As Little Squirrel ambled along with his head hung low, he was stopped by a wise old hare named Henry.

​

“What’s the matter, little one?” Henry asked gently. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

​

Little Squirrel sighed. “It’s my grandmother. She’s feeling sad, and she doesn’t want to play with me.”

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With a knowing smile, Henry leaned in and whispered, “I know a little magic that might just help.” Little Squirrel’s ears perked up.

​

“Really? Yes, please!”

​

“Alright,” said Henry. “Bring me the prettiest flower you can find.”

​

Without hesitation, Little Squirrel dashed off and returned with his find. Henry took it carefully and whispered:

​

“Beautiful, bright, elegant flower,
I bless you with my magical power.
To work your charm, just for a while,
And bring back Grandma’s lovely smile.”

​

“Now run along,” Henry said. “Take this to your grandmother before the magic fades. And don’t forget to say something kind.”

Little Squirrel raced home. He handed the flower to his grandmother and said, “This flower is as pretty as you, Grandma.”

​

Her eyes lit up. She smiled for the first time in days and said, “You hide, I seek?”

​

The magic had worked.

​

The next day, Little Squirrel returned to thank Henry, this time with his friend, Little Badger.

​

“My mummy’s always tired and grumpy,” Little Badger said. “She never laughs anymore.”

​

“I have just the spell,” Henry smiled.

​

He told Little Badger to find a soft feather. Soon, Badger returned with one. Before performing the spell, Henry said, “For this to work, you must promise to help your mum with two tasks a day. When you’re done, gently brush this feather on her neck.”

​

Little Badger agreed, and Henry whispered:

​

“With Badger’s help and this soft feather,
Let my magic bind them together.
Use your power, work your charm,
Help Badger’s mother stay relaxed and calm.”

​

That evening, Little Badger took out the bin for his mum and dried dishes by her side. When she bent down to put away the last dish, he brushed the feather gently along her neck. She burst into giggles and gave him a big cuddle. “Thank you, darling,” she whispered. Then, she handed him a treat, something she hadn’t done in ages.

​

The magic had worked.

​

Soon, word spread about Henry’s magical talents, and the following day, he received a visit from Little Fox. Henry recognised him immediately; he’d often seen Little Fox skulking about alone and knew he had a reputation for being unfriendly.

​

“What’s all this nonsense I hear about you doing magic?” Little Fox teased.

​

“Tell me your problem, and I’ll see what I can do,” Henry said.

​

Little Fox thought for a moment. “I bet you can’t make anyone like me,” he said, trying to sound casual, but Henry realised that beneath Little Fox’s hard exterior, this was something he truly wished for.

​

“Sure,” said Henry. “You will need to fetch me twenty daisies.”

​

So, Little Fox set off in search of the daisies. When he returned, Henry carefully linked them together to make a daisy chain. He then said the words:

​

“Daisy chain and a simple smile,
I give you this magic, for just a while.
And before your charm and power ends,
Give this fox some loyal friends.”

​

Henry placed the chain around Little Fox’s neck. “Smile at everyone you see,” he instructed.

​

Little Fox had never had friends, and he doubted any magic could change that. But as he scurried away, he thought, ‘What harm would it do to try?’

​

In the distance, he saw Little Badger helping his mother with the shopping. Little Fox braced himself for them to hurry away, as usual. Remembering Henry’s words, Little Fox forced a smile and, to his surprise, they smiled back and said, “Good morning.” A little stunned, he returned their greeting. And then, with a real smile now firmly on his face, he continued on.

​

Next, Little Squirrel came bounding towards him saying, “I love your necklace!”

​

They started talking… and talking, until Little Squirrel said, “I need to go and visit my grandma now, as she has promised to build a super cool den.”

​

Little Fox felt a little disappointed, but then Little Squirrel said, “Would you like to come and play with me and Little Badger later?” Little Fox blushed. “Yes, please.”

​

And just like that, they became friends.

​

The magic had worked.

​

The following day, Henry watched as the new friends played; it brought him such joy. Then, he spotted the love of his life, Hattie Hare – the most beautiful hare he had ever seen. Hattie had a set of wheels as she didn’t have use of her back legs, and Henry loved watching her merrily race around the meadow. Oh, how he wished he had enough courage to speak to her.

​

At that moment, Little Squirrel caught sight of Henry and recognised the look; it was the same look his father had when he looked at his mother, with a twinkle in his eye. But then a tear rolled down his cheek.

​

“What’s the matter?” Little Squirrel asked.

​

“I’m just feeling a little lonely,” Henry admitted.

​

Little Squirrel raced over to the others and they quickly formed a plan. They fetched the magic flower, feather and daisy chain. Together, they gave Henry all three and said, “Now you have to follow the rules – remember to smile, say something nice, and offer to help!”

 

A breeze suddenly caught the feather. They chased it, only to find it had landed right in the paw of Hattie Hare.

​

“Nice catch,” Henry said nervously. Then, remembering the rules and with a nudge from Little Squirrel, he added with a smile, “Please take this flower, it’s pretty like you.”

​

Hattie blushed.

​

Once Henry had finished tightening one of Hattie’s wheels, the three young friends watched the two hares disappear into the sunset, giggling along the way.

​

They looked at each other and said excitedly,

​

“The magic worked.”