Tales from the Pine Forest
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Meanwhile, the three little squirrels sat glued to the sofa with their hearts pounding. They thought that they were in big trouble. Quickskip was so afraid that he turned on Hopscotch. ‘Hopscotch, you pushed the hammock too hard! You caused Minty to fall,’ he said.
‘Yes, Hopscotch. You did!’ said Chuckles angrily. ‘Now Minty is hurt … or dead. He couldn’t wake up! It’s your fault.’
‘Now we’ll all be punished! It’s your fault!’ cried Quickskip.
Hopscotch’s heart sank and he started to tremble. Minty dead! He could be in big trouble. He should not have pushed the hammock so hard. He hadn’t thought that the game could ever end that way. Now Quickskip and Chuckles blamed him, and he felt worse. Soon their mother and perhaps Mrs. Merry Leap would come home. They too, would be very upset with him. He would be punished good and proper. Hopscotch felt very sick.
‘We’d better hide,’ said Quickskip fearfully. ‘Mrs. Merry Leap might come by to punish us. She’s very strict with Minty when he’s naughty
‘And after that, Mom will punish us. We’re in deep trouble,’ replied Chuckles, growing afraid.
‘Let’s hide in the cashew trees,’ suggested Quickskip.
‘Let’s split up. That way, it will be harder for them to find us,’ said Chuckles.
‘Maybe if Mom can’t find us, she’ll forget about the punishment,’ said Quickskip hopefully.
‘Yeah! Let’s go before she gets home!’ said Chuckles.
Quickskip and Chuckles raced to the front door and ran down the pine tree. Quickskip dived into the thick cashew grove, and Chuckles hid in a huge pine tree. But Hopscotch stayed put, for he could not forget Minty.
Formats
Book Details
Recognition Programs
About the Book
In a faraway pine forest on the island of Trinidad lives a lovely red squirrel family. Their home is a cosy, warm hole on Honey Nut Bough in a tall and sturdy pine tree. Mrs. Nimbly Knock and her three little squirrels, Quickskip, Chuckles, and Hopscotch, have a happy life—until Mr. Nimbly Knock goes hunting for nuts in the forest one day and never returns. Deeply saddened by his disappearance, Mrs. Nimbly Knock lets Mr. Twinkle Tip, a friendly, old star who loves the forest animals, stay with them as a special family friend.
As Mr. Twinkle Tip settles comfortably into his new home inside a quaint lantern in the tree, the young squirrels begin to learn how to survive in the pine forest. When a pile of cashew nuts goes missing, Mr. Twinkle Tip puts a spell on the front door and quickly catches Mr. Squeak, a rat with a greedy appetite for cashew nuts, illustrating to the three little squirrels an important message about honesty and trust. As Quickskip, Chuckles, and Hopscotch begin to explore the world outside their beloved pine tree, they learn valuable lessons from their mother and Mr. Twinkle Tip about avoiding greed, valuing family love, caring for others, being a good friend, being neighbourly, being tactful, and staying safe in the forest.
In this delightful collection of short tales, the charming Nimbly Knock squirrel family teaches children essential values for life and that making good choices is always the right thing to do.
About the Author
Christine L. Ramoutar
is an Organization Development consultant who writes fiction in her spare time. Her vision is to create a fascinating fantasy world in which children can escape and explore while learning important values and life lessons. Christine lives in her hometown of Arima, Trinidad.