Story Number 6
Fall Leaves - Hidden secrets deep in the woods
It was the month of October and the students in Peaches second grade class was studying about leaves. The teacher asked the class what they thought might make the leaves on the trees in the fall to change color? The student’s assignment for the second weekend in October was to go for a walk with one or both of their parents in the woods. Find some pretty leaves to share with the class, record all the things they see while walking through the woods and if the students found any other interesting or unusual items from their walk they could bring the items to school and share them with the other students on the following Monday. Peaches loved going for walks in the woods, so this was one assignment she knew she would enjoy doing.
On the second Friday of October at the supper table Peaches explained what the teacher wanted them to do and her parents both Mama Nellie and Papa Razz said, “That sounded like fun.” Peaches wanted to find as many different things as she could in the woods, because the more things she found or brought back to share with the class the more extra credit she could earn. That night after doing the supper dishes, Mama Nellie packed a small lunch for the three of them and put some water into a jug for them to take tomorrow when they went on their exciting adventure through the woods. Everyone went to bed early that night so they could get up at dawn and start the unknown adventure that lay ahead of them in the woods.
The next morning at 6:00 a.m. the sun was just starting to light the sky. Peaches and her family were up and ready to go. Mama took the lunches she had packed the night before and Papa the water jug and a small shovel. Peaches took a brown paper bag, a pen and a small notebook along with several paper towels and a small box with handles on it just in case she found something extra special to collect. Peaches wanted to make sure she could bring everything back home without damage. Now, it was time to go off into the woods for at least a four hour hike and adventure. Papa explained that the animals and the other creatures that lived in the woods would just be waking up so being quite was important. Looking for unusual things meant they must all be observing and watching where they walked could be very important too.
The birds were starting to sing and fly from one tree to another. The squirrels were running from the ground where they had picked up some fallen nuts and were taking the nuts and hiding them in their nest high in the trees. The leaves on the ground that had fallen from some of the trees were still wet with the morning dew. About 30 minutes into the woods Papa suggested, they stop and sit on a fallen log and quietly watch what was going on around them.
Soon a mother deer and her fawn came from behind a tree both started walking down a small cleared path about 400 feet away from them. The wind was blowing ever so slightly towards them so the deer could not pick up any of their human scent. Peaches started writing down the things that she had already seen. Then again as they were sitting ever so quietly a small fox briskly came through the woods, maybe looking for a field mouse or a chipmunk for his morning breakfast.
Now it was time to move deeper into the woods and this time about 150 feet away hanging in a tree Peaches saw what appeared to be a large gray paper looking wasp nest. Papa said, “Yes you’re right Peaches that is a wasp nest. We need to watch the nest for awhile and if there is no activity around it I will try and get the nest down for you so you can take it to school for show and tell. “But we must make sure it is empty first.” Peaches and Mama Nellie were standing near an olive bush waiting for Papa to get the wasp nest down when Peaches seen a very tiny nest in the bush. It was ever so small. The nest was empty; her hand was larger than the nest which fascinated Peaches. “Could this be a hummingbird’s nest” she asked her parents? Yes Peaches, “That is a well built nest made by a hummingbird. Carefully they took the empty nest from the bush and put it in the box. Papa then put the wasp nest which he managed to get from the large tree into the paper bag and carefully carried it by the branch which he left on it when cutting it from the tree.
Peaches was amazed at all the things they had seen in the woods for only being out there for several hours. What else could they possible find during this adventure? Peaches wrote down all the things she had seen so far and recorded all the things she had found when all at once she dropped her pen in the leaves. As Peaches bent down to pick up her ink pen she noticed a clump of green moss with very tiny red flowers on it. She asked Papa how she might take the moss off the tree. Papa showed Peaches how to slowly remove the bark from the tree that held the moss, as not to destroy the moss since it is ever so delicate. Mama Nellie had wondered ahead of them about 50 feet and noticed a ray of beautiful red and orange flowers. Mama asked Peaches, “Do you know what these flowers are called?” Peaches smiled and said, “Yes, we just studied about these flowers they are rare, they are called Indian paint brushes.” Peaches picked several flowers and laid them carefully between the paper towels so that they could start drying. Peaches recorded more of what she had found in her notebook, the notebook was filling up fast. Papa Razz and Mama Nellie suggested they make a circle back towards the house and see what they find on the way back which would take another couple of hours. So that is what they did.
For the next 20 minutes they found nothing. Peaches said, “Maybe there is nothing else out here.” but Mama Nellie said, “Don’t be too quick to say that, Peaches.” Mama Nellie knew there were some wild mushrooms around one of the old trees and just then Peaches spotted them. The mushrooms were called sponge mushrooms which are eatable. Peaches bent down and picked three of the sponge type mushrooms. While she was picking up the mushrooms she spotted a large ball of rabbit fur. Peaches said, “Where do you think this rabbit fur came from?” Papa Razz said, “He was betting that the fox they seen earlier may have found himself a rabbit and left part of the rabbit’s fur behind.” Peaches then walked another 20 feet when she found several beautiful turkey feathers. Peaches could see their house way up ahead and didn’t figure on finding too much more when all of a sudden she spotted a chipmunk running into an old log. Papa,” What was the Chipmunk running from or was it chasing something?” Papa smiled and said, “I think it was just going to its nest in the log.” They sat on the old log for several minutes to rest when all at once Peaches looked up and said, “Look how pretty the leaves are on this tree.” Mama Nellie said, “Do you know what kind of tree this is Peaches? “Yes, it is a red maple.” The tree was covered with a ray of beautiful deep colored leaves. Peaches went over and picked some 15-20 leaves from the ground all the leaves were a bright and a colorful shade of the autumn which was just starting to color the woods. Peaches placed the leaves ever so carefully in the box and laid another paper towel over them.
The family was all sitting on the old log eating the picnic lunch Mama Nellie had fixed for them. They enjoyed looking around at the beauty that surrounded them. After eating, Peaches picked up a stick and started to move some of the leaves away from her feet, she smiled when she found a wooly worm crawling up her stick. Peaches placed the worm in the box and added that to her collection. Mama Nellie looked down and said, “What else do you see on the ground Peaches?” Peaches looked a little closer she was shocked to see some old nuts from last year that were under the leaves. Peaches bent down and picked them up and added them to the long list of items she had already collected earlier in the day.
The Puddintain family was now headed towards their home which they could see off in the distance about 300 feet away. Peaches turned to each of her parents and thanked them for helping her to find and see the many hidden secrets deep within the woods. The family enjoyed the day’s adventure together and at the same time was able to get some much needed exercise. The school project turned out to be fun for everyone.
When Peaches returned home she wrote about how she thought the leaves changed colors. Peaches knew that moisture, light, and temperatures must play a part in the way the leaves were being colored. Peaches, could see as she looked down through the woods that the colors of the leaves were just starting to change, but how some of the different kinds of trees were not as colorful as others. Peaches remembers that smell of the woods that morning and knows that smell is associated with the signs of fall which now lays just ahead.
* These stories may not be copied or reproduced in any way without the permission of the author first
Just a reminder
When reading these short stories about the Puddintain family, see if you can find the many hidden messages within this story and all the other stories written by this author. The author writes and displays many different characters the family has to learn to live, work and play with; while trying to give us learning tools along the way showing by example how good or difficult life can really be.
The times the family spends together are treasured moments, lived to the fullest. The family shows respect towards one another and applies it throughout the stories at all times. Going back to basics isn’t so bad. Living life to the fullest and appreciating each other can be good and is so refreshing.
