Story: Pip’s Mystery Seed

“Good morning, Mia!” Pip, the deer mouse, stretches and peeks her head out of the hollow, where she lives in a cypress tree. “Good morning, Watercolor Woods! It looks like a great day. Doesn’t it, Mia?”

“Yes!” Mia, the blue jay, answers from her perch above the hollow. “A perfect day to go to the community garden.”

“Ohhhh! Berries for breakfast sound delicious,” Pip licks her lips and rubs her belly.

Mia yells as she flies off, “Race you to the garden, Pip!”

“You’re on!” Pip scurries towards the garden, laughing and playing with Mia.

She stops on the trail and picks something up, “Look at this!”

“What is it?” Mia tilts her head to get a closer view. “Did you find a berry?”

“No. It’s a seed, but I don’t know what kind of seed it is.” Pip wonders, It’s a golden color, roundish shape with a point on one end.”

Mia is curious, “I wonder what kind of plant it is?”

Pip scratches her head and holds the seed up to the sunlight, “I have no idea, but let’s find out.”

Mia’s eyes light up, “Let’s take it to the garden and ask the others.”

Rosemary, the rabbit, sees them coming down the trail, “Hi, Pip! Hi, Mia!”

Pip runs to show her the mystery seed, “Do you know what kind of plant this seed is?”

Rosemary looks closely, “No. Sorry, but we can ask Juniper, the chipmunk. She spends a lot of time foraging nuts and seeds from the woodland floor. Maybe, she will know.”

Juniper hears her name and pokes her head up from the strawberry patch, “Did someone say my name?”

Everyone giggles, and Mia asks, “Do you know what kind of plant this seed is?”

Juniper scampers closer to them to get a good look at the seed, “No. I can’t say that I do, but I know how we can find out!”

They all smile and say, “Plant it.”

The friends gather around and create a mound of dirt with a small hole at the top.

Rosemary places the seed in the hole and covers it up, “Now, we wait.”

“Here’s some water to help it grow,”. Pip gently pours the water on the dirt covering the seed.

Mia flaps her wings, “Oh! How exciting!”

“We can take turns tending to the seed,” Juniper says with a giggle at Mia’s excitement.

Weeks go by, and they visit the seed daily to water it.

Mia asks, “Anything yet, Pip?”

“No. Not yet,” Pip answers. “Let’s visit Hazel, the armadillo. She is always exploring in the woods. Maybe, she will know.”

“She’s over in the potato plants,” Mia shouts to Pip from above. “Hazel… Hazel…”

“Hello, Mia! Hello, Pip!” Hazel greets them. “We found a golden, round seed with a point on one end.” Pip holds up her paws, “It’s about… this big. Do you know what kind of plant it might be?”

“Hmmm,” Hazel thinks for a moment. “Nope. Have you asked Jasper, the opossum? He knows a lot about plants.”

“Great idea!” Mia says. “Let’s find Jasper.”

“Jasper. Jasper,” they call out and look around the garden.

“Here I am!” Jasper answers from under the corn stalks. “Hello, everyone. What can I do for you?”

Pip describes the seed and asks, “Do you know what kind of plant it might be?”

“This big?” Jasper asks holding up his paws. “Sounds like a Moonflower.”

“A Moonflower?” Pip is curious.

Jasper explains, “Moonflowers are white, trumpet-like flowers. They bloom at night, from dusk till dawn. The flowers glow at night under the moonlight.”

Astonished, they all said, “Wow”, in unison.

Daily, they check the mound of dirt, water the seed, and pull the weeds away from it. Within a few weeks, it sprouts into a seedling. Continuing to visit the Moonflower daily, they wait to see the beautiful flowers.

“Look, Mia!” Pip squeals.

“I see it, Pip!” The first blossoms will bloom tonight!” Mia replies.

Pip looks at Mia, “Let’s ask the others to meet here tonight. We can watch it bloom.”

Mia agrees, “I will fly over and make the announcement.”

The sun dips below the horizon. Pip, Mia, Rosemary, Juniper, Hazel, and Jasper meet in the garden.

“It’s glowing!” Rosemary dances.

“Incredible!” Juniper gasps.

“Look at them open!” Hazel points in awe.

“Isn’t it a beautiful sight?” Jasper explains, “Bats and moths are nocturnal, and the sweet scent of the Moonflower draws them to it.”

“Thank you, everyone,” Pip expresses gratitude. “We all worked hard for this amazing addition to our community garden.”