heading home, when they heard crying in the bushes. "I want my mommy, I want my daddy," sobbed Little Red . Muff and Fluff when over to the bush and bent down to see who was crying. "Why it is a little fox,", said Fluff. "Do you think he knows who we are?' Trying to coach him out they asked him" what is your name? and where do you live?" With tears running down his little furry face, he answered, "I'm lost, I don't know where I live." "Well, said Muff, "you can come home with us for the night." Our mother is a great cook. She makes the sweetest blueberry muffins you could ever eat. said Muff. It didn't sound much like fox food, but "Little Red's" hunger pangs didn't care; food was food!
That night Little Red slept in the briar patch curled up, nice and warm with the bunnies. When he woke up in the morning, Little Fox had forgot where he was. "I want my mommy. I want my daddy", he started to cry. Muff and Fluff tried to comfort him. "You will be all right Little Red, we will find your mommy and daddy. Don't be afraid." said Muff.
After breakfast, Muff and Fluff took little Red to see old Mrs .Owl, who lived in the hollow of an old oak tree. She had been awake all night watching over the Green Forest for any trouble and was just about ready to go to bed for the day when the two bunnies and Little Red arrived at her tree house. Muff spoke first
"Mrs. Owl, we found "Little Red" fox under a bush yesterday. Do you think you can help us? With one eye half shut, Mrs.Owl said, "Well, if there is already an alert out for Little Red,the least I can do is to fly over the Green Forest announcing ' A little red fox has been found. Please come to the old oak tree before I go to sleep." Ole Mrs.Owl flew off through out the Green Forest hooting to all the creatures.
The forest was abuzz with the hot news of the missing little fox. Little Red's mommy and daddy were up early that morning, when they heard Mrs.Owl flying over their den. "Did you hear that? Little Red has been found and is being kept at Mrs. Owl tree house. Let's go at once and get our son.." With great excitement, the mommy and daddy fox ran as fast as they could to the old oak tree.
Muff and Fluff were old enough to know that foxes and bunnies were not friends. Little Red was too young to understand that foxes hunted bunnies to eat. "We better disappear quickly before his mother and father show up or we will be their supper." The little bunnies ran off, leaving little Red to wait for his mommy and daddy. Mrs. Owl returned to wait with Little Red. When Little Red saw his mommy and daddy coming down the path, he ran to meet them . They snuggled together for a long time before Little Red told them about the bunnies. "Daddy, said Little Red , the bunnies found me crying under a bush and took me to their home for the night. The bunnies were very kind to me and they are my friends. "Friends!' said daddy fretfully wondering how he was going to tell his son that foxes eat bunnies! His father never did tell his son that foxes eat bunnies for dinner.He just couldn't broke Little Red's heart. When he grew up and realized that foxes did eat bunnies, he became to greatest bunny protector in the whole Green Forest. He kept all the other foxes away from the bunnies, even when the foxes called him names. Little Red loved the bunnies and was always grateful for the kindness they showed when he was so young to give him a bed for the night..
Boys and girls, Mom mom wants you all to remember to always stay in your own yard,when you are out playing. You never want to wander off and get lost like Little Red did .
