Moss and the Pocket-Moon Parade

Moss the raccoon loved collecting round, shiny things beside his willow-tree home. Each evening, he arranged smooth pebbles to look like a tiny moon.

Tonight, the woodland raccoons were holding a moonlight parade, but clouds covered the sky. Moss wanted to bring a little moon of his own.

He tucked a glowing pebble inside a hollow seedpod and tied on a willow handle. His pocket moon made a warm circle of light on the moss.

At the gathering stump, the other raccoons offered pale petals for his lantern. Moss layered them around the seedpod until it looked round and silvery.

A soft breeze slipped through the clearing and scattered the loose petals. Moss's round moon became a lopsided little pear.

Moss sat on the moss and studied the willow basket beside him. Its woven twigs held everything snugly, and that gave him an idea.

He wove a round willow cradle around the seedpod and tucked the petals between its twigs. When the breeze returned, his pocket moon stayed whole.

The raccoons lifted their little lanterns and followed Moss along the familiar meadow path. Warm circles of light bobbed over the grass like a row of smiling moons.

Back at the willow tree, Moss hung his lantern above a picnic blanket shared with his friends. Even behind the clouds, their moonlit evening had found a way to shine.